[Deleted]

Cricketpaw

The last few days had been scorching, but life never stopped for Stoneclan cats. In the midst of this heatwave, there was always real fear of drought, and it was important to make sure each and every cat stayed as well fed and hydrated as possible. Or so Cricketpaw's mentor had told her. Really Cricketpaw was lucky, her short and mostly white fur kept away some of the heat, and her youth and size helped for it to not cripple her too much. However, Cricketpaw could see that others really were suffering, and so volunteered to go out on extra hunting patrols to ensure that all cats were fed.

As she bounced along across the territory, she was beginning to wonder if this had been such a good idea. Blasts of air ripped at her fur and the ground in front of her, filling her muzzle and eyes with loose dust and small pebbles, and the small she-cat had to set herself the best she could to avoid being blown away. Slowly advancing with an almost eager rumble, the dark bank of clouds reminded Cricketpaw of the forests she had seen on the borders with other clans and at gatherings. The clouds, roiling masses of black to white mist flashed occasionally with other brighter colors. Yep, this is totally a bad idea. But she was loving it! Since she had only been an apprentice for a few moons, every storm she had ever previously experienced had been through the protection of the nursery, or the apprentice den. Technically she probably shouldn't be out here on her own anyway, but the other warrior which had been assigned to help her had gotten distracted, and Cricketpaw had barely realized she had left the cat behind until only a few moments ago. Her excitement had taken her a bit too far too fast... Cricketpaw shook her head and giggled, she would be fine so long as she took shelter.

The apprentice could not help but freeze in awe as the huge storm marched ever closer, a solid curtain of water following a few foxlengths behind the leading clouds. With a giggle and a squirm Cricketpaw loped forward into one of the rockier areas, climbing up onto a set of rocks to watch the show. At first she almost toppled back down from the increasing gale, but sunk her small claws as deeply into the stone as she could, and crouched down until she thought she was safe. Birds wheeled around, blown in random directions by the wild gusts, which also happened to be creating a minor dust storm ahead of the huge rain clouds. Vaguely, Cricketpaw realized that there would be little hunting until the storm had passed, and so was in truly no hurry to go poking around for prey. Yet as she watched, a poor beleaguered sparrow nearly crash landed on the rock near her paws, and the she-cat, not wanting to waste such a useful opportunity, pounced on the frazzled creature, killing it.

At that point, some sense of dread must have caught her finally as she noticed the storm was approaching far faster than she had anticipated. The wave of dust slammed into her, knocking her over and leaving her disoriented. Cricketpaw struggled to stand, and then began stumbling around, searching frantically for shelter. I guess this is why apprentices shouldn't hunt alone.

[Phoenix]

Finch

For the past few days, the sun had been unforgivable, bathing the mountain range in a relentless heat that seemed dried up almost every small pool of water. Worry about a potential drought had started to nip at the edge of his consciousness, but with the new day had come signs of a welcome change in the weather. The air had grown thick, not with heat, and humid, and the roiling clouds that had started to gather overhead brought hints of a long overdue rain storm. Gusts of wind that were growing in strength buffeted him back and forth where he walked on the exposed rock of the mountainside as he made his way back toward his little den. The small nook he had found not long ago had yet to feel like a true home - he pretended that he didn't know that nothing would feel like a true home as long as Jay wasn't there - but it had, at least, begun to take on appearance of something that was lived in.

Pale green eyes glanced to his side, where, not far from his current location, he could see the one of the clan's territories. Having grown up in MountainClan during StoneClan's exile, he was only slightly more familiar with these clan cats than the average loner, but time away from these lands had chipped away at his memory. The loner was fairly sure that the sparsely covered ground stretching beside him belonged to StoneClan (occasionally, their scent would drift toward him on the breeze, and its familiarity tickled the back of his mind), but he did not have the clan cats' keen eye for the invisible borders between the territories. It was likely, he mused idly, that if he had followed StoneClan back into their land and made their world his, he would not be so alone. But he had not - indeed, he had been only a kitten when they reclaimed their territory, so he couldn't really have made such a choice anyway - and now he found himself looking from the outside in.

Where he saw nothing but rocks, sand, and a cat being tossed by the wind.

Finch blinked and looked again, peering closer. Had that been...? It was. His heart began to race, and suddenly he felt quite uneasy. He had thought he was alone; he had been perfectly comfortable in his solitude. But now he had stumbled upon a young cat - completely harmless, he told himself - in trouble, and he should help her. It was what every brave cat, every hero, did in all the stories. They marched down there and rescued the young cat in trouble, and not only that, but it was the right thing to do. His legs shook as he stood there indecisively. He wanted to help. The idea of walking away put a sour taste in his mouth. But he was no hero. A small voice in the back of his mind kept repeating that she wouldn't hurt him, and he wished he could trust it. He was bigger than the clan cat, it said. If worst came to worst, he could fight her off. He could flee. He had survived despite worse odds.

And then his paws were moving without his permission, and he was making his way across the stone to the sandy, dusty dirt before he could change his mind. Up close, he could see that the young cat didn't look hurt - though he of all cats knew that pain didn't have to be visible to exist - and thought that maybe she was more confused and scared than anything. The wind seemed to be picking up as the storm clouds rolled in overhead. Shelter would soon become a top priority, if it wasn't already. Looking around, he found a decent-sized rock not far from them and ducked behind it. Peering around the side, he inched forward, toward the she-cat, until he stood anxiously between her and the shelter. "Hey!" He called out, above the sound of the wind and his pounding heart. "Come over here!"

@dreamer

[Deleted]

SEND OUT THE SIGNAL AND I'LL FLY LOW
IF IT MEANS THE DEATH OF ME, I WON'T LET GO

Green-gold eyes watched the sky with a mix of relief and apprehension. It seemed, at last, that their days of little water would soon be over, but the thick, heavy, dark clouds promised not just rain, but a full-blown storm. His eyes fell to the area around him, watching the cats of StoneClan mingle and discuss various things, most of all the approaching storm. Thunder rumbled overhead, causing his eyes to aim upward again. What he saw placed a knot in his stomach; the storm was advancing quickly, each moment drawing closer and more ferocious.

He looked around the camp once more, seeking the familiar sandy pelt of their leader. Once he caught sight of him, he walked toward him briskly, closing the distance in a short time. "Hawkstar. I think we should all take shelter. The storm's approaching quickly, and I've got a bad feeling about it." Hawkstar glanced up at the sky before nodding his approval, and Wolfclaw was off, warning the Clan to retreat to the dens and make sure everyone was present. It wasn't until he reached the apprentices' den that he realised they had a major problem.

"Do any of you know where she might have gone?" The apprentices all shook their heads, and Wolfclaw sighed. "Alright. All of you stay inside until the storm passes, and do not leave until a senior warrior, myself, or Hawkstar comes in to dismiss you." They nodded, eyes wide with fear and worry for their comrade. Wolfclaw exited the den, heading to the warriors' den.

"Do any of you know where Cricketpaw is? The apprentices saw her leave, but they don't know where she went." A voice spoke up to his right. "We were going hunting; I told her to head back to camp, and I thought she heard me." A pause, before the young she-cat continued, softer. "I guess I was wrong." Wolfclaw inclined his head. "It's okay, Morningsun. Where were you headed?" "The scrubland."

"Alright. I'll head up a rescue patrol. Any volunteers?" Rippedear rose and Thistlerock raised his tail, and surprisingly, Skunkspots rose as well. Though, perhaps she was just settling herself more comfortably in her nest. Oh well. "Very good. Rippedear, Thistlerock, Skunkspots. Let's try to move quickly, before the sky falls down on us."

He turned and left the den, glancing over his shoulder to make sure his patrol was following. He bounded out of the camp, setting a brisk pace toward the scrubland, glancing back every so often to make sure Skunkspots was keeping up, and adjusting their pace as necessary. One cat out in the storm was enough; he didn't want to have to chase after another because she got left behind.

@dreamer , Phoenix , Fawn
If Fawn still wants Skunkspots to tag along like a "brave warrior", she can; if not, I can change my post to just have the NPC warriors.

WOLFCLAW

[Fawn]

Skunkspots
28 Moons. Warrior somehow. She-Cat. StoneClan.

It had been her sole intention to move closer to her brother, Ospreywing; with one ear half-turned towards the sound of voices, Skunkspots had readily decided that whatever drama was playing out in the scrublands had nothing to do with her. They wouldn't invite her to go on a rescue mission, even if her heart did ache for the she-cat called Cricketpaw (she couldn't ignore the similarities between Cricketpaw and her sister, Cricketleap); all chances of success immediately went down with her present.

Suppressing a small noise of horror, Skunkspots stood rooted to the ground at first, her expression twisting as the words of protest struggled in the back of her throat, a clash between her trigger-fire refusals when forced to socially interact and the truth that she couldn't refuse the orders from a deputy.

Oh StarClan, please don't let me mess this up. And let them all come back alive. Dying in a freak storm was very very low on her to-do list; most cats would say it wasn't on her to-do list at all.

She felt like her heart would burst out of her chest at the sheer amount of pressure to do well, and for one absurd moment, Skunkspots wished Valiantstride was going with them. With a name like that, he was guaranteed to be heroic; and maybe Cricketpaw was going to need a hero, not a cat named Skunkspots who would only have a heroic bone in her body if she accidentally ate a very brave sparrow.

Let's just get this over with.

The wind made her eyes water, her pelt prickling all over with static energy; she was small to begin with, and the gales felt like they would knock her over if given half the chance. Wolfclaw hadn't been kidding; they did need to find her before the sky fell down. Skunkspots gave herself no chances to get lost, and kept on Wolfclaw's heels so closely she bumped into the deputy once or twice, squeaking a mortified apology. "Sorry. Sorry. Are we there yet?"

She knew perfectly well that they weren't, but in the eyes of an anxious little black-and-white she-cat, she couldn't stop herself from hoping this ordeal would be over before it even got started.

---
Word Count: 365 Words
Tags: @dreamer , Amber , Phoenix

[Deleted]

Cricketpaw

Time had lost all meaning for the panicked apprentice, who tumbled across the expanse of sandy area, grit clinging to her eyes and making the world a blur of motion and psychedelic color. Not to mention the hissing chuckling wind which whipped about her, disorienting her even more. The closer the great clouds got, the more Cricketpaw could feel the pressure from the great storm push down on her and form the great winds around her.

I'm gonna die.

The matter of fact words left the once white and brown patterned, now uniformly a sandy yellow, she-cat numb from the realization. She couldn't die! She had so much left to do... she didn't want to join Starclan, she didn't want to see Kitekit just yet. What would her parents do if she died? They should not have to mourn the death of another one of their kits. Tears tried to form at the corners of her narrowed green eyes, but that only let the sand and dirt clump together and truly sting her eyes. The she-cat yowled piteously, trying to get someone's attention, but her cries were choked out by the greedy wind shoving itself and its debris down her throat, leaving the young apprentice hacking and struggling to breathe.

Then she heard the most welcome sound... from somewhere. Confused and still very disoriented, but hopeful that she might find some measure of escape, the she-cat stumbled in circles until she pinpointed, somewhat, the place where the call had come from. Once she had, Cricketpaw staggered into a run, until she reached the mysterious cat. When she had, another wave of confusion and fear filled her. This cat smelled nothing like the clans! But by that point it was too late, she tripped and fell by the tom, just managing to lift her head.

"Wh-Who are you?" Her young voice broke slightly with dejection. "Have you come to take me to Starclan?" It would make sense, the apparition of a random tom in the middle of the storm, with a scent she did not know. Was she dead already?

[Phoenix]

Finch

For a few moments, the loner crouched there with his eyes glued to the small cat's body as she was buffeted back and forth by the wind and his throat tight. She seemed to be having trouble catching her breath between the large gusts that had her tumbling in the dirt. Had he been a braver cat, he might have immediately rushed forward and grabbed her by the scruff of her neck - he was big enough to do so, he thought - and carry her back to the rock himself, but his indecision had him hesitating. In that time the she-cat managed to right herself and stumble-run in his direction, and Finch, startled, barely managed to get his paws under him and scramble back enough to prevent her a collision.

With her proximity to him, the mingled scents of her clan were that much stronger, and memories of pleasant afternoons and warm affections trickled into the forefront of his mind. Unbidden he remembered lingering in their dens as a kitten, bathed in their odd collective scent, and listening to the stories of brave StoneClan warriors and the mighty battles in which they rose victorious. Much had happened in the many moons that spanned then and now. He knew to not be nearly as comfortable around strange cats, particularly large groups of them.

Backing a little further away from her to give both of them some space, the tom gave her a quick smile that he hoped was more reassuring than it felt. She was relatively safe now, and with his conscience assuaged, he decided that he would wait here until she caught her breath, impress upon her the importance of not leaving this shelter during the storm, and then proceed to do exactly as he told her not to: leave. He had done his good deed, but he had no desire to linger in this clan's territory long enough to encounter the group of cats who patrolled the region often enough; evidently, he could manage a small, single cat well enough, but he was not about to try his luck with any larger numbers.

That decided, he began edging his way toward the side of the rock that was closer to the mountains. Then she spoke, and the little voice in his head determined, Time to go. "I'm Finch," He answered over his shoulder as he turned and peered around the corner at the windblown land stretching before him. "Pleasure to meet you." It was spoken dryly, one of those pleasantries that were only skin deep. More words reached him, and these were more nonsensical than the last. StarClan? That must have been the name of one of their neighbors, he realized, though why she would suspect a cat from another clan had come to kidnap her he had no idea and very little desire to find out. Of course, he would unwittingly stumble into the middle of a battlefield while simply trying to help another cat.

"StarClan?" He asked, glancing back at her. "Uhh no, I'm not from StarClan, and I'm not going to take you there." A pause. "Listen, don't leave here, okay? You'll get stuck in the storm again, so just - just stay here." Pale green left the black and white she-cat to study the terrain again. "I've got to go." Before anyone else shows up. Whether to kidnap the young cat or find their wayward clan mate, it did not matter - he had no desire to meet either. But for all of his intentions, he made it barely two steps before the sight of more cats on the horizon had him freezing.

@dreamer Amber Fawn

[Deleted]

SEND OUT THE SIGNAL AND I'LL FLY LOW
IF IT MEANS THE DEATH OF ME, I WON'T LET GO

The wind was picking up, and Wolfclaw narrowed his eyes. For the most part, he ignored when Skunkspots bumped into him, merely looking back to make sure the collisions didn’t make her stumble and fall. He looked to Rippedear and Thistlerock occasionally; both toms seemed to be holding up pretty well. Focusing his green-gold eyes on the landscape in front of them, he searched for any sign of the missing apprentice.

“There!” Thistlerock noticed her first, and Wolfclaw followed the direction of his gaze. The brown and white she-cat was stumbling around, her pelt covered in dust and dirt. Wolfclaw knew they needed to get her home fast, but the increasing winds were making it harder for him to see. He did, however, see Cricketpaw manage to find enough direction to flee behind a rock. “Come! We have to get her!” He broke into a run, aiming for the place he had last seen the apprentice. He couldn’t hear much over the winds, but he could faintly hear pawsteps behind him, and glanced back once to make sure everyone was keeping up. He could see Skunkspots a few steps behind, but she seemed to be keeping pace well enough.

As they drew closer to the stone Cricketpaw had disappeared behind, Wolfclaw saw an unfamiliar cat step away. He would have called out, but he doubted he would have been heard, so he settled for kicking up his pace a bit, hoping to catch him before he fled. He skidded to a halt when he reached the stone, walking around to where the two cats were. He felt, more than heard, when he rest of the patrol caught up. “Cricketpaw! Are you okay?” Seeing no visible injuries on the apprentice, he turned his attention to the other cat.

“My name is Wolfclaw, deputy of StoneClan. Who are you?”

@dreamer , Phoenix , Fawn

WOLFCLAW

[Fawn]

I wish I could be like the cool kids, Hell was probably a windstorm on a sandy plateau. Skunkspots appreciated StoneClan's unique terrain as much as any cat raised amongst rocks—she didn't know any better—but the black and white she-cat, huddling in the shadow of StoneClan's deputy, felt right down to the marrow of her bones that coming out here was a bad idea. For her, that is. Oh, the rest of the group would probably rescue Cricketpaw, but Skunkspots, concentrating so hard on Wolfclaw's tail that her eyes were beginning to water, had half a mind to clamp her teeth around the end of it if only to prevent herself from blowing away. She didn't dare. What if she really did almost blow away? What if she bit so hard, she took off some fur? And worse still, was trying to look him in the eyes after she'd selfishly mangled his tail just to avoid getting swept up into the clouds. Dying would probably be easier. Thinking her sullen, irascible thoughts, Skunkspots' throat felt dry as dust. No, wait, the whole world felt dry as dust, even her eyeballs, which were trying to water to protect her sight from the bits of grit and dirt that kept sweeping across StoneClan territory as if enormous eagles were flapping their wings from above. Oh StarClan can we just find her FAST, PLEASE? In answer to her exasperated, fear-choked prayers, Skunkspots' heart nearly leapt out of her chest when someone shouted, and she could just barely make out the crumpled form of the StoneClan apprentice huddled against some rocks. And who is that? Nervous energy fizzled along her white-and-black pelt like static electricity, and even if the odds were heavily in the favor of the patrol, Skunkspots was itching for a fight about as much as she was itching for a beesting. Wanting to approach Cricketpaw to see if she was still alive, and fearful of the fact that she might very well be dead, Skunkspots loitered uncertainly near the others. Partly useless except as a wind shield for the she-cat, Skunkspots' bright green gaze flicked sullenly between each cat. Awaiting any kind of instruction. Because the cool kids, they seem to fit in.

Word Count: 366 Words
Tags: @dreamer , Amber , Phoenix
Notes: ---

[Deleted]

Cricketpaw

Even as the wind howled and small spraying droplets of water began to fall from the sky, Cricketpaw, barely recognizable from all the sand and dirt, sighed in relief. She wasn't dead! Or well, not yet anyway. So who was this cat? She opened her mouth to ask, when she saw the other tom freeze. Weird. Struggling to stand up now that she was protected from the worst of the wind, she was pleasantly surprised when Wolfclaw rounded the stone, followed by several of her clanmates. He looked haggard, and Cricketpaw felt her ears pin to the side of her head in shame. She would get a talking to for sure after this, whether she had done it on purpose or not.

"Y-yeah, I'm okay, this tom saved me. He helped me get to shelter."

When the deputy asked the strange tom who he was, Cricketpaw turned her attention that way, green eyes bright with curiosity. She couldnt get a clear scent from him, the close proximity of various cats on a patrol, as well as the howling wind and flying grit kept her nose and airways conveniently clogged. The other cats in the patrol had gathered close, and none looked particularly pleased to be out in this weather. Skunkspots though especially looked lost, and so Cricketpaw, feeling a bit unsure herself, sidled up to the she-cat pressing slightly against her side where she could be almost completely blocked from the wind. Hopefully Wolfclaw would be nice to the weird tom and not chase him off. He had helped her after all.

[Phoenix]

how can i say this without breaking

An utterly massive silver and black tom rounded the stone at a decent speed, and utterly intimidated, Finch backed up quite a few steps, feeling more comfortable where he could at least fool himself into thinking he was out of reach. He was only the first. Three other cats, two equally intimidating toms and one slightly smaller she-cat, arrived moments later, carrying with them the scent of their clan, thin loner’s uneasiness grew. All of a sudden, he felt very small, and the knowledge that, should this encounter turn for the worse, he could very easily be outmatched had him itching to run. Distance was good; distance was safe. But the way the other cats – what did they call themselves? It was on the tip of his tongue – had fanned themselves around, providing more of a buffer between the wind that made it around the rock, meant that escape was that easy.

The first large cat had fierce gold eyes that did not seem particularly unkind as he addressed the once-stranded feline. Cricketpaw – Finch glanced in her direction, somewhat pleased that he now had a name to assign to the face, but wariness made him quick to return his gaze to the unknown variables before him. It was just as well; the loner found himself under scrutiny next. Uncomfortable under the spotlight, he shifted slightly, raising his own head to not-quite-meet Wolfclaw’s eyes. The apparent deputy of StoneClan did not seem to realize that such titles meant little to a loner, who was his own leader, healer, and warrior all rolled into one. Adrenaline paralyzed his tongue, and the last thing he wanted to do was speak.

In favor of answering the question, he glanced around at the other StoneClan cats. The fur along his spine prickled with their attention, and his heart felt like it would pound itself right out of his chest as the unease gave way to fear. He was horribly outnumbered – the thought came again, pushing at his awareness as though urging him to do something to rectify the problem. There were so many of them, and with their well-fed frames and well-groomed coats, they gave off the impression of strength and competence. Vivid memories of the last time he had encountered a group this large with a singular purpose he had barely escaped with his life. Finch did not want a repeat of that. Attention flitting from one cat to another, the tom noticed how the two she-cats gravitated toward each other and how even though the black and white one that had arrived with the group stayed off to the side, they moved as a unit and had a cohesiveness that the MountainClan cats lacked. This was the might of a true clan, and only a fraction it at that.

This was exactly what he had been hoping to avoid.

”Finch,” He answered finally, when the silence had begun to stretch on to the point of intentional rudeness. Tension made his voice sharp and his answers defensive. Wanting none of this, he glanced around again, seemingly not realizing the way he stood hunched in on himself and leaning slightly toward the boulder at his back, away from the onslaught of cats. ”Pleasure meeting you all,” He continued shortly, speaking fast. ”But I was just about to leave, so if you’ll excuse me…”

i loved and i loved and i lost you and it hurts like hell

Finch | none | loner | Amber Fawn @dreamer

hurts like hell | background image

[Deleted]

wolfclaw

deputy of stoneclan

"This tom saved me. He helped me get to shelter."

This sparked Wolfclaw's interest in the tom even more, knowing that he had somehow aided Cricketpaw in the storm. He kept his gaze trained on the tom as he glanced around anxiously. It was painfully obvious how nervous he was, and Wolfclaw felt bad for him. After a stretch of time, the loner spoke.

"Finch." Wolfclaw inclined his head in acknowledgement before the other cat spoke again. "Pleasure meeting you all, but I was just about to leave, so if you'll excuse me..." He trailed off, obviously seeking an exit. Before he could make an escape attempt, Wolfclaw spoke.

"Wait. Let us help you." He tried to keep his face open and kind as he spoke. "This storm's only going to get worse; we can offer you shelter." Wolfclaw looked around at the other members of his patrol, eyes lingering on Cricketpaw a little longer before turning back to Finch.

"We don't always offer shelter to outsiders, but since you helped one of ours, we'd like to return the favor. If you want to come with us, we can provide a safe place to wait out the storm, and you can leave as soon as the storm is over, if you'd like." He hoped the loner would accept the offer; even though he wasn't StoneClan, he had helped Cricketpaw to the relative safety of the boulder, and he felt that warranted the same favor.

Thunder rumbled overhead, causing Wolfclaw's eyes to aim upward. Another crack of thunder, and the sky opened up, rain finally falling down upon them. He looked back down to Finch, hopeful that the sudden onslaught of water would sway his decision. If he still decided to reject their offer, then he would, at the very least, see him safely to the border. Send the rest of the patrol to bring Cricketpaw back safely, then lead Finch out of the territory and hopefully find him a cave to hide in until the storm cleared.

for the strength of the pack is the wolf

and the strength of the wolf is the pack

background image | rudyard kipling | @dreamer, Phoenix, Fawn | table by phoenix

[Fawn]

Should I do something? Should I say something comforting? Panic flared in Skunkspots' mind like a migraine, and the she-cat froze as Cricketpaw huddled against her, uncertain what the right step would be after that. And then... like a hint of blue sky in a storm, she thought of Fallenleaf. "We'll get you back to camp, safe and sound." And if not, then... we're just not very good at this whole 'rescuing' thing, are we? If anything went wrong, though, Skunkspots was determined, desperately determined not to be the cause of it.

It was times like these where courage or at least fortitude really counted. Trying to embody her Clan's name by becoming a rock against the wind, Skunkspots kept her ears pinned back to keep out the dirt and hot air trying to buffet them around; because of this, she was able to catch the conversation between Wolfclaw and the stranger, though it was a bit muffled.

What did he say his name was? Pinch? That's a weird name for a loner... but maybe it's weird because he IS a loner? That wasn't a name a Clan cat would have. Imagine getting a name like Squirrelpinch. Ridiculous. Skunkspots pointedly ignored the very real possibility that 'Skunkspots' likely was only a step or two away from being just as bad.

While Wolfclaw did deputy things, the black and white she-cat's attention was drawn to Thistlerock or Rippedear, holding out for the possibility that one of the most senior warriors would be so kind as to lead her and Cricketpaw back to camp. She didn't care if Pinch went with them or not, she just wanted to get out of this storm.

When it appeared that they weren't going to move without the deputy's say so, Skunkspots resisted the urge to roll her eyes, nearly fidgeting with impatience. "Are you really okay?" she whispered to Cricketpaw, figuring she should at least try to... talk to the cat huddled against her so snugly. Normally so socially awkward it should've been classified as a medical condition, given the circumstances, she didn't... mind.

Weird. She could actually talk to others when so much craziness was going on all around. It's as if the world was suddenly too busy to pay any attention to how awkward she was or how her voice cracked sometimes if she got too nervous. When the valley was at its strangest, Skunkspots seemed almost... normal. Thanks StarClan, I don't appreciate your irony. At all.

Word Count: 423 Words Tags: @dreamer , Phoenix , Amber Notes: xD Pinch.

28 Moons. Warrior. StoneClan

[Deleted]

Birds-eye view, awake the stars 'cause they're all around you

9 Moons : She-Cat : Apprentice

Was it just her imagination or had Skunkspots stiffened a little bit? Cricketpaw looked up, and noticed that she seemed uncomfortable. It made the apprentice cock her head slightly, and she was about to speak when the she-cat said that they would get her home safe. Cricketpaw, still hunkered away from wind, craned her head up to smile widely at the she-cat, "Of course you will, you are all bigger than me, you can fight the wind. It just tosses me around..." She paused and looked at the sky sheepishly. "I just hope it will be soon."

Wolfclaw was still talking with the loner, and Cricketpaw pricked her ears to catch the loner's name.Finch. Huh. He doesn't really look like a finch though. Guess Loner's name their kits differently, or maybe there are different finches where he came from? He still seemed very uncomfortable, like he wanted to run. Cricketpaw glanced at Wolfclaw, to be fair the deputy could be intimidating, but oh he had just offered him shelter. The apprentice stood straight up, trying to lift her tail in encouragement. Skunkspots asked her is she was really okay. "Yeah Im fine." She turned back, venturing out from Skunkspots side up to where Wolfclaw faced the loner Finch.

"Please come!" She yelled out, and then found her mouth filled with water as the clouds drenched her and everybody around her. Coughing she shook her head, and protected her muzzle when she scowled at Finch again. "Do you want to stay wet? Cause I dont!" Some niggling voice told her she was being rude, but this day had just gotten worse and worse and now she was soaked, maybe Honeypaw would help groom her dry. But first she had to get back to camp and that required the loner tom to make up his mind.

--

Word Count:300

Tags:Amber  Phoenix Fawn

Notes:

Wide eyes will always brighten the blue