just a little late

[{Otter}]

((Woot! Page two!))

Hawkfang. Interesting. A bit strange, perhaps, as hawks didn't have fangs....she shrugged her shoulders and ran her paw over an ear once more. It was over with, finally. She had a name. Of course she would tell the truth if Elkstar asked her where she was. If she was asked if she'd seen anyone on the moor, she'd tell her she saw a RiverClan warrior. If asked the name, she'd say Hawkfang. Vixenfang didn't lie if she could help it. But she wouldn't offer up the information. Not unless asked. There was no point.

Besides...why get Hawkfang into trouble? Not that he would get into trouble anyway, but why make it any harder for him to come up to the moors? Maybe he just wanted a place to run around. A place where he could hunt the prey he looked like he was made to hunt. She wanted the same thing, didn't she? If Elkstar ever forbade her from hunting up here...well...she'd probably ignore the order. There were few places to really run in ThunderClan territory.

It was an odd feeling, looking at Hawkfang and seeing...kind of herself. It was completely mousebrained to think "Oh, we're alike! We see eye-to-eye", because they didn't. They were in different Clans, they were raised different ways, they were not alike. The only thing that was similar was their size. But even so, she couldn't help but feel a small spark of...camaraderie? Unfortunately, yes. It wasn't such a good thing, but it was also no more than small reluctance to be hostile or unfriendly.

Bah, get over it, she thought roughly, plopping her paw back to the snowy ground with deliberate, hard thump. Yes, she was putting her paw down. Enough of this. "I'm sure RiverClan is missing you, and ThunderClan must be missing me,"

[/b] she mewed quietly, glancing down at the cold rabbit by her feet. "I am going to do a bit more hunting before I return. Would you like to join me?"[/b]

Wait. What words had just come from her lips? She hardly remembered, and actually had to think for sevreal moments before she realized what she'd done. She frowned, ears flattening in surprise. But it was too late to take the words back, and there was no point stuttering in embarrassment like a tongue-tied kit. Play it cool, mousebrain. "To be honest,"[/b] she continued in a slightly bewildered voice, "I have never hunted with a cat that can actually run as well as I."[/b]

Well...they were on neutral land, right? So they didn't have to worry about stealing one another's prey. Besides, in retrospect, she realized that this would be a good way for her to get to know his hunting technique. See if he really was as good at hunting rabbits as he looked. The more information, the better, right? Perhaps not the reason she'd asked him to hunt, but at least it was an excuse.

And it might be nice, running beside a cat that didn't get winded, or didn't fall behind. Vixenfang didn't have the best endurance, but she was fast, and few other ThunderClan cats could keep up with her sprints. Maybe Hawkfang could. Maybe he was even faster. Maybe they'd find out.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[tenacious]

Ooc: I kept scrolling down, trying to find the rest of the post before I realized it was the second page. xD

“I'm sure RiverClan is missing you, and ThunderClan must be missing me.”

He expected Vixenfang to excuse herself, to leave and go home with her frozen piece of prey, but that was not what slipped out of her mouth next.

“I am going to do a bit more hunting before I return. Would you like to join me?”

Surprise caused Hawkfang’s blue eyes to widen and he stared at Vixenfang, noticing she seemed to be as surprised by her words s he was. He considered declining, and leaving; all he had aimed for, while exchanging names, was to prove he was some uncivilized cat. To be formal and get formalities out of the way, for they would defiantly stumble upon each other again. Inevitable, since ThunderClan and RiverClan bordered each other. But why decline? It wasn’t like it would hurt, right? And no other cat was around. Heck, cats crazy enough to come out here would probably turn tail and leave as soon as a wind slapped them in the face (unless it was Ottersplash, in which case there was no knowing what the tom might do next).

“Alright- I’ll come along,” the brown tabby replied, trying to sound nonchalant about it, as if he didn’t care all too much. Which was a lie. He did. Otherwise he wouldn’t have thought over it and he certainly wouldn’t still be sitting in his spot, thinking about what he had agreed to. Suddenly, the RiverClan warrior stood and a tingling spread down his legs to his numb paws. A shiver rolled down his spine before Hawkfang scraped snow and dirt away from the ground and placed the rabbit in it before burying it. No point in lugging around a large creature. He would return for it later and, hopefully, the snow and dirt would help cover the rabbit’s scent so no predator would want to attempt and take it. The tom stared at the spot where the rabbit was buried for a moment longer before lifting his gaze up to Vixenfang, “Ready to go?” he questioned, tilting his head slightly.

[/SIZE]

[{Otter}]

((Sorry it took so long ))

“Alright- I’ll come along."

Amber eyes widened slightly at his easy reply. She had, in all reality, expected him to be resentful of the very idea of hunting with another Clan member. However, it seemed that Hawkfang might be just as interested in running with another light-footed cat as she was. A strange thought, one that caused the ginger head to tilt to one side as she followed the RiveClan warrior's example and kicked snow over her own rabbit. Surely it was too cold for any foxes to be wandering around--surely this prey wouldn't be stolen today. Hopefully.

“Ready to go?”

Indeed, she was. "Let's hunt,"

[/b] she mewed lightly, flicking her ginger tail into the air and turning her deep amber eyes on the snowy land around them. The moorland was flat as a thunderpath, allowing for any cat to see for what seemed like eternity in all directions. Marvelous. A very strange place when compared to her forested ThunderClan home. In ThunderClan, a cat was lucky to be able to see a couple hundred fox-lengths in every direction. Out here? One could see forever.

It was a chilling thought, even so. Any enemy could see you coming. Where had WindClan had their camp, anyway? There seemed to be no place to take shelter from the icy wind.

You're spacing out, Vixenfang, she thought, realizing she had been staring in the same direction for a few very long moments. Shaking her head roughly, she chanced a slightly embarrassed glance at Hawkfang as she scented the air. Ah! On the cold, biting wind she could catch the faint but fresh scent of snowshoe rabbit. It would be white, she knew...surely most of the rabbits out here had grown their leafbare coats. It wouldn't matter. It was time to hunt.

Momentarily forgetting Hawkfang, Vixenfang shot off in the direction of the rabbit, knowing from the faint scent that it was a relatively long distance away. She left the RiverClan warrior with the two pieces of prey, and only the very far corner of her mind realized what a mistake that could be--he could just as easily take both rabbits back to RiverClan. Whatever, so be it, she thought, unwilling to slow down. Cold as it was, Vixenfang was happiest when she was running.

Ah! The scent grew stronger, and the skinny ginger warrior slowed to a trot, then a walk. Finally, she stopped. There was the rabbit, a barely-visible patch of white moving against the white ground. Vixenfang's ginger fur was showing clearly now, the snow having been blown away by the wind as she ran, so, with a bit of disgust, she lowered herself to the ground and rolled, collecting a thin layer of white powder that would hopefully help to keep her hidden. Here goes nothing, she thought with a shrug.

Several moments of careful stalking, one paw placed in front of the other, attempting to keep the snow from crackling, brought Vixenfang just a few tail-lengths from the rabbit. It had noticed something strange once or twice, but clealry didn't think he was in danger. How very wrong he was, the sorry little creature.

Long muscles bunched, and Vixenfang shot forward, hissing as she did so. The rabbit sprang straight into the air, then shot off across the snowy ground, kicking up powder as it went so that Vixenfang's vision was impaired. She didn't care. The ginger she-cat stretched her legs, her long tail balancing her as she pushed herself to her limits and raced after the little creature. It turned--she leaped after it. Finally, either by chance or by StarClan's will, the little white creature seemed to trip. It stumbled, lost momentum, and gave Vixenfang the time she needed; with a snarl the she-cat sprang forward and pinned the rabbit beneath her paws. The little thing had no time to make a noise before her famous fangs ended its life.

Panting with excitement and adrenaline, Vixenfang sat up proudly as the snow around the creature reddened with blood. She kicked a bit of snow over it and turned, suddenly remembering her companion. Had Hawkfang followed, or was he after his own rabbit? Or...had he taken both their prey and scampered off?

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[tenacious]

How simple it would’ve been, to take both pieces of prey and stroll off. But, the RiverClan warrior viewed that has prey stealing; true, no Clan yet owned the moorlands, but Vixenfang had caught the rabbit. Not he and she was from another Clan. Prey stealing. The brown tom’s whiskers twitched slightly as the ginger she-cat stared into the distance. He wondered what she was thinking about, but lacked the ability to read minds, and so he allowed his own mind to wander until Vixenfang shot him an embarrassed glance. After a few heartbeats of silence, Vixenfang took off, and the brown tabby followed, sending up puffs of snow every now and then as he moved. He soon scented the same faint snowshoe the ThunderClan cat did and fell back, as to not scare off the rabbit.


When the tom came over a slight rise, Vixenfang was walking and then she stopped. From where he was standing, Hawkfang could not make out the white mammal, but Vixenfang obviously could. He watched her intently, eyes narrowed slightly. When Vixenfang leapt, the rabbit took off, and Hawkfang’s whiskers twitched slightly as he followed the chase, padding nearer. When he reached Vixenfang, she had kicked snow over the hare, “Nice catch,” the tom mewed as he approached, dipping his head slightly before parting his jaws to scent the air. Blood tinged it, but he could still make out the faint odors of other hares. Very faint, though, and the blood would probably drive all the prey away, at least around here.

The RiverClan warrior frowned lightly before looking out over the moor; it was amazing, being able to see this far and to have a crisp wind run through the territory without being blocked by some pathetic tree. The tom subconsciously curled his tail up with delight, “I wonder what it’d be like to live here,” he thought- out loud. The tom looked puzzled immediately after doing such and coughed nervously, sweeping his tail across the ground, “Better…move father out. ‘Cause of the blood…and..” his voice trailed off and he started forward once more; it was his turn to be self-conscious now.

[{Otter}]

Vixenfang

"Nice catch."

Vixenfang's tail twitched slightly as she dipped her head to Hawkfang, appreciating his compliment. Her heart was still pounding from the chase, endorphins soaring and making her lightheaded. She hadn't felt this good in a long time, and a small, soft purr managed to make its way from her throat. It wouldn't be so hard to get used to this openness, the unceasing wind and the lack of cover. Perhaps none of the Clans would claim this land. Perhaps she would always be able to come up here.

“I wonder what it’d be like to live here,”

He simply spoke aloud the thoughts that had been in her mind. In her mind, his words were not strange at all. They made perfect sense. Her amber gazes shifted through the open land, tail twitching contemplatively. It would be odd, living up here. It would be hard to get used to. But imagine how much faster they would become! Imagine how much more agile they would get! It was wonderful, that thought. If only...

"I wonder....what WindClan was like in their prime,"

[/b] she mewed absently, head tilting to one side as she glanced down at her rabbit. "I wonder how they managed all this. It seems like it would be hard, but...exhilarating. I don't know..."[/b] she stopped, realizing she was going on about something that was not such a great thing to talk about. Especially to a RiverClan warrior. WindClan was gone...surely that was it. The end.


[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[tenacious]

Hawkfrang looked back at Vixenfang as she spoke; though it was not to tease him, or to excuse herself, but to wonder as well. One paw remained lifted, in mid-step, as he analyzed her words. Looking past Vixenfang, he could see, all part of his imagination, but see none the less, cats running across the moor. Not fat, fluffy, burly monsters like the ones you might come across elsewhere, but thin coats, both in coat and in figure, running with all the agility of the wind.

He blinked and focused in on the ThunderClan warrior once more; he was well aware, too, that this conversation would be best to carry on with another cat, one from RiverClan, but Hawkfang had a feeling most would scoff at him and say, “WindClan’s gone, Hawkfang.” Like he didn’t know…

“They were probably tough cats, just not like the other Clans,” Obviously they hadn’t been tough in a brute strength sort of way, since they were gone now. They came and went as quickly, it seemed, as their namesake.

[{Otter}]

Seems that, once again, they seemed to see eye-to-eye. Hawkfang didn't look uncomfortable. He didn't look like he was annoyed with her goings-on or suspicious of her motives. He just looked...like a cat,

What would her own Clanmates have said if she had tried to approach such a subject with one of them? Probably the same thing that Hawkfang had imagined his Clan would say "WindClan's gone," or "there's no point in daydreaming" or "I know you look like a WindClan cat, but there's no point in hoping they'd come back or anything." Other cats didn't understand her interest. Other cats thought of WindClan and labeled them as weak. Not only because they had been driven out by ShadowClan, but also because they had been famous for their speed and lightfootedness, rather than their muscle or ferocity.

“They were probably tough cats, just not like the other Clans."

Amber eyes widened slowly as she regarded the RiverClan warrior. She wanted to agree...to agree that they had probably been as strong as any Clan, and each one of the warriors as good as the biggest RiverClan cat or the fiercest ShadowClan warrior. But she didn't. That might take things a bit too far, and...she still wasn't sure about this warrior standing before her. She still didn't know for sure whether she could trust him or not.

"It's a shame we never got to see them," she agreed, shifting her gaze to take in the seemingly endless moorland. "Imagine seeing them in a battle, agile as jackrabbits and as swift as a diving falcon. Dancing circles around bigger cats..." she found herself trailing off once more as she pictured the scene...pictured dozens of scrawny warriors dancing around their enemies, jumping in and out with endless striking, moving fast enough that they were rarely struck back. What a sight! What a sight....

Vixenfang's eyes hardened slightly as she focused back on Hawkfang. Now was a good time to be honest. To get to talking for real. Of osmething important. "Surely you don't believe that just RiverClan should control this territory. I...I know I don't believe that ThunderClan could hold the entire moorland. It's too much for one Clan, and this sharing can't last much longer. But what's another option? There is going to be fighting, no matter what."

[tenacious]

It was a shame; a true shame. And then, she said something that made Hawkfang skip a breath. What if WindClan came back…what if…nothing more than a thought, he assumed, buzzing around her head like an annoying fly. He knew those thoughts, they had to be said out loud, but this one captivated Hawkfang for a moment, struck the tom into silence. What if.

It would be strange, having the Clan back again, but at least the dispute over the moorlands would end; because, surely, StarClan would send a sign telling the other Clans, in short, to leave WindClan alone or face their wrath. The wrath of one Clan was nothing compared to the wrath of StarClan, Hawkfang mused. There would be cats running across the moor; not like now, where most of the cats just looked like idiots. But cats bred for this, born for this, raised for it all.

A thought struck Hawkfang that caused him to take in his breath suddenly; if WindClan was around when he had been born…would that have been what suited him best? He could swim and fish like other RiverClan cats, but he didn’t particularly enjoy the wet marsh at the edge of their territory, not as much as the other cats. He hated the way his feet would slid out from under him every single season. Hawkfang shook his head, trying to clear his mind, “So much would be different if they returned,” the brown tabby murmured at least, his brow beginning to furrow in thought.

He frowned as Vixenfang suddenly continued on, pressing on an issue that had sparked many hostile remarks at the Gathering. What was he supposed to say? Loyalty to his Clan meant to say yes, but…the tom did not really think that. The territory would be nice, but now that he thought over it, RiverClan couldn’t really use it. Was it more that Rookstar did not want to back down from a fight, as he surely knew his warriors would not be able to hunt the rabbits well.

“My Clan…will probably not back down from a fight,” the tabby replied slowly, “And I do not think they will have immediate success, if they did get control of the moor.”

Ha, immediate success. They’d be lucky to have any.

"My true opinion, and I swear to StarClan, if you repeat this, I will deny it, but my true opinion is that...no. Most of RiverClan will do poorly." His voice had hardened as he made the slight oath. She better not repeat this.

[{Otter}]

It took him quite awhile to form an answer, and Vixenfang began to worry that perhaps she had gone too far. Perhaps she had revealed too much, and now he was just trying to find a way to use what she had said against her. How? She wasn't really sure, but who knew what a RiverClan cat was capable of?

“My Clan…will probably not back down from a fight. And I do not think they will have immediate success, if they did get control of the moor.”

Eh, just a bunch of empty words. He was saying what he was expected to say; the truth, but with a twist so as not to make his Clan look worse off than they were. "Immediate" success...what a joke. No Clan could have much success at all, not on the moorlands. As a whole, no Clan, not ShadowClan, ThunderClan, or RiverClan, were prepared for this land and the challenges it would bring them. Perhaps she had been wrong to think Hawkfang might be different. Perhaps she should end the conversation now, as he was only saying what he was expected to say. It made sense, of course--she would be forced to do the same thing, if he were to ask her a question about ThunderClan. However, she was disappointed. She'd thought, just maybe, they were crossing the line from wary cats from a different Clan, to almost friends. Almost able to trust one another.

Vixenfang had opened her mouth to suggest they part ways, when Hawkfang continued with words that surprised her very much.

"My true opinion, and I swear to StarClan, if you repeat this, I will deny it, but my true opinion is that...no. Most of RiverClan will do poorly.

Finally, truth. True words. She had absolutely no intention to repeat what Hawkfang said, not to any cat in her Clan, not even to Elkstar. What did it matter? It wouldn't change Elkstar's decision about not fighting for the moorlands...the decision that made the deputy angrier and more frustrated every day.

Braver now that he had spoken his true (or, at least, it seemed to be his true) opinion, she found herself able to speak her own. "Neither would ThunderClan. Most of my Clanmates...well, all of my Clanmates, find their strength in stalking through our forests. Very few of us are agile enough to catch rabbits. Not enough for it to matter."

[/b] She hated that fact. The moorlands wouldn't be useful enough for them to want to fight for it. If more ThunderClan cats were like her, perhaps Elkstar would be more interested in keeping the moorlands. But, then again, the moorlands were hardly helpful for ShadowClan or RiverClan, either. What was the point?

An atrocious idea had been building in the back of her mind for awhile, and only now did she truly notice it or devote any ounce of attention to it. It was a terrible, treacherous, treasonous idea. She felt dirty just thinking of it. She felt...sick. Traitorous. It was so wrong. So...disloyal and disgusting. An idea no true warrior, and especially no true deputy, would allow to inhabit even the furthest corners of their minds. And yet, at the same time, it was absolutely, extremely, almost one-hundred percent perfect. A perfect solution, were it to happen. Were StarClan to approve. Were it to work.

But...it was not an idea she had to voice at once. This was harder...much worse. Much more difficult to admit. Deep amber eyes narrowed as she glanced over at Hawkfang. How could she trust him, after only a day of speaking with him. So he was her size...so what? So they were alike...so what?

"Can we trust one another, Hawkfang?"[/b] she asked warily, truly interested to hear the answer. She was not one to be able to judge facial expressions well, but perhaps, this time, she could tell if he was lying. Perhaps. But perhaps not. She did not know. And yet, she had to know. She had to know if she could trust him or not. If she couldn't trust him, not a syllable of the atrocious idea could pass her lips and reach his ears. Not a syllable. All would be ruined if it did.


[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[tenacious]

He listened to her words, eyes narrowed; it was as much as he had figured. What Clan would have true success on the moor? Only a Clan with the swiftness of the wind could hunt here and that Clan was long gone. Hawkfang flicked an ear as Vixenfang spoke once more: “Can we trust one another, Hawkfang?”

The question repeated itself many times in the mind of the tom and he sat back on his haunches, staring at his paws, eyes narrowed. Could they? She was the deputy of ThunderClan. He was a warrior of WindClan. They had no place even talking to each other, not unless it was to hiss insults, but Hawkfang found himself not caring too much about that at the moment. “Yes,” he murmured at last, bringing his gaze upward to look at Vixenfang, “We can.”

It was strange, those words falling from his mouth into the air and spoken without sarcasm, without him flicking his gaze away, a true sign of a liar. They barely knew each other, after all, this was the first time Hawkfang had seen Vixenfang and spoken to her. But…he had said things to her he would not dare to say with his Clan. Did that not resemble trust? Or was that only ignorance?

Hawkfang closed his eyes for a moment; he did not wish to be viewed as some ignorant young warrior from an enemy Clan. He did not wish to jeopardize his Clan’s chances at winning a battle if it was what the majority of them saw best. Gah, why did everything have to be so mixed up? Why couldn’t he just have loyalty to his Clan and just that? No feelings for other cats, not even those in RiverClan; just loyalty running through his veins. Perhaps, then, life would be easier. At the very least, Hawkfang would not have to fight with himself, a battle that would never end until the day he joined the ranks of StarClan.

[{Otter}]

((I think they should end soon and then meet up in a later thread, so that it's not as abrupt and weird as "oh, we just met! Oh, hey, let's remake WindClan!", you know?))

As they had sat there, a soft dusting of snow had coated Vixenfang's pelt, so that she almost appeared to be dusty-gray rather than the ginger tabby she was. The rabbit lying before her was well frosted, and there was no doubt that the other rabbits they had caught would be even worse. Perhaps even frozen. It was time to go. She had been out here way too long, and no doubt her Clan was missing her. In fact, she was rather ashamed--all this time out of camp, and she would only bring back two rabbits to show for it. Hopefully none of her Clanmates would notice.

As for the matter at hand....Things were getting a little too strange. Hawkfang voiced his opinion; they could trust one another. And, oddly enough, Vixenfang believed him. It seemed too...sincere to doubt. And how could one doubt such a thing, when she felt the exact same way? They were more than just strangers from two different Clans. Whether by StarClan's choice or not, they had met up here, and they were bonded...probably only because of their size. But that was enough.

But it was time to go. She needed to think. Her idea...her treacherous, treasonous, atrocious idea, needed to be thought over more. She did not want to betray her Clan...not unless things stayed this way. She would have to talk to Elkstar. Talk to her Clanmates. Make sure she wasn't blowing things out of proportion. It was likely she only felt this way because of her recent fight with Timberpelt. That was all. And if that was not all, she needed to find out. And she wouldn't do that by standing here. Right? Right.

"I believe we can, as well,"

[/b] she mewed slowly, lifting her eyes from the frosted rabbit to look at Hawkfang once more. "But I also believe our Clans might be missing us. I must return to ThunderClan. But..."[/b] she rose to her paws and shook the snow from her ginger pelt. "If you would, think on this."[/b] She hesitated again, but after a moment she summoned her courage and mewed firmly, "There may be other cats like us. If WindClan was reformed, those who look down on us now would be forced to acknowledge our abilities. The moorlands would be filled with worthy hunters again. And RiverClan and ShadowClan would not have to fight for this land."[/b] She sighed as she dipped her head and lifted the stiff rabbit by its scruff. Through a mouthful of fur she mewed, "This place should belong to cats who would actually appreciate it. It belongs to WindClan and no one else, don't you think?"[/b]


[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[tenacious]

Ooc: Agreed.

Bic:

Ah, yes, it probably would be best that they returned to their Clans; no need to have cats worrying their heads off. Warriors would be more prone to doing so, now that it was Leaf-bare and a cat was vulnerable to serious cold. Her next words, though, made Hawkfang stop his train of thought. He had never thought much of the fact that he was looked down upon; he was aware of it, but Hawkfang made up for it as much as he could. But…what if WindClan did come back? Vixenfang’s words did hold truth and his eyes clouded over for a moment.

“I agree, Vixenfang,” he murmured before shaking his pelt free of snow that had begun to collect on it, giving him a light layer of dust-like fluff on his coat, “And it would also be best for us to leave, so no cat begins to worry…goodbye, Vixenfang,” he added with a light dip of his head before turning and swiftly bounding off. His mind still whirled with new thoughts, thoughts Hawkfang knew he shouldn’t be having, as he came upon the sport where the rabbit was bury- no predator had been mouse-brained enough to venture out and take a frosted kill. Some cats may complain about the cold, but this rabbit was better then nothing. He just hoped nobody wondered why he was only bringing back a single rabbit; Hawkfang unburied his catch, looking back in the direction he had left the ThunderClan deputy for a moment.

Shaking his head slightly, the RiverClan warrior picked up his prey by the scruff and took off once more, in the direction of the home he had to accept.

[{Otter}]

Amber eyes watched the RiverClan warrior bound away, no doubt heading to where they had buried their catches. Vixenfang waited for him to take his own rabbit and head off toward RiverClan before she ventured forward to take her own. The tawny thing was stiff and half-frozen, but better than nothing, and she held it by an ear and carried it over to her fresher, more recent kill. Small as she was, it had always been hard for her to carry much prey at once, and these two rabbits were no exception--it would be along walk back to the camp. The two rabbits combined were nearly as heavy as she!

The soft flurries of snow ceased as she made her way slowly back toward ThunderClan territory, and the icy air clawed at her throat. Even so, she paused at the edge of the moorland and glanced back towards RiverClan territory. "Until we meet again, Hawkfang,"

[/b] she mewed quietly before pressing onward.

((Crappy crappy crappy post, but we're done, so whatever ^.^ Could a staff member archive this, please?))

[/blockquote][/blockquote]