[lone]

Hearing the familiar voice of her mentor made the creamy colored apprentice's ears pick up slightly. "O - oh, I'm, um, I'm doing okay..." Her voice trailed off as she felt the gaze of a RiverClan apprentice fall on her. Waiting for them to stop, Sweetpaw shrank back again - away from Ibisprowl and away from the world. The she cat hated being here. It had an unpleasant, musky odor and it wasn't her home. This wasn't the place that she belonged, she belonged at home, with her friends... what friends? Her mind reminded her. Oh well, perhaps someday Sweetpaw would have friends. Her expression was anxious as she glanced up at her mentor, expression worried. "What about you, are you doing o - okay?" There was a slight stammer in her voice. Before now, the she cat had always looked up to Ibisprowl. But now, somehow, life seemed different.

Everything was in a new light. It was like things had been filtered through and she no longer felt as though life really mattered, like no one in life mattered. She had almost died - there was no denying that, and there was no changing that... no changing that at all. Then there was the uncomfortable case of missing Cedarpaw so much, even though she knew he would never come back. Things were different here. It wasn't just the scent, but it was the cats. They had a different build, it was almost... stockier, maybe? Like, more muscular then she was used to? It wasn't that ShadowClanners weren't muscular cats, but it was so much different then she had imagined it being. Still, Sweetpaw's blue optics didn't change from being somewhat fearful as she glanced around at this unfamiliar terrain. Did it have to be so terrifying? Technically, the logical answer to that was no. It didn't have to be terrifying at all.

Yet Sweetpaw felt as though everything around her was out to get her. Every cat had her fur on end - except for her mentor, and even he was watched somewhat warily. "I, um, don't like it here... at all... do you know when we can go home?" Shocked at the own smallness of her voice, the apprentice flinched slightly. She was somewhat appalled by how scared she actually sounded. It wasn't like she was trying to sound scared, no, as a matter of fact she had been planning on putting on a brave face in front of Ibisprowl.

Despite her 'woe is me, nothing matters anymore' outlook now... Sweetpaw still held that one flickering flame of determination to do her very best and nothing but her best for Ibisprowl. And, she remembered a time when he had been unwilling to speak and she had had to do all the talking. Or at least, ask a lot of questions and be persistent enough to get answers. Her soft blue optics looked anxious as she looked around the clearing before her gaze returned to her mentor. At least he didn't have the scent of a RiverClan cat. That much was relieving for Sweetpaw. But, her trust was numbed - and she wasn't sure who was on her side anymore. It had been that way ever since the flood, even her own clanmates didn't seem familiar. She didn't trust anyone. If it had been physical, she would have gone to see Daypaw or whoever the RiverClan medicine cat was... Cloverleaf, wasn't it?

But this was beyond a physical injury. And besides, she was alright - no scratches or bruises, just some severe trauma. The creamy apprentice knew that there was nothing they could do about that. And besides, even if there was, was she really ready for it to go away? It had become a part of her reality. A part of her world now. And there was absolutely nothing that she could do about that.

@Duskflight


"Now what have I said about that temper of yours, Shiver dear?" A smooth-as-silk, oily purr rumbled in the well built tom's chest. His optics flashed with amusement at his ShadowClan interest's sharp tongue. Then again, she always had had a sharp tongue. And he still wasn't convinced that he had won her over. That one day, he was pretty sure that he had heard just about everything that could come from Shiverlight's sharp, witty mouth until she had spoken words that shocked even him. Rattled him. Yes, Charmpelt had been... well... almost lost for words. "You mean you don't know, darling?" It wasn't at all bothering him that others might hear him. So what? They were bound to notice his flirtatious nature sooner or later, better they would find out with him experimenting on this sharp-tongued female then one of his own Clan. And besides, sooner or later this relationship would end. She knew it, he knew it, they all knew it. There was no way to stop the inevitable from happening. So let it happen! He would be fine with it happening. He would live. Seeing Shiverlight shaking, it brought a sudden frown over the tom's features.

"Love? You okay?"

In a spontaneous moment of actual chivalry, Charmpelt curled his tail around the she cat. Not flirty - just friendly. Caring. Calm. Instead of everything that he had been before. It took him back to the days when he had known Jema, only he couldn't feel the spark of chemistry that he had with her. Or was it there, but he was ignoring it? Charmpelt had promised himself that love was not to enter his life again. It was stupid. Idle. Worthless stuff, and everyone around him knew it! So then... why did they all have it, but he didn't? "Why do you always have to fight me, sweet? Can't we just enjoy this? Because I know that we both do." There was that smooth, oily purr again... and the chivalry was gone from his gesture. Completely and totally gone. Now Charmpelt was back to his old self, and as annoying as he always had been... making him wonder why Shiverlight put up with him at all. Sometimes he wondered why she didn't just walk away from him. The Chausie knew he was over the top, it was a part of his personality. Nobody liked it. And yet... if Shiverlight hated it as much as she claimed to, then why - why - had she stuck around?

@Celestial

A white figure made it's way into the clearing, an expression of partly anger on her features. The other part was exasperation. She was fed up - with everything. Fighting with Avocetpaw, then having Smokeblossom give her a lecture on what a warrior was supposed to be like, and she could only hope that she wouldn't recieve any more bad news that day. Because she didn't know that she could take it. Even Clawpaw could only take so much fighting and, right now? She was worn out. Tired from having to fight everyone around her. Geez, that was annoying. Blue optics flashed with annoyance as she settled down in another part of the RiverClan clearing. If a RiverClanner were to approach her, hopefully she could pretend like she didn't hear them. As long as it wasn't her brother. Whisperblaze made her furious, but thankfully she hadn't seen him - yet. So maybe she wouldn't see him. That was her one hope, anyways, that she wouldn't have to see Whisperblaze's stupid face. And if she did, that she would have the willpower to keep from clawing it off. Because Clawpaw, at the moment, was in no mood to just exchange cross words. She was just about fed up with everyone.

@woly