Post by Dragon on Aug 16, 2009 22:38:01 GMT -5
It was a cool green-leaf morning. Mist covered the delicate green leaves in a glittering substance that shimmered in the morning gleam. It clung to all he leafy life, even the branches and roots of the old oaks. In the distance a babbling brook twittered out its endless song of the water ways. The sun hung between night and day, and slowly the glowing orb crawling into the sapphire sky with a great slowness that no one could rush. Its warm rays danced on the shining dew as it filtered through the leafy treetops to the forest floor.
In the midst of it all a pretty orange and white she-cat lay in a pile of slightly damp leaves in a shallow dip beneath a wise old sycamore tree. She had not yet awakened from her long slumber, and nor would she would she for quite some time. Every other quarter moon she would go out into the forest for one night and send her time in the endless wood to go over her tragic life that had made her silent and reserved in camp life. This was Hazelfire, niece of the leader of Serpentclan. But even with kin in the lead of her clan she felt more exiled then any of her clan mates. Some days she wished she was still a kit at the belly of her mother. Though, she couldn't even seek the comfort of her mother or father. They were both dead.
As the she-cat slept, farther into the forest almost out of the territory of Serpentclan there was a sleek white she-cat sitting on the hump of a very large root that from below ground. It had grown far enough out to supply a suitable den underneath it. This loner was an early riser of the forest and enjoyed to watch the sunrise, and all the surreal colors it displayed. The last blazes of the sunrise glittered in her clear amber eyes the sun rose higher into the sky. Nearly all the forest was completely silently, besides the musical twitter of morning birds in the distance.
"Mintleaf!" Came a high, loud voice of a kit beneath the curled root.
Mintleaf smiled in amusement and leaped down from her rough perch and poked her head into the cozy leaf littered den. It had always been a warm environment when she first had her kits but the kits that now occupied this place were not her own but some one other cats. She had taken them to help a friendly clan cat. The loner grieved over the choice her friend had had to take between her clan and her kits. There is no stronger bond between a loner and her kits, but when a clan cat is forced to choose between clan and kits it would destroy a normal she-cat's heart. The she-cat shook her head firmly and looked over at a wily ginger tom cat that had been calling out. "What is it, Loudkit?" She asked gently. The kit had been quite an early riser while his sister, a silver she-cat with long whiskers called Featherkit, was still blinking sleep from her eyes.
"Are we going to go into the forest today?" Loudkit's inquisitive gaze looked at her. His dark amber eyes were so innocent and peaceful it was hard to think that anything bad had ever happened to him or his parents. He seemed to love everyone around him despite his large size.
The thick furred she-cat nuzzled the kit affectionately, and backed out of the den, Loudkit following her. "Of course we can, but no wondering off while I'm out hunting you could get eaten by a fox or badger that trundles along. Or worse!" Mintleaf came close to the ginger kit, her eyes shifting as the intensity grew. "You get swooped up by giant bird!" Loudkit jumped back his tail fluffed up twice its size, scanning the skies for any monster birds that may appear in the distance. But then he broke off into loud giggles and pounced after Mintleaf. After him, the bleary eyed Featherkit stumbled from her warm den into the crisp air.
"Why do you have to be so noisy, Loudkit?" The silver she-cat groaned pawing at her pretty blue eyes. "Every morning its the same thing." She stifled a yawn and sat down in a pool of sunlight to groom her bedraggled fur. The quiet rasp of her tongue, on silky pale fur. While she groomed her perfectly round ears flicked to ear to twitter of birds.
The white loner stood up and stretched leisurely. Her taut muscles rippled deliciously and she stood stretching her head backwards. "Ah..." Mintleaf purred comfortably, and fluffed up her long white coat. "Come along kittens, lets go hunting!" She gave her tail a sharp flick for them to follow and they did so with vigor, leaping forth with their tails kinked over their backs. They trotted at her heels, swatting at each other in amusement as their morning went on as it usually did. The morning hunt was always the most exciting part of the day besides story time when the day was over and done.
They marched smartly through the stable forest of scurrying prey and twittering birds. The stray leaf floated from the canopy, and the kits pounced on them renewed excitement each time. Loudkit took the lead and shredded a random leaf in his claws. He waited for a moment until Mintleaf and his sister had passed before perking up again. With a snicker, he veered off their usual path and started out into the forest with leaps and bounds. Each new rock he passed was a simple adventure. The ginger kitten clambered onto each one with the same joy as he did with the ones past.
Loudkit scurried underneath a bush and went on with his wild and risky adventures. Deeper and deeper he went into the woods with such excitement that he did not even notice the danger of what he was doing.
Further in the forest where the shadows were darker and leaf silhouettes dappled the forest floor. And at the same dip in the roots of the tree Hazelfire continued to sleep so soundly despite how active the world had gotten. And deep in her dreams she remembered her mate. With his gorgeous creamy pelt and passionate blue eyes. But what her dreams surrounded were her delightful kits that she had to give up. It had only been a few moons since she had left them, she remembered their bright faces.
And their names rung in her head as if she was naming them again for the first time. Loudkit and Featherkit. Loudkit's sweet ginger face always eager to learn with his curious amber eyes. She would miss his constant questions and his resemblance to her grandfather. Then there was the pretty Featherkit with the softest fur in the whole forest, and gentle blue eyes that watched with the calmness of an elder in a warming ray of sunlight.
Her dreams raced through the past moons of her tragic time trying to get over her kits and mate. When she had her friend, Mintleaf, take her kits away she had also left behind her mate which had threatened to crush her all the more. As her dream reached the present time, where things were harder her head flew upward and her chest heaved as she tried to recognize her surroundings. And for a moment she panicked, her paws flinging leaves into the air. But soon she calmed down enough to realize she was in the woods and utterly alone.
Hazelfire stood, flicking leaves from her pelt she began to run just for the thrill of running. For the urge to be lost in the pounding of her paw steps on the forest floor. She streaked by the trees that glowered down at her with their mysterious burning stares. Through the trees, over a log and she burst through the bushes. She couldn't see the obstruction in her way until it was too late.
There was a high pitch squeal of fear and a heavy thud and Loudkit skidded across the grass whimpering painfully. The kit tried to regain his paw to flee the scene.
The ginger and white she-cat fell onto her face, her tail snaking through the air with annoyance and frustration. Her claws sank into the ground and she lifted herself up slowly giving her fur a rough shake. Her red rimmed eyes looked around before she whirled around in a flurry of spat out words. "Who do you think you-"Hazelfire's eyes caught sight of Loudkit. Her entire body went rigid with pain. Tears over flowed her eyes and her entire body began to quake with the surge of emotion that came over her. "Great Silverclan..." She whispered.
Her motherly instinct to assist was battling with the promise she made to herself to stay away. But a clear excuse rang in her head, it was part of the warrior code to help any kit in need but her joints were locked in place.
Loudkit staggered to his paws, and gave himself a shake before looking at the strange she-cat with a disgruntled expression. From somewhere inside of him she was familiar to him in a warm way. He recognized her scent but he didn't realize from where or when. He grimaced, then broke out into an infectious grin that failed to reach the she-cats face. "You ran me over!" He giggled, pouncing forward.
The serpentclan she-cat didn't move. Her green eyes were locked onto Loudkit's small shape. She could hardly function correctly, her chest was heaving with stress and tears over flowed her eyes in fast flowing streams. A low whimpering sound come from her throat and all she could manage was to take a jerky step backward.
"You're weird." The kit wrinkled his nose, but he continued to smile but he no longer came closer to her.
"Loudkit!" Came a shrill cry from the edge of the wood.
The ginger kitten whipped around and looked into the dark forest. His ears cocked forward in hesitation, but it vanished when he saw the flash of white fur in the dark trees. His tail shot up, but his ears flattened against his skull shamefully. Loudkit side stepped trying to get as much distance as possible between himself and his punishment to come. "Mintleaf...!" He called back halfheartedly.
A streak of white fur came by with a silver kit dangling from her jaws. She unceremoniously plopped Featherkit down by her side and her amber eyes were flaring with anger. The fur on her spine bristled, "Loudkit!" She spat, not noticing Hazelfire at the edge of the clearing. "Why did you wander off!?" Her tone was scathing, and her teeth ground together in frustration, "You could've been-" But she dropped off as she heard a choked sound. Mintleaf lifted her gaze to Hazelfire. Her jaw dropped down in shock. She gulped loudly, and ushered Loudkit next to his sister.
"Who is she?" Featherkit whispered in her brother's ear but was silenced by the hot glare of Mintleaf. She murmured in a forgiving tone and pressed against her brother.
"You two. Go back to the path." The white loner commanded in a shaky voice.
"But I want to-" Loudkit began.
"Now!" The two kits scowled but hurried off without further complaint on the matter. Other then the livid look they sent over their shoulders. Mintleaf padded toward Hazelfire with a pained expression. The forest took on a sudden chill as the two friends came nose to nose once more. "I am so sorry..." The loner nuzzled the she-cats cheek comfortingly. Her long tail stroked Hazelfire's shoulder trying to calm her tears.
"T-they are lovely, my friend." The Serpentclan she-cat choked out, her ears flattened against her skull. "I wish I could have been there for them..." The ginger and white she-cat fell into her Mintleaf's soft fur. She needed the comfort that she would never be a real part of their lives. She could feel Mintleaf's tongue rasp on the back of her head. Hazelfire gave a thick shudder and backed up. "I need to go... My clan..."
"Hazelfire." Mintleaf's firm voice made her turn her head. "You have given so much to them. I hope they give enough back to you." She grimaced at the unfairness, and she marveled over anyone that could be so loyal to something that gave barely anything back to them in return.
"I was raised this way." The ginger she-cat frowned and began padding away in the distance. Her heart was breaking again and it wasn't even whole once again. She froze and looked over her shoulder. "In some way, I wish you could tell them I love them, and I miss them."
Mintleaf dipped her head once. "I'll try my best."
"Thank you." Hazelfire whispered and she began to return to her unfaithful Clan. But she had made her choice and she feared it was the wrong one.
In the midst of it all a pretty orange and white she-cat lay in a pile of slightly damp leaves in a shallow dip beneath a wise old sycamore tree. She had not yet awakened from her long slumber, and nor would she would she for quite some time. Every other quarter moon she would go out into the forest for one night and send her time in the endless wood to go over her tragic life that had made her silent and reserved in camp life. This was Hazelfire, niece of the leader of Serpentclan. But even with kin in the lead of her clan she felt more exiled then any of her clan mates. Some days she wished she was still a kit at the belly of her mother. Though, she couldn't even seek the comfort of her mother or father. They were both dead.
As the she-cat slept, farther into the forest almost out of the territory of Serpentclan there was a sleek white she-cat sitting on the hump of a very large root that from below ground. It had grown far enough out to supply a suitable den underneath it. This loner was an early riser of the forest and enjoyed to watch the sunrise, and all the surreal colors it displayed. The last blazes of the sunrise glittered in her clear amber eyes the sun rose higher into the sky. Nearly all the forest was completely silently, besides the musical twitter of morning birds in the distance.
"Mintleaf!" Came a high, loud voice of a kit beneath the curled root.
Mintleaf smiled in amusement and leaped down from her rough perch and poked her head into the cozy leaf littered den. It had always been a warm environment when she first had her kits but the kits that now occupied this place were not her own but some one other cats. She had taken them to help a friendly clan cat. The loner grieved over the choice her friend had had to take between her clan and her kits. There is no stronger bond between a loner and her kits, but when a clan cat is forced to choose between clan and kits it would destroy a normal she-cat's heart. The she-cat shook her head firmly and looked over at a wily ginger tom cat that had been calling out. "What is it, Loudkit?" She asked gently. The kit had been quite an early riser while his sister, a silver she-cat with long whiskers called Featherkit, was still blinking sleep from her eyes.
"Are we going to go into the forest today?" Loudkit's inquisitive gaze looked at her. His dark amber eyes were so innocent and peaceful it was hard to think that anything bad had ever happened to him or his parents. He seemed to love everyone around him despite his large size.
The thick furred she-cat nuzzled the kit affectionately, and backed out of the den, Loudkit following her. "Of course we can, but no wondering off while I'm out hunting you could get eaten by a fox or badger that trundles along. Or worse!" Mintleaf came close to the ginger kit, her eyes shifting as the intensity grew. "You get swooped up by giant bird!" Loudkit jumped back his tail fluffed up twice its size, scanning the skies for any monster birds that may appear in the distance. But then he broke off into loud giggles and pounced after Mintleaf. After him, the bleary eyed Featherkit stumbled from her warm den into the crisp air.
"Why do you have to be so noisy, Loudkit?" The silver she-cat groaned pawing at her pretty blue eyes. "Every morning its the same thing." She stifled a yawn and sat down in a pool of sunlight to groom her bedraggled fur. The quiet rasp of her tongue, on silky pale fur. While she groomed her perfectly round ears flicked to ear to twitter of birds.
The white loner stood up and stretched leisurely. Her taut muscles rippled deliciously and she stood stretching her head backwards. "Ah..." Mintleaf purred comfortably, and fluffed up her long white coat. "Come along kittens, lets go hunting!" She gave her tail a sharp flick for them to follow and they did so with vigor, leaping forth with their tails kinked over their backs. They trotted at her heels, swatting at each other in amusement as their morning went on as it usually did. The morning hunt was always the most exciting part of the day besides story time when the day was over and done.
They marched smartly through the stable forest of scurrying prey and twittering birds. The stray leaf floated from the canopy, and the kits pounced on them renewed excitement each time. Loudkit took the lead and shredded a random leaf in his claws. He waited for a moment until Mintleaf and his sister had passed before perking up again. With a snicker, he veered off their usual path and started out into the forest with leaps and bounds. Each new rock he passed was a simple adventure. The ginger kitten clambered onto each one with the same joy as he did with the ones past.
Loudkit scurried underneath a bush and went on with his wild and risky adventures. Deeper and deeper he went into the woods with such excitement that he did not even notice the danger of what he was doing.
Further in the forest where the shadows were darker and leaf silhouettes dappled the forest floor. And at the same dip in the roots of the tree Hazelfire continued to sleep so soundly despite how active the world had gotten. And deep in her dreams she remembered her mate. With his gorgeous creamy pelt and passionate blue eyes. But what her dreams surrounded were her delightful kits that she had to give up. It had only been a few moons since she had left them, she remembered their bright faces.
And their names rung in her head as if she was naming them again for the first time. Loudkit and Featherkit. Loudkit's sweet ginger face always eager to learn with his curious amber eyes. She would miss his constant questions and his resemblance to her grandfather. Then there was the pretty Featherkit with the softest fur in the whole forest, and gentle blue eyes that watched with the calmness of an elder in a warming ray of sunlight.
Her dreams raced through the past moons of her tragic time trying to get over her kits and mate. When she had her friend, Mintleaf, take her kits away she had also left behind her mate which had threatened to crush her all the more. As her dream reached the present time, where things were harder her head flew upward and her chest heaved as she tried to recognize her surroundings. And for a moment she panicked, her paws flinging leaves into the air. But soon she calmed down enough to realize she was in the woods and utterly alone.
Hazelfire stood, flicking leaves from her pelt she began to run just for the thrill of running. For the urge to be lost in the pounding of her paw steps on the forest floor. She streaked by the trees that glowered down at her with their mysterious burning stares. Through the trees, over a log and she burst through the bushes. She couldn't see the obstruction in her way until it was too late.
There was a high pitch squeal of fear and a heavy thud and Loudkit skidded across the grass whimpering painfully. The kit tried to regain his paw to flee the scene.
The ginger and white she-cat fell onto her face, her tail snaking through the air with annoyance and frustration. Her claws sank into the ground and she lifted herself up slowly giving her fur a rough shake. Her red rimmed eyes looked around before she whirled around in a flurry of spat out words. "Who do you think you-"Hazelfire's eyes caught sight of Loudkit. Her entire body went rigid with pain. Tears over flowed her eyes and her entire body began to quake with the surge of emotion that came over her. "Great Silverclan..." She whispered.
Her motherly instinct to assist was battling with the promise she made to herself to stay away. But a clear excuse rang in her head, it was part of the warrior code to help any kit in need but her joints were locked in place.
Loudkit staggered to his paws, and gave himself a shake before looking at the strange she-cat with a disgruntled expression. From somewhere inside of him she was familiar to him in a warm way. He recognized her scent but he didn't realize from where or when. He grimaced, then broke out into an infectious grin that failed to reach the she-cats face. "You ran me over!" He giggled, pouncing forward.
The serpentclan she-cat didn't move. Her green eyes were locked onto Loudkit's small shape. She could hardly function correctly, her chest was heaving with stress and tears over flowed her eyes in fast flowing streams. A low whimpering sound come from her throat and all she could manage was to take a jerky step backward.
"You're weird." The kit wrinkled his nose, but he continued to smile but he no longer came closer to her.
"Loudkit!" Came a shrill cry from the edge of the wood.
The ginger kitten whipped around and looked into the dark forest. His ears cocked forward in hesitation, but it vanished when he saw the flash of white fur in the dark trees. His tail shot up, but his ears flattened against his skull shamefully. Loudkit side stepped trying to get as much distance as possible between himself and his punishment to come. "Mintleaf...!" He called back halfheartedly.
A streak of white fur came by with a silver kit dangling from her jaws. She unceremoniously plopped Featherkit down by her side and her amber eyes were flaring with anger. The fur on her spine bristled, "Loudkit!" She spat, not noticing Hazelfire at the edge of the clearing. "Why did you wander off!?" Her tone was scathing, and her teeth ground together in frustration, "You could've been-" But she dropped off as she heard a choked sound. Mintleaf lifted her gaze to Hazelfire. Her jaw dropped down in shock. She gulped loudly, and ushered Loudkit next to his sister.
"Who is she?" Featherkit whispered in her brother's ear but was silenced by the hot glare of Mintleaf. She murmured in a forgiving tone and pressed against her brother.
"You two. Go back to the path." The white loner commanded in a shaky voice.
"But I want to-" Loudkit began.
"Now!" The two kits scowled but hurried off without further complaint on the matter. Other then the livid look they sent over their shoulders. Mintleaf padded toward Hazelfire with a pained expression. The forest took on a sudden chill as the two friends came nose to nose once more. "I am so sorry..." The loner nuzzled the she-cats cheek comfortingly. Her long tail stroked Hazelfire's shoulder trying to calm her tears.
"T-they are lovely, my friend." The Serpentclan she-cat choked out, her ears flattened against her skull. "I wish I could have been there for them..." The ginger and white she-cat fell into her Mintleaf's soft fur. She needed the comfort that she would never be a real part of their lives. She could feel Mintleaf's tongue rasp on the back of her head. Hazelfire gave a thick shudder and backed up. "I need to go... My clan..."
"Hazelfire." Mintleaf's firm voice made her turn her head. "You have given so much to them. I hope they give enough back to you." She grimaced at the unfairness, and she marveled over anyone that could be so loyal to something that gave barely anything back to them in return.
"I was raised this way." The ginger she-cat frowned and began padding away in the distance. Her heart was breaking again and it wasn't even whole once again. She froze and looked over her shoulder. "In some way, I wish you could tell them I love them, and I miss them."
Mintleaf dipped her head once. "I'll try my best."
"Thank you." Hazelfire whispered and she began to return to her unfaithful Clan. But she had made her choice and she feared it was the wrong one.
