{ top S E C R E T .

[⋆ Phia ⋆]

how desperate are you?

RATPAW :: Rapid footsteps broke the utter serenity of the marshlands. The shrill noise of splashing water revealed a small-sized, double-coloured presence making itself noticeable as it raced through the cold, shallow water. Wet, snow-white legs carried a slender, male silhouette towards the edge of the lukewarm bog, a long, thin tail swaying gracefully behind him against the powerful wind. Leaf-bare was slowly but steadily reaching its end, however, it had left its unforgivable chilly breezes behind.

Bleached paws skidded to a halt as the feeling of semi-warm liquid vanished, and the two-toned tom's pawpads finally came in contact with solid ground. It felt fairly odd to step on dry land at first, but next thing he knew, he had already picked up his pace towards an enormous oak tree a short distance away. He started out at a casual stroll as he made his way over, recalling elders' tales regarding the towering tree he was facing. He had heard them referring to it as the "Owl Tree" one sundown as he delivered some freshkill to their den, and it was rumoured that its inhabitant, nothing more than a horned owl, made a hobby out of snatching unexpecting kits and even full-grown cats.

A small huff of air escaped his mouth. Like any bit of that story could be true. He recalled the astonished faces of the young kits who had been listening to the same tale in awe, but the tomcat knew it was all merely a pile of fox-dung, the only role it served being keeping naive cats away. The young apprentice now found himself racing across the last fox-lengths that kept him apart from the unusually huge tree, his senses itching for adventure. He had to admit that he had only dared travel across his clan's territory to the Owl Tree while the sun still shone above his head, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that he was there now. He had made it!

Arriving beneath its thick trunk that rose up endlessly, he lifted his head, trying to measure about how tall it could be. It was most definitely too tall for him to get a glimpse of the top from that angle. Plenty of branches poked their way out, almost inviting him to claw his way up to them and explore. He held still and thought about it for several endless moments, his sensitive ears twitching nervously as he searched for any unfamiliar sounds coming from the countless branches above his head. If he did think the story of the horned owl fake, why not give in to his longing for exploring? He had nothing to lose. His emerald gaze gleamed with desire in the few sun rays that made their way through the tree's dense foliage, but eventually, he resisted, settling himself among the tree's roots instead.

He began to lick off the dirty marsh water that had started to dry within his legs' fur, enjoying the cool shade and the silence of the day. It was a little after sunhigh, and despite the frosty wind that surrounded the air around him, the tom felt comfortable under the dim light of the sun as it washed the deep brown-coloured fur on his back. He stretched out his tired limbs, slowly drifting into a peaceful afternoon nap. The tranquility that reigned over the field around him made him feel warm and secure, as he serenely envisioned the rest of his day, also spent in peace and quiet. He yawned, surrendered to the belief that nothing in the world was capable of ruining that beautiful feeling of a calm spirit floating inside him. Almost.

Word Count » 607
Notes » Bringing this back! I so need this one finished! *A* <3 Can you guys like, copy-paste your posts from the old site till we're ready to continue on? :o
Tags » Amethyst, ☿ Mᴇʀᴄᴜʀʏ, Nako [Eth], Swift
Muse » 88%

[Amethyst]

OOC: Here is my first post ouo (Agh it looks so plain without any posting layout XD I'll need to make a new one soon).

IC:

Pigeonflight

Sharp claws sliced the air with a faint whistling, their tips glinting in the sunlight. Pigeonflight  landed back on all fours, panting slightly. His violet eyes narrowed, he turned around slowly, his back arched and his muscles stiff, ready to leap or claw. Keeping his imaginary ennemy in view, Pigeonflight bristled his cinder colored pelt, his ears flattened against his skull. Afierce hiss escaped his mouth, revealing white pointed fangs.

His tail lashing, Pigeonflight stood up on his hind legs and sprang forward, his front paws outstretched and claws unsheathed. Time seemed  to slow down for a second as the tom was suspended in the air, only to restart roughly as Pigeonflight landed on his shoulder, and finding himself awkwardly splayed on his flank. The tom stayed on the ground, unmoving, his jaws slightly parted as he panted hard, gasping for breath.

Still as bad as before huh ? He asked himself in thought, looking at the canopy above, through semi-closed eyes. The ground's humidity was sinking through his pelt, making him shiver. Pigeonflight never had been good at fighting, his clumsiness making it hard for him to do precise movements. The tom also had difficulties keeping his balance, even though he was, ironically, excellent at climbing in trees and leaping impressively high. 'Your hindlegs are especially strong, if only you had a little more balance, you would be unbeatable at forepaw slashes...' Every warrior would tell him during battle training sessions. Getting to his paws with a huff, Pigeonflight sighed. Let's just hope I never have to go in battle...He thought desperately. The partially speckled gray tom shook away debris and mud that had clung to his pelt, and with a last glance to the Training Area, he padded back to the camp, following the narrow path of hard packed earth.

Pigeonflight pushed past the fern wall, keeping his gaze low. He never really liked meeting other cat's eyes. The fact that they usually stared at him because of his unusual eye color didn't help. The tom leaped on the huge, smooth boulder near the river. The boulder absorbed the sun's warmth at Newleaf and at Leaf-fall, becoming almost to hot to sit on in the middle of Greenleaf. It was usually crowded with Queens or Elders sunning themselves, but today, it was desert. Pigeonflight curled up comfortably on the sun-warmed boulder, taking a small pause before the next patrol.

[☿ Mᴇʀᴄᴜʀʏ]

i have come too far for anything else;

A pair of blazing golden eyes followed every move of the dark-pelted tom that had just entered the scene, his paws covered in dirt, and fleed to rest on the warm boulders. I wonder where he has been. Lynxpaw thought. As it seemed, she had remained unnoticed by her brother. Then again, how could anyone blame him? It was not very common for an apprentice to sit around near the river.

Though, Lynxpaw had only started being drawn to the river ever since.. no. The apprentice shook her head to clear it. She had decided not to think about such matters. Though, the odd pull towards the river had remained, no matter how hard she had tried to forget about it, it would always be there. A whisper at the back of her head, telling her to go to the river. At least look at it. Today, the silvery she-cat had finally given in. She had excused herself from the usual duties, saying she'd like to go and try hunt near the camp. Of course, she hadn't even made it out of the camp.

The arriveal of Pigeonflight wasn't good, the she-cat had hoped to find some peace here, to think and try to make sense out of the mess she had gotten herself in to. At least it was Pigeonflight. Lynxpaw knew she could trust her brother with keeping her little secret of sneaking off. Speaking of which, it seemed the dark-furred tom had fallen asleep already. Though, you can never be sure. Lynxpaw decided it would have been worse if she had tried to sneak away and her brother had caught her like this. She decided she'd go to him by herself.

With slow, discreet pace, the she-cat walked out of the shade of the tree she had sat under and padded to the rock. Taking her time to aim, just like she had been thought, Lynxpaw bent her legs and crouched on the ground. The jump went well enough, the apprentice managed to land on the top of the boulder, in front of the tomcat. Now what? Lynxpaw had acted before thinking, yet again. She didn't have anything to say to her littermate. She had to come up with something fast.

Taking a second to catch her breath before talking, and win some time, Lynxpaw sat down on the warm surface of the rock. Finally, when her heart had stopped racing, she had a plan. The apprentice spoke, quietly: "Pigeon! Pigeon, wake up." Seeing no instant reaction, impatient as she was, the she-cat poked her littermate with a paw. As her brother had finally started blinking his odd-coloured eyes, Lynxpaw spoke again, . "Do you remember when mom told us about the Owl Tree? And Morningbird?" she had remembered the story about her older sister, Morningbird, who had, according to the tale, died at the very same tree. Lynxpaw continued, "Can you take me to there?"

She knew her brother well enough to see when the tom agreed to do what she had asked him to do. Not even waiting for an answer, Lynxpaw got up on her paws once again, and uttered "Let's go! Or I'll go alone. It's your choice." in a playful voice, before jumping off the boulder, and almost falling headfirst on the muddy ground. Somehow she had managed to remain on her feet, so she continued on, trotting to the entrance of the camp.

Thinking she could hear the pawsteps of Pigeonflight behind her as she proceeded through the barrior of thorns that surrounded the camp, Lynxpaw went on a faster pace and took off to the direction she thought the Owl Tree would be loated. Surprisingly, she had not guessed very wrong at all. Even though Pigeonflight had had to direct her a few times, the duo reached their destination quickly.

Seeing a large oak tree in the distance, over the marshlands, Lynxpaw picked up her pace even more. Racing to the tree, her paws wet and muddy, and the brown water of the marsh splashing on her gray pelt as well, Lynxpaw arrived to the Owl Tree, covered in mud, but happy and content. Yet again, her day was to be ruined. What expected her at the legendary tree was not a pleasant surprise.

Words 713
Tags Cherish, Bat, Pigeon, Rat
Notes sorry i think i powerplayed a bit, Pigeon. if you don't like something i described Pigeon doing, etc just let me know.

[Deleted]

The multi-colored she-cat pounced, missing the squirrel she’d been trying to catch by a rabbit-length. "Fox-dung!" she hissed under her breath. She was already aggravated from what had happened recently, what with her miscarriage and all. "Sheesh, Cherishhope, you're becoming stupider than a dead mouse!" she complained to herself. "For StarClan's sake, you're supposed to be a Queen, not a flip-flop." She added silently, letting her sharp azure glare scan the forest terrain that surrounded her, her ears perking at the slightest rustle of a bush, and she slowly began to make her way towards the sound, starting to feel the adrenaline rushing in her veins, in her bloodstream, her soul.

Cherishhope padded through the bush, landing her glare on the new scenery. “The Owl Tree..? Why would anyone bother to come here unless they want to kill themselves? If they wanted to die, I’d happily help them. One less hideous clanmate to look at.” she muttered truthfully, immediately lifting up her head at the sound of footsteps. A two-toned tomcat was sitting on the ground. "Oh, mouse-dung!" she grumbled. “Just great. Just great. It’s that crazy new apprentice.” She hissed, slowly, reluctantly, padding over to the tom. "What are you doing here?" Cherishhope growled, her fur on end. “Becoming more mouse-brained than you already are?” she taunted with a sneer. Her jet-black tail lashed with her irritation, although she still smirked.

•Word count - 235
•OOC - Sorry this is so short ouo ⋆ Phia ⋆ Amethyst ☿ Mᴇʀᴄᴜʀʏ Swift

[Swift]

B A T W I N G

The boughs of the old oak sighed softly in the playful breeze, and Batwing dug her claws into the knarled, mottled bark. Her black and brown fur melted into the shadows of the tree, and Batwing sighed softly to herself. Moments of solitude like these were rare these days; especially with all the new kits being born and the new warriors and apprentices. HiddenClan was getting large, an ever-budding tree stretching out orderly. Batwing felt a flicker of satisfaction, HiddenClan was strong - if slightly crowded.

I should probably do some hunting, she noted to herself, and just as she was about to stretch and climb down - a bird landed on a twig about a foxlength away from her. Batwing's pupils dilated with the prospect of a hunt, and she slid her long claws back out and advanced silently upon the speckled thrush. Now she was on the same branch as the unaware bird.

The dark-furred she-cat carefully calculated what she would have to do to kill the thrush without falling out of the tree and cracking her skull open. The bird twitched its tail and burrowed its beak into a softer area of bark; hopeful for a grub. Batwing bunched her muscles, whiskers stiff with tension. She surged foward, paws pinning down the bird by the tail so it couldn't escape. Batwing quickly snapped its neck before it could give an alarm call, and she held it firm against the tree bark by a spindly leg so it wouldn't fall off into the jaws of the other hungry predators in the forest.

Softly wrapping her fangs around the thrush's still-warm body, Batwing began to half climb, half slither out of the tree; careful not to drop her kill. Digging a small hole for it and scuffing more earth over it, she padded silently away - cool grass brushing against her brownish legs. The brown and black she-cat paused a moment, licking a paw and running it over one of her white whiskers, and then twitched a brown ear and walking on soundly.

Batwing shortly came up to another tree - one that had long branches that formed a kind of path to other trees - and dug her front claws in it. Finding grooves in the thick bark, she pushed herself up determindly, weaker back legs scrabbling to gain a grip. She hauled herself up the tree, finally reaching a branch and sitting on it, panting for breath.

She crawled along the branch, this tree being quite a bit away from the Owl Tree - but her acute sense of hearing allowed her to pick up some very faint sounds, cat voices. Creeping along the branch, jumping into the next tree, she could hear the sounds getting steadily louder. Batwing stopped at the end tree; as the Owl Tree was in a slight clearing, and shoved her ears forward. Definitely voices, Cherishhope - she could recognise her sister's scathing voice anywhere - and...? Batwing took a large sniff through her dark nose, picking out the scents of Pigeonflight, Lynxpaw, and another cats whose scent she couldn't place a name or face to.

Maybe it's that new apprentice, she thought to herself, running her tongue over a fang as she pondered over this. She had heard of a new apprentice that had been taken into HiddenClan, but hadn't actually met him yet.

Deciding she should show herself and not be caught eavesdropping, she crawled down a couple of branches before jumping down the short distance back to the ground - landing neatly on all four paws - before sitting on her haunches and curling her fluffy black tail over her round black paws. A cricket called to sum it all up.

"So," she said in her quiet voice, amber eyes sharp with curiousity, and slight mistrust. "What's going on here?"

[⋆ Phia ⋆]

how desperate are you?

RATPAW :: The light-coloured, slender silhouette remained lain on the cool ground, his thin tail stretched along his lean legs and his ears flicking towards the soothing sounds of the afternoon forest. He tried to remember how long it had been since he had last experienced such incomparable peace like this one; upon realising he had almost forgotten how calm he was brought to feel, a near silent sigh of utter relief tranquilized his tired shoulders as it left his body. He continued to listen to the comforting whispers of the dewy grasses as wind rustled among them, feeling his body gradually give in to his longing for a refreshing, fully undisturbed afternoon nap.

However, to his dismay, new, familiar yet irritating noise arose, beginning to reach for his sensitive ears as the tomcat swiftly sat up at once. Within few heartbeats, he had wholly forgotten about the peace and quiet he was longing for; his senses were now alert, his emerald gaze scanning the area around him thoroughly and in search of something that would do no less than destroy the serenity of the beautiful afternoon that had just slipped from his paws. His tail flicked irritably, a rising fire burning in his chest. He couldn't tolerate being disturbed when the moment least asked for it. Whoever had dared blow up his so nicely, from top to bottom planned evening, they weren't getting away with it.

Suddenly, before he could be given the opportunity to study and identify the nearing footsteps, another voice sent the double-coloured tom springing to his paws. He spun around frantically, only to face a big, dainty calico standing a mouse-length away from him, her fur bristling with anger and her eerie blue gaze piercing right through his deep green one, glowing scornfully. The she-cat's lips were curled in a warning, yet fairly hostile growl, and the young tomcat picked to react in the same fashion with no second thought. "What am I doing here?" he began with a snarl, watching the female warrior, who seemed to have appeared out of the blue, through slitted eyes. "I don't think I'm-"

He let his sentence be cut in half, flicking his tail with fury as a reply to the she-cat's mocking words before throwing himself back towards the opposite direction. The voices he had heard before his unpleasant interaction with the calico she-cat were nearing hazardously, and the scents they carried sent a shudder that made his entire body shiver down the apprentice's spine. His sharp claws instinctively slid out, piercing the soft earth beneath his paws as he let out a warning hiss. StarClan, why have you forsaken me?, he sighed as built-up anger threatened to burst out, dazed by how quickly everything had glided from best to worst. He shot another frosty glance at the older female behind him, baring his teeth in clear hostility. "Pray that you're not the one to bring them here."

As he watched two tall, sturdy bodies with muddy fur enter the scene, the tom tried to gather his thoughts and process the words the she-cat beside him had uttered before bracing himself for further scornful comments. How mouse-brained I am to be here?, he turned to study the calico's features, finally a delighted smirk pulling at his face. It was crystal clear that the warrior believed in those stupid tales loaded up in fox-dung the elders told to young and naive kits. And not only believed in them. It was dead obvious she believed them with a passion. He rolled his eyes before turning to face a pair of new intruders- a much-expected tailless she-cat, accompanied by one of her own kin; a pitiful male warrior following after his sibling. Is she so much of a useless scaredy-mouse that she has to drag her precious brother everywhere with her? Pathetic!

"A three-legged badger would make less of a mess, you know!" he spat fiercely, shaking spattered mud off his paws in annoyance. He glanced down at the silvery feline's filthy legs in disgust, then pulled his head away and nodded a greeting to the grey-speckled warrior. He knew not how the tom would react at his sister getting insulted by another apprentice, but unless it was absolutely necessary, Ratpaw wasn't planning on making any other rivals. He decided it'd be wiser to let the tomcat believe his comment was nothing more than a friendly tease rather than a hostile insult, and he casually let a partially vicious grin cross his features, his bright green eyes glowing with mischief.

Yet the next heartbeat, his expression altered abruptly, leaving his face nearly blank apart from his previously curled lips now merely curving into a faint smile. He had been busy trying not to show a single hint of weakness towards the three cats that had approached without warning and had ruined his delightful afternoon, leaving him no time to pick up another scent that drew itself closer to them rapidly until it turned up, lean and jet-black with traces of shadowy brown. The two-toned apprentice finally let a small sigh escape his mouth; how much worse could this afternoon possibly get? He was determined to prove himself fierce and unbeatable in front of all these cats that slighted him with each chance they got, but now all he could do was admit to himself that all he craved for was fleeing out of their sight, and never return.

He finally lifted his chin, letting the fur around his stiff shoulders flatten as his shimmering green gaze met the new cat's outstanding, copper-yellow eyes. He tried to relax his tense muscles, recalling the purely serene sensations he had felt just before this group of cats had arrived to ruin everything for him. However, he had gotten this far facing his less-than-friendly clanmates, and he wouldn't give all of that up now. He simply couldn't afford to fold in on himself and refuse to function solely because a firm, more serious-looking cat had turned up, and he most certainly wouldn't suddenly pick to be friendly, either. He only stared at her, his tail thrashing menacingly. "What is going on? Just having an ordinary, delightful chin-wag with my beloved clanmates, obviously."

Word Count » 1036
Notes » SORRY FOR NOVEL felt I should equally include all of you guys sobs
Tags » Amethyst, ☿ Mᴇʀᴄᴜʀʏ, Nako [Eth], Swift
Muse » 94%

[Amethyst]

Pigeonflight

Pigeonflight felt his muscles relax as the heat from the boulder and the sun warmed his pelt. The tom closed his eyes, feeling his mind slowly slipping away as he drifted into sleep. "Pigeon ! Pigeon, wake up." A voice sounded in his ear as a paw prodded his side. "Huh, what ?" Pigeonflight quickly blinked his violet eyes open. His littermate, Lynxpaw, was sitting in front of him on the boulder.

"Do you remember when mom told us about the Owl Tree? And Morningbird?" The she-cat asked. Pigeonflight blinked, he remembered Rainfeather, Shadowrain and his older siblings telling him about his older sister, who died falling from a tree moons before Pigeonflight was even born.

"Y-yeah I remember.." Pigeonflight mewed, frowning slightly, why was Lynxpaw talking about her now ?

"Can you take me to there?" The question surprised Pigeonflight. Even though Lynxpaw was often treated as younger since she was still an apprentice, she was exactly the same age as Pigeonflight,in fact she was even seconds older than him and way more adventurous than her speckled brother. When they were all in the Nursery with their littermates, Lynxpaw would often be the one going outside to explore, Pigeonflight following her closely, not wanting to be alone, or worse being left behind. The fact that Lynxpaw was now asking him to take her to the Owl Tree was strange, usually she would've gone by herself, or been asking Pigeonflight to follow her to there.

"Err okay." Pigeonflight answered, his expression still slightly startled, he wasn't at all expecting this kind of request.

"Let's go! Or I'll go alone. It's your choice." Lynxpaw called playfully, not even seeming hear Pigeonflight's reply. The tom smiled, he recognized Lynxpaw better now. The apprentice sprang off the boulder, nearly tripping in her own paws as she landed. Pigeonflight supressed a mrrowww of laughter. Beyond friendship and family, Lynxpaw and he also shared clumsiness. Seeing her nearly tripping always strangely reassured him, as if it was reminding him that he wasn't the only clumsy cat in the forest. Pigeonflight followed his sister down the boulder, trotting through the camp to catch up with her.

In the forest, Pigeonflight had to take the lead a few times, Lynxpaw not really knowing where the Owl tree was. What did you expect mouse-brain ? Pigeonflight thought. She asked you to lead her to there. As the tree came into view, Lynxpaw raced up to it like an excited kit, splashing the gray tom with muddy water from the marsh. Shaking his pelt in disgust, Pigeonflight couldn't stop himself from purring in amusement. "Hey !! Wait for me !!" He called playfully, racing after his sister through the marshy undergrowth. However, the playful ambiance didn't last long.

The small clearing in which the Owl Tree stood seemed to be crowded already. Lynxpaw and Pigeonflight's sister, Cherishhope was already there, apparently hissing ( How surprising. The tom thought) at the new apprentice, Ratpaw. Pigeonflight shot a glance at Lynxpaw, who seemed to have tensed with hostility.

"A three-legged badger would make less of a mess, you know!" Ratpaw spat at Lynxpaw. Nice way of greeting a Clanmate. Pigeonflight thought bitterly. "Stay polite with her," The violet eyed tom warned, even though, deep down, he was scared of this apprentice who, even though way younger than Pigeonflight himself, was already as tall as he was. How big is he going to be as a warrior ? The young warrior dreaded the answer. If Ratpaw was going to be his ennemy, he would certainly get even more dangerous and fierce with age. Trying to make his pelt lay flat, Pigeonflight nodded a greeting at
Cherishhope, standing a few tail lenghts away from them.

The thump of four paws hitting the ground sounded and the group turned their heads to see Batwing's black and brown silhouette approaching. "What's going on ?" She asked curiously, her amber eyes, seeming overly bright over her dark face, glinting. "Hey, Batwing !" Pigeonflight mewed happily at his other sister. The littermates were barely seeing each other in the day, being divided on separate patrols. The deputies judged that young warriors were more efficient if separated from their siblings while they performed their duties; reducing the chatterings, jokes and loss of concentration caused by staying with their brothers and sisters during hunting or patrolling. Was it a family meeting nobody told me about ? Pigeonflight wondered.

"What is going on? Just having an ordinary, delightful chin-wag with my beloved clanmates, obviously." Ratpaw answered agressively. Pigeonflight blinked in surprise. He had never seen an apprentice being so direspectful with his clanmates before, Cherishhope when she was younger, being the only exception.

[☿ Mᴇʀᴄᴜʀʏ]

i do what i want [Lynx]

<sup>The gray apprentice felt the fur on her back bristle, as she was faced, once again, with the cat she seemed to run in to far more she'd have liked. His sharp statement stung like a thorn. Feeling the familiar anger against the forgein apprentice boil inside her, Lynxpaw rolled back her lips, preapring to snap back an answer to hopefully close the toms' mouth for some time. Yet, her brother made it before her. "Be polite with her" the speckled gray tom muttered next to Lynxpaw.

Even though her brothers' tone was low, warning the hooded apprentice, Lynxpaw thought she could sense something else creeping behind the words of Pigeonfligh. Of course, Lynxpaw could undertsand her brother. He was as big as the tom opposite of him, perhaps even smaller. Knowing her brother's peaceful nature, the she-cat knew she'd have to defend herself.

Though, thankful for her brother's attempt to shield her, Lynxpaw brushed Pigeonflights flank before turning back to the two-coloured tom. To her surprise, the tom's stand had changed drastically. A smile lightened the tom's face before shrinking in to a crooked smile. The fast change of the two-coloured tom made Lynxpaw squint her eyes in suspicion. What is he up to, this time? She thought, anxiously digging her claws in the mossy ground, her mind already racing, tryong to understand the tom's motives. Was he afraif of being outnumbered?

Opening her mouth to finally snap her welcomes at the fellow apprentice, Lynxpaw recognized the scent of another cat.. or.. two cats? prickle her nose. She'd know the scents as soon as she'd smell them. A sly smile creeped on her maw as her gaze flicked behind the two-toned tom and she recognized thecolurful pelt of her littermate. Cherishhope. Slipping her gaze around some more, trying to locate the other cat, Batwing, finally approched the group. Seeing the white-and-brown tom had aslo noticed the approach of her smallest littermate, Lynxpaw's smile widened as she recognized the tom didn't seem too amused with all that. &nbsp;

Well, at least she didn't have to face the annoying clan-mate all by herself. Allthough the presence of the two her littermates surprised her, Lynxpaw welcomed both with a loud purr, tilting her head to both of them, at the same time, Pigeonflight greeted their littermates as well. Batwing was the first to speak. Her question came not as a surprise to anyone, and it seemed as they were all bearing to hear the answer to that.

Of course the nosy tom was the first to speak. Does he ever stop talking and snapping at others?
Lynxpaw thought feeling her fur prickle at the tom's sleek tone as he answered Batwing. Who is he to treat us as if we were stupid. We know you're not from around here. Though, on the other hand. Knowing she'd have her brother and sisters covering her back she'd need nothing to worry about.

Turning her golden gaze to stare right into the hooded apprentices face, though he looked away she knew the tom felt her gaze burning him., the she-cat finally opened her mouth, her voice remaining steady and soft regardless of the anger that filled her mind. "Delightful indeed. But clanmates though? Flee back to your pityful home, this clan has no place for outsiders such as you." the contrast between her tone and the message given was drastic, but Lynxpaw wanted to let the others know about her thoughts on the stranger apprentice, at the same time she couldn't let the tom see past her calm image.

notes;; did he died</sup>

[Deleted]

 “Pray that you’re not the one to send them here,” She heard Ratpaw say, but the calico ignored him. Cherishhope turned her head over to the three newcomers, and the she-cat began to pad towards the group, flicking her tail in annoyance at Ratpaw’s retort to her half-sister. “Hello Pigeonkit, Batkit, and Lynxkit.” Cherishhope sneered at the trio. “What are you all doing here on such a fine day?” she asked, but found herself interrupted by first Batwing 'What are we all doing here?' – one thing she hardly cared about – and then the annoying Ratscum, shoving his mouth in everything. Who put fox-dung in his nest? She nearly hissed, but stopped herself.


 “What are you doing, blabbering like that?” she found herself saying casually as if she didn’t even care. “When you’re a warrior, you should ask for your name to be Ratdung!” she smirked at her thought. “After all, that is what you’re acting like.” Her smile quickly turned into a hiss. She made her way quietly next to Pigeonflight and sat down, yawning to show how bored she was of this stupidity. “You two are making my fur in clumps. Seriously?” she hissed in annoyance.


 “I just finished cleaning it this morning.” Cherishhope continued her complaint, glaring at the group with nothing else to say, and starting to clean her fur, silent for once as she tried to make herself look pretty again. “Mouse-brains.” She muttered under her breath.

•Word count - 248 
•OOC - ⋆ Phia ⋆ Amethyst ☿ Mᴇʀᴄᴜʀʏ Swift; 

[Swift]

---

~ { B A T W I N G } ~

---

Batwing smirked at Ratpaw's tone, and flicked her ears, sitting on her haunches casually before answering, licking a paw. "Hello Pigeonkit, Batkit, and Lynxkit," Batwing heard Cherishhope's condescending tone, and Batwing rolled her eyes. What was wrong with everyone today? Wait, they were just being normal. She zoned out a little as the others started spitting at eachother, fur bristling. Batwing was like the eye of the storm, totally calm - a sharp contrast to her siblings. Such a splendid reuninon, she thought sarcastically.

"Well I'm glad everybody's being so very mature on such a fine day, what a beautiful rainbow of characters." Batwing said, curling her fluffy tail over her paws. "I bet all those squirrels and mice etc will simply fall to their shaking knees in awe of our amazing manners towards eachother. Except they've probably all run off to their nests because you lot were making such a big racket, honestly." Batwing got to her feet, stretching and padding away.

"You might want to find a better place to have a lovely chat with unless you want to be munched on by an owl. Also - Hello Pigeonflight, I would've said so sooner if there hadn't been a chorus of jibes and taunts." Batwing turned her amber orbs onto Pigeonflight as she said the last sentance, voice as smooth as a snake. The wind ruffled her fur slightly, and she wandered over to a tree, running her claws down it to neaten them up.

Batwing sat down and smirked at thinking of what Ratpaw was likely to say. She wondered if they'd even heard, and mused over this before straightening out her slightly limpy leg, eyes narrowing. It was goign a bit stiff again with the weather.

"By the way guys, I think that charming apprentice there probably wants to be left alone - if that's okay dearest Queen," She advised, feeling bitter for having to call her own sister 'Queen'. She considered throwing some dirt on her or something, but Batwing still wanted to live - Cherishhope would be at her throat if she ever did that.

Batwing turned her back before stretching, and smiling to herself. The wind swirled by her ankles, and she almost rolled around on the floor like a kit, attacking the grass and riding on Shadowrain's shoulders, playing with Rainfeather's tail. My, those were the days.

occ~ derp that was short.

[⋆ Phia ⋆]

how desperate are you?

RATPAW :: Wary eyes slid through the previously-deserted clearing below the Owl Tree, paws twitching in anticipation. Despite the regular cold and dry air of leaf-bare, the sun shone well above their heads, but for Ratpaw, everything seemed to be darkening instead. Getting involved in a situation such as this was the last thing he had plans for, but now that he had, he couldn't turn back. He had been flooded with high hopes of proving himself to his unconvinced clanmates before, but this was not how he had imagined to pull them off, either.

He continued to stand his ground, already bracing himself for things to worsen further. He was waiting for a reply from either the calico she-cat that stood a mouse-length behind him, or the trio ahead of him that seemed to stare through slitted eyes. But the first words to be uttered came from the mouth of the violet-eyed warrior, and, confirming Ratpaw's expectations, served no role other than protecting that pathetic excuse for a cat that happened to be his sister. The hooded tomcat shot him a scornful glance, but didn't reply aloud. There is no kind of politeness which I know of that can be shared with mousebrains, he reflected, trying to satisfy the raging fire that reigned inside him, prompting him to launch himself at the grey-speckled warrior and reply properly. But what little was left of his decency held him back. It didn't look like that tom could put up so much of a fight, anyway. He was obviously older, but in the apprentice's eyes, he looked more like a terrified kit. And you call yourself a warrior? Did this clan raise their young feeding them crowfood?

He was snapped out of his thoughts as the warrior he was studying moved on, now mewing a greeting to the she-cat who had just arrived, addressing her as Batwing. The calico joined in with her own joyful greeting towards them, which, however, revealed feelings that didn't differ that much against Ratpaw's. The apprentice sniggered in approval, but didn't give Cherishhope a single glance. Instead, he returned his gaze to the brown-black cat, yet did not expect a reply to his own scornful comment just yet. Chances were, the female would continue to ignore him until she had no choice but to address him at last. As an alternative, the green-eyed cat finally turned to the one presence he would have no problem slashing himself at with outstretched claws. She had greeted all of her kin with a blissful, hard-to-miss loud purr, and Ratpaw couldn't help but guess the second, underlying meaning shielded behind it. "Look at what you're missing!"

As she finally spoke, he flattened his chestnut ears against his skull to let the golden-eyed lass know that he wasn't particularly interested in her opinion. He was intending to dismiss every comment of hers, although he could feel his blood pulse through him, causing his whole body to throb with rage. Ignoring the silvery lass' honey-drenched tone, he could briefly sense her own fury bursting inside her woeful body, secured under words pronounced with pure hatred. He would normally shrug her meaningless remarks away, but it was more than obvious that the she-cat knew exactly where to strike. Her words seared mercilessly against the little remainders of his pride, but he glanced towards her steadily through eyes that blazed green fire. "My home could have been as pitiful as you think of it, but if you represent the quality of this clan, a blind kit could see this is not so much of a decent home, either." he retorted, baring his lethal fangs into a hungry snarl. "Sheltering and apprenticing kits that can barely catch their own prey, casually fall off trees and nearly drown? Yeah, this home of yours must be a lot less pitiful!"

He finished off his sentence with a second, more hostile hiss, which was only half-directed at Lynxpaw. It was another cat's words that had reached his ears as he spoke, and he spun around to face her, the deep brown fur of his back standing on end. Ratdung would go well as a reference to your seedy offspring, he thought, then opened his mouth to bite back. Yet as he was ready to voice his opinion towards her purposeless comments, he watched with parted jaws as she ostentatiously pulled herself up and reached for her brother's side. The apprentice was left alone, with four more standing before him just like a cluster of dogs waiting to bite his face off. The calico continued to talk aimlessly, and Ratpaw decided he didn't need to waste his breath in any sort of reply towards her. Hypocrite.

He finally caught a glimpse of Batwing's well-groomed pelt as it edged out from the others, clearly not wanting to make it look as if she were to participate in their mature conversation. Ratpaw almost admired her decision, but then simply despised it as her words broke in. That's how you break up a fight? Thank you for your rationalisation, you have saved the forest!, he taunted under his breath, all of his gratitude disappearing just as quickly as it had turned up. He only flicked his ears upon the mention of an owl. He unexpectedly threw his head up, a wide, sarcastic grin taking over his features. He glanced smugly at Batwing, pretentiously seating himself on the ground, and exclaimed, "You believe that foxdung!"

Word Count » 909
Notes » no not just yet \m/
Tags » Amethyst, ☿ Mᴇʀᴄᴜʀʏ, Nako [Eth], Swift
Muse » 93%

[Amethyst]

Pigeonflight

“Hello Pigeonkit, Batkit, and Lynxkit. What are you all doing here on such a fine day?” Cherishhope sneered, uselessly putting emphasis to her littermate's name suffixes. Pigeonflight supressed a growl of annoyance. There wouldn't be a single chance for Cherishhope to actually be kind with them once in her life, no ? The gray tom would think each time his sister made a mean comment. The worst was, more than the three quarters of the time, her insults toward them were uncalled for. Pigeonflight ignored the patched she-cat, doing his best not to let his face betray how angry he was at her. Which he probably failed to do. Pigeonflight wasn't a good actor and even worst of a liar, even if he didn't do it on purpose, everyone would always end up knowing how he felt, his body language easily readable to any cat being the least of an observer.

"Delightful indeed. But clanmates though? Flee back to your pityful home, this clan has no place for outsiders such as you." Lynxpaw meowed to Ratpaw, her tone suprisingly casual even though the words she'd spoke were icy cold. Pigeonflight subtly brushed his sister's flank with his tail-tip, trying to make her understand that she was probably a little too harsh with him. Maybe he isn't exactly sympathetic but it's not a reason to provoke him either. Pigeonflight thought, his body stiffening nervously as the apprentice snapped an answer back. "My home could have been as pitiful as you think of it, but if you represent the quality of this clan, a blind kit could see this is not so much of a decent home, either." Ratpaw snarled, his sharp teeth glinting momentarily in the daylight, making Pigeonflight shudder at the thought of feeling them planted in his throat. "Sheltering and apprenticing kits that can barely catch their own prey, casually fall off trees and nearly drown? Yeah, this home of yours must be a lot less pitiful!" Pigeonflight flinched, Lynxpaw definitely succeeded in making him angry, if it was her plan.

“What are you doing, blabbering like that?” Cherishhope interrupted boredly.“When you’re a warrior, you should ask for your name to be Ratdung! After all, that is what you’re acting like.” Cherishhope smiled before hissing at Ratpaw. The calico she-cat went to sit next to Pigeonflight, who inched closer to Lynxpaw, wanting to be farther as possible to Cherishhope. Lynxpaw was probably the only one in their litter that could tell Cherishhope her way of thinking without fearing of having her ears torn to shreds. When they were younger, Batwing ('kit at the time) and him would often stick close to Lynxkit, seeking her protection, as she was the only one defending them against Cherishhope when Rainfeather or Shadpowrain weren't around. Lynxpaw also had the surprising power of making Cherishhope shut her mouth. “You two are making my fur in clumps. Seriously?” Cherishhope hissed at Pigeonflight and Lynxpaw. You're making ours too... He thought quietly, sincerely wishing he was brave enough to say it right in her face. Just to see her expression. Pigeonflight sighed to himself; that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. "I just finished cleaning it this morning." Cherishhope complained as she always did, starting to groom her pelt once again. His ears growing hot with embarrassment, Pigeonflight noticed his own pelt was covered with muddy water and wet with slushy snow.

"Well I'm glad everybody's being so very mature on such a fine day, what a beautiful rainbow of characters.I bet all those squirrels and mice etc will simply fall to their shaking knees in awe of our amazing manners towards eachother. Except they've probably all run off to their nests because you lot were making such a big racket, honestly." Batwing meowed. Pigeonflight suddenly shook his pelt as Batwing spoke, not realizing he just had sent thousands of slush and mud droplets everywhere, and especially on Cherishhope's freshly groomed fur.

[☿ Mᴇʀᴄᴜʀʏ]

i do what i want [Lynx]

<sup>Seeing her siblings gather around her made Lynxpaw want to squeak with amusement like a kit. For once the kin stood togetheras one, even Cherishhope was with them. The fact that her sister had dared to show whose side she was on rose the deep affection Lynxpaw shared with all her littermates. Though, it hardly showed for Cherishhope, sometimes Lynxpaw wondered if she was so harsh for that same reasons. For once, her prickly comments on her and Pigeonflight ruining her looks flew past Lynxpaw's ears, even though she could feel Pigeonflight flinch a bit in embaressment. It was not the time to stand up against Cherishhope, Lynxpaw needed her sister by her side.

Cherishhope's next comment came as a great surprise for Lynxpaw. Rat.. dung That must have meant the hooded apprentice was named.. Ratpaw? Quite an extraordinary name. Lynxpaw thought, Cherishhope's rude nickname still ringing in her ears. For instance, Lynxpaw was torn between anger and amusement. It felt like Cherishhope had crossed a line the apprentice had no idea about before, the hooded apprentice annoyed her, but Lynxpaw felt an odd strike of jealousy . It wasn't Cherishhope's business to insult him.

Seeking to find out what the target of the insult had reacted, she quickly turned to the emerald-eyed tom, who looked like he had just been hit in the face with crowfood. The facial expression only added to the name Lynxpaw already found funny. Before she could stop herself, she coughed out a few chuckles, directed right to Ratdung's face. A part of her scolded her immature behaviour, whispering about the times she had heard others talk about her, yet at the moment it was easy ignore, especially as said tom decided to open his mouth again.

With a few words, the hooded tom had managed to ruin the momential sympathy Lynxpaw had felt for him. Insulting them all? What a foolish furball. And not only that, he also managed to burst out Lynxpaws big secret. The silvery she-cat could physically feel the words piercing through her. As the hooded apprentice finished his statement, Lynxpaw was already boiling with rage and humiliation.&nbsp; Blinded by anger, she arched her back, her fur bristling. Oh how she wanted to end the annoying furball's nagging. Digging her claws into the muddy earth beneath her paws, she stared at the tom, her golden eyes throwing sparks, round with fury.

She remembered the last time she had tried to attack the tom too well. Even though she was backed up by her kin,&nbsp; it wasn't sure they'd help. This wasn't the time to attack. Pigeonflight wouldn't dare do anything, he was too fond of peace. For once, I wish you were more like me. Lynxpaw thought , feeling her brother turn tense next to her, probably to jump between her and Ratpaw to avoid the fight. Cherishhope wasn't to be relied on. She couldn't risk getting her fur dirty. And Batwing, she just wouldn't risk it.

The furious mew of Cherishhope woke Lynxpaw from her thoughts. Realising she had stood with her fur prickled and her back arched, staring at Ratpaw. She must have left such a stupid expression. Renewing her posture she tried to flatten her fur.&nbsp; It took the silvery apprentice a moment before she realised it was not her that had angered the calico. Turning to Pigonflight, she could see the dark gray tom standing startled, his fur slightly bristled, staring and Cherishhope. He looks as if he'd just seen the cats of Dark Forest rise from the dead. At closer observation Lynxpaw realised, she hadn't been too far from the truth. Cherishhope's always perfect pelt was dappled with muddy water.

For a second, everyone seemed to freeze to their places, waiting for someone to to make a move. Lynxpaw was the first to snap out of it. Still furious about the fact that Ratpaw had revealed her biggest secret, her sister's concern about her precious coat seemed pointless to the gray she-cat. The fur that had just started to flatten against her body stood up once again as the she-cat stared down at her sister. "This is no time to act like a kitten, Cherishhope!" she spat.</sup>

notes;; i don't even omfg
tags;; Nako [Eth] Swift Amethyst ⋆ Phia ⋆

[Deleted]

"Well I'm glad everybody's being so very mature on such a fine day, what a beautiful rainbow of characters." Batwing's annoying chatter drew the calico she-cat from her business back to reality from trying to clean her multi-hued pelt. She barely heard what she had said although she had managed to catch her next words just fine. "I bet all those squirrels and mice etc will simply fall to their shaking knees in awe of our amazing manners towards each other. Except they've probably all run off to their nests because you lot were making such a big racket, honestly." She froze, suppressing a cackle of laughter from emerging in her throat. As if they would be even listening to our pathetic bickering! she nearly hissed at her sibling, her fur slightly arching. She gulped down quickly before muttering, although loud enough for anyone nearby to hear, "And you think you're being mature? More like squirrel-brained," she expressed her opinion carelessly before getting back to washing the fur on her back.

"By the way guys, I think that charming apprentice there probably wants to be left alone - if that's okay dearest Queen,"Her multi-colored ear flicked once at Batwing's words. When will she ever stop talking? She's like an annoying kit who's about to get apprenticed! she nearly snarled at the she-cat, but she was trying to concentrate and those other cats had to pester her. Go irritate someone else! As long as it's not me! she thought and she felt cold, sticky stuff splatter her pelt. The dull, brown color and it's stench made her want to freeze and be a kit again and just run to her mother to help her get it off. Something she couldn't name. It would be a sin, a crime, to name the simple thing that dare lay it's grip on her now flaw-filled peltage.

She wanted to scream, her fur ruffled instantly and she found herself glancing up towards her half-brother. "What? Really? Was that really necessary?" she found herself hissing bitterly. "You could've warned me at the least so then it wouldn't hit me." she grumbled. "That's the third time today that's happened." she muttered, lowering her navy-blue glare from Pigeonflight that was now onto her dirty, disgusting pelt again. I've never seen it this hideous in my life! she wanted to shriek to the skies. Eugh, StarClan, have you placed a curse on me or something? she thought aimlessly, gritting her teeth as she began to wash the ridiculous slush that littered her once pretty coat. It had been so nice this morning, groomed, calm, peaceful. Then this one, single moment ruined it yet again. 

Her temper she possessed currently was on a very wide range of scales. It was probably the highest it'd ever been. She wanted to snap at every single little thing one feline said or did, but she said nothing. The calico really needed to calm down. All the fighting and that... that thing.. that horrible, dung-like thing that was on her pelt right now. She could barely handle it. "This is no time to act like a kitten, Cherishhope!" Her tail twitched immediately, and she twisted her body to gleam her slit gaze towards who she had most expected to challenge her: Lynxpaw. "I'm acting like a kit? Why don't you talk to yourself, mouse-brain?" she hissed, her fur on end as she glared at her sibling, nearly slipping her claws out from in between her toes with all the frustration that had been bulging inside her since Batwing's, as usual, pathetic kit-like rambling on and on, plus what with Pigeonflight's stupidity and the mess he'd manage to make all over her once-gorgeous fur. She extracted and sheathed her claws over and over again, until she stopped and dug them into the ground silently expressing her temper that the temptress held currently.

•Word count - 648 i'm sorry
•OOC - sobs I'm so sorry I hope this was worth the long impatient wait you guys had I was busy this week my hands hurt || ⋆ Phia ⋆ x Amethyst x ☿ Mᴇʀᴄᴜʀʏ x Swift;

[Swift]

occ~ I'm sorry I took so long and with such a measly post as well sobs I'm such a bad person btw Batwing is gonna swagger out and then hide behind a tree and watch but none of the cats see her because she's just that sneaky
bic~

Batwing chose to zone out to the various replies and spitting of the other cats, the screeching of Cherishhope as the flying muddy droplets of snow slush from Pigeonflight's pelt were shook onto her. Batwing rolled her eyes at her ridiculous howls - how could a warrior hunt, fight, without getting dirty? It was plain stupid.

Ignoring this, Batwing swivelled her oversized ears so they faced behind her, listening out for any cats - she hoped no Elites or higher would be hear to see this pointless bickering. She patiently waited for the arguing to come to a standstill, all the while thinking to herself.

Batwing had always been good at listening, waiting, being patient. She had to be; she'd had many siblings - one of them being Cherishhope - who were ever so loud. She remembered when they were kits, playing in the den, chasing Rainfeather's tail - laughing at their sister's obsession with being clean, without a single blemish on her calico coat.

Then there was Batkit, not really saying much, just enjoying listening to the sounds of the clan's voices, following her siblings around and sticking close. Batkit had always been a target to pick on, due to her slightly gimpy leg, her oversized bat-like ears, her strange unnerving ways. Batwing had always been a bit of a loner, not really picking up as many friends as the friendly Pigeonflight, the flawless Cherishhope, the loyal Lynxpaw.

Batwing flicked her ears a few times, clearing her distracting memories. She scowled for a moment, and finally opened her mouth to speak, voice different to the others as well - lower, softer.

"Look, can we please stop shouting at each other? It's hurting my ears," she said, lowering her ears slightly for extra effect. It did indeed hurt her ears, but she would normally never bother complaining about it. "And we're all going to be in big trouble if an elite or something comes along," she pointed out. "Anyway," she added, "I'll just go now."

With that, Batwing turned her back, and exited as silently as she'd come.

[⋆ Phia ⋆]

⋆RATPAW⋆ APPRENTICE ⋆ MALE ⋆ HIDDENCLAN YOU ARE BUT WORDS. RATPAW :: The clearing of clan cats fighting among themselves fell eerily silent again, and the hooded apprentice turned his attention to the one warrior he was least afraid of within the cluster of she-cats that disapproved of his presence. Ratpaw didn't doubt that Pigeonflight was equally displeased with him, but at least he could notice that the grey-furred tom didn't feel a massive desire to openly express his thoughts towards him like the others had done. He cast a wary on him at first, but then concentrated more closely to examine his features. It was easy to tell that tomcat never practiced enough on efficiently hiding his emotions, for his face was momentarily twisted with rage, before an anxious expression crossed his features. The young apprentice could tell that the quarrel between himself and his sister combined with the calico's uncalled for remarks were making the speckled warrior exceptionally uncomfortable, leaving him no choice but to push himself closer to the one presence that seemed to ease his raging emotions; that pitiful, tailless mousebrain. Boy am I touched! Before he could focus his attention on a cat that wasn't as faint-hearted and jittery, his ears pricked with interest as the other tom seemed to be heaving himself to his paws. He proceeded with shaking himself vigorously, giving no chance to the cats around him as he soaked them in droplets of mud that flied off his own shimmering grey pelt. Ratpaw followed the tiny dew drops with his green gaze, suppressing a mrroow of laughter as the majority of them landed on the calico she-cat's freshly-washed, glossy coat which she seemed to be so proud and attentive of. Way to go!, the tom thought with pleasure, wondering if that act of Pigeonflight's was performed deliberately or purely upon instinct, and hence making it rather accidental. Regardless of that, Ratpaw was amused and grinning with approval all the same. He might have strongly agreed with the feline's comeback towards Batwing about being equally immature, but he was still feeling revengeful about the less-than-friendly comments she had directed at him as well. "What? Really? Was that really necessary?"  Ratpaw chuckled helplessly, but continued to watch the scene wordlessly. You bet it was!, he commented, although that was only within his own thoughts. Confronting that silvery lass' kin by himself was not as tough as he had expected after all. For one thing, those four seemed to be already occupied by arguing with each other instead of paying attention to him, and for another, he was the first one to have reached the Owl Tree anyway, which meant, to him at least, that none of the four could chase him away. He finally realised he had completely forgotten about one specific mousebrain's presence, and his head spun to come face to face with a bristling, thirsty creature. Her claws flexed, piercing the soft earth of the small clearing beneath her paws. Ratpaw flinched, his green eyes stretching wider, but he remained seated with his fur flat on his shoulders. He knew as well as she did that she wouldn't dare place a single paw on him. Not here. Not in public. And especially, not in the presence of that one sibling of hers Ratpaw knew she didn't want to disappoint. He glanced pointedly at Pigeonflight with ears pricked and a smile crossed at his features, then gave Lynxpaw another look of meaning. His jaws remained shut together as he refrained from paying back her vicious snarl, and he silently observed her as her intense golden eyes burnt against his thick, glossy leaf-bare coat. Don't you have two other siblings to confront?, he thought as the she-cat's staring began to feel endless, and he turned to look at Cherishhope and Batwing. The calico looked boiled up and ready to snap, but Batwing was still zoned out of their adorable squabble. Ratpaw could not doubt her firmer sense of maturity, although he still confronted her ability at breaking up fights with disbelief. Were she a truly well-trained, mature as she had claimed warrior, the five of them should already be settled down and grooming each other instead of fighting over mud droplets. Mud droplets, he hissed under his breath, his neck fur beginning to fluff up again. That is what all of you remind me of. The sun was finally setting, and its colors lit up the leaves and surrounding foliage, casting shadows of reds and purples to illuminate the ground. Taking his mind off all of the uncalled for bickering was something the young apprentice hoped he would find soothing, if just for a moment. He powerlessly let a faint smile take over his features for some brief seconds, his head slightly bowed to hide his face. He was beyond certain he had been looking forward to a solitary evening filled with nothing but the comfort of the wind whispering among the dead leaves apart from his own presence, and yet here he was, arguing aimlessly with his enemy's kin. Who had even brought him here? Nobody else other than himself. It only seemed that the worst of his clanmates followed him wherever he dared set foot on; was it his own den or a place as distant and deserted as the Owl Tree. He had merely started to feel trapped amid his desire to fit in and prove himself, and his strong feelings of hostility that were the only thing he felt against the majority of his own clanmates. That makes sense! He refused to let himself be distracted from his serene thoughts, but his ears still caught the raspy sound of the golden-eyed she-cat's voice. "This is no time to act like a kitten, Cherishhope!"  "Aren't you an adorable little hypocrite." he murmured sarcastically, forgetting to not think aloud. That mousebrained furball must have been too busy baring her fangs at her sibling instead of taking notice of his own reply anyway. "I'm acting like a kit? Why don't you talk to yourself, mouse-brain?"  Normally, the tom would have allowed himself to chuckle lightly upon that response, but he found himself frowning with exhaustion instead. His ears drooped slightly, and he sought comfort in the glowing amber eyes of the now familiar brown-black frame a couple of tail-lengths away. He didn't believe he would end up feeling like this, but he didn't refuse to admit to himself that it was now more than ever that he hoped Batwing would knock some sense through the thick skulls of her own kin. At first, an expressionless glare was all that Ratpaw could see spread through her face, but he lit up the next moment as she confidently opened her mouth to speak. "Look, can we please stop shouting at each other? It's hurting my ears."  The apprentice looked questioningly at the rest of the three other felines. While all five of them had stopped hissing at each other, not even Ratpaw himself felt absolutely certain that their disagreement was over. His jaws parted as he braced himself to voice his own opinion, but he awkwardly closed them again as Batwing's firm and almost menacing voice carried on. "And we're all going to be in big trouble if an Elite or something comes along." The tom's emerald eyes suddenly burnt with green fire, his lips curled in an indignant hiss as he failed to hold his concerns back. "An Elite Warrior?"  he yowled in despair, his thin-furred tail hitting the ground like a whip as he leaped to his paws. "That is all you're  concerned about? Covering your own pelt?" the words slid out before he could even process them, his voice echoing around the small clearing as he barely succeeded in holding himself from hauling his small yet muscular frame right on top of the pathetic amber-eyed female. "Your own clanmates are that close to clawing each other's eyes out and all you're worried about is being caught doing nothing!"  he screeched with uncontrollable fury, suddenly whipping around to face the dark, speckled warrior that seemed to stand rigid next to Lynxpaw. Not like he ever did anything else. "And the same goes to you!" Semi-translucent claws flexed in and out of white paws in anguish, as if the two-toned tomcat could hardly wait to sink them into his own clanmates' sleek fur. He continued to stand in front of them all with his blazing eyes stretched wide, his tail lashing furiously behind him. He was merely debating who to take the remainders of his wrath on, when Batwing decided to make the first move. To Ratpaw's surprise, she turned her back on all of them, making her departure as unexpected and silent as her entrance had been. Coward!, the tom thought in annoyance that had already begun to build up again, even more rapidly now. He braced himself to watch one of the remaining three siblings leap on top of him to bite his single life out of him. He must have said enough to anger all of them anyway. It wasn't as if he had pronounced words he, himself, believed to be true, but it were times like this when he had the least control over his impulsive nature. However, it was another sound that caused his ears to prick in alarm, before he caught a glimpse of a shadow that flicked over them. Without stopping for a single heartbeat to think, the apprentice took a clumsy stride towards the direction the brown-black she-cat had disappeared, half running, half sliding down the slope as he aimed for the safety of the bushes ahead, and his voice throbbed with agony as he howled. "Owl!" OOC: im bringing the true action in hIDE YOUR ASS THE OWL !!!11 ehehehehe lynxpaw should get gripped so pigeonflight can be a hero <3 WORDS: 1610 ⋆ TAGS: Amethyst, ☿ Mᴇʀᴄᴜʀʏ, Nako [Eth], Swift ⋆ MUSE: 96%