[Deleted]

Lilystream

---

Lilystream couldn’t think of a time when she’d been happier to see Green-leaf. The season of warmth and life was always a much welcomed friend, but with the darkness of the previous seasons, it had brought a much needed boost of life to the clans. RainClan’s nursery was swelling with new arrivals and with even more kits on the way, it was difficult not to be happy. Whilst the cold seasons had been a difficult time for Lilystream with the loss of her sister and parents, she had learnt to cope with the grief and with the help of the willow tree, or The Tree of Life as she sometimes liked to call it, she had been able to move onwards.

This morning was no exception to the spell of bright and sunny weather that RainClan had been experiencing. Dawn had only just crested the horizon and what had been a light trickle of birdsong when Lilystream had awoken had now swelled to the crescendo of the dawn chorus. The sky was alive with colour, painted with various streaks of gold and amber. It was gorgeous, Lilystream couldn’t help but gawp at it, unable to tear her eyes away from such a sight.

The real reason for her early awakening was not to admire the sky, however, she had another plan in mind and it involved a certain russet-pelted tom. Whiskers twitching, the calico she-cat at last let her eyes dip away from the sky above and she leapt from the rock which she had stood upon, landing nimbly and easily.
Without much thought, she found her eyes seeking out Russethawk’s familiar pelt amongst the many that passed back and forth in the centre of camp.
It seemed unlikely that the red-russet tom would still be in his nest on such a fine morning, she didn’t recall spotting him in the Warriors’ Den when she’d awoken.

The calico she-cat sat up tall, relishing the light touch of the breeze upon her silky pelt. Her gaze at last caught upon a pelt of russet and a pair of bright green eyes, a smile immediately warming her features. Giving a brisk shake of her pelt, Lilystream set off towards her good friend, her movement mid-way between a prance and a run. When she came to a halt beside him, she simply beamed at him for a moment before meowing brightly, “Morning, Russ,” she gave a light purr, flourishing her feathered tail in extravagant motions, “A beautiful morning, hey?” she grinned, flashing white fangs and giving a twitch of her whiskers, as if trying to shake off imaginary raindrops, “Would you be up for some early morning fishing?”

He grinned at her best friend, soft green eyes bright with hope. She hardly thought the russet-furred warrior would turn down fishing on such a beautiful morning. The fresh-kill pile was certainly not in need of restocking; the previous few days had been very successful days of fishing, but it would be nice to simply spend some time with her dearest friend, just the two of the time.

---

Swansong

The morning hadn't brought such joy for a particular silver tabby she-cat. That wasn't to say she didn't appreciate the beauty of such a day, it was more that this morning had been just the same as the previous one, there was nothing new or particularly special about it. Even so, when the silky-furred warrior had emerged from the Warriors' Den, she had spent a few fleeting moments letting her eyes explore the sky. But after the initial interest, she cast it aside, busying herself with her own duties.

Her pelt had grown ruffled and messy over the course of the night and certainly didn't meet the standards which Swansong had set for herself. So the pretty silver-furred she-cat quickly set about changing that before anyone could see her in this state, working her way through the mass of silver tabby fur with careful strokes of the tongue. The matter of grooming always took a bit of time and today was no exception, but time didn't matter to Swansong; she had to look her absolute best, regardless of how long it took.

A yawn parting her jaws, the warrioress let her gaze sweep the clearing in search of StarClan knew what, just something, something to do. She saw no real need for hunting considering that the fresh-kill pile was far from dwindling and she couldn't bear the thought of patrol. Perhaps she could have bit of fun?
It was a streak of white and tortoiseshell fur that caught Swansong's gaze. It took no less than a few moments to identify it as Lilystream, an older warrior.

Swansong rolled her eyes at the prance-run that the calico she-cat had taken up, her eyes following the warrior with brief disinterest. It was only when she spotted the cat she'd been making for that she let a grin appear upon her features, giving a distinguished flick of her tail. Ah, she's off to see Russethawk is she?
Now she was interested.

Russethawk was good looking, Swansong would admit that much. If Lilystream hadn't snatched him up so quickly then she would perhaps have tried to weave her way into the russet-furred tom's life. They're not mates though, are they? She didn't think so, at least not yet anyway.

She paused midway between grooming her forepaw, an idea forming in her head. The silver-furred she-cat didn't wait for long, no sooner had it entered her head she was off, striding confidently towards where the two cats were stood. This will be fun. Much better than a border patrol.

Swansong eased to a stand still before the two cats, "Hey, Lilystream," her eyes briefly flickered over the calico she-cat, who shuffled a little underneath her gaze, "Russethawk," she smirked at the russet-furred tom. From the corner of her eye she could see Lilystream, who seemed a little confused at Swansong's sudden arrival.
Glad to see she was getting the intended reaction from the calico she-cat, she turned her attention to Russethawk, her bright amber eyes remaining intently focused upon the red-furred tom before directly addressing the warrior, "So, have you and Lilystream got any plans for this morning?" she asked, whiskers twitching, "I don't suppose there'd be room for me to tag along, would there? I've not got any duties to attend to."

The silver tabby she-cat grinned, a spark in her amber gaze. Now, she just needed to wait for her request to be accepted, as she knew Russethawk would, he was a friendly cat, then she could begin to work her magic.

---

Tag: Fawn
Word Count: 1116
Notes: And it begins c:

[Fawn]

Russethawk
Tom || 30 Moons || RainClan || Warrior
All tangled up.

Having just come from the nursery, his thoughts full of the soft squeals and rambunctious tumbles of the kits tucked safely inside reed-woven walls, the presence of Lilystream could only heighten his already elevated mood. His spirits were as high as silverpelt, so it was with an immediate grin that he accepted the pretty calico's invitation. "You know I am! Lots of hungry mouths to feed," he flicked the ruddy tip of his tail in the direction of the nursery, though she surely could've guessed that which he was referring. Three new litters, two sets of three and one set of two that all needed nourishment, Russethawk wasn't about to spend the whole day doing nothing; without an apprentice to train anymore, Rushwhisker having gone on to become a warrior in his own right, fishing sounded like the perfect way to spend a perfect day.

She looks like she's in a great mood lately. There was no way he would've missed this, and his eyes radiated an expression of relieved warmth at seeing his best friend finally back to her old self; he'd been rather busy lately, so they hadn't had as much social time together as he would've liked (he seemed to never grow tired of her company), but all that could be fixed right here and now. He'd missed seeing her make such pleasant expressions, as if her world, torn apart by tragedy three times over, had finally started knitting itself back together. Before the ruddy tom could lead the way out of camp, another feline slunk forward to catch his attention, practically inviting herself on their fishing trip; had she overheard them?

Evergreen eyes settled on the pretty amber of one of RainClan's most beautiful cats, though his heart very much belonged to his lifelong friend Lilystream, there was no pretending that Swansong wasn't stunning in her own way. Being the kindly tom he was - and perhaps missing any of the signs that this was to be a private hunting trip (Lilystream certainly hadn't said as much, though he wouldn't have said no if she wanted only him to hunt with) - Russethawk agreed immediately. "Of course you can come with us, let's get going!" In Russethawk's mind, adding another member to the party could only be a good thing, oblivious to any tension he might have created between the she-cats by, uh, being the... objection of their attention.

Unaware of what he was in for, the ruddy tom's muscles rippled under a glossy pelt of red and black-tipped bands of fur as he stretched once, then started for the camp exit. Everyone who knew him and thought fondly of him gave a little nod or a 'hey Russethawk!' as he passed, solidifying the tom's evident popularity - though it was only a handful of opinions he actually truly cared about. One of them was Lilystream, a cat he had known since his nursery days; she really did mean the whole world to him, even if, sometimes, he was bad at showing it - or completely messed up his opportunity to do so. Glancing over his shoulder to make sure they were keeping up, he flashed another gallant smile that showed his teeth and forged on ahead, silently announcing through his quickened pace that it was to be a race to the riverbank - if they thought they could keep up, that is!

[Deleted]

Lilystream & Swansong

---

It wasn't that Lilystream disliked the silver tabby she-cat who had suddenly signed herself up for their hunting trip, but nonetheless, the calico she-cat was somewhat put-off by Swansong's presence. Still, Lilystream made an effort and flashed the silky-furred she-cat a smile anyway. Swansong simply ignored it, which only made the calico she-cat a little more disgruntled. Any other day, Lilystream would happily have patrolled with her fellow warrior, but she had been rather busy these past moons and had been hoping to spend some time with the russet-furred tom. It seemed that would have to wait for another day, Lilystream could hardly turn Swansong down.

"Of course you can come with us, let's get going!"
A real smile formed upon the warrioress' features and she gave a quiet purr. So what if Swansong comes along? I still get to be with Russethawk, she told herself, giving a brisk shake of her head as if to shake the negative thoughts off before falling in beside Russethawk, followed shortly by Swansong.

The silver tabby she-cat grinned, holding back behind the two other warriors for a little while. Russethawk, being the genuine cat he was, had readily accepted her request to join their hunting trip, just as she had predicted. Letting her amber eye drift up to the sky briefly, she gave an inward purr; as long as it didn't rain, this should be much more interesting than a morning of patrolling.

When they exited RainClan's camp, the pretty silver tabby she-cat took it upon herself to make more of a move. Lilystream had settled comfortably in beside the russet-furred tom, meeting his pace pawstep for pawstep. Clearing her throat, the silky-furred she-cat sauntered up so that she flanked Russethawk's other side. She didn't wait until the ruddy-furred tom spoke to him, she was quick to spark up conversation with him, "So, what's going on in the world of Russethawk?" she inquired, moving close to him so their pelts touched, "Anything much?"

Lilystream wasn't a jealous cat, or at least she didn't consider herself to be, but having Swansong along ruffled her pelt a little. The silver tabby she-cat was a renowned flirt and constantly seeking male attention. It wasn't so much the words she said, it was the tone in which she spoke them and the manner in which she acted, quickly moving close towards Russethawk.

Lilystream tried not to be bothered by it, it was just harmless talk. Attempting to brush it off, the tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat turned her eyes to their surroundings, she hadn't been addressed by Swansong so it would be rude to suddenly join in the conversation. Instead she let her eyes swallow up the world around them. Golden skies, a warm breeze, a forest full of prey, what more could you want?
Without much thought, her pale green eyes drifted back to the ruddy-furred tom at her side.

Swansong was sporting a white fanged grin, flourishing her tail enthusiastically and frequently making affectionate gestures. Lilystream swallowed, forcing down these queer feelings. Waiting for a gap in the conversation, the calico she-cat at last mewed inquiringly, "Should we just head to the main river?" her eyes briefly flickered over their silver tabby accomplice before returning to the handsome russet-coloured warrior, "I was out fishing there yesterday evening and I found quite a shoal of fish sheltering in the reeds."

Lilystream was only really seeking Russethawk's opinion, but she could see Swansong shift slightly at the suggestion, as if ready to challenge it. The silver tabby she-cat held Lilystream's gaze for an extended moment before finally clamping her jaws shut, much to the calico she-cat's relief.

---

Tag: Fawn
Word Count:
Notes: 614

[Fawn]

Russethawk
Tom || 30 Moons || RainClan || Warrior
All tangled up.

His pace slowing to accommodate the she-cats on either of his sides - not that they couldn't keep up with them, he just thought it politer to take a more measured pace, so they could enjoy the fact that they were beyond the hustling bustle of the island RainClan called home. "Well I'm an uncle now! Kind of. Razorstar and Roselight had their litter, and I've given myself the job of looking after them." There was obvious pride in the russet warrior's tone, his tail raised like a red banner, declaring his confidence and his joy in equal amounts; he loved those little furballs, even the very troublesome Pikekit, who saw rules not even as guidelines, but as circumstantial, meaning they applied to everyone else BUT him. Whatever he thought about the soft brush of Swansong's pelt against his, it didn't seem to have anything to do with her devious nature; Russethawk knew she was a notorious flirt who enjoyed the attention of toms both in RainClan and outside of it, but somehow, he had difficulty thinking she could possibly turn that mischievous gaze upon him for the same reasons.

It wasn't even an age issue, it was more... He just didn't think about it. He was blissfully ignorant of the fact that he had become a target of hers, and responded instead in a way that only he could do - with a smile and a warm gleam in one very green eye. Lilystream drew his attention back onto her, however, and found himself nodding. "Good suggestion, Lily. Either we head there or we try our chances with the Willow Stream." Yes, it was a popular spot for lovers, providing secrecy as well as romantic ambiance, but in the masculine brain of one romantically-unintuitive warrior, it was a prime spot for fishing owing to the shadows the trees cast over the water.

It would make it that much harder for the fish to see them looming from the banks; not one to exclude anyone from social interaction, Russethawk brought the conversation back around, mewing to both as he again took the lead and changed the direction of their course, awaiting their input on whether they should go to the river or the Willow Stream. "What've you guys been up to? Get into any trouble while I wasn't looking?" Though Russethawk was much more responsible now that he'd passed the 25 moon mark, he still enjoyed a great story about someone else causing mischief, and sometimes had to suppress the urge to sneak over the border just for the sake of doing something different. What with the tensions between RainClan and NightClan, it would be wise not to... give in to those impulses.

[Deleted]

Lilystream & Swansong

---

"Well I'm an uncle now! Kind of. Razorstar and Roselight had their litter, and I've given myself the job of looking after them."
A small smile blossomed upon Lilystream's features at the mention of the new arrivals, but before she could open her jaws to reply to the ruddy-furred tom, the silver tabby she-cat answered, "Pikekit and Quietkit right? They're adorable."
The calico she-cat's jaw almost dropped off. Adorable? I heard her complaining yesterday about how irritating they were! What is she doing?

The russet-coloured tom seemed totally oblivious to Swansong's intentions and the silver tabby she-cat gave a grin. She couldn't see why Russethawk - or any cat for that matter - would offer up their time to care for kits. Although sweet and innocent looking, Swansong didn't fancy spending her time keeping them out of trouble. They were a right pawful.

"Good suggestion, Lily. Either we head there or we try our chances with the Willow Stream."
The tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat gave a soft purr, "I don't mind either way, whatever you think's best," her gaze washed over the ruddy coloured tom beside her, green eyes warm.
Seeing the way that Lilystream was looking at Russethawk, the silver tabby she-cat gave a sharp flourish of her tail before moving slightly closer to the handsome warrior.

When the RainClan tom spoke again, Swansong was ready and quick to respond before Lilystream could. "What've you guys been up to? Get into any trouble while I wasn't looking?"
"Oh, you know, just the usual," Swansong meowed coolly, a spark in those wide amber eyes of hers, "Fishing, patrolling, gossiping," she brushed her tail lightly along the russet-coloured tom's side, wearing a warm grin.

Lilystream drew in a deep breath, deciding it was time she spoke, "Well, I accidentally crossed into StoneClan territory a few days ago," she informed him, smiling, "I fell in trying to catch a fish and then I climbed out on the wrong bank, I don't think anyone noticed," amusement lit her pale green gaze and she gave a rumbling purr, whiskers twitching.

Swansong was giving the calico she-cat a rather queer look, but Lilystream tried to brush it off and refused to let the smile be wiped from her face by the silver tabby she-cat, instead turning her attention to Russethawk. It didn't last very long; her eyes were soon drawn to her fellow she-cat upon noticing how close she'd moved to the russet-furred tom. What's she playing at? She's never shown any particular interest in him before, or at least not this much interest.

An idea slowly formed in the calico she-cat's head and suddenly the smile Lilystream wore became a smirk, "Oh, Swansong, I heard you got put on apprentice duties for skipping the dawn patrol yesterday and getting caught sunbathing instead?" she mewed as sweetly as she could, tilting her head, "I can't imagine you doing any such thing, is it true?" she blinked at the silver tabby she-cat, having brushed off her smile. Swansong visibly stiffened, the traces of a scowl forming upon her features.
Ha.

---

Tag: Fawn
Word Count: 518
Notes: 614

[Fawn]

Russethawk
Tom || 30 Moons || RainClan || Warrior
All tangled up.

Climbing out on the wrong side of the stream, skipping dawn patrols... Russethawk chortled, feeling the sun warm his pelt as they broke through the cover of trees. "See? This is why I shouldn't leave you two to your own devices," he wore his usual jovial expressions, this time holding a bit of a tease, addressing Lilystream first, then Swansong. "You got really lucky you weren't caught, and Swan, I wouldn't test Timberwing too much. She might be almost an elder but she doesn't miss a thing." It was perfectly within his nature to speak out in support of the Clan's deputy, the older she-cat someone he had grown to like in the short span of time in which he'd gotten to know her. Of course, it was also in his nature to enjoy a little mischief-making every now and again; he was almost wishing he'd been there with Lilystream when she climbed out onto the wrong side of the border. Of course, now that Razorstar was Clan leader, and had been for two seasons, Russethawk was making every effort not to cast Razorstar in a negative light - his transition into leadership had been difficult enough and fraught with prejudices, he didn't need a couple of warriors who should know better getting into trouble.

Literally as oblivious as a fish underwater with a warrior waiting on the banks, Russethawk took all of Swansong's actions as friendliness, not quite perceiving them as the flirtatious little gestures and teases that they were; if he had, perhaps the ruddy warrior would have been able to pick a side right then and there. Or, more likely, he'd feel his skin turn red beneath his pelt at the sudden, unexpected attention; to be courted in such a way would have taken him by surprise, and then probably filled him with a peculiar surge of pride, as if drawing compliment from them taking an interest in him at all. "Shall we make this a friendly competition?" Russethawk took the lead again, his steps slowing as they walked into the familiar, wooded area that was the willow stream, the gentle babbling of the water as it sloshed along the banks, the shadows falling over the pelts of all three cats as they moved, was peaceful to him.

The tom pivoted, tail sweeping from one side to the other, his back to the stream as he faced the two females. "Whoever catches the least amount of fish we'll have to do a dare." Emerald eyes flashed with a warm, mischievous glow; don't worry, I won't make anyone cross any borders. Couldn't hurt to have a bit of fun and games while staying perfectly within the Clan's Code; already he was scheming of dares he could make Lilystream or Swansong do, anything from coming up with a rhythm about Razorstar and telling it to his face, or having to walk into camp covered in leaves. Either way it was bound to be hilariously embarrassing, which was exactly the whole point of it.

---

Word Count: 500 Words
Tags: @littleflower

[Deleted]

L I L Y S T R E A M & S W A N S O N G

---

No sooner had the ruddy-furred tom offered up the suggestion for a spot of friendly competition did a grin brighten the calico she-cat’s features. Luminous orbs wide with interest, Lilystream nodded, “That sounds like fun,” she purred, her gaze remaining focused upon Russethawk, missing the smirk that their silver tabby accomplice now sported.
“I’d be interested in that,” Swansong agreed, her amber gaze flickering from Lilystream to Russethawk. Dares, huh? she grinned broadly, I could have a lot of fun with this.
The only thing she had to ensure was that she didn’t lose.

The willow trees above casting dappled shadows onto her already marked pelt, Lilystream gave a flourish of her tail, inspecting a spot beside the water before seating herself. She quickly turned her head, motioning for Russethawk to sit beside her, green eyes aglow with an innocent sort of mischief.
Swansong’s eyes lingered upon the tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat, Great StarClan, she’s clearly besotted with him. Normally she was a cat who enjoyed pairing up her clanmates and watching their romance develop, but in this case the silky-furred she-cat had decided that, actually, she herself quite fancied a go at this game called love and of all the toms in RainClan, Russethawk was perhaps one of the most desirable.

Swansong waited until Russethawk had sat beside his dear friend until striding over to the bank and, quite rudely, placing herself between the pair of them. Lilystream was but an obstacle to her, the sooner she was out of the running, the greater chance she had of winning Russethawk’s heart. Although, presently the ruddy-furred tom seemed to be totally oblivious to her efforts, a factor which the silver tabby she-cat hadn’t been prepared for. This is going to be harder than I thought.

Despite her intruding action, Swansong wore a sweet smile, her head inclined towards the russet-coloured tom. She shifted her positioned herself so their pelts touched slightly and she gave a flirtatious grin, “Let the games begin,” she purred, mischief dancing in those bright amber eyes of hers.

Lilystream couldn’t say she was pleased by Swansong’s decision to sit between her and Russethawk, quite the opposite in fact, but not wanting to taint her reputation as a polite, well-meaning cat, she didn’t voice or display her irritation. Instead she shuffled a little so that Swansong had a little more space, and also because she, quite frankly, didn’t want to be sitting so close to said cat.
The calico she-cat opened her jaws momentarily to speak, but soon found no reason, her maws snapping shut once more. Instead of words, it was a slight sigh that spilled from her, soon replaced by silence.

Swansong seemed to have declared the competition to embark, yet the silver tabby she-cat hadn’t yet even glanced at the water’s restless surface, her eyes instead focused upon Russethawk. Lilystream’s eyes settled upon the pair of them for a moment, finding an uneasy and somewhat nauseous bitterness rising in her throat as Swansong continued to flirt, unusually close to him.
Russethawk seemed to be unaware, though Lilystream couldn’t quite decide whether that was good or bad.

Giving a brisk shake of her whiskers, she let her gaze dip back down to the Willow Stream. Fishing, we’re supposed to be fishing, don’t think about her, just focus on fishing.
A gleam of silver at the bottom of the stream betrayed the location of an unfortunate fish. Yet Lilystream wasn’t met by that usual shiver of excitement and anticipation, instead she found herself looking back to Swansong and the tom at her side. Mouse-dung! It was impossible to concentrate with her here.

---

Tag: Fawn
Word Count: 605
Notes: Apologies for the wait!

[Fawn]

Russethawk
Tom || 30 Moons || RainClan || Warrior
All tangled up.

It had taken a while, but Russethawk was finally beginning to notice the patterns of behavior exhibited by Swansong; that gleam in her eyes, that purr in her voice, the softest brush of her fur against his... Is she flirting with me? Even the little voice inside his head sounded taken aback; and for a few long heartbeats, the ruddy tom was at an utter loss as to what to do about this. Was it good? Was it bad? Should he be flattered? Well, honestly, he was flattered; the sudden attention he was getting from the opposite gender wasn't what he'd call negative, he could appreciate a cat who went after something she wanted, but even arriving at that conclusion didn't exactly tell him what to do about it.

A combination of romantic inexperience and a competitive streak slapped a large oblivious wad of cobwebs around the whole situation, and Russethawk latched onto the other reason he suspected was behind Swansong's behavior. She's trying to distract me. She's trying to win the competition by making it hard for me to concentrate. That was it. That was definitely it. Relieved that it wasn't this sudden knotted entanglement of a love triangle (though it most definitely was), Russethawk grinned, showing glinting white teeth, and spoke in a low, conspiratorial tone. "I'm on to you, you know. But you won't win that easily."

With perfect timing, a slender gray shape moved under the shadows of the willow trees, metallic scales glinting when it briefly flitted through the sunlit patches, and Russethawk's reddish-brown arm shot forward, intending to hook and scoop as had become second nature to any self-respecting Clan-cat, but his timing hadn't been perfect—and he had nothing but empty claws to show for it. The young tom's skin burned beneath a coppery pelt, a sheepish sort of grin replacing the confident, conniving "I've figured you out" grin he'd been wearing just seconds before. Fish-dung. So much for those big words. Maybe she had gotten into his head?

For no reason other than to do so, Russethawk looked at Lilystream—she, at least, wasn't trying to sabotage him with cute smiles and knowing looks. He was a little relieved, actually. Though he would admit it to no one but himself (and maybe Razorfang), seeing her smile at him the way Swansong did would completely ruin his concentration. His pride over his warrior status would come in conflict with his inability to focus on...well, anything, when she leaned against him like that... Russethawk blinked, a little embarrassed by his own thoughts. Alright enough of that. Deciding to laugh it off and give this competition a real start, the ruddy tom spoke up, confidence restored.
"Alright, first-missed-fish of the day, now we can actually get this challenge started!"

---

Word Count: 465 Words
Tags: @littleflower
Notes: xD He is so clueless.