[Phoenix]

how can i say this without breaking

After the storm that had threatened to blow him away and the less-than-ideal outcome with his successful rescue mission, he had decided to avoid the clans for a few days. His encounter with StoneClan had tested his nerves, and he needed some time to recover from the strain caused by well-meaning cats. From the shelter of a den, he had watched as the skies opened up that day, soaking the thirsty ground with sheets of much-needed rain. But much to his disappointment, the reprieve did not last long. The hot summer temperatures that had finally broken with the change in weather were beginning to climb back to their former position, and he could only watch as the Sun came back in full force, relentlessly drying up the mountainsides.

He had never considered water to be such a luxury before, yet as he stood before the river that cascaded down into clan territory, that was the only word that came to mind. Today was his first tentative exploration down into the valley again, and he was driven more by his need for water than any real desire to encounter another set of strangers. He was not the only one suffering from this weather. The prey seemed to have vanished into thin air. In his mind's eye, he imagined them flying away in search of greener lands (the plants were beginning to wilt under the unforgiving sun) or burrowing beneath the soil to seek refuge from the heat (sometimes he was jealous of the moles and mice who lived underground). Finch couldn't blame them. A part of him wanted to join them, but there was only so much he could do with four paws firmly planted on the ground. Find water and hope that there was prey nearby topped that list.

There were faint scent markings a short distance away from him that he assumed indicated whatever boundary separated the clan from the outside world. He stayed carefully and carefully on his side of the line, not approaching it; there was always a risk of meeting a patrol, and should fortune not favor him today, he was not in the mood for such an encounter to be anymore hostile than necessary. With a cautious glance around him, the thin brown tom ducked his head and lapped at the cool water at his paws. It tasted heavenly. After drinking his fill and licking up the stray droplets that had fallen onto his chest fur, he paused, peering at his reflection. He looked the same as always, though perhaps a tad sadder than he had in his youth, but the space next to him seemed so empty. Before, Jay had always been by his side, but now after that fateful night when they had been separated, all he had left were memories. It had been moons, but his reflection still didn't look right.

Even as he stared at it, the water seemed to move in an odd way - no, it wasn't the water. It was something under the water. Was that a fish? His adventures had not taken him near many rivers large enough for this type of fish, and he stared, entranced, at its light brown scales as it swam beneath the surface. Could he, if he managed to catch it, eat this? He had never tried his hand at fishing before, never had any reason to hunt anything other than the small mammals that vanished into the crevices in the mountains. Pale green eyes followed its movement, and he quietly unsheathed his claws, leaving his left paw gripping the shore while he prepared to swipe with his left. Heart thudding, he waited for the fish to swim closer... closer... now! He struck, paw hitting the water, and came up empty-handed.

Blinking the water from his eyes - it appeared as though he had only managed to splash himself in the face for his efforts - he shook his head, something of a smile on his lips. What had he expected, success on his first try? He knew better than that. It was amazing, he thought, that he hadn't fallen in. There was no point trying again, not now. Everything that lurked under the surface now knew he was there, and they would have hidden themselves away. Perhaps he would return another day, but for now, he figured he ought to stick to what he knew. With his mind made up, he bent his head and lapped up some more water as a consolation. When he looked up again, he was suddenly, acutely aware of the fact that he was no longer alone.

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

Finch | none | loner | @dreamer

hurts like hell | background image

[Deleted]

Stormheart

The stormy grey warrior truly did not understand why he was even outside today. The heat was nigh unbearable, to the point where he had traveled nearly entirely in the river itself when he could. When he did eventually haul himself dripping from the river, he regretted it almost immediately. It shimmered up in waves from the ground, the world taking on a an idly yellow tint, as all the green plants wilted under the stare of the sun. A breeze stirred lazily through the trees, the leaves moving with the same lethargy which Stormheart himself felt. 

To be fair Stormheart did not necessarily need to be out here. However, when so many cats we out of commission, some part of him felt he needed to be out, fishing, hunting, providing for the clan. His sister mentioned he would probably die from his stupid sense of duty, but he could not deny the urge. At least no one could call him a coward or a slacker, just obsessive. 

As the heat dried his fur, Stormheart padded along the river, further and further from camp. His senses were dead end from the extreme heat, but he recognized the border easily, he had been marking it for nearly his entire life after all. Seeing a perfect spot to fish, he padded over to a small and slightly wilted willow, and hid underneath the long stringy canopy. For a while after that he watched te water, catching a small trout. He was nearly ready to catch another when he heard a sound further upriver, and the slight scent of cat, distinctly not clan, wafted down to him. Curious, he emerged from the shade of the willow to watch a the strange tom slap the water with a resounding watery crack. His face was so comical that Stormheart began to chuckle, his whiskers twitching. 

Clearly he was a bit confused, but he was not on Rainclan territory, so Stormheart had no quarrel with him. Just because cats loved nearby did not give the clans right to chase them away if they abided by the borders set by the clans. In fact if they treated outsiders with courtesy and respect, he doubted there would be as many violations of borders, and the violations that there were could have justified reaction. This was Stormhearts opinion, but probably not his leaders one. In any case, the strange tom was no threat, and Stormheart decided that in order to be able to report fully about this t, he should speak with him and clarify the boundaries. That way there would be no error of miscommunication on Rainclan part. 

So Stormheart strode over a smirk on his muzzle. “Well I am sorry you did not catch that fish since these are rough times,but at least I can thank you for sending it and all the other prey around here towards my clan's territory." He looked the other tom up and down casually. "What's your name stranger? And what business brings you around these parts?"

[Phoenix]

how can i say this without breaking

In an instant, the self-deprecating amusement that had him smiling at himself in good humor vanished, replaced by the uncomfortable heat of embarrassment as he realized that the other cat had not only seen his failure but also found it amusing. At the sound of the newcomer’s voice, Finch had turned to see a large dark-furred cat padding toward him from further down the river. Clearly he belonged to whatever clan had decided to claim the river and its surroundings as their own, for he not only carried himself with the confidence of someone who knew his place but also looked in far better shape than any loner he had ever seen.

Discomfort with a dash of lingering humiliation put the smaller brown tom on edge and made the fur along his spine bristle ever so slightly. He did not appreciate the smirk he could see on the other cat’s face; while he was content to laugh at his own mistakes, it was a little different when another cat did so, and he was surprised at how much that still stung. He had thought that perhaps his experiences in the past few moons had hardened him to the point where the opinions of strangers no longer mattered, but clearly that was not the case. Annoyance flickered through him. Finch thought his hunting ability was pretty good, thank you very much. Who was this clan cat to come and poke fun at him? Surrounded by friends and family who could all help bring home prey, he would never know the persistent ache of starvation that kept loners company in the dark of winter.

”Nothing that concerns you, stranger,” He returned, unable to stop the defensive tone from entering his voice. He ignored the first question, not feeling like sharing that particular bit of information. Encounters with strangers, especially with well-fed clan cats who laughed at him, were not high on his list of welcome experiences, and in any event, he only cared about reuniting with one cat in particular. Wary green eyes watched the black and white feline standing before him. Why did he care what Finch was doing? The loner had been vigilant about staying on his side of the scent markers – indeed, he still stood on the right side even now – and he should not have to answer to anyone for what he did on this unclaimed land.

Although a part of his mind suggested that perhaps he was judging the other cat more harshly than was perhaps fair, he could not bring himself to break the habit. Most strangers seemed to have no ill intentions, but he was painfully aware that others preyed on lone cats like himself. If he kept them from getting too close, he was safe, and his prickly demeanor usually worked very successfully. After striking them with a few words spoken by a tongue sharpened by fear, he chased most cats away fairly quickly. Finch hoped it would earn him his solitude here, though the tom looked a little more determined than most. It would probably take more than words to get him to mind his own business. If it got too annoying, the loner decided, he could always simply walk away. He had no qualms about being rude to cats he would most likely never meet again.

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

Finch | none | loner | @dreamer

hurts like hell | background image

[Deleted]

Stormheart

Having been part of a clan for his life, Stormheart could never understand how a cat would choose to live the lonely life non-clan cats did. It seemed even some non-clan cats agreed with him as they asked to join the clan. While personally Stormheart did not have any major problem with non-clan cats, he believed it was important to maintain loyalty to the clan. To join a clan, they had to prove they were completely loyal, the same with cats from other clans, after that they were warriors simple as that. Yet there were many who did not agree with him, even within his own clan. Swanfeather had stirred up the strong feelings against non-clan cats, and now his clan was divided. Something had to be done... the question was what?

The lone tom in front of him seemed to have been a wandered all his life, yet he clearly was not skilled in fishing.... was he at least skilled enough to hunt for himself? Stormheart watched the stranger stiffen. Oops, maybe he shouldnt have been so forceful. He shrugged at the tom's response.

"Didnt mean to offend you, it just seems like you don't have much experience fishing. I can't help but comment, as I have lived my whole life in the water." He chuckled. "There is a reason my clan are called fishbrains by our rivals."

Stormheart sat down, wrapping his huge fluffy tail around his front paws, the white of his tail tip mixing with the white of his chest.

"Perhaps some courtesy is warranted. I am Stormheart, one of the warriors of Rainclan. And you are?"

[Phoenix]

how can i say this without breaking

The metaphorical thorns that had followed his sharp reply had the clan cat back-tracking, and Finch felt a flicker of vicious satisfaction at the small victory in a competition of which only he was aware. Moments later, however, it was gone, leaving him listening to the other tom with a hollow irritation. He claimed to have meant nothing by his laughter, but the offhanded apology did little to heal the loner’s wounded pride. Having been met with nothing but failure and making a fool of himself, he considered leaving then and there. This experience was not worth the trouble. But the other tom continued speaking, and the rest of the clan cat’s words captured his attention and sparked his curiosity.

Finch also found himself a little skeptical. He had spent his entire life in the water? Never before had he heard of such a bizarre practice. ”You like swimming,” He stated incredulously, tail flicking by his paws. Why would anyone willingly go swimming in a river? Water was cold and wet, and the few times he had had to wade across a stream always left him uncomfortably damp and dripping for the rest of the afternoon. No, he avoided getting wet whenever possible, and every other cat he had met in his lifetime seemed to share his opinions. But here was a clan cat stating the contrary with the nonchalance of someone speaking about the weather.

Finch was not quite relaxed enough to mirror the other tom’s actions on his side of the border, but he turned to fully face him, tail flicking down by his paws. The stranger introduced himself as Stormheart, a warrior of RainClan, and the loner took a moment to consider this information. Stormheart – it sounded like a fierce name, and that thought had him eyeing the warrior again, comforting himself with the observation that there would at least be some indication of an impending attack; the other cat would have to stand up before doing anything else. But RainClan… Now he had the name of another clan in the valley, and he mentally set the information next to the limited knowledge he had about StoneClan. RainClan was the one with rivers, and that seemed easy enough to remember. If Stormheart was anything to go by, apparently its cats also had an odd fascination with water, which was known well enough that they were called fishbrains by the other clans.

”Finch,” He answered finally, knowing it was only polite that he offer the same information. It went unspoken that he was unaffiliated with any clan. The gnawing hunger in his gut had him remembering why he had first considered trying to catch the fish swimming beneath the surface. ”Your… warriors, they know how to catch fish?” Finch asked carefully, the title feeling strange yet familiar on his tongue.

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

Finch | none | loner | @dreamer

hurts like hell | background image