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Post by Wazo on Mar 3, 2008 23:05:28 GMT -5
The air was crisp and cool as the pale morning sun shone down on the forest below and barely warmed the leaves of the slight frost that had accumulated during the night. A pair of midnight blue eyes looked around quickly before a slender she-cat slipped out of her den like an escapee and gracefully made her way out of camp. The sun played upon the silver swirls on her pelt and she basked in her freedom. It's not like Seabreeze didn't like being a mother, far from it. It was just nice to pretend she had no obligations again. It seemed like so long ago.
She padded through the territory, greeting the scenary as if it were an old friend and she purred contently. Her good mood faded slightly when she stopped suddenly at the border. She hadn't realized how far she had walked, to the clan's borders. It was so strange to say, that the druids now had to share with these mysterious clanners. She sat down, curling her tail around her paws and gazing reflectively over the landscape that was now home to a potential enemy.
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Post by D a R K - R a H on Mar 3, 2008 23:21:18 GMT -5
He fell completely still as he heard a sound on the other side of the border. Quickly, he took in a deep breath, trying to determine who the other cat was. Unfortunately, all Druid scents were still strange to the brown tom, so he could tell nothing of the other cat. Such a disadvantage made him frown in annoyance. He was easliy one of the largest cats in all of the Clans, but what good did that do him if he knew nothing about his opponent.
He quickly told himself off for thinking about a fight as the stranger finally came into sight. It was a she-cat. Brownspot would not allow himself to fight an unaided she-cat, especially one who wasn't expecting it. It certainly wouldn't be a fair fight. Fighting now put out of mind, the tom turned his attention to the details of the she-cat.
She was very beautiful, he'd give her that. She had a more dainty shape than his Gryffinwing, and her soft pelt made her look gentler than Gryffinwing would ever be. Her pelt was an interesting swirl of gray and silver, different than any clan pelt he'd ever seen... The she-cat sat down, and Brownspot blinked in surprise. Her midnight eyes were so similar to Gryffinwing's! Perhaps Druids weren't so different as they looked sometimes... Still, that was before you accounted their strange ways. They had no one leader! How did they function taking orders from multiple cats?
Curiousity finally overcame Brownspot, and he stepped gently from the shadows of RavineClan's territory. The morning sun flashed lightly off his sleek brown tabby pelt, probably alerting her to his presense at once. His pale amber eyes were carefully gentle, hoping not to scare her off. This certainly could be a good learning experience...
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Post by Wazo on Mar 3, 2008 23:34:34 GMT -5
Her ears twitched suddenly and she nearly lept out of her skin at the sight of this brown warrior. Mousedung, she thought to herself, growing more furious with herself by the minute. She should have thought about the potential danger of a clanner scenting her before she sat idly on the border like a dopey listener.
She took a moment to slow her rapidly beating heart and turned to him. When her blue eyes met his brown eyes, she was dumbfounded to see a gentle cast in his amber eyes, which surprised her enough as it was. She was startled enough to not have something to say for a moment, which was highly out of character for Seabreeze. Still, what could she say to this clanner?! The leader difference was weird enough. How could you lead a group without moons of experience? It was all very odd to her. She shook herself out of her train of thought.
"So do all clanners enjoy scaring cats? Or just you?" she asked cooly, still standing a bit on edge, but the fur on her back had stopped bristling. She knew she could probably outrun him if she had to. But then again, if he had wanted to fight, he wouldn't have given her a chance at all...Still she knew she couldn't afford to get hurt with kits back in her den.
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Post by D a R K - R a H on Mar 3, 2008 23:43:56 GMT -5
It took Brownspot a moment to so much as register her words. He'd frozen, dumbfounded that he'd missed something about her scent. Even against her Druid scent, he could catch the smell of queen's milk. It wasn't surprising that the Druids had kits, but it still caught him off guard. It was hard to imagine the strange cats as gentle and loving as Darkrain had been with her new kits. He wondered vaguely if the she-cat could scent Dreamkit and her siblings on his fur... The she-kits always spent quite a bit of time around him and Silverhawk.
Suddenly, he registered her words and supressed a smile. That sounded like something Silverhawk would say... Tilting his ears back and dipping his head in a soft greeting, he purred a small laugh. "No, just me," he replied, sitting as well. His paws were only a few foxlengths from the border, but it was plenty of space. He didn't so much as take the time to consider how a passerby might see this strange situation, so he took no time departing from her or even hiding himself.
"My name is Brownspot. And yours?" He wondered if she'd have some strange name. He'd heard Druid apprentices had one-word names. He'd even heard there was one Druid with the strange name of Windrunner. How strange was that? Silverhawk's name was probably the strangest in their clan, but that was StarClan-given, so that made it different...
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Post by Wazo on Mar 3, 2008 23:53:42 GMT -5
She hadn't meant to speak that way. Really, Seabreeze spoke her mind, but his sudden appearance had caught her off guard and she had a habit of saying things without thinking them through. She sniffed slightly and caught the scent of kits. Perhaps he had a mate and kits just like her. That set her more at ease and her blue eyes lost their guarded flicker and became more relaxed and a tad curious.
She sat down, studying him inquisitively and without an ounce of shyness at meeting a complete stranger. She looked back up to his face when he said his name. "I'm Seabreeze," she answered, smiling slightly at his name. Different and yet strangely similar at the same time.
Suddenly, she was aware of how close she was to the clan border. But unless she was about to be attacked, she didn't care all that much. After all, the druids were there first...Besides, she was curious to know more about him.
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Post by D a R K - R a H on Mar 4, 2008 0:08:25 GMT -5
Brownspot wasn't sure what to say after that... Probably best to avoid how well the clans were settling in or any of that political stuff... But what else was there to speak of? He wanted strangely to make conversation with this Seabreeze. What a pretty name, he thought before he could stop himself. Finally, he started off on a subject that most she-cats could never shut up about.
"You smell of kits. Do you have your own?" Okay, so perhaps it wasn't the best thing to say to a strange she-cat. She might become very quickly suspicious. He knew any RavineClan she-cat would... Of course, RavineClanners were particularly protective of their kits. That came from many moons without young ones. It would take quite a bit to get a RavineClanner to let their guard down while a stranger spoke about their kits.
The thought of kits made his heart pang lightly... He couldn't help but think back to his own kits, the three of them all dead only moments after birth. One of them had looked exactly like Gryffinwing, but with his own broad shoulders. He recalled one of them looking like a lighter version of himself with a light, almost-white belly. And, of course, the last had been a tiny she-cat with a silver tabby pelt much like Silverhawk's. It still hurt knowing they would be nearing apprentice age had they lived. The thought made Brownspot wince openly and he dropped his gaze, regretting having brought up the subject.
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Post by Raven-chan on Mar 4, 2008 0:12:11 GMT -5
Gryffinwing had been roaming about the camp, looking for something to do. Finally she worked up the courage to go for a walk, and explore some of the territory. She had seen Brownspot leave earlier; perhaps she could catch up with him, and they could talk and enjoy one another...it seemed like forever since she had spoken with, or even had fun with him.
The day seemed exquisitely beautiful for some reason. The sun was streaming down through the trees, and her step was livelier than usual. Who could be sad on such a glorious day? Her paws barely touched the ground as she stepped into a soft lope, her midnight blue eyes dancing with happiness.
Finally, Brownspot's scent hit her. Mingled with another one...who was that? No Clanner had that scent, but it was definitely a cat scent..oh, wait! A Druid! With Brownspot? Thoughts tumbling around in her head, the sleek brown she-cat slowed, hiding herself among the bushes as she stalked forward, feeling ashamed of herself. Why was she hiding? Surely nothing was going on...right?
Still, she crept on, until she found a nice hiding spot still on their side of the border, yet close enough to the edge that she was far from Brownspot. She could just see him, talking with someone else...another she-cat. She was beautiful, a silvery color that seemed to ripple in the sunlight, with flattering midnight blue eyes. Gryffinwing's heart skipped a beat, as she watched on, her stomach sickening with dread... |
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Post by Wazo on Mar 4, 2008 0:15:14 GMT -5
She nodded at his question, not surprised he had smelled the milk. She had nursed her kits just before she left to make it easy for Leopardfire. She didn't think it was strange that he had asked, he smelled of kits himself after all, perhaps it was just a genuine question.
"Yes, I have three," she mewed. "Coyote, Eagle, and Mouse. Of course they will change their names when they become a Ranger," she stated matter of factly, as if everyone did this. She purred happily at the thought of her kits, hopefully they were not giving her mate too much trouble.
Her happiness died slightly when she noticed his sudden change of mood. Seabreeze usually had an easy time reading other cats and she noticed that upon this subject, he seemed to be having difficulty. "Do you?" she asked softly, her voice like the calm breeze. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine," she added quickly.
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Post by D a R K - R a H on Mar 4, 2008 0:23:50 GMT -5
He couldn't help but feel a deep pang of jealousy that she had three perfectly healthy kits... He pretended not to notice her strange words... It would probably confuse her equally as much if he mentioned how Cometkit and Bearkit's names would change soon as they became apprentices. So he stayed away from that topic.
When he spoke, it was with a touch of anger that surprised even himself. "My kits are dead. They died at birth." He turned his eyes down to his paws, feeling regret at having addressed her that way. But, still, he let himself smolder for a while longer before apologizing. Surely with RavineClan's strength growing, he and Gryffinwing could have more kits, but that thought only made him feel more angry. Stating it that way made it seem as if he were replacing the dead kits. He wondered if they were off in StarClan, aware of how much he still mourned for them...
"I... I'm sorry," he finally managed. "It's just... It didn't seem fair that we'd already lost so much, but our kits were taken from us as well..." He didn't notice how he was speaking in plurals. He and Gryffinwing were always an "us."
A thought occured to him that the Druids may not know the full story of the clans' comming. He wondered vaguely if Rainwhisker had bothered telling them. Rainwhisker might, but he somehow doubted Redstorm would want the entire forest buzzing about the way he'd left his own clan behind...
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Post by Wazo on Mar 4, 2008 0:32:20 GMT -5
Her midnight blue eyes shadowed with sadness. Even a mother from another clan could imagine the thought of losing a litter of kits. After all, she knew that the love she had for her own was stronger then any force she could imagine. It would be like ripping out her own heart if she lost them. She wasn't angry at his bitter words. It was directed at the loss and perhaps the frustration of not being able to do anything about it.
"I'm sorry," she said genuinely. "It must have been very hard on you and your mate and something that not many cats can understand," she added, silently thankful that she had delivered healthy kits.
A curious thought poked its way into her mind. "Why did you guys come here?" she asked, changing the subject. "It surprised us, that's for sure. We've never seen any other cats."
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Post by Raven-chan on Mar 4, 2008 0:32:16 GMT -5
Gryffinwing felt something like a traitor. But jealousy and curiosity had flooded through her, making her sit still and watch. Kits...they were talking about kits...Brownspot was speaking now, about their kits. About their dead kits. Grief and rage swept through Gryffinwing, but more than that, shame.
She was ashamed that she had not been a better mate to Brownspot. She could hear the longing and anger in his voice, could see it flashing in his handsome amber eyes. Some mate she was, letting her kits die. She should've nursed them better, taken better care of them...something! Something to spare her beloved Brownspot this grief.
Through all of these emotions and thoughts, she noted how he spoke in plurals, and it set her heart at ease...a little. Maybe he was playing hard to catch. But right now, he was talking about their kits, so that was why he said 'us.' Because you can't have kits by yourself, that's just ridiculous. Tears sprang unbidden to her eyes, but she blinked them away, concentrating on the conversation unfolding before her, trying not to assume the worst. |
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Post by D a R K - R a H on Mar 4, 2008 0:47:10 GMT -5
At her apology, he felt ashamed of how he'd reacted. First of all, this she-cat had no control whatsoever over the death of his kits. What good did it do to snap at her about them? Secondly, there hadn't been anything he could have done to save them.
"Don't be," he suddenly replied, shaking his head softly. "I've been a fool to be angry about losing them... It is, after all, nature's way to die... I suppose I just wish they'd had more time." With that thought, though, he wondered how hard it would have been to see the three of them grow into fine young cats before they died. Would that hurt even more, even though they'd seen life?
He blinked in surprise at her question. He supposed he should have seen it coming... "We were escaping our old home..." He hesitated, wondering how much Rainwhisker would rather he didn't share. "Let's just say, it wasn't a very safe place anymore..." He flashed her a quick smile, but he suddenly felt the urge to move on. He shuffled his paws lightly, trying not to be rude. Rainwhisker would be looking for him soon... Phantomsun would want him for a patrol and Goldenpaw would want to go training.
"I apologize, but I must go... My leader will be wanting me. Perhaps we can speak again at the Gathering. Rainwhisker said he planned on inviting the Druids." He dipped his head in a soft farwell and slipped away, back into the forest of RavineClan.
))You want to have Gryffinwing jump out and talk to Seabreeze?((
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Post by Raven-chan on Mar 4, 2008 0:51:53 GMT -5
[ ))Sure, though this is my last post before I have to go. *grumbles angrily*((
Gryffinwing watched in silence as Brownspot spoke a little more to this beautiful she-cat, before he left. Curses! He was gone, and she knew that by the time she caught up with him, he would be busy doing something. But what? She hadn't a clue. Probably patrolling or training, which is what he always did. She sighed inwardly.
She decided to jump at this opportunity, maybe to grill this she-cat. Though she had kits of her own, perhaps she wanted something more freeing, more rebellious, though the silvery beauty didn't seem to be one to want that.
Gryffinwing stepped out from the shadows, dipping her head in welcome, wondering how plain she looked compared to the silver and gray she-cat, with oddly similar eyes, though she didn't remember the fact. Her tail twitched behind her sleek form, her paws treading lightly across the dirt as she approached, emotions turmoiled within her.
))Darn, I gotta go, sorry for the lame-ish post. Love y'all!(( |
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Post by Wazo on Mar 4, 2008 19:36:44 GMT -5
She nodded, still puzzled as to why they would come in the first place. She could understand why they would not want to tell her, especially as she was a druid. They probably wanted to appear as strong as possible, not that the druids could take four clans at once. She would leave it up to the praisers what they would do about these cats.
Although Seabreeze would most likely have to throw in her own two cents. Meeting Brownspot, she was surprised to find how much they had in common. Perhaps there would be ways for all cats to coincide peacefully with one another. She nodded and smiled at Brownspot. “Then I will see you then,” she called after him, her voice carrying in the breeze. This was certainly an interesting day. She would have much to tell Leopardfire when she returned. The clan’s ways were so strange. She hoped to run into Brownspot again and find out more.
She was only slightly startled when Gryffinwing appeared as well. From her scent she was a clanner and she smelled a lot like Brownspot. Perhaps the same clan, maybe even siblings or mates. Seabreeze smiled at Gryffinwing and deciding that this she-cat did not pose a threat to her. She had never expected to meet one clanner but here was another. They must have large numbers to have this many cats away from camp by the borders.
Her ears twitched slightly, straining for noise of other cats. When she heard nothing, the silvery she-cat mewed, “You clanners continue to surprise me. I never expected to meet one of you, let alone two,” she added, her eyes bright and unclouded by fear or nervousness.
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Post by Raven-chan on Mar 4, 2008 23:06:28 GMT -5
))Actually, Wazo, there are only three clans at Taragoff, you said four. Not a big deal, but, I thought I might as well mention it. XD((
Gryffinwing studied this she-cat carefully, though gave no sign that she was doing so. Slender of build, as was Gryffinwing, but far daintier than the muscled she-cat ever could be. Her swirling pelt of silver and gray was beautiful to look at, and seemed softer than anything imaginable.
Those eyes were beautiful too. Maybe that was why Brownspot liked her, the eyes...then again, she had blue eyes too. But somehow she didn't think they were as dark as that. Gryffinwing smiled to Seabreeze, shyly chuckling as she meowed in her velvet-deep voice,
"RavineClanners have many surprises. They call me Gryffinwing- what do they call you?" She smelled of milk, and had kits. Maybe she was trapped, or felt trapped, and was therefore attracted to Brownspot. Maybe she was being overly suspicious. But her lonely heart couldn't imagine that she was being foolish...
Sitting not far from the border, Gryffinwing realized that her heart was pounding in her chest, so loud that she was sure Seabreeze could hear it. There was no reason at all for Brownspot not to love this she-cat more than her, she realized with a start. None at all- except for the Warrior Code, which had faded a little through the Journey. Maybe he thought that the danger was exciting...A sickening dread filled her stomach at the thought of Brownspot loving this she-cat. Hopelessness and dread. |
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