.//[Miserable at Best]

[Goldenblaze]

<sub>Hopeless didn't go far. He tried to make it as apparent as possible that he wasn't going anywhere before he slipped off to sulk. He was trying to escape his sisters, escape the inquiring or sometimes hateful eyes. He kicked at a pebble as it clattered along the ground.

With his head and tail down, he made his way over to the frozen pool, glancing over his shoulder to make sure nobody was chasing after him or attempting to hunt him down. Satisfied that nobody was, he plopped his furry rear down, glancing at the black surface of the water. Even the water here seemed foreboding...

With nobody here, as far as he knew, he managed to relaxed his normally coiled muscles, typically ready to spring at the slightest hint of danger and take off at a hectic and reckless run. It almost gave him a different appearance, not making himself appear as small as he possibly could. He hung his head, staring into his dark reflection in the water, then sighed.

Here he was, so far away from home after Shinentai unceremoniously dumped them into that tom's care, and he was already gone again. True, he had his sisters, but that didn't give him much comfort, really. And was was with that scary she-cat? She had the same hungry expression as... Well, as Chimera. So many things were happening today, and with a quiet sigh, he realized he just wanted to be home. Even being at dinner-risk for his eccentric mother, even running scared from his sister seemed preferable than sitting here in the drizzle in this 'Boneclan' territory run by a band of rather intimidating and unusual cats.</sub>

[Peregrine]

It was strange, really, that Bane was a cat that had proven himself to be true to his word. Peregrine had grown up with stories of the heartless killer that had, once, ruled Boneclan – but even in a sense, he didn’t seem that way. Not yet. He seemed like her mother, in a way, loyal to his clan and trying to do what was best for it. Sure…Peregrine couldn’t say that his methods were much to her personal taste, but there was much growing the pretty she-cat needed to do before she could decide for herself what was right and what was wrong.

For a long, long time Tiercel hadn’t even spoke to her and Peregrine had settled into silence towards her brother – he didn’t understand and she hadn’t expected for him to. Maybe one day, her fiery sibling would…but she just wasn’t going to try until he himself sat down and tried. This made things very lonely for a generally good-natured she-cat, even though she had made decent friends with the oddly…off Grave that skittered about the camp and took such pride in his already budding thievery skills.

The rest of the time, however, she was alone and remained alone. It was during these times that she almost dared to venture forward and ask for an audience with Bane, seeing as she certainly felt like she was old enough for some sort of lesson from him, but her steel nerve stubbornly kept her back. Perhaps the leader would have noticed her watching, ever silently watching him, during that time – but he would come to her first when it was time. Peregrine was going to make certain of that.

Today was moving like any other day – sadly, really, she didn’t know where happy-go-lucky Grave had gone off to – so she went off by herself once again. What had shocked her the most previously was being able to leave the camp at will with no one to stop her…hadn’t Bane feared her flight back to Risingclan to betray their survival? But Peregrine never ran. Instead she kept her silent vigil – know deep in her heart she was doing what she had to do. Her mismatched gaze was troubled as she padded through Boneclan-marked scent territory, going towards the frozen lake where she often went anymore to simply sit in her world of silence and think.

Never did she expect was for her favorite spot to be occupied.

Peregrine rounded a corner to find one of the newer kits, the one that the gold-colored tom, had brought in some weeks past. The quiet little one that always looked so fearful of everything. Instead of continuing forward and bulking him out of her spot she changed her angle to a little to his side, about three feet’s distance between the two of them, before sitting down and calmly grooming a forepaw. She didn’t say anything in fear of startling him – instead, she was doing the wiser method by letting him move and speak first if he wished too.

[Goldenblaze]

<sub>Hopeless hadn't expected company, really. The most he expected was one of his sisters to come barrelling out of camp to bother him, or one of the warriors coming to 'retrieve' him. What he hadn't expected, was another young she-kit about his age, if not slightly older, to come and take a seat beside him.

So lost in thought was the normally edgy tom-kit hadn't noticed Peregrine until she was beside him, already licking her paw. He glanced at the surface of the water, and another cat was reflected back at him a short distance away.

Perhaps she hadn't intended to startle him, but inconspicuous never really quite worked for Hopeless. So, what had originally been a lanky and doleful sad soul had turned into a massive featherduster that spat out words at rapid-fire, almost threatening to edge away.

Oh! I'm sorry! Did I take your spot? I didn't mean to! Nobody's calling me, are they? 'cause I didn't do nothin', I just came out here to sit! I'm not running away, please don't kill me! Do you want me to move? I didn't know you were out here! He babbled suddenly, inching away slightly, flattening out and keeping his head low once more as he offered her the now vacant spot with his tail, head low and large, sky blue eyes deep with apologetic fear.

Hopeless had come after the brother and sister had been kidnapped, by his supposed golden and white father, nonetheless. He hadn't heard of their daring kitnap, nor did he have any knowledge that, like him, they weren't even from this clan. All he knew, she was just one of the cold and spitefully little bully-kits from Boneclan, and he had just stolen her spot and invaded her territory!!

He lowered his head again, curling his body in as compact as possible for such a lanky kit, almost expecting to get swatted or bit.</sub>

[Peregrine]

Oh…oh my.

Peregrine stared at the fluffball in utter shock, confused by the spill of words that came barreling out of his mouth. Wait…wait what? Both her ears flicked back to echo her outward confusion…why was he acting like this? Oh…was she becoming like…like them? “No, no no. You’re fine! Don’t be silly, I didn’t mind you being there at all…”

The she-kit even took a back away from the spot, flicking her own tail to offer him to come back to it if he wanted to. “I’ve never…seen anyone else here when I’ve come, before…” She gave the tom-kit a slow, sheepish smile as she turned away from him them to lie down, stretching out on her belly to look out across the frozen surface of the pond.

“I never meant to scare you….I’m sorry…”

[Goldenblaze]

<sub>Never had Hopeless heard a kind word to him. He'd only heard things beind demanded of him... Be quicker, be better, be stronger, be less stupid... So, if Peregrine was confused, it did no justice for the confusion on Hopeless's face, looking at her with wide blue eyes, still flattened out.

He almost didn't even believe the words she said, though her face was gentle enough. He seized his words, looking at her, listening to her words. Was there kindness in the world for Hopeless? Was there such a thing?

Hopeless relaxed slightly, his muscles releasing the coils and knots so he slunk out of a crouched spot, staring at her wordlessly, almost as if she'd sprouted another leg off her head. He inched forward to take his spot once more at the water's edge besides her, curling his tail around his paws. And still he was not assaulted.

He let a shy smile cross his muzzle at Peregrine.

Mm sorry 'bout that. I'm not used ta not being hit He mewed quietly, glancing at her. My name's Hopeless, by the way! What's yours? He inquired. Though his eyes remained guarded, his expression was of shy delight. It had only taken those kind words.</sub>

[Peregrine]

Patience…

Quietly Peregrine waited for the little tom to understand the truth in her words and come to the realization that she was to be of no harm to him…and why would she be? She barely even knew him – actually, not at all outside of mere sight. His sister, the loud and aggressive one, had hardly a single passing word towards her either – it seemed that aside from her sister, Chimera held a strong disliking towards other she-cats and either avoided to them or responded to them with an aggressive fit. Vicious little thing.

Finally, he decided to speak, and the quiet she-kit turned her face in his direction to listen to his words. Not used…to not being hit? How horrible was that?! She gave him a kindly sympathetic look, one completely without any false pretenses – no, that really was something horrible. “Maybe things will be different here? Step up, put a smile on your face, there’s so much that can only lay ahead from here.” She gave a bit of a purr, tail flicking pleasantly, before sweetly nodding. “I’m Peregrine.”