Ooh, {{scary] (open)

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

A dark sky hovered overhead, gray storm clouds threatening to drop their load of cold rain drops. The sun, blocked by the dark barriers, only allowed a few rays to leak light down onto the small set of rocks. Cracks and crevices that held more danger then imaginable were barely visible in the dark shadows. Faintly, just ever so faintly, the sound of hissing was heard within their depths, threatening every creature that dared take a step toward their sanctuary. They had the weapons, they had their deadly, venomous fangs.

A large cream-colored tom stalked through the rocks, ignoring the spitting sounds as he approached the crevices. Long cream-colored fur, covered by scars, became brown in the dark shadows surrounding him. Ice blue eyes, cold as the frigid leafbare waters, stared ahead toward one of the larger rocks. He heard a potentially threatening hiss, but ignored it and hopped on top of the rock. His slightly bushy tail lashed at the sound of hissing behind him. Adder. How boring. Everything was boring, everything was the same nowadays. Oh what the tom would do for just some excitement. Now it was just training his annoying brother, Riverpaw. The tom rolled his eyes at the thought. What made his weird brother so happy all the time? It was hard to believe that they were related.

Sighing, Pumafang sheathed and unsheathed his claws onto the cold stone. Faintly he heard the sound of pawsteps behind him, and his fur bristled instinctively before whirling around. Glaring from the sudden bright light, Pumafang tried to figure out who the cat was.

[Spook]

Spook flowed though the dark day revling in the shadows. This was her place, her world. Silver coated turquoise eyes scanned the surrounding rocks, searching for snakes. She was only passing though, but snakes were always a danger for someone of her size. It was then that she saw a cat infront of her
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize there was anyone here." Spook said. Recently she had been more docile, her true heart showing out rather than the cold thing she had become after her escape from WindClan. "I'll leave if you want me to..." She mrrowed quietly.

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Pumafang watched as the small she-cat stepped out from the shadows. Blinking a few times, he caught sight of her silver-turqoise eyes. At first, Pumafang wondered why he'd never seen the she-cat around ThunderClan. Then he caught the she-cat's scent. Loner. A feral snarl pulled at his lips, his long fangs glinting in the little sunlight. Ice blue eyes flashed angrilly. Why did this loner think she could just wander onto their territory, without recieving a good fight first?

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize there was anyone here."

Pumafang rolled his eyes. This was clan territory- of course a cat would be here! But he noticed something odd about the she-cat. She seemed docile, unlike the many bloodthirsty loners he'd heard about. His eys narrowed in suspicion, for he also knew loners to be cunning and sneaky. He felt his claws digging into the stone beneath him.

"I'll leave if you want me to..." Her mew sounded so gentle, so soft... Pumafang had to check again to make sure that the cat was truly a loner. He scented the air, and sure enough loner scent wafted off the cat in waves. But there was also something else, so faint that his sharp nose barely picked it up. She smelled of the moors, and of the rabbits that were plentiful there. At some point in time, the she-cat had been part of WindClan.

"Loners are not welcome on ThunderClan territory," came his growl.

[Spook]

Spook tilted her head up, silver eyes glittering. The tom was lithe and agile looking. She got a glimpse of long fangs as he snarled at her. She knew she wasn't supposed to be in the clannies territories, but she was a born wanderer. The loner lands weren't enough for her, she wanted more room and often found herself crossing into the borderlines. Usually she didn't get...caught...but sometimes a clannie saw her. She was docile, but she still had the bloodlust burning in her soul. Her fur ruffled, but she kept her voice smooth and calm.

"I understand." Spook said, looking away. She never knew how to explain to the Clannies that she just was passing through. She wouldn't take prey or land. "I am a wanderer of sorts." That was all she coould think of to explain. She took a quick look back at the ice eyed tom. His growls shook her. She didn't want to fight. If she fought, one or the other would loose their life to her bloodlust. She remembered WindClan. Why was it so unnatural for a cat to be a wanderer, peaceful to all of the clans and wanting nothing other than to flow where the wind took them in peace? Why was she one of a kind?

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Never had Pumafang heard such soft words from a loner. She acted so... innocent. It was odd to him, for Pumafang was a very blunt tom. He believed that all cats not in clans were bloodthirsty and cruel (minus kittypets, of course) and meeting such a... different loner caught him off-guard. His snarling ceased, his pelt flattening. Pumafang kept his claws unsheathed, however, for you never knew when you were caught in a trap. For all he knew this cat could be tricking him, and he could be caught in an ambush. Hisses from the adders echoed in the tom's ears, and he flicked his ear as if to signal to the annoying beast that he heard it. Ah, the hissing had grown quite old to him.

The loner's words surprised him. A wanderer? What was that supposed to mean? So she wasn't a loner, but wasn't a rogue. If she was a "wanderer" why did he scent the strong smell of loner territory? Pumafang sighed lightly, flicking his tail as a sign that his hostility had lessened a bit.

"Why are you in a place as dangerous as Snakerocks?" Pumafang growled, ignoring Spook's words.

[Spook]

Clannies were ignorant. As soon as Spook had been taken in by the loners, she had been drilled in this over and over again. It had been ingraved into her brain, her soul. The same way clan cats had been taught that loners and roges were bloodthirsty, the loners were taught that Clan cats were ignorant. She didn't think this clan cat could grasp the concept of a wandering loner. She had been alone for too long in her silent ghost-like world. She had been hurt and re-hurt everywhere she went. She had never been safe. That was why she left WindClan. There were too many cats. She left for the loners, not expecting to be drawn up in the confusing bloodthirsty group of the BloodLust. She beloged with this group. But even then, she was barely around the others. She dissapeared for moons on end to be alone with herself and the wind. Just her and her shadow. Somedays, it wasn't even that.

The tom obvoiusly was battling his trained insticts in his head. A loner who was truly, a loner, and could control herself. She looked up at the much taller cat and answered truthfully, not a lie flowing off of her expert tounge.

"I wanted to be alone. I always take the risk of being an adders lunch, but I knew that I would have a bigger chance of being alone. Luck help me, wherever I go I run the chance of being someones lunch." Spook said frankly. She knew that the clannie would obvoiusly notice her use of the word luck rather than StarClan, or DarkClan as it was in the loners. She didn't belive in warrior ancestors at all. When a cat died, they died. For a while, when she was in WindClan, she had belived, but when the winds of change called for her heart again, she gave up all hope of watchers. She was a watcher now. Since she belived no one was watching her, she had started to watch others in silence. Always in silence.

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Pumafang had figured that loners didn't believe in StarClan, yet for some reason hearing a cat say "Luck help me." surprised him a bit. It must've shown on his face, for he could feel his ice blue eyes grow wide a bit. In anxiousness, his claws dug into the sharp stones. He felt nervous, and he had every right to. Something didn't feel right, yet he wasn't sure what. Constantly, Pumafang glanced around with narrowed eyes, trying to catch sight of another shadow near them. Never did he see one, thank StarClan, for he always got the feeling that he was to be ambushed. Was that really the case now?

"Well, if an adder bites you, you'll not only be alone, but die alone too," Pumafang said, his voice unusually calm now. "I'm sute that even you loners- or wanderers- have friends or family out there somewhere. Why take such a big risk?"

Normally, Pumafang would feel the need to chase the cat off the territory. But, he was curious. It wasn't every day you met a loner that didn't try to rip your ears off. If possible, Pumafang would learn some secrets. He forced the last thought out of his mind. Secrets? Why try to do that? Really, he was just curious about this wanderer type of cat. Being rather blunt and arrogant, it was natural for him to feel curious about whatever new thing he met, even if he tried not to show it.

[Spook]

Spook's moon covered eyes rested on the tom's. There was a deep sadness in them. It was as deep as the ocean, and just as mysterious. Silver waves washed over the blue depths as a silver tear ran down one cheek. She turned her head to hide the single droplet of water, but she knew the damage had been done. She had let no one. No one. See her cry. Not ever. The many times that she did, it was never in front of someone. Why did this tom open such an old wound. Because it's not healed.... something told her instincts. She turned her head back to the ThunderClanner.

Her voice was a meak whisper as she spoke.

"I take risks because no one cares. If I died, no one would notice. I had no friends where I was born. They tryed to kill me so many times I even lost track. I left at four moons old wandering the world until I came here. WindClan took me in without hesitation, but it didn't feel right, being around so many different cats. I made two friends there, but now, because I'm a loner, I can't see one and the other is dead. I left for the loners, raised at the bellies of Shard and Meer. But I still feel that this system of connected loners is strange. Meer is my strongest confidant and my best and really only friend, but she and I don't see eachother much anymore. Now, I'm alone. I was born alone. I live alone. I'll die alone."

Spook looked bewildered. She had never planned to give away that much information, but as soon as she started talking, she couldn't stop. Her eyes washed over with silver, but she wouldn't let herself cry.

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Pumafang was stunned. Truly, he was shocked to see a single tear fall from the loner's ocean blue eyes. He felt uncomfortable. He had no idea what to say. However, even in his beginning distrust, he felt his claws sheathe. His muscles were no longer tense. Pumafang had never been good at comforting cats, but for some reason he felt the need to help this poor cat. He always got uncomfortable when he saw another cat cry, and it showed on his face.

"I... I don't know what to say," he admitted a moment later. "I can't say that I know how you feel, because I don't. And... I can't say that everything will be ok, because I don't know that either. But... can't it be as simple as just talking to Meer or another loner? From what I've heard, you all stick together almost like a clan. There were numerous attacks her recently with at least three loners each attack, fighting the clan warriors." Now Pumafang was just babbling. Truthfully, he was trying to lighten the mood, but was failing miserably at it. Finally, when nothing else could be done, he smiled at the she-cat.

[[Brain-dead =[ oh well, I'm off to school for my last full day!]]

[Spook]

Spook could feel Pumafang's eyes on her pelt. The tiny she-cat's eyes swept over until they reached Pumafang's. Blue against Blue. Oceans and Glaciers. Waves and Streams. The beautiful femme sighed and started talking quietly.

"Not many know how I feel. It isn't common to be in my position. And I can't talk to the other loners. We watch eachother's backs, sure, and I may even be in the tight top circle, but I'm not like them. I am a true loner, depending on no one exept my self. Sometimes I wish I wasn't like that, but I was alone for too long. Far too long..." Spook's head tilted up, a softness in them that you can't find in even the most docile of cats. Her pelt ruffled with a soft wind that swept through the rocks. The lovely cat gave a small smile to the Thunderclan tom. She wasn't used to smiling, but the small smile that spread across her face felt almost natural.

"Oh, since you know more about me than most...my name is Spook."

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

The femme's smile appeared calm and natural, unlike many forced smiles that had been shot at him recently. His ice blue eyes met with her turqoise blue ones, and he held his gaze strong. Pumafang nodded at the she-cat's words, still not fully understanding. To him, it sounded as if loner life truly wasn't all it seemed to be. It sounded more complicated, almost, then clan life. Not being able to speak often with friends... and just the solitude sounded harsh to him. Sure, Pumafang preferred to be alone, but not hearing the constant chatter of clanmates would eventually get to him.

Pumafang flicked his tail as the loner introduced herself. Spook. Truly, it seemed like a fitting name for the small femme. She had appeared gracefully before him, almost like a spirit emerging from the fog. Again he flicked his tail casually, meowing a quick, "I'm Pumafang," before sitting down, wrapping his tail over his paws. Talking with the loner was oddly calming, and it was nice to just be able to talk with others.

"So," he meowed. "my life story is nothing like yours. I'm just a ThunderClan warrior, born to a cruel father and a mother who died moments after I was born. My father found another mate, and three kits were born. A storm hit, my father- Tigerstripe- got caught in it and was killed. After that his mate left the clan with the two she-kits of their litter called Icekit and Snowkit. So I was left with Riverpaw." Pumafang nearly rolled his eyes at his brother's name. "You might've met him. If you ever see a tabby tom that seems way too happy, you've met him. Usually, he's been by the RiverClan border." Not sure what to say next, Pumafang remained silent. It only felt right that he told Spook his boring story, when she had poured everything onto him. Surely she must've been curious in the least. And, he wanted to keep the conversation going.

[Spook]

Spook nodded. Pumafang... The name was fitting. He appeared to be a strong tom, sure of himself. Until now. No one was sure around her. Her different spirit was made up of greys, no white no black. And in this world of white and black, her ways were strange. There was a strangely uncomfortable silence settling in between them. She was more than mildly curious about him. She had never really talked to another Clannie like this. She had some aquaintencess in ThunderClan, but she didn't recognize the name Riverpaw though she had seen a young tom sitting on the RiverClan border once or twice. She turned her eyes back to his. She didn't know what to say. Words started flowing off of her tounge.

"You are lucky to live in such a place. Your life is no where near perfect eigther, but a perfect life can't be expected. If there was a perfect life, I wouldn't belive it even if they showed me proof. Now, an overly horrible life is more normal than not. You are lucky."

She adressed him at the end. "Pumafang."

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

He nodded, her words not only speaking the truth but what he believed for a long time. Pumafang had always known that he was lucky, but had always taken it for granted as well. He had his brother, when not many cats had family with them at all. He had his clan, who although could be annoying with all their chatter, would all die for each other. He had the warrior code, something to live for, something to fight for. Once he had fallen in love, and though he lost it the memories still live in his heart. Truly, he'd had no idea how lucky he was.

"I know that I am lucky," Pumafang mewed, nodding. "Everyone has their pros and cons in life. Everyone has things to love about it, and things to hate. There is no perfect life, and anyone who tries to show you one is blind to the real world. Some have better lives then others, that is true, but even their lives aren't perfect. Clan life has cons that loner life does not, but it also has pros that no other type of life has." He paused. Never in his life had Pumafang talked this much with a cat. Especially a loner, for that matter. What made this loner- or wanderer- so special that he could talk to her over anyone else? He never even talked to his brother this much. Yet he felt that he could talk to a loner that he's only met today.

"I'm not one to speak for loner life," he continued after a moment of silence. But I'm sure that there's something about it better then clan life.

[Spook]

((OOH! I leaving tomorrow morning and is just getting interesting. I want to keep this thread going even after I come back and when I pop on perhaps once a week ok? I like this almost friendship-like truce between the two cats! Oh! maybe it could even become more lol. Ahh.. there's nothing like a forbidden love here and there. Lol))

Spook looked softly at Pumafang. Her turquoise eyes glistened as she listened to his words. But I'm sure that there's something about it better then clan life... His words were almost wistful. Almost. Most Clan cats would never leave. But there were the rare exceptions, like herself, that went at sometime or another. Even fewer ever went back to the Clan life after they left. Her eyes lit up as she spoke.

"The life of a loner is filled with danger, even more so than a Clan life. Clannies are taught that Loners and Rouges are bloodthirsty. Loners are taught that Rouges are stuck up and Clannies are ignorant. Rouges are taught that Clannies are weaklings and Loners are bloodthirsty. From two ends of the spectrum, loners are brought out as the killers. Some are, curses, even I am, but I can control it. For some, the bloodlust is as hungry as a wildfire, consuming everything and they understand nothing but the lust that it creates. For others it is lava, slow moving and deep beneath out pelts, changing out hearts, but not our minds. Those like me can control and choose. Others, I pity them, cannot. Also, loners are free to go where they choose. They travel with the wind and nothing can stop them. Nothing except death and it's finality. But being a loner can be sad. You leave friends behind or they leave you. We trust each other, but we never know when a clan or rouge ally will claw us in the back. Always on the move, the life of a loner is a lonely life. There are few that we can turn to. And even fewer that we can trust. But it's freedom is alluring. We love it more than any other object on this earth."

Spook's eyes lit and darkened as she talked. When she finished, her eyes were lit with a fiery intensity that made them appear like gemstones polished and put under a 300 watt light bulb. Her ears twitched as her eyes dimmed and she blushed slightly. "Sorry, I get carried away." The pretty she-cat of fallen leaves smiled at Pumafang, brighter than the last one.

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

((Yeah I know! It's ok with me if we continue this thread, it's getting really interesting! The only problem is I'm leaving in a couple of days and wont be back until like the middle of July. I probably won't be able to us a computer where I'm going so I won't be able to post so much unless I can sneak on. Lol yeah, nothing wrong with a little forbidden love here and there =] ))

Spook's words captivated him, mainly because they were so true. Clanners had always been taught that loners and rogues were bloodthirsty, ruthless creatures. Yet every word she said about loners was truly... amazing. The freedom you recieved, the choices you could make. Nothing was forbidden. Yet, there were some cons, as he'd mentioned before. Basically, out there, it was every cat for themselves. Sure, maybe family stuck together and possibly close friends, but Spook's words were true. The same went in clan life- you had to watch your back. Allies in other clans could be helpful, yet deadly at the same time. But the freedom that loner life promised... it was all too captivating and amazing. The Warrior Code was something a clan had to fight for, and although he respected that it was something that held him back.

"You didn't get too carried away," he mewed, eyes actually glittering with a bit of amusement. That was rare in Pumafang. "It was actually amazing how deep you became when telling me this. It was so easy for me to believe every word you said, because you said it with passion and strength." In return for her smile, Pumafang smiled back. He could see the sky darken as more clouds emerged, showing the threat of a storm. For now, he shrugged it off. They'd be ok if they watched it, for there was always a place to shelter at Snakerocks... even if more then three quarters of those places were deadly.

"A clanner's life is nothing like a loner's life, in the long run at least. The Warrior Code is like a long chain, tied around your neck. You feel as if you have the whole world to explore. It seems that no matter where you run, the chain stays coiled, like it was never moved. Then you see a place unexplored, different scents and discoveries just popping out at you. You race toward it, and are forced to stop as the chain jerks you back. In a clan, you are bound to the Warrior Code, and though you have some freedom, there is so much more to be discovered and seen. Though most clan cats have family living in the clan with them, and have friends within that clan, it's not the same. What's the point of life if you can't discover it's secrets and explore new territories? I'm not saying that the Warrior Code is wrong, but it has flaws that bound a warrior to the ground. Loner life sounds so... free and beautiful. You can go wherever you want, and nothing holds you back." A wistful look appeared in his eyes. Pumafang could imagine it, the freedom to explore and go where he pleased. He remembered being an apprentice, dreaming about what lay in the shadowy depths of ShadowClan and what lies on the sweeping moors of WindClan.

"Allies make huge differences in clan life," he continued, blinking the look out of his eyes. "Sure, you can have friends in other clans, or friends who aren't in clans, but you have to be willing to fight them. You have to be careful what you say, so as not to give up clan secrets. It is similar to loner life, for you never know who you can trust and who in the end is going to kill you in the long run." Pumafang looked over at the pretty femme, smiling again though his mind was somewhere else. What would life in the loner terra be like? Though leaving was out of the question- after all he couldn't abandon Riverpaw- he wanted to imagine it. Every word Spook said echoed in his mind. The freedom... that was all he wanted. The freedom to live by his own rules, and not be bound to the ground by rules already made for you.

[Spook]

Spook could feel the wistfullness coming off of Pumafang in droves. Leaving the clans was a hard choice to make, but once you made it, there was usually no turning back. Like her. There was no going back now that she had felt the freedom of the outside world. She smiled at Pumafang. "The outside world is appealing to most, with it's no rule attitude, but it is alot more dangerous than a clan life. The difference between a clan and a loner life is about the smae as the difference between a kittypet and clan life. It's so different out here. Dangerous, treaterous. Alone. I lived in WindCLan for 5 moons. I was 10 moons old and I had no mentor. SIlverstar was dead, and the WindClan deputyship was in great question. After travelling alone for 3 moons, the offer that Meer and Shard gave me was irresistable. I left two friends behind, but I couldn't live there. The horror of the Whitecats were still too great."

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Pumafang had always known that freedom came with a price. It should've been obvious to him that it would be dangerous, wandering the loner lands. There, it was every cat for themself. Yet even the danger captivated the cream-colored tom. Clan life had become boring recently, with not much happening. Though the feeling of always being watched would eventually get to him, the idea of being free was stronger then the fear of being killed. There was only one thing that held him back. Riverpaw. He could never leave his poor brother, after his mother and sisters left him too. Sure, the little tabby seemed fine now, but losing his half-brother would kill him inside. Pumafang couldn't do that, and Riverpaw was definitely not loner material.

"Ah, but the danger is something that also captivates most who are fed up with boring clan life," Pumafang mewed, feeling his claws digging into the stone at the thought. "Sadly, I could never become a loner, no matter how promising it sounds to me." He stopped, listening to Spook as she spoke. The Whitecats? Pumafang tried to recall if Spook had mentioned them before. He came up blank, not remembering at all. All that came up in his mind was when Spook mentioned the cats where she was born trying to murder her many times. The thought of that made him bristle, though he did not know why. Why should it matter so much to him? Truthfully, it was because he felt that he'd found a friend in this loner, something that rarely occured with him.

"If you don't mind my asking, who are these Whitecats that you speak of?" Pumafang asked.

[Spook]

((Now I´m in another airport. This one in Sao Paulo Brazil!))
Spook tilted her head to the side when Pumafang mentioned the dangers of becoming a loner were appealing. She wasn'nt suprised. Toms were always looking for danger. She smiled softly and shook her head. "Danger is what appeals to you? Well I can't say I'm suprised. But I wasn't asking you to become a loner. The prospect would be rather... treasonous to the clans. Are you sure you can deal with that?" Spook stepped closer to the clan cat, slinking around him in a sly, quite loner-like show. Her cunning side showed out as she circled him at a safe distance. She trusted this cat for some reason, but she still kept a safe distance away unless Pumafang decided he didn't like her on ThunderClan land.When the tom mentioned the white cats, the sly smile on Spooks face melted into a scowl and then into a distant sadness.

"The WhiteCat lands are where I was born so many moons ago. I was a daughter of one of the favorite council members, for the White Ones are ruled by a superior group, all long haired Persians. My father was unknown and cunning, but he was "Colored". I got everything from him exept my blue eyes. The silver on the Blue are my own though. All of the grand council thought me an ambolishment, for I was the first colored cat to be born to them for over one hundered moons. I was hurt and neglected and my mother could do nothing. The only thing she could do was prevent them fro killing me. She chose her powerful status over me, the illegitamet child.They hated me and drove me out when I was four moons old. Instead of saying anything to me, my mother turned away as I was led out of the city. I never saw her again. I was dropped on the border with the Colored Ones, but since I was born in White Cat conditions, they cast me away with equal disgust. I wandered for months alone That was when I took the name Sparrow. I promised myself never to let the monsters bother me again, but they do. They haunt my dreams and my soul. If I have a soul left after what they did."

Spooks shoulders heaved in silent sobs. Tears streaked down her face as she remembered their claws scarring down her back when she had opened her eyes for the first time. Murdered in Soul. Their teeth in her limbs. Claws across her ears. If she would get up within a moonphase, then it was ok. Everything short of murder. The humity of being led out of their world. She didn't care if they practically killed her every chance they got, they were the only things she had ever known.

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Spook's words dug into the cream-colored tom's mind. Treasonous? It was only treason, in his opinion, if he tried to harm the clan due to his newfound life. Still, the idea of freedom just called out to him, it made a bit of hope appear in his ice blue eyes. "But the Clan would've brought it upon themselves; if there weren't so many rules, no other cats would ever consider running away. Many cats have already left this rule-filled life for the freedom of the loner life already." Pumafang faintly recalled the tales he'd heard of cats leaving, some kidnapped, others untrusted, and even some for love. Love... that was a word that got to Pumafang. He'd been in love once. Love was like... well, it was like an old friend, or what you thought was a friend. Then, that friend gets snatched away from you, and you lose everything. It had happened once. He hoped that love would never be taken from him again. Pumafang watched Spook as she circled him, noticing that his heart started to beat a little faster. The loner was pretty, he had to admit to that. Not just pretty, but actually very beautiful.

Cold hard fury evaporated off Puma as Spook told her story. "Those cats are just cruel, stuck-up ignorant snobs! I can't believe they just tossed you aside. I mean, who cares about your fur color? StarClan, it's cats like that who-" It was then that Pumafang noticed Spook was crying. Seeing her shoulders jerking with sobs made him feel terrible. But he didn't know what to do. He wrapped his tail around her shoulders, almost nervously, in an attempt to comfort her.

[Spook]

The tears rushed down like a tsunami. She had never cried before, never. Not when she had been hurt, not when she had been banished. And now, her tears were angry for being kept inside for so many moons. They fell quickly and angrily. But soon it was over. As quickly as they had started, they stopped, but she felt ashamed. Why could she cry in front of this.. this... clan cat and not in front of herself. She suddenly noticed that Pumafang had closed the gap between them and wrapped his tail around her. It was an awkward attempt at comfort. Obvoiusly he had been hurt before. And for some reason, her heart gave an awkward little leap. Some reason...

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

As soon as the tears stopped, Pumafang removed his tail from the femme's shoulder, yet he still stayed close to her in case the tears began to fall again. His mind screamed at him to say something, anything, to comfort Spook. He couldn't say it would be ok, for would it really be ok? Puma was not a liar. And, like before, he couldn't say that he understood, because truthfully he did not. For a tom never good with words, this was liked defeating an army of a million rogues. Practically impossible. But... for some reason he didn't want to allow the young she-cat to cry. For some reason, it hurt him.
"But.. that's all in the past now," Puma mewed at last, his voice soft yet it still held its rather strong sound to it. "You can never forgive those pieces of fox-dung for hurting you, and truthfully I can't forgive them for being so spineless and cruel. If I could, I'd show them what a colored cat could do to them, and I'd fight them all with a paw behind my back." Sure, not the most comforting words, but they were something, right?

[Spook]

Listning to Pumafang's words made the she-cat of fallen leaves want to laugh. He said them seriously, but the words were so full of bravado it made her want to laugh, so she did. Not really a laugh, can a spook laugh? More of a small chuckle, but it was still the first time in a long time she even made such a sound. She took a miniature paw and sewpt it across her muzzle to clear out her tear-flattened fur before responding.
"Yes, apparently colored cats aren't completely worthless. And the past is long past, so long past." Silver coated eyes looked at the tom. "Well, it may not appear so, but I'm 20 moons old, that happened when I was four moons old. Over 16 moons ago." She was still young, but in her heart, she felt like she was ageless. Usually no one guessed that she was over apprentice age until she started speaking with her soft, but harsh voice. At 6 inches tal at the shoulder and 5 pounds, she was the size of most kits. But she had the heart of a ghost, a spook.

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Hearing Spook laugh was not what Pumafang expected. He tried to hide the surprise from his face, but it simply wouldn't work. He was stunned. Was he really that good at cheering others up, or was there something on his head? Just to be safe, he brought his head down and cautiously smacked his paw on it. Nothing. He really had cheered her up. For once, a smile lit Pumafang's features.
Hearing Spook's age also came as a surprise to him. Sure, he didn't expect her to be a kit, but her size did make her appear almost like an apprentice. The small femme was about the same age as the large tom!
"Well then we are about the same age," Pumafang mewed, trying to steer the conversation away from the Whitecats.

[Spook]

Spook gave a cattish smirk as Pumafang slapped his head with a paw. Apparently he was as used to making cats laugh as she was to laughing. Hearing that she was about the same age as the tom didn't suprise her. The tiny femme and the large tom. One once a whitecat, then a loner, then a Clan cat, then a loner again. The other a clancat. One the color of the sunset and fall. The other the color of a winter night. Two oceans of blue. An unlikely pair considering the strange friendship that had made the sunset colored she-cat spill out her soul. It seemed more than a truce, but how could a loner and a clan-cat have a friendship? Remember Cheetahpaw... her mind told her. If she could be friends with Cheetahpaw, why not with this tom? But Cheetahpaw had known her before she had changed and their friendship still held. But Pumafang... She didn't know. Something in her wanted to be friends with the Thunderclanner. She didn't want them to see eachother just this one time.

"So... Is there anything intresting happening in the clans right now?" Spook asked, alo trying to steer the converstation in a more pleasant direction. Or at least away from her past. She was still sitting close enough to Pumafang that their pelts were touching.

((Dun dun dun dun! I think it is time to bring in another clannie to see how they will respond to that. I could bring in one of my ThunderClannies, or you could. Cause Shatter knows Spook from loner times, but Mirror doesn't... Or you could bring in one of yours. Or we could have one of yours with one of mine... doesn't matter to me.))

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Feelings growing... the thought frightened Pumafang but he knew it was true. His feelings for the small loner she-cat were growing greatly. To him, originally it just felt like a truce; you don't attack me, I don't attack you, etcetera. But now... Something about Spook made Pumafang feel different, like he didn't want it to just stay a truce. It was probably just the need for friendship. That had to be it. He wasn't in love... was he? Pumafang mentally slapped himself. This was all so confusing. Then again, what was wrong with having friendship with a loner? You could have friends in other Clans, so why not a loner? As long as it wouldn't get in the way of his duties as a warrior, it couldn't hurt, right?

All this was too much for the tom to take in. Pumafang took notice that their pelts were now touching, but he didn't move away. There was just something different about Spook, and he couldn't help but grow feelings for her. She was kind, yet clearly strong, and beautiful... Pumafang sighed. Then again, even if he did have feelings for her, who was to say she'd feel the same? After all, he was just a hotheaded ThunderClan warrior.

"Huh?" Puma had barely heard Spook's question. "Interesting? Oh, not really I guess. It's been really quiet lately actually. Anything going on in the Loner Terras?"

No secrets spilled, yet he was still honest. It couldn't be hard just to be friends, even if he wanted it to be something more.

((Yeah, we should bring someone in! Hmm.. well I have Pumafang's brother Riverpaw maybe, but it doesn't matter to me. How about we each bring one in?))

[Spook]

((That sounds good to me! I'll bring in Shatterglass because she knows Spook. Riverpaw could be hunting with her.))

Secrets... Life was full of them and no one knows how many there are until you pass on. And then they are worthless cause you're dead, Spook flatly thought in response to her wandering mind. If she had a friendship with this Clannie they would be skirting around secrets like crazy. At least she would. She was filled with loner secrets, being the watcher of the forest and beyond. Pumafang had already learned of the ghost's past so the ghost to him must have at least some substance... A substantial spirit...

She had never had a real friend since Cheetahpaw and the thought of having a friend made her shudder slightly. Having a relationship with a clan cat is not a good idea, Spook thought then backtracked her thoughts. A relationship? She blushed and started making exuses in her head. A friend relationship, not anything more. She felt her fur go hot over her muzzle. "Yah, everything in the loner terriotories is great," She answered his question. Just then, a yawn split her jaw and she noticed it was getting dark. And there in the darkness, were two cats rounding the bend.

Two cats, Shatterglass thought. There was difinitly just two from the scents. But it was the scents that was the most puzzling. One was ThunderClan, but the other wasn't. It was probably a loner, but she knew she had smelt that sent before. Only where?

Seeing the two forms coming around the corner made Spook forget how close together Pumafang and her really were. She flinched in his direction and realized now her side was pressed into his.. "There's someone coming," She whispered. "ThunderClan... Oh, Luck! I'm going to get my fur clawed off. I may be a Spook, but unfortunatly if there is nowhere to dissapear to, fading off is difficult." She said this with a hissing calmity.

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

[[ ;D]]
Pumafang had always been good at keeping secrets, because it was always fairly easy for him to hide his emotions. Some cats thought of him as cold, and really he was. There were only three cats on this whole world that he wasn't- always- cold to. Riverpaw, his little brother, Cherrytree, his former mate that died in a storm, and now Spook. For some reason, Puma couldn't bring himself to even be cold to her. Pumafang never wanted to hurt her, or even just see her get hurt. It was strange to him. He'd only felt these feelings once, but that was moons ago.
The sound of pawsteps distracted him from his thoughts. A patrol?! StarClan, no! His ice blue eyes flashed for a moment, noticing Spook flinching and pressing close to him. He didn't push her away, instead he glanced through the bushes, searching for the source. Spook's words floated into his ears, sounding almost like a whisper to him.
"ThunderClan... Oh, Luck! I'm going to get my fur clawed off. I may be a Spook, but unfortunatly if there is nowhere to dissapear to, fading off is difficult."
He shot her a glance, fear for her getting injured or captured clear in his eyes for one moment.
"You try to run, maybe I can distract them for a minute" Pumafang growled, getting to his massive paws. But the sound of pawsteps was getting closer, as a small tabby tomcat charged out of the bushes, pinning Pumafang to the ground. Pumafang growled, gently shoving the cat off him. Of all the cats in the Clan, it had to be...

- - - - -

Riverpaw grinned down at his brother before being shoved off, landing only a mouse-length away. Quickly the tabby tom got back to his snowy white paws, emerald green eyes glittering with excitement. Riverpaw felt extremely close to his older brother, due to the fact that he had been the one training him. But today, it felt as if Puma had been gone for moons. So after wandering around camp endlessly, he asked Shatterglass to help him with hunting and maybe a small patrol.
"Puma! There you are," Riverpaw mewed with a small purr. He flicked his tail in greeting.

- - - - -

Pumafang smiled down at his brother. "Hi, Riverpaw," he mewed in a rather gruff voice. It appeared that his brother hadn't taken any notice to Spook yet..

[Spook]

Run? Spook thought. How could she run? She was small and fast, but it was far too late. When Pumafang pushed her away she felt a strange feeling of regret wash over her. That was probably the most confusing emotion of the past few hours. Why would she feel regret at leaving a tom's side. It was downright unnatural.

All of these thoughts flew by in a millasecond or less as she realized a tabby tom was flying through the air at Pumafang. Again an unexpected feeling jolted through her body. She had a sudden urge to protect Pumafang. And she had never felt that before. Never ever in her short life. Quickly, she saw Pumafang fling the tom a few tail lengths then pounce on him. Of course the large tom could take care of himself. Then he said, Hi Riverpaw. So this is the infamous brother of the Clannie, Spook thought with some affection. He thoughts moved to the other cat. When her eyes met ghost yellow, her voice came out suprised.
"Shatter!"

----

Shatter! The name being exclaimed drew Shatterglass's eyes to the tiny cat. No way. There is no possible way that can be Spook. But yet it is. Shatter thought quickly. The silver tabby slowly walked up to the three other cats. "Spook, if I remember correctly." She said. Looking back and forth from the her Clan mate Pumafang to Spook her forehead scrunched up in amusement. "What were you two doing here. And don't tell me you were chasing her off Puma. Your scent is here for too long." She noted sharply. It was obvious that there was more to these two than met the eye.

---

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

For the first time in awhile, Pumafang actually felt nervous. He felt pressured, as if all eyes were on him. Truly he hadn't felt this way since his father trained him as a small apprentice. Shatter's question nearly made him wince, and he was aware of Riverpaw's own curious green eyes looking up at him. What was he supposed to say? He couldn't just say 'Oh this is Spook, and I've just been talking to her for a few hours now and basically breaking the Warrior Code by associating with her.' How would that turn out? Not good. He'd get himself in trouble, and Spook possibly as well. For the first time ever, Puma was stumped. Saying one wrong thing could get Spook captured; and if he dared try to protect her he'd be exiled. But wait... why did he suddenly feel the urge to protect Spook? Why was her safety so important in his eyes? Well, if he didn't say something soon, things would appear much worse then they were...

- - - -

Riverpaw glanced back and forth from Shatter to Pumafang. For the first time his eyes landed on the loner called Spook. Confusion clouded his normally cheerful gaze. Riverpaw could read his brother like a book; after all he was the only family he had left. His eyes narrowed. Was Puma.. confused about something? Stuck on what to say? StarClan, Riverpaw was lost! His ears flattened against his head, not enjoying that he couldn't figure out what was going on.

"What were you doing, brother?" Riverpaw asked.

- - - -

An idea sprung into Pumafang's head, one that would hopefully save him and Spook both. "Well, with all the tension between Clans and loners, I thought I wouldn't start a fight that had the potential to grow into a small battle over something like this. I was hoping to, for once, keep the peace." Since Shatter didn't know Puma that well, he hoped he would at least convince her. But Riverpaw knew him all too well. He could tell by his brother's penetrating emerald eyes that he didn't believe him at all. Puma kept his cool, keeping a straight face and praying that Riverpaw wouldn't say anything.

[Spook]

Shock laced through her body at her old aquaintace's question. She couldn't explain the strange attachment she had to the warrior. That was as against all ancient laws as you can get. On their territory, she was under their power and if Pumafang decided to go against her. There was nothing she could do about it if that happened. But instead of going with his Clan mates and dooming her, Spook could tell he was trying to protect her. A very un-loner-like urge came over her as she suddenly wished she could slink and hide behind the huge Warrior's mass. As Puma responded she was shocked, but greatly relieved to hear his answer. She had been too caught of guard to answer. In response she nodded and added. "I, personally, am high up in loner standings and wish for more...peacefull terms." Though clearly what she lyingly meant was: Leave us alone, Clannies.

---

Yah right, was the first thought that entered Shatterglass's mind. They were so trying to hide an... innapropriate association. Even if their words sounded as if there was no lie to them, she could tell from the air around her that there was something more. They were trying to protect eachother. "Pumafang, if you had wanted to talk treaty, you would have took her to the leader. And you didn't. I'll let it slide, but Spook better not hang out around anymore. I have no aversion to the little devil..." She said thinking about how Spook used to be quite the little monster..." But its not safe for her. Or you for that matter. Now back to camp." She was younger than Puma, but obviously the sane one, so she made the decision.

---