HOME | DD

Description

Previous: Father's Wrath by Arewco on DeviantArt

=============

Aldereyes picked restlessly at his claws. With Myrtlewing away at the Half-moon meeting, he didn't have anyone to complain to. Or complain about to. Or smack around. He liked his other Clanmates...to an extent, and he would never admit to himself how much he grew to care for the clumsy idiot. But right now he was gone, which meant Aldereyes was stuck in boredom.

"You could go on a hunt."

Aldereyes flinched, not noticing his father had padded over to stand beside him. His presence felt looming, his shadow covering Aldereyes's body like the snapping teeth of a predator. Stormstar's eyes betrayed nothing, warmth nor anger. "Make yourself useful, instead of laying uselessly around your working Clanmates."

"I wasn't–" Aldereyes began, but cut himself off. He knew Stormstar hated nothing more than cats arguing with him–other than non-Shadowclan-blooded cats. He also knew that pointing out that it was night would only anger Stormstar more. Many of their Clanmates were still up and working to repair dens or collect moss for the elders.

"He was waiting for me," a new voice piped up. Hootpetal hurried over to join Aldereyes, nudging his shoulder. "Sorry it took so long for me to get ready. I had a bur on the back of my neck I couldn't quite reach. Ready to go?"

"Uh.." Aldereyes looked at her, then to his father. When she nudged him again, he returned his gaze. "Yes! Yes!" He stood up quickly, dipped his head to Stormstar, and led the way hastily out of the camp. When they were out of earshot, he turned to Hootpetal. "Thank you for that."

Hootpetal grinned mischievously at him. "For what?"

They took a few steps into the trees before Aldereyes realized, "we should catch something. Really sell the story."

"How much will Stormstar expect?"

"From me..probably the whole forest."

Hootpetal blinked sympathetically at him. Aldereyes looked away. He didn't need to feel like a sniffling kit. "How about a competition, if you're up for it?"

Hootpetal's eyes rounded with intrigue. She tilted her head. "What would it entail?"

Aldereyes thought for a moment. "We split up. Whoever catches the most prey by...." he looked up at the sky. The moon was just beginning to lower. Myrtlewing likely wouldn't be back until dawn. "Dawn? Wins."

Hootpetal's eyes seemed to glow in the night light. "Sounds fun!"

"Good. See you then." Aldereyes darted off before she could react, laughing into the cold and feeling nothing but warm.

—---------

His legs were aching by the time he brought all the prey back to where he and Hootpetal had started their race. But it was a good ache, reminding him of the hard work he had done whilst distracting him of why he had done it.

He managed to catch four froglets that were trapped in a shallow pond, not quite ready to jump and escape it. He carried them in his jaws by their half-tails, alongside two voles. On his second trip, he brought back two crows and a magpie, and on the third, puffing, he carried a fat lizard, and two newly hatched ones it had been guarding.

Hootpetal didn't do too bad either. After several back and forth of her own, she had a collection of three mice, four lizards, and, most impressive, a snake. She didn't seem at all disappointed in her loss, only smiling and saying how she had fun, and the Clan would benefit.

Aldereyes nodded. He thought to himself how this would certainly shut his father up, then realized to his surprise that he hadn't thought of Stormstar since the competition began. He blinked at Hootpetal, taking her in for what somehow felt like the first time as she picked up some of her catch. He noted how while Myrtlewing helped him talk and extinguish what bothered him, making him feel in a way seen, Hootpetal was good with keeping such thoughts away from his head at all, instead allowing him to focus on things that made him happy.

And now, even with thoughts of Stormstar returning, it couldn't keep the spring in his step down. Picking up his own catch, he followed Hootpetal into the camp.

===================================

Next: Worried by Arewco on DeviantArt

I’m working on making art for the MyrtleAlder story (starting with Alder’s pov), but because of all the school work and studying, I didn’t have much time to work on it and felt bad.

Luckily, the lovely @umbranoxs was able to help out! They drew this scene for me, and honestly I could not have asked for a better way to do it! Their expressions, especially, are spot on! You can just tell that Alder is a bit absent while Hoot is in the moment.

Also, this is the first chapter where we get to see Alder and Hoot’s relationship! Get ready to see more in the future!

Story may jump around a bit, since the story itself was written with both Alder and Myrtle's pov in chapters, whereas with the art, it will start with Alder. You'll see why....

Description

Previous: Father's Wrath by Arewco on DeviantArt

=============

Aldereyes picked restlessly at his claws. With Myrtlewing away at the Half-moon meeting, he didn't have anyone to complain to. Or complain about to. Or smack around. He liked his other Clanmates...to an extent, and he would never admit to himself how much he grew to care for the clumsy idiot. But right now he was gone, which meant Aldereyes was stuck in boredom.

"You could go on a hunt."

Aldereyes flinched, not noticing his father had padded over to stand beside him. His presence felt looming, his shadow covering Aldereyes's body like the snapping teeth of a predator. Stormstar's eyes betrayed nothing, warmth nor anger. "Make yourself useful, instead of laying uselessly around your working Clanmates."

"I wasn't–" Aldereyes began, but cut himself off. He knew Stormstar hated nothing more than cats arguing with him–other than non-Shadowclan-blooded cats. He also knew that pointing out that it was night would only anger Stormstar more. Many of their Clanmates were still up and working to repair dens or collect moss for the elders.

"He was waiting for me," a new voice piped up. Hootpetal hurried over to join Aldereyes, nudging his shoulder. "Sorry it took so long for me to get ready. I had a bur on the back of my neck I couldn't quite reach. Ready to go?"

"Uh.." Aldereyes looked at her, then to his father. When she nudged him again, he returned his gaze. "Yes! Yes!" He stood up quickly, dipped his head to Stormstar, and led the way hastily out of the camp. When they were out of earshot, he turned to Hootpetal. "Thank you for that."

Hootpetal grinned mischievously at him. "For what?"

They took a few steps into the trees before Aldereyes realized, "we should catch something. Really sell the story."

"How much will Stormstar expect?"

"From me..probably the whole forest."

Hootpetal blinked sympathetically at him. Aldereyes looked away. He didn't need to feel like a sniffling kit. "How about a competition, if you're up for it?"

Hootpetal's eyes rounded with intrigue. She tilted her head. "What would it entail?"

Aldereyes thought for a moment. "We split up. Whoever catches the most prey by...." he looked up at the sky. The moon was just beginning to lower. Myrtlewing likely wouldn't be back until dawn. "Dawn? Wins."

Hootpetal's eyes seemed to glow in the night light. "Sounds fun!"

"Good. See you then." Aldereyes darted off before she could react, laughing into the cold and feeling nothing but warm.

—---------

His legs were aching by the time he brought all the prey back to where he and Hootpetal had started their race. But it was a good ache, reminding him of the hard work he had done whilst distracting him of why he had done it.

He managed to catch four froglets that were trapped in a shallow pond, not quite ready to jump and escape it. He carried them in his jaws by their half-tails, alongside two voles. On his second trip, he brought back two crows and a magpie, and on the third, puffing, he carried a fat lizard, and two newly hatched ones it had been guarding.

Hootpetal didn't do too bad either. After several back and forth of her own, she had a collection of three mice, four lizards, and, most impressive, a snake. She didn't seem at all disappointed in her loss, only smiling and saying how she had fun, and the Clan would benefit.

Aldereyes nodded. He thought to himself how this would certainly shut his father up, then realized to his surprise that he hadn't thought of Stormstar since the competition began. He blinked at Hootpetal, taking her in for what somehow felt like the first time as she picked up some of her catch. He noted how while Myrtlewing helped him talk and extinguish what bothered him, making him feel in a way seen, Hootpetal was good with keeping such thoughts away from his head at all, instead allowing him to focus on things that made him happy.

And now, even with thoughts of Stormstar returning, it couldn't keep the spring in his step down. Picking up his own catch, he followed Hootpetal into the camp.

===================================

Next: Worried by Arewco on DeviantArt

I’m working on making art for the MyrtleAlder story (starting with Alder’s pov), but because of all the school work and studying, I didn’t have much time to work on it and felt bad.

Luckily, the lovely @umbranoxs was able to help out! They drew this scene for me, and honestly I could not have asked for a better way to do it! Their expressions, especially, are spot on! You can just tell that Alder is a bit absent while Hoot is in the moment.

Also, this is the first chapter where we get to see Alder and Hoot’s relationship! Get ready to see more in the future!

Story may jump around a bit, since the story itself was written with both Alder and Myrtle's pov in chapters, whereas with the art, it will start with Alder. You'll see why....