.//Tonight the Stars Revolt

[Sparrow]

[atrb=border,0,true][bg=black] Sometimes it seemed as though he could almost see her face in the stars, they were so close to the forest. Silverpelt stretched for as far as the eye could see through the meshed branches above, the silver light dappling the world around the tom into a luminescent greyscale and bleaching even his vivid fur to a softly muted silver. What was it about the night that reminded him so much of her - she seemed like she belonged to the sky even in life. She had seemed so big to him as a kit, his older sister was a warrior even as he had been born. When she had died in the river he had pictured her as clearly as day, ascending to StarClan in a halo of starshine. Now memory failed him and he found himself struggling to remember how she looked when she laughed instead of how she had appeared when they carried her back. But he missed her all the same. What would she have said about his name? It still seemed so new to him, yet it had been nearly nine moons. What would she say? Shaking his head slightly, he stopped his search amongst the stars for her face, knowing that he would never see StarClan until he himself went to join their ranks. Only then he would see not only Heronwing but all of the past warriors of ThunderClan that remained in legend whose stories had undoubtedly been changed at the whims of countless elders and queens. At any given time there were three or four different stories of the same event. Story-telling was imperfect and inefficient as a method of keeping records for the Clan, but it was all they had, and it was always interesting to hear a new twist to an old tale. As his mind wandered, he found himself moving back towards the trunk of the tree and slowly scaled his way back down the coarse trunk to come to a rest at the bottom, his head turned plaintively back up towards the small snatch of starlight that still shone down to the fern-covered undergrowth. As beautiful as the forest was, the stars never quite reached far enough to penetrate to the forest floor, and at night it would seem almost haunting in its darkness but for the familiarity of its landscape and the plethora of nightsong courtesy of the owls and other creatures of the night. His course led him across the territory to pause at the edge of the trees near sunningrocks, the stones seemingly slumbering beneath their layer of snow and frost. The river wound its way between the marshes and the forest, glittering silver, and he looked upwards once more, almost missing the faintest scent of another of his Clanmates approaching near to where he stood. A moment more of tense silence, and he relaxed visibly, recognizing Viperfang's sweet scent, and before he turned his bright eyes back to the celestial voids overhead, he forced away his curiosity as to what brought her to this part of the forest so near to moonhigh. word count: 518 audience: Viperfang comments: Nothing much. It seems he becomes slightly scatterbrained at night.

[Deleted]

[atrb=border,0,true][bg=black] Viperfang had risen lazily out of her nest in the middle of the night, thoughts of joining WindClan keeping her awake. Her paws had carried her hear without pause for thought. Her mind was occupied for the moment. In truth, the path ahead looked dark and full of unknown dangers. There would always be the obvious: Foxes, dogs, twolegs, rogues... But what of opposition from the other clans? Namely, her own. ThunderClan was her biggest worry. It would seem that RiverClan was the biggest threat, wanting to claim prey in the moor, but no. They were an afterthought. If it happened that she didn't end up going to WindClan, how could she live here, with every cat knowing she had thought of betraying them? She was getting ahead of herself, the warrior knew it, but it was imminent! They'd all know eventually. She was not, by any means, having second thoughts about joining Vixenfang in her quest to reestablish WindClan, but the risk was there. If she couldn't go to the moor, she didn't have a home anywhere. The she-cat was surprised to find herself at the very edge of the forest, just before stepping onto the Sunningrocks. Here, she was able to see the stars clearly. It was almost like the moor. She sighed and smiled, chuckling a little. Even without her control, her body knew where she belonged. She sat down and stared up at the stars, thinking... all too much. She forced herself to keep her hackles flat when her nose caught the faint scent of a tom nearby. She was shocked to realize that she didn't relax, even when it registered as ThunderClan scent! 'I really am crazy,' she thought to herself as she flicked her ears to acknowledge his presence, 'If I can't trust my own clan mates...' "Who else is stalking the forest at this time of night?" Word Count: 310 Audience: Charredoak Comments: Oh no, Viper's brooding. XD

[Sparrow]

[atrb=border,0,true][bg=black] The tom turned, lazily pivoting to view the she-cat who had padded quietly out of the shadows of the forest, his eyes passing quickly over her features to confirm his prior guess as to who his unexpected companion was. Her eyes, vivid in contrast to the obscuring sterling effects of the light, seemed to glow as he glanced, and his own widened in surprise before he realized that all eyes did that given the brightness of the light reflecting from the snow. The she-cat looked preoccupied and did not seem to notice him, her attention obviously elsewhere, but as she looked up she seemed mildly surprised to see where she was. Watching her expression, Charredoak could not help but feel the pique of curiosity as to what she was doing out here so far away from camp, igmoring his own tendency for wandering all-together. His motives were far different from hers, undoubtedly, but he couldn't help but wonder how different they were as she smiled and laughed softly, her eyes drifting upwards to gaze at the same stars which had so shortly before occupied his mind completely. With a sheepish grin for his spying ways, he chuckled quietly, part for his own stupidity and part for the sake of laughing, then listened as Viperfang's voice rang sharply over the edgewood. He couldn't help but withhold his usual laugh upon seeing her reaction as she startled upon scenting him, something unpleasant and unreadable in her eyes. Though not an overly jobservant cat, Charredoak was not completely blind, and he paused a moment before moving into the moonlight to be seen clearly. "Stalking the forest? Why, is it planning to go somewhere, I wonder?" he called with a feral grin, his eyes shining with a devilish glint as his voice carried over the short distance between the two. "I would introduce myself if we had just met, and usually not afterwards, but being as you've forgotten who I am, I believe I can do it again. I am Charredoak, warrior of ThunderClan. And who might this beautiful young she-cat before me be?" His eyes widened in feaux shock and wonderment as he sat back on his hind paws, his mouth stretched wide in a crooked grin of mischief. word count: 376 - short =/ audience: Viperfang comments: Sorry if he seems foreward. He really is a sassy little lad, it seems.

[Deleted]

[atrb=border,0,true][bg=black] "Stalking the forest? Why, is it planning to go somewhere, I wonder?" Charredoak. Who else in the clan had to joke about grammar? Viperfang rolled her eyes, but purred to show her amusement. It was probably that darn long-haired pelt of his that kept his scent hidden, especially in leaf-bare. The she-cat fluffed out her fur against a sharp wind and narrowed her eyes as she heard him approach. "I would introduce myself if we had just met, and usually not afterwards, but being as you've forgotten who I am, I believe I can do it again. I am Charredoak, warrior of ThunderClan. And who might this beautiful young she-cat before me be?" Beautiful? Viperfang suppressed a high-pitched giggle. Nothing annoyed her more than that female squeal, especially from an entire group of young apprentices. Now she had to force herself not to give it voice as she blushed brightly under her fur. What was this forest coming to?! "The wind wasn't in my favor, Charredoak, but I'll indulge your need for humor," she relied with a grin, "I am Viperfang, warrior of ThunderClan and bane of all apprentices in the territory." She let herself laugh at that one. Although she never had one of her own, it was known throughout the entire clan how much she wanted to torture her own apprentice some day. "So what brings you out here? Ants in your nest?" Her yellow eyes returned to the sky, specifically the moon, giving Charredoak the opportunity to dodge the question if he liked. Viperfang wasn't one to hold serious conversations very often, and when she did, they were usually very important. Being away from camp at night, though questionable, wasn't serious. Besides, it wasn't like she was going to reprimand him. That was Vixenfang or Elkstar's job. Word Count: 293 Audience: Charredoak Comments: Otter suggested that Viperfang slip up and say something about WindClan around Charredoak. Would this be a good thread to do that in, or would you rather that come later?

[Sparrow]

[atrb=border,0,true][bg=black] Seeing that she she was amused, Charredoak grinned and flicked his ears in response. She had rolled her eyes, as many tended to do in response to his jests and nonsensical behaviour, but unlike some she had laughed, which was all he required. Despite all appearances, he was only sometimes persistant in speech, and late at night was not usually one of those times due to his rather consistant nocturnal habits. His surprise came, however, when the rather severe she-cat actually seemed to find his flattering words to be funny, something that had not in fact happened before. Oh, sure he called all of the she-cats in the elder's den beautiful, and surely some of them were pleased with recieving compliments from the young red tom, but none of them had ever taken him seriously. The younger she-cats in the Clan had sometimes taken pleasure in silvered words, but knew him well enough that they merely ignored his mindless and shameless flattery as his being an idiot and dismissed him as always. He had never bothered to flatter Viperfang, having considered her to be a dangerous target. "The wind wasn't in my favor, Charredoak, but I'll indulge your need for humor, I am Viperfang, warrior of ThunderClan and bane of all apprentices in the territory." Oh, so the viper could tell jokes too. Well, that was an unexpected surprise. Despite her wry tone and the seemingly grudging choice of words, Viperfang's voice seemed to indicate that she was in a fairly good mood and not without a decent sense of irony and dry humor. As she spoke, her laughter dropped from her mouth with her words, and Charredoak couldn't help but stare, his mouth slightly agape with wonder upon seeing the she-cat in good humour. Something about her face ... lit up, he supposed, when she laughed, and he determined to try and convince her to laugh as much as he dare in the present. "Well, it most certainly is a pleasure to be reaquainted, Viperfang, bane of apprentices. I've heard stories of you from the kits - they tremble like the leaves of the aspen upon hearing your name."He widened his eyes slightly as though an elder telling a dramatic story, then sighed, realizing that he was overdoing it, and abruptly shut his mouth, looking back up at the sky while listening to her next inquiry. "So what brings you out here? Ants in your nest? Ants? Disgusting. He had never been partial to insects, even as a kit. "Ants? I'm afraid not. You see, the cat in the moon is very much in love with me, and I've been unable to convince her that we are far too different to be compatible. As a result, I must come and visit her every so often else she pines away for me." His eyes reflected the moon's light as he said this, and he smiled slightly at his own jest - a despicable habit, to be sure, but oftentimes he was the only one who understood his own jokes. Then, signing, he looked down at his paws, inspecting the frost that had begun to form on the dampened fur. "Actually, I was wondering about StarClan and what the warriors would have to say to us if we could speak to them." Close enough to the truth. He had been wondering that very thing, just not at the moment. "I have, however, never found you out wandering after dark before. Surely there aren't two jealous moon cats forcing ThunderClan company, no?" It was a nosy question, but he had never been one for tact. If she so chose not to answer, she could pretend it was a joke and remain silent. It was all up to her. word count: 626 audience: Viperfang comments: She can mention it. Fodder for conversation, no?

[Deleted]

[atrb=border,0,true][bg=black] "Well, it most certainly is a pleasure to be reaquainted, Viperfang, bane of apprentices. I've heard stories of you from the kits - they tremble like the leaves of the aspen upon hearing your name." Viperfang grinned at this information, but her face fell when she remembered WindClan. No apprentice from any clan would abandon their mentor to join a dead clan, and no queen would force her kits to join a clan of strangers. Most likely, there would be no one to mentor in the new clan. The she-cat would have to wait until the first kits of WindClan grew to be six moons old before she could start training them. And how long before they were born? It would take forever... "Ants? I'm afraid not. You see, the cat in the moon is very much in love with me, and I've been unable to convince her that we are far too different to be compatible. As a result, I must come and visit her every so often else she pines away for me." The warrior turned her head and gazed in wonder at the young tom. Such an amazing story teller! So creative and imaginative. Had he come up with that on the spot? "You will be a wonderful elder some day, Charredoak." "Actually, I was wondering about StarClan and what the warriors would have to say to us if we could speak to them." "There are two ways to do that, my friend. I hope you do not choose to become a Medicine Cat. You cannot deny ThunderClan the chance to have more handsome warriors like yourself." A compliment? From Viperfang?! Run! The sky is falling! It was no secret that Viperfang was usually the first to be seen brooding about in camp when she was trapped under the Medicine Cat's watch and had nothing to do. What no cat, not even Vixenfang, knew was that she often fell victim to self-pity and wondered why she did not yet have a mate. Well, she knew why, but didn't want to admit that her brashness drove off every tom in sight. However, he gaze often fell to Charredoak. Though nothing had necessarily bloomed quite yet, she had pondered what it would be like to spend more time with him. "I have, however, never found you out wandering after dark before. Surely there aren't two jealous moon cats forcing ThunderClan company, no?" She smiled and turned her gaze back up to the moon. Soon, she realized, there would be another Gathering. The time was near... "No moon cat for me," she replied, "Though I have found myself looking to it often as of late." Word Count: 434 Audience: Charredoak Comments: Excellent. :3

[Sparrow]

[atrb=border,0,true][bg=black] If he had had any sense about the matter, he would know what it was that he felt, but Charredoak had never thought that he would ever truly be attracted to another and the thought had not yet crossed his mind. She smiled again, and he noted with pleasure that that was one of several grins that he had seen tonight. Not that he had counted... or maybe he had, foolish creature that he was. It was just the way that her face seemed to shine when she laughed, and how her eyes brightened from their usual challenging stare that caught his attention and drove him to make her smile again. It was a foolish and selfish thing to do, without doubt, but it was like a reflex that he couldn't control. An unnerving, yet not unpleasant sensation. In the future he would not hesitate to approach her again, for undoubtedly she was worth befriending. "You will be a wonderful elder some day, Charredoak." The chances that she would have known what a compliment that had been were slim at best, and Charredoak beamed in response. To be an elder was to be idle, a horrible thing, yet it also meant telling stories to the kits and apprentices all day long. Surely it wouldn't be so bad... He resolved quickly that he was never to be one of the crotchety old cats who did nothing but complain, and aspired to be one of the gentler ones who remained grateful throughout life for what they had recieved. It could be done, surely, and he smiled at Viperfang before replying. "Thank you. It's quite an honor to be compared to the storyweavers who inspire so many." It seemed as though she was not yet done, however, for she continued to speak. "There are two ways to do that, my friend. I hope you do not choose to become a Medicine Cat. You cannot deny ThunderClan the chance to have more handsome warriors like yourself." He nodded, his grin fading a bit before he caught himself and smiled even more widely than before, tilting his head to the side with a jaunty air. "I couldn't even think to consider being a medicine cat. Imagine my moon cat, forever parted from me. It'd break her little heart," and he looked up at the moon with an exagerratedly pained face, as though apologizing to the indifferent orb for even mentioning being a medicine cat. In reality, what he was experiencing was a slight twinge of disappointment at the thought that she should even suggest his being anything but a warrior. For he was, of course, a cat unaware of attraction but not immune to it, and were he to understand it better, he could say that his eye had turned to the feathery little tabby who admired the stars so much. It took only a second, however, before he cared to reply to the second half of her statement, and his face returned to its familiar impudent grin as a furious blush spread its way across his features. "You really ought not to say that, Viperfang. I'm quite vain, you know, and to call me handsome will only inflate my abnormally large ego to even greater size. What the Clan ought to hope for is that a lovely young warrior such as yourself not find the calling in the back of her equally lovely mind." He wished the blush to fade with his words, for it usually did with mindless flattery, but at the back of his mind he found that for the first time in his life, he meant the words that he spoke. Tonight seemed to be just full of surprises. word count: 619 audience: Viperfang comments: Moar flattery!

[Deleted]

[atrb=border,0,true][bg=black] "I couldn't even think to consider being a medicine cat. Imagine my moon cat, forever parted from me. It'd break her little heart." She had to commend him. He could carry his jokes and stories well after they were told. Viperfang was lucky to think of a joke. To voice it and reuse it, well, Charredoak was a pro. She was beginning to envy the kits who would be born seasons from now and have the chance to hear the long-haired tom's stories. "You really ought not to say that, Viperfang. I'm quite vain, you know, and to call me handsome will only inflate my abnormally large ego to even greater size. What the Clan ought to hope for is that a lovely young warrior such as yourself not find the calling in the back of her equally lovely mind." "I wouldn't have the patience," she replied quickly, frowning at the idea, "Warriors and apprentices whining like kits while I had to pull thorns from their paws? Not me. I give scratches. I don't heal them." The thought had crossed her mind before. The idea of being so close to StarClan intrigued her, but the she-cat had decided against it. Medicine Cats, like Leaders and Deputies, were far too busy for her tastes. She preferred being a warrior. Nothing else. A queen, someday, maybe, but a warrior until then. "And what shall we do about your ego, then, hm? Shall I insult you instead? On this beautiful night, not likely. Maybe in the morning. I hate mornings." Word Count: 252 Audience: Charredoak Comments: None

[Sparrow]

[atrb=border,0,true][bg=black] Her reaction to his jest was instantaneous and hasty, as though she was horrified at the very thought of living life in a medicine cat's den. A frown spread across her face almost as hastily as she spoke, her voice hurried and displeased. It was almost comical, how dissatisfied she was with the idea, and he had little wonder as to whether "I wouldn't have the patience. Warriors and apprentices whining like kits while I had to pull thorns from their paws? Not me. I give scratches. I don't heal them." He laughed, his whiskers twitching as his eyes closed in a grin. She did have a point, as most of the apprentices in the Clan were afraid of her, and she didn't seem to be the... nurturing type, to be quite honest. It was rare that he had ever seen her in a good mood, not that he generally took notice of her, and the only reason she had ever truly caught his attention before was when she was noticeably angry and he took care to avoid her. Giving scratches indeed. ”Well, a good thing to hear to be sure. The Clan shall be relieved to hear that they need not worry about a surplus of medicine cats.” "And what shall we do about your ego, then, hm? Shall I insult you instead? On this beautiful night, not likely. Maybe in the morning. I hate mornings." He chuckled at this, flicking his ears in amusement at her dry sense of humor and attempting to pull an injured facial expression to cover his grin. Failing miserably, he sighed and contented himself to grin at the she-cat’s dry wit before replying. ”Oh, I’m not sure that anything is to be done about my ego. It seems to be a chronic condition with little or no chance of reversal. But you may feel free to insult me all you would like. It’ll can only do me good in the long run, I am sure.” He paused for a moment and smiled. ”Perhaps it’ll be more benefitial in the mornings however. I’m afraid the night is far too lovely to ruin with harsh words, however needed they may be. So, may I offer a mouse for your thoughts?” word count: 367 audience: Viperfang comments: Nothing much.

[Deleted]

[atrb=border,0,true][bg=black] ”Oh, I’m not sure that anything is to be done about my ego. It seems to be a chronic condition with little or no chance of reversal. But you may feel free to insult me all you would like. It can only do me good in the long run, I am sure. ...Perhaps it’ll be more benefitial in the mornings however. I’m afraid the night is far too lovely to ruin with harsh words, however needed they may be. So, may I offer a mouse for your thoughts?” Viperfang took a moment to answer. The warrior code said clan comes first when hunting, but Charredoak's clan was taken care of. There was also the matter of hunting on another clan's territory, but then again, it was a ThunderClan cat who would be hunting. After a few seconds, she concluded that ThunderClan prey was for ThunderClan stomachs. She would hunt for herself in the moor when the sun rose, and after she hunted for the tree-dwelling cats. "Thank you, but no," she answered, lowering her head and flicking her ears back, "I prefer WindCla- I mean rabbits from the moor. Heh... Um, they're fun to hunt..." The she-cat cursed herself under her breath. How in StarClan's name did she let that slip?! There was no way Charredoak didn't catch what she had said before she stopped and corrected herself. She lashed her tail behind her in anger at her slack jaw. Her brow furrowed as she avoided the tom's undoubtably questioning gaze. Her lips pulled back in a silent snarl. It was a well known fact that Viperfang couldn't tell secrets. For one thing, she didn't ever gossip. For another, she never let too many cats near enough to her to actually talk. Now she'd let the biggest secret in the whole forest slip out- and to a tom! A storyteller tom! What would Vixenfang say?! In a silent prayer to StarClan, she pleaded for Charredoak to either ignore what she had said or for him to keep his mouth shut around any other cat, especially leaders, deputies, and Vixenfang. She'd have her tail if she found out! Word Count: 352 Audience: Charredoak Comments: None

[Sparrow]

[atrb=border,0,true][bg=black] Following his query, her face remained pensive for a moment, and Charredoak wondered what it was that was causing her such conflict before she answered with polite response. "Thank you, but no. I prefer WindCla- I mean rabbits from the moor. Heh... Um, they're fun to hunt..." His first reaction was incredulity that the she-cat hadn't realized what he meant by his statement. It had been a figure of speech, not a dinner invitation, but he supposed that he would have gotten her a mouse in any case if she had accepted. His second was that of a stunned silence, and he looked away from the she-cat to hide his momentary bewilderment. WindClan? "Not to pry, but judging by your reaction, I've been unfortunately led to assume that that's not something I was supposed to have heard, now is it?" His face was impassive, his voice frank and skeptical. If he hadn't heard Elkstar talking of going to WindClan territory to hunt, then it was obviously not on her orders that the ThunderClan warrior had been going to the moors to hunt. In fact, judging by the warriors expression and Elkstar's words at the gathering, it seemed as though Viperfang had been going there against the ThunderClan leader's specific orders not to. Surprise, surprise, the loyal warrior turns out to have her own skeletons after all. His yellow eyes looked at her, not exactly accusingly, but wary, and he fluffed his pelt up against the cold. Noting her worried expression and frightened stuttering at the end of her declaration, he sat in silence for a moment before his even voice, tinted with forced cheer, rang out once more. "You need not worry. I won't tell anyone about your... escapades... onto the moors. On one condition, mind you." His face was impassive still, yet his eyes once again glinted gold with an odd expression, rather kitlike in nature. Leaving a pause in his words, merely for the fun in watching her dread what he was going to say as well as to settle his taste for the dramatic. "Next time you go, I want to go with." word count: 357 audience: Viperfang comments: Mouse for your thoughts = Penny for your thoughts. xD

[Deleted]

[atrb=border,0,true][bg=black] "Not to pry, but judging by your reaction, I've been unfortunately led to assume that that's not something I was supposed to have heard, now is it?" The real Viperfang was starting to shine through. With her slip up, her anger was taking over. Not that there was anything surprising about that. The shocking thing was that she had been in a good mood to begin with. She turned her head and hissed at the tom, more out of annoyance with herself than with him, but it was her way of warning him and the rest of the clan not to mess with her. "Yes, your assumption is correct and I would prefer it if you kept your muzzle shut about it," she snarled, pain, worry, and anger showing all over her face. She couldn't let the secret out before it was time. WindClan couldn't be beaten before they had a chance to dust out the dens! "You need not worry. I won't tell anyone about your... escapades... onto the moors. On one condition, mind you." Viperfang lashed her tail and let out another low hiss. She was in no mood to bargain. If she had to, she would slash him up and fetch Vixenfang and the two RiverClanners before their leaders had a chance to stop them. She was small, fast, agile... a regular WindClan cat! She could make it... "Next time you go, I want to go with." The she-cat's eyes widened in amazement. She blinked stupidly, heart and breath stopped for that single moment. Her fur layed flat once again, making her look as if a blast of wind had blown her back. He wanted to come to the moor with her? "Why?" Word Count: 279 Audience: Charredoak Comments: I know, I made the connection but couldn't completely understand how it would translate to the cats' lifestyle, as they don't use fresh-kill as currency. Besides, I figure now would be a good time for Viperfang let slip the whole WindClan deal. :3

[Sparrow]

[atrb=border,0,true][bg=black] His fur fluffed up, he resembled a shaggy mess more than a well-groomed warrior, but his eyes were the same. Slightly puzzled and more than a tinge wounded, they glanced reproachfully at Viperfang with a wariness that hadn’t been there before. Her face was a mask of annoyance and pent-up fury that transformed her pretty features into something along the lines of being horrifying. What had once been composed was now twisted into something unrecognizable, and where warmth had been in her eyes there was now only coldness. Her warning hiss was honestly frightening, and it was only when she spoke that the large red tom was able to look her directly in the eye. "Yes, your assumption is correct and I would prefer it if you kept your muzzle shut about it." His joking tone caught quite abruptly, and he stared at her in further shock. Blast it all! She didn’t need to get so upset over it. He had only been playing with her, couldn’t she see that? But… though he was naïve, childish, he wasn’t stupid, and as he saw the horror and worry written all over her face, his hurt expression faded somewhat and he forced an attempt of smugness into his voice. “Oh, my muzzle may shut but I’m sure that my mind will never cease to chatter...” His tone trailed away as he saw the murderous intent in her eyes, and he hastily backed up a few steps, his ears pinned back against his neck and his pelt bristling. He was far bigger than her, he being a very large cat and she being the size of a kit, and he thought that he could surely overpower her if it really came to that, but it was against his better judgement to fight a clanmate, particularly a she-cat who had so recently caught his attention. It was with relief then, that he saw her pause and visibly deflate, her voice coming out in an all-encompassing word. “Why?” He paused, waiting to see if she had more to say, but began after a moment, still on his feet and braced for any sudden movement she might make. “Because something big has to be going on for you to nearly rip my fur off for noticing that you mentioned WindClan. And if your eyes betray you, you were most certainly ready to do whatever it took to remove me from the situation, even if it meant removing me from my station. Permanently, perhaps? …In any case, whatever is going on is big and important and I want in. Even if it only turns out to be hunting where we’re not supposed to, it’s bound to be more exciting than sitting around camp with nothing to do. There aren’t even kits in the nursery for me to play with.” At this his expression grew so sulky and morose that even he was able to notice that he was pouting slightly and he shook his head in amusement at his own immature antics. Flicking his ears, he tilted his head to the side and looked meditatively out over the river before continuing. “Besides, I feel… felt… feel… Oh, whatever tense you’d like, that we could be fairly decent friends given that you don’t end up permanently disabling me. I wasn’t joking when I said that you had a pretty mind and appearance, you know.” word count: 566 audience: Viperfang comments: Nothing much.

[Deleted]

[atrb=border,0,true][bg=black] “Because something big has to be going on for you to nearly rip my fur off for noticing that you mentioned WindClan. And if your eyes betray you, you were most certainly ready to do whatever it took to remove me from the situation, even if it meant removing me from my station. Permanently, perhaps? …In any case, whatever is going on is big and important and I want in. Even if it only turns out to be hunting where we’re not supposed to, it’s bound to be more exciting than sitting around camp with nothing to do. There aren’t even kits in the nursery for me to play with.” Viperfang's good-natured grin came back quite suddenly as she raised her eyes to StarClan and shook her head. It was clear that he wasn't going to snitch, but his priorities were a little askew. Her she was, about to claw his fur off, and he was pouting because there were no young ones to terrorize. What a strange tom he was... “Besides, I feel… felt… feel… Oh, whatever tense you’d like, that we could be fairly decent friends given that you don’t end up permanently disabling me. I wasn’t joking when I said that you had a pretty mind and appearance, you know.” Her blush reappeared as the she-cat lowered her head and pulled her ears back. She gave her chest a few calming licks, mainly just to hide her face from the long-haired tom. It also gave her an excuse to not comment right away. That, and she was sure she'd say something idiotic if she didn't preoccupy herself immediately. After a moment or two, she straightened herself up and forced herself to look directly at him instead of resolving herself to search for answers in the surface of the moon. "Thank you for the compliment. And you're right, my secret is important enough to give me cause to remove you, if necessary." What she was about to say next called for a lengthy pause between sentences. She looked up at the pinpricks of light dotting the sky. It was their wish that the old clan be brought back to life, after all. They needed more members. Vixenfang, Hawkfang, Shrewclaw, herself, and possibly Rabbitflight together were not enough cats to maintain an entire territory. And here was Viperfang's chance to recruit! She wouldn't let this pass, even if she ended up having to silence him. "Well, friend, I'll tell you what's going on. But you have to swear on your loyalty to StarClan that you will not tell another cat what you're about to hear." Word Count: 430 Audience: Charredoak Comments: Viperfang and Rabbitflight were going to run through the moor to find the WindClan camp. If no one adopts him soon, would Charredoak take his place? That should really happen before the Gathering.

[Sparrow]

[atrb=border,0,true][bg=black] Watching her grin again, Charredoak couldn't help but do the same, still warily, but gradually losing the worry in his expression. She looked up and shook her head, and he wondered if it was with disapproval or amusement, but he resolved that so long as she wasn't threatening to claw his pelt to ribbons he was fine with either emotion. Though he studied her expression in profile, he couldn't make out what was running through her head, and he forced himself to remain calm though he was desperate for her to respond. When she bent her head, grooming the ruff of fur around her neck, he relaxed. Unless she was far trickier than he had initially thought, it was unlikely that she was going to do anything apart from respond civilly. And when she looked up, it was to look him directly in the eyes. He found himself staring at their colour and shape before he realized she was talking and forced himself to listen as she spoke. Despite her somewhat unsettling behaviour and his distraction, he was honestly interested in what it was that she had to say, and what it was that she was so resolved not to tell him. "Thank you for the compliment. And you're right, my secret is important enough to give me cause to remove you, if necessary." Unexpected words. He had been joking when he spoke of murdering him, and yet it didn’t seem as though she had been, given her tone. Her next words, however, rang with sharp sarcasm, having come after a pause in which she had gazed at the sky once again, as though looking for answers in the stars. Answers that were not there and never would be. "Well, friend, I'll tell you what's going on. But you have to swear on your loyalty to StarClan that you will not tell another cat what you're about to hear." As much as he admired the she-cat, and as much as her behaviour imitated his own, he found himself growing irritated with her constant attention to the stars. StarClan wasn’t going to do anything for them, StarClan only watched and spoke in what seemed to be rhymes even medicine cats hardly understood until all was said and done. They would not speak to an ordinary warrior… so why promise upon the loyalty that he only had because he was raised to? The emphasis on friend made him blush scarlet. Even he wasn’t fool enough to overlook the fact that she was making fun of him, and he considered with regret that he had just been rejected on that front. “I’m glad my compliment was well received. Perhaps you’ll keep it in mind in the future before unsheathing your claws. After all, if I am dead you’ll have to find another source of well-intended words… Friend.” “I’ll swear on my love for my dead sister in StarClan. Is that good enough for you?” word count: 491 audience: Viperfang comments: He was mean, as I realized upon rereading this. Sorry about that.