Making Conversation(night scene, open)

[wisescar]

Wisescar exited from the warrior's den in a thoughtful mood. Then again, when was he not thoughtful? When the sun was up and even when the moon was high, he always seemed to be pondering something, whether it be the sounds of nature or of that dreadful night when he was chased from his home far away from the clan he was in now. It had been a night just like tonight. Cloudless and starry. And rather too quiet for its own good. The silence unsettled him. Because in the silence, he could still hear the kit whimpering, begging for its life. Crying. If he had stayed and fought, could he have still saved the kit? Would there have been a chance? His mind thought no, but his heart felt yes. Pushing the memory out of his mind, he walked out into the middle of camp and stared up at the moon in the sky. At the sight of it, the tension he had been feeling melted away. The white sphere in the sky was a sight to see.

He sat down and curled his tail around his paws, clearing his mind. Taking a deep breath, Wisescar whispered, "Are you up there...or is there nothing in the stars above?"

[brackengaze]

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

[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=3d759a] The large ginger apprentice had been dozing beside the apprentices den. He would rather have slept outside the den than inside beside his clan mates. His bulk combined with the limited space made for cramped quarters. And with his bushy fur he did not need a nest every night. Every once in a while he would sleep in the den, but not tonight. While he trusted the night guard, he constantly had an ear pricked forth for danger. Soon the sun would rise and he could go about his day, but apparently it needed to be disturbed early. Opening one deep blue eye that was glowing in the dark so he could see the apprentice spotted Wisescar coming out, talking to himself. Hissing in annoyance he lifted his head, "Would you mind shutting your trap Wisescar, some cats actually worked today, we did not daydream and whisper prayers to Starclan," he said in a cold tone. Apparently the apprentice was still in a foul mood. His mind constantly on one thing, training. And since Raggedclaws was doing a poor job at best Shriekingvoice was who he truly looked up to. The cat had been deputy, he thought, probably not the best way, which was why the cat was now in the Place of No Stars, but Seapaw could go about it a better way. He could go about it a right way, a proud way. Doing Speaking Thinking "Your cat talking"

[Juniper]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=height,290,true]

[atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=5f4e4a] It was a cold night. Amidst a swirling mass of harsh black were a sprinkling of rusty stars, scattered haphazardly throughout the sleepless sky. A bright, blinding moon seemed to glare at its subjects below, fixing all with a distant, cool look of a monarch. But it was still a hopeful night. Opportunities and anticipation abound, life swayed with chances and beginnings. And caught in the middle, Mothkit could only feel her heart lift and soar like the eagles one might see on a rare occasion. Tonight, she was to alter her path of fate forever. Tonight she would visit AspenClan, and it would never be the same. As a newborn kit with muddled thoughts of an inherited hatred and a scheming mind twisted with evil deeds, she had always sought to rule those cats she barely knew. She did know she would become a great leader, if only everyone gave her a chance. But with a curse known as her mother and an unknown factor thrown in – a possibly evil father as well? – this was an unlikely event. As each sunrise came and went, her resentment for her mother only grew. A faint whisper distracted the mottled young kit from her old anger. Her tiny ears pricked, she darted through the underbrush, scuttling over fat night beetles and twisting around sharp blades of grass. At the edge of the AspenClan camp, she saw a dark figure exit one of the dens situated inside a rock hollow. It strolled quietly over the thin layer of frost that encased the earth, its movements suggesting it was in deep thought. It paused presently, lifting its maw to the skies. A low voice was uttered from its throat, beseeching the might Warriors of StarClan. A sharp growl came from the den opposite the one this Warrior had exited. It was an impatient yowl, and a familiar one at that. Although there was no motion originating from the apprentices’ den, she knew that if the owner of the new, cold voice appeared from the darkness, she would see the soft ginger fur and broad, muscular form of an acquaintance of hers. “Seapaw…?” she murmured, mostly to herself. It was hardly much of an assumption, no other cat’s tone could match the sheer power and dignity that echoed from his. Even though their initial introduction had been less than neutral, the kit felt some sort of gravitational pull towards him. She respected him – no, admired him. He would prove to be an invaluable ally in the future, she felt. Her mind set, she bounded out from her place among a cluster of tall ferns. Her clumsy paws dragged along the frost-drizzled earth, catching on loose pebbles and causing her to stumble frequently. But soon, she had landed past the camp boundaries and nervously peered around. Except for the strange cat, whom Seapaw had referred to as ‘Wisescar’, only one other presence preceded the night, but the other loomed farther away than Wisescar did. Still, Mothkit stepped cautiously, hesitantly. She approached Wisescar, greeting him with, “Hi there, Wisescar, what do you think of this night?” Her tone was surprisingly polite. She felt no hostility towards this AspenClan cat, a tom. Only an odd sense of… warmth, comfort. He seemed like a nice sort, nothing terrible about him. Quite unlike Seapaw, whose arrogance only seemed to accumulate. “Mothkit lies” Mothkit plots revenge… hehe Mothkit does Word Count; 560 Tags; Wisescar and Seapaw OoC; Thought I’d better wrap this up soon!

[✄ – – – VANYA!]

i'm always in this twilight

the stars, the moon, they've all been blown out

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,10,true][atrb=style,background-image: url('http://i53.tinypic.com/wb98wn.jpg');,true] IN THIS DARKNESS ! Scarredstar peered across the camp from atop his den. The night encased him in shadow, but the moonlight touched every den entrance in the camp. The sky was clear, the stars of Silverpelt blazing in their full, astounding glory, a beauty almost rivaling the moon. For the first time in several nights, he felt almost relaxed. There were a lot of worries encasing him. He'd become leader without even having trial as deputy first, and thus was thrust blindly into the work of a Clan head. And though he'd gotten a handle on his duties and was growing comfortable in them, he had another concern that was quite imminent: deputy. It took a lot of consideration. Not only did he have to ponder what cat he would work best with for the betterment of the Clan, but he had to consider as well what cat would make the best successor. Not many cats would do well under the pressure of Clan leader. As he sat, encompassed in his own thoughts, he spotted Wisescar stepping forth from the warriors' den. Scarredstar tilted his head slightly to watch his progress. The tom was a curiosity. He came from a Clan far away, with the fear of StarClan in him as though he were being followed by wild dogs. Some cats had disapproved of his decision to take the tom in, but the fact still remained that they were low on warriors. Not only that, but the cat struck him as a good one. It was worth giving him a chance. Seapaw was clearly dissatisfied, growling something Scarredstar couldn't quite make out across the clearing at the tom. He made out "some cats actually worked today," and he flicked his tail in momentary irritation. He couldn't fault the large tom: he was a good, strong apprentice, destined to be a grand warrior. But he placed too much eulogy in himself. His arrogance would be his downfall, Scarredstar was sure. As he observed the scene between the two cats, the wind changed. A breeze crossed his face, bending his whiskers. With it brought an unfamiliar scent. A cat, but not of their Clan. He stood promptly, and tasted the air. The scent grew stronger, and to his horror, a small bundle of mottled fur tumbled forth from the edge of the camp, towards Wisescar. It was the source of the scent, he could tell. At least it's not a full-grown cat, but it brought forth a great amount of concern for the little scrap. Where did it come from? How did it get here? Scarredstar hopped off the log and walked over, his eyes narrowed slightly. The kit was rather small, with mottled tortoiseshell fur that reminded him briefly of Mottledfoot. That more than anything incited a bit of kindness in his tone when he looked down to meet gazes with the kit. "Hello, little kit," he meowed, working to make his voice gentle. He was used to addressing older cats than this, with solemn tone and calm expression. "Where do you come from?" 506 WORDS , MOTH & SEA & WISE , HOW CURIOUS.

table by california dreaming @ caution 2.0

[wisescar]

Wisescar chuckled, shrugging Seapaw's comment off. He wasn't going to let the apprentice bother him. The other tom was still young, still had the rest of his life ahead of him, so he was bound to grow out of it sooner or later. If he didn't...well, then Wisescar would have a chat with him and give him some advice. Whether he followed such advice was completely up to him. All the white tom wanted to do was make cats better beings or at least try to anyway.

Noticing Seapaw had nothing more to add to his grumpy comment, Wisescar brought his head down from looking at the sky to see Scarredstar, his leader perched atop his logged den. By his expression, he too, was enjoying the sights this night had to offer. He nodded to the tom, establishing a quiet greeting. Wisescar chuckled lightly. Unlike Seapaw's greeting. A strange scent wavered in the air, bringing the white tom back from his thoughts. The scent wasn't of his clan, but...SoulClan!

Wisescar whipped his head toward it only to see a small kit padding up to him. She had called him by his name and asked what he had thought of this night. She must have overheard Seapaw use it. Then returning to the answer at paw, even though she was from a different clan, he was glad to answer. "It's peaceful, which is a nice change," he said, smiling at the she-kit. "But it also brings something else." The crying echoed in his mind, haunting him. "Memories of a time long ago." To some, opening up to a cat from a different clan, let alone a kit would be strange, but Wisescar didn't see a problem with it. Making conversation could bond one cat to another, build a bridge to one's heart. And he was always glad to do that, always glad to have a friend, whether it be the youngest kit or the oldest elder. It didn't really matter, for the word friendship applied to all, at least to those who were willing. Some cats preferred no friends at all, only their own company. He nodded to himself. Like his brother. To him, "friends" were cats he could use to his own end. Wisescar had witnessed it for himself in his previous clan. Wasn't a pretty sight, the cats ended up dead. He tried to warn them, but Nightrise was often seen as trusting, which made it easier for them to let down their guard. Once that happened, it was all over.

As he thought of Nightrise, Wisescar wondered where his brother was now. Was he still trying to find him? The white tom couldn't be sure. But if he was...then that would mean he had been dragged into his brother's twisted game...and in that game, many cats would die.

The sound of his leader's voice awoke him from his thoughts. He had greeted the kit in a rather pleasant tone. Impressive for Scarredstar. Wisescar nodded again at his leader. "Was just talking to our guest, Scarredstar." He smirked. "I kind of got carried away, though."

Word Count: 540
Comments: Whoo!

[brackengaze]

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

[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=3d759a] The massive ginger apprentice had been about to close his eyes, thankful the annoying, tom, Wisescar had not said anything in return. His tail curled over his nose, hoping to help block things out, the scents, the sounds, particularly Wisescar's voice. The last thing he needed was to be told off by another warrior, how to act, how to be respectful. One day they would all respect him, look up to him. Beg to talk to him. He could picture it, making a smile cross his lips. And for that moment he allowed himself to dream... He could see it now, addressing the clan the highrock, having received his nine lives from Starclan. Seastar... The name sent a shiver down his spine. A cat all the clans would respect, every cat would look up to him, want to talk to him, gain advice from him, join Aspenclan. And then, another thought trickled into his brain. What would he do to gain that power? He knew what Shriekingvoice would say, power at any cost. Even death. But could he kill another cat? A Clan mate? He was unsure of that. But the thought, the thirst for power was strong. The ginger apprentice could taste it, a real rank within the clan. Even deputy would suffice, for a time. Being able to order the other cats around, keep the clan in running order. And being a confident of the leader, knowing his secrets and hopefully learning the secrets of Starclan. He wanted to speak to them too, he had several questions. And yet he was pulled out of his dream by a scent, one he knew, and one he feared scenting there. Stiffening, his eyes shot open, and his head rose with fear. Spying the mottled kit he ground his teeth unsure what to do. What was Mothkit doing here? What kit was dumb enough to stroll into an enemy clan's camp, or you could look at it as bold he supposed. She certainly had guts, doing what she was doing. He had to admire her for that to walk into a clan's camp, and then speak to a warrior as if she already knew him. Chuckling he rose, sitting and watching the interaction, readying himself to scorn Wisescar, already imagining his response, "Is this how you greet a cat from an enemy clan? You do not even wonder if there is an ambush waiting?"and while it would sound ridiculous aloud, who would use a kit as a distraction from a clan invasion, knowing what he did about Mothkit, he would not have put it past her. Sadly he did not have a chance to speak this aloud, as Scarredstar appeared. Rising he flicked his tail, deciding to join the conversation, or at least enough to overhear. The tom gave a silent thanks to Mothkit, not running up to him and blurting out his name, stating they already knew each other. He could imagine Scarredstar and Wisescar's reactions to him already knowing a kit from another clan. What could he possibly say to keep himself from trouble, and hopefully she was wise enough not to mention they knew each other from the Dark Forest. Scarrdstar would either kick him out of Aspenclan or keep him watched. Silently he awaited the kits response. Doing Speaking Thinking "Your cat talking"

[Juniper]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=height,290,true]

[atrb=width,450,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=5f4e4a] Mothkit peered at Wisescar through dark eyes lidded with curiosity. His tone was soft and slow, which was comforting but also irritating. Here was yet another cat who treated her as if she were inferior. Annoyance prickling her tortoiseshell fur, she snapped, “Just how is it peaceful? I don’t think I’ve ever heard a noisier night-” She cut off abruptly and continued in a quieter voice, “Back at camp – I’m from SoulClan you see – it’s always bustling with noise. Mostly other cats yelling at me, usually my sisters. Though it does get peaceful sometimes. And sometimes very, very loud. Like that one time… I scratched some big and stupid cat and they started screaming… It was fun.” A dreamy expression entered her young face as she recalled the evening in question. She remembered being restless that night, pacing the length of the camp she was confined to. As she was staring longingly in the direction of the AspenClan forest, a large tom spotted her and warned her against sneaking out again. In retaliation to this, she struck his face, drawing scarlet drops of blood. It was a small cut, coaxing out only the most minute of drops but the cat began shrieking and scooted off. Success. The kit suddenly recalled that she was still in the middle of a conversation with this Warrior. A moment of being startled later, she wondered, “What happened then?” Soft footfalls came up from behind her but she didn’t notice. A tone suggesting speaking to one who had difficulty in comprehending speech drifted from behind. Mothkit whirled around and saw the fierce, tabby form that accompanied the voice. He bore a labyrinth of scars on his body, and had a silver-touched pelt with dramatic coal-dark stripes cutting through it. His one eye was a misty, cloudy blue-gray while a jagged scar marked the other. Despite herself, she shuddered at the image. Seapaw seemed to shift in the semi-darkness of the camp, which was crowned with a halo of moonlight. Mothkit ignored him for the time being, realizing that if he wanted to acknowledge her connection to him he would have greeted her already. As the newcomer spoke, Wisescar seemed to nod respectively at him, inciting a snort that she couldn’t repress. What was this Wisescar cat that he bowed down to cats surely of his own rank? Meanwhile, what tendrils of respect she involuntarily had for this cat instantly vanished as the meaning of his words sank deep into her. “Little kit? Excuse me? I am equal to you, and if you want to know where I’m from, ask him!” she cried out indignantly. She jabbed her short tail towards Wisescar and half regretted revealing to this AspenClan cat her true Clan. As her shrill voice petered out, she began to hear the end of Wisescar’s muttering. Scarredstar. With a gulp, she passed her gaze from Wisescar to the other, gentle-voiced tom. Uh oh, to flee or not? Mothkit’s umber eyes blazed defiantly though her heart began to tremor with unease. Talking sass to a leader was never a brilliant idea, and to an enemy Clan’s leader was like signing her death sentence. “I mean, I’m sorry… Sort of,” she explained without a hint of regret. Her glance flickered over to Seapaw. While she had no respect for these two, incredibly bothersome toms, she had mountains of admiration for the ginger apprentice. By this time, he had risen from his sitting position, and was staring at them as though considering joining. She certainly hoped he would. It would be wonderful if she could at least possess the barest signs of support. “Mothkit lies” Mothkit plots revenge… hehe Mothkit does Word Count; 606 Tags; Wisescar, Seapaw, and Scarredstar OoC; As she gets older, I’m going to make her be a bit more respectful.

[✄ – – – VANYA!]

i'm always in this twilight

the stars, the moon, they've all been blown out

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,10,true][atrb=style,background-image: url('http://i53.tinypic.com/wb98wn.jpg');,true] IN THIS DARKNESS ! Oh, StarClan. Scarredstar was torn between staring blankly at the tiny she-cat and laughing. He was leaning more towards the latter with every moment, as he looked at her little angry expression and pointed tail. She reminded him of a certain little she-cat - he cast a glance towards the warrior's den, spotting the mostly-white pelt of his sister Littlewhisker. His whiskers twitched in amusement. She seemed to realize who he was, then, and looked quite spooked. Though she swiftly apologized, he sensed no remorse, and that only interested him further. Such a clever little kit! "You're quite the feisty one, eh?" he said, amused, and stood up, flicking his tail. He studied her with his one good eye, his fierce expression in no way softened by his tone. "Something tells me you don't want to go home." He turned away, looking over his shoulder. "I'll have to go talk to Lavastar tomorrow... Until then...it's not safe for a kit to wander the woods. You can stay here." He began walking away, then glanced briefly at the large ginger tom watching from the sidelines. "Seapaw, it'd be best for you to get some rest. We'll start training fairly early tomorrow, to make up for what you've missed." His tone was serene, though not unfriendly. He continued on his way back to his den, leaping atop the hollow log rather than slipping inside. Scarredstar set his head on his paws, watching the kit, apprentice, and warrior in the clearing. He wouldn't mind the kit staying: something told him the little tortoiseshell would become a powerful and able warrior. Nonetheless, he couldn't exactly take a kit from another Clan. Yet another problem had settled quite heavily on his shoulders just this night. He relaxed, a deep breath leaving his lungs in a heavy sigh. A leader's work is just never done... 310 WORDS , MOTH & SEA & WISE , FAIL POST IS FAIL.

table by california dreaming @ caution 2.0

[wisescar]

The white warrior listened to the kit ramble with a raised eyebrow. She certainly was a ball of energy. It was a bit cute, in his opinion. Then something she said disturbed him, something about scratching a cat and them screaming, which she had said was fun. His fluffy tail lightly tapped the ground, Wisescar regarding the SoulClan kit wonderingly. Did she really enjoy pain? Did she really enjoy it as her brother did and probably still does? The white tom blinked. He sure hoped not. But perhaps the she-kit entered their camp for a reason. And if that was so, he could be her teacher, cleansing her of her corruption. Because if such darkness were already sprouting...something needed to be done to reverse and destroy it.

Wisescar shook his head gently at the kit's question. "What happened next is a story for another time, I'm afraid." Even Scarredstar didn't know the story behind his scar, the story of how he ended up in their territory. All he knew was that he had come from another clan. That's it. And as his leader sat before them, he figured it was best, at least for the moment.

The white tom chuckled as the kit snapped at Scarredstar for calling her a little kit. And then something else she said surprised him, but this time it was different. It wasn't disturbing, but admirable. Equal. Now there was something to ponder. What if leaders, warriors, apprentices, and kits alike were all equal, all given the same, proper treatment? While he admired equality, apprentices and kits weren't meant to make life-changing decisions. That usually happened when they were older. Then again, maybe he was wrong. Maybe the young were just as capable as the old. Only as moons pass, could he ever tell.

After allowing her to stay, Scarredstar headed back for his logged den, briefly before announcing Seapaw's prescence to him and the kit. Wisescar chuckled. He had known the apprentice was awake, but he hadn't known that he was being nosy. The white warrior didn't blame him, though. He would've done the same thing at his age. He then brought his blue gaze back at the kit before him. All things, enemies as well as friendships, started with introductions. He nodded respectively and kindly. "What's your name?"

[brackengaze]

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

[atrb=width,400,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][bg=3d759a] What was Mothkit doing speaking with that loser Wisescar? Snorting in annoyance he continued to watch, his lack of respect for the warrior was no secret, Seapaw rarely kept his thoughts secret, unless they concerned his thirst for power or Shriekingvoice and the Dark Forest. The clan might drive him out if they knew where he was getting his extra training, why, even with the lack of training from Raggedclaws he was one of the best apprentices in the clan, or a least he considered himself one. Perhaps it was over confidence, but Seapaw felt he could defeat every apprentice in the clan, and perhaps many of the warriors. Although he felt he would never have a chance to test his theory if he is never made a warrior, never allowed to fight in battles to his full potential. Feeling a hiss rise in his throat the tom swallowed it, he did not need any cat there questioning him or growing suspicious. The hiss was brought towards Raggedclaws, the tom who had been appointed his mentor. Some mentor, he nearly laughed at the thought of that cat mentoring anyone. Raggedclaws had taught him nothing except how to be a useless cat to the clan, how to bring in animals that should never even exist in these parts, and have no friends. But he wanted none of that, in order for Seapaw to gain power, he would need the support of his clan, at least a few cats who would be by his side no matter what. Looking down at his paw, Seapaw watched as his claws slid out imagining them raking through a certain black warriors throat. The satisfaction of it all was almost too much for him. Why was he like this? Why was the thought of ending another cat's life so enticing for him? He was an apprentice, should have been a simple warrior so why now? Why did he have to feel this hatred? Had his parents been full of so much anger? Seapaw could not remember them, he was born an Aspenclan cat, so perhaps some of the clan remember them, yet they never spoke of them. The elders never told him stories of them, and a part of him wondered if he should begin to hunt out the truth about them, yet he feared what he may find out. Brought back to reality the ginger tom overheard Scarredstar stating that Mothkit could stay, even after she gave more than one smarmy comment. Smirking he fought back a chuckle, just like her to do that. He would have to go to the she-cat sometime and speak to her, state that no cat knew he was a part of the dark forest and no cat should ever know. It was a place that clan cats did not welcome as they did Starclan. He would get his chance sooner than he thought as Scarredstar left the scene, but not before speaking to Seapaw. Nodding the tom acknowledged what Scarredstar had said. Good, training. He was getting closer and closer to his warrior ceremony. Now, just to wait for a chance to speak with Mothkit, alone. Doing Speaking Thinking "Your cat talking"