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Post by eli on Sept 20, 2012 19:11:56 GMT -5
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The sun was bright and clear as it hung high over the gently swaying grasses of the Star Field, its searing rays turning every blade its brightest green. The light touched every corner of the field, up to the ring of tall birch trees that littered the edges of the field and provided tiny pools of shade for the small animals to crouch within. It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm and the wind was gentle – the heady moor gusts blew in and were diluted by the trees and the meadow's slight bowl shape, offering a cooling breeze to counteract the heat of the noonday sun. Birds sang and the grasses rustled with life.
The sun touched, then, on a reddish pelt and turned it to a brand of flame; a muscular tomcat was picking his way along the treeline, body hanging low to the ground to hide his tiger-striped fur. When he passed under the shadow of the tallest birch, his stripes blended with the tall grasses, concealing him completely. Though he was larger than the cats usually seen here he was also nimbler, quieter on his wide paws than his swift-footed comrades. He was the picture of stealth, a tiger prowling his territory.
His body sank down even further when leaf-green eyes lit on a prime target: the distinct long, striped tail of a male pheasant, bobbing between the grasses. A moment later the bird's head popped up, scarlet face turning this way and that, observing the grasses around it anxiously. It had reason to be afraid, though it did not know it yet...the hunter had chosen it for his next catch.
It took only a few cautious steps to bring him close to the bird, his broad shoulders slinking underneath his lush red-black pelt. His ears were alert, his eyes focused. Only when he left the shadows did the bird see him, its sharp avian eyes dazzled by the flame-red gleam of his fur, but by then it was too late. He leapt, fluid as a fish through water, and pinned the bird beneath his paws. Its cry of fear was barely more than a chirp before his teeth closed on the ring of white feathers around the pheasant's neck and clamped, snapping the spine and severing its life.
Blazehawk lifted his head, the heavy bird hanging lifelessly from his jaws as he looked around. Today was a fine day for hunting, indeed; it'd been some time since he'd caught a pheasant and he knew that the queen and her new kits would enjoy its savoury flesh. The feathers tickled his nose and he sneezed, setting the bird back in the grass. He hadn't seen another soul since he left camp on his solo hunting mission, and he wondered if he'd see a fellow LightningClanner out here enjoying the weather and good hunting. As the new deputy he was having a hard time settling into his role, directing his Clanmates and having so much responsibility on his shoulders, and it was good to have a few minutes to enjoy the simplicity of life. He hadn't a clue if any cat felt the same, but he hoped that none of his fellows would feel too intimidated by his new position to talk to him. He was lonely, though he wouldn't admit it.
Sending a quick thanks up to StarClan for the catch, he settled back on his haunches and closed his eyes, listening to the sound of birdsong through the trees. Peace. A beautiful day indeed, and he savoured it.
and you thought the world would end
if you just looked the other way
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Post by Fawn on Sept 28, 2012 19:25:22 GMT -5
[style=font-family:make juice; font-size:54px;]Rapidwind "Keeping track of you is harder'n tryin' to find a white kitten in the snow!"
These mocking words of annoyance quickly turned to a gruff 'mrrow' of laughter, a silver and black tom slinking through the meadow like a gray serpent, his yellow eyes gleaming with their usual fires. "What's a guy gotta do to spend a little time with his best friend? Unless you're too busy, your deputyship?" crooned Rapidwind, his rounded face set in an expression of playful teasing, the silver tom giving the striped cat's shoulder an affectionate nudge with his own. Though his paws ached from the dawn patrol coupled with back-to-back hunting sprees, Rapidwind found himself still somewhat restless, and wishing to catch up with an old friend, Rapidwind had tracked the tom's scent all the way out to the meadows to find Blazehawk sitting with a pheasant nearby and a spaced out look on his face.
Even if Blazehawk was a bit...distracted, it was nice to have more masculine company than hanging out in the nursery all the time, checking up on Dovesong and her kits. They weren't even his, but that sure wouldn't stop him from caring! Still, all that...fluff and mewling and purring was starting to get to him.
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Post by eli on Sept 29, 2012 13:32:17 GMT -5
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Blazehawk had been sitting there, silently meditating, for quite some time before the silence was finally broken. A rustle in the grass behind him hinted him to the other cat's presence before their voice rang out, familiar and bright and cheerful as it floated to him over the warm air. He'd know that mew anywhere; Blazehawk turned to see his old friend Rapidwind standing there, open friendliness on his rounded grey face. Blazehawk let out a rumbling purr. He and Rapidwind were raised together, Rapidwind's mother taking Blazehawk in after his mother's death not a moon after his birth. The two had always been close, which some found amusing: just from physical appearance they seemed so much different from each other. Rapidwind was small and densely compact, his fur a pale grey swirled with dark stripes, while Blazehawk was large, broad-shouldered and a deep, bright russet marked with brown-black tiger-stripes.
He snorted at his old friend's teasing, rising to his paws and padding over to brush cheeks with Rapidwind. "Of course not," Blazehawk purred, flicking his tail, "I always have time for my brother." He knew, of course, that they weren't blood-related, but that meant very little to him. To the LightningClan deputy, he and his grey-furred friend might as well have the same blood running through their veins. They were brothers not in blood, but in bond, and no other cat could say they were as close to another. Letting out a friendly purr, he settled into the grass across from Rapidwind, ears perked.
"How are things going with you, my friend?" he asked, tipping his head to one side curiously. He ran his tongue over one of his broad red paws and swiped it over his ear. "How's Dovesong and the kits?" He knew, of course, about Rapidwind's deep love for the beautiful queen and how deeply he longed for her kits to be his own. He'd seen the extent of his brother's pining since they were apprentices, and it upset him deeply that things hadn't gone very well for Rapidwind when it came to romance. He couldn't imagine how painful it'd been for him, and he'd done his best to be there, though he figured it wouldn't be nearly enough to make him feel better about the situation.
and you thought the world would end
if you just looked the other way
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Post by Fawn on Sept 29, 2012 14:40:32 GMT -5
[style=font-family:make juice; font-size:54px;]Rapidwind The silver warrior let out a small snort. "Her'n the kits? Cute. They're always cute." Mrrowed the tom with some amusement, his silver tail swaying like a blade of grass in the wind. "I hear YOU'VE been gettin' a little cozy with RainClan lately," meowed Rapidwind, a raspy purr rising out of his throat like the engine of an old car, his yellow eyes narrowed, boxy muzzle set in a smirk.
"The kits said you had company! a little red kitten and a she-cat with cream-colored fur. I'd love to know what that's all about."
It was true, Blazehawk was the only one who knew the depth of his affections for Dovesong, and how badly he suffered when it came to the she-cat, but it was nice, for once, to be the one drilling Blazehawk about a she-cat instead of vice-versa. He was out here to catch a few mid-afternoon sun-rays, and he couldn't think of anything that could make some leisure time better other than to spend it with his brother. Rolling onto his back in the meadow, Rapidwind let out an undignified groan, muscles weary from the rough bout of training he'd put them through last night, and he'd still gone hunting for Dovesong and the kits.
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Post by eli on Oct 4, 2012 6:30:47 GMT -5
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Surprise flickered across Blazehawk's emerald irises. To be honest, he'd never expected rival cats in the nursery to be a secret or anything, but from the way Rapidwind phrased the question...did he honestly think there was something going on between Blazehawk and the two RainClan cats? Sure, he was unusually fond of Russetkit, but he and Roselight weren't...weren't anything... Blazehawk felt weirdly awkward thinking about that, if he was honest. He'd grown a fondness for the young RainClan she-cat that unnerved him and confused him. It wasn't so much that it was against the warrior code (he'd always seen them as more of guidelines, able to be warped and modified for the good of the cats involved); he'd simply always figured that romantics weren't for him. Watching Rapidwind pine after Dovesong with a deep longing that Blazehawk had never shared only intensified that feeling that his deputy duties overcame his need for a partner. But now...
"Eh?" His expression was nonchalant as he gazed innocently at his brother. "There's nothing behind it. The kit got himself stranded out by StarClan's Claws, his cousin came looking for him, and a storm brewed up before they could get home. You know RainClan territory - one raindrop and it floods." His tone was almost scathing. Blazehawk wasn't as elitist as many of his Clanmates (though his hatred for StoneClan, being that he didn't find them a real Clan, was strong) but he still knew that LightningClan's territory was the best of any of the Clans. It was perfectly suited for catching prey, protecting the Clan, and safety from things like floods.
"So I invited them back to our camp to weather out the storm," he finished, curling his tail over his paws as he settled back on his haunches. He watched in great amusement as Rapidwind rolled himself over, groaning in an undignified fashion. Letting out a little purr, he reached out one big red paw and poked his brother's fluffy silver belly. "Lazybones," he teased, but after a moment he flopped down too, stretching all of his legs out and feeling his lean muscles tremble in pleasure at the heat and the flexing. "Mm, sun feels nice today. Can't even tell it's nearly leafbare." But the reminder of the looming cold weather sent a shiver of apprehension down his spine. The Clan's needs rested on his shoulders and he instinctively grew wary of any incoming cold. He already planned to make caches of food when the cold began to set in, the frozen ground keeping it fresh and safe should the rabbits stop running. He flexed his claws, pondering how deep they'd have to be for it to work. Blazehawk wanted leisure time with his beloved brother, but sometimes, he couldn't forget his priorities for the life of him.
and you thought the world would end
if you just looked the other way
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Post by Fawn on Oct 4, 2012 15:08:28 GMT -5
[style=font-family:make juice; font-size:54px;]Rapidwind Knowing how deep Blazehawk's loyalties ran, as well as how deep Blazehawk's compassion ran, Rapidwind wasn't too surprised to find that his brother had been very charitable with the RainClan cats, even going so far as to put them in the nursery and feed them. It was a bold move for a deputy, and Rapidwind respected Blazehawk's disregard for the rules when he felt it was right. However, even though Rapidwind had been pining away after Dovesong nearly 80% of the time, he was somewhat conscious to the idea that Blazehawk might be a little love sick himself. Though it was probably considerably different than Rapidwind's usual romantic troubles, it wasn't surprising that his brother was feeling a bit lonely.
Perhaps that had fueled some of his niceness when it came to those RainClan cats - though it probably wouldn't have been that hard to welcome in a drenched she-cat and a kitten in out of the rain. That was the difference between someone with compassion and someone with a heart of ice.
Even still, Rapidwind rolled over and watched as Blazehawk stretched out in the sunlight beside him, claws flexing, his mind no doubt running through all his responsibilities as deputy, and everything he had yet to accomplish for the day.
"Need any help, with whatever it is you're thinking of doing?" mewed Rapidwind, whiskers twitching with humor. This time he wasn't talking about the RainClan she-cat and the kit, he was talking about the burdens Blazehawk was undoubtedly trying to shoulder all by himself - but he didn't have to. Rapidwind was always here for him, come hell or high water.
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