the path is the destination, cyp&black

a noise... so quiet, a fluttering. it could have been his own heartbeat, or his imagination. hardly daring to hope, the sleek brown warrior padded onward, deeper into the dark. the tunnel was like a mouth, and it was swallowing him, little by little, until he would never be able to- no, that was stupid. everything was fine. don't panic.

something dark and small ahead, moving in the shadows on the ground. not the whistle of air, indicating an opening to the sky. cypressnose put his head down to the ground, moving slowly. as his wide black pupils, all but obscuring his irises, filtered light and shadow, and he drew nearer, it came into focus. at first, he thought the fat little thing to be a mouse, maybe a baby rabbit. but no... no.

it was a bat. the tom watched in horrified fascination as the little thing squirmed about on the ground, seemingly unable to get its bearings. it was awful looking- long ears atop its strange, furry body, and a black face with a texture similar to the pads of his paws. it seemed harmless enough... he stretched out a paw, hardly able to contain his curiosity. he could see its tiny wings now, the black web stretched across some sort of... bones? it was nothing like any "wings" he'd ever seen on a bird. more like the webbed feet of some kind of muskrat or otter. 

the dark, hollow place was cool and almost clammy. so cypressnose didn't expect the shocking warmth of the little bat on his rough paw pads. it let out a horrific noise, something like a newborn kits first cry and the death call of a sparrow as its throat was ripped open. he yelped, fur standing on end, and abruptly backed away as the little thing came to life before his eyes. how such a fat bundle of off-looking parts could possibly manage movement was beyond him, it looked as capable of flight as a kit, but it smashed past his head faster than he could see and disappeared, deeper into the dark. he backed away, trying to still his beating heart before it could leap into his throat and battle its way out of him entirely.

yet he claimed his heart and settled it back firmly at a safe rhythm. cypressnose turned and forced himself to follow the bat, though it was long gone. what a disturbing little creature it was. he hoped never to meet one as large as those he'd seen flying over the moorlands in the night so up close and personal as this small, baby bat. 

after many pawsteps, and many heartbeats more, he found himself sitting once again. the claustrophobia had begun now, itching at the back of his mind. never before had the windclanner felt so ill at ease beneath the earth. yet there was something to not being certain of when one would see sunlight, or sky, again. the stillness began to wear on his nerves; he was used to the open moorland, the wind, sometimes so fierce as to almost pick him up off his paws. not this still, still silence, grating at him, making him feel as though he ought to talk out loud to himself, if only to fill the silence with something, anything.

and so it was with great surprise that he turned to face the voice that greeted him from the darkness, one tinged with irritation yet shuddering with fear. “g-get off.. get off your butt and—and let’s get.. out of here,” slowly, he turned to face the dark warrior, meeting her eyes which were wide with paranoia, the black fading out all trace of color in the irises at the very edges of her gaze. blackwolf. how had she known he was down here? 

it didn't take much introspection to realize the source of her absolute terror, the level of strength it must take for her to stand before him. cypressnose simply nodded, knowing now wasn't the time for questions, and looked back the way she had come. he could follow her scent, lead the way back as he should have followed his own before, before he'd become distracted by the lure of a fat hare. "thank you," he simply murmured, softly and sincerely, and carefully moved past her, being quick so as to not leave her trapped between him and the wall of the tunnel. 

he gently tapped her side with the tip of his chocolate-brown tail, to indicate that he would lead the way back. all of this was done very slowly, gently, carefully. he knew the look of someone on the edge, on the verge of crashing over. blackwolf looked to be suffocating down here, and he could relate, though his calm was immense as a mountain in the face of her blind panic. again, he was amazed by her strength. though he likely would have found his way out eventually, against all instincts telling her to back away, not to go in, it seemed she had mustered the determination to come in and find him and help him find the way out. he wasn't likely to forget it.

cypressnose made to lead the way out of the black abyss, unsure whether to run and get her out as quickly as possible or to press up against her shivering form until she was warm enough to stand firmly, strong enough to make the trek back. yet he knew neither was appropriate to pursue without her consent, and he wasn't about the press up to the feisty young warrior, even if she was shuddering like a snowstorm was raining down on them. blackwolf and he were far from close- clanmates of course, but he had been a warrior when she was born, and... when her parents were lost. starclan, this must be so difficult for her. here he had been moping about in the tunnels, dwelling on the death of his friend, and yet she'd had the courage to come after him, after what had happened. to have an ounce of that bravery... and all for a cat she didn't even consider a friend.

a quiet rumble came from straight ahead of them. for a moment, he wondered if the tunnels would close up on them, if this was the sound of crumbling earth and roots giving up their purchase. he held his breath, thinking of the shaggy-pelted black warrior just behind him. if only he hadn't been so stupid, running so deep into the tunnels in pursuit of a measly...

hare. the hare he'd so dreaded meeting again, for the potentially humiliating injuries it could inflict upon him in such a narrow space. but he wasn't alone now, and he was filled with the desire to act, to strike. the creature raced toward him, seemingly blind to his presence here- how stupid could it be, not to smell the two cats? but he didn't question his luck.

the lanky tom bristled, trying to take up as much room as he could, and leaped with all of his strength, atop the hare. it struggled wildly, flailing, kicking, a snarly-clawed foot smashing right into his face, just as he'd pictured in his ill fated daydream from earlier. he didn't cry out, however. cypressnose forced all of his weight down upon the hare and, closing his eyes hard, sank his teeth into the throat of the creature and prayed to have blackwolf's tenacity as iron filled his mouth. 

ooc notes: aurum you can have her help him finish it off??? if she's able to in her state. or you can just have it be assumed that he killed the hare in this post. <3 whatever fits the situation best. not quiiite double the word count but i tried ;D

the shaggy black female was silent and the reek of fear seemed to fill the tunnel, suffocating them both. cypressnose had to consciously fight to keep above the swell of terror from his clanmate, knowing that if he didn't remain calm all would be lost. his heart was like a heavy stone in his chest. how he wanted to comfort the young warrior, to take away these feelings of horror. how he wished he could take them upon himself so she didn't have to bear the pain. it wasn't that he felt anything special for blackwolf, after all they had hardly spoken- she was always so preoccupied with her family. she was all duty, and he could respect that. it was just that he was, well, a father, and so nurturing and empathetic just by nature.

yet he could do nothing to help the younger cat, and nothing was more frustrating. even if stopping in the tunnel, so clearly the source of her panic, was an option, he knew blackwolf was more likely to tear him limb from limb than allow him to comfort her. it was a difficult situation. he hated feeling so powerless, unable to help.

these thoughts were drowned by adrenaline as his battle with the hare ensued. it made a mighty effort to get past him or turn round, but he had seen to pinning it from the very start, using the small, cramped space to his advantage. his weight wasn't all that great, but with the adrenaline coursing through the entirety of his body, it was more than enough. as the creature lashed out wildly at him, cypressnose felt the vision on his left side blur and fade with black spots, making him feel dizzy. he ignored the rising fire in his skull, the pain rippling through the connections between eyes, ears, face. curse it all. if he lost his sight in that eye, how embarrassing it would be to be known as the cat who'd been kicked in the face by a hare. at least it would make a good story- he was certain blackwolf would never let him live it down, though. though she's probably going to be pretty embarrassed about this whole situation as well, he guessed. she certainly didn't seem like the kind of cat that was comfortable showing immense amounts of emotion like this.

what started as a noise of quiet fear, rippling through the tense air and cutting deep into his skin, raising goosebumps and causing his fur to stand on end, transformed into a roar of anger tempered with something close to revulsion. cypressnose could hardly keep from howling himself. blackwolf's cry half broke something in him, but through the spinning pain of his eye and his head and the hare beneath him he somehow managed to keep it together. after this experience, traumatic as it had been, he wondered if things would ever be the same between he and the black she-cat. he had seen a side of her he doubted most of windclan had seen. in fact, she had seen him far more out of his comfort zone than he'd really ever shown anyone else. it was an unusual situation. either way, he wasn't like to go exploring the underground tunnels again any time soon- and he doubted blackwolf would ever go in again, if she could help it.

blood filled his jaws, and through the haze he wondered at how such a lanky animal could possibly be so full of the copper-y red liquid. it still seemed to struggle, whether by the remaining energy in its body being sent out in spasms as it died or because it was truly struggling against his grip. then before he could do or think anything more, her pelt was brushing his side and her fangs were sank into the hare in a death grip. gradually, everything in the tunnels fell silent and the rumbling that had seemed to echo all throughout stilled. blackwolf was breathing heavily, and finally pulled herself away from the body, though not far from his side. cypressnose respectfully stepped away to give her space to breathe, still  unsteady on his feet, and fell back on his haunches, feeling empty. he hung his head, breathing softly through his nose. 

almost against his will, he felt his tongue swiping at the blood covering his brown muzzle. he wanted to spit, or run his tongue against a blunt stone or something, anything to get rid of the taste. but for the sake of the other cat present, he held back and forced himself to swallow until the taste was gone. gradually he raised his head and assessed the hare; it was a big one, lots of meat. it'd feed a couple cats, for sure. hope it was worth it. of course, nothing could possibly be worth the trauma it had created for blackwolf. but at least they had something positive to show for all their trouble. 

cypressnose finally looked at blackwolf, one eye closed still. her eyes were huge and inky black, the pupils likely dilated both from fear and the lack of light. she looked ruffled but still just as strong as ever. and... oddly beautiful. what a strange thing to think... now was certainly an inappropriate time for such a thought. he quickly pushed it away; he would have to confront whatever it meant later, alone. perhaps it was just how surreal the situation was, making him loopy.

"you okay?" he nodded slowly, trying to hide an embarrassed expression, both for his thoughts of moments earlier and for the fact that he'd been kicked in the face by a rabbit. what kind of a creep was checking out their clanmate in this kind of situation? starclan, i'm such an idiot. "yeah, uh... i think this'll heal up on its own..." hopefully. his pale green eyes showing his concern, he mewed, "what about you?" 

for what felt like the hundredth time today, cypressnose pulled himself together. as though bracing for impact, he closed both eyes and pushed himself up to his feet. still speaking quietly so as not to scare her, he meowed, "i'm sure we'll both feel better when we're out of here." the warrior looked the hare over and added gently, "c'mon. i'll take care of this." he bent down and sank his fangs into the ruff of the animal, then took the lead, dragging it along. after a moment, his paw pad touched warm liquid and he realized he was leaving a blood trail, perhaps a mixture of his own and that of their prey. he paused and said, muffled around his burden, "you can go ahead if you want to, i'll be right behind you." he wasn't sure if blackwolf would want to bolt, or if she was still having trouble staying upright. either way, if she didn't want to walk in the blood trail he was leaving, he didn't really blame her.

ooc notes: aurum  goddamn this thread is good. whatever you wanna have her do, in the next post they can get out of the tunnels hopefully? poor blackwolf.

cypressnose looked with a mixture of awe and affection at the young warrior, her long black fur tousled and dirty, eyes wild with emotions. she still seemed beautiful, and he was still disgusted and freaked out by this intruding thought, daring him to notice its presence. again, he was struck by how she had braved the tunnels for him, a clanmate, sure, but not one that meant a thing to her. he wasn't sure he would've done the same, had he been in her situation. but now, seeing her building elation as they ascended from the rabbit hole, cypressnose was certain he would have stayed below ground for the rest of his moons if blackwolf got to go back to the moors. as though anyone would miss you, a sinister voice whispered. the chocolate furred tom shook his head and followed blackwolf the rest of the way out, counting on the bright sunlight of the surface to chase away his fears as well as hers.

though it had seemed like night earlier, he realized now that the sun was still high in the sky, blessing windclan with its warmth and light. setting the heavy burden he carried down gently, cypressnose parted his jaws and drank in the cool air, free moving and fresh. he realized only now that his lungs had ached from stress and the tight spaces of the tunnels, with their stale scent. a shiver ran through his body from head to tail and he shook himself, tension rippling along his skin and releasing now that the urgency of the underground had passed. both of his eyes were open now, a bit of blood running down into his ruff, but the one seemed mostly undamaged. the bright light made him wince but still his mossy green eyes made their way to blackwolf, who had collapsed on the grass exuberantly. a small smile marked his expression, gaze softening before he let his damaged eye fall closed again. from fear to elation, in just a few seconds. incredible. of course there was nothing he could really say. it felt almost inappropriate, witnessing her so absorbed like this, as though he were seeing an intimate moment she didn't intend to share. yet the warrior couldn't look away, and realized only after moments had passed that he'd been staring dumbfounded at the black she-cat. he wiped the stupid look off of his face, realizing he was probably creeping her out, and quickly switched his eyes to a far off target.

certainly cypressnose had never been one for social graces. he was all bluntness at the wrong times and hastily contrived remarks. yet he was certain he'd never acted so stupidly as he had today. wandering into the tunnels so far, being rescued by a warrior many moons his junior, having his brains bashed by a dumb hare; and to top it all off, this strange feeling in his chest, the way he found himself staring like a moron. he'd never experienced infatuation before, but he was a seasoned warrior and had witnessed it through honeyripple and riverstorm's interactions. dear starclan, i can't be falling in love with her? it wasn't that he found blackwolf repulsive- far from it, problematically. but he was certain she would have no interest in his affections. she probably saw him as terribly ancient, and of course, there was the matter of his "daughter" who was so close in age to the young warrior. she's barely out of apprenticeship. get a grip. he wanted to shake himself even more vigorously until he could dislodge whatever bees were in his brain making him act like such a fool. she'll probably never even speak to you again, beyond courtesy. he could have sank deep into the earth, turned and gone back into the warren. yet he knew he couldn't behave so childishly.

"ah..... this is rightfully yours," he murmured, not sure if the other cat would even take notice of his words as he gestured with a nod to the big hare. "and you have my gratitude, as well, blackwolf," cypressnose said genuinely. "you were very brave, to go in after me like that." stupid, are you trying to sound condescending? he resisted the urge to drop his head and sink down into the grass. "i'll carry this back to camp for you, if you like," he added dutifully, ready to pick up the rabbit and fill his jaws in order to plug up the source of non-stop idiocy.

aurum

cypressnose made good on his decision to continue not looking at the younger warrior. his mind wandered back to windclan camp, to his daughter sandwisp, just a bit younger than blackwolf. the idea made him feel a little sick to his stomach. not that it was in any way unusual for a more senior warrior to take a younger mate; after all, leaders were granted nine lives in the service of their clan, it was difficult for them to avoid taking younger mates. but surely a young warrior like blackwolf already had feelings for another. someone her age. not someone who saw her born. the thought made him cringe. luckily, after having been freed from the tunnels, the shaggy black she-cat didn't seem to notice anything to do with him, so he was certain his immense discomfort went unnoticed. after all, he was hardly that noticeable to begin with. he tried to sink down into the moorland grass, wishing his tall frame were just a bit less and he were just a bit more colored like the tall grasses all around, able to blend in and disappear entirely. 

she strode up to him, yellow eyes analyzing and critical. her cutting words made him flinch, ducking his head as though struck by a blow. "there is no 'rightfully mine', okay? i just helped you finish the kill. it's yours, and i don't need it."  he averted his eyes, all but cowering down now. he had been wrong to think it meant anything to her to have saved him from the tunnels. she was just doing her duty, as he should have been doing his, not mooning over she-cats half his age. idiot. fool. inwardly, he berated himself. "oh.... very well," he replied weakly, then nodded. no sense in dwelling on it. time to move on. "anyone would have done it. it's not anything extraordinary. just don't get yourself stuck in there again, 'cause i'd rather not go back in there." as though reaffirming his thoughts that it had meant nothing to her, the sable she-cat's harsh words made his heart sink. cypressnose didn't let it show on his expression however, green eyes emotionless now on his closed off face. "i feel the same way," he mewed, regarding her desire not to return to the tunnels, but perhaps also his attempt to inwardly match her unattached nature. he wasn't going to be an idiot mewling after a warrior who clearly had better things to do, more important things. he had wasted her time, making her go into the tunnels after him. "i won't trouble you with it again." he added the last very softly, taking a step back from her in deference. how silly of the chocolate tom to think the encounter was over after that.

"never talk about this to anyone, alright? whatever you saw, whatever you heard, anything. keep this between us. i'm not doing you any special favor for doing this, and i don't need your pity, you get me?" the senior warrior blinked in surprise, but dipped his head respectfully. "you have my word. i won't tell a living soul," he meowed solemnly, the words living soul making him think of the meetings with honeyripple in his dreams. "i completely understand," cypressnose murmured, swallowing against the lump in his throat. he tried not to jump when she turned her back swiftly on him. she seemed to deem herself the leader of their sad little patrol with her directions, but he made no attempt to assert his status, nor did he feel a need to. blackwolf had done him a great service, whether she considered it a special favor or not. he would do what he could in return for her, even if she would simply prefer to forget it had ever happened. she certainly regrets this little rescue mission, he thought bitterly to himself, awash with shame. redstar may as well give me back my apprentice name after this. 

the sun was indeed close to its dropping point in the sky, and the brilliant azure above had become tinted lilac as the sun prepared its descent. feeling suddenly exhausted, cypressnose dipped his head down and took the ruff of the hare firmly in his jaws. better that way, then he couldn't try to say anything stupid on the walk back. he lingered behind to let blackwolf have a good head start, figuring she probably didn't want anyone to see them returning to camp together. as he carried the burdensome prey back to camp, he tried to dust off his pride as well, straightening his neck against the weight and trying to get his muscles to relax from an unnaturally tense state. 

aurum