[Deleted]

Papa died smiling, wide as a ring of a bell...

It was not overly late, but the sun had already sunk beneath the mountains, the sky a dark blue-black. Stars had barely begun to show themselves, and the moon had not risen yet. Melodypond carefully picked her way along the edges of the springs, moving slowly and deliberately. The night draped over her gray pelt, engulfing her in its velvety darkness. Here, in the darkness, winding between the small pools, she resembled her mother, her light-footed steps elegant, almost dainty. But it was easy to see that she was not the same cat, her white spots loud in the quiet of night.

In the absence of the sun, the temperature had become frigid, sending the she-cat's breath twirling up into the glorious night sky, clouding as it left her body. StoneClan had become so hectic, in the days since Falconleap's betrayal had been discovered. When things had slowed down, Melodypond had taken the opportunity to slip out of camp, coming here, to the Sky Springs. The stillness of this hour made her feel infinitely better, and, with a sigh, she stopped beside one of the larger pools, turning to stare into it. It was covered by a thin sheet of ice, a cold, distorted window to what lay beneath it.

Melodypond didn't know how to feel about Falconleap's betrayal. Indignant? Angry? Afraid? Sad? Well, betrayed? She'd been their deputy... What if she'd become their leader? StarClan wouldn't have let that happen, would they? What if she'd committed this atrocity after she'd become their leader? Confused. She felt confused.

She sat down, facing one of the larger pools of water, and stared at it, hard. For a moment, she felt as if she might be able to melt the ice with the intensity of her gaze, but, alas, it was not so. Frustrated not with the ice but instead with the circumstance she pondered, she sat down, her tail wrapping around her paws, the tip twitching in agitation. Melodypond looked skyward. Falconleap had taken oaths. Did those oaths mean anything at all anymore? Had she made them invalid when she broke them, chasing after a stupid tom from another stupid clan? Her ears pinned back against her head for a moment, and she felt as if she might hiss.

Melodypond felt frustrated, and betrayed, and afraid, and alone. Exhaling sharply, she sat with her shoulders hunched against the cold, eyes boring holes into a rock that lay across the pool from her. In that instant, she wanted to be close to someone. But the dark alone held her, and she remained within it, silent and fuming.

... Gone all star white, small as a wish in a well.

Character; Melodypond!
Word count; 439
Notes; Sorry, this one's pretty bad, but it'll get better tomorrow when I'm not struggling to stay awake in this unholy hour. ;)

[Fawn]

It felt strange to walk through his familiar stomping grounds as a warrior rather than an apprentice; the landscape had not changed, it felt the same and yet distant to him, a part of his past now more than his future. Graniteclaw could still recall the many, tiresome days he had spent at the sky springs, swimming so that he might overcome his fear of water and strengthen the leg that had been injured a few moons prior.

Hailstrike had stayed with him the entire time, for every session, living up to her promise to never let him drown, both figuratively and literally.

Though it was not the recent betrayal of Falconleap that had brought the stone-gray and tan tom to this frequently visited location, Graniteclaw was perceptive enough to, upon espying Melodypond sitting with her back to him and her shoulders hunched, that it was, quite possibly, the reason for her evident distress. Whiskers twitching, the lithe tom strode forward on a leg that was back up and running as though it had never been damaged in the first place, his movements quiet out of habit rather than any desire to creep up on her and scare her.

"It might help to talk about it," mewed the young warrior, his yellow-green eyes drawn to the pretty gray and white she-cat, Graniteclaw taking a chance to sit down next to her, his posture remarkably relaxed by comparison. The end of his tail curled at the tip like a Shepherd's Crook, and he flicked an ear in her direction as though intending to catch a hold of her words - if she had spoken any - as his eyes drew level with the frozen pools of water.

The Sky Springs were unpleasant in the winter, Graniteclaw had learned. The ice that filmed over it made it difficult to see the stars reflected on the water's surface, and for that, he did not like coming here this tome of the year... But he'd been feeling rather nostalgic, as of late.

[/size]

Word Count: No Clue~
Notes: xD nope~

[Deleted]

And Sodom, South Georgia woke like a tree full of bees...

Melodypond's thoughts were storming through her when she sensed another's presence. Flicking her ears back, she opened her maw slightly, scenting. Graniteclaw? The tom was only a moon younger than her, but she didn't know him all that well. She didn't bother to move, assuming that he'd just wander by. But, instead, he came up beside her. She glanced at him, openly surprised. Surprised, but grateful. "Thanks..." she murmured quietly, returning her golden brown gaze to the ice that lay at her paws.

The gray-and-white she-cat didn't know what to say, and silence fell between them for a moment, as stars appeared slowly overhead. Finally, she shattered the silence with an exasperated hiss, vocalizing her thoughts for the first time, "How could she?"

There was a labored silence for a moment before she continued, "Honestly, how could she? She was the deputy!" Her tail twitching agitatedly, she looked furiously up at the stars. "She took oaths!" Glancing over at the tom beside her, her eyes reflecting the tempest within, she spat, "How could StarClan let this happen?"

Despite the hurt and anger that thundered within her, Melodypond felt something curious at Graniteclaw's arrival, at his presence. What was that feeling? It took her more than a few heartbeats to pin it, and when she did, it only made her more confused. Relieved. She felt relieved.

... buried in Christmas, bows and a blanket of weeds.

Character; Melodypond
Word count; 264
Notes; n/a

[Fawn]

Graniteclaw listened patiently to the angry, indignant words that came rushing out of the pretty she-cat like water over the edge of the falls. "I'm no expert on this, but cats change. I guess when you fall in love, you're willing to do anything for that other cat - even breaking the oaths you swore to." The gray and tan warrior drew in air softly to release it in a heavy sigh through his nose. Though Graniteclaw had been just as shocked at her behavior as the rest of the Clan, his own personal betrayal he'd suffered thanks to his former Half-Clan mentor had left him a little better equipped (emotionally) to deal with that sort of thing.

Melodypond, however, was not. Stealing a glance in the she-cat's direction, Graniteclaw had been quietly contemplating both sides to this betrayal story; want was always at the base of every betrayal, and the wants of all cats involved didn't always line up... Had Falconleap left because she had wanted a family? Because she had wanted the RainClan tom she had already chosen over her Clan?
Obviously the Clan would have wanted her to be of greater mental fortitude than she'd displayed, by choosing a mate outside of the Clan, as well as bearing that cat's kits.

Graniteclaw had gotten over the actual shock of the betrayal, and since he had not known Falconleap personally (though he'd looked up to her), it was easier for the gray and tan tom to adjust and accept it 'as is'. Having never been in love himself, though, he had no actual grasp of the feelings Falconleap had experienced and would continue to experience with the path she had chosen for herself; his sympathy came from logic, not his own personal experiences to fall back on.

"I'm more upset with Tumblefur, the fact that he calls himself a StoneClan cat is insulting to all of us." mewed Graniteclaw with a dark note of dislike, the tip of his tail rising and falling through the air to show a little of his agitation; had Melodypond heard what Tumblefur had done, or rather, threatened to do to their deputy?

If the words spoken by Pyrelight, the StoneClan queen had been accurate, that is.

---

Word Count: 390
Notes: ^^ None~
Character: Graniteclaw

[Deleted]

Papa died Sunday, and I understood...

Heaving a sigh, Melodypond nodded. "But they shouldn't change that much. Not to the point of being disloyal to their clan." Frustrated, she lifted one of her paws and flexed it, sheathing and unsheathing her claws. "If falling in love makes you that mouse-brained, then I never will!" she declared.

The hills were bathed in moonlight, the shadows seeming to soften in its wake, and for a moment Melodypond felt as if she could see into them, as if they didn't hold so many mysteries after all. It made her feel better, if only just a bit, and she sighed in a way that would almost – almost seem defeated. She wished that this enemy was one she could fight with claws. Defending her clan with her blood and body; it was simpler than these stupid diplomatic affairs, all filled with snakes of the political variety.

Graniteclaw spoke again, and she inhaled sharply. Shaking her head, she mumbled, "I'll show him what it means to be a StoneClan cat," before laughing half-heartedly. The night air was cold, and the stone beneath her paws shared its frigid temperature. Moving over just a bit, so that her pelt brushed Graniteclaw's, she sighed again. Looking up, she sought out Silverpelt.

"One good thing about leafbare," she remarked, "is that the stars are really bright this season." She was grateful for Graniteclaw's presence; he seemed to know how to handle this betrayal, how to process it, and she fed off of that. I guess when you lose prey, you don't sit there and wallow over it; you just go back to hunt again. But talking about it made her feel better, and she relaxed a bit, sitting in the moonlight by the Sky Springs, her pelt brushing against that of her clanmate.

... all dead white boys say, "God is good."
white tongues hang out, "God is good."

Character; Melodypond
Word count; 318
Notes; I SHIP THEM.

[Fawn]

"But they shouldn't change that much. Not to the point of being disloyal to their clan."

Graniteclaw let out a soft snort, amused by the idea that anyone could control how much they wanted to change. If cats could truly control how much they emotionally evolved throughout life, then he wouldn't have been such a wreck after Shadeclaw's betrayal, nor would it have taken him so long to get here, this stable point in his previously unstable life. Feeling the soft brush of fur against his own, Graniteclaw welcomed the sensation, the night sporting a bitter wind that had his own pelt fluffing in defense of the chill, his tail quietly twitching behind him, curling and uncurling at the tip.

"If falling in love makes you that mouse-brained, then I never will!"

The indignation with which she said those words had Graniteclaw laughing out loud, the sound soft but warm, as though he really did find it funny. Much funnier than the idea of controlling how much you changed or rather, didn't change throughout your lifetime. "Oh come on," Graniteclaw teased gently, his yellow-green eyes roving to their corners to give her a playful expression; "Who wouldn't want to be a lovesick fool running around like the whole forest is made of rainbows and endless prey? I dunno about you, but that sounds fun." He was, of course, kidding.

Graniteclaw had no qualms at all about falling in love, but if he really did think about it, there was a certain...uncontrollable aspect to it that scared him a little. It was a little unnerving to think that you could be so in love with someone that things that were previously important to you no longer mattered, so in love that to be without them would be torture, and to be with them is suddenly the greatest form of salvation you could ever have while living. Graniteclaw wasn't sure he liked the idea of one cat having so much power over him, but he supposed, with time, all of that would change. Melodypond's mention of the stars drew a nod of agreement from the tall, lithe warrior, he spoke again, this time sharing a little of why this place held so much sentimentality for him.
"I used to come here all the time to strengthen my leg, and sometimes I would train at night. It's...crazy and wonderful to go swimming here, in the Sky Springs. It looks like you're swimming in the stars, thanks to the reflection."

Realizing he sounded like a hopeless romantic, Graniteclaw's ears momentarily flattened, and he coughed, as though to clear his throat and the atmosphere of the unwanted, ardent after-effects of his words.
Great StarClan, she thinks I've got fluff for brains.

Ugh. It just had to be Melodypond that he shared that with, didn't it? The one she-cat who was probably going to bring it up right when he doesn't need her to and embarrass him just for a giggle...

---

WordCount: 505
Notes: I SHIP THEM TOO. <3

[Deleted]

Papa died while my girl Lady Edith was born...

Melodypond purred softly at Graniteclaw's teasing, twitching her whiskers. He was funny; she'd never noticed that before.

Hearing him talk about the Sky Springs, about his recovery, warmed her inside. They must have been a big part of his life, these pools. "I've never swam before," she commented, "but it sounds like all kinds of fun." Her pelt prickled with excitement at the thought. Like swimming in the stars. It sure did sound like her kind of party.... She extended a paw towards the frozen spring, letting her pad skim the ice. Her eyes were sparkling when she looked up to Graniteclaw.

"You've got to teach me this greenleaf!" she mewed, her voice filled with all the excitement and eagerness of youth, tail waving. She stood, her pelt still pressed against his, and craned her neck down peering at the water, frozen over, rather keen on the prospect of swimming among the stars – well when the water warmed up considerably, anyway.

... both heads fell like, eyes on a crack on the door.

Character; Melodypond
Word count; 172
Notes; Short but sweet. (:

[Fawn]

It was nice spending time with someone his own age. Ever since the incident with Shadeclaw, and the fact that he'd pretty much completely closed himself off to any and all potential friends, Graniteclaw hadn't exactly been mister social. Even after Hailstrike had worked with him and cracked the wall of ice around his heart, he'd been hesitant to trust his Clanmates again, hesitant to allow cats back into his life after it had already suffered one major crack to the infrastructure.

But Melodypond was different. She wasn't hanging out with him due to an obligation as mentor and apprentice, nor was she trying to get something out of him. She was just...here, being pleasant company. Graniteclaw made a small noise of surprise when the pretty she-cat shifted against him, pawing cautiously at the thin layer of ice over the sky springs he had come to love so much. Sweeping his tail from one side of his body to the other, Graniteclaw found himself purring, glad she had asked him to teach her how to swim. It would be nice to be able to contribute to his Clan, to share something with others - he had originally been excited, hoping to pass on all he knew to an apprentice, but teaching Melodypond would be just as fun.

She hadn't thought him a great big ball of sap, after all.

Standing up, the gray warrior cleared his throat, yellow-green eyes flickering from the iced-over pools to the she-cat's inquisitive face, speaking before he lost his nerve.
"Would you want to go on patrol with me tomorrow? I mean -" He cleared his throat again, the awkwardness almost getting the better of him. Great StarClan, why is it so hard to talk to cats sometimes? A little socially inept, this was quite a step for Graniteclaw. "- It probably won't be that exciting, but it might be better to have you come along than not have you there..."

Struggling to get his message across, a frown momentarily settled on Graniteclaw's features, the new warrior briefly running over the statement he'd just made in his mind, trying to find a better way he could've phrased that...

---

Word Count: 380
Notes: :333

[Deleted]

And Sodom, South Georgia slept on an acre of bones...

Here, beneath the stars, before the frozen pools, beside her clanmate, Melodypond had forgotten Falconleap. She had forgotten the feeling of helplessness, had forgotten the betrayal. Instead, she felt... happy. Excited. Alive. Her tail waving about, reflecting the blithe feeling she held inside, she turned to Graniteclaw. A bit confused at why he looked as if he was about to be sick, she gave him an inquisitive look before he spoke. His speech was halting, and clearly nervous, but Melodypond really couldn't imagine why.

She laughed good-naturedly, nodding eagerly. "I'd love to," she told him, her light brown eyes sparkling. Glancing up at the sky, it occurred to her that it was probably quite late. Gesturing with a nod, she asked, "Do you want to walk back to camp together?"

The moonlight had reached them, and set her pelt ablaze in silvery fire, blanketing her in a lustrous glow of moonlight. With an amused twitch of her whiskers, she detachedly noted that it made Graniteclaw look a bit impressive, bathed in the same starlit flame that engulfed the mountains, as if the moon itself was cascading down over his shoulders, seeping into shadows at his paws.

The world was still, just now, save for the existence of these two young warriors. Their concurrent breathing. The movements of their eyes. The flutters of their ears and whiskers. The flicks and twitches of their tails. Just now, it was all that held the world together; it was all that propelled the earth to spin through space. For the world, in that instant, was theirs.

... slept through Christmas,
slept like a bucket of snow.

Character; Melodypond
Word count; 268
Notes; Ho hum!