[Fate Admin]

Nettlefur padded along the LightningClan border, after all, that's where the strange cat had been scented. Every so often she would stop to renew a scent marker or to scent the ground for any signs of the trespassing cat. She snorted contempt, and yet satisfaction, as she found nothing but stale scents. Turning to look at Dawnpelt, she meowed, "Looks like it wised up and kept off our territory, huh?"

Glancing around, her tail lashed once as she looked over into LightningClan territory. The Open Woods had been disputed since the Clans first came here, and no cat was ever really sure where one Clan ended and the other began. Each Clan just sort of kept resetting the border, trying to push farther into the other's territory to gain more for their own Clan. Well, there were trees here, therefore it should all belong to TreeClan. Logical enough, but those mouse-brained LightningClan cats just couldn't see logic, it seemed.

Looking back at Dawnpelt again, she suggested, "Hey, I'll go catch us something to eat quick, I'm starved... I didn't pause to take any fresh-kill this morning since I was too eager to get out here and make sure that cat hadn't trespassed again. If you're hungry, you can share whatever I catch," with that she turned and loped away to see what could be caught. She might just push a little past the border and hunt in the trees LightningClan were claiming as theirs. Huffing annoyance, she thought she might do just that!

Farther on down the border, Maverick lay hidden, he watched as the cat with Dawnpelt loped away suddenly and his ears pricked curiously. He was downwind, so he wasn't woried about being scented, but he had still kept his distance, just in case. He waited a while after the other cat disappeared from sight before making his presence known. He wasn't sure how long the other cat would be gone, so he had to be quick, "Dawnpelt!" he hissed quietly as he snuck closer, "It's me.... Maverick!"

[cherryrose]

The long haired grey she cat followed after Nettlefur as they patrolled the border looking for the ‘intruder’ they had scented earlier on. She knew to well who it was and was looking around drastically hoping not to see him here again, although a part of her wanted to. As Nettlefur spoke to her Dawnpelt looked up, losing her concentration on the things around her and listening. She smiled weakly and nodded, ’Looks like it…’

Dawnpelt went back to her peering around trying to focus on the job at hand, after all if Maverick was here Nettlefur would be sure to see him as well and there would be nothing she could do except look surprised, and she knew that she wouldn’t be able to do that very easily as her love for him was too strong. She could see Lightingclan were pushing further into the trees that were obviously Treeclans territory, but they could easily fix that by renewing there scent markers a little further back.

When Nettlefur mentioned going to catch some prey she nodded but did not speak, it was far to obvious that her mind was on other things. She continued silently along the border, she was aware that travelling the borders alone was dangerous if you met another patrol on the other side. Lightningclan would not like to see them adjusting their border again. With her kits growing inside her she was aware she would have more than herself to protect if anything happened. At the thought of her kits she glanced down at her belly, you could not see that she was pregnant yet thanks to her long flowing pelt, but she definitely felt it now, her belly was becoming more swollen.

At the sound of a familiar voice she froze, her ears pricked and her grey eyes scanning the clearing ahead of her. ’Maverick?’ she whispered half hoping he was here, but half hoping she was mistaken, after all Nettlefur could be back anytime. As he crawled closer to her and came into view she could not stop her excitement at seeing him and she flopped down into the grass to lay beside him, rubbing her head on his cheek affectionately. But she did not lose her guard for Nettlefur’s approach, she was thankful they were further up the border now, she would have more warning if she came back looking for her.

[Fate Admin]

Maverick purred deeply as Dawnpelt lay beside him and rubbed cheek along hers affectionately by way of greeting. He didn't think he had much time with the threat of that other cat returning at any moment, so he didn't waste much time in getting to the point of his coming here. He sat back, away from her slightly, "Dawnpelt... I came to say I might not be around for a while. I don't want you to worry about me.... I don't know when I'll be able to see you next, but I'll come as soon as I can, I promise...."

He pressed his nose into her fur briefly, drawing in her beautiful scent. He hoped she wouldn't press him too much for details, "It'll be safer for you, anyway, won't it? If I'm not around as much... then there's less of a chance that your Clan will catch you with me." He was pretty sure she wouldn't really care about this small point of logic, but he was trying to get away from the subject a little. He wasn't ready to tell her about MountainClan, after all, Misty had said the Clans probably wouldn't like the idea of another Clan. Dawnpelt loved him, so he was sure she wouldn't tell her Clan, but she still might try to dissuade him from the idea, as Misty had seemed to be trying to do until he made her see the good of it. He didn't have the time right now to persuade Dawnpelt that it was a good idea as well, and so he'd rather not bring it up at all....

((eh, so short after the first 2, but oh well...))

[cherryrose]

Dawnpelt purred deeper still as she lay beside her mate. But when he sat back she subconsciously looked over her shoulder for any sign of Nettlefur on her way back, there was no sign or scent of her just yet. As he spoke a look of worry crossed through her eyes, but she couldn’t decide whether it was worry that he might be going away some where dangerous, or worry that he might not be here to confide in when the clan found out she was to have kits, which she guessed wouldn’t be too far away now. ’But!’ she mewed simply not knowing how to fully voice her concerns, ’Where are you going? What if I need to see you?’ she mewed hurriedly, but she was fully aware he may not have time to answer these questions right now.

As he pressed his nose in her long grey pelt she leaned her head on his and closed her eyes to take in the scene she was playing, she wanted things to stay like this forever, but she knew that was not possible. She shook her head, she didn’t think it would be any safer if he left, she would still have the on going threat of the kits growing inside her, and nothing could take that one away. ’Believe me, it won’t be safer…’ she mewed. ’But the clan knows you, we can always disguise it somehow…’ she mewed knowing that that could be more difficult than he sounded. Then for the first time she realised his scent would now be on her, and there was no time for her to disguise it before Nettlefur returned. I don’t care! she tried to tell herself, she loved him to much.

((nah it's still good! First posts are always easiest))

[Fate Admin]

Maverick's ears twitched at the concern he heard in her voice as she questioned him quickly. He licked her cheek reassuringly, "Don't worry, Dawnpelt... I'll be back to see you, it just won't be as often as it has been. I'm sure a couple days between visits won't make too much of a difference. And it will only be for a little while," he mewed confidently, Until I have things a bit more figured out for MountainClan, anyway. He didn't anticipate figuring out plans for the new Clan to take longer than half a moon, maybe one moon at the most, and he would visit her in that time, regardless, but the distance between TreeClan territory and the Oasis was a couple days travel. Even cutting through Clan territory it would take him about 3 days to get here and back to the Oasis.

"Don't worry...," he mewed again, rubbing his head against her shoulder lightly, trying to cheer her up a little, I'm doing this for you, too! He longed to tell her, but didn't think it was the right time. he was sure it would only make her worry more, and she didn't need that, not now; she had enough to worry about. Looking behind him at the mountains where he had come from, up to the approximate spot that Misty was located, he knew he shouldn't stay much longer.... He stood and took a few steps back, looking down at his mate, "I should go... that other cat with you might come back-"

Suddenly there was a yowl of fury as Nettlefur came pelting along the border. The winds had changed as she was heading back with a plump quirrel for her and Dawnpelt to share and brought the scent of a strange cat, the strange cat. She recognized it from the stale scent he had left from the day before. She had dropped the squirrel when she scented it and come running to help Dawnpelt, if she needed it. However, as she approached, she gazed from her Clan-mate to the trespassing cat suspiciously, why wasn't Dawnpelt clawing this cat's ear off? Her fur bristled furiously as she approached the two, stiff-legged, "Dawnpelt? What's going on?"

Her gaze locked on the tom cat, her green gaze acid fire for the trespasser. As she looked at him, however, she thought she recognized him and her ears perked slightly from their previous state of pressed flat against her head. Then she remembered the few times she had met Maverick, passing through the territory. He didn't pass through often enough for her to recognize his scent, but she remembered how he looked from previous meetings. Her fur beginning to lie flat, she gazed at the loner surreptitiously, "Maverick, right?" when he nodded in the slightest, she snorted, "You're what's got the Clan all worked up!?" Then she laughed derivatively, though not for long. Silverstar may allow the loner to pass through, but she was against it..., "What are you dong here? Move on if you don't want a fight!" Her tail lashed in annoyance as she glared at the loner. She wouldn't disobey her leader, she'd let him pass by, but if he continued to stand there dawdling like a mouse-brain she wouldn't hesitate to attack!

Maverick's eyes were wide as the other cat came charging back. He took a step back as she hissed angrily, not wanting a fight. When she told him leave or do just that, he could only glance helplessly at Dawnpelt, not wanting to put her in a more awkward position than she might already be in, "Er... yes... I'll be... going now, then." He dipped his head to the other Clan cat and turned, reluctantly padding away, his tail hanging low with the thought that he might have gotten Dawnpelt in trouble. He wanted to stick around and make sure she would be alright, but he also didn't want to fight one of her Clan-mates and maybe drag her into it as well. It would be better if he just left, though he kept throwing furtive glances back over his shoulder at her.

Nettlefur huffed, satisfied, and watched him until he disappeared. Then turned to Dawnpelt curiously, "What happened while I was gone? Why was he here? Did he steal any prey?" she questioned her Clan-mate, not sure what to think of seeing her so relaxed around the loner. Of crouse, every cat in all the Clans knew that Maverick meant no harm to them, so maybe that had something to do with it. She also knew that quite a few Clan cats were friendly with Maverick and liked to chat with him from time to time when they met him passing through. He often had warnings to give about possible threats, especially from Demon. She siezed on that thought, thinking maybe that was it, "Did he say anything the other Clans... or Demon?" Nettlefur may be a prickly cat, but she's never one to think bad of her Clan-mates, and could see no reason why Dawnpelt's speaking with Maverick was anything more than friendly chatter and gossip.

((woo! that took a while, and I gave Dawnpelt an out! ^.^))

[cherryrose]

She began to purr again as he licked her cheek. She nodded reluctantly, maybe he was right a few days wouldn’t hurt would they? ’Ok then,’ she mewed calmly, why isn’t he telling me why? she thought to herself curiously, usually they told each other everything, but he seemed so secretive. She hoped he wasn’t going to far away; she hated not being able to see him. Then she wondered how large her belly would have swollen to by the time they next met, and if the clan would soon have noticed. At that thought her heart beat increased at the thought of what that might mean to her and the clan as a whole.

With a deep sigh she lay her head in his shoulder taking in his scent again, her grey eyes closed a little as she purred lightly. She opened her eyes and lifted her head after a short time however as the realisation that Nettlefur may be on her way back by now finally set in. Looking at him lovingly with her sparkling eyes she was a little taken aback when he stood up and stepped away from her. Nodding she closed her eyes and looked at the floor for a split second and when she looked back he had stopped talking as Nettlefur came pelting towards them. Might come back when!? she said to herself, why did her friend have to come back at that moment, she couldn’t have waited a little longer! But that was the least on her mind at the moment as she realised they had been caught together, it was a good job he had stood up when he did so it looked a little less suspicious.

At the sight of Nettlefur looking so aggressive she was sure that she had seen them lying on the floor together, she was worried that she may turn on Maverick and attack him, she would have no choice then but to defend her love over her clan. But she was sure that Maverick would not fight back, only to defend himself at least, either way she could not watch it. At the hissed question to her she threw a glance at Maverick thinking desperately. It was old news that Maverick was welcome to wander clan territory, maybe I can use that to my advantage, I know Silverstar doesn’t mind him here… ’Umm….’ she began, her mind whizzing, ’He was just passing through,’ she mewed simply, she would think of more if she needed to, right now that seemed sufficient to her scared mind.

As Nettlefur said ‘Maverick?’ as though she didn’t know who it was her heart skipped a beat, that meant that what she had just said would sound as though she allowed any loner to enter the territory. Looking at Maverick as Nettlefur did she couldn’t hold her gaze, but it was obvious her eyes showed fear, not just for herself being found out, but for him and what this fierce warrior might do to him. She put a grey foot forwards as Nettlefur said ‘if you don’t want a fight,’ she wouldn’t fight him really would she? she wondered to herself glancing from him to her.

As Maverick padded away without a fight she was relieved, but at the same time devastated they had not had a proper good bye and that she did not know when she would next see him again. Her eyes were growing watery but she stopped a tear from spilling from her eyes, she had no way at all of explaining tears to Nettlefur. As Maverick kept glancing back over at her she caught his gaze a few times, she wanted to be with him, she couldn’t deny herself that now, after this meeting with Nettlefur she was more aware of how the clan were going to react, she was not sure she would be able to cope with the whole clan like Nettlefur, all against her. She forced herself to look away from the departing tom and focused her attention on the angry warrior beside her.

At her questions she didn’t look at her when she answered, ’He had only just got there really, I saw him coming across and stopped to meet him there,’ she knew that Nettlefur could look at that sentence two ways, she ‘wanted’ to meet him, or she was doing it so she could hold him up and send him away, she hoped it was the latter. ’He didn’t take any prey or anything at all.’ She hoped in all her heart that Nettlefur had not seen them for too long before she had came charging up to them, otherwise she would know she was lyeing to her. ’He mentioned Demon being seen near Lightningclan territory…’ She thought remembering what he had said to her at there last meeting, but she thought the clan already new that. I wonder what she is thinking…

((New longest post ever! It probably doesn't make much sense though... >.<))