Talon huffs for breath as he finally can let go of Ashfur's body, letting the Thunderclan warrior slump onto the large pillow inside the little wooden den. Here, especially with others to spend their body-heat, the cold would not reach him as easily. As Talon still struggles to catch his breath, he eyes the still mostly motionless body with worry, until the noise of another cat shaking off the snow from their pelt next to him draws his attention. Several snowflakes are flung from the fur of the ginger tom with brown markings.

„Thank you for your help, Ralph. Don't know if I could have gotten this waste of fur over the fence without you"

The kitty-pet looks at the Bloodclan leader with calm, amber eyes. His slender ginger tail, tipped with brown pelt, flicks off a few last bits of snow that still remained on him.

„Well, can't just let a cat freeze right outside my backyard, can I?"

Talon shakes out his pelt as well at last, before sitting down next to the still slumbering warrior, wiping the snow that has set in Ashfur's pelt off with his bushy tail.

„You'd be surprised, Ralph… still, I owe you for this. Are you sure it's fine for him to be here? Your twolegs won't find him here?"

The kitty-pet hums, looking out through the den's entrance at the rapidly descending snow outside.

„Ever since Balto died, they don't come out here much anymore. Less still during Leafbare. No-one will find him here. Still breathing though, is he?"

Talon looks down upon Ashfur, his tail still resting on the sleeping warrior, feeling the soft rise and fall of the sleeping warrior's chest. The worry has mostly vanished from his red eyes, but the minor fidgeting and tapping with his claws still give away the Bloodclan cat's unease.

„Seems like it. Should pull through now, I think. Until he wakes up and I get my claws into him… damned mousebrain, what's he thinking? Sleeping in the snow, how did those clan cats ever survive this long, doing hare brained nonsense like this?"

As Talon's eyes narrow, keeping the sleeping warrior in his agitated gaze, Ralph tilts his head as he observes Ashfur with some intrigue

„So, that's one of those forest cats then. Huh… I would ask why you're dragging one of them around, but I guess I should keep my nose out of Bloodclan business. Anyway, you're both welcome to stay, long as you don't mind a few gawkers to hang around. Not much happens here usually, the other housecats are gonna want to get a peek when they notice, and they'll notice. Got nothing better to do than notice what goes on in other backyards most days."

Talon nods slowly, giving a huff out of both discontent and exhaustion.

„Of course… well, can't be helped I reckon. I won't stay past morning, neither will he. We both got places to be. Thanks again, Ralph."

The kitty-pet stretches leisurely before he nods. Slowly the tom pads towards the entrance.

„Sure, sure. But I think I'll go get some sleep myself now. You'll manage from here, yeah?"

„Should. He won't freeze to death in here at least. Scourge guide your claws, Ralph"

Ralph chuckles as he steps outside into the snow, heading for the twoleg dwelling

„Don't think he will, but thanks anyway. See you around, Talon."

Talon looks on as the ginger pelt vanishes from view, eyes remaining trained on the harshly descending snow in the dark of the night outside. He lets out a deep sigh, slowly returning his gaze to Ashfur. Why would he do that? Such a foolish, nonsensical thing. He'd better have answers once he wakes up. With a small growl, Talon lays down on the pillow near from the already sleeping Thunderclan warrior, whom has partially curled up by now. So much for training tonight. Talon huffs quietly into his own pelt as he rests his head on his leg. Slowly, as time passes, sleep creeps in for the dark grey leader as well. His eyes close as he drifts off, the soothing beckoning of sleep too much to resist for the tired tom.

Talon wakes up to the sound of movement nearby, his eyes fluttering but for a moment before shooting wide open. Alerted and with his pelt spiked on edge, his head rises up and he observes his surroundings. Rising to his paws and his claws unsheathing under the reinforcing dogteeth, his agitation only deepens as he finds his surroundings unfamiliar and the shape of another feline close-by, moving and pelt spiked up. Flashing his teeth in a snarl and letting a hiss escape, he faces down the presumed intruder, muscles buckling to pounce. It's only when the scent of panic hits his nostrils and a few heartbeats pass, that he recognises the pair of blue eyes looking around in a face that thinly veils the confusion and panic within with a threatening, battle ready demeanour. Slowly Talon's pelt lays back down again as he looks around once more to confirm where he is. Memories of the night before returning, he calms somewhat. Sitting back down, his gaze returns to the still frantic Thunderclan warrior.

„All's well, Ashfur. No danger around here"

At the sound of Talon's voice, the blue eyed tom whips around to face him.

„Where are we, Talon? I smell dog! This whole place stinks of dog! We must leave, before it returns, now!"

Talon huffs slowly and shakes his head. Flicking his tail before laying it over his paws in familiar fashion, claws sheathed once more.

„This dog died a while back. This was it's dwelling. This was the safest and closest place I could think of right away."

Ashfur observes the Bloodclan cat for a while, the nervousness evident in his eyes and rapid, sudden movements as he begins to look around. After a while of silent observation and no danger in sight, Ashfur begins to ease out of his state of alarm, but although his pelt smoothes down somewhat as he takes in the wooden structure around and the pillow below him, a sense of tenseness remains. His tail lashes behind him and his claws remain unsheathed.

„No dogs around. I promise. Think I'd save your sorry pelt only to waste it the next morning?"

Talon huffs, rising back onto his paws and stretching himself before looking outside the dog dwelling through the entrance. The sun is slowly beginning to rise. The snowfall has stopped and coated the ground in a layer of white. His thoughts drifting away from the Thunderclan warrior and back to his own clan, worry enters Talon's mind. So early into Leafbare and already snowfalls strong enough to leave tangible amounts of snow… Hunting and patrolling will only get harder from here on. Scourge's words continue to confirm themselves, this will be a bitter Leafbare. His attention returns as he feels Ashfur's approach through the large pillow they both stand on. The Thunderclan warrior stops beside him, looking outside, seemingly trying to cautiously take in as much as possible of the surroundings without poking his head out.

„We're at the edge of twoleg-place. Didn't want to drag you into Bloodclan territory, but I couldn't just drag you to your camp either. Improvised. Or acted on instinct, more like."

Ashfur looks over at Talon as he takes in his words. His eyes are more steeled now, his expression more neutral, but the bits of standing fur and the still slowly lashing tail betray that he remains on edge here.

„I see… Thank you, Talon."

The Bloodclan leader's gaze harden. Anger and frustration flare in his voice

„I'd care to know what you were thinking, falling asleep in the snow? I am not training you for you to die of your own stupidity, mousebrain!"

Ashfur nods slowly, a very thoughtful expression forming upon his face

„I know. It will not happen again. I was exhausted and waited for you and things just happened"

Talon's tail lashes behind him, his agitation plain to see

„Spared once, saved once, trying to train you… you can be quite a cumbersome cat to keep around…"

Ashfur flinches under Talon's words as if they'd been a claw tearing through him. The warrior that looked fine beyond his little flight of panic moments ago, suddenly appears frail, legs nigh buckling under his own weight and the momentary thoughtfulness giving way to a deeply pained look in his eyes. Slowly Ashfur straightens up again, a neutral, stoic look plastering over his expression. His anger subsiding somewhat, Talon sighs and looks away as a mild pang of regret flares up in him. Calling a warrior who's already devoured by self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy a burden was unkind, although no less true for it. The time invested in this tom Talon justifies as for his own training and to gather information, yet yesterday he got neither due to finding Ashfur's rapidly chilling body in the snow. Still, he couldn't just leave him there and if nothing else, the effort of dragging a weight so far could be interpreted as training… or so one hopes.

As the Thunderclan warrior slowly raises his gaze towards the sky outside, Talon scoffs silently and follows Ashfur's gaze. Shaking his pelt out, the red eyed tom pads outside, the snow crunching under his paws as he makes his way to the fence. A heartbeat later he hears Ashfur following him, right before Talon leaps up against the fence and climbs it to the top, sitting up upon it and looking around, ears swivelling to listen for any danger, patrols or the local kitty-pets. A small way further down the fence, a pair of the latter sit, chatting before they see Talon, instantly recognising the collar. Their conversation dies down, but the kitty-pets remain, observing the Bloodclan cat with curiosity. Without looking at him, Talon signs Ashfur to climb up with a sway of his tail, no dangers anywhere to be spotted. A brief moment later, Ashfur appears beside him, the Bloodclan warrior turning his head towards him, somewhat impressed at how fast he scaled the fence. Ashfur's gaze immediately goes out to the forest at some distance after taking a deep breath of the freezing morning air

„…hate the smell of dogs. Hate dogs. Only good to kill and destroy"

Talon raises an eyebrow, flicking his ear towards the two kitty-pets, thus immediately silencing their quietly re-arising discussion.

„Sounds personal. Lost someone to dogs then, I guess?"

Talon notices a few hairs standing back up on the Thunderclan warrior's neck, his ash grey tail striking repeatedly against the wood of the fence. His face hardens as he gives his plain answer

„Yes."

Talon follows the warrior's gaze to the woods in the distance.

„Not an unusual tale in Bloodclan. Everyone knows someone who's lost someone to them. One of the biggest reasons we hunt them"

„These were Tigerstar's dogs. Took my leader, took one of my denmates and maimed another. And they took… they…"

Talon looks down to see the forest warrior's claws unsheathe and piece into the wood under him. Ashfur keeps staring ahead, his gaze loaded with emotion. Sadness and regret, all bottled up behind a wall rage as the warrior bares his fangs.

„Kin, I'll assume then"

The Thunderclan warrior does not move beyond the most subtle nod

„My mother, Brindleface. Tigerstar, accursed foxheart, he butchered her, fed her to them to give them a taste for cat. The traitor and his beasts!"

Every word he speaks is loaded with emotion he tries to keep inside, the last sentence spat out with such fury and venom that one might have expected it to ooze from the very sound and burn holes into the air itself. Talon's ears perk up at the mention of the prior leader of Tigerclan

„The forest tyrant himself? I had heard of his plot with the dogs, but never learned what actually happened with them in the end."

Ashfur nods, before growling to himself and shaking his head

„And of course it'd be HIS kin that… I never regarded Brambleclaw as Tigerstar's son when we were apprentices, I always knew he was different from him. But growing into a warrior, he looks so much like him now… a slightly smaller, less scarred Tigerstar. And now he holds her. I know it's got nothing to do with it either way, but it's becoming so very hard not to hold his lineage against him…"

Talon nods slowly, observing as Ashfur's expression slowly softens again, taking deep breaths, bit by bit swallowing down his emotions again. It does indeed sound like a cruel trick of fate. In a gesture of sympathy, Talon lays his tail onto Ashfur's shoulder. Earning at first a surprised look from the warrior, Ashfur makes no attempts to shake it off, just hanging his head with after a moment, closing his eyes and just breathing. Slowly the emotional tom seems to calm the turmoil inside. Eventually, the blue eyed warrior looks up again, gazing out at his home, the forest. Sitting in silence, the two warriors remain for a while as the sun lifts itself over the horizon, heralding the beginning of the new day.

„We should return to our clans. They will wonder where we are. I know mine will."

Talon pulls his tail away at last, rising up to his paws as Ashfur does the same

„Yeah, probably. I'll need to catch something before I return or too many questions will be asked. And before the first patrol starts making rounds… I'd better go."

Ashfur leaps off the fence, landing outside the backyard, padding a few steps before turning to look up at Talon

„When shall we meet again?"

Talon looks up at the sky, thinking for a moment. In two days the faction leaders would have their gathering, and he always longs for the calm of the river after that. Especially depending on how poorly matters go between Wrath and the twins Snake and Ice.

„In two days. Expect me to arrive fairly late though. And do not dare be asleep again when I get there!"

Ashfur's ears lower a bit in embarrassment as he tries to laugh it off.

„I promised that would not happen again. I will be there"

„I will hold you to that, Ashfur! Now go, get out of here. Prey won't hunt itself."

„No, sadly not."

Ashfur waves his tail in goodbye

„Starclan light your path, Talon"

„Scourge guide your claws, Ashfur."

Talon waves back and remains to watch Ashfur bounding back towards the forest for a moment, before huffing and walking atop the fence. His somewhat amused demeanour changes slowly back to serious as his thoughts focus once more onto Bloodclan and his faction. Much still to be done and never enough time to do it. Not that these escapades help in any way. Sighing to himself, Talon is nigh sure he'll be told off by Scourge next time they met for this little adventure, and perhaps not wrongly so. For now though, he will need to get his cats through another day, and preferably try to keep them all alive through the cold season.