[Hellion]

Taking the outer post, Stag kept pace with Leaf, relying on his long legs to keep up with her faster trot. The heavy bird being carried by Roar and Sky while Moth carried the smaller bait prey. The group had been fairly large given the fact they had venture down in Clan territory. Across from him as the other post wa Starless, making a total of six tribemates heading home.

While he hadn't been the one to take down the large bird, he still felt a surge of pride knowing the tribe would easy plenty.

"What's the smell?" Leaf complained, nose scrunching in disgust.

"That's the gathering smell, when the moon is heavy the clans gather to talk," Stag answered his attention turning toward the meeting place.

"Oh, that's cool I guess," She replied but Stag didn't seem notice. He had stopped walking, causing Leaf to stop as well. "What' wrong?"

"I uh..gotta do something real quick. I'll catch up," He told her, taking off in the direction of the gathering place. Leaf called out to him but he didn't bother to slow and instead pushed himself to sprint.

Skidding to a halt, his nose worked overtime to pick out that muddy scent. The one he could remember Cinderpaw having. Curious if the tom was still around, he tried to find the scent.

It took longer then he expected but sure enough he found it and fluttering in his chest started up. The prospect of seeing Cinderpaw again making it easy to forget he wasn't heading into friendly territory.

Abandoning his fears at the gathering place, Stag followed his nose and a fluttering heart. Doing his best to avoid falling or tripping over unknown territory, he paused when he came to the spot that the scent was strong.

Tempted with his curiosity to venture inward to the NightClan marked land, he remembered Cinderpaw's warning. Deciding he had some time before the other's started to worry, Stag decided to wait. Tail flicking back and forth, he studied the area around him waiting for any cat to arrive and maybe send for Cinderpaw.

Taxx | #words | background | lyrics | table by Amber

[Taxx]

CINDERPAW

NIGHTCLAN

rather be the hunter than the prey

Side by side with Privetpaw, Cinderpaw held the squirrel firmly as the patrol padded homeward. His brother carried an admirable catch in his own right: a young possum that had strayed a bit too far. Of course they wouldn't be able to eat unless the elders, queens and kits had been fed, but theirs was not the only hunting patrol that had gone out and surely by now most would have filled their bellies, allowing the returning hunters the chance to eat.

The sudden sight of the familiar tom made Cinderpaw pause, ears pricking as he stared at the young Tribe cat he'd met in early leafbare. He'd spent several days mulling over what he had learned from Stag, but gradually as the season had progressed he'd buried the meeting, more focused on his own training and keeping his Clan fed through the hard, cold moons. Now he was back again- and bigger. A bit lean, not that it was easy to see past his heavy fur. Newleaf would do them all good.

A paw poked his shoulder and he blinked down at Privetpaw, who was eyeing the unfamiliar cat. Cinderpaw dropped his squirrel, but nudged his brother after the warriors. "I'll chase him off. He's a Tribe cat. I won't be too far behind, promise."

He turned away, feeling his brother's gaze following him as he headed toward the dark brown tom but not looking back, and relieved when he heard the rapid patter of paws moving on. "Stag," Cinderpaw greeted. "I wasn't sure if you'd made it." He had tried to return, as asked, a few days after their first meeting, but through duties and other restrictions, he hadn't managed it. He could not deny his relief at finding the Tribe cat here, and well, when the wonder if he'd died during leafbare had nagged at him.

"Is everything okay? I can't stay long; my Clan needs me. Did you want to talk?" Cinderpaw did, and yet as much as he wanted to, he knew he couldn't linger long without someone turning back to track him... and he had no desire to give anyone reason to doubt him when he'd passed the assessment that earned him the right to be a warrior.

Hellion || Notes

[Hellion]

Cinderpaw's arrival had his expression growing wider and his tail twitching excitedly. A purr rumbled faintly in his chest but he was sure that Cinderpaw could hear it.

"Everything is alright, there was this big snow slide and a few tribe members now run with the Tribe of Endless Hunting," His grim news put a damper on the joy for seeing Cinderpaw, but he tried to push it away. He didn't want to taint what little time he had with the tom-cat for the sake of airing out sour moss. He had dealt with his fair share of sorrow and holding onto those deaths wouldn't benefit himself or anyone for that matter.

"I just wanted to know if you were okay too and I was wondering if maybe one day you can show me how Clan-cats defend," He didn't like falling it fighting, considering the word harsh and barbaric. Stag was curious about most things and learning another way to defend his tribemates would be useful.

Taxx | note: rusty af!
| background | lyrics | table by Amber

[Taxx]

CINDERPAW

NIGHTCLAN

rather be the hunter than the prey

A snow slide? The correlation between that and the death of Stag's Clanmates didn't make sense to Cinderpaw; he'd never seen snow slide before. Maybe Stag meant they'd just died of hunger, or cold. That was sad enough, and he murmured a few words for the sake of the dead cats. He hadn't known them and so felt no grief for their deaths, but offered sympathies all for same for Stag. 

"Yes, I'm fine. Newleaf prey is always nice after moons of hunger, and the Clan is thriving once again. We had losses as well, but leafbare almost always takes lives. NightClan still survives." The Tribe cat's next request, however, was met with hesitation. Teach him how to defend? He didn't think the warriors of his Clan would like it if they knew he was passing on battle moves to a stranger.

"Uh- I suppose that'd be okay... but not today, and not here. I'll find you on our outer border with RainClan, okay? Trespass too often and someone who doesn't know you will chase you off." Stag deserved that warning, at least. NightClan dealt harshly with invaders, and though the Tribe tom wasn't a threat, nobody else would know or really care.

Hellion || Notes