[Katara]

THE
HEART

AND THE HEART IS HARD TO TRANSLATE

T

hough RainClanners preferred to hunt fish for prey for the most part, it was at the moment, impossible to justify the risk with the rivers and streams beginning to flood as they were. Elkheart with his long, thick fur could easily get weighed down by any amount of water thrown at him by the churning river, so he simply didn't want to risk it. This happened everytime Newleaf approached for him, and it had been one of the reasons he'd made a point to learn how to hunt land prey just as well as he hunted prey that swam. He was a cautious type, and didn't care to take risks if he thought it may not go over well.

He'd been on a border patrol after sunhigh, and had recently returned from it, but had been itching to hunt after noticing the sounds of life in their territory. He'd paced around camp restlessly for a little while, and then decided to hunt nearby just to help with his restlessness.

So here he now was, stalking quietly through the trees, grateful for the constant white noise of the dripping from the melting snow. It might just aid him in disguising whatever tiny sounds he made as he stalked his prey. With the scent of new life strong in the breeze, he wasn't surprised when it only took a few minutes for a mouse to emerge from the undergrowth, its whiskers twitching at the sky. It made quick, darting movements toward the trunk of a tree nearby, and Elkheart lowered himself even closer to the ground, raising his paws slowly and carefully as he prowled forward. Parts of the ground around here were muddy, and he didn't want his pawsteps to squelch as he moved.

The mouse was nosing around the trunk, probably looking for something to eat, and Elkheart began to move a little more quickly before the creature realized it wasn't going to find anything but a swift death. Then his paw found ice on the ground, which emitted a crack as he placed his weight on it. He instinctively dug in his claws so he didn't slip, but that mouse had already noticed, and it was going to dart back to its burrow. The warrior leaped into action, launching himself forward without thinking. He'd leaped so far he hadn't been able to correctly gauge where he was going to land, and let out a yelp of surprise as his paw plunged much deeper into the mud than he ever could've guessed. The momentum of his leap still carried him forward, and an arc of pain flashed through him when he landed awkwardly.

"Foxdung!" he hissed, watching the mouse make its escape into its burrow, before pushing himself to his paws. Well, not all of his paws, it seemed, because one of them was still wedged deep in the mud. He realized that, somehow, his paw had found a hole buried beneath the mud, and the stickiness of it was creating a suction that was making it difficult to get his paw out. "Are you kidding me? I feel like an apprentice," he muttered, shame burning his ears as he worked at freeing himself. Great StarClan, if any of his Clanmates found him... he just about hoped some other Clan cat would find him. He had a reputation to uphold around his Clanmates.

---

TAGGED: Open! To other RainClanners or any Clan/loner!
NOTES: --

IT HAS A LANGUAGE OF ITS OWN.

[Fae Magic]

The wind brought the gentle scent of new life and freshness to her nose. Bright amber eyes closed slowly and she tipped her chin back towards the sky as she reveled the gentle breeze that blew all around her. Through her short snowy fur making her shiver slightly at it's warm tickle. She could hear the wind blowing through the new leaves growing on the trees and the blades of grass poking through the melting snow. Leaf-bare was leaving finally and the warmth and life of New-leaf gracing them with it's beauty and fresh scents. Ivoryrose was grateful to be able to go out again and not having to worry about where the prey would be coming from or freezing her paws off. She was happy for the change in the weather because it meant new life and new life meant happier and better thriving. Her eyes opened again and she looked around at the rebirth around her before pushing forward through the familiar path again. She could hear the water gurgling from the melting snow up ahead and that was her destination. She did not prefer to swim in freshly melted ice in the water but a first swim in the New-Leaf was a tradition she loved to keep. She and her sister used to do it all the time when they were apprentices. The memory was a fond one even if the cold water was not something she enjoyed; she was a Rainclanner though so she liked the waters regardless. 

Up ahead her nose picked up a scent of a familiar tom cat that had the distinct scent of Rainclan. As she drew closer she heard his voice and stifled a laugh as she heard him curse and watched from a short distance as his attempt to catch a mouse seemed to fail him as it scurried away into it's burrow. She shook her head and padded through the foliage towards the large tom. Light pawsteps carrying her slender frame gracefully down the small slope towards him until she was in hearing distance to him. 

"Not having good luck hunting today Elkheart?" she questioned with a glitter of amusement in her amber eyes as she paused a few tail lengths away and looked at the hole in the ground were the brown furball had scurried off. 

"You know, I would be more then happy to teach you to fish if you are inclined to try that instead. I understand though if you don't want to because of your fur." she looked at his lengthy fur with a grimace. 

Even Rainclanners were not found of having their fur get soaked wet when they had certain length. Unlike hers which was thick and short; making it perfect for swimming in the cold waters to fish their primary food of fish and aquatic animals. Others were not so blessed as they didn't like to be dragged down while trying to hunt and it could hinder them but there were other ways to go about it if they were smart enough. Sometimes it just took some practice. 

Ivoryrose padded past her clanmate and paused at the water's surface and stared down into it's watery depths seeing her own face staring back at her through it's surface. She sighed softly shaking her head at herself before turning to look at Elkheart and have him an encouraging smile. What was he doing out here all by himself was what she wanted to ask. She understood sometimes needing some time to herself so maybe her presence was not needed here. She herself had come out here for a walk in the nice weather before it got too dark and she would have to go back to the clan camp for bed. 

Katara

[Katara]

THE
HEART

AND THE HEART IS HARD TO TRANSLATE

O

f course, Elkheart had no such luck when it came to his Clanmates keeping away from this scene. He suppressed a groan as he heard a familiar voice behind him, one of the warriors younger than he, and soon Ivoryrose came into sight. She hadn't seemed to notice he was stuck at all though, and he felt a mixture of relief and frustration as he struggled to free himself. At last, he pulled his paw free of the muddy hole and cursed under his breath, wrinkling his nose at his thick fur now clumped with mud. "Just perfect," he muttered. "I don't usually have this kind of bad luck," he remarked. "Ugh. I could do with a swim in the river after this." He didn't want to give the mud a chance to dry in his long fur.

He shook out his pelt, scattering thick droplets of mud everywhere, unaware that he might affect Ivoryrose and her thick white coat with this. He flicked his ear, tilting his head as he looked at the she-cat with puzzlement. "Teach me to fish? What am I, an apprentice?" He failed to catch one mouse, and suddenly other cats thought he couldn't catch anything? "I'm in RainClan same as you... you think I don't know how to fish?" He snorted. It was one of the first things most RainClan cats learned how to do; in fact, he was pretty sure it actually was the first thing he'd taught past apprentices to do. It showed them their new reality was going to have to involve getting their paws wet if they intended to be the best warriors they could be.

Still, he wasn't that annoyed at her; he was more annoyed at himself, and the growing heaviness of mud in his fur. Elkheart moved to join her at the water's edge, observing that the stream here wasn't nearly as swollen with the snowmelt as the river was at the moment. It would be safer to do his washing here, and maybe... if he were already going to be wet, he may as well join Ivoryrose in a sundown hunt for fish upstream. "What brings you to this corner of the forest anyway?" he asked, his tone still a little gruff as he wet his paws in the stream before wading deeper. It was normal for him to wander off alone, or with Moosejaw, but he didn't often see other Clanmates on their own. But maybe she needed a breath of fresh air.

---

TAGGED: Fae Magic
NOTES: He's grumpy but he'll get over it haha

IT HAS A LANGUAGE OF ITS OWN.

[Fae Magic]

Ivoryrose did not realize that she may have offended the older cat with her joking manner. He was older then her by a bit of course but age did not always mean everything. Ivoryrose was quick to pick up on his annoyance; whether it was at her or at something else she did not know but she knew annoyed cats are not good company to be around. Unfortunately for Elkheart, Ivoryrose needed a distraction even if it meant annoying one of her clan mates in verbal jests back and forth with them. An amused look came across her face as she caught sight of his predicament as he waddled his way over towards her covered in mud; which of course that smile fell slightly when she felt the brown thick sludge hit her square on. Her amber eyes slowly moved with her head as she looked at her white coat and blinked a few slow movements. To kill a clan mate or not to kill a clan mate? That was a true question right there! She hated mud on her just as much as he apparently did; well no one liked playing in mud unless you were a kit no doubt. Shaking her head she absently thought white colored cats like herself had a higher annoyance and hate for the brown color when it came to their fur. 

Her mind scattered from it's rambling train of thought and back onto the conversation that she and Elkheart were having. He asked her a question, a question right...what was it again? Oh yes, what was she thinking insulting the other tom that he could not fish? Heh, was she truly insulting him though or was she being playful? Well, in her opinion it was both. Why try and catch a mouse if you were born and raised in water and could hunt within it's depths like any good predator who lived around the waters would? But preferences were preferences of course so she kept her mouth shut tight about her comeback to that and instead looked towards the river and cleared her throat to stifle the words that wanted to come out so badly. Instead, the white molly decided to answer his second question about what she was doing out here anyways. That was an easy and hard question to reply to because frankly in blunt words she just needed to get away from the annoyance of the other clan mates and wanted some alone time before she decided to murder someone in her annoyance. 

"I needed a break from the clan activities. To gather my mental strength to continue on with the day. I figured a stroll wouldn't be too bad right now. I don't have anything else going on but I know if I stay in camp too long I'll be sent out once again on some kind of patrol or another and waste my time having to refrain from smacking someone over the ears a time or two." she confessed with a grim smile of amusement; she wasn't kidding though. Her clan mates were getting under her skin recently and she needed this time to herself. 

"I just happened to stumble upon you and wondered if you wanted some company? I don't often see you without Moosejaw so I was wondering why you were all alone?" she tilted her head watching him wade into the water to wash off the mud that he got stuck in.

She decided to join him as he had given her snowy fur a rather comical splattering of mud that would be a pain to get out of her fur even if it was short; who liked the taste of mud on their tongue anyways while they groomed themselves? She wouldn't mind getting in that water with him and washing the caking substance off. She didn't even have to test to waters to know it was freezing as she slipped her small but agile frame into the cold waves that gently lapped at her fur and skin. She controlled a shiver and splashed a little to try and get the rest of it off of her; looking like a half drowned kit in the process. 

Katara

[Katara]

THE
HEART

AND THE HEART IS HARD TO TRANSLATE

C

ompletely oblivious he'd just given his snowy-furred Clanmate a nice mudshower, and he didn't look behind him to catch the matching glare either. He was a bit preoccupied with the freezing water now rushing around his legs, soaking his belly fur and washing the mud away. Very carefully, he balanced on three paws as he lifted one of his front ones to rub it against the bit of his pelt that had experienced the most damage with the mud. He only had to unsheath his claws once or twice to free snags, before the pieces began to wash out and drift away on the stream rushing toward the bulging river ahead. He was now nearly to his shoulders in the water, enjoying the familiar pull of the water tugging his long fur upstream as he listened to Ivoryrose speak.

He felt much calmer now, less annoyed for certain, and turned his head to look at the she-cat. "Mmm... you've been on too many patrols with apprentices then, it seems," he commented with an amused purr at her words. Though he couldn't relate to being so easily irritated by others, he could certainly relate to not being particularly interested in their affairs. "Some of them haven't had a decent cuff over the ears yet, if you ask me." He returned her wry smile, and then his eyes raked over her white fur, now splattered with spots of brown. "Great StarClan, did I get you? Sorry," he said, one ear twitching in slight embarrassment. He hadn't even noticed, what kind of a gentleman was he?

Elkheart shrugged his huge shoulders at her inquiry to join him. "Sure," he said. "I don't mind company. I promise I won't mud-spray you again." He moved closer back to the bank, swishing his half-soaked tail to invite her to join him in the water. "As for why I'm out here... I just like to be alone sometimes." That was, in the end, the real and honest answer. He was a bit of a wanderer sometimes, enjoying strolls around the territory every once in awhile to clear his head, and get rid of the restlessness that so often plagued him when he was stuck at camp with nothing to do. "I thought I'd hunt some land prey with the river being riskier to fish in at the moment... and I was restless back at camp, like you."

Ivoryrose began to step into the water, her fur clinging to her and making her look much smaller than usual. He tried to suppress a purr of amusement at the sight, though he was sure he looked much smaller as well. "Stand still for a minute, I'll rub off some of the mud with my paw," he meowed, meeting her in the stream and once again balancing on three paws to use a front paw to ease the mud clump out of her fur.

---

TAGGED: Fae Magic
NOTES: And now he's learned his manners lmao

IT HAS A LANGUAGE OF ITS OWN.

[Fae Magic]

Ivoryrose could tell that the tom was starting to lose his irritation gradually as he came to join her by the water side and she was glad for that; she really didn't want to have an argument over something so silly with her older clan mate especially since she was only joking around with him and meant no insult to him at calling him out thinking he could not fish. He was older then her by a good 20 moons and had been one of the strongest swimmers and greatest fishers within the clan in his time she was sure of it with one glance over his frame. She looked tinier compared to him whether they were in the water or not. At least they were getting clean though even if the water was freezing. She glanced over at the other and gave a wry smile at his comment about the apprentices and nodded her head; her wry smile turning rueful as she agreed with him with a dry humored chuckle. 

"Unfortunately, even if they are warriors they are rather childish anyways so yes you could say I've played with apprentices for too long. It's been awhile since I've had adult conversations with anyone to be honest. I tend to stay to myself often enough that no one wants to talk to me and for good reason too because they probably know I don't have patience for idiots and would give them a cuff over the ears if they dared." she shrugged and looked down into the depths of water around her chest; she could see the forms of fish around them in the murky depths but did not try and dive for one.

Her attention snapped back over towards the other when he suddenly seemed to look at her fully for the first time since she met him out here and looked sheepish as he realized he had gotten her fur all muddy. She gave an amused smile; no longer mad that he had gotten her fur splattered seeing as he was actually looking like a kit who realized he did something wrong on accident and was apologizing. At least he was apologizing. Others would have done it with a half heart or just laugh it off expecting her to be okay with it. She smiled over at him and shook her head quickly jumping to reassure him that it was okay as she knew he didn't mean to do it on purpose. 

"Don't be silly, it's alright really. I know you didn't realize it. It's all good. That's why the river is here for anyways." she shrugged quickly. 

She wasn't really that surprised to hear that he was one to like to be alone himself as he wasn't often seen with anyone else around other then Moosejaw or himself all alone at the rarest times when he was not with Moosejaw. Ivoryrose was a bit guilty that she had not stopped by to say hi to him very often but like she said she didn't have the time to deal with others when she was paranoid they would just annoy the heck out of her. She looked a bit surprised whenever he waded over towards her with the offer to help her wash off the mud he caused to cling to her fur. She was not used to companionship let alone having someone help her like that. She frankly wasn't used to contact all that much; oh goodness only if her parents had seen her right then they would have a heart attack. She smiled slightly at the older man and stood still while he splashed her with the water and rubbed off as much of the mudd that he could to help her get clean. The water would clean most of it but she would have to groom herself later but it was the thought that counted at least. She smiled slightly over at him and made a careful watch to make sure he didn't slip in the water. He was heavier set then her so he wouldn't have to worry too much with the rushing water unlike her but she made sure to stay blocked by some of his frame so that the water wouldn't topple her over into it's depths. 

"Thanks Elkheart. I appreciate it." she gave him a almost shy smile. As she was not used to getting any sort of caring attention from anyone whether it was romantic or paternal or even companionship wise. She soon found herself relaxing under his ministrations and watched him from the corner of her eye.

"Would you like me to return the favor? I know I didn't cause it but I wouldn't mind helping you wash off if you needed it. The least I could do." she offered flicking an ear towards him and tipped her head curiously. 

Katara

[Katara]

THE
HEART

AND THE HEART IS HARD TO TRANSLATE

E

lkheart gazed at her, content to listen to her and mull over her words. "I doubt no one wants to talk to you," he reasoned. She seemed open enough, or maybe she was just in an open mood, and she certainly wasn't lacking in looks. "Do you believe you're surrounded by idiots?" he asked, genuinely curious; he often wondered about others' way of thinking, what made them tick, what they were interested in, and he didn't have anything better to do right now than learn more about Ivoryrose.

To be honest, he hadn't interacted much with the other she-cat until now - though, the same could be said for many of his Clanmates. Beyond going on patrols with fellow warriors, and mentoring the few apprentices he had, he didn't go out of his way to get to know anyone else besides those he'd already known for a long time - namely, Moosejaw, Horizonlight, and Hickoryfoot. Despite that, he never felt lonely, just a little embarrassed that he had no one to share tongues with besides his brother most of the time. He'd been trying to change that for awhile, or had at least considered it - he wasn't all that great about carrying out a thought like that. At least now, he wasn't doing too horribly with Ivoryrose, he thought as he worked the clumps of mud out of her pale fur.

He narrowed his eyes at the tiny spots that remained stubbornly set in her fur, but knew he couldn't do anything else. "There," he meowed. "You'll probably still have to give yourself a good wash later, but I got most of it." She eyed him from her position, and thanked him. His ears suddenly grew hot at the change in her tone, almost something like shyness. "N-no problem," he stammered, uncharacteristically. He was not as smooth as Moosejaw when it came to she-cats. He cleared his throat, annoyed with himself that something so small had caught him off guard.

Elkheart was about ready to clamber out of the stream and back to the cove, when Ivoryrose offered him the same favor he'd granted her, making him look back at her. "Oh - sure. The situation is a little dire on my chest," he admitted, knowing the thick fur on his chest would still be matted with mud despite his bath. He turned fully toward her, determined to remain impassive; he was not used to physical contact, but didn't exactly avoid it or dislike it either.

---

TAGGED: Fae Magic
NOTES: --

IT HAS A LANGUAGE OF ITS OWN.

[Fae Magic]

IvoryRose looked a bit embarrassed whenever he had so curiously asked if she really thought her clan mates were idiots. That gave her pause. She could say yes because honestly not a lot of people appealed to her nature and they did act stupid to her knowledge as she is a rather logical she cat who uses her brain more then she does relax unless with certain cats within the clan but she didn't want to really lie and say no cause then she'd go against her own logic. She gave the older tom a strained look and a bit of embarrassment leaked through as she replied to him trying to explain her reasoning and not offend him at the same time. She did not particularly think he of all cats was an idiot as he had gained and earned his title as a warrior through hard work and experience in the many moons so she had respect for that but others who acted like kits and apprentices far too often just rubbed her the wrong way. 

"W-Well I mean not everyone acts like an idiot of course! More of the younger warriors I guess who haven't had the experience to talk about to gain maturity. Which frankly is half this clan already. Most of the cats I deal with are of the younger of the half so it just seems like that to me or I'm just being a jerk and not thinking very well when it comes to others...I'm not very social as you may have well known of me ElkHeart." she gave a strained smile. 

"I could of course be wrong. I'm not social enough to get to know others to know if they are truly an idiot...honestly, I probably should learn a thing or two from the younger ones; I have been told often enough that I need to loosen up and stop being so stern and logical all the time." she shrugged and looked away from him.

It was true though, she hadn't spent enough time to everyone to gain the impression from experiencing the many personalities around her from a closer bond then just watching them from afar. She didn't have a real right to judge or call someone an idiot or not because she truly didn't understand them at a basic and personal level like a lot of her clan mates did. The only ones she had been close to were her siblings and particularly SkyChaser. But it was the way she was raised she assumed; her parents hadn't been the kindest when it came to raising her and her sister; they expected too much and shoved their ideals on her and GreyLeaf far too much that they were probably the responsible ones that made IvoryRose want to be distant to the very clan she grew up in. Her face fell at the thought and she yet again cursed her parents for their own stupidity. They had sort of ruined her kit hood and made it harder for IvoryRose to emotionally attached herself to anyone other then ShyChaser much to their disgust. 

Shaking her head she forced her attention back to ElkHeart and try to steer the conversation to a new topic as she figured the other probably didn't need to know of her family drama although he probably had seen and heard it whenever it had been going on as he was older then her and had been a warrior while she was a kit and probably knew her parents and how they were. She gave him a small smile of thanks for his help on helping her clean up the mud from her white fur and glanced down at the spots that he had forementioned probably needed a more personal grooming session to get rid of the stain but she didn't mind. She nodded towards him and turned his way. 

"Come here then! I'll help you get that out." she chirped trying to be a bit more on the brighter side; she needed to get out of her gloomy thoughts so as not to mess up her first encounter with one of her clan mates that wasn't all business like. 

She began splashing water across his chest and using her claws to gingerly scrape some of the mud off of his fur. He had rather thick fur and she winced slightly whenever her claws yanked on a tangle; giving him an apologetic look before continuing trying to be a lot more careful. 

"So how's everything been for you back at camp? I haven't really had the chance to talk to you personally before. What's your day been like?" she asked. 

she didn't want to be all like 'I watch people from afar and do my job but don't know about your day so tell me in detail what you usually do?' that would just be creepy like she was trying to dissect him or something which obviously she wasn't but she wasn't used to chatting normally like this with someone willing to listen and talk with her on matters outside of duty. She liked ElkHeart. He was an older warrior who she admired for his experience and skill and now come to find out was a sweetheart; she knew he could easily become an ally and a good friend if he wanted her company more often; that was if she didn't royally screw up her chance of making a new friend that was

Katara

[Katara]

THE
HEART

AND THE HEART IS HARD TO TRANSLATE

F

or a moment, Elkheart didn't think Ivoryrose was going to answer him, but then she started speaking and he became further intrigued with every word that left her mouth. Though he personally didn't mind the attitude some younger cats had, he could understand how it would rub others' fur the wrong way. "Maybe you keep being put with the younger ones because someone's getting ready to make you a mentor," he suggested, twitching his whiskers with amusement. It wasn't an unlikely idea, actually; he'd experienced something of the same when he'd finally been appointed a mentor to Hickoryfoot many moons ago. Being put with the younger warriors and apprentices was a test sometimes to see how one would handle being a mentor. "I don't believe you're being a jerk," he went on, "as long as you pretend to tolerate them." His eyes danced, though as she went on and admitted she wasn't very social, he knew he related very much to this.

Elkheart shrugged his broad shoulders. "It's a give and take situation, I think. You could do to teach the younger ones more about maturity, and the younger ones could teach you how to loosen up a little. Though, I say this and don't follow it at all," he added dryly. "I've been accused of needing to loosen up as well, so... welcome to the club. You're in decent company." He flicked his tail over her ears, hoping he was coming off as warm and not awkward. He was out of practice interacting with anyone that wasn't in his small circle, and with others his personality tended to fluctuate between gruff and stoic to awkward and unbalanced. At least Ivoryrose could experience all disastrous aspects of his personality before deciding if she wanted to continue to be friendly with him or not.

He rejoined her deeper in the water, where he stood very still as the she-cat worked at getting the clumped mud out of his thick fur. He could feel the tugging at his chest, and resisted making any noise in response to it, not wanting her to think something like this was painful at all to him. It was, and it wasn't; it was the kind of pain that he would like to hiss at, not any sort of lasting pain. "Don't worry, you're not hurting me," he reassured her, catching her apologetic look.

So how's everything been for you back at camp? I haven't really had the chance to talk to you personally before. What's your day been like?

Elkheart thought for a moment, reflecting for a heartbeat how rare it was he was asked something like this. StarClan, what was his day like? "Not too bad - I've got a new apprentice, I believe he's back at camp having a meal at the moment. I'll likely be training with him most days until he can join hunting and border patrols without me. Otherwise... I'm sure you're familiar with the way I spend the rest of my time, it's not so different from how you spend yours, from what I've heard," he quipped. "I'm not very social either, so this is very different for me. In a good way, I think." As if he had to clarify. He pricked his ears at her, tilting his head. "What about you? Do you have kin you spend time with otherwise?"

---

TAGGED: Fae Magic
NOTES: Sorry for the wait on this!!

IT HAS A LANGUAGE OF ITS OWN.

[Fae Magic]

It surprised her a little that Elkheart would say something to the affect of her being tested for an apprentice. Yes, Ivoryrose was known for being a rather dedicated and if not a bit obsessed with her duties; but she was not the best when it came to social interactions? She purposefully made herself closed off from others; yes she still talked to her clan mates but when it came to actually bonding she was not a very experienced cat in that sort of department.The very thought of her taking on an apprentice almost made her cringe; she hoped that it was not the case. She wasn't a mean cat, just socially distant and awkward. She only let a certain few into her extremely tight circle and that was her brother Skychaser and her sister Greyleaf. No one else had been able to gain her trust and her interest to be able to be close to her before. Not that she hated others or younger cats; she just didn't know how to handle them. Even if deep down in her soul she knew she wanted to raise a family someday and have kits of her own. Her goal and dream was to change the world from how she grew up in and show others that it was okay to be different. Guess she wasn't doing too hot of a job there as she had thought or wanted. 

"It's not pretending...I'm just not used to others is all. I don't let many into my group of close people I like to have around me...namely two others which happen to be my siblings." she replied ruefully. 

She hoped though that Elkheart would want to be her friend as she was starting to find out that watching someone from afar was not always the true tall tale of who they were on the inside. She liked this tom and hoped they could be friends. They were much alike and he seemed eager enough to talk to her and get to know her unlike others thus far that she has tried to talk to on the rare occasion. His statement about learning from one another and his personality made her laugh a little. They were much alike and stubborn as well it seemed. Ivoryrose wasn't one who liked to be told what to do and having to do it unless she wanted to even if she was dutiful to her clan. Somethings were just harder for her to say yes too and being told how she should act outside of her clan duties was one of her pet peeves. 

"I agree with you on that though." she shook her head in amusement. "It's different when you are being told what to do when it comes to the safety and thriving of the clan but another when they stand back and dare to tell you how you should act when you aren't doing your duties." she huffed a little at that. "Definitely not something I like but people do enjoy giving their opinions where it's not wanted. That's partly why I don't like to be around the younger of the clan...the way I see it they often like to talk smack as if they understand who you are." she shrugged. 

She had not seen the gesture coming her way and it surprised her a little as she was not used to being physically touched and it made her look at him curiously before waiting on him to wade into the water with her. She didn't know what else to say on the matter and decided to not say anything at all and instead focus on helping him get clean before she changed the subject quickly and tried to start a new conversation that wasn't as personal as their feelings. She glanced up at him curiously as she listened to his retelling of his day and vaguely remembered that he had gained a new apprentice as Ferngaze was no longer able to train Sablepaw and Elkheart had been chosen to be his new mentor. She hummed thoughtfully in return to that and gave a wry smile at his quip. Yes, she did know most of what everyone did during the day when she was back in camp so it was no real surprise that they spent their days much the same as she often saw him around; maybe with having a new apprentice would help him become more social just like he had told her with how much youngsters she had been milled a bit around. 

"I tend to like to keep to myself as you well know. Whether it's joining hunting patrols or any sort of patrols really to get my out of camp. I don't like being so confined half the time so I don't stay in camp as much as possible. Hence partly why others probably haven't had to chance to get to know me fully and give me the chance to be a social butterfly. Or it's just me." she chuckled shrugging. 

"I don't often come out for a thrill walk or anything like that so meeting you here was a surprise. Not that I'm complaining. I do understand needing some space and needing time alone so I'm glad you didn't seem too opposed to my company. Seems like we both needed it despite the..social aspect of our personalities." she smiled splashing a bit more water across his chest before stepping back.

"There all done, from what I can get at least. The rest you're going to have to do." she said but she did seemed pleased she got the majority of it. 

"And to your last statement no...I mean yes I do have kin. Skychaser and Greyleaf but I've been throwing myself into my work for so long that I haven't been giving them my time like I've been wanting to..." she seemed a bit sad about that. Regretful as she did miss family time with her brother and sister. They were busy too though so it wasn't just her fault.

Katara

[Katara]

THE
HEART

AND THE HEART IS HARD TO TRANSLATE

A

t this point, the two cats' similarities were almost chilling. It's not pretending... I'm just not used to others is all. I don't let many into my group of close people I like to have around me... namely two others which happen to be my siblings. Elkheart had to bite back a response that would've seemed dreadfully self-deprecating: Sounds like someone else I know - me. Ever since he was an apprentice, he'd drawn within himself just to keep his mentor from disapproving of his behavior. Looking back now, especially after having been a mentor himself, he knew it had been foolish of him to be so intimidated by his mentor to the point he quit socializing with others over it. At the end of the day, there was nothing a mentor could do to punish their apprentice that could actually prevent them from becoming a warrior if they were worthy enough. But a mentor could have the power to break a cat's self-esteem and bonds with others, and that's what she'd done to Elkheart.

"You're right," he commented after the she-cat went on, reflecting on her words. "No cat should be able to tell you how you should act. It's easier to let the young be young, and let the old... are we old?" He wrinkled his nose, letting out a short purr of amusement. "You know what I mean. But if it's within our ability to change for the better, we should. That goes for younger cats too," he added. He thought this line of thinking was logical, but he was big on self-doubt, and he didn't often voice such contemplative things aloud. He did want to get better, to improve himself, and not just as a warrior; as a Clanmate, he lacked severely by not being there for his Clan emotionally or even platonically. Maybe he could step it up for Ivoryrose to start, who seemed so very much like him it seemed like a sign, and that would be a pawstep in the right direction.

It was surprisingly peaceful out here, and his anxiety and awkwardness about having a conversation with someone else had somewhat faded by now as he found an unexpected kinship with the she-cat before him. He listened to her speak, watching the water tug his fur gently downstream. "I can understand disliking being confined in camp," he agreed. "When I start pacing is usually when it's time for me to get out. Moosejaw never lets me down for a good race if I need it." He flicked his tail, dipping his head slightly. "I'm glad you came across me, even though I was in an off mood at first." He flicked an ear in embarrassment, but at least she'd been in good humor about it all. "I agree we might've both needed it. And, thank you," he added, glancing down briefly at his chest fur to find it was now free of clumps. He couldn't tell how dirty it might be since he was still wet, but he'd worry about that later.

He began to make his way out of the stream, water running in rivulets down his pelt. Thanks to the oil in the fish he ate though, he'd probably be dry in no time; his pelt had always had a hard time getting completely soaked, just like any RainClan cat. "It's a shame you've not spend as much time with your kin. I don't know what I'd do without Moosejaw." He shook out his fur once on the bank, spraying droplets of water everywhere. "Maybe we ought to catch something on the way back to camp, and you can share them with your littermates. Or, if they're not around, you can always share with me." He shrugged.

---

TAGGED: Fae Magic
NOTES: --

IT HAS A LANGUAGE OF ITS OWN.

[Fae Magic]

The more Ivoryrose listened to the long furred tom talk the more amused she got and the more content she became. She could listen to him talk all day if given the chance; of course nothing to make a romantic notion about. She was glad to have a friend finally who she enjoyed listening to and talking to who understood her and her thoughts as they were very much alike. He was a calming presence that she needed to help calm the struggle her mind undertakes most of the time. As she worked and enjoyed the cold water rushing around them she listened to his words; a half smile of amusement on her face as she peered up at him with a tilted head and entertainment in her amber gaze. 

"I like to think we aren't too old. 45 moons is old I would hate to tell the others older then that that they are ancient and that the elders are already a pile of skin and bones." she quipped back before shaking her head and stepping back from the tom to wash her paws off.

"I don't mind change; I believe change is much needed in this world but it doesn't have to be so annoying when it comes to the younglings." she shrugged to herself and sighed. 

Honestly, change is something that everyone goes through and need to go through to survive whatever is thrown their way. She couldn't help but think that her changing to tolerate the young warriors is not something she would be too keen on. She was not much of a teacher and preferred to show that actions speak louder then words. And she was a solo cat for as long as she could remember except when it came to her siblings of course until the recent moons of old. Thinking back on it, a lot had changed.

Her gaze turned back to him as they stood in the water for a moment longer just enjoying the silence that came with the last voice opinion and the sound of the gentle waters around them. It was broken by Elkheart who began to talk again about the frustrations of being stuck in camp and it brought a rueful smile to her face as she listened. Oh she understood it just as much as he did the agitation it brings to cats like themselves. 

"Oh trust me I know what you mean. Why do you think I'm always gone from camp most of the time working my tail off until my paws bleed?" she questioned splashing water idly with a paw. "It's stifling in camp and the noise drives me crazy with so many cats. It's better out here where the world seems bigger and less chaotic." she made a face. 

The mood changed a minute later when he suddenly seemed to grow sheepish at the mention of meeting up with her. She smiled at him warmly after a moment of studying him and shook her head before standing up and nudging him playfully with her shoulder as she went to start for the bank of the river. 

"Well, I guess it was a sign from Starclan that they wanted us to stop being grumpy old folks." she teased. "I'm glad I met you here as well, it's been a pleasure talking with you and I find myself less stressed then I was earlier." she agreed as she climbed her way out of the water and shook herself off.

Her fur stuck in all sorts of odd angles and she sat down to groom them back into place as she continued speaking through her grooming licks. "Good thing it's not cold out here or else you'll have a harder time getting that water out of your fur." she joked giving him a once over. 

He was soaked wet from the water and she was so not envious at the fact that he had long fur unlike her own short white fur. She had it easy to not having to worry about getting chilled anytime she wanted to dip her paws in some water source to take a swim. She looked around the area before tipping her chin towards a sunny spot. 

"Lets go sit there first and dry off before we go hunting; maybe it'll help you dry off and keep you from catching a cold. I'd hate to be the receiving end of Dewfrost's frustration if you come down with a cold. We can go hunting once we have dried off; there is no need to rush back to camp as we both know now that we hate that place." she offered as she padded to the brightly lit patch of sunlight.

Katara

[Katara]

THE
HEART

AND THE HEART IS HARD TO TRANSLATE

W

hat a strange, funny thing Fate was. All along he could've shared so many of his thoughts with this she-cat, if only he'd known how well they'd get along. He shook his head, amused at her words, though the elders would probably find it as funny as they did, if not funnier. There was something about getting old that made cats have a better sense of humor about things. Well, most cats, he thought, considering his former mentor who was about ready to retire to the elders' den. There'd be no good humor out of her, just spitting crankiness until she was buried.

Despite everything she'd put him through, the thought amused him nonetheless, and he was able to enjoy the length of silence between him and Ivoryrose as they relaxed in the stream they stood in. It was when he broke it that she spoke up again, speaking words he once again, found only too relatable. "It's stifling in camp and the noise drives me crazy with so many cats. It's better out here where the world seems bigger and less chaotic." Yes, that was a good way to describe it. The world was much less chaotic out on a hunting patrol, or just walking around by himself. He always felt a bit awful about it when he felt restless in camp, or was in a poor mood that couldn't be fixed until he left, feeling for a panicked minute that maybe he wasn't suited to be a Clan cat. "You nailed it," he agreed. "There was a period of time where I felt like I might be better off as a loner. But I don't think even loners like being loners." And, besides, he'd miss Moosejaw after about two sunrises.

As they clambered out of the stream, Ivoryrose nudged him playfully and he scoffed with the same teasing energy. "Oh, there's nothing StarClan can do about that. Speak for yourself - I'm going to be grumpy and old until I die, and that's that!" He looked at her, eyes dancing at the sight of her white fur stuck out everywhere. "Good thing it's not cold out here or you'd have trouble getting your fur to look normal!" he teased. At least his fur lay in the same direction even when it was sopping wet. Surprisingly, he was enjoying the bit of quarreling they were sharing; it reminded him a bit of the rapport he and his first apprentice had. It felt natural, like he didn't have to try hard to make it happen.

Following her nod, he looked toward the patch of tantalizing sunlight a little ways off. Though it was newleaf, every cat still ran a risk of catching illness with the varying temperatures of the season, so he figured Ivoryrose was probably right. Plus, he could think of no better idea than relaxing in the sunlight right now. "Hate is a strong word, but... patches of sunlight are hard to come by in camp." Elders and queens usually took them, and if he was being entirely honest, he really didn't want to go back to camp right now. He was relaxed now, and going back to the relative swarm of noise sounded exhausting at the moment. Enjoying the quiet with Ivoryrose sounded far better. She followed the pale she-cat, flopping down on the grass and letting out a sigh as the warmth washed over him immediately. "After a long leafbare, you almost forget what warmth feels like," he joked. The wind teased through the branches of the trees above them. "This is nice," he sighed, stretching out his paws above his head as even his fur seemed to relax in the rays of the sun. "Am I old if I fall asleep here?" Only too many times had he witnessed elders fall into a deep slumber in their patches of sunlight, not moving even when the path of sunlight changed and moved across the clearing.

---

TAGGED: Fae Magic
NOTES: --

IT HAS A LANGUAGE OF ITS OWN.