Bramble Fiasco

As the sun climbed over the horizon, Volepelt was awakened by its rays landing on his face. Squinting his eyes closed to try and hold onto the wonderful dream he was having, he let out a tired groan as the imaginary mouse vanished right in front of him. His claws unsheathed and he popped one eye open to watch his own paws making biscuits in the air before dropping them and shuffling around in his nest.  A small part of his chest tingles in slight embarrassment, hoping that none of the LynxClan warriors had spotted him doing that. He was already struggling to fit in, thanks— He didn’t need them thinking he was some soft kittypet too.

“Y’kneadin’ for sport, lil mouse?” His mate, Otterspark, rumbled next to him. Volepelt’s skin warmed significantly, and he thanked StarClan that his blush couldn’t be seen under his fur. He flattened his ears and blew a puff of air from his mouth to tell her ‘Shut up’ in a way only she could understand, but the only response he got from her was a bark of laughter. The brown tabby molly lifted herself out of her nest and prodded him playfully on the shoulder. “Lighten up, mousie. I’s only teasin’ ya.”

I’m going to be the laughingstock of the clan at this point. Volepelt thought dramatically, climbing to his paws and shaking the sleep off himself. With a light scoff, he rolled his eyes, “Whatever. I feel a lot more energised after that sleep and need to do something with my paws. You wanna come or not?”

With a grin, Otterspark jumped to her paws. “Y’know I do!”

That was more like it. Lifting his tail happily, he led the way out of the warrior’s den and towards the camp’s exit. It still felt very strange to wake up in LynxClan’s camp every morning, but it was getting easier with time. Even so, he dropped back to trot leisurely by Otterspark’s side, letting the other warrior take the lead. He hoped that one day he could enter and exit the camp without feeling like an intruder.

“So, what’s y’wanna do?” The molly’s question interrupts his doubts, and he turns his head towards her with a slightly confused expression. There were quite a few things that the two of them could get done together, especially since Volepelt was feeling pretty motivated and Otterspark had the strength for both of them.

It doesn’t take him long to answer though, as he’d already known what he preferred to do when they woke up. “I haven’t patrolled around the border just yet. I sorta know where they are, but I think I should try and practise learning them.”

If his insecurity showed on his face, his mate didn’t react to it— Instead, she nodded and hummed softly, “Shure.” The response is simple and a purr rumbles audibly from her chest. It makes Volepelt feel incredibly grounded, even though he isn’t completely certain she was trying to be comforting. He gives her a small reply in return.

The beginning of the patrol is uneventful, with Otterspark pausing every so often to point out specific landmarks that Volepelt should note down to remember. They would be important if he ever needed to run back to camp for an emergency, or found himself lost within the slightly unfamiliar territory. Some worry fills him at the thought that he would ever be in a situation like that, but internally thanks the molly for looking out for him. It seemed that they could be pretty smart between the two of them. Perhaps you gained a sense of responsibility and preemptive thinking when you became a parent— Volepelt wouldn’t know.

Otterspark’s paws come to a halt when she feels her tail snag on… She isn’t sure what, but it’s something. Almost feeling like she was grabbed, the tabby turns her head before scowling with an irritable grumble. “Hold on a sec, Vole. ‘m stuck.” The warrior squints her eyes when she sees her new opponent in the form of a bramble bush, making her turn completely to grab at the branches of the plant. With a growl, Otterspark jerks her head back with not only enough force to pull the plant from her tail, but to uproot it from the ground as well. 

When the warrior lifted her head back with her jaws full of bramble, she’s surprised to be greeted by Volepelt’s own expression of surprise. Otterspark can’t help furrowing her eyebrows before dropping the bramble, ready to question the tom. “What? Got somethin’ on m’face?” And then she offers a cheeky grin, “Or am I just that impressive?” 

Volepelt blinks dumbly at the she-cat, his eyes wide. And then she sees a silly little smile overcome his muzzle, and amusement causes her pelt to prickle as she walks back toward the tan tabby. “I am… In love with you.” Volepelt blurts out suddenly, earning a snicker from Otterspark. Lifting a paw, she bumps it against his shoulder with a flick of her ears. 

“I know ya are.” Otterspark purrs, affection burning in her chest before she bumps her head against his own. And then the warrior begins to continue their former trek, entwining her formerly trapped tail with Volepelt’s own. “I love y’too, lil’ mouse. Whole lot. Now c’mon, we can be sappy with each other after we get these weeds sorted out.” Her heart nearly skips a beat when Volepelt grins back at her, his tail wrapping just a little tighter around her own. 

With her command spoken out loud, Otterspark turns her attention back to what remained of the bramble bush that she had originally become trapped in. “Can start with this damn bush,” The warrior grumbles as she pads closer, her eyes scanning over the branches in an attempt to find one that was somewhat lacking in thorns. No need to prick herself and have a potential ( rather silly ) visit to the Herbalist’s Den.

Peppernose, Barkmask, and Mintberry already seemed preoccupied enough… And her guilt for wasting their time still ran rampant from her leg injury. “Mintberry’s told me ‘bout brambles ‘fore, said they’re an issue when it comes t’the natural plants that grow ‘round here. Or whatever. I dunno. But she don’t like ‘em, they run rampant.” Which… When her gaze cast over the bush, it was a fact that Otterspark wasn’t surprised by. 

The bush itself looked intimidating, thick, protruding and sticking out like a sore paw. Her nose scrunches up at the thought, but Otterspark shakes her head in an attempt to regain her focus back to the task at hand. Stepping closer, the molly bends her head down before offering a grunt as her jaws clamp around a semi-clear looking set of branches. Squinting her eyes, Otterspark jerks her body back, paws digging into the ground with the force that she exerts into pulling the rest of the bush upward. 

Otterspark does her best to ignore the dirt that begins to fly up from the ground and coat her belly and legs, the new dirtiness staining her coat threatening a visit from Beetlestar. Her father would most likely want to groom her pelt like she was some kit, and — stars, had pulling on plants always been this hard? With her teeth grit, Otterspark spares a glance toward Volepelt.  “Vole, y’mind helpin’ me out?” 

The tom perks his ears, and he cranes his neck around to try and decipher what in StarClan’s name Otterspark was doing. “Uh… Sure! How’s this?”

Otterspark tries not to grow frustrated at the ever so slight difference as her mate pushed on the other side. She kept her critical thoughts to herself about how Volepelt should work more on gaining some muscle, and instead channeled all of it into yanking as hard as she could.

With a thunderous CRUNCH! the bush pulled free, with Otterspark’s legs flailing into the air and her breath rushing out of her. She blinked the tears away as she clambered back to her paws, winded.

“Oh great StarClan, are you okay?” The lanky tom bounded forward and scrambled to help the broad molly up. It was evident that he was extremely worried after the fall, with the fur lining his shoulders sticking up and his eyes glittering with anxiety. The tip of his tail flicked side-to-side behind him, and his claws gripped into the ground.

“‘m fine,” Otterspark grunts in return as she takes one of Volepelt’s paws, grimacing at the amount of dust that she had stirred up with removing the plant. “Just lost m’balance a bit, tha’s all.” The molly attempts to meow coolly, a half smile forming on her muzzle as she regains her balance fully. “Nothing I can’t handle.” 

Attempting to ignore her previous internalized criticisms for Volepelt ( she would likely voice them later in the day ), Otterspark flashes her mate a grin. “Thanks f’helpin’ me out, ‘precciate it.” With her appreciation expressed, the big molly gives a shake of her pelt, causing the dirt cloud lingering in the air to grow. She flashes an apologetic glance to Volepelt when he blinks before sneezing. 

“Right… Uh. Wanna keep goin’? We got a bit more territory y’ain’t familiar with yet.” The tabby questions, looking Volepelt up and down for any sign of damage— as if he would have somehow gotten himself hurt during their little task. Maybe that’s just what she gets for having lost one mate, a new concern for the other.

But Volepelt doesn’t seem to notice her worry, offering her a smile that makes her grin back. “Sure! Lead the way, oh, Deputy Otterspark.” There’s a playful ring to his tone as she rolls her eyes before turning her back on him. 

“Shut up.” She grumbles playfully, before continuing their trek for the day. There was still quite a bit for Volepelt to learn about everything Lynxclan, after all.