His Choice

[goldentail]

A black and red tom walked into Shadowclan camp. His lip curled at the disgusting smell. He was aware of many eyes upon him but he ignored it. When he reached the leader den he looked at the leader. "Hello my name is Splinter and I have come to join your clan" he meowed. Splinter licked his paw that had once been twisted.

[xx. Dogstar]

xx. Hush, now,
I see the light in the sky...

Dogstar's ears pricked at a new voice entering his mind. He shook his head to clear it out. It was bothering him! The voice continued to talk, and finally the leader got up and padded to the entrance. Lately his past had been overtaking him...and, well, let's say he wasn't a very pretty sight. His eyes were wide and bug-eyed, and his eyeballs were swollen so he couldn't quite open his eyes all the way. Nevertheless, he stood tall and addressed the cat.

"Hello, Splinter. You want to join my Clan? Well, erm, lessee..." He mocked thinking for a moment, then said, "And why would you want to do that? We're always the evil Clan, aren't we? That's what the other Clans say anyway. Have you come to be evil, my boy?"

[goldentail]

"Evil and Good are images cats give things. They don't understand it so they have to name it. There is no such thing is Good and Evil. Some cats say I am Good I make the right choices. To some other cat they might be Evil and they might make ther wrong choices" replied Splinter.

[xx. Dogstar]

xx. I'ts almost blinding me...

At this, Dogstar's heart melted. Smiling in a welcoming manner, he said, "You are welcomed into this Clan, my dear. It is wonderful to have someone who understands the difference between good and evil." His eyes glittered with appreciation, and he looked into the ceiling, lost again in his past. However, slowly the puffiness in his eyes went down, and he looked at Splinter with a new air.

"Splinter, we will have to introduce you to the Clan. Besides that, we also need to give you a warrior name. Are you ready to make the commitments of the Warrior Code?"

[goldentail]

"Yes I am willing to follow the warrior code" meowed Splinter. He smiled.

[Burningwing]

_{Crowpaw hopped over beside her mentor and leader, Dogstar. She eyed Splinter warily, looking for signs of cheerfulness or anything that would give of his personality. She found nothing, but of course she didn't know what she should be looking for. But if he didn't think ShadowClan as 'evil' he must be good. She wondered what his warrior name would be. Splintertail? Splinterclaw? Or something that didn't even have Splinter in it?
She prodded him gently with her left paw. She glanced up nervously at him, then back to Dogstar.
" I think you'll like Shadowclan,"
She mewed welcomingly. She drew back and threw him a wary glance. She didn't know him yet, but she hoped that she would get to.}

[goldentail]

Splinter smiled at the small apprentice. "Hello What is your name?" he asked.

[Meerful]

Flailpaw slowly made his way into camp. Where was Crowpaw? He scented the air... Loners? Flailpaw ran into camp. "Crowpaw! Hey" He mewed, smiling, which was rare. A new cat...? Joining? 'Joy' Flailpaw thought. 'Another cat to hate me' His mind darkened. Then he looked at Crowpaw, and he smiled again.

[xx. Dogstar]

xx. I can't believe I've been touched by an angel...

Dogstar protectively hovered over his apprentice. After all, he was very attached to her. C o c k ing his head, he murmured, "Yes, yes, you will like ShadowClan." Thinking for a moment, he said, "Besides that, you probably need to know the basics of the Warrior Code." His eyes lit up with inspiration. "My dear, Crowpaw, why don't you tell him? It'll be a good experience for you. Flailpaw, you can help."

[Meerful]

Flailpaw's ears perked up in surprise. Why had Dogstar chosen him? "Uh, sure" He said. He lifted an eyebrow at Dogstar trying to protect Crowpaw. Why did he feel the need to do that? Was it because he was honestly unwelcoem and supposedly untrustworthy? Flailpaw's cheeks burned in embaressement.

[goldentail]

Splinter smiled at the two apprentices. "Yes thanks for teaching me" meowed Splinter.

[Meerful]

Flailpaw felt uncomfortable aroudn this cat. He was once a loner, he was easily accpeted, but then why exactly had he joined? His pelt burned now. He had no right ot judge this cat, he was no better. He killed his sister. Flailpaw sank. He should have been there to save her...

[goldentail]

Splinter could tell that the young tom apprentice had mixed feelings about him. "So what are your names?" he asked.

[Meerful]

Flailpaw motioned to the beautiful black she cat next to him. "This is the one and only, Crowpaw" He mewed laughing. Then he introduced himself. "I'm Flailpaw." He said. His claws flexed.

[xx. Dogstar]

((Meer, I was "protecting" Crowpaw because I wasn't sure what Splinter would do. Typical protective father reaction toward a loner.))

xx. Where is reality?

Dogstar stepped forward and nodded his head in greeting. "My name is Dogstar. I am leader and caretaker of this Clan, and, like he said, these are two apprentices that have recently been appointed - Flailpaw and Crowpaw." He smiled warmly, and a fatherly light lit his eyes. He realized there was no reason to protect Crowpaw. Looking toward them, he said, "You two, start teaching him after we appoint him as a warrior."

[Meerful]

//That's cool, but remember, Flailpaw is a little iffy towards people because he thinks he is hated. *cough* He's a drama king *cough*//

[goldentail]

"Hello Flailpaw and Crowpaw" meowed Splinter. Then he turned to the leader. "When do you plan on indroducing me to the clan and giving me my new name?" he asked.

[Burningwing]

_{" Probably after we tell you the rules." Crowpaw mewed quickly. She blinked a bit, washing away any doubt that had been hovering in her mind and turned her attention to the ex loner, Splinter.
Crowpaw scanned her head for a few rules. She had to leave some for Flailpaw to tell Splinter so....
Crowpaw shook her black pelt hesitantly. She sighed and a confused look came across her face. What ones should she tell him first? And she still felt dizzy from when Flailpaw had said" The one and only Crowpaw" What was that pointing to? She would have to find it out later. Even though Flailpaw had laughed it, she still felt..
" You must know not to harm medicine cats. You must feed the clan before yourself and respect cats older then you." She meowed forcefully, like a captain," You must respect Starclan and your leader." She nodded to Dogstar and then turned back to Flailpaw. She smiled and gave him a friendly nudge with her shoulder.
You go now she mouthed, then she sat like a statue in her place.}

[Meerful]

Flailpaw stuck his tongue out in thought. "You must be prepared to defend the clan, even at the risk of your life." He mewed, still thinking. "Never pick a fight with a clan member, don't cross the other clan's boundaries, and um... If you ever see a cat in our territory, you should defend our teritory, no matter who it is" He mewed, a slight undertone of distrust in his voice. Something about this loner wasn't right. Flailpaw turned to Crowpaw, and looked at her. Her fur was gleaming in the sunlight, and Flailpaw resisted the urge to rest his tail on her shoulder.

[Burningwing]

_{Crowpaw noticed Flailpaw look at her out of the corner of her eye. She felt hot under her pelt and her cheeks flushed a rosy red. Lucky for her, the colour didn't shine through her night coloured fur. Crowpaw felt a tingling in her throat and before she could prevent it, a small giggle escaped her mouth. Crowpaw bit down on her lip, to hide any more laughs from public ears that were listening. Crowpaws ears turned bright red, but only a bit showed through her dark pelt. She quickly glanced at Flailpaw. Did he notice?
She turned her attention away from the tortoiseshell tom and back to the subject of the loner joining Shadowclan. She had heard the distrust of Splinter in Flailpaws voice, and she didn't quite trust him yet either. Crowpaw scrunched her eyes in concentration, trying to find any rules that had escaped her speech of the code.
Her ears pricked forward and a grin swept across her pretty face.
" Oh, and don't forget!" She purred" Don't trespass on other clan territories!"
Crowpaw nodded to Splinter and beamed happily. Her smile shone like the sun with a light that could brighten the darkest of days. Crowpaw rose on he paws hesitantly and her eyebrows rose questioningly. Turning back to Flailpaw she asked," Is there anything else we should tell him?"
She didnt want them to look bad by not knowing what to say. While she waited for Flailpaw to answer her question, she finally worked up the nerve to do what she had been trying to be brave enough to do.
Leaning over slowly, she pushed her head onto his shoulder and wrapped her tail around his for a second. Then she stood back in position.}

[Meerful]

Before Crowpaw had touched him, Flailpaw had been intently pondering on something else, like what to tell the former loner. When she rubbed her head on his shoulder, he jumped a little, and all his thoughts washed away. What had she just done? Then he thought for a split second, hadn't she giggled at him? A bubble rose in his chest, and then it escaped. Flailpaw began to purr.
"Um... Here's a good one: You're no longer a loner, don't trust other loners and rougues." He growled. Now the distrust was openly clear, but something else hugn in his voice. Amusement. Crowpaw did like him. A new change for him, most cats didn't like him. Flailpaw straightened up a little and felt all tingly inside.

//Aww how cute//

[goldentail]

"I understand. Also I will try very hard to not act nice to the other loners and rouges. You must remember however I will not be perfect. I have three sons and a daughter that may visit one day I hope they don't. I don't doubt that Meer has already told them not to trust me however" meowed Splinter. He sighed. He wondered about Emberheart but didn't let it show. He glanced at Flailpaw and Crowpaw and smiled. He could tell that they liked each other.

[Meerful]

Flailpaw frowned at the loner's lack of sensitivity. Then he got angry at the toms little grin at him and Crowpaw. Actually, he really liked Crowpaw, but it made him feel embarressed him because he didn't usually show his emotions.
"That's nice. Honestly, that is really cruel to dislike your own kits, what did they do to you?" He frowned again. "Who is this Meer cat?" Flailpaw asked, recalling hearing of a Riverclan cat dyng at the claws of a cat named Mirror, maybe it had been Meer... He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

[Frostwing :)]

Wingsong padded up to the new tom and smiled at the apprentices, she wasn't much older than them, but she felt important. "Hey! who are you?" she mewed licking her dishevled fur. What a night! I'm glad to be back home after all the running around I did with a stinking WindClan cat! she thought to herself. Rubbing her eyes with her paws, Wingsong looked carefully at the tom.

[goldentail]

"Hello" meowed Splinter. He couldn't wait to prove he was loyal. But what about her...

[Frostwing :)]

"I'm Wingsong, one of your fellow ClanMates" she looked up from her washing.

[goldentail]

"I see" meowed Splinter. "And Flailpaw Meer is an evil creature that should be killed. I don't hate my kits they hate me. One is named for my former love I saw them once and that was when they were born. Then they were gone."

[Meerful]

Flailpaw growled. "As far as I'm concerned, I heard you helped kill that Riverclan cat. Also, you never know until you try, innocent until proven guilty. Unless they give hints on not to be trusted" Flailpaw added, inconspicuously eyeing Splinter.

[goldentail]

"True I helped kill my sister Angelheart. There was a reason though a reason that most would find wrong but it was so so right. I killed her out of vengence. Why should it matter though to you did you know her? Did she mean something to Shadowclan? Why should you cry over the dead body of a Riverclan cat?" asked Splinter.

[Meerful]

Flailpaw almost attacked the tom. "No! But that doens't mean she is insignificant! She was worth everything, all you had, and you killed her! That is wrong, foul, and how could you? My sister died, even if I hated her, I'd always shed a tear fir her!" HE cried.