a new leader's relief [raggedclaws]

[✄ – – – VANYA!]

It'd been a long, stressful day.

In fact, that was the grandest understatement of the moon. Scarredstar had gone from a young warrior with a missing eye, to the leader of AspenClan. The losses of Icestar and Creektwist were unfortunate, but he hoped that he would prove a good successor. As he looked over the camp, at the cats who were now relying on him, he felt a mixture of worry and pride. If he failed them...but he had to have faith that he wouldn't.

He rose, tiredly, from the hollow log that served as his new den. It still smelled faintly of Icestar. He missed her, but there was no time in the day to worry over what was gone. He padded out of his den and nodded politely to the warriors he passed. He ignored the fresh-kill pile, though he felt a rumbling in his belly, only noticing that it was running a bit low. The warriors were so busy trying to train their apprentices, they probably had barely any time to hunt anymore. He set aside a mental note to take Miragepaw out on a hunting patrol later that day, and continued on out of the camp. Barely any cats acknowledged him. He preferred it that way.

He flicked his tail, opening his mouth and tasting the air. He could scent old crisscrossed scents of various forest creatures overlaid by the rich earthy smell that was common in the territory. The tom sat for a moment in the quiet company of the trees, dappled light falling over his pelt. He needed time to think, away from other Clan members. He knew he wouldn't get much time alone now, but he was fine with that. He had duties now, duties that he was honoured to fulfill.

Scarredstar swung his head about, movements exaggerated in order to make up for his blind right side. He'd caught the scent of one of the senior warriors, and was trying to locate him. He'd never been the best at locating.

"Raggedclaws?" he called.

[Kathryn]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,600,true][atrb=height,500,true]

[atrb=width,300,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=291d0f] Lost again, as usual, Raggedclaws padded impatiently through AspenClan territory, looking for something that could lead him back to camp. However, as per usual, he couldn’t, and ended up walking in circles or pacing countless fox lengths across the territory like a confused elder. Snorting, he picked up his prize – a young fox that had tried to defeat him – and headed back. It’s fangs would make a nice trophy for his nest. Every cat knew that whatever he killed, he would take something back to camp just to adorn his personal space. Since he couldn’t fit in any of the dens, it was the least he could do to keep him warm... And keep other cats back if he was sleeping. "Raggedclaws?" Twitching his nose, he lifted his head and pushed his way over toward the scent of another cat; one that had recently gained a high rank. Suddenly he barged out of the bushes behind Scarredstar – AspenClan’s leader. Why he had been called Scarredstar was beyond Raggedclaws; he had countless more scars hidden under his thick Maine Coon pelt than this cat, who appeared as if he should be in the Elder’s den. Despite the Leader being tall, Raggedclaws towered over him. The Warrior was colossal in size; a cat that was big for his breed, which was the biggest as it were already. “What?” Muttered Raggedclaws, though it wasn’t too much of a question. He wasn’t bothered, nor did he care what Scarredstar wanted. As far as Raggedclaws was concerned, he was just another thorn in his side; one that would eventually be removed. While Raggedclaws didn’t care much for leading AspenClan, it was increasingly annoying to see so many cats pass him in rank, even if he didn’t truly belong in AspenClan. He wasn’t a Warrior who abided by the Warrior code as often as others wished; they kept him in the Clan because he had asked for a home, and out of pure fear of what he would do if they decided to try and kick him out. The tone that had been in his voice was filled with boredom, disinterest and tiredness. Absently he dropped the young fox at the cat’s paws and lay down, his body thumping against the dead, brown, cracked leaves that littered the ground. Unsheathing his murderous, curved claws, they flexed and scraped earth against his pads, and his tail whipped around behind him tediously, thumping almost in a primitive rhythm. Locked onto Scarredstar’s eye were his own two, brilliant gold ones, which blazed brighter than a thousand suns... OoC; Word Count; 430 Tags; Raggedclaws, Scarredstar Post Synopsis; Raggedclaws meets Scarredstar at Snakepath, dragging with him a dead fox. He asks what Scarredstar wants, and is lazily lying on the ground. Doing (Absolutely nothing. -is glared at by Raggedclaws-) Speaking (Speaking? More like threatening... -is backed into a corner-) Thinking (Well technically I don't need this because Raggedclaws DOESN'T THINK -is clawed-) "Your cat talking" (Your cat's still alive? HOW DOES THAT WORK!? RAGGEDCLAWS, GET HIM/HER/IT!)