[Katara]

BRIARSKY

[smear:BE7A4D]SHE QUIETLY EXPECTED GREAT THINGS TO HAPPEN TO HER,[/smear:C25176] [smear:C25176]AND NO DOUBT THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THEY DID.[/smear:BE7A4D]

W ith the Tribe's cave bustling with the activity of at least five times more cats than usual, one could imagine how cramped it became at night when everyone was trying to get comfortable while surrounded by the press of bodies that were not their Clanmates. Especially after a long day of being forced to cooperate with the other Clans, Briarsky could tell some cats were at their wit's end by the time they settled down to sleep. She had barely grazed her foreleg against the spine of a StoneClan cat, but had instantly received a spitting insult and a had a tuft torn from her tail. If she weren't such a lovely cat, she might have reacted a bit more harshly. As it was, they were lucky she was too spectacular in character to retort with her own unsheathed claws. "Really, I'm so sorry," she apologized with the utmost sincerity, "if only I weren't cursed with having, you know, limbs. Then maybe they wouldn't be such a bother to you." This time, she received hisses from cats from her own Clan, which made her pout and look for someone who would back her up, but it seemed everyone was more concerned about sleeping than loyalty to a Clanmate... Pah! What's the point of sleeping near these tetchy mouse-brains if they're not even going to be nice to me? She rose from her place at the edge of LightningClan's group of huddled forms, and began to tiptoe her way among the StoneClan cats, taking care to step directly on the tail of the cat that still had her fur in his claws. "Oh, go back to sleep," she chided, dancing away and sinking down instantly in the nearest open area to hide herself from his view. Her tail flicked excitedly against the pelt of the cat nearest her - a young ginger-and-white tom. She swept her tail back, not meaning to have woken him. "Sorry, I'm hiding from your Clanmate. Is my LightningClan scent a dead giveaway or do you think I have a chance?"

tagged Jos

349 words

[Jos]

Squirreltalon

Squirreltalon had found himself a lovely little spot away from the core of Stoneclan bodies for his nest that night. It had been a long, tiring day. Not for the patrols—many paws made for light work—but for the stress of trying to maintain the peace while living with the other clans, and the anxiety of what the patrols who went to assess the damages of the territories would have to tell them. He was sleeping next to Cloudtail, of all cats, who had been a calming focal point for Squirreltalon, along with his former mentor Beetlejaw. The fluffy white tom had a habit of snoring (a habit he denied fervently) and Squirreltalon was having a tough time falling asleep. After several minutes he gave up and moved a little farther away, tucking his nose under his big fluffy tail.



The sounds of snoring cats melted together, their bodies heating up the cave to a nice sleeping temperature. Sure, he’d moved farther away, but now he had room to sprawl out. He was just about ready to doze off when he felt a little tickle. He opened one eye and then sat up with a start: there was a Lighteningclan she-cat sleeping next to him. Had he gone to the wrong side of the cave? How long had he been asleep for? He sniffed the air around them,



“Oh. Um, that’s ok! I know how the other Stoneclan warriors can be sometimes. We’re about as friendly as the stones themselves, heh.” He shook his pelt, feeling a tad bit self conscious. Did he look ratty? “No you don’t smell that bad. Not that Lightningclan cats smell bad, I mean…” Idiot! “Er, I’m Squirreltalon. Stoneclan…obviously. Sorry about my clanmates, they’re just a little grumpy like…always. Would you like some moss? I can find you some moss.” He had never been so nervous around a she-cat before. Was he purring? Don’t purr too loud. He tried to stop, but he couldn’t. “Why aren’t you with your clan, if I can ask?”

Ain't nothin' gonna break-a my stride
Nobody gonna slow me down

340 Katara

[Katara]

BRIARSKY

[smear:BE7A4D]SHE QUIETLY EXPECTED GREAT THINGS TO HAPPEN TO HER,[/smear:C25176] [smear:C25176]AND NO DOUBT THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THEY DID.[/smear:BE7A4D]

B riarsky had to stifle laughter as the tom beside her proceeded to dig himself into a hole in his ramble. She had to admit, his reaction was a massive boost to her already high self-esteem. "I know, I know... they smell bad, but I smell good, right?" She winked, nudging his shoulder playfully. "Oh, it's fine, I'm just pouting is all - I'll probably forget about it by sunrise. I've been told I can be a bit dramatic sometimes." Her number one priority was always committing to the bit. "Hi, Squirreltalon. I'm Briarsky." His offer of moss made her purr and, unable to resist teasing him further, she shimmied closer to him. "Or we could share your moss," she suggested brightly with her back and shoulders pressed entirely to his side. In this position, she could tell that he was purring too. "Oh, right, when your Clanmate took a tuft out of my tail, my own Clanmates told me to shut up when I tried to defend myself, forcing me to sleep among the enemy." Her blue eyes caught sight of that vengeful tom glaring in her direction, and this time she rolled so her head was next to Squirreltalon's paws with her belly turned toward the ceiling. "Lucky for me, I found a friend," she grinned up at him.

tagged Jos

220 words

[Jos]

Squirreltalon

“Oh yeah you smell fine. Better than fine! You smell very nice—if every cat could smell like you, life would be better. I wish I smelled like you! I bet I smell horrible…” he gave himself a quick whiff, but all he could smell was damp cave and moss. When she told him her name it felt like his chest had become too full, and the purring started afresh, “Briarsky.” He repeated, savouring the name, “That’s a lovely name.”

Squirreltalon was completely unprepared for what was happening right now, and his naivety was showing. When she suggested they share moss, he shuffled over to allow Briarsky more space in his moss bed.

“Oh, you don’t have to share, you can have my nest and I can make myself a new nest! It’s really no trouble-- I like building nests, honestly. That way you can have my warm one and I get to make a new one!” He wasn’t sure what to do when she rolled over, her head close to his paws, their pelts brushing. He wanted to curl up with her and spend eternity sleeping in the moss together. That would be ideal.

“I’m so sorry they were rude to you.” He said, his voice rumbling, “You can stay with me as long as you like. I’m glad to have a friend too, you know? You’ve seen how my clanmates are so…cold. It’s nice to be around friendly cats once in a while. I bet you have plenty of friends in your clan? Of course you do. You’re nice and you smell so good and you’re very pretty.” He kneaded the moss to fluff it up a bit, “Well, I’ll try to be a good nest-mate for tonight!” then she would go to her own nest again. Why did that make him sad? He wanted to see more of Briarsky. “Hey…I was going to go hunting in the morning…do you want to come with me?”

Ain't nothin' gonna break-a my stride

Nobody gonna slow me down

327 Katara