Morningecho:

Paws of ember worked skillfully, experience shining with each step that the Healer had taken to lessen the bleeding and prepare for the proper treatment. It was mesmerizing to watch a Healer work, some disappeared into their own little world as they dabbled in their craft, whereas others remained intently focused on each aspect, savoring the art they performed. A paw was placed upon her shoulder and Morningecho peered up through her peripherals, seeing the reassuring smile that was openly offered to her. 'You're fine Morningecho.' Those words were a comfort as the she-cat settled down her feelings of guilt for upsetting the sweet and gentle molly, there always had been a part of Morningecho that was softer towards the cats that held the balance of life and death in their paws. She had been somewhat close to the cat that had trained Gentlebreeze, and had seen her grow into a fine young Healer during her many visits to the medicine den. 

As Gentlebreeze returned with the herbs of her choosing, the scents familiar to the warrior, Morningecho grimaced with the instinctive preparation of what would come next, yet she smoothed her expression and schooled her reactions into neutrality. 'Of course you belong here,' Herbs were placed near Morningecho's side, but the she-cat was entranced by the words spoken, fixated on their meaning. 'Well, in my opinion, we could do a lot less fighting.' The she-cat felt the amusement flare within her, yet her eyes remained devoid of the emotion, her tail-tip flicking as she listened to the Healer. 'Less fighting means less work for me.' The white whiskers of the feline twitched in the most minuscule way, her eyes watching Gentlebreeze fondly. 

It was uncommon for Morningecho to meet a cat that defied all that she knew, the horrors and brutality she had been forced to survive just like almost every cat of PineClan once knew. Yet, there was only one before Gentlebreeze that held a similar spirit, and it warmed the she-cat's heart to remember her grandmother in that light, those loving eyes watching her play as a kit, guiding her to chase a ball of moss in their private spot, away from the cruel eyes of the clan. In a world thirsting for power and blood, Skyfall had been the light that fought to break through the darkness that overshadowed a kit's life. The memories were savored for a moment, before pushed away back into her mind before the scary parts were reminisced. 

A tense masked the flinch as a paw coated a poultice over her beaver bite, ears pinning as her expression hardened once more, defying the need to express vulnerability, especially as Needlesnap had joined their company. After the display today of the tom abandoning Palewind to finish the dangerous hunt, any small morsel of respect that was naturally given to a clanmate evaporated into the air, especially since the first ounce of respect given defied Morningecho's blatant distrust of cats that weren't from ShadowClan, and even more so cats that weren't innately familiar with the Warrior's Code. As Gentlebreeze began bandaging, Morningecho made a clear display to ignore the tom's existence, though her body never truly relaxed, even despite the comforting scent of herbs and the gentle care from the Healer as she bandaged the nasty bite. 

'You might need to stay in here for a couple of days, I need to make sure no infection starts up.' Eyes snapped up to Gentlebreeze's blue eyes, the instinct to get up and leave burning through the veins of the cat, yet she slightly bowed her head down, begrudgingly obeying the will of the Healer. "Thank you." She mewed in response, gratitude that was reserved for the molly coating her voice. The one thing Morningecho hated most, was lying down like a monster-kill, waiting for the crows to feast upon her corpse. It made her feel vulnerable, weak, and utterly useless, but she knew better than to defy the request from her Healer, especially one that she genuinely had a small spark of respect and fondness for. Duty aside, there was one cat in this clan that would inspire Morningecho to kill for their safety, and it was the cat that possessed a caring heart and a soft paw.

As Morningecho settled down into her nest, carefully pulling and shifting until she found comfort once more, her ears twitched as the murmured voice of the nearby tom caused disbelief and anger to flare. 'Just a bruise on my paw.' A bruise, just a little bruise, and this cat abandoned his fellow warriors in a life or death situation, had turned his back on them in their time of need to nurse a bruised paw. The desire to snarl burned, yet the expression never made her features, only a cold glare was cast out towards the nearest wall. Morningecho wouldn't disrupt the peace of the medicine den, for once upon a time, it was one of the few places of it that she had ever known.

Not even the fox-heart would tempt her to break it.

Morningecho:

The vigil of a warrior was a rite of passage, the trial to remain on guard throughout the setting of the sun and the rising of the moon, until it was reversed. Yet, no ceremony accompanied the icy vigil of the feline whose glaring eyes hid the frantic mind of antsy paws. While patient during the hunt, remaining stationary in the nest would surely drive the warrior madder than a fox if she was resigned to lying here for the following few sunrises. Agitation flicked the tip of her tail, unsettled and tense as her mind recounted the events of the day, reflecting on each detail starting from her nightmare, and finishing when she turned her back on her clanmates, their victory, and their shame in her dust as she made her journey back to camp. 

Morningecho was disappointed, not because she had lost the competition that had the blood roaring in her veins with the thrill of the hunt. After all that was endured during the curse that was ShadowClan's downfall, the cats who were lucky enough to call themselves PineClan today failed to remember their training, and on some accounts, failed to uphold the honor of a warrior. It was possible, that during the mayhem of ShadowClan, some hadn't received the appropriate training to earn them the name they bore to this day, however, it was inexcusable to rush into danger even if you had backup. Pairing up hadn't been a misstep, and it's perhaps why Morningecho didn't divert her course to turn the tables on her stalker, and demand them to follow their own hunt rather than lingering after hers. Yet, it was the inexperience of the cats paired that perhaps showed their folly, choosing just any cat to guide them through a dangerous encounter.

Her lurker had been smart in their choice.

A ripple travelled through restless muscles, as a scent accompanied the pawfalls of an approaching cat. Lifting her head, lavender eyes squinting against the glow of the sun that seeped into the den, Morningecho almost jolted up into a sitting position, however, with a quick glance toward Gentlebreeze, she allowed her weight to drop back down into the nest. Curious eyes followed the leader as he ducked his way into the den, approaching her nest which had been the closest to the entrance, before finally, the tom paused before her to make his intentions known. 'Morningecho, I hope you're doing alright, considering the circumstances.' His voice was scarcely above a murmur, and Morningecho blinked in understanding for his lower tone. 'I was wondering if I could get some advice.' As the tom sat close by, her ear twitched as she showed her willingness for him to continue his explanation. It was curious to Morningecho that the leader had sought her out for advice, especially since she was the cat who failed to follow his own, and instead found herself in the Healer's den. 

Though she stubbornly refused to take the entirety of the blame for that outcome.

'It's about the competition, and how the clan handled it.' Owlstar continued, and her eyes followed the nervous habit of the tom before her, which was answered with concern and relief in equal measure. Concerned, because she didn't want her leader to fall on his nerves before her, yet relieved to see the familiar behavioral tick displayed by the cat. It meant that Owlstar hadn't approached her with reservations against her, or frustration for her role in the events that transpired. After all, Owlstar could've held blame for her, going off on her own and only arriving toward the end of the fight, though admittedly she didn't truly know the intentions that spurred the event in the first place. 'I'm more than a little worried, to be honest, and I haven't been able to speak with Thrushtail yet. It was supposed to be a test of patience and skill, not a mad rush. We aren't ThunderClan cats, for StarClan's sake.' Owlstar came to a close with his explanation, and Morningecho tilted her head to peer up at him properly.

A few heartbeats passed as Morningecho studied the tom with a close interest, watching each twitch of muscle and shift of weight, the indicators of his nerves, his thoughts, and his emotions. Her mind processed his words, mulling over each tidbit of information or thought that launched into her mind with vigorous insistence, the agitated flicking of her tail settling as she considered her words. "Many of the cats left today, sought the glory and the prize that accompanied the challenge." The molly began, her voice raspy from the strain of the day, yet she persevered through until it began to clear. "I saw the yearning in the eyes of the cats there, even as their teeth were wrapped around the prize, or they danced with StarClan with each slash of their claws. They were starving for a taste of notoriety, salivating for the goal until the hunger blinded them to the risks." Morningecho's pelt rippled with the word 'notoriety', ignoring the thoughts of her great uncle, Silentstorm, that longed to pop into her mind.

With a soft, exhausted sigh, the she-cat blinked up to the tom, her gaze softening to a minuscule degree as she met his gaze. "The test was sound in theory, but it weakened in execution. It couldn't have been predicted, not with the stipulations of how each cat would perceive the challenge." Morningecho gave credit to the tom for his idea, perhaps it could've been explained better, or pairs between suitable cats been decided, but it was an experiment to see the nature of this new clan, and it was for Owlstar to decide how he found the results. "However, the possibility can fall to the thought that PineClan simply isn't prepared for more trials and tribulations, at least not yet. ShadowClan was..." The molly trailed off, closing her eyes painfully as she swallowed the shaky breath. "Remove the rocks and pebbles from underneath your paw before placing the mosses and feathers to build your nest." Her eyes opened once more, blue meeting green as their gaze locked. 

The cats of PineClan had survived the worst that the clans had to offer, the selfishness, the greed, and the brutality that brought shame to the very image of a warrior festered inside ShadowClan until it crumbled from the rot that it had grown. Perhaps it was time to do as Morningecho was, to lay down in the nest of a Healer, and recover from the damages sustained during their fight for survival, instead of ripping more skin trying to claw your way to try and falsely prove that you were never scratched to begin with.

[ Small note for weird saying, I rewrote - and likely brutalized - the concept of 'fix your foundation before building your home' into 'remove the rocks and pebbles from underneath your paw before placing the mosses and feathers to build your nest', as a way to translate the saying in a more Warriors friendly way. Just to save confusion of what the heck Morningecho is rambling about. ]