[Fawn]

Is this what Featherpaw felt, traveling so far from home in search of cats there was no guarantee you would find?

Silverpaw seemed destined to follow in her best friend's footsteps, though several moons after the original expedition, and she was most certainly not undergoing such a trek solo. It had been with great joy and sorrow of parting that she had set out from TreeClan's camp briskly – Lionstar watching the search party with a mixture of pride and what would likely be worry, though he would never admit to having any doubts about their success. The excitement of going out on her own (kind of) without her family around her like a safety net – not even her mentor or her closest friends – was coupled with a reasonable amount of terror and awkwardness, as Silverpaw had a near crippling anxiety problem when it came to cats over the age of 25 moons.

There was just something about cats towards their 30 moons and over that exuded such maturity, she had trouble working up the nerve to speak.

It was for this reason alone that she had stayed mostly silent during the trip, feeling slightly out of place amongst so many grown cats despite knowing their was purpose to her tagging along; not even if they were the only cats walking, would she dare try to talk to Grayowl. He was much too... The aura he projected was one of the most unsettling Silverpaw had ever experienced, and the downright nasty look Mockingpaw had given her when she'd informed Featherpaw (in front of the other apprentices) that she was going on a journey with Grayowl, Sixtoes, Thornstrike, Emberstorm and Littlestep, was not to be forgotten in a hurry.

That whole family was... unnerving, with the exception of poor Willowfur, whom Silverpaw had somehow managed to make the exception to her social anxiety rule; she liked the other she-cat in a role-model sort of way, finding her gentle and intelligent persona to be charming and worthy of looking up to.

Funny how her brother could project the exact opposite aura.

Silverpaw had woken up extra early on their second day of travel, her paw pads cracked and sore from going over such rough terrain, pink tongue gingerly trying to soothe a little of the tender flesh, having not yet started grooming the rest of her pelt, which had picked up all sorts of detritus when she'd slept last night, as the group had had no real den or shelter to stay under besides a rather sorry looking young pine. Silvery black-ticked ears pricked forward as the party leader announced his return with a couple of rabbits – the hunting here was promising, though the environment was difficult to live in otherwise – stating today's plan was to pair up and search for clues.

The she-cat immediately felt her heart jump up into her throat. Pairs? Oh StarClan, who was she going to be paired up with? That momentary apprehension over the possibility of getting stuck with someone so much older than her was quelled, as the she-cat called Littlestep was assigned her search-partner, and Silverpaw was able to exhale, sending her stress out into the fresh mountain air.
Ahh good. She's always been nice to me, and she's not much older than I am.

That would at least make their task that much more bearable.



OOC: Grayowl & Sixtoes area pair, and Thornstrike & Emberstorm are a pair.
Tagging: Insidious, nimble, @lacihparg, Amber, Phoenix

[Phoenix]

Littlestep
you’re in the middle of the ride
everything will be just fine
everything will be alright

- - -

It was not without a large amount of trepidation that the she-cat had stepped beyond the TreeClan border and into the mountains. The craggy peaks, rough stone, and harsh elements were just as unwelcoming as she remembered them, and the warrior had been less than thrilled when Lionstar had picked her for this mission. Briefly, she had considered asking him to choose another cat, perhaps one with better fighting abilities or with less of a chance to freeze in the cold winds that occasionally blew, but who was she to argue with the leader of TreeClan? He would have given the cats on the patrol some thought, of course, so he must have picked her for a reason. Right?

As reassuring as having the leader’s confidences might have been, she could not shake the memories that came with her last expedition into this harsh landscape. At the time, she had still been an apprentice, and she and a young StoneClan tom – Graniteclaw – had been coerced into accompanying Rookfrost into the mountains on an herb gathering trip. With vivid images of the aftermath of Nobleheart’s encounter with Demon on the forefront of her mind, she had been even less enthusiastic about accompanying the two toms on the trek into his domain. The LightningClan medicine cat had been less than understanding and far from reassuring, and though the fear still dominated the memories, she recalled feeling a guilty relief that Graniteclaw had been there as well.

Green eyes watching the patrol walking in front of her, she reflected that at least there were six of them instead of only three; Demon was far less likely to attack a group of this size. A certain black-furred tom was noticeably absent as well, which was another relief – she had taken to avoiding Rookfrost at the Gatherings, though the task in itself wasn’t extremely difficult – but the creepy aura that he had had was filled by another tom. Though he was of her clan, something about Grayowl had always seemed slightly odd. She attributed this to intuition and she could never place exactly why, but the senior warrior caused a shiver to run down her spine.

At least she hadn’t been paired with him. With a smile on her face that she hoped didn’t look as forced as she thought it did, Littlestep turned to Silverpaw, who seemed as nervous as she felt. Who had had the bright idea of sticking the two smallest cats on the patrol together? Swallowing, she tried to forget how easily they could fall prey to a larger predator, namely a certain lynx known for haunting the area. ”Come on, Silverpaw,” She invited the other she-cat, tail flicking as she leapt onto a large rock to survey the area. ”Let’s go see what we can find.”

- - -

just do your best
do everything you can
and don’t you worry what the bitter hearts are gonna say

[Insidious]

He was equivalent to a monstrous storm cloud: each onward progressing step a separate sheet of thunder, his analytical eyes piercing like lightning. There was not one cat upon this patrol that he could claim to be properly acquainted with, or even like for the matter. He cared not for the whereabouts of any of them, nor with what tasks they busied themselves with throughout the duration of this patrol. The faster it was over, the faster he could return to his clan and continue his lessons with Mockingpaw and Sootpaw. This was but a mild setback in the numerous plans bubbling just beneath the surface, though he didn't dare reveal even a spark of his inner distaste. As long as nobody interfered with their simplistic orders, the situation would not be deemed problematic.

A mild twitch of a charcoal ear was spared in recognition of his pairing, dark gold eyes skimming Sixtoes's frame before the warrior pivoted in a single motioning, expectant that the fellow tom would follow in his wake for the sake of staying true to their beloved match-up. He hadn't been fully intending to stumble upon anything – his interest was mainly on venturing deeper into the mountains in search of StoneClan; even one such as himself that didn't want to be a part of this patrol couldn't say he wasn't interested in the happenings of StoneClan – though that was perhaps precisely why he had. Having taken one more step and he surely would have fractured one of the delicate bones, though Grayowl was quick to catch his near-fault and pause, paw mid-air, and spare a thoughtful glance at the collection of skeleton parts below. Before he voiced aloud his finding, Grayowl knelt down and observed, not wishing to be disturbed by his curious patrol-mates and risk wasting even more time. But even with inhaling the foreign scent, he could not register it as belonging to a StoneClan cat, or any feline fragrance he'd crossed paths with before.

Newly intrigued, Grayowl rose, glancing over his shoulders in Sixtoes's direction and beckoning the tom closer with a curt gesture. “You may want to see this.”

[Deleted]

t h o r n s t r i k e

warrior, treeclan

Amber eyes scanned the felines padding along beside him, but they couldn't help but linger over a certain ginger she-cat. Thornstrike tore his gaze from his former apprentice and forced himself to pad out of TreeClan territory and into the desolate mountains. Moving away from his beloved trees and into the open and uninviting mountains left the tom homesick, even when he had barely left the territory. At least he had familiar company--

What was he thinking? She was his old apprentice. Emberstorm didn't even think of him that way! She was a dedicated apprentice who grew into a fine young warrior and a very pretty she-cat--

He growled, clearing his thoughts. StoneClan. They're searching for StoneClan.

His ears perked up as he heard the group called. Emberstorm and Thornstrike? What luck! It could be just like old time, except now his young apprentice was a capable warrior. Hopefully this would be an enjoyable partnership and not one of awkward small talk.

Thornstrike peeled away from the other cats, fully expected his fiery partner to follow. Poking around in the bushes, he reeled away from the acrid stench that reminded him of the dirtpile back home. "Emberstorm?" he called to the she-cat. "You should see this." The dirt's odor was still strong -- it was recent. Whatever cat had come through here was not far off.

[Fawn]

[smear:dbb623]EAGLETALON![/smear:cc380a]

44 Moons // Tom // Senior Warrior // StoneClan

Of all the things he had expected to run into on this morning's patrol, it hadn't been an attack party's worth of TreeClan cats. Eagletalon's fur bristled from the top of his head all the way to his tail tip, dark sandy ticked coat rippling, his claws making their appearance to scratch narrow furrows into the ground. What are they doing here?

Had circumstances been different, Eagletalon would have tried not to jump to conclusions quite so quickly, but given StoneClan's shattered trust, the senior warrior was giving them no room to explain themselves, not before he and his patrol made it very clear that StoneClan would not be chased off even further into the mountains. Having ordered the patrol to hide somewhere in the sparse, poorly concealed territory, the warrior had stalked forward, muscles quivering beneath his spiky pelt like that of a puma's, before a sharp yowl exploded out of his throat and he pushed off with powerful hind legs down the slope.

Very specific orders had been given – surround the TreeClan cats before they could wander off or get back up, and Eagletalon himself came forward to confront the pair made up of Sixtoes and Grayowl, his muzzle arranged in what looked like it might be a permanent expression of malice.

Rippedear, Ospreypaw, Dustshimmer, Breezetail and Smokeface were quick to round up the others, their hunting party possibly seeming unusually large to the TreeClanners – but it was a necessary precaution of living in the Mountains. It was a requirement now to go out hunting in groups of four or more if they intended to hunt further from camp then had been declared safe.

”Let's not try anything rash, TreeClan. I'll give you a chance to explain yourselves before we decide whether or not to kill you.” His words may've been exceptionally vicious, particularly for those who always knew him to be a tom who strove to abide by Clan law in almost all aspects of his life – but Eagletalon was in a foul mood. His mercy had been greatly diminished by the soul-shredding betrayal StoneClan had faced.

Just within the edges of his peripherals, a silvery she-cat who bore some resemblance to TreeClan's leader tried to edge her way out of the tight circle his cats had made – but the yellow-eyed warrioress, Smokeface, snapped her teeth at her, snarling, and the silvery cat immediately darted back towards Littlestep, shoulders hunched inward.

[Phoenix]

Ospreypaw & Littlestep

- - -

Even though he could not claim to know any of his companions, the tuxedo tom had no qualms about traveling in a patrol made up of only warriors. The fact was evident in the way he sauntered toward the middle of the patrol, long limbs allowing him to keep up with the older cats with minimal difficulty. On his face was the careless grin that often occupied his features, intended to be a deterrent toward anyone who felt the need to ask him if he was doing fine more than a display of genuine emotion; after all, if he was smiling in such a manner, surely he would be unbothered by the deaths of his parents and siblings. Though that could not have been farther from the truth, no one else needed to know it, and no one else needed to know about the desire for revenge that burned deep within his heart and showed itself only in the occasional intensity of his gaze.

Having not been exposed to the other clans during his short tenure in StoneClan’s rightful territory, he was, perhaps, the only cat on the patrol who could not identify the strange scent that wafted toward them on the wind. However, that was not to say that he did not recognize it for what it was – clan cats – for only cats of another clan would have the mingled scents of so many other cats in their pelts. With his own fur prickling along his spine and claws unsheathed, the young tom swiftly obeyed Eagletalon’s orders, herding a pair of the clan cats toward the rest of the group. Jaw firm, he gazed at the cats with an unnerving yellow gaze, wondering if perhaps they belonged to the two clans who were responsible for the deaths of so many. Claws flexed, clicking against the stone beneath his paws.

It was only when Eagletalon addressed them as TreeClan that he marginally relaxed. LightningClan and RainClan were the names that every StoneClan cat made sure the kits had known once they were old enough to comprehend and remember information, and those were the two clans for whom he would save his anger. While TreeClan and the other one – NightClan? He wasn’t sure – could fool themselves into thinking that they had done nothing wrong, Ospreypaw viewed them with only slightly less animosity than he did the other two; after all, they had simply sat by and let them get chased out.

Startled green eyes blinked at the hostility they were receiving from the patrol of StoneClan cats, and Littlestep found herself falling back slightly, side pressed against Silverpaw’s unconsciously. We did it, Lionstar, The small she-cat thought, eyes glancing toward the gray warrior who had snapped at the apprentice beside her. Heart sinking, she ran over the words that the StoneClan tom, who appeared to be leading their patrol, had snapped at them in such a hard, unforgiving tone. We found StoneClan. But I don’t think they want our help.

- - -

[Deleted]

everytime i see you, i'm alive
and i wanna be inside your heaven

---

The ginger she-cat had risen early on the second day of their journey, the rocky landscape and sparse shelter so vastly different from the lands they called home. The early sun had roused her, and she stretched and rose, a large yawn flashing white canines to the world. Only one other was awake, Lionstar's half sister Silverpaw. The red warrior offered a smile and a nod of hello, before surveying the land around her.

Emberstorm spotted a large rock nearby, and padded to it. With a fluid bound, she made it to the top of the boulder, and her breath caught in her throat. From her perch, she could see the entire valley. The golden light of the rising sun gilded TreeClan's forest, shimmered off the river, and cast the valley in numerous lights and shadows. With a sigh of awe, she sat, green eyes taking in the beauty before her.

As their patrol leader spoke, Emberstorm turned her head, focusing on his words. She hadn't noticed, but everyone was awake now, and there was a pair of rabbits for breakfast. The pairs were announced, and a quick meal was shared before everyone split up. Emberstorm followed Thornstrike in silence, and couldn't help but remember her apprenticeship. She smiled at the thought, before Thornstrike's voice called her from her own search.

"Emberstorm? You should see this." She bounded the few fox-lengths that separated them, and backpedaled as the stench reached her nose. She wrinkled her nose against the smell. "What a scent to wake up to, huh?"

Before anything else could happen, a pair of cats burst forth from the sparse scrub. A faint scent of StoneClan washed over her, and not wanting to fight, Emberstorm backed up, nudging Thornstrike as a signal to do the same. Her tail brushed another, and she turned her head to find that a patrol of StoneClan cats had the TreeClan cats surrounded.

The leader of the StoneClan patrol barked out a warning, and the hostility of the outcast cats worried her. What if they didn't want their help? Emberstorm quickly shook the thought away; they were hostile because they feared attack. Thinking about it, she would likely do the same in their position.

Emberstorm kept her fur flat and stance relaxed, an attempt to show she meant no harm. Whether the rest of the patrol did the same, she didn't know. Without thinking about it, her fur brushed against Thornstrike's, subconsiously seeking the security of his presence. She hoped they could make the StoneClan cats understand that they weren't here to hurt them, but to help them. But from the way it looked, it would be a challenge.

---

E M B E R S T O R M

[Deleted]

The bitter taste of the traveling herbs still lingering on his his tongue, the shadow-pelted tom led his patrol across TreeClan's border with a bold certainty not many of the other's possessed. His big paws fell silently upon the earth, as it seemed to transform from the soft deciduous earth to a rocky rubble, the trees dispersing as the group moved up the mountain. With a pause, the big warrior quietly sent his patrol out in pairs, fanning out to find what traces of the forsaken clan that they could.

Amber eyes surveying the land, he noted Grayowl's departure with a flick of his ear, turning to follow suit after his brief visual search yielded no results. Noticing his slate-colored companion's falter, he was already approaching when the other tom called for him. He studied the prey bones for a moment before be the somewhat familiar scent of StoneClan washed over him. "We've found them," he murmured aloud, his quiet words only partially directed at his companion. As the patrol surrounded them, he was relieved.

Sixtoes was not surprised at the harsh words of the sand-colored tom he recognized as Eagletalon, and only felt a deep and empathetic sadness. This never should have happened, and he knew that TreeClan was equally as responsible for the wrongful exile as the clans who had driven StoneClan away. But it was time to right that wrong.

He spoke calmly, his somewhat raspy voice gentle as he addressed the tom, "We are here as your ally, albeit one that has failed you." He paused, allowing the words to settle for a heartbeat. "We wish to speak with Hawkstar."

Character; Sixtoes
Word count; 274
Notes; ~

[Insidious]

Grayowl

Uninterested eyes were cast upon the StoneClan patrol, a brief skim performed upon the body of each individual, their frames all meant to pose an equivalent threat. His dismissal of the known dangers that dripped from Eagletalon's words were unfitted to the scenario, perhaps one to be deciphered from the rest of his patrol as being the least taken aback by their sudden ambush – especially given the reaction of Silverpaw to the unfriendly snap of Smokeface's jaws, a calculative glance spared in her direction for mere seconds, thoroughly displeased with the way in which she handled herself when faced with such a particular feline, though unconcerned with voicing aloud his inner hostilities. She could do as she pleased; it was no relevance to the lethal warrior whether or not her chosen reactions had her wind up dead.

Charcoal ears pricked at the sound of Sixtoes's voice, his facial features otherwise fixated upon the expressions of Eagletalon, better known at the moment as the courageous StoneClanner that had chosen Sixtoes and himself as the ones he wished to address. The warrior forced a thoughtful nod, attempting to appear reassuring of Sixtoes's statement as to not earn themselves an even worse position amidst the StoneClan patrol's eyes. Of course, Grayowl cared not whether or not they managed to earn their trust throughout the duration of this exchange. Factually, there was nothing he longed for more than the opportunity to lunge forward and sink his claws into the brave reflection within Eagletalon's enraged stare. It would be most unpleasant, however, should he be required to return to TreeClan's camp and explain to Lionstar the untimely fate their patrol had reached – save for himself, how fortunate for him. Grayowl had enough faith in his abilities to ensure himself that'd he'd manage to escape as long as his patrol-mates were not made a priority, as he was most certain they were not. Pitiful, if they all had to die for the sake of his survival, but that was merely a worst case scenario.

He would not immediately set off, no – such a cowardly display wasn't at all fitted to the persona he honed. His first, and most prioritized goal would be to draw blood from one of his many possibly victims, such currently being Eagletalon, the one he peered upon with violence so thoroughly disguised beneath a glassy exterior of dark gold eyes. If there was not meant to be a brawl upon this encounter, it would truly be an event of utmost sorrow for the dark gray TreeClanner, the smile he wore upon his muzzle but a pleasant charade, able to mask the demonic intentions savored for the most precious of occasions.

If he could manage to play the role of a supporting character in this patrol, perhaps Lionstar would question himself for having believed he'd be one to cause trouble? Doubtful, for it'd be absolute stupidity should Grayowl ever try and convince himself that it was still in the cards to hold his leader's trust. Was there a point in trying, then, if it was so horribly impossible? Grayowl's claws remained prepared to flex, readily engaged in his mindset, ever mindful of what lay just beneath the surface. He would stay quiet, allowing himself to blend in with the rest of the patrol, appearing as friendly and open-minded as any other. He would only fully stick out from his peers when battle was called forth, his eyes betraying little, if any, of the apathy he felt in regards to whether or not such a miraculous course of action was to be taken to.

[Deleted]

r i p p e d e a r

senior warrior, stoneclan

Noting a sharp scent of trees ahead, Rippedear's nose perked in curiosity before he could directly identify the offending scent. TreeClan. The old senior warrior, following Eagletalon's lead, unsheathed his claws and prepared for a fight. Why else would a patrol from the Clans come to get them? StoneClan had already been chased out of their home; now they would be chased out of the mountains, too? He would have none of it, indicating his displeasure with a growl. Following the patrol leader's directions, Rippedear fanned out to the far right of the TreeClan cats and sneaked behind them, preparing to shut off any rear chance of escape.

Unknowingly, Rippedear had positioned himself behind Thornstrike and Emberstorm, but he did not recognize his friend until he was behind them and herding them closer to Eagletalon. He hissed at the bramble-colored tom, forcing him closer to his fiery companion. "Get back and stay back," he snarled, teeth bared. "You will not take another paw step forward. Now listen to our warning." Unsheathed claws and a whipping tail indicated Rippedear's displeasure. He didn't want to deal with TreeClan cats -- especially this one.

t h o r n s t r i k e

warrior, treeclan

As surprised as Emberstorm at the sudden appearance of the StoneClan patrol, Thornstrike was pleased at having found them so quickly, and equally displeased at their reaction -- particularly the tom standing in front of him. Once friends and now fallen, he blamed himself moon after moon for the sour turn their relationship had taken. Younger then, he had supposed that a cross-Clan friendship would be better to lose than the respect of all his Clanmates (and the possibility of having a mate). Rippedear clearly was not pleased to find his patrol, yet alone be the cat closest to him.

"Get back and stay back."

Directed by both Rippedear's warning and Emberstorm's tail, Thornstrike stepped back, stopping as he bumped into his Clanmates. They were surrounded. He felt Emberstorm press into his side and he responded with a tail to her flank, the best assurance he could offer. A jolt went through him as they touched, and he realized, in this moment that could be life or death, that he wanted no other cat than Emberstorm by his side.

He pressed back into her side as he listened to the harsh words of StoneClan's patrol leader. As they were accused of treachery, he struggled to keep his claws sheathed. Thornstrike opened his mouth to speak, but Sixtoes beat him to it.

"We are here as your ally, albeit one that has failed you. We wish to speak with Hawkstar."

Thornstrike murmured his assent and waited, staring at Rippedear intently. He felt called to renew this relationship, even as a new one formed.