[nimble]

The sun was just beginning to peek above the valley walls, lighting the lowlands gray in defiance of the frost that clung to the earth and trees alike. Like a wisp of smoke, the dark-pelted she-cat slipped between the pines, her steps nearly silent as they touched down on the frozen earth. Her eyes flickered across the forestscape, ears twitching at the stifled pawsteps of her clanmates, each on a hunt of their own.

Cinderstripe had been benevolently awoken by Spiderstalk as he returned from his border patrol, taking a moment to gently prod the young she-cat assigned to the early hunting patrol before settling in to his own nest. She'd had just enough time to smooth her fur with a quick groom before meeting the others at the camp entrance. Recently given her warrior name, she was still adjusting to the new den. In the apprentice's den, they'd sleep close to one another on cold nights to keep warm. But here, among the much older and more seasoned warriors, she found herself unsure of exactly which of her clanmates would welcome her closeness. She found it a little intimidating that some cats slept about as far away from the others as they could get, pressed up against the cold stone walls. What are they, mutants? Privately, she wished they would give up the tough, brooding act and huddle together with the others like a normal cat that had any feeling whatsoever.

Her pawsteps slowed as she grew close to her destination. It was not a long trek from camp to her chosen hunting grounds, and she wasn't sure if there'd be much in the way of prey out and about so early. She opened her maw and scented the air, grateful for the soft breeze that blew towards her. Duck! It seemed she had made the right choice. She dropped in to a crouch, moving forward cautiously to gain a line of sight on her chosen prey. There were four of them, standing near one another, preening their smooth feathers. It was easy to pick her target: the smallest hen of the group, the shortest distance from the hunting warrior. Pausing for what felt like an eternity, Cinderstripe tensed.

She burst forward, sprinting towards her prey. Distressed squawks erupted from the group as the ducks turned to flee, wings beating. Webbed feet slapped against the frozen earth. They seemed to scatter, panicked, but the hunter was undeterred. As the hen struggled in to the air, Cinderstripe launched after her. Her jaws landed at the base of the neck, claws raking across the bird's breast as she clamped them shut. Her prey fell limp beneath her. Her tail whipped with delight.

It was at this point that Cinderstripe noticed the pond beneath her, covered by a thin sheet of ice. Amber eyes widened in terror, time slowed as she and her kill plummeted. A small, muffled yowl escaped as she made impact. The ice shattered instantly, sending her plunging into the frigid water.


Fawn Hellion

[Hellion]

Starlingcry

and i tired to hold these secrets inside of me
my mind's like a deadly disease

The black coated she-cat with her blue eyes needed no prompting to wake from her sleep. Blinking the last bit of sleep from her eyes the she-cat exited the warrior's den with a long stride to stretch out her muscles. The morning was cold and bitter but the ebony cat didn't mind. Gifted with a thicker coat, Starlingcry was able to keep the chill at bay.

Her eyes drifted toward the apprentice's den for a moment. Coalpaw, Ashpaw and Sootpaw would likely be nesting together and quite warm. Starlingcry didn't want to wake him and force them out into the bitter day. Instead she inserted herself into a hunting patrol, offering no friendly conversation as they troop headed out.

With graceful pawsteps, Starlingcry moved about the frozen and harsh landscape. Her mouth open to catch any scent and becoming quite annoyed when nothing came. Adjusting her stride Starlingcry moved quicker through the forest, heading further away from the group. She found herself on the farside of ambush pond but just in time to spot Cinderstripe.

For a moment Starlingcry's attention was captured by the she-cat and her eyes narrowed as Cinderstripe bolted forward. The small flock of ducks took to the sky which annoyed Starlingcry greatly. Only StarClan knew when they'd land again, Cinderstripe was foolish for scaring them all away. Annoyed with the she-cat Starlingcry directed her paws to head back toward her, but she paused mid-stride.

Watching in slow motion as Cinderstripe fell through the ice a short burst of panic rushed over Starlingcry. Picking up her pace the ebony she-cat arrived at the water's edge just as Cidnerstripe burst forth from the icy water. Still tight in her jaw was the duck, Starlingcry had to admit she was impressed that Cinderstripe kept hold of it.

Her striking blue eyes remained sharp on Cinderstripe's frame until the she-cat made her way back to the water's edge.

"Do you have a death wish?" Starlingcry asked, her voice coming out harsh and quite rude.

i'm meaner than my demons. i'm bigger than these bones.

nimble | background image | control | table by phoenix

[nimble]

The water was shockingly cold, and for a moment, Cinderstripe felt paralyzed. Panic coursed through her body as she began flailing her limbs, desperately paddling upwards. As she breached the surface, splashing wildly, she gasped for breath as much as one can with a soggy duck clamped in your jaws. Surging forward, her claws scrabbled on the thin ice, growing more and more frenzied as it collapsed beneath her forepaws. Finally, she reached the shore, sinking her claws in to the frozen earth and hauling herself up and her catch up. Starlingcry stood before her, harsh judgement evident in every inch of the warrior's body. Do you have a death wish?

"Ah didumf knahw itf wamf ohfar thah waffer," she replied, glaring in to the older cat's eyes, duck clamped firmly in her jaws. She was doing her best to look respectable, but it was hard to be menacing she was seized by violent shivers, soaking wet. It was an accident! she protested silently, ears flattened against her head in what was some mixture of embarrassment and defiance: an attempt to cling to the last shred of dignity she could muster.

[Deleted]

DARKBLAZE

brother let me be your fortress

Darkblaze crept forward slowly, bright gold eyes locked on a mouse some distance from the ambush pond where the majority of the patrol had ventured. He paused, tensing his muscles in preparation.

A loud squawking alarmed his prey, and Darkblaze let out a low growl momentarialy before launching himself forward. The mouse had moved, in the process of skittering away, but the warrior managed to make the kill, if a little sloppily. With the dead mouse hanging from his jaw, he narrowed his eyes and trotted off to the pond to see what the commotion was.

When he arrived, he stopped at the sight. Starlingcry and Cinderstripe were standing there facing each other, both in vastly different states. Cinderstripe looked soaked to the bone, shivering and holding an equally soaked duck tightly in her jaws, where Starlingcry looked like an angry stormcloud ready to drop.

Darkblaze stepped forward, dropping his mouse at his paws. He glanced around, trying to make sense of the situation. Immediately he noticed the surface of the pond and the gaping hole in the ice. Quickly, his mind pieced together the clues: the squawking, the duck in Cinderstripe's jaws, the hole in the ice, and Cinderstripe's wet, shivering form. Apparently, the young warrior had taken a dive in pursuit of her prey.

"Starlingcry, ease off." The stepped closer, waving his tail gently to diffuse the situation. "You can interrogate and admonish Cinderstripe later. Right now, we need to get her dry and warm and back into camp." He turned to Cinderstripe. "As admirable as your catch is, try to be more mindful of your surroundings. Leafbare spreads the Clan thin enough as it is; sick and injured warriors only put more strain on us all."

His eyes softened as he looked down at Cinderstripe's shivering form. "Come on. Let's get you home." He offered her a soft smile, then turned to Starlingcry. "Continue hunting if you wish. I'm going to make sure she gets to Smokefur's den safely, then I'll head out again." He turned around and padded forward, picking up the mouse he'd caught. Looking over his shoulder, he waved his tail for Cinderstripe to join him, waiting for her before starting for the camp entrance.

be the one to light your way, bring you home

NIGHTCLAN. WARRIOR. 36 MOONS.

Fawn | Hellion | nimble

[Hellion]

Starlingcry

and i tired to hold these secrets inside of me
my mind's like a deadly disease

Starlingcry tried to make sense of the Cinderstripe's words but found it too troublesome. Stepping back to provide Cindstripe more room Starlincry thought of what to do. Taking her back to Smokefur would be the smartest choice but if the water kept clinging to her fur she'd have ice forming. It would be best for her to shake most of the water off, to the best of her ability. Just as she prepared to give the she-cat the instruction, Darkblaze arrived.

Turning her head sharply at the sound of her own name, Starlingcry's eyes shifted from cold concern to frozen anger. How dare he tell her what to do! There was a brief moment that a growl threatened to rise out of her chest, but Starlingcry kept herself in check.

"She needs to try and shake off all the water she can, other wise by the time she get to the camp ice will be forming. Making Smokefur's job harder," Starlingcry told him her voice curt and harsh. Darkblaze might be older than her, but that didn't make it okay for him to try and take command of the situation. Did he really think she was going to make Cinderstripe sit out in the cold? She wasn't that horrible.

Learning that Darkblaze was going to take the she-cat back to camp, Starlingcry flickered her tail for her dismissal. "I'll gather the others and head back to camp. I doubt he will be able to catch much now that Cinderstripe made such a fuss with the ducks and the ice," Starlingcry told them both before disappearing into the shadows, seeking out her fellow clanmates.

i'm meaner than my demons. i'm bigger than these bones.

nimble Amber | background image | control | table by phoenix | maybe the two can gosssip about starlingcry?

[nimble]

A very cold ear flicked as another of her clanmates approached from the trees. She might have sighed in relief if she wasn't shivering so damn much. The senior warrior was much more sensible than ill-tempered Starlingcry, after all. Try to be mindful of your surroundings, the tom chided. Leafbare spreads us thin enough as it is. She blinked in acknowledgement. It was a silly mistake: of course she knew that! But rude, unhelpful remarks from some bitter old queen hardly encouraged an amicable response. Dimstar's mate or not, she was no better than any other member of the clan. But, Cinderstripe thought privately, it was clear Starlingcry thought differently by the haughty look in her icy blue eyes.


She started after Darkblaze, flinging water from her legs with each step, but was stopped in her tracks by Starlingcry's condescending remarks. The duck hit the earth as she whirled around, hissing after the retreating she-cat, "The forest is awfully big, Starlingcry: you're not fooling anyone!" Lazy furball!

Pausing to shake water from her pelt, and positively fuming from the infuriatingly patronizing she-cat's remarks, Cinderstripe stooped to gather up her fresh-kill once more. Despite her mother's apparent stoicism, anyone who had ever had a glimpse of Slatenose when she was truly angry knew that she had a temper. And it was this same temper, exacerbated by the shock of an unexpected ice bath, that overcame Cinderstripe's better nature and sent her stalking after Darkblaze, tail swishing in agitation.



Hellion Amber