Dusk Syndicate Territory

[lone]

Originally Posted by Ever

To her surprise, he responded. With something so rare she couldn't help but let a broad lazy smile spread across her maw. He'd made a joke. Ebony honestly couldn't remember the last true joke she'd heard. Maybe she hadn't even- she couldn't remember many between her siblings when she was younger; mostly they'd teased each other, much unlike the light joke that had just occurred. It made her want to freeze the moment and live in it a little longer, for her whole life even if she could. The slender black feline couldn't remember being... happy. Happy was the word she was looking for. She couldn't remember being at ease and happy around another cat. It only made nerves prickle along her spine, anxiety threatening its rise again.

The voice in the back of her head screaming its fake, he didn't mean it, you imagined the joke, this is a dream, don't mess this up, he doesn't want to be your friend, not really. It took effort and a small cringe to force the voices quiet, to keep them from destroying this moment that had taken so much courage on both parts to create, but it felt easy; in the moment. It hadn't been easy to approach him, to invite him to join her, to trust him enough to be at ease. This, however, this lighthearted conversation, this was easy. Easier than she'd ever imagined. It had been too long, much too long and Ebony began to feel a deep regret for all the years she'd lived in silent fear here when she could have had something like this all along.

The thoughts made pain spring to her eyes as she looked over at the tom, his response settling into her mind, captured forever. "Maybe for you," She said softly, her tone melancholy, "but I've always appreciated it." She finished her words barely more than a pained whisper as she watched him carefully, unafraid to make eye contact with the tom and show him a pure piece of her, straight through to her heart. Being out here, appreciating the quiet and beauty of the evening, it was the only thing that made her continue on with this miserable experience. Somehow she'd managed to invite someone to share the beauty with her, and she couldn't hold back from revealing what that loneliness felt like. She wondered if the reserved tom cat felt it too, if he shared the loneliness that had haunted her all these moons; if Arrow wanted out of it as much as she did. She quickly looked away, breaking the moment and the open look she'd exposed him to. She hoped it wouldn't scare him away, nor change how he felt about their friendship.

Ebony had seen the way some toms looked at a female like her, hungry. She'd seen the females look back, desperate for a connection, but for something deeper. The hunger turned to something feral, such females were easy hunting to take advantage of. Though The black molly had spent enough time watching expression, watching how situations and relationships played out, if she caught that hunger in Arrow's eyes she would flee. So she watched him carefully out of the corner of her eye. She wasn't desperate, not really. She just wanted a friend in him, she didn't need more; perhaps wanted more, but at this point in her life Ebony just wanted someone to understand.

A shock seemed to ripple down the tabby's spine, his optics widening in slight surprise as Ebony made direct eye contact with him. Arrow just stood there for a moment, listening to her, watching her, able to see how lonely she was. How she had wanted this. And, for just a second... he almost let his guard down. His eyes softened and his stance relaxed and for just a few seconds, you could almost see the longing in his expression. How badly he wanted to trust her. How badly he wanted this to work, for them to be able to be friends. How badly he could have used just one cat he could trust, just one cat who wouldn't turn around and hurt him. How badly he wanted to know if Ebony was that cat. He wanted to. But he was scared. Loneliness was his safety, his comfort, the one thing that had been there all along. Despite how horrible it was, Arrow loved it. Because it was familiar. Because it was safe.

Because it was... something he could count on, being lonely. Being scared. Being guarded. They were all things that had been going on for a while now, and he was going to hold onto the familiarity of them for as long as possible. "We - well," The tom began as she looked away from him, "You're one of the few that do." Not exactly what he had meant to say, he had wanted to say something that was more genuine, but it was hard. Every part of his mind was screaming at him no, don't, trusting is wrong - while every part of his heart was telling him it's okay. She won't hurt you, just... trust her. Which part did he listen to, head or heart? The mind was what he had always chosen over the heart. But even part of his logical sense was telling him that it was okay now. It had stopped. It was quiet. The screaming and pulling from the different parts of his body, at least that feeling, was gone.

"Thank you... for inviting me. It's - been a long time."

Since I felt I could trust anyone enough to do something like this, that is. But he couldn't bring himself to say that. He wanted to let his guard down a little more, but everything in small steps. Maybe later. Maybe later he could do this. But he would have to be careful and make sure that Ebony was trustworthy. He had seen the loneliness in her eyes, it was what was keeping him from running away now. He had seen that she needed a friend. And he wondered... if there was a way they could help each other. Both were guarded. Both were anxious. Both weren't used to trusting, or so it seemed. They were so similar, it was almost as though they were siblings - except they weren't.

Somehow it seemed like they had always been supposed to meet, like they had always been supposed to meet. But Arrow didn't believe in that kind of "planned" thing. It was a chance encounter. One that might turn his life upside down, or... right side up, rather. Who would have thought that one day he would be out in the territory, late at night, with the sister of Hannibal? The sister of a cat that he feared more then any other? But she wasn't like her brother. Not as far as he could tell. And if she was, well... Arrow would fight for his life. He was hoping that she wouldn't attack him. But he couldn't know for sure that he wouldn't. That was the problem with trusting, after all, you could never know if someone was really trustworthy or if it was all an act. He was hoping that Ebony wasn't putting on an act.

Other then guarding herself, of course, because here? That was important. It was more important then Arrow had ever thought when he was younger, and he was glad he had learned that particular art now. It was a good skill to have here. And who knew? It might just be the one that saved your life someday.

[Ever]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

A shock seemed to ripple down the tabby's spine, his optics widening in slight surprise as Ebony made direct eye contact with him. Arrow just stood there for a moment, listening to her, watching her, able to see how lonely she was. How she had wanted this. And, for just a second... he almost let his guard down. His eyes softened and his stance relaxed and for just a few seconds, you could almost see the longing in his expression. How badly he wanted to trust her. How badly he wanted this to work, for them to be able to be friends. How badly he could have used just one cat he could trust, just one cat who wouldn't turn around and hurt him. How badly he wanted to know if Ebony was that cat. He wanted to. But he was scared. Loneliness was his safety, his comfort, the one thing that had been there all along. Despite how horrible it was, Arrow loved it. Because it was familiar. Because it was safe.

Because it was... something he could count on, being lonely. Being scared. Being guarded. They were all things that had been going on for a while now, and he was going to hold onto the familiarity of them for as long as possible. "We - well," The tom began as she looked away from him, "You're one of the few that do." Not exactly what he had meant to say, he had wanted to say something that was more genuine, but it was hard. Every part of his mind was screaming at him no, don't, trusting is wrong - while every part of his heart was telling him it's okay. She won't hurt you, just... trust her. Which part did he listen to, head or heart? The mind was what he had always chosen over the heart. But even part of his logical sense was telling him that it was okay now. It had stopped. It was quiet. The screaming and pulling from the different parts of his body, at least that feeling, was gone.

"Thank you... for inviting me. It's - been a long time."

Since I felt I could trust anyone enough to do something like this, that is. But he couldn't bring himself to say that. He wanted to let his guard down a little more, but everything in small steps. Maybe later. Maybe later he could do this. But he would have to be careful and make sure that Ebony was trustworthy. He had seen the loneliness in her eyes, it was what was keeping him from running away now. He had seen that she needed a friend. And he wondered... if there was a way they could help each other. Both were guarded. Both were anxious. Both weren't used to trusting, or so it seemed. They were so similar, it was almost as though they were siblings - except they weren't.

Somehow it seemed like they had always been supposed to meet, like they had always been supposed to meet. But Arrow didn't believe in that kind of "planned" thing. It was a chance encounter. One that might turn his life upside down, or... right side up, rather. Who would have thought that one day he would be out in the territory, late at night, with the sister of Hannibal? The sister of a cat that he feared more then any other? But she wasn't like her brother. Not as far as he could tell. And if she was, well... Arrow would fight for his life. He was hoping that she wouldn't attack him. But he couldn't know for sure that he wouldn't. That was the problem with trusting, after all, you could never know if someone was really trustworthy or if it was all an act. He was hoping that Ebony wasn't putting on an act.

Other then guarding herself, of course, because here? That was important. It was more important then Arrow had ever thought when he was younger, and he was glad he had learned that particular art now. It was a good skill to have here. And who knew? It might just be the one that saved your life someday.

She wasn't sure how to respond to his gratitude. She had never experienced that before, had never had another cat be thankful for something she did. Though that was her own fault as she never did anything for any cat. She'd always been to scared. She thought for a moment to thank him in return for accepting the invitation- but it just seemed like the wrong thing to say. As if that extra encouragement would put him on edge, or lead him to think she'd planned all this. She really hadn't; it'd been a completely irrational invitation. She'd decided to invite him in the moment, acting solely off emotion for once. Though she'd known the risks, she hadn't cared. Nothing truly scared Ebony at this point other than hurting others, her own safety was none of her concern as death would be bliss in her eyes.

Though she found herself thinking that a little less strong as they padded along. If she had a friend, someone who understood her maybe she'd enjoy this life a little more; actually want to live. The black feline's mismatched eyes swept over the the tomcat again, not sorrowful as they were last time but guarded once again a small courteous smile playing on her lips as she let off a short purr of gratitude towards him joining her. It seemed more fitting than words, a more raw way to accept his thank you.

Their pawsteps fell silently on the grassy forest floor as she began to swing their course, setting them into a lengthy circling motion to have them turn back the way they came, back into the silent horror that was their home. Though it seemed a little more welcoming now that she knew there was someone like herself there. Ebony drew in a long breath, trying to think of the right words, some way to thank him for just joining her. For him having said the right words to give her more hope, to help her move on rather than stick in the anxious shell of lonely quiet. She'd made the first step away from it, and as much as the voices pressed against the shadows of her mind for release, to boil her emotions with their anxious whispers, she felt good. She felt better than she had in moons, the best she'd felt since kithood... Before Hannibal had...

She didn't want to think about him, not now, not here. This was her life, not his. She couldn't let his image and fear of him ruin her life forever. As she watched the tom silently out of the corner of her eye she let it go for a moment, that fear and tried to picture herself without it; long term. "I- I didn't think there were others like me here." She dared to say out loud, no louder than a whisper. Her eyes watched the other blankly, carefully, testing the waters as she pushed into a subject a little more personal to both of them. She hoped he would be able to trust her a little, but she could see a fear in the way he acted, in his calculated words and manners. It was something she'd done for moons as well but had only recently abandoned when she realized she no longer feared pain and death for the chance at a friend. Please, do be like me beneath the fear. She pleaded quietly to herself, not letting it show in her eyes.

[The Cannibal]

@Empress Of Evil

The time was passing quickly now, his trainee would soon be a fully fledged fighter and then Hannibal would disappear from the Syndicate. Several loose ends had already been tied, such as his former trainee, Illusion. The only cat to have ever initially survived one of his attacks, not because she was able to fend him off by herself, but because someone else intervened. Of course that didn't matter now, she was no more than crow food, left in the territory to rot. He wouldn't give her the decency of having neatly picked bones or a neat, orderly burial. She would be left to decay above ground, picked at by the scavengers of the territory. In a way Hannibal found it as his own sense of justice, justice for her being rude. He always made it very clear for others to not be rude in his presence and if they decided to forego his warnings he found it utterly disrespectful and distasteful and usually ended up getting ride of them, or bringing up some terrible horror that would scar them for life. Anything to help cats from stop being rude.
But there was another loose end that he was keen on tying off and that was Tundra. While she had not wronged him in any way, he believed it was time to put an end to her. She was too open, he had already gotten all of the information he needed about her, there was no longer a use for her in this world. If anything, he would be doing her a favor by ending her, she was much too scared of the world anyways.

It wasn't particularly on his mind at the moment, but it was still on his mind as something to do before he left the Syndicate for good.
Currently he lay atop a patch of moss, several unidentifiable bones stacked in a neat pile beside him. The dark tom carefully drew his tongue over his paws, washing off what little crimson blood had been left there, his claws being cleaned in the process as well. It was fairly cloudy, causing the already dim territory to seem even darker than usual. A shadow land of sorts where anything could be peering at you in the dark.
Hannibal's fiery orange eyes were focused on his paws as he cleaned them but his ears were perked up and carefully listening to the territory around him. It was inevitable that he had cats dislike him, hate him, despise him in the Syndicate. The death toll that he has personally accounted to was fairly high, and naturally not all of those cats were reclusive, without friends or family so he simply had to be prepared. There were surely cats that wished for his death and would try to take his life for the atrocities that he's done. While he did not fear them, he was prepared for them and was always aware of the sounds and smells around him.
For now though, he seemed fairly relaxed, but then again, when wasn't he?
Cleaning his paws and 'enjoying' the eerie serenity of the territory.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Ever

She wasn't sure how to respond to his gratitude. She had never experienced that before, had never had another cat be thankful for something she did. Though that was her own fault as she never did anything for any cat. She'd always been to scared. She thought for a moment to thank him in return for accepting the invitation- but it just seemed like the wrong thing to say. As if that extra encouragement would put him on edge, or lead him to think she'd planned all this. She really hadn't; it'd been a completely irrational invitation. She'd decided to invite him in the moment, acting solely off emotion for once. Though she'd known the risks, she hadn't cared. Nothing truly scared Ebony at this point other than hurting others, her own safety was none of her concern as death would be bliss in her eyes.

Though she found herself thinking that a little less strong as they padded along. If she had a friend, someone who understood her maybe she'd enjoy this life a little more; actually want to live. The black feline's mismatched eyes swept over the the tomcat again, not sorrowful as they were last time but guarded once again a small courteous smile playing on her lips as she let off a short purr of gratitude towards him joining her. It seemed more fitting than words, a more raw way to accept his thank you.

Their pawsteps fell silently on the grassy forest floor as she began to swing their course, setting them into a lengthy circling motion to have them turn back the way they came, back into the silent horror that was their home. Though it seemed a little more welcoming now that she knew there was someone like herself there. Ebony drew in a long breath, trying to think of the right words, some way to thank him for just joining her. For him having said the right words to give her more hope, to help her move on rather than stick in the anxious shell of lonely quiet. She'd made the first step away from it, and as much as the voices pressed against the shadows of her mind for release, to boil her emotions with their anxious whispers, she felt good. She felt better than she had in moons, the best she'd felt since kithood... Before Hannibal had...

She didn't want to think about him, not now, not here. This was her life, not his. She couldn't let his image and fear of him ruin her life forever. As she watched the tom silently out of the corner of her eye she let it go for a moment, that fear and tried to picture herself without it; long term. "I- I didn't think there were others like me here." She dared to say out loud, no louder than a whisper. Her eyes watched the other blankly, carefully, testing the waters as she pushed into a subject a little more personal to both of them. She hoped he would be able to trust her a little, but she could see a fear in the way he acted, in his calculated words and manners. It was something she'd done for moons as well but had only recently abandoned when she realized she no longer feared pain and death for the chance at a friend. Please, do be like me beneath the fear. She pleaded quietly to herself, not letting it show in her eyes.

Ebony's thank-you purr put Arrow's traditional small smile back on his maw. He dipped his head the slightest bit, but otherwise gave no confirmation. Part of him just wanted to stay here, all night - but he was afraid to. There were predators lurking, sometimes, and even if he was perfectly safe, it might seem rude to come out here with his companion but not return with her. The night was both Arrow's friend and enemy. He feared it, and yet every time night fell, he felt as though he were greeting an old friend. It was confusing to even the brown tabby, and he didn't dare tell anyone else about his mixed feelings. They would view him as crazy. Opinions mattered here, Arrow knew - those who were held in esteem were never threatened. Those who were not, such as the Healers? They were often threatened or at least, abused. And Arrow wasn't willing to risk his life to try and become esteemed - it was a longer road then most thought, unless you were made Co-Commander. But that wouldn't happen to Arrow.

He wasn't the type that got noticed for that kind of thing, he was the... well... more of slink-around-in-the-shadows and stay-out-of-the-way or try-not-to-be-noticed type. And so, Arrow generally tried his best to do those very things. He wasn't noticable. He had a traditional brown tabby pelt, and he guarded himself so that no one would think anything interesting about him. But, didn't every cat want a friend? Didn't every cat want companionship? Yes. Arrow wanted those things, but he was afraid of them. He was more fearful then he appeared to be, and those fears had practically taken over his life. He couldn't have a friend, he couldn't have the companionship that he longed for for so long, because he knew what would happen. Something bad, that was what. It was too dangerous.

Far, far too dangerous. And Arrow was aware of this. So he was careful to keep himself guarded, and safe, and he wouldn't let anyone in. But, he wanted to. He could see that Ebony wanted it - or he had been able to see that. And he wondered, could she see the same? Could she tell beneath his guarded exterior was, well... himself? Oh, Arrow hoped not. He was far more interesting if you could see that, and he never wanted anyone to think that he was interesting. He wanted to be known as boring. A strange thing to want, but that was the very thing the tom wanted. Her words gave him a sudden shock of surprise. The tom's optics moved down towards the ground and he stopped for a moment.

"I... didn't either."

Others like her? Arrow had known that they were similar, he could tell just by the way that she carried herself and... a lot of other things. But the tabby wasn't sure if they were as similar as she thought. Did she fear companionship too? Did she want it nevertheless? He knew that was probably rare, to fear something so much but want it so badly at the same time. Maybe he was the only one who did that. Yet, why was she guarding herself, then? Because of bad cats? Because she was scared? Because... she was like him? Arrow was hoping that she was.

"And... I don't know. Are we?"

His voice was low, nervous, showing that he was scared to ask anything along those lines. It was more vulnerable. But still safe enough, safe enough to the point where he could rescue it. Clumsily, but he could rescue it. Please understand. Please get it. He thought, his eyes nearly closing as he felt a sting of embarassment. If only Ebony understood... maybe, maybe for the first time in a long time, Arrow could be free from keeping his guard up around everyone. Maybe... maybe she would be safe.

[Aquarius]

@Constellation
Sorry if it's not long enough, I can add more if needed <3

//

Aquarius found herself stalking through the territory, the slight wind bushing up her fur, but some of it might have just been pure spite - today had not been the best day. Being a Hunter, and going out late in the morning, usually didn't end well if she wasn't able to avoid Fighters. Just thinking about it made the she-cats lip curl into a snarl, and she was just about to growl when a scent wafted past her nose.

Today the leaves were beginning to change shades, as many cats had noticed. Deep crimson, like blood, or dark amber, like the color of Aquarius's eyes. Normally changes in nature was something that didn't catch her eye, but something seemed to be different this autumn. Though the day was slightly chilly, the sun was out from behind the trees, and the mottled cat barely felt any cold through the thick fur of her pelt.

Her eyes flashed with glee as she held her muzzle to the ground, opening her mouth slightly to taste for scents. Her paws were dripping as she slowly pressed forward, since she had walked in a shallow stream so none of the Fighters would follow her - hopefully.

Not like she cared anymore, right?

Carefully the smell of a thrush tickled her nose and she raised her head, narrowing her eyes as she looked around and followed the trail. Her pawsteps dead silent, she stalked forward, lowering her haunches to the ground. In a swift leap, she found herself on top of it, and dispatched it quickly. Her fangs drove into it's neck and she snarled triumphantly at the kill, raising her head with the limp carcass hanging in her jaws. She looked around warily, hoping no other Hunters - or Fighters - would come along. Quite frankly, she liked having the territory herself. It was more peaceful.

She had not always been a cold cat. Suddenly thoughts of her mother and father rushed through her mind, remembering how they had reprimanded her - no, her father had outright left - after she had tried to help her friend climb up the wall in their den. Before Aquarius had known how cruel life could be, and how that was the only way to survive, she spent her time lending a paw. She had a friend once, and tried to help, but doing so only got her in trouble.

And soon after, her friend died climbing that rock.

Pushing these dark thoughts out of her mind, Aquarius shook her head and looked around once more, before trotting forward, feeling like victory was at her heels. Feeling slightly tired, she stopped at a nearby stream, setting down the prey and lapping at the ripples, relishing the feeling of the gelid liquid. She swallowed, hoping it wouldn't be evident that she had stopped.
"Stupid Fighters," she growled to herself, her gray pelt on end as the chill began to set in for the day. Her ear flicked as she curled her tail more tightly around herself, but bent down to drink more. Her muzzle dripped as she turned her head to look at where she came from, her amber gaze turning as dark as the honey-colored leaves that fell to the ground. So peaceful, without a care in the world, drifting down as if they affected nothing. And they did affect nothing, Aquarius realized - they grew, they colored, then the fell and died. Much like the life cycle of a cat, she thought to herself, smirking silently. Soon, everyone that had ever hurt her would pay for it - including the cats that were the enemy of the Syndicate.

"When I rise in rank, everyone that ever tormented me will be shaking in their pelts, like mere kits," said Aquarius with amusement, placing a paw protectively over the thrush she had just captured, as if it were gold and no one could ever take it from her. "They'll be begging for mercy. Pathetic Fighters who think their so great," she grumbled, picking up the thrush, blood flowing slightly into her jaws. She looked down in surprise and saw a small puddle of scarlet drops on the ground, scowling. It hadn't been a clean kill like she had thought.

Ignoring it, she padded on, blood dripping from the body of the bird as she went. She mostly assumed she was going to make it back to camp safely without interference, and she smirked, thinking how she had hidden her tracks so well.

Little did she know, water did next to nothing for the scent of Syndicate cats.

[Deerlie]

Feather padded around. She smelled a mouse and crouched down. She stalked forward and jumped on it,killing it with a bite to the neck. She buried it and stalked a rabbit. She stepped on a stick and chased after it. She jumped on it, rolling down a hill. She hit a rock and got the wind knocked out of her. She got up and put the dead rabbit down, coughing. She tried to get the breath back in her, she she laid down breathing fast. She finally fought her breath and picked her rabbit up. She padded up the hill and over to were she buried her mouse and buried her rabbit with it. "To collect later." She purred.
@Flameleaf

[Tundra]

Thrush sat in a treeand watched her hunt. When she crashed into a rock, he bunched his muscles to leap down and help. But he sat dons when he saw she was okay. "Hey, Your pretty fast if you caught a Rabbit!" He called as he let his tail hang off the branch.

[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Aquarius

@Constellation
Sorry if it's not long enough, I can add more if needed <3

//

Aquarius found herself stalking through the territory, the slight wind bushing up her fur, but some of it might have just been pure spite - today had not been the best day. Being a Hunter, and going out late in the morning, usually didn't end well if she wasn't able to avoid Fighters. Just thinking about it made the she-cats lip curl into a snarl, and she was just about to growl when a scent wafted past her nose.

Today the leaves were beginning to change shades, as many cats had noticed. Deep crimson, like blood, or dark amber, like the color of Aquarius's eyes. Normally changes in nature was something that didn't catch her eye, but something seemed to be different this autumn. Though the day was slightly chilly, the sun was out from behind the trees, and the mottled cat barely felt any cold through the thick fur of her pelt.

Her eyes flashed with glee as she held her muzzle to the ground, opening her mouth slightly to taste for scents. Her paws were dripping as she slowly pressed forward, since she had walked in a shallow stream so none of the Fighters would follow her - hopefully.

Not like she cared anymore, right?

Carefully the smell of a thrush tickled her nose and she raised her head, narrowing her eyes as she looked around and followed the trail. Her pawsteps dead silent, she stalked forward, lowering her haunches to the ground. In a swift leap, she found herself on top of it, and dispatched it quickly. Her fangs drove into it's neck and she snarled triumphantly at the kill, raising her head with the limp carcass hanging in her jaws. She looked around warily, hoping no other Hunters - or Fighters - would come along. Quite frankly, she liked having the territory herself. It was more peaceful.

She had not always been a cold cat. Suddenly thoughts of her mother and father rushed through her mind, remembering how they had reprimanded her - no, her father had outright left - after she had tried to help her friend climb up the wall in their den. Before Aquarius had known how cruel life could be, and how that was the only way to survive, she spent her time lending a paw. She had a friend once, and tried to help, but doing so only got her in trouble.

And soon after, her friend died climbing that rock.

Pushing these dark thoughts out of her mind, Aquarius shook her head and looked around once more, before trotting forward, feeling like victory was at her heels. Feeling slightly tired, she stopped at a nearby stream, setting down the prey and lapping at the ripples, relishing the feeling of the gelid liquid. She swallowed, hoping it wouldn't be evident that she had stopped.
"Stupid Fighters," she growled to herself, her gray pelt on end as the chill began to set in for the day. Her ear flicked as she curled her tail more tightly around herself, but bent down to drink more. Her muzzle dripped as she turned her head to look at where she came from, her amber gaze turning as dark as the honey-colored leaves that fell to the ground. So peaceful, without a care in the world, drifting down as if they affected nothing. And they did affect nothing, Aquarius realized - they grew, they colored, then the fell and died. Much like the life cycle of a cat, she thought to herself, smirking silently. Soon, everyone that had ever hurt her would pay for it - including the cats that were the enemy of the Syndicate.

"When I rise in rank, everyone that ever tormented me will be shaking in their pelts, like mere kits," said Aquarius with amusement, placing a paw protectively over the thrush she had just captured, as if it were gold and no one could ever take it from her. "They'll be begging for mercy. Pathetic Fighters who think their so great," she grumbled, picking up the thrush, blood flowing slightly into her jaws. She looked down in surprise and saw a small puddle of scarlet drops on the ground, scowling. It hadn't been a clean kill like she had thought.

Ignoring it, she padded on, blood dripping from the body of the bird as she went. She mostly assumed she was going to make it back to camp safely without interference, and she smirked, thinking how she had hidden her tracks so well.

Little did she know, water did next to nothing for the scent of Syndicate cats.

{This is a great length }

Stephanotis prowled around the territory, flicking away rocks or scattered bones out his way. Normally, it wasn't like him to be in this area. The large ginger-pelted tom knew fully well that he couldn't hunt. Hunting were for those who didn't fight. He knew how to fight - to the extreme. But, today was one of those days where he lounged around, trying to build up his hunting technique and expand his stamina. A tom like Stephanotis enjoyed a good workout. For a moment, he stopped. Feeling the moist dirt beneath his paws, and allowing the large mits to sink into the earth's bedding. His orange-like hues flitted around a moment, thinking that he detected other cats. It was a serene spot. Good for catching prey. He imagined the hunters out doing what their rank was known for. Oddly, Stephanotis didn't see any other hunters, so he simply continued on, crunching any dead leaves in his path. Since he wasn't a hunter himself, he didn't really care about the prey running off. Everyone should had feared him anyway. From the smallest of preys to the highest of ranks.

The large flamed colored tom was quiet. He didn't speak much unless he was spoken to. And, that would had been a terrible mistake if anyone did choose to converse with him. See, Stephanotis was not a natural friendly cat. He didn't give off that type of vibe. Even if he looked tremendously normal like the other warriors. A normal tom. Much bigger, stockier, a delicate orange gaze, and a bright fluffy pelt that made the sun envious. No doubt, he was very handsome. Though he chose to not acknowledge this because looks weren't everything. At least, not in the Syndicate. Sure, it could land a tom a pretty face who would want to use him to propagate with her - but other than that? Everything depend on sole survival.

Stephonatis flashed upon a rock. A swift movement that it would be even hard to tell if he had even made it. With his paws heating at the rough terrain. He decided to lay down on it anyway. A stream was in front of him, rippling gently. The waves created soft music to his ears it seem. And, he readied himself to just relax. He did want to hunt, but hunting came far from his mind. Instead, as he laid there, he thought about his kits.

Yes, his kits. It was obvious they were a mistake. The product of a love that was never supposed to happen. The product of a summer time romance that ruined in absolute flames. But, he still thought of her occasionally. He haven't seen Feathersong in a while. But, he could vision her. Almost thought he could see her sweet face in the stream ahead of him. Like she was teasing him for a moment. Ah, they had been young. Stephanotis didn't have time for such weaknesses. And, now he had five weaknesses following along. It was a good thing they were in Skyclan. And, a great thing no one knew about them. Stephanotis didn't care about hiding it. If one Syndicate cat had a wrong intention involving his offspring - he's gonna be prepared.

The little sparkling vision had disappeared from the water, making him cross his paws and lay them down gingerly. His eyes flicked up to catch the form of another cat. Stephanotis pricked his ears, staying alert as much as possible. Just in case anything happened. But, she looked to be hunting. She was a hunter? Even if he was a few moments away from her, Stephanotis could hear her brilliantly. He had rolled her eyes upon her comment. "Someone's having a breakdown." He laid his head back on his paws, breathing calmly, but keeping his ears open to hear the molly's next words. Not that he was in any way interested in them. She sounded annoying. Then again, sounded as if she was in misery. Did she want to die? Now, this has interested Stephanotis. She was wanted to improve her rank. To have others fear her. He would had laughed at her stupidity - but she was determined.

Well, didn't all determineness come to an end at some point? When she finally left, blood dripping, indicating the path she went. Stephanotis had sat up, bringing a paw to give it a few rasp licks before bringing it over his head. He waited some time before deciding to follow her. She sounded like she wanted to die from Stephanotis' understanding. And, he felt like he could drive her to it. So, he followed the blood path, seeing her pelt easily, and the thrush that hung from her mouth. Normally, Stephanotis wasn't the one to converse. With heavy steps, he followed at a good pace behind her. Like he was going the same path as her. Like he had ulterior motives.

[Deerlie]

Originally Posted by Flameleaf

Thrush sat in a treeand watched her hunt. When she crashed into a rock, he bunched his muscles to leap down and help. But he sat dons when he saw she was okay. "Hey, Your pretty fast if you caught a Rabbit!" He called as he let his tail hang off the branch.

She jumped, her tail bushing out. "oh, Hey thrush" she purred lookeding at him.

[Tundra]

Thrush noticed the She Cats reactions and let out a purr of amusement. "I didn't mean to scare you." He purred. "I noticed that you had left the camp, so I followed,
wondering what you were doing. Then I was gonna leap out of a tree and... Scare you...?"