ShadowClan Territory

[bright !]

Originally Posted by Inglewood Binks

The clearing still, just a small glade in the hush of late-leaf bare night. The sky hanging above the pine trees was growing dawn, pale milky colours warding the black and the stars, along with purples and oranges near the horizon. From one of the dens emerged a softly coloured feline, placing his small paws thoughtfully into the quietude of the clearing. His side brushed against the lip of the den, and the cat gave a shiver. His breath fluttered skyward, and the chill proved to still be holding a firm grasp on the last traces of nighttime. The cat's eyes appeared vibrant, like the green of a meadow inside the dark blue hue of the forest that was created by the faint light above. His gaze drew from the clearing to the sky, taking in a breath of the crisp air and letting a smile inspire his lips. Serenity. And no motion of any other forest residents. Just the way he liked it.
Mumblehen crept his way through the clearing when his bones felt as use to the cold as they could get. His paw steps crunched and clattered the forest debris and thin snow, and he felt like an immense nuisance inside the calmness. He exited the camp comfortably, the little warrior not a sight or a sound in the eyes of his Clanmates. And once again, Mumblehen was free to roam in the face of the pine trees and stray amid the forest eaves. He wandered absently, his eyes awing the trees, the blue shadows, and the sky. What entirely made Mumblehen wake up so early in the morning was this. With the dawn, it brought stoicism inside the forest. The thought that he was the only thing stirring, in possibly the entire forest, brought swelling wonderment and gaiety inside him. Cats sleeping, voles and mice in their burrows, and no bird calls through the canopy. Simple stillness, and Mumblehen was the only one in it.
How blessed am I to be the first one to greet the pine trees.

There was a tom who was still curled up into a small ball in his warm nest. He wasn't quite the heavy sleeper, as the smallest of sounds could have awoken him. The thing is, Turtletail wasn't even fully asleep yet. His ear twitched at the sound of pawsteps, and a pair of dusty green eyes opened sluggishy. He watched a cat quietly leave the den, though it still didn't seem quiet enoigh. He frowned, stuck between following the mytery cat and staying in his nest, going back to sleep. He was still curious of who the cat might be, or if there's a reason they would be leaving while everyone else slept. Outside of the den could be nice anyways... Or, he could mind his own buisness and not seem nosey at all. It's not like he wants to be seen as that kind of cat or anything.. He shook his head before standing up and hopping out of his nest and into the clearing, not really caring if he woke anyone else up. When his slitted eyes scanned around the clearing, and he was unable to see the cat that left, he let out a groan before turning to the entrance. He could just pretend he's gone hunting or just went on a walk if he was to be spotted. If it wasn't for the dilute patches on his fur, he would have been able to blend in with the snow better and he would be harder to see. His small paws lightly touched the snow as he tried to keep quiet. He wouldn't be stalking the other cat, right? Just wondering what he was doing.. His attention was brought to the sky, and he almost smiled at it's beauty. He always liked the time of year, when the pure, soft snow came and created a cold blanket on the trees, dens, ground, and even some cats who bothered to stay outside while it snowed. He let out a content sigh, a puff of gray following then fading into the air. He shook his head before going on with his search, hating how curiosity got to him so easily.

[Icefur]

Mossfall runs up and runs into a pine.

[zinfranny]

@Bright

Mumblehen could see the first rays of the sun trickling through the forest in the far, far distance. His ears perked up and stub of a tail fluffed, and he wanted to catch the sunrise somehow. He looked around the forest, and headed towards a pine tree with the fattest trunk. Mumblehen paused and bent his head upwards to scan the towering tree, its branches reaching out in all directions above his head. Would he be able to... climb it? Was the sunrise worth it? Of course, you know, I can always enjoy it through the trees. Down here, flat ground, heheh.... The tiny pale tom thought, his face making that nervous half smile as he gazed up the tree, and back at the sunlight that was ever so slowly reaching farther towards him. A few moments of rushed decision, as if whether or not Mumblehen would enjoy the sunrise on the tree was dire to his whole life. The tom creaked, towards the trunk and then the ground, back and forth. His brow curled farther and farther until...
''Alright! Alright!!'' Mumblehen cried. His green gaze whipped back, straight up the pine tree. He narrowed his eyes and made a determined little scowl, crouching and waving his rear end a bit. This is it, here we go, three two one, no messing up, I'm profoundly exceptional at this. Right? N- of course!
A flex, a grunt, and a tremendous leap! Mumblehen's arms flung through the air either side of him like huge wings. His claws latched onto the bark, and both his chest and face collided with the trunk. The small warrior made a massive squawk, squeezing his whole face as the bark poked at him. He tried tilting his head back to stop eating the tree trunk but still have a good grip, expecting to see a decent amount of air scaled by his leap. But as he looked over his shoulder, he realized he hadn't gone far. In fact, his paws were still touching the ground like they hadn't moved one inch into the air. Mumblehen's eyes stretched wide with astonishment. He shuffled awkwardly with his arms hugging the trunk, and the realization of his compromising situation hit him. Mumblehen could see in his mind, his limbs spread in all directions against the pine like a feline star, his pelt furled, and most importantly, how awkward his bum probably looked like. He began radiating embarrassment, shambling around slightly in his efforts to get off but he had absolutely no leverage in that position.
''Oh, thank StarClan nobody's up to see me like this...'' He mumbled, his head drooping and pressed against the bark in thorough vanquishment.

[bright !]

Originally Posted by Inglewood Binks

@Bright

Mumblehen could see the first rays of the sun trickling through the forest in the far, far distance. His ears perked up and stub of a tail fluffed, and he wanted to catch the sunrise somehow. He looked around the forest, and headed towards a pine tree with the fattest trunk. Mumblehen paused and bent his head upwards to scan the towering tree, its branches reaching out in all directions above his head. Would he be able to... climb it? Was the sunrise worth it? Of course, you know, I can always enjoy it through the trees. Down here, flat ground, heheh.... The tiny pale tom thought, his face making that nervous half smile as he gazed up the tree, and back at the sunlight that was ever so slowly reaching farther towards him. A few moments of rushed decision, as if whether or not Mumblehen would enjoy the sunrise on the tree was dire to his whole life. The tom creaked, towards the trunk and then the ground, back and forth. His brow curled farther and farther until...
''Alright! Alright!!'' Mumblehen cried. His green gaze whipped back, straight up the pine tree. He narrowed his eyes and made a determined little scowl, crouching and waving his rear end a bit. This is it, here we go, three two one, no messing up, I'm profoundly exceptional at this. Right? N- of course!
A flex, a grunt, and a tremendous leap! Mumblehen's arms flung through the air either side of him like huge wings. His claws latched onto the bark, and both his chest and face collided with the trunk. The small warrior made a massive squawk, squeezing his whole face as the bark poked at him. He tried tilting his head back to stop eating the tree trunk but still have a good grip, expecting to see a decent amount of air scaled by his leap. But as he looked over his shoulder, he realized he hadn't gone far. In fact, his paws were still touching the ground like they hadn't moved one inch into the air. Mumblehen's eyes stretched wide with astonishment. He shuffled awkwardly with his arms hugging the trunk, and the realization of his compromising situation hit him. Mumblehen could see in his mind, his limbs spread in all directions against the pine like a feline star, his pelt furled, and most importantly, how awkward his bum probably looked like. He began radiating embarrassment, shambling around slightly in his efforts to get off but he had absolutely no leverage in that position.
''Oh, thank StarClan nobody's up to see me like this...'' He mumbled, his head drooping and pressed against the bark in thorough vanquishment.

Turtletail looked up at the tall trees towering over him, continuing to walk past them. He watched as more rays of sunlight reached towards him slowly through the pine trees. Soon enough there will be other cats out and he wouldn't be able to find the one that left camp first. He let out a low, frustrated growl. What if he never finds out who this cat is? It may bother him for the rest of his life to not know. He may even end up asking every cat in the clan if they were the one to leave camp before any other cat was awake. Not only that, but he wanted to know what the cat was doing. After searching for what felt like forever, out of the corner of his eye he could see a pale creamy color that stood out from everything else, and wasn't anything like a leaf. He craned his neck to see what was there, and beamed when he saw a fellow feline. That was it! That was definitely the cat that left camp! Now, all he wanted to know what he was doing. He was so close to shouting at the other, but was stopped in his tracks when he noticed what he was doing. He was perplexed. He was going to try to climb that tree.. Is he trying to be a Thunderclan cat or something? He thought, crouching so it was less likely he’d be seen. He sat and watched, waiting to see what would happen to the tom. It's not like he’d fall while climbing, right? Would he even be able to climb it at all?
He watched as the cat seemed to sleep through the air, and he could have sworn he was going to get somewhere, but… He stared at the pale fluff that seemed to be hugging the tree in silence for a while. Shadowclan cats usually wouldn't be able to climb too well, but this was just… Sad.. His lips curved into a smile, trying to hide back any laughter. But alas, he couldn't keep it in, so he let out a small laugh before freezing.
Ah.. He didn’t expect it to be so loud, but it was due to the silence. Fox dung! He hissed before crouching behind a bush. It was small, but not too small since he wasn't to large himself. Maybe this cat would think the bush is too small for any cat? Maybe this cat didn't hear him? Or, maybe he'd get caught and would have to make up a lie. Might as well think of some

[Spirit]

Moondancer nodded lightly. "I do miss her.. But I mean, ShadowClan is my home and where my loyalty lies. Honestly I wouldn't be too sad if I had to face her in battle. And if the two of us stuck together, I think the cats around us would be pretty annoyed of us over time as well. When we're close together, it is as if we both know what the other will say, resulting in the two of us ending each other's sentences. And our personalities and looks are exactly the same, so it would indeed be a mess.." She said and grinned. It was true. They were identical and not even their personalities were different. The only difference that Moondancer knew of was that she herself had had a daughter and mate, and Silverheart had not. But now that time was past Moondancer as well, and they had retreated to being the same, as far as she knew. Now she only saw Silverheart at gatherings, and they didn't really converse a lot even at those times.
Picking up the last two fish, she started heading towards camp, grinning lightly at the sight of Ocelotpath with his mouth full of prey. She was tempted to say something funny that'd make him spit them out in laughter, but decided not to. That would be too cruel.
Padding back to camp in silence, knowing that Ocelotpath probably couldn't speak much with that load, she just enjoyed the sounds of the forest around her.

@Lonestar23 Shall we head to the clearing? ^^

[lone]

Originally Posted by Liquoris

(I agree xD)

"I'm fine, Mountainpeak, don't worry," she giggled half-heartedly. The she-cat pushed on him lightly with her paw in a joking way. She then looked at Cedarbreeze, who seemed to be lost in thought. 'She seems like she needs a prank pulled on her, but not now... Later,' she thought with a light chuckle loud enough only for Mountainpeak to hear. She then glanced to her companion. "You wanna hunt on the way back? We've been out here all day so surely going back now wouldn't be too bad," she said, half agreeing with Cedarbreeze. The orange-and-white tabby flicked her long tail in anticipation as she stood from where she sat, almost oblivious to the light stings that were quickly leaving her fluffy body. She leaned in close to Mountainpeak, heat rising under her pelt. "It'd be nice to be with you for a bit without Cedarbreeze breating down our necks," she said without thinking. Why had she said that? While it was true she wanted to get away from the grumpy, older she-cat, Flowerdawn had thought of Mountainpeak as just a friend. A good friend, but still just that. Maybe... No, she had only just raced him. They didn't really talk much before their little race, so why was the fuzzy she-cat getting so flustered all of a sudden? Maybe it'd just go away after a bit, but the thought of her and Mountainpeak being alone made her heart flutter. What was going on with her?

-----

Cedarbreeze gazed at Lynxfrost, thinking her options over. She did seem like quite the rude elder at the moment, and she really didn't want to be. On the other paw, Flowerdawn seemed to want to get out of their all-day hunting patrol anyway. Was it something she had done? Something she had said? Probably... Mouse-brain, this is not how you make friends!' she hissed at herself. Oh well, she was in to deep to stop now. "Hunt as much as you can on your way back, should you choose to go back. Otherwise stop fooling around," she hissed at the younger cats. She padded up to Lynxfrost, getting as close as she dared without drawing too much attention to herself. "Thanks," she said simply, then started padding off toward the Northern border. Maybe there would be prey up there. She got just out of earshot of the other cats when she stopped and sat down where she was, hanging her head and pinning her ears. What was wrong with her? Why was she being so mean to the other cats? They were just trying to have fun on this boring patrol after all. What's the harm in that? 'Scaring away prey, that's what's wrong...' she thought, then shook her head. She was way too into her duties. Maybe she should try lightening up a bit? After all it worked so well last time. She glanced up at the sky through the creepy, naked branches of some trees, and the erily green branches of the pines. Why did Starclan curse her to be so confused about herself? Who was the cat that gazed back at her in the ice? Maybe in time she'd know, but for now... She sighed, letting all her anguish out with that small puff of air.

-----

Ivythorn followed her friend, thinking back to her kit days. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be Ivykit again, as she actually had fun with her siblings back then. She stopped herself from continuing that thought. It wasn't safe for her to remember her past, for fear of it happening again. She thought to Bane of Hunters. He'd just dissappeared... After all they had went thought, how could he have just left her like that? The calico she-cat didn't notice that she was suddenly walking much slower than Smokepaw, and had soon lost him, momentarily forgetting that she could just follow his scent. "Smokepaw?" she called slightly, her ears pinning in fear. Had she gotten lost? Where was she? Why was this happening to her? The small she-cat then stopped freaking out as if it had never happened, remembering that she can smell Smokepaw's scent. 'Mouse-brain, why are you acting like this? It's obvious Bane didn't truely like you, so stop dawding over him...' she thought, but that was easier said than done. She had grown to love that tom, and he'd left her. How else was she supposed to feel? Then again, Smokepaw was taking her someplace she had never been. Maybe he liked her. 'No, that's flea-brained of you to think of, Ivythorn. This only means you are friends with him, nothing more, and besides, the fastest way to get over a tom is not to find another so quickly... Right?' she asked herself. Maybe it was... Smokepaw was an apprentice anyway, so surely she shouldn't be feeling such feelings toward him. She couldn't. She didn't. Did she? He was the only one to be kind to her when Cedarbreeze yelled at her, but that doesn't give her the right to suddenly crush on the young tom. Ivythorn rolled her eyes at herself, finally catching up to Smokepaw. "Hey, so where exactly are we going?" she asked.

Mountainpeak shrugged as though to say what else can I do? Then his expression of worry changed to one of pleasure and he laughed a little, hues twinkling as he did so. It was funny to him, watching Flowerdawn... she was an interesting she cat. Different, some might say. More cheerful, more upbeat, and all around just a better cat in his opinion. The tom was tired of cats who acted as though they knew everything, acted as though the world revolved around them. Who did they think they were, anyways? "Hm? Oh yeah, yeah.... we should probably get something done so Cedarbreeze isn't scolding us all the way back to camp bragging about how she caught so much prey," Mountainpeak mewed with a sigh. Although he knew it was probably wrong to be making fun of the she cat, he couldn't help it. She was so dull all the time! It was as though she had forgotten the meaning of the word fun, and everything that it stood for...maybe she just hated him and Flowerdawn in particular. She'd been leaving Smokepaw and Lynxfrost alone, and why was that? Maybe they were just smarter at staying out of her way. Or maybe they don't know what fun is either, Mountainpeak thought with a sigh. As far as he was concerned, nobody but Flowerdawn seemed to know how to have a good time. Lynxfrost was too serious, Smokepaw seemed to be trying to hold the group together, and Ivythorn was just...scared. Of everything. There was no telling what Cedarbreeze was thinking, since all she did was yell at anyone who so much as mentioned the word 'fun.' That might be a bit harsh. But she seems so against it! Why? Mountainpeak thought, cocking his head to the side in confusion. He didn't understand why anyone would hate fun. The very idea of it was absurd to him, and yet it seemed Cedarbreeze had found a way to be against it. Mountainpeak felt his pelt heat up in embarassment as Flowerdawn spoke again, leaning in to him. Oh StarClan. Not again. He thought, half jumping, half stepping away from her and covering it up with an awkward movement to go along, as though he had just been making another joke. "Uh...yeah! Let's get out of here before that old grouch gets back and starts yelling at us for 'being too close' or something else stupid," Mountainpeak mewed with a forced chuckle. Had that been funny? He hoped so, otherwise he would feel extra stupid later. Especially with Flowerdawn now acting so weird...or was she joking? For some reason, Mountainpeak was unable to tell. Surely she was kidding. They barely knew each other, so the idea was ridiculous! Wasn't it?
　
Lynxfrost could feel the slightest sting of embarassment as Cedarbreeze looked over at him. Had he spoken too soon? Had he said something wrong? Well...she was being a little too grumpy, he thought defensively. He understood better then most what it was like to feel like an outcast, like he didn't belong, but he knew better then to show it quite so plainly. The tom cleared his throat awkwardly as he glanced between Cedarbreeze and the two younger warriors who were still crouched on the ground. His hues followed the she cat as she approached him, getting slightly closer and saying 'thanks' before heading towards the border. He didn't have time to say anything, and he felt a little awkward at the realization of this. He wasn't quite sure what to do, either. He shifted his weight for a moment, staring back at the other cats who were now talking or moving away, and his ears flicked backwards in discomfort. He didn't like this. This wasn't what he had planned at all, and yet it was turning out as though it had come out of a nightmare. Quickly he headed after Cedarbreeze, his ears still pinned backwards as he padded away. At that moment he looked almost like his namesake, padding through the snow and looking...well...similar to a lynx. Though sometimes the tom wondered if he really lived up to his name. True, he looked like a lynx and there was certainly a 'frost' look about him, but he wasn't sure whether a lynx had been the right animal to describe him. Though lynxes were also secretive, which seemed to fit him pretty well...he wasn't exactly the most 'out there' cat. Lynxfrost sighed, realizing that reality of this and knowing what it meant for him as an individual. He reached an area of concentrated trees, where a figure was sitting on the ground. Her figure was almost invisble through the trees, and yet Lynxfrost knew exactly who it was. Cedarbreeze. Even thinking her name brought a pang of regret, realizing what everyone must think at this point. They probably thought she was nothing more then a grouch, but if they could have seen her like this...what would they have thought then? "Hey." He mewed, coming to sit beside her. He glanced up at the sky through the trees, avoiding looking directly at her for the moment being. He tried to think of something comforting and friendly to say, failing miserably at it. Then again, maybe she didn't need to hear something friendly and comforting. Maybe she needed to hear something different, something totally unrelated to the subject at hand. "Y'know, I used to love it out here. Because of the sky. I would come out here when I was an apprentice, get away from everyone... and their words, and their looks...just escape to out here. And I would sit out here for hours. Just looking at the sky. It made me feel much better." Lynxfrost mewed, still looking up at the sky through the trees. He finally ventured to look back at Cedarbreeze, his hues questioning and worried, although it was hard to catch through the hardness of them. Or was that just his concern? It was hard to tell anymore.
　
Smokepaw padded quickly through the trees, his smoke-like pelt for which he was named half-disappearing into them...it looked almost eerie, if it weren't for the fact that he was quite small and harmless. To those who didn't know him, though, he must have looked much stranger. Almost as though he were a ghost, though he was the least threatening- and frightening- cat in the Clan. Except for Ivythorn. Ivythorn. Smokepaw sighed, wondering how he could help her. He seemed to have made her a personal project for him, to help her out of her shell, although he couldn't exactly help himself. He wasn't the best at figuring out what he could do to help himself, just what he could do to help others. Smokepaw sighed, glancing behind him and realizing that Ivythorn wasn't there. For a moment panic set in before the tom realized that panicking wouldn't do anyone any good. He needed to relax. Breathe. Figure out something to do. "Ivythorn!" He called, at the same time as he heard his own name. He stood completely still, frozen as though he were unable to move, wondering if there was something else he should be doing right now...something other then just waiting for her to find him. But as soon as the familiar calico came into view, Smokepaw breathed a sigh of relief. She was alright. At least, he thought so. "You're fine, right?" He asked, anxiously taking a couple steps towards her and examining her. She didn't look any worse then usual. They headed through the woods, through the more and less concentrated areas of trees, Smokepaw's tail twitching as he glanced around for any sign of other cats. He wanted only Ivythorn to see this place... it was special to him. He had taken one cat there before, and that had been Crimsonmoon- Crimsonpaw at that time. He smiled as she questioned where they were going. "It's a surprise. Just trust me, okay?" He mewed, his hues friendly and calm as they continued onwards. He wanted this to be a good memory. He remembered exactly where the spot was, even after all those moons as young apprentices...and he remembered the delighted look on his friend's face when he had shown her. Would Ivythorn react in the same way? He hoped so. Then again...she was much different then Crimsonmoon, so who could tell, really?

[zinfranny]

Originally Posted by Bright

Turtletail looked up at the tall trees towering over him, continuing to walk past them. He watched as more rays of sunlight reached towards him slowly through the pine trees. Soon enough there will be other cats out and he wouldn't be able to find the one that left camp first. He let out a low, frustrated growl. What if he never finds out who this cat is? It may bother him for the rest of his life to not know. He may even end up asking every cat in the clan if they were the one to leave camp before any other cat was awake. Not only that, but he wanted to know what the cat was doing. After searching for what felt like forever, out of the corner of his eye he could see a pale creamy color that stood out from everything else, and wasn't anything like a leaf. He craned his neck to see what was there, and beamed when he saw a fellow feline. That was it! That was definitely the cat that left camp! Now, all he wanted to know what he was doing. He was so close to shouting at the other, but was stopped in his tracks when he noticed what he was doing. He was perplexed. He was going to try to climb that tree.. Is he trying to be a Thunderclan cat or something? He thought, crouching so it was less likely he’d be seen. He sat and watched, waiting to see what would happen to the tom. It's not like he’d fall while climbing, right? Would he even be able to climb it at all?
He watched as the cat seemed to sleep through the air, and he could have sworn he was going to get somewhere, but… He stared at the pale fluff that seemed to be hugging the tree in silence for a while. Shadowclan cats usually wouldn't be able to climb too well, but this was just… Sad.. His lips curved into a smile, trying to hide back any laughter. But alas, he couldn't keep it in, so he let out a small laugh before freezing.
Ah.. He didn’t expect it to be so loud, but it was due to the silence. Fox dung! He hissed before crouching behind a bush. It was small, but not too small since he wasn't to large himself. Maybe this cat would think the bush is too small for any cat? Maybe this cat didn't hear him? Or, maybe he'd get caught and would have to make up a lie. Might as well think of some

(Sorry, I would have done more and made it less sloppy, but I was rushed bUT YOU HAD ME SNORTING)
The tom was performing more sticky shambling as he tried to regain his pride in his helpless position against the tree trunk, when an indistinct sound touched his ears. Mumblehen froze. His eyes stretched wider than two moons, and a few moments later, his ginormous panels for ears flicked and slowly swiveled. Take one look at his ears, and you'd know that nearly nothing could pass those trackers.
What was that? It... Sounded like a hushed laugh... Mumblehen's fur spiked. A flash-flood of emotion burst from the tiny warrior, a flurry of panic and mostly embarrassment. A cat had seen him! Someone was up at this hour! StarClan save him! They were probably watching him right at that very moment. Heck, they were probably stalking him this whole time.No no no! Ohh great StarClan! Why now? Why here? Mumblehen was just about drowning in his storm of embarrassment, wriggling in pleading resorts to safely get back onto his paws while even making a few sounds of panic. He could most definitely just let go of the tree and fall on his back, but oh, the horror if he did!

[Slash-GNR]

@Moonfang

The female leaped after the tom. "Ah, that is cool," she said walking beside him. "You must know the are better than I do," she said to the male. "Hey, you have a brother don't you?" she asked.

[monfang]

Originally Posted by Slash-GNR

@Moonfang

The female leaped after the tom. "Ah, that is cool," she said walking beside him. "You must know the are better than I do," she said to the male. "Hey, you have a brother don't you?" she asked.

"Yeah! And there's a hollow tree over there that we can climbed with ease to get to the top. And the stream leads to a small cave! And there is a big old badger nest that's been abandoned for like, ever!" he rambled excitedly. The hyper tom smiled as he padded, well rather bounced, along beside the molly.

[Brightstorm]

The sun's light glinted in Brightstorm's amber eyes, making them shine like the small polished discs that Twolegs were so fond of. The rest of her body blended into the forest, the mackerel tabby stripes just shadows between the trees, camouflaging her as she stalked towards her prey. A pigeon with slate grey feathers stood between the trees, pecking at the dust. It wasn't much, leaf-bare scrawny, but it was the best she could do - she hadn't caught anything else since she'd killed and buried a frog at noon, and the sun was now lowering in the sky.