[Owl]

Originally Posted by Constellation

''Woah, woah, kitten!'' Chestnustsplash stumbled back at hearing her warning growl. He took a couple steps back, keeping narrowed eyes towards the spotted molly. ''Don't bite the paw that fed you.'' He huffed. Chestnutsplash would hate that she was taking his generosity for granted...yet, maybe he wasn't being that nice to her. He was a bit guarded because he didn't know where she came from. She was prowling around lands that she knew nothing of! She wasn't even a riverclan cat. Which was why he questioned if she were a clan cat in the first place. Her only response was that she snorted, causing Chestnutsplash to roll his eyes toward the sky. He wasn't the most patient of cats, and his patience was certainly wearing thin with this sharp molly. ''I'm not getting any younger, you know.'' He muttered, keeping a good distance between them as he sat down across from her, watching as she took satisfying bites from the fish he caught.

Chestnutsplash caught her gaze after she finished her fill. He kept his gaze even, locking his pale green eyes into her blue ones. He could had smirked, but he held a straight face to show his seriousness with the molly. Soon enough, she introduced herself. The only part Chestnutsplash caught; Once apart of the Dusk Syndicate. Name is Cleo. Blinking his eyes slowly, Chestnutsplash took a few steps back, a look of bewilderment crossing his features. ''The Dusk Syndicate, huh?'' He mumbled. ''Thought those cats were done for.'' He hadn't seen a Syndicate cat -- well! -- since the battle! When their commander had coerced his cats into attacking the clans during a time of peace. To think those heartless cats were still around...Chestnutsplash flicked his ears back. He should had been chasing her off just because of her past -- that would had been the honorable thing to do. Judging by her appearance, she wouldn't be too hard to chase off, anyway. Chestnutsplash shook his fur, short as it was. He only shook himself off for a smooth recovery and to regain his conscience back to reality. Chestnutsplash didn't know how he actually felt about knowing who she was. He preferred if she were a rogue...or a loner. Not an ex-syndicate. Then again, he was always the one quick to judge another cat. ''...Cleo, you say was your name, hm?'' He asked, just to be sure that the odd name rolled perfectly off his tongue. Being a clan cat and all, he was far from used to cat with single names. ''Well, I'll say life bit you more viciously than a mosquito would.'' He admitted, slight harsh tone edging in his voice. Then, breathing more calmly. His day had already been ruined as much as it could, and he couldn't imagine the type of low life she was living now. ''It must be tough, huh?'' His voice, a lot more quiet and comforting, realizing this new information. He couldn't imagine -- nor, did he want to imagine her life now.

Cleo eyed the tom carefully, enjoying the fact he took a step back at her low warning growl. The tom should have known better, don't get too close to a hungry feline while they are eating. She was, of course, grateful the cat supplied her with the fish. But did she ask for it? No, she merely explained her situation, hungry and dehydrated. The ginger tom took it upon himself to share his prey that he had quite a time catching. Feeling the warmth in her stomach, her body felt energized.

"Done for? What do you think you clan cats killed us all off?" She snorted, a sudden burst of anger coursed through her veins. Her ears flattened and she had to take a deep breath to calm herself, averting her eyes from the tom in front of her. The life she lived before, during, and even after the Syndicate wasn't a walk in the park. Being a part of the Syndicate meant never truly trusting another, never truly feeling a part of something, never truly able to show one's true self in fear it will be seen as weakness. Cleo, herself, during the time in Syndicate, had voided all of her feelings. Then she thought about the tom's words. Done for... Sighing the spotted molly looked back at Chesnutsplash. "Yes, Cleo is my name. Unlike you clan cats, I have one singular name. I maybe would have had a clan..." The she-cat trailed off realizing she was about to tell him basically her life story. That was a no-no-no. She couldn't do that. That would make her seem vulnerable, weak, aggressive, you name it. Yes, she hated the fact the clans denied her when she was a kit but here was a clan cat offering help. She couldn't blame him.

Then her eyes, which tried so hard to hide the emotions that she was feeling, failed her. A look of a feline who had been through difficult times. "Yes...life is hard...but I manage." She replied somberly as she once again averted her eyes, casting a long glance at the river.