On a sunny Greenleaf Afternoon

[Wildheart]

((OOC| Starting out in camp but quickly moving to the lake )

Sunhigh had passed over the patch of forest shading Rootclan's camp. A silver tabby lay panting despite the shade, his blue eyes tightly closed. They flickered open when he heard pawsteps, and he lifted his head to purr faintly as his sister sat beside him.
"Hey Silvershine." He nudged her leg, the only part of her he could reach without getting up, then flopped his head back down.

Silvershine laughed and placed an elegant forepaw on his head. "Dawnfrost, you lazy thing! Stop lying around camp, do you want to come for a walk to the lake?"

Dawnfrost groaned dramatically. "No." His sister cuffed his ears, making him laugh and roll over to swat half-heartedly at her.

[Rei]

"Did I hear something about a walk?" The large ginger she-cat trotted up, green eyes glimmering with interest. "The lake's a nice place to visit! At least the water will be cool, right?"

It was at times like these that Maplesong didn't mind going to the lake all that much. Sure, she wouldn't throw herself into the water like some of those mouse-brained Twolegs, but a nice, long drink would be fine.

"Y-you guys don't mind if I tag along, right?" She asked, her ears flicking with worry.

Idiot. You shouldn't just assume everyone wants your company! She chided herself inwardly.

[Wildheart]

Silvershine smiled warmly at the other she-cat. The gentle silver tabby liked Maplesong, and welcomed her company. "Of course not." She assured her in her soft voice. She grinned briefly and turned her back on Dawnfrost. "Guess Maplesong will come with me, Dawnfrost. We certainly don't need any lazy old toms coming along."

The reverse physiology worked immediately on Dawnfrost. "Hey, hold on, you shouldn't go alone." He protested, getting to his paws. "Wait for me, I'm coming with you. and less of the old, Silvershine" He grumbled. He cast an anxious look at Maplesong. "I don't look old, do I?" He muttered to her in a worried undertone.

[Rei]

"Of course you don't!" Maplesong reassured him hurriedly, careful to keep her voice low like Dawnfrost was doing. "I'm really glad you're coming too!" She added, in a louder voice, her smile widening.

"Hey....Will Echorain be coming? I know she's busy with her medicine cat duties and all, but..." Maplesong faltered, her tail flicking nervously. Siblings needed to stick together. They needed to. But maybe Silvershine and Dawnfrost wouldn't appreciate her meddling...She blushed under her fur. Why did she never think things through first?

[Wildheart]

Silvershine's light blue eyes flashed with disappointment for a moment as she shook her head. "She's out in the city looking for catmint." Meowed the silver tabby. She too, would have loved Echorain to come with them. The sisters were still very close, as they had been all their lives.

Dawnfrost sighed ot himself as Silvershine took the lead on the way to the lake. "I wish she wouldn't go out into the city by herself." He confided to Maplesong. "I know she has her duties, but I just worry about her out there."

[Rei]

Maplesong nodded in understanding, trailing behind Silvershine to stand beside her brother.

"Yes, the city is very dangerous." Maplesong meowed in agreement, touching the tip of her tail lightly on Dawnfrost's shoulder. "But I'm sure Echorain will be fine. She knows her way around, after all."

Being comforting was the least she could do.

"All the same..." She hesitated briefly. It wasn't her place to interfere, but Maplesong shuddered at the thought of any of her Clanmates dying. "Watch out for her. I know you do already, but..." She closed her eyes for a moment, and sighed.

"No cat should be alone." She whispered, then shook herself. This was meant to be a happy outing. No way she would let memories weigh her down.

[Wildheart]

Dawnfrost looked rather somber. "I try to as much as I can. I'm the only tom my sisters have since our father... anyway." He cleared his throat and looked away. "You're right though. Echorain is..." He couldn't think of the right word and sighed in defeat. "Well, like you said. She can look after herself."

Silvershine, a few paces ahead by now, looked back and chuckled lightly. "Come on you two, you look like a pair of gossiping elders! The lake's just ahead." She meowed, feeling a fresh breeze blowing in her face off the water.

[Rei]

Maplesong drew herself up in mock indignation, fluffing her fur out. "Elder, eh, you young whippersnapper?" She tried to intimate one of the elders, but keeping a wide smile on her face.

These were her friends after all, they wouldn't be insulted, right?

[Wildheart]

Dawnfrost let out a burst of laughter, his whiskers twitching in amusement. Silvershine looked back again and giggled, half-strutting, half-stumbling in a wonky line. "You young rips!" She barked, intimidating the favourite insult to young cats of the senior warrior Jetfire.

Dawnfrost nearly fell over. "Hey, you sounded just like Jetfire!" He chuckled. "I wouldn't do that in front of him, though!" The older male had a reputation for being a little odd.

[Rei]

Maplesong chuckled as well. "Better not do that, or he'll claw your fur off!" She agreed, with a happy twitch of her ears.

She let out a contented purr, feeling the breeze ruffle her fur, cooling her down somewhat.

[Wildheart]

Silvershine grinned and twitched her ears in amusement. "If we held still long enough for him, that is!" She added mischievously.

Dawnfrost had leaped to a series of small stones beside the lake, and inhales the fresh, cool air coming off the water. His silver tabby fur was thicker and more dense than either of his sister's and he felt the heat more severely. He jumped down into the shallows and stood ankle-deep, letting out a small sigh.

[Rei]

Maplesong jumped onto the stones after Dawnfrost, eyeing the water warily. She lifted her bushy tail high, careful not to touch the water.

The breeze was nice and cool, sure, and Maplesong was hot, but there was no way she was going to touch the water.

"Hey, Dawnfrost, don't you mind getting your paws wet like that?" She asked curiously.

[Wildheart]

Dawnfrost waded in until he was knee-deep. His tail started to float on the surface, and he merely blinked contentedly. "Nope. It's great at the moment, nice and cool." He waded in until the fur reached his bellyfur.

Silvershine was content enough to lie on a sunny rock and dabble her claws in the water. "He's always been like that." She commented, flicking a drop into the air and watching it plop back into the water. "Even as a kit he would paddle."

Dawnfrost turned to look back at them. "Hey, I'm no Tunnelclan cat. But if it's hot or I feel like a fish, sure, swimming's fine."

[Rei]

"TunnelClan." Maplesong teased, a loop-sided grin on her face. "Who else would actually want to get that wet voluntarily?" She shivered as she watched Dawnfrost.

"Hey, be careful there, alright?" She meowed, her grin changing to a look of concern. "We don't need to drag you back to camp half-drowned."

[Wildheart]

"Stop worrying." Dawnfrost flashed a cocky grin. "I'm not a kit, you know!" Silvershine rolled her eyes. "Would never know it from his behavior half the time." She murmured to Maplesong.

Dawnfrost's attention was caught by a very tiny white waterfowl chick paddling not far from him. It had spotted the cat and thrashed about in a panic. Dawnfdrost's eyes gleamed. "Ibet I could catch that chick!"

[Rei]

"Going to have to agree." Maplesong muttered, then switched her attention back to Dawnfrost.

"Get yourself even more drenched for that little lump of bones?" Maplesong tutted, shaking her head. That chick looked.....rather cute, all fluffy feathers and wide eyes. Ah well, prey was prey.

Not that she'd bother snapping down something that tiny.