[Deleted]

Timberwing

The Fox of Rainclan

Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

---

Graying paws made their way through the dew sparkling ferns as the cool, morning liquid latched onto the long, russet red coat of the Rainclan deputy annoyingly. Her plume tail was held up so that it didn't get damp like the rest of her heavy, warm coat was. Despite enjoying living in the warmth of Rainclan, water was the one thing that always seemed to bother the dry loving she-cat.

Pausing to open her graying jaws, the old she-cat let the scents of Rainclan flood over her tongue with the smaller scent of Stoneclan. It seems that they had yet to have a patrol wander towards their shared border. The tensions between the two clans had been high in recents moons, with the act of driving Stoneclan from their home and the hostile rivalry between Hawkstar and Razorstar, it was always good to keep an eye on the Stone Stream border.

After a moment, forest green eyes shifted over her shoulder fluff to watch Razorstar pad up behind her, she figured he must have just set a rather strong scent marker as the low, morning breeze blasted it towards her nose. Wriggling her muzzle, she waited for her leader to join up with her. It was rare and uncommon for both a leader and a deputy to be out at the same time, leaving them open for an attack, but Timberwing figured any cat who tried was dumb enough to fail.

Whiskers twitched along her face as she held back a purr, her eyes holding back any emotions that would have Razorstar question her. She knew that her leader didn't know about his mate yet, but being at her age, Timberwing caught on to a lot of stuff quicker from living through it all. She knew about Roselight and was happy for the pair. The old she-cat wanted to take find a delicious piece of prey to the pretty she-cat and offer her congragulations later, but without letting Razorstar catch on.

It wasn't her place to tell, after all.

The fox colored she-cat let her eyes wander from Razorstar to past his broad back and into Stoneclan's territory, "Any particular reason to come along here?" She asked, voice cracking with age. She had her suspicions about Razorstar and his feelings towards the Stoneclan leader, Hawkstar. She just hoped that she could keep him calm enough in this thin time of peace to not jump into anything mouse-brained.

---

Well, I've been afraid of changing
'cause I built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I'm getting older, too

Insidious

[Insidious]

R A Z O R S T A R
- - - - - -

He knew the importance behind maintaining a disposition of RainClan dedication, which meant that he couldn’t walk the StoneClan border day and night until he happened to encounter the face of his greatest enemy. Though, that did little to lessen how much he sought to dig his fangs into his fellow leader’s neck.

Timberwing’s questioning tone received an abrasive look in return, but it softened substantially in the seconds to follow, holding enough respect for RainClan’s second-in-command as to not regard her in such a hostile way. He believed that their shared leadership was one of remarkable balance, which was partially why he had chosen her in the first place. He knew that the two of them often had . . . conflicting beliefs in relation to how situations were meant to be dealt with. Where Razorstar had a tendency to choose violence over peace, Timberwing was just the opposite. She had the kind of decency, the kind of common sense, that Razorstar needed in order to keep himself from making rash decisions, and he had the kind of cold-heartedness, the kind of prevention of being persuaded in times of difficulty, that Timberwing needed in order to make sure RainClan’s wellbeing wasn’t being risked in the name of kindness.

“One can never be too wary of the borders, especially given our recent conflict with NightClan.” He gestured in the direction of the spoken Clan, a look of intolerance passing over his face. “I’d hate for the same thing to happen with StoneClan.” This time, his intolerance was a lot more questionable, because there was an arguable tinge of longing in his eyes as he skimmed Hawkstar’s territory. He would treasure the opportunity to once again come face-to-face with Hawkstar in battle, so that he may chance another of his lives. He would take great pleasure in each one that he took, because it was another life, and then another after that, taken in vengeance of a wonderful warrior, gone from their ranks far too soon and untimely.

He turned to the fox-like cat at his flank, a looming shadow in the presence of a commendable warrior that had lived a long, purposeful life. He had his suspicions about her suspicions. There was no denying the fierce glint in his eye whenever there was mention of Hawkstar - he had a thirst for the tom’s nine lives that would never part from him until one of them was dead - and there was, sadly, nothing that Timberwing would be able to do to put a stop to that particular desire. RainClan was his priority. He would never so ignorantly attack StoneClan’s leader without a raging battle at his tail, even though he would certainly like to. Harm would not come to the Clan if it was otherwise avoidable, but in those savoury times of crisis, he would take advantage of the given opportunities to drive his teeth into the countless bodies of his enemies.

- - - - - -

Tags: @ghostlight
Word Count: 488.

[Deleted]

Timberwing

The Fox of Rainclan

Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

---

She was aware of the fact that she was much softer at heart when it came to leading the clan as deputy with the tom next to her as leader, however she was also aware of the affects of war on any clan and the cats that resided in said clans. To her, fighting over silly things or revengeful things was a good way just to end in unnessecary bloodshed and potiental death.

She knew that light in Razorstar's eyes, as easily as she knew each long, russet strand of fur on her body. Though she had never held a revengeful thought in her head, she knew others who had, others who had let the idea of revenge control their life and drive them crazy with the desire to finally kill the one cat who was always on their mind. And it usually ended with the loss of their own lives.

She trusted Razorstar, with his life, her life and the life of their clanmates, but such recklessness and hatefulness could be so bad for him. A young cat who shouldn't be so vengeful. A young cat who had his own brood on the way, though she doubted he had any idea of that. With her being at her age, it was just something she noticed from the leader's beautiful mate.

She couldn't let Razorstar so foolishly try to take Hawkstar's several remaining lives, or even Ravenstar's when she knew what his future held. There was a gentle flicker of Timberwing's feathered tail, the white tip brushing against Razorstar's shoulder as she watched him. Green meeting his darker orbs as worry brimmed around the rims of her eyes.

"Worrying about the borders is normal." She said, moving her tail from Razorstar as she padded forwards, letting the wind from Stoneclan's barren territory brush through her long, thick fur as she let out a sigh. "But do not let revenge control your heart... it is a dangerous thing to play with..." Her words were ominous yest, but if you lived as long as she had, everything started to become ominous.

She, was in no way, threatening her leader, even if it might have sounded so to another cat, but merely words of wise, words of warning from older to younger. "I've seen it destroy the best of cats..." She continued after a moment, letting old memories fight through the cobwebs of her mind to play in her head. "And fulfill the desires for the worst of cats..."

---

Well, I've been afraid of changing
'cause I built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I'm getting older, too

Insidious

[Insidious]

R A Z O R S T A R
- - - - - -

The feel of the deputy’s tail against his shoulder was unanticipated, and though he knew it was meant to soothe the rage she knew him to be hiding, to perhaps comfort him despite his distaste for two of the other Clans, those negative thoughts did not leave him. He was surely more vengeful than he needed to be, especially now that an entire Clan counted on him to keep them safe and protected, away from danger when danger was uncalled for, but it was a piece of him that no amount of tails-to-the-shoulder was going to be able to get rid of. Cats that he cared about had died when they did not need to, and no part of him was benevolent enough to forgive that. RainClan and NightClan were very well on the brink of war, and although he wanted better than that for his Clan, he could not help but wonder how many would be behind him, also feeling some of that vengefulness, when the opportunity to avenge Sandstar was upon them. He was the leader that everyone still wanted to be able to wake up to, no? Razorstar could try to fulfill his role, and certainly he was managing, but his bloodline was more than enough to discourage a handful of RainClan cats from following him without fixating distasteful glares upon his back the second he turned away.

He would eventually make them see that his bloodline did not define how capable he was of serving RainClan, but until then, he would have to find ways to cope with being a leader that so few currently looked to with satisfaction.

It did not help that he had elected Timberwing as his deputy, he knew that, but whenever he looked to her, listened to her words and her outstanding advice, no part of him felt regret towards making that decision. “Revenge does not control me, Timberwing.” If she genuinely thought that of him, or thought him capable of being on the way to that, then he wanted to quell those worries before they could formulate into something serious. “I know that revenge, that the war that often follows in hasty pursuit, is not what RainClan needs which therefore does not make it what I strive to give to RainClan. I am not controlled by the revenge that I long for. It is but a thought in my head that persists to remain, but does not make me any less focused upon what is best for the Clan.”

He turned his head so that he might meet his deputy’s eyes, search them, and see if he could find something within their depths that would assure him that she believed him. Revenge had been known to sometimes overpower his mind, what his paws itched to do, but he did his best to maintain a level-headed disposition because RainClan did not need a reckless leader, and that would not help them warm up to him any faster. “Does it bother you, Timberwing?” He paused, giving her a moment to puzzle over what he could be trying to discuss with her before actually saying it outright. “That so many of our Clan does not like us as they did Sandstar, because of where we come from?” It did not bother Razorstar, not directly, but he certainly despised the way it interfered with him gaining RainClan’s admiration and trust. He had been a part of RainClan since he was a kitten, and still some accused him of harbouring ill-intentions, looking upon him with disgust flaring in their eyes because he had not been born inside of their nursery. It mattered so little. He was loyal to RainClan; how many times would that need to be proved before it would be believed?

- - - - - -

Tags: @ghostlight
Word Count: 628.

[Deleted]

Timberwing

The Fox of Rainclan

Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

---

While she felt like her words had come off the wrong way to Razorstar, she let him finish talking and explaining himself before she gave a slight nod of her head. She would never see him as the type of cat to, willingly, let revenge cloud his judgement and take over his life, she was merely stating how she had seen it happen.

She would hate to see him follow that dark path in which it was impossible to turn out of, yet he seemed to know what he wanted, and wasn't about to let revenge get in the way of him taking care of his clan or his family. She had watched this younger tom grow up, and the old fox was well aware of how he felt towards the clan who had raised him.

His whole heart and soul were poured into making sure Rainclan was safe and well taken care of. To her, that mattered most, since her first clan was not one that any-cat would ever dream of. Rainclan had become her home and her loyalty to it remained strong and unwavering because of how well the clan took care of each other.

His next question slightly took her off guard. She wasn't expecting such a thing to come fro Razorstar, but Timberwing was aware that several cats of Rainclan still looked at the two like they were outsiders and didn't belong in Rainclan, let alone lead it together.

A loner and a former Nightclanner.

All the other clans must laugh at such a thing. Yet they never fully understood that no clan was 'pure'. No clan ever would be, nor ever was pure, like they like to imagine. To Timberwing, should every clan be purebred and only those of pure blood live in it, then cats would start to mate with kin and inbreding would become a problem far worse than letting loners, or rogues or other clan's blood in.

"Those who look at us differently because we are not pure Rainclan by blood, are fools. They should have learned to respect Sandstar when he made you his deputy, and they should respect you as I do and as Starclan does." Her old voice cracked as she sat down, taking some pressure off of her old joints. Her green eyes looked up to the sky before she continued.

"Not even since the dawn of the clans has one clan ever been pure of blood. Kittypets, mix blood, loners and rogues have always been apart of our history and our ancestry." She said, turning her attention back to her leader. "It's time cats learn that nothing will ever change. We all come from the same place, a mother and a father, and we all bleed red."

Those forest green eyes of the old fox colored she-cat bore into Razorstar's gray-green orbs. "So no, how our clanmates look at us does not bother me. I know I am loyal to Rainclan and to you. You know that, and so did Sandstar and Starclan as they made you leader and approved of your choice to make me your deputy. That is all that should ever matter. Loyalty, not blood."

---

Well, I've been afraid of changing 'cause I built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I'm getting older, too

[Insidious]

R A Z O R S T A R
- - - - - -

He was relieved that Timberwing, to an extent, shared his opinion - that those who cared were fools - but she had went onward ever so slightly to broaden his perspective upon the sensitive subject. It was true that, at this point in time, the leader and deputy of RainClan did not have RainClan’s blood in their veins, but was that not true of a handful of warriors in each of the other Clans? Razorstar did not speak for the loners, just as Timberwing did not speak for NightClan. He was one hundred percent assured that his fox-like deputy was as loyal as he was; he knew that she could be entrusted with the leadership of this Clan one day, despite her old age. It would take a while for RainClan to adjust to this change, to accept their hierarchy for what it was, and perhaps they never would, but it did not matter as much as Razorstar allowed for it to, because either they would accept and adapt, or they would hold a grudge against something that could not be altered until he was on his last life.

“Your opinion holds a lot of merit for me, Timberwing.” He wanted his deputy to be assured of how much he appreciated what she had to say, and how likely he was to always take it into account, even when he was driven to disagree. This time, it was him who quickly brushed the tip of his black tail across the elderly she-cat’s shoulder, smiling despite the lack of such an expression upon his face. “You’re absolutely right: no Clan is pure, not fully. Perhaps those who are opposed to us will eventually come to begrudgingly accept that our loyalty is true, regardless of our background.”

He returned his sights to the StoneClan border, releasing a hefty sigh, accepting that today would bring with it no quarrels. He wanted revenge against Hawkstar more than plenty of things, but he was patient for it, and he would not recklessly latch onto the first given opportunity and risk a full-scale war. RainClan did not need to suffer, in turn, for his personal battles. “Let us return to camp.” He looked briefly to Timberwing for confirmation, still for a moment longer should she have reason for them to stay, before retracing their path back towards the camp.

- - - - - -

Tags: @ghostlight
Word Count: 391.
Notes: End thread?