Snack Break (anyone?)

[Shatterclaw]

Shatterclaw tossed three mice onto the freshkill pile and selected a small rabbit for herself. She sat down near the Warrior's den. Alone. As usual. But it was her fault after all. And she shouldn't feel lonely.

She chomped into her rabbit. Loneliness was weakness. Or, that's what it should be. She sighed through a mouthful of rabbit. It was just because it was the anniversary of her parents death, that's all. Yes, that was it. By tomorrow, she'd be fine.

Her eyes scanned the camp. Kits played outside of the nursery. Two apprentices talked and showed off the latest stalking moves they'd learned. Two mates wound their tails together. Maybe she was missing something. . .

[~All I Need]

[shadow=gray,left,200]Severedclaw ///

It was a beautiful day. The sky a painting of solid blue and wisps of while clouds, the sunlight dappling the earth's back like the fur of a great cat's. Birds whistled and gossiped gaily in the treetops as the leaves fluttered down to the ground with a sigh of defeat. The handsome siamese purred as the rays of glorious light warmed the gray fur on his back. His blue, siamese eyes glowed beautifully as he turned his head to look at the setting sun quickly, and then they grew dark as he turned to the fresh-kill pile.
After gathering up a thrush in his jaws, Severedclaw's ears pricked as he heard a sigh. Was it sadness? Remorse? Dark-gray tail-tip twitching, he went over to Shatterclaw and sat down beside her. "Hello," he mewed in his formal, unique voice. "May I sit here with you?"

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[Shatterclaw]

Shatterclaw saw Severedclaw approached with his thrush. She looked away, waiting for him to pass by. He wouldn't sit next to her, at least, not now. She's snapped at him before, but maybe he didn't remember. She flattened her ears. Tomorrow would be different. She could be back to her old self without remorse. The sun had set, and tomorrow would not be far off.

"Hello. May I sit here with you?"

Shatterclaw started and whipped her head toward the unusal voice. Severedclaw stood beside her, pelt shinning in the last rays of the sun. She almost growled for him to get away, but bit her tongue. She nodded and took another nip of her rabbit. Why was he sitting with her? She swallowed hard. Her mouth dried.

[~All I Need]

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Severedclaw ///

Severedclaw's foreign eyes blinked slowly as he took in Shatterclaw's response. He noticed how she was about to say something, decided better of it, and chew at her rabbit quietly. He smiled. "Thanks." And sat down, his dead shoulder sticking awkwardly out to the side. How he hated that stupid thing. Severedclaw was still surprised that he became a warrior in the first place. Even more shocking, he had an apprentice.
Taking a small bite from the juicy thrush, Severedclaw studied the she-cat next to him. Her fur was cream-colored and glowed a rosy pink in the light of the setting sun. In her own way, she was beautiful. "So," he meowed, trying to make conversation between him and the aggressive she-cat. "Looking forward to the Gathering within the next few days?"[/glow]

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[Shatterclaw]

Shatterclaw glanced at the tom from the corner of her eye. He was actually being civil. . .she liked it. No! Things would be different by tomorrow. Why did her heart have to soften on any days? She twitched what stump of a tail she had left.

"So, looking forward to the Gathering within the next few days?"

She hesitated for a second. "I doubt I'll be picked to go." She hadn't been chosen last time, probably because she didn't work well with other cats. But they were opposite clans, why be friendly? Who wanted to make acquaintances with someone you may have to face in battle.

[~All I Need]

Severedclaw ///

Severedclaw nodded in understanding. "Yes, I know how you feel." To tell you the truth, he was quite shocked that Shatterclaw had even spoken a word to him. He once used to write her off as impolite, rude, and unwilling to make nice. He shrugged his shoulders. Well, there's always a first. "I didn't get to go to the first few gatherings because everyone thought that I wouldn't be able to make the trip with this useless leg." He moved his right paw over to lift it, the dead left leg fell back down with a dull thud! "Maybe you'll be picked. Maybe not. It really doesn't matter. Yeah, it's fun being there to see how the Clans are working together. But, it's more fun to stay back and watch the camp. At a Gathering, hardly any cat would dare to pick a fight. Here, well..." he shrugged. "An invasion could happen any day."

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[Shatterclaw]

Shatterclaw listened to him speak, smiling inside---if that were possible. His words made sense and spoke to her fighting nature. An invasion, that was more like it. For a second, her eyes focused on his dead leg. That'd made her give him a tiny bit of respect. To live like that, fight, and train an apprentice, could she do it? Yes, she could.

She took another bite from her rabbit and swallowed quickly. "I know." I know? That was the best she could do? Well, she didn't do conversation most of the time. But, he was taking time to talk to her. She could do better than that. "How's your apprentice?" Ick. Why had she brought that up? Bad memories, very bad memories.

[~All I Need]

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Severedclaw ///

Flashing his radiant smile at Shatterclaw, Severedclaw nodded and stretch luxuriously. His whole body quivering, and settled back into a comfortable position. He could tell that Shatterclaw was a little uncomfortable with talking to him, but Severedclaw felt the same way. It was odd making nice with someone he never even talked to before. Blinking, his blue eyes traveled around the clearing, taking in all of the other warriors. The laughing and pouncing apprentices, the kits tumbling head over heels as they walked about on their unproportional paws, the mates murmuring in each other's ears.
Severedclaw shut his eyes tight and cleared his head of those thoughts.
"How's your apprentice?"
Good. That would take his mind off of the Tribe of Rushing Water. He looked back at Shatterclaw and sighed dramatically. "You wouldn't believe. Blackpaw is the most bouncy little ball of fur on paws that I have ever met." Though there was some exasperation in his voice, a strong note of pride was there. "For such a little thing, though, she's loud and strong."

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[Shatterclaw]

Shatterclaw watched from the corner of her eye as Severedclaw stretched. Even with his dead limb, he was in excellent condition, a good warrior. And he had an apprentice, something she might never have. Did she even want one? She would teach her apprentice right and make sure she never treated others badly. She would be strong.

Severedclaw commented on his apprentice. Shatterclaw could hear the pride in his voice. And he should be proud, as an Warrior would be. She finished off her rabbit with one last gulp and licked a patch of fur on her shoulder. She settled herself in a 'comfortable' position, even if talking to someone else generally was uncomfortable.

"She sounds like a pawful."

[~All I Need]

[shadow=gray,left,200]Severedclaw ///

"She sound like a pawful."
Severedclaw laughed. "You wouldn't believe it. More like four pawfuls. She can't sit still and it's almost impossible to get her attention. At first I thought Brownstar was punishing me for almost becoming a rogue...But," his voice trailed off and he stared at the apprentices across the clearing, trying to see if Blackpaw was there. Nope. Probably off causing trouble, he thought fondly. "But now I'm grateful to have her as my apprentice. She may be annoying every once in a while, but she has time to grow and mature. I'm proud to be her mentor, for who would not want to watch their apprentice grow into mature warriors who will put there life down for their Clan? I can't think of anyone. That's one of the beauties of being a Clan cat."

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[Shatterclaw]

Shatterclaw listened to his words. To her, his voice was strong, proud, warrior like. "It is." Blackpaw would be a good warrior. She could vaugely remember when Severedclaw nearly became a rouge. She had hated him for it. The hate returned for a moment, making her eyes flash, but she pushed it away. For one day, she could be 'normal'. But was normal always a good thing? She shook her head and flattened her ears.

A silence settled. Shatterclaw still felt like it was her turn to speak. But her mouth refused to open and put forth any words. She sighed. "Do you enjoy battle?"

Why was it always battle? She gritted her teeth. Normal. That's what today was suppose to be, what would a normal cat speak of?

[~All I Need]

[shadow=gray,left,200]Severedclaw ///

Severedclaw felt a little bit of guilt as he noticed out of the corner of his eye Shatterclaw's eyes light up with hatred. He swallowed down the hot ball of fire in his throat and looked to the darkening sky. Ah, how I love sunset...
"Do you enjoy battle?"
Now that caught him off guard. For a moment Severedclaw pondered the question and answered: "No. For it means bloodshed and pain. Think about what would happen if you killed one Clan warrior. Just one. Think of how that would affect the enemy Clan? That warrior's family? They might have a mate or kits. Life's a big cause-and-effect. If one warrior was killed and the Clan became weaker because of that, then the danger of the other Clans running them out becomes higher. And what happens when a Clan leaves?" He shrugged his powerful gray shoulder. "No one knows for sure. But if it would anger StarClan and there are supposed to be four Clans in the forest...Well, let's leave things the way they should be."
Severedclaw thought that was a good answer. It expressed his feelings in a subtle way.

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[Shatterclaw]

"An interesting view. One every cat should have." Shatterclaw agreeded in general with all that Severedclaw said. It was an interesting idea, cause-effect. "I enjoy the adreniline, which isn't always part of battle." To say she enjoyed battle would have given her a stern lecture from her parents, if they had been alive. But they weren't. "But it's not normal to speak of such things." Nope, not normal.

[~All I Need]

[shadow=gray,left,200]Severedclaw ///

"An interesting view. One every cat should have."
"Thanks," mewed Severedclaw. Idiot. Can't think of anything else to say except "Thanks"? Call yourself a cat? He sighed inwardly. I wish I had as much confidence as Evermist. Seems to me she's been hanging out with that Paddingsoul a lot recently...
"But it's not normal to speak of such things."
Severedclaw was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't hear Shatterclaw talk about the rush of adrenaline in the heat of battle. Sure, it was fun to fight. But... Cats were given teeth and claws, but they should use them for better fights than petty quarrels over pieces of land. Some battles had to happen. But some could be kept from happening. A lot of deaths from happening.
"Really?" he meowed. "I never thought that as abnormal. I just thought that was the most logical idea."[/shadow]

[Shatterclaw]

Shatterclaw laid her ears back and twitched her tail. Was battle really normal to speak of? Time to change the subject, if she could. What did everyone talk about? The weather? It sounded boring and pointless. Never would she stoop to that level.

"Are you happy here?"

What kind of question was that? She rolled her eyes to the sky. Whisps of white clouds floated by on the wind. How happy Starclan must be to live in the sky, what beauty.

[~All I Need]

[shadow=gray,left,200]

Severedclaw ///

Severedclaw did the same as Shatterclaw and looked to the sky. Am I happy here...? Hm. Sometimes I wonder about death and what lies beyond. But have I ever had enough courage to end my life? No.
"It depends," he whispered, choosing his words very carefully. "Before, when I first came here, I wished for nothing else but solitude or death. But now that I have..." he tried the word he was thinking in his head. "Quite content. I am not happy, but I don't wish for something as morbid as death. That is my view on my life here. Evermist, my sister, seems to be happy that she's found a mate in Paddingsoul. So it makes me glad to see that she's grown to like the Clan life."
His blue eyes stared unseeing at the sky. Would I even join StarClan? Highly doubt it. But I'm here. Not there. So don't dwell on questions such as that.

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[Shatterclaw]

His words reminded her of her own thoughts, different each time she visited the subject. "Happyness is such a fickle thing. What I wish is for joy. My father told me joy never left, once it entered a Warrior's heart. Happyness can run and jump and leave a heart cold and stony, but joy always brings warmth." An old tale he told to try and cheer her up. It had never worked, but remembering them brought back images of her father. His long body, pine smell, and crooning voice. She sighed and shook her head.

[~All I Need]

[shadow=gray,left,200]Severedclaw

"Happiness is such a fickle thing. What I wish for is joy. My father told me joy never left, once it entered a Warrior's heart. Happiness can run and jump and leave a heart cold and stony, but joy always brings warmth."
Severedclaw looked back down at the she-cat with wide eyes. That sounds so much like what Father used to tell me...
He cleared his throat, trying to keep down the sobs when he thought of his dead Tribe. I miss them, he thought sadly. Severedclaw swallowed and spoke, trying to keep the fiery hot tears down. "That is what my father used to tell me. Almost in the same words. Tell me, who was your father?" He frowned at the outcome of his voice. It sounded wretched. Pathetic, he thought sourly. About to cry in front of a she-cat... Call yourself a Warrior?[/shadow]

[Shatterclaw]

"That is what my father used to tell me. Almost in the same words. Tell me, who was your father?"

Shatterclaw noticed the thick sound of his voice, full of emotion. What a sensitive warrior---but it was obvious that he was a good Warrior all the same. She frowned slightly. He must have honored his family.

"My father's name was Sootheart. I never liked his name, for his heart had no black mark on it." She sighed, closing her eyes. "His heart was as pure as the first snow. He knew when to play and when to be stern." She shook her head. No cat would want to hear about her memories of her father. "He's dead." She swallowed hard.

[~All I Need]

[shadow=gray,left,200]Severedclaw ///

"My father's name was Sootheart. I never liked his name, for his heart had no black mark on it. His heart was as pure as the first snow. He knew when to play and when to be stern....He's dead."
Severedclaw looked down in shame. Fool. For making her think about her dead father. Sadistic. That's what you are. He looked back up into the she-cat's eyes. Sadness colored his voice as he reminisced his dead family. "My father the same. As goes for my mother. I might as well say my sister's dead, also. For she's contracted a deadly disease that will kill he slowly and surely. I used to live in a tribe in the mountains. But a bear killed them and my family. I believe it was from the bear that Evermist contracted this disease."[/shadow]

[Shatterclaw]

Shatterclaw lowered her head for a moment. "I'm very sorry." To die slowly was worse than an honerable death a bear would have caused. "To lose your family is not an easy thing. As we both know." She let her eyes gaze at the clouds above. It was beginning to cool down outside. The sun was lowering, and a breeze picked up, ruffling her fur. She shivered a little. "Did your old clan believe in Starclan?" She could vaugely remember when Severedclaw came to Thunderclan, but she had had little to do with him, until now.

[~All I Need]

[shadow=gray,left,200]Severedclaw ///

"I'm very sorry."
Yeah, me too, he thought sourly. He sighs, colored with pain and unfortunate mishappenings. "Aren't we all?" he murmured under his breath. Much too low for Shatterclaw to hear.
"Did your old clan believe in Starclan?"
Something much different... "Sort of..." he paused. Severedclaw tried his best to explain the truth of the Tribe of Endless Hunting. "You see, we had our own ancestors. They are much like StarClan, but different. Imagine if you lived by a much different lifestyle than the one here, than your ancestors would be affected by that lifestyle, also. In an odd way, yes and no. I believe in StarClan and the Tribe of Endless Hunting. Evermist believes in neither. How could she not? I have not the slightest clue."[/shadow]

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[Blackie]

Tiny dancing beads of sunlight glittered into Teardrop's vision. The black and white she-cat stiffened with protest. Why was she waking up now? She always woke up when her sleep became deep and pure, her mind filled with peaceful images as she dreamed. Softly, her stomach murmered it's complaint, letting her know what it was she needed. Sighing, Teardrop stood, stretching each leg in turn before trotting out of the warrior's den into the open camp.

As soon as Teardrop was awake, the normal cheery light burst through her eyes. She gave the camp a quick check before allowing her gaze to rest on Severedclaw and Shatterclaw. It looked as if they were having a serious discussion. She wrinkled her black spotted muzzle. It couldn't be good for them, talking deeply about one subject.

Tail raised, the she-cat trotted to the fresh kill pile and picked out a mouse. Holding it gently, she turned to where the two warriors sat together. Whiskers twitching, she padded quietly to them, letting them know she was there with a friendly mew. She sat, put her prey by her paws, and licked her whiskers. Nodding and eyes glittering, she greeted her Clanmates.

"Severedclaw, Shatterclaw. How's the prey running today? Not good? The two of you look like you caught whitecough." She seemed to sparkle with her energy, brightening her eyes and white fur, making her patches a richer shade of ebony. With a hint of a laugh, she asked innocently, "Are you bored?"

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[~All I Need]

"He crawls like a worm...

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Severedclaw ///

Severedclaw looked up at the sound of Teardrop's mew. He never really talked to the cheerful she-cat that much. He used to find her sort of intimidating because of her euphoric mood. It kind of put Severedclaw off a little. But he welcomed her cheery entrance today.
"Severedclaw, Shatterclaw. How's the prey running today? Not good? The two of you look like you caught whitecough. Are you bored?"
The siamese tom smiled and rolled his eyes up to the sky. "Not really. Just sitting here because there's not much to do. That doesn't sound like boredom to me." He winked at Teardrop and Shatterclaw, a mocking twinkle in his eyes.

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...crawls like a worm from the bird..." [Lyrics from The Bird and the Worm by The Used]

[~*R.i.v.e.r.p.e.l.t*~]

The gorse tunnel started rustling, signaling that another cat was coming. Out of it emerged Riverpelt, carrying a thrush. Tail raised, she strolled to the fresh kill pile and dropped her thrush onto it. She picked out a mouse for herself, as she wasn't really that hungry. She walked over to the three other cats and sat down cheerfully beside her clanmates.
"Hello," she casually greeted. She felt like she didn't need to say any more until they replied, and bit into the mouse in front of her.