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Post by Yellowstar on Nov 11, 2010 13:42:26 GMT -5
The sun's faint warmth could not penetrate the canopy of pine trees. The forest beneath was nothing more but cold and darkness with each passing day. There were no birds, no animals and no plants among the tree trunks, for the greedy snow had chased them all away so that it could spread over the forest like some disease. It was not difficult to survive if you knew how to take care of yourself. Heighten your sense of smell, learn where all prey hid, quicken your reflexes to spring at a moment's notice and let no creature escape. Those were the rules of leafbare, and although he had only lived through two before, he knew them well.
But he was not hunting today. The male cat prowled through his territory, keeping low to the ground and alert for any other cats nearby, but he was not watching for prey. Foxclaw had made his way to the border- the greenleaf Thunderpath, and now he stood several lengths away, tasting the air once more. The RiverClan scent was faint, muffled by the snow, and the tom could tell that there hadn't been any border patrols passing by that day. Perhaps they had simply forgotten about patrols, or they were so busy trying to find food that they didn't have enough cats to send to the border. Foxclaw chuckled a bit at that thought; in moons past ShadowClan had never sacrificed border patrols for food. Who cared about prey when the other Clans thought you were weak and couldn't even check the border once a day? Borders first, to make sure the other Clans were keeping within their boundaries and not getting too gutsy, then look for prey. That would be the way things would run if he was in charge of a Clan.
That was the way Longstar had run things. A true leader, worried about the overall safety of her Clan rather than a few pieces of fresh-kill. It made Foxclaw's fur bristle to think of the half-warrior that was calling himself ShadowClan's leader now. He had held out after Longstar had chosen him as her deputy, hoping that his admired leader would realize her mistake or that the deputy would end up a casualty of battle, but neither happened. And now that Longstar was dead he knew that things would change, but not for the better. The stories that queens told their kits about the greatness of ShadowClan, how they were the terror of the forest that that cats cowered before them, would eventually cease to be told. ShadowClan was going to become a Clan that feared making others fear them, stop being what made them ShadowClan.
Foxclaw clawed at the ground, his anger rising. He could not stay there any longer and watch as the Clan he had worked for so long be destroyed. His only other choice would be to leave the Clans altogether, to become a rogue and live off the outskirts of Clan territory. He wasn't that dishonorable. So he had settled on the Clan past the small Thunderpath. Their leader was irresponsible and not as battle-driven as Longstar had been, but he would prefer this Clan over ThunderClan. The Clan on the other side of ShadowClan's territory had recently had a new leader step up as well, and he was likely just as bad, if not worse than ShadowClan's new leader.
Foxclaw was aware that his ginger pelt made him stick out sharply, like blood spattered onto a snowbird's wings. It was something he always had to adapt to during leafbare, but now it was to his advantage. He wanted to be found by some cat, that way it would be all the more easier to get in. Scenting the air once more, Foxclaw stiffened and looked into RiverClan's territory. He could smell RiverClan scent nearby.
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Post by Amber on Dec 1, 2010 19:46:31 GMT -5
It was nice to see that the water in the lake had not frozen over, it was becoming quite chilly and soon that would become a problem. Fish were still swimming, warriors were still catching them, and apprentices were learning how to catch the slippery creatures. At least RiverClan wasn't starving to death. That was a good thing. But with the temperature dropping more and more as the days go by, the young deputy could not help but worry if there would be enough food to go around. Oh well, maybe the idiots would starve. Or maybe they would go insane like the previous deputy and starve themselves to death. Less mouths to feed.
Not too much in the mood to go fishing with the rest of the clan, she had broken off from the patrol she was on. They could take care of themselves, and she sure was plenty a match for anyone that came her way. Cherryfur didn't really have bonds in the clan. Not many cats had she ever befriended. Really all she had was her littermates. Then again, her best friend was now the opposite of fun. The thoughts of her earlier days flashed through her mind, and a smile was brought to her face at remembering how troublesome she used to be. No one was safe around her and her littermates. But times had changed, and so had she. When her 'sister' had found a mate, their relationship seemed to deteriorate and they really haven't spoken much in the past few moons, which was part of the reason Cherryfur was no longer such a prankster.
As the she-cat padded through the territory, she thought about catching something, but instead she thought it be best to patrol the borders. Bringing along another cat would just be pointless. She could fend for herself. She hated that she had such ginger fur that stuck out. Leafbare was always fun for her when it came to catching prey that wasn't fish. Oh well, she wasn't prey hunting today....not anymore.
As she made her way to the thunderpath, she looked around the area. Not much going on here. Seemed ShadowClan was quiet. Though she did spot a noticeable spot of ginger fur, and curious the deputy padded closer. It was the cat that had been on a patrol with those three idiots! Her fur bristled at the thought of the face of those mouse-brained cats.
"Where is your group of friends you were with last time we met? You looked like such good friends." Cherryfur chuckled at the memory of the toms arguing. "Or did you just hoping you would see me again?" |
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Post by Yellowstar on Jan 15, 2011 17:32:30 GMT -5
It was quiet. No branches rustled with the scurrying of prey, not even any birds chirped up above, all abandoned their homes for warmer places. It was so quiet that Foxclaw could hear his own breathing. His breath came out in puffs, and his tail twitched as he shivered a bit, cursing inwardly at his decision to stand completely still while it was the middle of leafbare and freezing. His eyes remained focused on RiverClan's territory, his nose picking up the scent that seemed to be coming closer. While he was sure this was going to be unexpected and there was no telling how the RiverClan cat (or cats) would react, he had fully decided on his choice and would be joining this Clan whether they liked it or not. StarClan help those who got in his way.
As the scent drew nearer, Foxclaw scanned the undergrowth on the other side of the border for any movement; a simple rustle of some ferns, crunching of snow, or even a glimpse of fur would tip him off to other cats being nearby. However it was still quiet as he watched, and he silently applauded the RiverClan cat for its stealth; it seemed that ShadowClan wasn't the only Clan able to keep quiet while patrolling. He recalled several instances where some rowdy ThunderClan cats had all but stomped through the forest, alerting the ShadowClan patrol long before they spotted the ThunderClan cats. Some warriors they had been.
At last another cat made itself known, emerging from the forest to meet him where he stood at the border. A she-cat with a ginger pelt much like his own was the first thing that he realized when he laid eyes on her. The second thing he realized was that she must have some courage to step out and confront him like this- a ShadowClan tom who could easily have had other warriors waiting in the bushes for a signal to attack. The third thing he realized was that this was RiverClan's deputy, Cherryfur.
His eyes narrowed a bit as he looked her over, noting once again how similar they both looked, and wondered if a deputy would readily accept him or not. If only it had been a simple warrior he had met, or even an apprentice. That would have increased his chances, but then again, he didn't need luck. As he considered her rather snide and bold comments, he let a mildly surprised smirk cross his face. So she remembered him.
"Hardly. I don't consider every cat I patrol with to be my friend. Speaking of which, where is your patrol? Or do you prefer the risk of going alone?" Yes, he told himself, cats should know the dangers of patrolling alone near the ShadowClan border.
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Post by Amber on Feb 27, 2011 21:09:16 GMT -5
The deputy's ears were alert, actually hoping this was a trap. Ooh, a trap would be wonderful. She could just see it now, being attacked by a huge patrol of cats, and their flesh being dug into by both her claws and teeth. The salty taste of blood was something she could taste now, so warm and delicious. But she would, of course, spit it out. Why would she poison herself with ShadowClan blood? Who knows what it would do to her! There was no way she would be getting sick, not anytime soon. Who would be her replacement as deputy while she was sick? Was there any warriors in the clan that weren't insane. Well, off the top of her head she could name three, and only those three would she slightly trust.
It looked as if this wasn't a trap and she would have to actually converse. Oh how she hated conversation! Action was more her forte. True grit action was what made her who she was. But this tom seemed to be quite intriguing. He actually knew how to hold a decent conversation, that was more than she could say for half her clanmates.
"Hmm, and here I thought you all socialized in camp with eachother, enjoying the company. You mean to tell me you aren't friends? That highly disappoints me." The smug look was back on Cherryfur's face. Finally, a cat that wasn't an idiot. Why couldn't he be in her clan?
"I prefer patrolling with those who aren't loud and obnoxious, which can be quite hard to find. And the risk of going alone is just something I am willing to take. To some it may be lonely, to me it is peace." It wasn't like she couldn't take care of herself anyway. She was highly capable of that.
"Speaking of alone, I noticed you are out here all alone yourself. You mean to tell me someone isn't out looking for you?"
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