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SoTS | Moonlit Swimming Lessons

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Little scene from an rp I had with *iDawnDusk with her lovely character, Duskfury. u v u
how do you draw water someone tell me pls
what would you call this? BrightWatersShipping?



Warning: Wall of text ahead!

:bulletyellow: The sun cast its final rays over the clans as it descended behind the hilly territory which belonged to WindClan. Shades of pinks and oranges danced through the darkening sky as the songbird fluttered back to their nests, letting the crickets and evening cicadas take over the night job. The figures of cats shifted throughout the pine covered forest as they returned back to camp from a dusk patrol. Among the figures was an average sized golden tabby who was padding happily beside a smaller calico, chatting idly while they made their way back to camp. Suddenly, the tabby stopped and glanced apologetically at her companion, then muttering something before turning around and dashing back into the forest. Tonight was the night. She could feel it in her chest. She was certain tonight would be the night she finally would be able to meet and thank her savior from all those moons ago. As an apprentice, all she thought about was how it would play out. The two would meet and become close friends, though her young mind often wished it would transform beyond that. Now that she was older, she doubted anything major would happen between the two as even though she was a bit naive, Pollenheart knew inter-clan relationships almost never worked out in the end. The golden feline blinked the thought away as she neared the river which acted as the border between the shadows and the marshes which made up the different clans. :bulletyellow:

:bulletblue: It was a normal dusk as ever, or as Duskfury thought it would be. Cats of his clan were slowly departing to their nests as slowly as the sun creeped behind the treetops of shadowclan territory, Everyone must be exhausted Duskfury thought to himself as he chewed happily on some fish meat. It had only been this morning when cries of delight woke him, prey season was back in for Riverclan and every cat was stuffed and tired, the warm rays of the sun beamed down on his dark fur and warmed him up right to the bone. There was no denying it; Today was perfect.

As the last couple of strangler cats finished up sharing tongues and went into their dens, some cats where posted outside the entrances for guard duty, Sadly for Duskfury, He didn't very much enjoy the taste of the salty migrating freshwater fish that filled the waters of the day, and so he decided that he might as well catch some land prey to fill his half full stomach, Dusk began to fulfil its duty and make the land of the clans dark and mysterious, It was his favourite time to hunt at night because the moonlight was much more entertaining to hunt in then daylight because it only had a dim light, plus with his darker pelt, it was easier for him to hide in bushes.

He got up from laying there and began to walk out of camp in serch for a land prey meal, His mind was filled with the possibilities of prey he could catch, his mouth watering at the thought of it! he made his way to the land closest to Shadowclan territory and caught a smell that would make his fur stand on end and his eyes widen, Shadowclan warrior sent..Fresh, trying to ignore it and keep it out of his mind he continued hunting, shadowclan warriors normally patrolled at night anyway so there was nothing to worry about, but something about this sent drove his curiosity and anxiety forward; the shadowclan sent was familiar but he couldn't remember who it belonged to, He had to find out.

He gave up on hunting and strode to the border, keeping in mind to be well hid. Finally it caught his eye, a golden pelt of a Shadowclan warrior. He paused;a golden warrior? he couldn't remember a golden warrior that he ever met. Suddenly it hit him, that cat he saved from the river many moons ago..could this be her? he never really asked her name he just tried to keep her warm from the harsh winds, the air cooled and a soft breeze made the trees whisper approval to him, He finally stepped out of his hiding place and revealed himself to the golden cat, his gaze darting all over her to get a good look. :bulletblue:

:bulletyellow: Dropping low to the ground, the golden tabby padded around the borderline between the forest and the stony ground which lead to the river, weaving in between the tall evergreens which she hoped would help mask her scent from possible patrolling cats as her light green gaze scanned the border. The pallid tabby continued pacing down the pine covered riverbank when she suddenly got the feeling she was being watched. Pollenheart froze in place and crouched down to the ground as she looked up and down the RiverClan territory when something bright caught her eye.

'Those eyes...' She thought as the blue-grey tabby tomcat stepped out of his hiding spot and out into the open. They were just like the ones she saw gleaming down on her as she slipped into unconsciousness as an apprentice. Thoughts started racing through her mind. Was this the cat who saved her? There were so many green-eyed RiverClan cats, she just wasn't sure anymore. She was prepared for him to say something along the lines of "I've saved plenty of cats" as they normally did but there was something different about this tom. He was just staring at her as though he had something important to say or was trying to remember something important. There was only one way to find out.

The golden molly padded over to where the tom was standing on the opposite side of the river, stopping on the smooth, wet pebbles which coated the riverbank. She could feel some of the cold river water wash against her paws, sending a slight chill down her spine. Mustering up some courage, the tabby opened her toothy maw and began to speak. "Hey!" Pollenheart called out to the larger cat, beckoning him over to her with her striped tail. "Come here!" She wasn't sure if he was going to swim over the border or not, but even if he stopped on his side of the bank, it would be better than having to shout to communicate and risk waking the entire forest.
It was strange seeing a RiverClanner up and about at this time of night as Pollenheart always perceived them as lazy and sleepy since that was what she's been told since she was just a kit, though this didn't appear to be the case. :bulletyellow:

:bulletblue: Duskfurys mind swams with old memories but could never really grasp the one he wanted, becoming frustrated his mind fought harder to find the memory until finally it Found it, a memory of a small golden tabby splashing into the water below and him diving in the freezing waters of leaf bare, then it cuts to him saying soothing words to the apprentice as he tries to warm her up, "Hey!" the golden tabby says to him " Come here!" the tabby says again.

Being snapped back to reality by those words her hesitates and looks back on his sleeping clan, being lit up by the moonlight that he cherished, His eyes widen as he whips his head back and looks at the she cat then his paws that where somewhat damp from running in dew filled grass, his paws where close to the rivers edge also and the rushing water speeds away and the endless supply continues washing away into the lake, his gaze slowly looks at the she cat and he nods curtly and then hesitates, Im gonna get in so much trouble if I go over there" he sighs and then narrows his eyes But i NEED to know this she cat, her name at least. He thinks to himself, he puffs then jumps into the cold water.

It felt deeper then usual as his paws kick franticly and her swims to the other side, his paws finally finding the muddy ground and he stands up in the water, the water was at his belly, he looks back on his camp and flattens his ears and then hauls himself up the shadowclan side of the border and he shakes the water off his coat, making sure that he sprayed the golden she cat, he laughs a hearty laugh at his joke.

As soon as he finally got a good look at her, his heart welled, She was sooo beautiful, her dark golden stripes and her pale sandy pelt.
" Uhm. Yes?" he says, he was so hot with emberessment and began to try not to look at her eyes so she couldn't see his face rose red. :bulletblue:

:bulletyellow: Pollenheart watched with a smile as the striped blue tom plunged silently into the shadowy water and swam towards her, heaving himself out and onto the ShadowClan bank. There were times Pollenheart wished she could swim, and she has gotten offers from others to teach her, but the tabby was far too afraid of drowning though she had to admit it looked so pretty and elegant to watch. The ShadowClan warrior flinched away, blocking her face with a white paw as the RiverClanner shook his dripping pelt off, deliberately getting her wet in the process. The golden tabby gave a little chuckle when he stopped with a laugh, relieved to see he was at least good-natured and wasn't about to yell at her for calling him over as one cat did before.
Her dark golden ears pricked forward as he began to speak, her bright green eyes staring into his own. "Oh, um. Sorry if this sounds crazy, but did you happen to save a golden tabby roughly twenty moons ago?" She asked, flattening her ears and hoping she didn't sound like a complete weirdo. If he wasn't the tom she was looking for, this was going to get awkward real quickly. Although it had happened before, she never got used to the feeling of wrongly identifying her savor.
She often scanned through the gatherings, but never really felt like getting up to bother any of the cats there to ask them such a strange and possible unimportant question as this. From what she could tell, saving a cat was not a big deal at all to RiverClanners, especially the toms. In fact, from past answers she could almost say they live for it which almost made her glad she wasn't born in RiverClan. Saving cats like that sounds like a lot of work that she just couldn't be bothered to do. But now that she got a better look at the blue tabby, Pollenheart was sure she had seen him around before though part of her mind tried to tell her it was just at a gathering to avoid getting her hopes up too high. Despite her positive outlook on life, it admittedly does get quite disheartening after multiple tries of trying to find who it was who saved her from drowning though the words from her friends always kept her from giving up. She was determined to continue asking until she got the answer she was looking for whether she liked the cat or not, she just wanted to be able to thank them in person for what they did for her. :bulletyellow:

:bulletblue: Duskfury blinks at the pretty she cat, as she spoke he could sense her tension, he relaxed a bit to try and set a example, he really didn't want to scare such a pretty she cat away, He listened to her speak and his eyes lit up " Heh" he says and chuckles, then sighs nervously and looks up then back at the she cat " Turns out, ive only saved one cat in my lifetime from drowning, and it was about 20 moons ago" he said softly and then looked up at the she cat " I really wish I got her name," he sighs " Her sent was washed clean off so I didn't know what clan she came from ether " he looks at his paws in embarrassment " Im such a sucky hero..Heh"" he chuckles and then looks into the sandy she cats green eyes, He remembered it so vividly when he looks at her, the gold tiny patch off fur compared to his large body size, the shivering of both of them almost in sync and then warm foggy breath they both gave off.

He rolls onto his back and looks up and the she cat from down below, he chukles again and stretches his paws out "She was a patch of sandy fur" he says and struggles to get onto his paws to continue, he goes on about the she cat he saved "Being so cold I would not be surprised if she caught greencough and died soon after..Poor thing" He sighs " What a hero I am, I didn't really save anyone because they probely died anyway." He flicks his tail and lays his ears back, He told the story to all his friends in riverclan before and they merely laughed at how pathetic he was, they said he should have taken her to the medicine cat or at least helped her home, they said he was the most naive hero ever.
By the way he was acting about the subject, it was obviously a touchy one for him. :bulletblue:

:bulletyellow: As she listened, Pollenheart's spring green eyes lit up excitedly. Did she finally find the right cat? She wanted to rush back to camp to bother her siblings to ask if they caught the colour of the felines pelt before they swam back to their own camp but knew there would be no time for that so late at night. The golden tabby gave a little smirk as he talked about how 'the sandy cat probably died of greencough'. Although there was nothing funny about dying of greencough itself, the ShadowClan warrior had to admit she did find it amusing he was talking to the same cat he was speaking about.

"Dead, eh?" The tabby meowed, a hint of mischievousness in her tone. "Well what if I told you I know who you're talking about." She continued, trying to think of a way to mess with the blue tom before finally telling him it was her he was talking about without giving herself away too soon. To be quite honest, she was almost surprised he didn't figure it out by now though this would be quite fun as well. "Say, what's your name, anyway?" The golden she-cat asked, wanting to finally know his name. I mean, she only had to wait twenty moons to find it out.
Why did she have to fall unconscious? If she had been able to hold her breath for a few moment longer, she wouldn't have had to spend most her life trying to find out who it even was that saved her. Pollenheart recalled her brother, Sunshade, mocking her about it a couple times when they were younger how 'not even prince charming stayed around after he saved her' and that he could have held his breath much longer than she could which ended up in them having a competition and both of the young cats almost passing out if it weren't for their sister, who always seemed to have had better judgement even as apprentices. :bulletyellow:

:bulletblue: Duskfury brightens so much, his face basically lights up, his tail wags like a dogs and he sits up straighter then ever, he suspected that the cat he was talking to was the cat that he saved, but there was two other golden tabbies when he put the drowning cat on shore, this could have easily been one of the watchers, he never really stuck around to find out their gender after all, all he knew was that he saved a she cat, Plus, who would talk about themselves? He was sure that the cat he saved would have told him by now.

Duskfury's mind swells with questions to ask, what happened after he dropped her off? Was she alright? Is she even alive?. Duskfury stared at the she cat and his mouth gapped open and he toke a deep breath "Is she alright now? Did she catch greencough? Shes not dead is she? What was she doing in the water anyway?!" He pauses to take a long break as he gets up and circles the golden warrior standing before him "Does she have kits now? " He says this question with a bit of disappointment, as if hoping the cat he saved didn't have kits yet..or a mate."Was she angry that I didnt wait for her to wake up? " he asks so many questions so fast it was like a blitz of questions. He then looks into the cat he was talking to with a large smile across his face, he was overwhelmed that the cat he was talking to KNEW about his little damsel in distress. :bulletblue:

:bulletyellow: Pollenheart watched in amusement as the blue tabby tom excitedly asked her questions, appearing surprised she knew the cat he was speaking about. She paused for a moment, processing all the questions he had just fired out almost all at once before answering. "Um. Yes. No. No. And It's a long story, but I can explain-- I mean-" The golden she-cat bit her tongue. 'Drat. I ruined it. The ruse is up. The game is over. Abort. Abort.' She thought as she realized she slipped her tongue, giving the fact she was the cat he saved away. Pollenheart gave a little sigh before looking up to him with her green eyes. "Well, looks like I spoiled it, huh?" The pretty tabby chuckled. She was about to answer the rest of his questions when she realized she had forgotten them already. "So what were the rest of the questions again..?" She asked, trying to play off her little mistake.
While waiting for the tom, who's name was still unknown to her, to reply she decided she should finally introduce herself. "Oh! I'm Pollenheart." She meowed with a smile, glad to have finally told him her name. She decided that once he was done interrogating her, she should probably explain to him what she was doing in the river anyway. Every Clan knows ShadowClan cats can't swim. :bulletyellow:

:bulletblue: Duskfury smilles at the she cat as she answers his questions, it was pitch black now but Duskfury could make out the golden she cat very well, He could hardly hear her because he was so lost for words and dazed about her, This couldn't possibly be the same cat - "Um. Yes. No. No. And It's a long story, but I can explain-- I mean-" Duskfury breaks from his day dreaming and stares at the she cat as she continues and openly admits that the cat he saved moons ago was infact her, He blinks as she stumbles over her words and then says her name
Pollenheart, Its got a nice ring to it.
Duskfury sits back down in front of her and puts a paw on his chest, he was sitting rather close to the river and his back was to the rushing water, but he did not notice. He puts a paw to his chest and speaks " 'Names Duskfury" he says looking at her " But you can call me Dusk--WHOA!" he stumbles off balance and lands into the water, soaking and embarrassed her stands in chest high waters and spits out water that was in his mouth from the fall, he turns red with embarrassment " Er.." He chuckles nervously a bit and climbs out of the water and lays down, not bothering to shake the water off him, he was too embarrassed.
He looks up at her then at the water " Say, Do you know how to swim yet? You should just incase you fall in again, but hey, I bet you already do now" he says with a smile as he looks over at shadowclan territory, the large pine trees must be creeping with ...He gulps Insects shuddering at the thought of bursting through spider webs or comming across a bee hive, he was match happier in the smaller denser forest around his camp.
He then looks at the moon and all of its glory, it was so yellow tonight it almost matched the colour of Pollenhearts golden pelt, He begins to lick himself dry and his tail rocks back and forth as if angry at his massive failure. :bulletblue:

:bulletyellow: Pollenheart laughed as the tom, who she now can finally identify as Duskfury, fell backwards into the shallow river behind him with a splash. She watched in amusement at he padded out of the water and laid down, his dark fur still dripping wet and his face red with embarrassment. "It's nice to finally meet you DuskWOAH." The golden tabby mocked jokingly as he began to dry himself off. 'Duskfury, eh? Not a bad name..' She thought, laying down across from her new acquaintance, positioning herself so that her front legs were facing ahead of her and her hind legs were folded to one side.
Her dark honey coloured ears flattened against her head as he spoke about swimming and the golden she-cat looked away to the ground beside her, pawing at a stray leaf in the grass embarrassingly. "Yeah about that.. I um.. I can't swim.." She muttered under her breath, slightly hoping the blueish tabby tom wouldn't hear her and mock her for her inability to swim, though he honestly didn't have the grounds to do so her considering he just fell backwards into a river while trying to 'look cool' or what ever toms do when they're trying to impress she-cats.

This was exactly how she pictured this day would go.. well, almost. She had to admit, although he was very charming and funny, Duskfury was quite dorky though she supposed it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. If it weren't for his dorkiness, things may have turned awkward after the initial introduction. Part of her wished he was a ShadowClan cat so they could go hunting later tomorrow, though she knew that probably wouldn't ever happen. This meeting was dangerous enough, she couldn't imagine what would happen if they got caught 'stealing' some of the other clans prey on their territory. It wouldn't end very well, that was for sure :bulletyellow:

:bulletblue: Duskfury's ears go back playfully as she makes fun of him, He flicks his tail and acts offended by her joke, " Hmph" He says raiseing a eyebrow, a grin comes across his face, He chuckles and looks at her " DuskWOAH is the coolest warrior name you have ever heard..Ever" He says smugly and then cant hold the act for much longer as he breaks out into a laugh. His tail curls and his chest puffs out high, he was at least one mouse high taller then her and using this to his advantage he looks down on her with a devilish grin " Say, How about I teach you to swim, lessons begin now!" He declares and looks her over Mediem fur..A challenge but I mean I learned and I have short fur, so this shouldnt be to much of a setback..We just need to get her used to the water..But how He thinks hard as he looks from the dock to the river then at pollenheart again, He thinks for a second then gets walks twards her slowly and carefully, crouching down slowly and looking up at her " You have to trust me completely for me to teach you, its super important that you trust me, I promise you that you wont drown whille im around, I am a great swimmer" He reassures her.
The poor golden tabby must be scared of the water because of what happend as a apprentice, He shakes his head in pity; no cat should have to experience death by such thing that allows life, she must be terrified of the water; almost like his fear of badgers..he would hate for her to try and teach him how to befriend one. He shook his head to get that thought out, water isn't like badgers that will TRY to kill you, Water was life and the one thing that helps you sustain life would not try to kill you. " Water must be really scary for you, I understand, but you need to conquer your fear in the name of yourself, Im sure your scared to take a drink from a stream because your afraid of falling in and drowning." :bulletblue:

:bulletyellow: Pollenheart rolled her eyes with a chuckle. "Oh, sure it is." She replied smugly, a grin forming on her face which soon disappeared as the tom mentioned teaching her to swim. Cats had offered her that before, but she declined in fear she would drown. The golden tabby fell silent for a moment as Duskfury continued on and she contemplated his offer. He was a RiverClan cat after all and he had saved her before in the past, so there was really nothing stopping him from doing so if something were to happen this time around.
"Well if you're sure.." She meowed hesitantly, taking him up on his offer. Her green gaze flickered over to the dark water which looked like liquid starlight as the bright lights twinkled brightly overhead. If it weren't for the bright, nearly full moon which cast beams of light down upon the darkened territory. The good thing about the darkness is that the two were less likely to get caught if someone were to go out looking for them.. well, so long as Pollenheart didn't start thrashing about in the water out of panic. The tabby she-cat continued watching the light current for a little while before turning her slightly worried gaze back to the blue tom, who simply gave her a reassuring smile which made her feel a little better about what they were about to do.
She tried to recall the last time she set paw in water deeper than a puddle and realized it was probably when she fell into the river almost two cycles ago. Rising to her paws, Pollenheart looked over to Duskfury and waited for his instruction, though part of her screamed for her not to go into the water. It was bad enough in the morning, but in this lighting she couldn't even see the bottom which could be endless for all she knew, but then she remembered how the RiverClan tom had fallen into it just a couple moments ago and was able to stand up just fine. As long as she thought reassuring thoughts, she was sure she would be fine.. or at least that's what she hoped. :bulletyellow:

:bulletblue: Duskfury grins as the she cat seemed to trust him enough to let him help her go into water, he presses close to her for a second; but then thinking he had gone to far he moves away. Hoping his little press against would have comforted her just a bit he slowly begins to walk into the water, starting with the shallowest part that was only up to his knees and elbows.
He sits in the water comfortably and plashes around a bit but immediately stops when he hears something, he looks around slowly ; then shrugs but sits very still.
" Remember, water is so easy, it does not have a mind, it cant think, if it cant think then it cant hurt you." he says wisely " The only thing that can hurt you in water;is panic"
He looks over at the moon as it quivers in the sky and wind blows his fur slowly and rhythmically, He looks at pollenheart and thinks to himself for a second, she is so beautiful, Her personality,her looks, everything about her was just so perfect. If she thought the same way about him, and maybe their friendship slowly develops and he starts to fall in love, He thinks hard about his goal to be the best warrior in river clan and his promise to his father. He sighs and then looks over at shadowclan territory then at Pollenheart, He would leave Riverclan to join her if their friendship became anything more, he had nothing much in Riverclan anyway.
He looks back at Pollenheart with a wild grin " Think of it this way" he says looking at the still river water and the reflection it had of the stars and the moon " Its like swimming in silver pelt with our ancestors with us, swimming at night it like a portal to swim with the stars" He says looking down gleefully at the water as he poked the reflection of a star with his paw. For the first time in their meeting, Duskfurys naive belief in star clan and how much he respected them. :bulletblue:

:bulletyellow: The tabby felt something brush against her fur and noticed the darker tom press against her briefly before backing away and padding silently towards the calm river. She could feel herself blush lightly as his pelt brushed against her own but soon brushed the feeling away. He was just being kind, right? No harm in any of this. Pollenheart tried to reassure herself as she followed soon behind the blue tom, pausing for a moment as her paws reached the waters edge. She could feel her fears creeping up on her and took a deep breath, sighing them away as she closed her eyes and stepping into the cool water.

The feeling of the cold stream water on her legs sent a shiver down the she-cats spine as she adjusted to the temperature change. Since it was nearly the end of green-leaf, the weather was becoming gradually cooler as the days pressed on, though that hardly seemed noticeable compared to the sudden change in temperature of the water to the air. Pollenheart's fur ruffled up as she began to get used to the cold water, though the feeling of her fur start to plaster against her skin wasn't a very pleasing one and she realized how much of a pain it was going to be to dry herself off before returning to her den in ShadowClan.
Head held high, the dandelion tabby slowly moved her way over to the night blue tom, concentrating on where she was placing her paws to make sure she wouldn't trip over one of the smooth river stones which littered the ground below her. It was a big change from the soft pine needles, that's for sure.
Finally starting to get used to moving through the liquid starlight, Pollenheart stopped in front of Duskfury. She was thankful for her calm, reassuring tone and his wise words made her feel even better. Even if she didn't learn how to swim this night, at least she knew as long as she remembered his words, she wouldn't panic at the sight of a rippling current. :bulletyellow:

:bulletblue: Duskfury grins at the blond she cat and coos soothingly, his coo echoes around the trees and dances in the wind, and his fur waves in the water as the current pushes it. He takes a step a little bit deeper until the water is up to his chest and shows her basic swimming " This is just the basics or swimming, if you know this you can get through any body of water" he says reassuringly, but even himself had doubts about the pollen she cat, if she did panic she would wake riverclan cats up and they both would be in huge trouble, although his voice was steady and calm like it needed to be for her to feel comfortable in the waters, he was really nervous about her being IN the water, if she happens to slip under the water again she would never go close to a stream, - maybe not even a puddle! he trys not to be to frantic about the idea of inflicting terror on her again, and trys to focus on teaching her first. He swims back to where she is and tilts his head at her , He never really had an apprentice so he never really knew how to teach correctly,hoping he was doing okay he gives her a reassuring look and grabs her scruff, slowly brining her to a area where there was a large put in the ground below, he stood only a belly length in water where as if she fell, she wouldn't be able to touch the ground for a little while, he holds on tightly to her scruff and speaks through bared teeth " Now try kicking like your swimming" He says. Although he seemed a little more tense with her basically hanging off a cliff, he tried to reassure himself that she would be a natural..Although he did drag her over this cliff that she did not know how far it went down, She might panic and he would have to struggle to drag her back with her kicking at him, He looks up at the stars ; Oh please starclan let her be a natural. he pleas to them in thought. :bulletblue:

:bulletyellow: The pair stood in the water for a moment, its gentle current lapping at their legs as she finally adjusted to being wet. The golden she-cat stood and watched as the dark blue tom padded out into a deeper part of the river, doing basic strokes through the water without making a splash. She pollen coloured tabby watched in slight awe as Duskfury reached back around to where he could stand and padded back to her in a couple swift movements. He looked so graceful as he swam through the darkened water, it almost looked as though he was simply walking around on solid ground.
She let herself be dragged into deeper waters as the RiverClan tom grabbed the scruff of her neck, which slightly reminded her of the time her mother carried her around or possibly of their first meeting, though this time it was different. Instead of her being dragged under by the rippling tides, she was being gently pulled through an almost completely still river. Her medium length fur sprawled out around her as it got even more submerged into the clean water. Pollenheart made sure to keep her head about the water to make sure she wouldn't panic. So long as her face doesn't go under, she would be able to reassure herself that Duskfury would keep his promise and not let her drown.
Her paws grazed lightly over the slippery stones but the ground below her soon vanished, which sent a little wave of worry through her body but soon disappeared as she felt the toms teeth grip her scruff lightly, his words continuing to reassure her. She closed her eyes briefly and remembered the larger cats movements and tried to imitate them the best she could, though her movement was slightly limited due to her being held by the back of her neck. :bulletyellow:

:bulletblue: Duskfury trys his best to keep his neck as far away from his body as physicly possible so he dosnt interrupt or Handicap the she-cat as she trys to swim,his neck aches from all the weight on it but he refused to let it go any lower for him to rest it, droplets of sweat drip down his dry head and fall into the water and every muscle in his body tells him to let go of the heavy load that was causing him so much pain in his neck, but this urge to let go only made him hold on tighter to Pollenheart, he would not drop her, never drop her. His claws dig into the marsh below as his neck slowly begins to give in to being tired then to reason, this causing him to come closer to the she cat so she dosnt go any lower to the ground, but the closer he got to the edge the harder it was to keep his neck straight, and the harder is was to keep his neck straight the more his body couldn't handle it, and the more his body couldn't handle it the more he began to slowly slip off the edge.
It had been about five minutes of complete stillness in Duskfurys body, Five minutes where he wasn't arguing with his muscles to keep perfect, For five minutes he could relax and watch Pollenheart to critique on her "Bigger..Arhg!Longer..more valued kicks" he says to her. He felt himself slipping, his muscles complaining even more fiercer then before, unable to handle it any longer he places pollenheart on the safe side of the cliff, then his muscles wouldn't obey him anymore, they where to tired from holding up so much weight that he could barely move his paws, he swam for a second trying whatever it toke to catch his breath as soon as possible, and then;He disappeared into the dark waters.

He didn't have much of a free fall and more of a struggle to get his body to obey his orders with full force, but the kicks and struggles was just not strong enough to heave up all of his weight to the world above him, He begins to panic under there as he slowly begins to lose air, he must have been gone from the surface for about 1 minute.
He looks up at the fading light that the river aloud him to see and then closed his eyes.
" The only thing that can hurt you in water;is panic" He remembers his own words and regains his strength, pushing himself harder then ever he breaches the surface gasping for air and then swims breathlessly to the safe side of the cliff.
He coughs "And that.." he takes a breath " Is how you don't panic in a dangerous situation" he says looking up at her with the slightest grin. :bulletblue:

:bulletyellow: Listening to the strained critique of the grey-blue tom, Pollenheart made her strides more powerful and she scooped the water behind her with her paws rather than just paddling it back a little. Although she didn't want to be let go into the free-fall, the she-cat was growing more confident in that she would be able to swim even if Duskfury weren't there to hold her. She could feel the grip on her scruff tighten as the tom stretched his neck out as far as she could, straining himself so that she would feel more relaxed in the water. After a couple of moments of treading water, she could feel the RiverClan cat pull her closer to him and to the safety of the drop-off.

Pollenheart watched him as he swam for a moment before descending down into the dark waters. For the first few seconds he was out of sight, the pallid molly simply figured he was messing around with her and was going to pop up at any moment in an attempt to startle her though as the time pressed by, it became more and more apparent the the she-cat that he wasn't playing around. She reached one white paw out over the cliff, wondering if she should plunge in after him only to place it back firmly onto the ground deciding that she would probably only make matters worse.
The tabby cats heart began to pound with worry as the time passed over a minute when she began to see tiny bubbles rise to the surface, soon followed by the shape of the dark blue tom who emerged from the surface water and gasped for air. He soon paddled over to her and landed safely onto the ground, giving a little cough before speaking. Pollenheart gave a sigh of relief before playfully headbutting him. "You almost gave me a heart attack!" She meowed as a purr began to rumble from her throat, her voice still hinting with concern. :bulletyellow:

:bulletblue: Duskfury heaves but tries not to look to frazzled in-front of Pollenheart, He really didn't want to scare her because it wasn't the waters fault he almost drowned, it was his, It was him that decided to keep holding her over the underwater ledge even after his neck ached and felt like it was about to break, And it was his fault he decided to stay on the deep side because he was to impatient to wait for himself to get to the safer area.
" That was stupid of me, Pollenheart" he says, his breath finally comming back to him " I am so sorry I worried you like that " he says honestly. He looks at her with a smile " You did brilliantly, Like a natural born swimmer" he says with a chuckle, he raises a eyebrow " Are you sure your not secretly a Riverclan cat?" he asks playfully.

He didn't know where he was finding the strength to even be remotely happy about the whole situation, It was obvious no matter how he tried to cover it up that he was shaking like a kit that had just escaped a fox. He knew he would have died if it wasn't for Pollenheart's presence, if any other cat had been standing there he was sure that he would drown. He looks at the water he was standing in grimly and with a frown, There was no way he was going to hold a full grown cat over a ledge like that ever again.
But what about pollen heart? I put her in as much danger as inflicted on myself, if I didn't have enough strength to put her on the ledge then she would have really drowned and I wouldn't have been able to save her. He sighs and looks at Pollenheart then the water, his eyes widen " Lets get out of the water " he says looking at the she cat, there was no way that he was going to let her try something dangerous like that unless he was sure that he - Physically and her - Mentally and Physically, would be able to pull through if something went wrong, he began to prod her with his muzzle and tried to steer her out of the water, she was lucky that she didn't have to go in all the time now, Duskfury had no choice, tomorrow he would be sent back into the waters. He needed to calm down first, as soon as he reached the shadow clan side of the shore he collapsed on the cool grass in relief. :bulletblue:

:bulletyellow: Searching his eyes, Pollenheart could tell his apology was sincere and she gave a little smile. "Just promise me you wont do that again." She meowed, raising a white paw and batting at his muzzle playfully. She was scared enough when her friend, Frecklesnow, leaped from branch-to-branch through the pine forest as though she was one of the squirrels they hunted, but almost watching her new friend drown before her eyes with nothing she could have done chilled her to the bone though she soon dismissed the feeling and purred, just happy to see Duskfury was alive and well, though out of breath and refusing to let it show.

"Lets get out of the water." The toms voice ripped through the silence as he began to move. The light tabby nodded and watched as the dark blue tabby turned around and padded towards dry land, following close behind. The water level began to fall with each step Pollenheart took and soon found it only lapping at the middle part of her legs. The golden molly looked behind her shoulder and back at the shimmering waters, relieved to be getting out. It wasn't as scary as she remembered it to be, but she still didn't like the feeling of the cold water on her fur.
Water dripped from her medium-length striped pelt as the ShadowClan warrior heaved herself out of the water and back onto the grassy part of the shore in between the pines and the calm river. Pollenheart padded over to where the blue tom was resting and laid down beside him and began to rasp her pink tongue over her fur, trying to dry it as quickly as she could. The feeling of the water on her skin was bad enough but having her fur plastered down like this was horrible. Her green eyes glanced over to the RiverClanner and felt lucky she didn't have to go in water every day like he does. Although his fur was glossier and shed water better than hers did, it still must be a bother to have to dry off all the time. Blinking away the thought, the she-cat started bringing her tongue over her chest fur as it was the thickest patch of fur on her, aside from her tail, and began to dry the white fur off. This was definitely going to take some time, but hopefully the walk back to ShadowClan camp would dry her off completely when the time came to it. Despite the fact she was sopping wet, tonight was a pretty good night.. she just hoped her clanmates wont smell the scent of the RiverClan tom on her when she goes to sleep that night. :bulletyellow:

:bulletblue: Duskfury lounged in the cool breeze, he opened one eye to watch Pollenheart try to lick her fur dry, he takes a deep breath a sighs with a chuckle ; Shadowclaners where some weird cats sometimes, Why didn't they just wait until it dried off by itself? He looked at the sky as a dull purple light comes across it, signifying that the daybreak was near. He rolls onto his back with his paws tucked close to his chest, He yawns then looks at pollen heart, The shadowclan cats where not built like Riverclan cats were, their pelts where thinner and the water didn't just fall off them like it did on the average river clan cat, He narrows his eyes and studies her build more closely, A slender yet sturdy build witch would be great for hunting or sneaking up on some cat without them noticing, he always admired shadow clan because of how they can basically be following you all day and you would never know, he never understood why they preferred the night to hunt, he found it weird and abnormal, But I'm sure it helps a deal with hunting because prey must suspect cats to be asleep, they where also sheltered from twolegs witch on riverclan you can see cats from where they where sitting, the sheltered pine trees must also be a great deal of warmth for them because of how the leaves go all the was to the bottom of the stump, witch would explain why they have thinner pelts.

" Hey Pollenheart, what do you think of being a river clan cat apprentice for a night?" he asks her, really hoping she had a good time so they could do this again soon. :bulletblue:

:bulletyellow: The sky above began to lighten up as daybreak began to approach. Pollenheart's green eyes flickered up to the sky, surprised to see the night had gone by so quickly. The golden tabby continued licking her pelt for quite some time before giving up, settling with the damp fur she had now figuring she would just let it air-dry for the rest of the night. The ShadowClan warrior glanced over to where Duskfury was to find him resting on his back, his paws placed neatly on his chest. The pallid molly gave a slight shrug and rolled onto her back as well, laying besides the blue tomcat and closed her eyes to rest a little before venturing back to camp.

Her golden ears twitched as the RiverClanner opened his mouth and spoke again, asking the she-cat how she liked being a RiverClan apprentice for that day. Pollenheart chuckled a little before replying. "Not as bad as I thought it would be." She meowed jokingly. Although she would probably never fully trust larger bodies of water, she was at least okay with getting half-submerged into it now. The pale tabby feline fell silent for a moment, then turned her head a little to face Duskfury. "Are we ever going to meet again?" She asked, opening her green eyes. It took her twenty moons to find the tom and didn't just want things to end like this only to see him briefly at the gatherings held every moon. :bulletyellow:

:bulletblue: Duskfury blinks at her, he lifts his head slowly and thinks about it for a second, if he visited Pollenheart on a regular basis, then it would increase the chances of getting caught by a warrior of each of their clans, they would both be in terrible trouble! but something about Pollenheart fascinated him, he needed to see her and he didn't even know why himself, her charming personality and cheery mood kept his happiness alive. She also had stunning looks and it would be a shame if things didn't work out.
And then he looked at the really bad sides, Nettlestar or Halfstar might question their loyalty to the clans and the code itself and exile them from their territories, he shuddered at the idea. His mind fizzles with how things went with Sandpath, he wonders if she was secretly not telling him something like being the medicine cat, After all, Sandpath was perfectly fine when Duskfury called her a warrior and when around Duskfury she refereed to herself as a warrior, this all changed then a stupid mouse brained apprentice;Birchpaw, told him her true identity and now he despises the she cat, his eyes cloud with worry, would the same relationship fate happen to him and Pollenheart ; it would leave him devastated.

" Well its really up to you, Its dangerous to continue down this path if we are not in the same clan.." his eyes narrow If I fall in love with you, Pollenheart, I will join shadowclan for you he vows to himself, looking at her with the slightest grin " But if you are okay with the consequences, then I am too" He says.:bulletblue:

:bulletyellow: The golden tabby looked at the blue tom for a moment, thinking out her next words. He was right. If they continued meeting like this in secrecy, things may take a turn for the worse. She didn't even want to think about what would happen if they got caught by a clanmate and were reported to the leaders for betrayal to their own clan. But when she thought about it, what harm could they do? They were just going to be hanging out and messing around a little.. right? Surely the Duskfury wouldn't fall for her. I mean, they were from separate clans after all though when she looked at him for too long, Pollenheart realizes how long she has been waiting for this moment and doesn't want to just let it go like that. The she-cat had been dreaming of meeting this cat for over a cycle and it would be a shame if she let the friendship shed away like the water from their fur.

The pallid molly hesitated for a moment longer before nodding her golden head. "We just gotta be sneaky." She meowed mischievously, a slight grin forming on her face. "Besides, there's no real harm in hanging out after a long days work, right?" The she-cat tried to reassure herself that she was making the right decision. She knew even this meeting would get her in trouble, if they continued with this the consequences would only continue to stack up and become worse and worse as the moons go by. Pollenheart tried to think of a more secretive place for the two to meet, but never really spent much time near the river and wasn't sure if there were any places like that down the coast but as long as they made sure they weren't being trailed, she was sure they would be just fine. :bulletyellow:

:bulletblue: Duskfury stares at her for a second, and then smilles " I wouldn't mind giving you a few more lessons" He says happily. Daybreak began to crawl closer to them as the suns newborn rays snatched at their fur and lighting them up, Duskfury sighs and looks up at the sky with a frown; Their time here was nearly drawing to a end, he really wished it wouldn't. He looks at his paws and curls into a ball, Pollenheart made him feel like he belonged ; but in Riverclan it felt like no one even noticed him.

The cats began to stir in riverclan camp and it was made obvious that Duskfury had to go, he looked sadder then ever when he looked at Pollenheart, She reminded him of Sandpath but was so much better then that piece of fly dung! His claws prick just thinking about it, the anger in his head made his face red and his fur stand on end, the thought of seeing Sandpath or even thinking about her made him very, Very angry.
He looks at her and gets up " I suppose we should get going, Ill meet you here tommorow night?" He says. :bulletblue:

:bulletyellow: Pollenhearts green stare flickered up to the sky that was now fading from a deep purple to a light pink showing the beginnings of dawn. It surprised her how long she was out for, surely her siblings would be worried when they woke up. Her ears twitched toward the tom as he began to speak while he rose to his large paws. The tabby she-cat looked up at him, wishing the night was longer, and stood up, arching her back in a little stretch. Her fur was still slightly dampened, so she would have to take a detour back to camp to be sure it was completely dried before getting into her nest. "Sounds like a plan." She meowed, a smile appearing on her face. Noticing how quickly the sun was rising, the tabby rubbed her face against his in a 'good bye' and took a few paces towards the dense pine forest ahead of her. "See you tomorrow!" She called as she dashed off into the tree-filled territory. :bulletyellow:

:bulletblue: Duskfury gets up on his paws to try and say goodbye but before he could get one word out ; Pollenheart was gone.
He was sadder then he expected watching her go, it felt like a part of him left with her. He sadly looked at his paws then looks at the spot where Pollenheart vanished in the pines.
He jumps back into the water and swims across, looks over his shoulder and then closes his eyes and breaths out; He then ran to camp and rushed to the warriors den, he ignored the strange looks from his clanmates, exhausted he falls asleep in the mossy nest only to be woken up about 30 minutes later. :bulletblue:



Art and Pollenheart © *Nightfyire101
Duskfury © *iDawnDusk
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Sparrow-puff's avatar
I think I ship Pollen with everyone X3 haha

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