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[atrb=width,390,true][bg=003333]Shivering, the she-cat flopped onto her thin stomach, grimacing as she was reminded of the pang of an empty stomach. It was pointless to try and sleep alone in the leader's den; it was far too cold. After a moment of grooming, the timid leader took on a stone face and exited her den. The same chill that had kept her away from sleep could still be felt in the sunlight of early morning, and Fallingstar had risen just in time to watch Falconleap send off the morning border patrol. Striding over to her deputy, the slim she-cat met her deputy with a brisk greeting. "Good morning." The leader's voice was cheerless, and she still shivered, her thin golden coat offering little resistance to the cold air. Tail wrapping around her paws, the tall she-cat settled into a sitting position before Falconleap, ears pricked. "Any news?" Fallingstar meowed curiously. The leader had just returned from her visit to MoonTree with her former friends words hanging dangerously in her mind. The leader knew she had something or, more importantly, someone to watch out for, but she had no idea whom. For now, Falconleap was the one she would have to rely on most until Darkecho's words revealed their meaning.

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[Hellion]

[atrb=width,390,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][STYLE=float: right; border: 3px #280f14 solid; -webkit-border-radius: 20px; -moz-border-radius: 20px; border-radius: 15px; background-image: url(http://i50.tinypic.com/143dlvn.jpg); width: 125px; height: 113px;] [/style][STYLE=font-family: bankgothic lt bt; font-size: 30px; color: #5c2a2a; text-transform: lowercase; margin-top: 30px; margin-left: 0px;]It's hard to know[/style][STYLE=font-family: bankgothic lt bt; font-size: 30px; color: #a0432f; text-transform: lowercase; margin-top: -11px; opacity: .5; alpha:filter(opacity=50%); margin-left: 0px;]What can become[/style][STYLE=font-family: bankgothic lt bt; font-size: 30px; color: #db947b; text-transform: lowercase; margin-top: -11px; opacity: .25; alpha:filter(opacity=25%); margin-left: 0px;]If you give up[/style][STYLE=overflow: hidden; background-color: #280f14; width: 390px; color: #6d3943; font-family: arial narrow; font-size: 15px; text-transform: uppercase; height: 15px; text-align: center;] [/style] [STYLE=text-align: justify; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 11px; width: 360px; margin-left: 10px; color: #9d9d9d;] Falconleap flicked her tail in goodbye to the warrior and apprentice she sent on the border and hunting patrol. She was tired, no doubt about that, having already served two hunting parties and the early dawn patrol. With the leafbare so early and the prey so short, Falconleap felt it was important to send warriors out in large groups, larger than post patrols to ensure their scent was strong along their borders. She wouldn't risk even the dumbest of kits to cross the border, it was important their border remain super strong in order to protect their limited prey. Falconleap had watched from a deputy's point of view the steady decline of prey and many times over the past few days had went hungry to ensure a queen got her meal or Blackeagle was well fed. Her belly rumbled but she silenced it with a flick her tail, the thoughts of Vultureback and the fish they shared warming her mouth and making it water. What kind of StoneClan wariror dreamed of a RainClan fish? The one that was starving. The presence of Fallingstar brought her out of her day dream to bow her head in greeting to her leader, careful in her actions to the timid she-cat. "I've sent more warriors and apprentices alike on large patrols. I maintaining the borders and every patrol is to look for food, the extra paws are there to break away from the main patrol to follow any sign of prey. I have asked warriors to bring prey back first for the queens and elders. They are two take what ever they catch to the Elder's den or nursery if the meal isn't wanted it can be taking to the fresh-kill pile. However I'm sure you've noticed that everyday our fresh-kill pile is smaller and smaller. I'm doing my best Fallingstar to keep our kits fed, I've already willingly skipped a few meals." Falconleap reported, easily droning in to a monotone style of talking, trying to ignore her belly rumbling. Once she finished she looked at Fallingstar, nearly begging for advice from her leader, what is she to do when all around her cats are starving? [/style] [STYLE=overflow: hidden; background-color: #280f14; width: 390px; color: #6d3943; font-family: arial narrow; font-size: 15px; text-transform: uppercase; height: 15px; text-align: center;] [/style] [STYLE=float: left; background-color: #280f14; width: 100px; color: #f0e3e3; font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 10px; letter-spacing: 1px; margin-top: -18px; padding-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 5px; text-transform: uppercase; text-align: center; -webkit-border-bottom-right-radius: 20px; -moz-border-bottom-right-radius: 20px; border-bottom-right-radius: 20px; -webkit-border-bottom-left-radius: 20px; -moz-border-bottom-left-radius: 20px; border-bottom-left-radius: 20px;]words: comments: credit:[/style][STYLE=text-align: justify; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 11px; width: 260px; margin-left: 10px; color: #9d9d9d; margin-top: -8px; margin-left: 110px;]### one or two lines of comments, no more or it makes it look messy made by ZINGARA of BTN & LS[/style]

[Deleted]

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[atrb=width,390,true][bg=003333]Fallingstar closed her eyes as the report poured into her ears; unfortunately, there was little good news in the Clan. Leaf-bare had always been a bad season for the cats of the valley. StoneClan was just another of the Clans that suffered, but it didn't make the season any less harsh. Each wise order given induced a slight nod from the leader, who approved of the measures Falconleap had taken. The Clan desperately needed all of the food it could get and they needed to keep up their borders. Especially against LightningClan after their last attempt to invade the border. Even as Falconleap's words became a mechanical list of the events that had played out, Fallingstar paid keen attention to everything. At the end of the speech, Fallingstar responded, "Good measures, but don't forget you need your strength as well." Of course, the she-cat spoke hypocritically, having skipped many meals even in the moons when prey was far from scarce. "I would also like you to advise the mentors to cut their time with battle training. We need all able paws catching prey right now." Having added the advice, the she-cat's face became passive. Immersed in her thoughts, Fallingstar tried to see what else she could do to reduce the burden. Another idea came to mind. "I want you to check with Blackeagle to see how many traveling herbs he has; if our fresh-kill pile continues to shrink, I want some of those prepared for the warriors so that they can go a bit longer without eating. For now, I think I'll lead a patrol myself." The orders felt a bit more natural than they usually did. Scarcely a season after Boulderstar's death and Fallingstar was finally beginning to get used to her position as Clan leader.

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