[cherryrose]

Laying in a lonely corner of the den a heap of grey fur breathed deeply in and out. Her grey eyes were fixed on some point far in the distance, something that no other cat could see, and probably never would see. In her tummy she could feel flutters now, of the new, secret life that would be brought into the world in around 3 moons time.

Her thoughts were broken as a large shape appeared in the entrance to the den, a sturdy brown and white tom cat with bright glowing green eyes. The grey cat closed her eyes tight in the hope that he had not seen she was awake, she did not want to talk to him right now, she had nothing to say.

’Dawnpelt!’ he mewed loudly. ’I know your not asleep, I could see your shining eyes from outside of the den…’ He added more gently. He knew that his sister hadn’t been her usual self for some time now, and it had been the first time that she had not confided in him and given him a reason. As loyal senior warriors he and his sister needed to make sure that the Clans duties were fulfilled and to help out the deputy and the leader in any hard decisions. But Dawnpelt had not been doing this, she simply stayed in the warriors den or disappeared into the territory, out of sight to anyone that tried to find her.

Her ears pricked abruptly and her heart jolted, he knew her far too well. ’I’m sorry Tangleweed…’ she mumbled pulling herself to a sitting position to face her beloved brother. ’I was just resting. You should too, your always busy these days!’ she mewed trying to make conversation that did not involve her. Why does he always seem to check up on me now… does he know? She thought to herself, the same question she asked whenever anyone asked how she was, her situation was making her paranoid.

’We need to keep busy, the time of leaf-bare is upon us now and there are many mouths to feed in the Clan, I think its going to be harder to cope this year than normal…’ he mewed, his emerald green eyes pleaded with her to see that they needed her help too. ’I don’t have the time to rest… and neither do you!’ He had never been one to give out orders, but he couldn’t shake that feeling that if he didn’t tell her she needed to pull her weight then someone else would. He knew something was wrong with Dawnpelt, she had changed, the first time since they were kits together in the nursery, but Tangleweed couldn’t figure out what it was, but he was determined to find out before someone else did. He always took care of his sister.

’I know! I had noticed it is getting colder and cats are beginning to feel the hunger!’ She snapped back, she wasn’t, she was making sure that she was eating enough to feed her growing kits. But she was worried about how long it would be before the Clan realised that her tummy wasn’t getting smaller from hunger, but larger instead. She was thankful at the moment for her thick pelt, but soon enough even that wouldn’t be able to hide it. ’I’ll go out and hunt now then!!’ She snapped again as she stormed out of the den past her brother not giving him a second glance. By the time she exited the camp and was greeted by the cold leaf-bare breeze she had tears running from her eyes. I wonder if Maverick is anywhere near here… she thought to herself heading straight for the spot they usually met at, but she wasn’t holding high hopes.

Tangleweed was completely shocked at his sister’s tone of voice; she was usually a calm cat and had never spoken to him like that before. As she brushed past him and left he stared after her searching for the mystery that seemed to be engulfing her day by day. Giving up he gave a deep sigh and sat down in the moss his tail wrapped around his paws and his head hanging low, his emerald green eyes held sorrow now as he felt his closeness to his sister slowly ebbing away.

[Fate Admin]

Laying upon a bare branch in the tree that Maverick usually met Dawnpelt at, Aurora's strange blue and orange gaze swept over the snow-covered TreeClan territory. Maverick had told her everything, about his mate and about how he was going to be a father. He seemed relieved to finally be able to tell someone without worry that it would get Dawnpelt in trouble. He knew his sister would never do anything to hurt him and by extension his mate. So Aurora thought she might try to see, if not speak, to the cat her brother had fallen for.

Shifting, she yawned and shivered slightly, her limbs growing cold and the branch she was laying on eager to take what warmth remained to her. Suddenly a cat appeared, and after a moment's hesitation and studying of the cat, she decided, both from the description Maverick had given her and the fact that she seemed to be heading straight for the tree she was in, that it was in fact Dawnpelt.

Standing but not leaping down in case she was wrong, she called down softly, "Are you Dawnpelt...?" Her head tilted slightly and her one orange eye seared down at the other she-cat, while her blue eye only twinkled with curiousity.

[cherryrose]

Out in the freezing cold snow Dawnpelt stopped, panting lightly from her sprint from camp she stood lucking at the ground, her eyes closed tight as she prayed that Maverick would be here to greet her. It seemed like ages ago that she had last seen them, at least a moon.

As she heard an unfamiliar voice her head lifted and she peered up into the tree to see a cat with an unusual blue and amber gaze. One that was most definitely not her beloved Mavericks. ’Wh- Who are you?’ she mewed her heart pounding now. Her grey eyes were shining with the tears that she had shed on her way here, but now they had a knew glaze of fear across them. She was worried for her kits, not her own life, she wasn’t sure what she would say to Maverick if anything happened to them, he had told her to be careful.

She couldn’t imagine that Maverick would have told anyone about their relationship, Dawnpelt didn’t want her Clan to know and the more loners that knew the more risky it would be for them both. Yet she couldn’t understand how this cat knew who she was, a cat that she had never seen before in her life, and even the scent was unfamiliar to her.

In the warriors den Tangleweed concluded that there was no point in him hanging around wondering, he had to do something to find out just what was bothering her so much recently. Setting off out of the den and then out of camp he knew that he could always attempt some more hunting on his journey so that he looked less suspicious. He just hoped that he wouldn’t have to come face to face with his sister in case she shouted at him again. He wasn’t sure that he could cope with it twice in one day as it was so unusual.

[Fate Admin]

Aurora purred with amusement at her question, "That does not quite answer my question... but I suppose it is rude to ask another's name before first introducing yourself, and so I apologize." She lept nimbly down from the tree to stand a few paces away from the she-cat, "I am Aurora Dancing in the Sky... though most call me simply, Aurora." She dipped her head in greeting, "I mean you and your Clan no harm." She blinked, her gaze clear and honest, "My brother is Maverick Wind with No Path... you might know him as Maverick?"

She waited to see what reaction this would incite in the she-cat. Certainly she would become more accepting of her own presence if she was her mate's sister. Then again, maybe not, Aurora did not know too much about the Clans and their customs and ways of dealing with things such as these. Sitting, she began to lick a paw to get the blood flowing through it, as it was becoming rather numb from the cold.

[cherryrose]

She waited to see what reaction this would incite in the she-cat. Certainly she would become more accepting of her own presence if she was her mate's sister. Then again, maybe not, Aurora did not know too much about the Clans and their customs and ways of dealing with things such as these. Sitting, she began to lick a paw to get the blood flowing through it, as it was becoming rather numb from the cold.

As the she cat spoke again Dawnpelt looked up at her unblinking, afraid that if she did do something bad might happen. As the cat jumped down from the tree to stand a few paces away from her she took a few further back. But when she introduced herself as Aurora, Mavericks sister she seemed to relax slightly, but only very slightly. ’I-I am Danwpelt... yes.’ she mewed steadily still not daring to take her gaze from her.

She did not know what to say to her, why was she here? Did she know about her relationship with Maverick, and what did she think to it if she did? Did she object? Was that why she was here? Too many thoughts haunted the grey she cats mind, she just wanted the answers but didn’t feel like she could ask them. Aurora’s presence made her uneasy and she felt like she was here for some determined reason…

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[Fate Admin]

Aurora purred again as the she-cat confirmed her thoughts, "It is nice to meet you, Dawnpelt. I'm sure Maverick wishes he were here to see you.... He misses you but he... ah... he is elsewhere and... attending to other things." Maverick had strictly told the cats of MountainClan that he did not wish to allow the other Clans know they existed, due to warnings from Misty that the Clans wouldn't like it. She wasn't sure if she should reveal the loner Clan's existance to his mate or not.

Twitching her tail, she continued, "I had hoped to meet my brother's mate, I am glad I have." She purred softly, her gaze gentle on the Clan cat as she could sense that she was still uneasy about her presence. She stood then, "If you wish... I will leave. You do not seem comfortable with my being here." It was not Aurora's wish to make any cat feel uncomfortable in their own home. She had felt that way enough before she left the Tribe, "I will tell Maverick you are well. He will be pleased to hear it." She tilted her head once more, "Should you not be resting in your ah... camp? A she-cat should not wander about in the snow with kits on the way."

[cherryrose]

’Where is he? Is he alright?’ She asked as Aurora spoke of Maverick. All she wanted to do right now was curl up beside him and cry away her worries, but she knew that he wasn’t here and it wasn’t possible. By the sounds of it he was much to busy to come to see her now anywhere. His sister seemed to be hiding something from her and it was getting her a little paranoid about things, what was he up to?

’It’s nice to meet you too…’ she mewed, trying to hide her disappointment, but at the mention of her mate she seemed to have become a little more comfortable with her being here. ’Can you tell him I love him… If your going that is…’ she mewed looking into her eyes with her own grey orbs, searching for guidance of a kind that she did not know of herself.

At the mention of going back to camp she remembered how she had left her brother so abruptly and her eyes seemed to cloud again. ’I cant stay in camp all day… The Clan need my help to feed them…’ she mewed regretfully, she knew that once these kits were born she would cause more problems for them, and more mouths to feed.

The brown and white tom cat had managed to collect two very scrawny mice on his trek after his sisters scent. The snow was keeping it fainter than it would usually have been but he was sure that she was around here somewhere and he would be able to find her.

[Fate Admin]

Aurora purred softly in the hopes of reassuring her, "Maverick is just fine, you have no need to worry." She padded forward and touched her nose to Dawnpelt's ear briefly. She felt sorry for the she-cat. Her mate was far away and she hadn't seen him in a long time, and she had kits on the way. Though Aurora could not grasp the whole of Dawnpelt's problems, she did understand what it felt like to be surrounded by cats and yet feel so very alone. It was why she had left the Tribe to search for Maverick. She knew he would accept her; they had always been close.

Stepping back, her eyes shone with sympathy for Dawnpelt, "I will tell him... though I am sure he already knows he has your love." Listening as she said she couldn't stay in camp all day, Aurora became a bit confused, forgetting the fact that she had to hide the knowledge of her kits from her Clan, "In the Tribe, our kit-mothers did not leave the cave often or for long when they were carrying kits. They did not need to perform their duties as cave-guard or prey-hunter during this time. Is it different in your Clan?" It seemed unfair to her, and dangerous to the growing kits, that a mother still needed to perform her usual duties.

[cherryrose]

As the she cat came towards her and touched her nose to her ear she felt suddenly warmed by the comfort that she was giving her, it was as if she had brought a part of Maverick with her. But not enough, he needed to be here in person to soothe her. Just then she realised something, Maverick had told his sister, so why couldn’t she pick up the courage to tell her brother, the one that had taken care of her for so long. Because things were different in the Clan, that was why, could she really trust him with that big a secret?

’Thankyou Aurora…’ she mewed as she promised to pass on her message to Maverick. But when she continued about the kit mothers in the Tribes she lowered her head to the floor again and she got a flutter in her chest. She doesn’t know that my Clan don’t know about this… she thought to herself before lifting her head again. ’The Clan don’t know about my growing kits…’ she mewed gently, ’that’s why I need to carry on as normal. If I move into the nursery everyone will ask questions… and I cant cope with the truth…’ she mewed reluctantly.

Tangleweed was sure that his sisters scent was getting closer now. When two figures grew closer into view he stopped in a nearby bush to see who they were. One he recognised as none other than Dawnpelt, the other he had never seen before at all, and the scent that blew to him on the breeze was unfamiliar to him. What is she doing with that cat! he wondered slightly worried. He was glad that the breeze was blowing his scent away from the two cats so that he could remain undetected until he needed to step in. The only problem was that he could not tell what they were saying from where he was, ideally he would need to know the whole story, but he couldn’t risk shuffling forward at all so he laid down in the snow, ignoring the cold as it seeped into his pelt.

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[Fate Admin]

Her gaze hardened slightly as she said she needed to keep her kits a secret form the Clan and she remembered Maverick saying something about it as well. Her tail lashed once in frustration, "Why can Tribes and Clans and others like them not just accept a cat for all he or she has to offer?" Her tail lashed once more before she dug her claws through the snow and into the partially frozen ground in attempt to calm herself.

Fluffing out her gray and white pelt, she shook her head, "Maverick may not be able to visit you often, Dawnpelt, and I know I am not the same... but I will come to see you again, if you'd like, and deliver any message you might have to my brother. You will always be welcome with us, even if your Clan rejects you. I know the hurt of being rejected by those you thought of as friends and family, and so does Maverick. It not a pleasant thing... but it helps to know that someone out there accepts you as you are. It kept me going all these moons...."

She blinked and dipped her head slightly, "There will always be a place for you with Maverick and myself, and a place for your kits as well, if ever you find yourself lacking anywhere else to go...." She thought for a moment as she gazed at Dawnpelt, her gaze full of empathy for what she was going through.

Then she decided, "Dawnpelt... if ever you must find us...," she turned and looked across the valley to the split peak mountain where the Oasis was located, "You need only travel that way, and between those peaks, you will find me and Maverick... and others as well. And we all welcome you." She turned her gaze back to Dawnpelt then, nodding affirmatively. She had not betrayed Maverick's trust by mentioning MountainClan, but she thought it would be good for Dawnpelt to know where to find him if she ever had need of him.

[cherryrose]

She could tell that the she cat had gotten a little angry at her words, but she was not from the Clans and she did not expect her to understand their traditions. ’It’s just not right to take a mate that is not in your own clan. Kits shouldn’t be half clan kits, and its worse to take a loner or a rogue as a mate…’ she mewed looking ashamed of herself, but she knew she shouldn’t really, she had the perfect mate ever, he was just not allowed and would not be accepted by her Clan.

As Aurora started speaking deep words of wisdom she felt her heart give a stab of pain. ’But…’ she mewed trying to interrupt, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it so she let her continue. When she had finished then she went on, ’But why cant Maverick come! I need to see him, its not the same just passing on messages, I need to hear his voice and have him lay close to me and our unborn kits…’ She was crying now and her voice was shaky and urgent, nobody seemed to understand what she was going through, they were all worried about her it seemed, but no one was saying what she wanted to hear. ’I cant leave my Clan… they are my life, and I couldn’t live without my brother…’ Just the thought of leaving him behind broke her heart as much as not seeing Maverick, they had grown up together, shared everything… So why cant I share this with him… she asked herself.

As the she cat pointed out the place that seemed far far in the distance she imagined that she could see Maverick sitting in the mountains watching her right now, but then she snapped out of her fairy tale, she was wishful thinking, he was too busy to be sitting around all day. ’Well if he wont come to see me…’ she mumbled to herself, ’Then I will just have to go and see him!’ She was determined that she would see him before her kits were born, she had to, it was as if her life depended on it.

The large toms ears pricked and eyes widened as the loners tone of voice grew somewhat annoyed, he was getting ready to pounce to his sisters rescue when he remembered that he could not let her see him, what would she think of him if she knew that he had been spying on her? But he could hear the odd word from his sister now… Why? Need? He thought, they were having a serious conversation, and Dawnpelt sounded distraught with sorrow. Tangleweed just wished that he could chase away that loner like he would usually have to… but most of all he wanted his sister to confide in him, like she always used to.

[Fate Admin]

’It’s just not right to take a mate that is not in your own clan. Kits shouldn’t be half clan kits, and its worse to take a loner or a rogue as a mate…’ Aurora snorted softly at that, "If you are in love, it shouldn't matter. Kits are to be celebrated, no matter who their parents are." Though, once again, she tried to calm herself. The Clans must have their set ways for a reason, but then, she had thought the same thing about the Tribe. It seemed both could do with some changes.

At the urgency in Dawnpelt's voice, Aurora's ears flicked in surprise. Her eyes widened as she stated that she would go to see him and she shook her head, "No! It isn't safe for you to travel so far in the snow when you are carrying kits! The travel across the valley would be cold enough, but the travel in the mountains has become even more treacherous with the snow fall. I know you wish to see him, but surely you wouldn't endanger your life and your kits' because of it?"

Her gaze softening, she pressed close to the she-cat's side, her long, fluffy tail curling over her back, "I will tell him how badly you wish to see him, I will urge him to come and see you, I will drag him here if I must, but please don't endanger yourself like that!" Aurora's voice was quite as urgent as Dawnpelt's now. She didn't want her brother's mate putting herself in harm's way if it could be avoided. From how Maverick spoke of her, she knew Dawnpelt meant a lot to him. The fact that Maverick had limited himself to one she-cat was more than enough to convince Aurora of that fact. Back in the Tribe, he had been quite popular with she-cats and seemed to revel in their attention, at least, for the short time he had been a part of the Tribe.

[cherryrose]

Dawnpelt nodded at the wisdom that seemed to be in whatever she said, she agreed with her, but the Clan wouldn’t and there was nothing she could do about it, or change their minds. She could see that Aurora was completely baffled by the customs of the Clan, but she didn’t expect a loner, especially one from a Tribe to understand the ways of a warrior.

Dawnpelts eyes widened as the she cat became still more desperate in the way she was speaking to her. She was so caring and it was so easy to see that she was indeed Mavericks sister, she reminded her of him so badly it was almost hurting her now to be in her presence knowing that Maverick himself wouldn’t be coming to see her. ’No…’ she mewed simply, although she was happy with endangering her own life she would not want to risk the life of her kits, Mavericks kits, it wasn’t fair on him. ’But surely if he loved me he would make himself able to visit me… Does he not realise how long I have left until they will arrive and potentially ruin my life in the Clan!’ She was crying at the mention of her life in the Clan which could well come to an end once they knew that she was carrying his kits, or if none of the Clan cats noticed, then when they were born so unexpectedly. Lifting a snow soaked paw to wipe one sodden grey cheek she shivered with the cold that met her face, but she wasn’t done here and had no intention of going back to camp yet.

As Aurora leant herself against the grey she cat she closed her eyes and just allowed herself to cry, it was as if that was all she needed to do. ’Please do…’ she mewed, but she still couldn’t understand why it would be necessary, surely he would jump at the chance to come and see her. ’But if it is not his wish to see me… then don’t force him to do something that he doesn’t want to…’ She would hate for Maverick to think that she was being clingy and keeping him from whatever it was that seemed so important to him. She was insecure and needed reassuring from someone close to her, not just his sister that she had met for the first time just now.

Tangleweed could now hear some of the things that they were saying, but piecing them together was not easy to do. The loner has said ’No!’

[/b] so suddenly it had taken him by surprise and he jumped a little, ducking down right to the ground he hoped that neither of them had seen him, the loner was facing his direction and was a tail length closer now that she was pressed close to Dawnpelt. Why is she being so comforting to her? And why is my sister crying? He was confused, and every bone in his body was urging him forward, to get to the bottom of it, to protect his sister, stop this loner from making her cry. He didn’t notice that his bushy white tail was twitching in the patch of grass around him making the slightest rustling sound.[/color][/center]

[Fate Admin]

Aurora rasped her tongue lightly over Dawnpelt's ear, trying to be reassuring, "It's not that he doesn't want to, Dawnpelt... it isn't that at all...." Sighing, she stepped away from the she-cat, thinking it was about time she left before one of Dawnpelt's Clan mates came along, "I will tell him how badly you wish to see him, and I will have him make time for you, no matter what. I'm sure he would be relieved to be able to come and see you...." She trailed off, her ears twitching at a rustling noise and her strange blue and orange gaze sweeping the area briefly, "I should go... I do not wish for you to be in trouble because of me.... Maverick will be here to see you soon, that I promise you." She dipped her head slightly, not wanting to leave Dawnpelt when she so obviously needed someone there for comfort, but if she didn't leave, it might create more problems that Dawnpelt would need to deal with along with the ones she already had. Turning, she padded away, glancing back once and waving her tail, hoping to give Dawnpelt a bit of hope when things seemed to bleak for her by reminding her of the promise she had just made, the promise she intended to keep.

[cherryrose]

The grey she cat was so hard to comfort these days, not even the reassuring words of his mate sister could ease her aching heart. With a huge sigh she lay down on the snow covered fur and let her head hang low. She was listening and hanging on to Aurora’s every word, she was placing her trust in this loner and was holding her too her promise. But as she heard the rustling noise her watery grey eyes grew wide and she tried to pick out any hint of scent that may have caused the sound, but the wind was not on their side. ’Maybe your right…’ she mewed admitting that she couldn’t stay with her forever, she was supposed to be out hunting for her Clan after all. ’Thankyou Aurora!’ she mewed after the loner as she left the border.

She didn’t keep her eyes open to watch her go, she couldn’t bear it, she knew that her hopes of seeing Maverick before the kits were born was hanging in her paws, it was as if he wouldn’t come to see her if it weren’t for her persuasion. Placing her head lightly on her paws her eyes leaked with tears of worry and heart ache.

As the loner and his sister looked around in turn he froze, had they seen him? But he relaxed once more as neither of them made a move towards him. When the strange loner turned and left he didn’t hesitate to run up to Dawnpelt, he didn’t care if the other she cat was still able to see them, he needed to get to the bottom of this. ’Dawnpelt…’ he mewed sensitively, he could see that his sister was distraught about something. ’Whats wrong? Talk to me… like you always used too…’ he pleaded with her.

Dawnpelt looked alarmed as her brother appeared at the side of her, his brown and white pelt covered with snow. ’How long have you been here?!’ She asked plainly, she had no hint of anger in her voice; it was as if she had given up a long battle of life. ’Nothings wrong… I’m fine…’ she mewed not looking in his eyes which shone with raw concern. Can I confide in him? She asked herself, but as much as she wanted to tell someone what was going on, she couldn’t, it was too risky.

’Ive been here long enough to know that that other she cat upset you… and you seemed pretty desperate about something…’ He knew that by saying this he would be admitting to spying on her, but he had no choice but to tell her the truth, after all he did want her to return the favour. ’I’m sorry Dawnpelt, I’m just worried about you that’s all… And I don’t care how much you say your fine, I know your not…’ His green eyes were glowing with sympathy. ’Dawnpelt why was she here? Why were you too so close? Whats going on sis?’

’I cant tell you…’ she mewed looking him straight in the eyes and bursting into tears. Moving closer to him she felt his warmth and remembered when they were kits how much that he had taken care of her when their parents weren’t able too. ’It’s too much of a risk… My life in the Clan could change forever…’

’But how… You can trust me Dawnpelt. I’m your brother!’ He was trying to think what could be so bad that her life in the Clan would be so quick to change, but nothing came to him. ’Dawnpelt… what is it?’ He was trying to search her expressionless face for the slightest hint of what it could be, but there was nothing there.

Shaking her head she stood up and turned her back on her brother. Carefully she clambered up the tree that Aurora had been hiding in and laid on a lower branch staring out into the distance. Into the mountains that Aurora had said Maverick was living. She longed to be with him, but at the same time she did not wish to leave her Clan, she knew that one thing had to go, but which was it?

With a sigh he watched as Dawnpelt left and climbed up the tree, she seemed to have struggled more than she would normally have. But Tangleweed just put it down to her being so upset, nothing else. Admitting defeat he turned and padded in the direction of camp, picking up his two scrawny mice on the way past the bush that he had hidden in for what seemed like moons. She will talk to me when she is ready… he told himself that he was indeed right, he just hoped that she would be alright out in the cold.

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