[Deleted]

s p e c k l e d l e a f

warrior, rainclan

"Rippletail, come on!" Speckledleaf complained. "It's bad enough we have to do this patrol. You could at least hurry up and make it a little easier!" It's even worse that we get Blizzardclaw as patrol leader, she finished to herself. The old senior warrior seems a little too strict for the calico's liking. She was all for a hard-nosed attitude to completing patrols and other tasks necessary for Clan survival, but there was a fine line between dedication and obsession. She wasn't sure which side Blizzardclaw stood on.

Picking their way into what was StoneClan's territory, the patrol headed to the Sky Springs. RainClan cats always craved more water. Speckledleaf was sure that Rippletail would be delighted once they reached the springs. Not really sure what was running through her friend's head, she turned to watch the silent she-cat.

---

r i p p l e t a i l

warrior, rainclan

Rippletail padded alongside her friend in relative comfort, upset only by the senior warrior leading their patrol. By merely adding a "senior" to the front of the title they shared, the young warrior felt an awe of her Clanmate that changed the way she acted around him. A bad change.

At the mere mention of an authority figure, Rippletail's speech was reduced to stutters and her walk reverted to a kitten's tumble. She hung back, kept her head low, and didn't dare contradict anything said, lest she risk more humiliation and ridicule. Granted, having Speckledleaf helped to fill the gaping rift left by her kithood friend's passing, but that didn't mean that Rippletail wanted to be that boisterous little kit she once was.

Yes, being quiet and shy meant that cats didn't look at her anymore. She faded into the background, just one way that protected her from the teasing kits who she was forced to share a den with once again.

Speckledleaf's voice drifted into her world of thoughts and Rippletail barely caught the complaint her friend registered.

"What makes you think I wanted to do this thing anyway?" she meowed quietly. "You know I feel useless on these types of things!" She shook her head in disbelief. When will that mouse-brain ever learn? Rippletail was shy and that was that.

---

notes: Smoke's Blizzardclaw will be the official leader of the patrol. Gingerkit from LC will be brought in once the LC patrol makes their way over.

[Phoenix]

Whiteshade
my secret side i keep
hid under
lock and key

- - -

The murmur of voices filling what should have been silence did not go unnoticed by keen ears, and he turned toward their origin, crimson eyes scanning the horizon of rocky territory that had just started becoming familiar. It had taken far longer than he had originally thought to completely erase traces of StoneClan from their relatively newer pieces of land, for even if the rain had washed away the scent, evidence of their existence remained in the foot paths that wound throughout their half of the territory and the rocky hollow that had once been their camp. These traces, once filled with feline life but now abandoned, were almost haunting, and had he any reserves about attacking their once-neighbor, his conscience might have been shaken by these remains.

As it were, however, his moral compass had diminished in size until it was rendered useless, practically nonexistent, and he strode through the land without a thought toward the well-being of its previous owner except that voices, unfamiliar ones at that, were not part of those lingering traces of StoneClan. With a flick of his tail, he silently signaled to his patrol that the murmurs were to be investigated, and upon approaching on silent paws, perhaps unnoticed by the other patrol, he recognized them as RainClan. Of the three felines on the border, he recognized but one, the lone tom in the group. Large and with as many scars as he had stripes, Blizzardclaw had a reputation among some for his intense devotion toward his clan, but how he had earned a spot in Whiteshade’s memory escaped the alabaster tom; perhaps it was just due to time, for the RainClan was a fellow senior warrior and probably of a similar age.

Politely, courteously, he approached the trio on the border, scarlet eyes finding and labeling any possible threat to himself as his awareness heightened. The master of hiding what was beneath the surface, he allowed a small smile to flicker across his lips as he strolled closer, inclining his head slightly in a greeting. ”Hello, RainClan,” He offered, tail curling through the air behind him in a habit he had little desire to break. ”Blizzardclaw.” He acknowledged the tom with a slight nod in his direction before turning to the two she-cats beside him, neither of whom he recognized. ”I’m afraid I cannot recall either of your names, and I would be most honored if you would remedy the situation.” A light shone in his eyes, something easily mistaken for warmth, but in actuality, it was far from it. The game had begun and they had joined in, regardless of whether or not they intended or wanted to.

- - -

i feel it deep within
it’s just beneath the skin
i must confess that i feel like a monster

[Deleted]

Blizzardclaw was leading a rather incompetent patrol through the new territory they had gained from Stoneclan. He didn’t feel good about driving the clan out; there was no point regardless of how much Sandstar thought there was. To Blizzardclaw he was a greedy leader taking more then he could ever possibly need for his clan at the expense of the lives and home of the Stoneclan cats. As was mentioned before he found his patrol to be incompetent and was not at all thrilled to be leading it through what could be rather hostile territory with Lighteningclan, the truce of the past moons all but forgotten as new borders began to take shape in the form of spilled blood. “Quite down.” He hissed behind him all too aware of the danger they could possibly be in, the danger the two she-cats were oblivious too. Blizzardclaw had heard their comments about him and he was none too pleased that they confused him trying to keep them safe and alive with him being an overzealous patrol leader, as their position was given away for the final time before the White monster of Lightening clan strode out he hoped they would learn their lesson with a few scars to remind them.



Whiteshade was of course kind as he always was; at least that’s what it seemed to be. Blizzardclaw knew all too well that it was all a cover for the deep evil that rolled beneath his alabaster pelt. He was also aware of how much real danger their patrol was in with Whiteshade present, he didn’t extend the same courteous greeting that to Whiteshade that was given to him. He instead glared him down and as the monster asked for his patrol members names he turned back to them and said calmly, “Don’t give the dirtbag your names and be ready.” He wasn’t going to let Whiteshade fool them into a false sense of security.

[Deleted]

s p e c k l e d l e a f

warrior, rainclan

"Blizzardclaw, please." Speckledleaf's eyes rolled as she spoke. "There is nothing wrong with having a little fun on a patrol! Besides, there's no one her--" She stopped as LightningClan filled her nose. Looking up, she saw a white tom and a little apprentice beside him. 

”Blizzardclaw.”

Speckledleaf turned to her patrol leader, not surprised that the two were familiar. The white tom turned to face her and her best friend. ”I’m afraid I cannot recall either of your names, and I would be most honored if you would remedy the situation.” Speckledleaf opened her mouth to speak when Blizzardclaw's hiss interrupted her.

“Don’t give the dirtbag your names and be ready.” She rolled her eyes at the tom again.

"Blizzardclaw, please! There's nothing wrong with being friendly!" Turning to face the LightningClanner once again, she spoke with a hint of playfulness in her voice. "I think it's only fair we learn your name, too."

---

r i p p l e t a i l

warrior, rainclan

Rippletail listened to the exchange between Speckledleaf and Blizzardclaw with little interest. Suddenly, the scent of LightningClan permeated the air around their patrol and she opened her mouth to say something. However, her warning was cut off by the LightningClan patrol leader greeting their patrol. Wary, Rippletail hung behind Blizzardclaw and her friend, waiting.

Speckledleaf's light and playful banter made her worried. Blizzardclaw, a senior warrior who had several more moons of experience than the two she-cats, certainly wouldn't call the other tom a "dirtbag" if it wasn't needed. She silently unsheathed her claws and contented herself with a position in the back of their patrol. If needed, she could run away to find reinforcements if things got ugly.

---

g i n g e r p a w

apprentice, lightningclan

Gingerpaw bounced behind Whiteshade rather sporadically, creating quite the noise behind him. His silent demeanor left little doubt in his opinion of the little apprentice, but she didn't really care. Gingerpaw was distracted as they patrolled through old StoneClan territory, noticing the natural path they took. 

It seemed much more worn down and used than it should be, but she supposed that the countless patrols before her had done their share. Whiteshade's keen awareness of the RainClan patrol caught her off-guard, as she didn't even realize that there were other cats there until he began speaking.

Gingerpaw hung back, hit with a sudden bout of silent shyness that rendered her unable to move. Curious eyes watched the RainClan cats, noticing the vigilant tom and the carefree she-cats. She waited to see what would happen.

[Phoenix]

Whiteshade
my secret side i keep
hid under
lock and key

- - -

Crimson eyes moved from the she-cats to the other senior warrior, smoothly accepting the hostility he saw in the striped tom’s eyes with practiced ease. Long before he had gained his warrior name, his unique appearance had set him at odds with almost everyone around him, barring his sister who was unfortunate – or fortunate, depending on the perspective – enough to share his white fur and red eyes. Their own father, even, had abandoned them to the care of a different she-cat. But that was a wound that had long since scabbed over and ceased to bother him, and there was no point in picking at it simply because Blizzardclaw had decided to be less than courteous to him.

Remaining composed in the face of being labeled a dirtbag, he noted as the quieter – and debatably more intelligent – of the two she-cats drew back, away from the border with claws unsheathed. Was she preparing to start a fight? Or did she simply take hints from the aggressive RainClan tom in front of him and expect one? For all his love of blood and the power that came with holding one’s life in his claws, he had little desire to take the lives of three members of the clan who was supposed to be their ally, and if he had, it would be far too easy to dispose of two of their number; both she-cats were rather small. Partially trusting Blizzardclaw to retain control of his aggression, he looked beyond the senior warrior to cast an even look at the she-cat behind him, making it clear that her actions had not gone unnoticed.

Eyes passed briefly over the tom before continuing to the other she-cat who was the only one to respond to his words in a polite manner. Inclining his head slightly in her direction, he allowed a smile to ghost across his lips, visible for only a moment before he interjected smoothly, ”Don’t be too hard on him. Perhaps Blizzardclaw is just in a bad mood; I wouldn’t worry yourself, for I take no offense.” Continuing on, he added, ”Of course. I would expect no less of a trade from an undoubtedly shrewd warrior such as yourself. I’m Whiteshade, and beside me—“ He made to gesture toward the apprentice who had gone suspiciously quiet, only to find her farther back, as if using him as a shield ”—behind me, rather, is my companion.” Appearing for all the world a somewhat fond tom, he flicked his tail toward the younger she-cat, gesturing for her to move closer. ”Why don’t you introduce yourself to…?” As he let his voice trail off, red eyes flicked back to the RainClan she-cat, as if expecting her to fill in the silence with her name.

- - -

i feel it deep within
it’s just beneath the skin
i must confess that i feel like a monster

[Deleted]

Blizzardclaw was more then a little upset that he was being chastised by a small, young she-cat in front of Whiteshade of all cats. He was seething with rage as a matter of fact, as he was very aware of how deadly the other white tom was. Whiteshade knew he knew this and saw him doing his best to warn the smaller members of his border patrol, all the lighteningclan warrior would learn from all this was how unprofessional Rainclan warriors were. This in itself was enough to send Blizzardclaw over the edge, however he held it together as he slid out his claws and buried them in the grass beneath his feet in an attempt to let the fury building up inside him escape. It was as if the rage he harbored was a gas and unsheathing his claws had made little holes in his paws for it to seep out, it was working but not fast enough he feared. He kept it together as best he could listening to the conversation unfolding around him.

[Deleted]

s p e c k l e d l e a f

warrior, rainclan

Noting Whiteshade's quick once over of Rippletail, Speckledleaf moved subconsciously to try and hide her friend. She didn't sense anything wrong coming from the LightningClan patrol. A wise senior warrior was taking his apprentice on a patrol through their new territory, and Speckledleaf was more than happy to gain new friends in other Clans. However, she picked up on Blizzardclaw's clear unease (although she was sure it was pointless), and Rippletail probably was on edge thanks to their own senior warrior. The reason for hiding the younger warrior didn't exist in her mind, yet her instinct picked something up.

”Don’t be too hard on him. Perhaps Blizzardclaw is just in a bad mood; I wouldn’t worry yourself, for I take no offense.”

Speckledleaf snorted at the news that Blizzardclaw was in a bad mood. From what little interaction she had with the warrior, he seemed a cranky old tom.

”Of course. I would expect no less of a trade from an undoubtedly shrewd warrior such as yourself. I’m Whiteshade, and beside me—behind me, rather, is my companion.”

Speckledleaf felt some color rise to her cheeks at his words. She never considered herself particularly aware of things, but she supposed she had a natural ability to see the little details in life.

"Well, Whiteshade, my name is Speckledleaf, and I will let my companion behind me introduce herself." With that, she flicked a tail at Rippletail and moved slightly to her right, letting her friend get a better view at the ivory tom and the calico she-cat across the way.

r i p p l e t a i l

warrior, rainclan

The red eyes that swept over her locked her gaze, and for once the she-cat could not look away. Deep crimson, a bold statement against such a crisp pelt, drew her in. As he looked away, turning to Speckledleaf, Rippletail felt a shiver run down her spine. Something wasn't right.

Speckledleaf moved in front of her, almost blocking her view of the patrol. She had to force her tail to stay still, as it wanted to vigorously flick back and forth to show her agitation.

”Don’t be too hard on him. Perhaps Blizzardclaw is just in a bad mood; I wouldn’t worry yourself, for I take no offense.”

She noted Speckledleaf's snort and wished that her friend wouldn't be so quick to dismiss a threat. Any cat (from your Clan or not, for that matter) could pose a threat.

”Of course. I would expect no less of a trade from an undoubtedly shrewd warrior such as yourself. I’m Whiteshade, and beside me—behind me, rather, is my companion.”

At Whiteshade's words, Rippletail blanched. This tom was a master of words, and Speckledleaf was falling right into his paws. SHe couldn't do anything about it. No way was she going to go up against a senior warrior from another Clan -- especially not this one. While she understood harsh upbringings and dealing with bullies, she wasn't sure if she had any sympathy for the outstanding tom. However, Speckledleaf's next words sealed her fate.

"Well, Whiteshade, my name is Speckledleaf, and I will let my companion behind me introduce herself."

As Speckledleaf moved out of the way, Rippletail's body sagged and she let herself appear smaller. Keeping her head down, she muttered a single word.

"Rippletail."

g i n g e r p a w

apprentice, lightningclan

The young calico she-cat refused to leave her place behind Whiteshade. While off-put by his appearance at first as a kit, growing up with the tom as a normal appearance set her at ease with the eyes that were now sweeping the RainClan cats. She could tell that Blizzardclaw did not like her partner, and eyed the two she-cats with interest.


”Don’t be too hard on him. Perhaps Blizzardclaw is just in a bad mood; I wouldn’t worry yourself, for I take no offense. Of course. I would expect no less of a trade from an undoubtedly shrewd warrior such as yourself. I’m Whiteshade, and beside me—behind me, rather, is my companion.”

Gingerpaw stepped out from behind the larger tom to get a better look at the other patrol. She opened her mouth to speak, but instead was cut off by the she-cat who had been doing the most talking.

"Well, Whiteshade, my name is Speckledleaf, and I will let my companion behind me introduce herself."

The quieter cat behind Speckledleaf moved out and said a word, but Gingerpaw couldn't tell what she said. Her head was low to the ground and she didn't look at her or Whiteshade, making it extremely difficult to hear her.

Still cautious, but returning to her normal self, Gingerpaw introduced herself.

"Hi! I'm Gingerpaw, and I'm a brand new apprentice!" she squeaked, suddenly excited at the prospect that on her first patrol she met cats from another Clan. She turned to Whiteshade, waiting to see what she should do next.