and i miss you. [open]

[Kitsu <3]

hollyfeather

Hollyfeather blinked at the border. Her pelt twitched as the tiny flakes of snow fell down on it. Tonight, her eyes were dark crimson. It was a lovely color, if you looked at it closely. She stared over at the other Clan that lay before her. The scent wafted up to her nose over the river. ThunderClan was only a short swim away, but what reason had she to trespass? None, of course. And sure, it was cold outside, snowy. . . And the river was half frozen. It was hard to catch fish, she admitted that much. But what would she want to hunt on ThunderClan's territory? That would just get RiverClan and Hollyfeather in trouble. She'd caused enough in her kithood. The kithood that had never lasted. . . Holly's mind drifted to her brother, the only cat who had survived long enough to get even remotely close to her. But she would never forget Blackblaze's face, the face of the cat who understood her. He was her smile.

Holly continued staring at the sloshing river. It seemed to have eyes, peering out at her from among the rocks and ice. Even in the moonlight it sparkled like water would with the sun. The reflection of the moon never kept still, wavering and shaking in the rushed current. She stifled a sudden laugh that felt the need to come over here. Here she was, sitting and staring so longingly at this river and missing everything she had lost! It was ridiculous, but as funny as could be. Why should she, Hollyfeather, be sad? Her brother was happily hunting in StarClan, maybe looking down and thinking of his lost sister and smiling at the good memories while she was sitting by the river, half wanting to trespass for no reason but to 'hunt' to maybe get hurt for her stupidity and for her longing for her sibling! Her brother, the brother that was never lost in the first place. Blackblaze must be sad to be my brother. Holly thought.

No, he couldn't be. They wouldn't have gotten so close if he had been. . . disappointed in her, she supposed. Her eyes turned at the splash of a fish. Instantly she got to her paws and darted to the river. Her paw went in with a splash and came back out with red claws and a silver lump. The fish was tossed to shore, and she chased after it. She realized too late that she had pushed water up onto the ice and it was more slippery than ever. Plus, it was thin enough. Her body crashed through and she only had a moment to cry out before she was surrounded in water. Sure, she could swim, but she knew she would freeze to death before she could manage to get out of the overly swift current and grasp onto a block of ice that she could actually keep a grip on. Her splashes were somewhat soaking the previously dry ice, but the rest was already drenched from the natural splashes. Her claws hit a rock and she tore against it.

They snagged on something. Desperate hope prickled through Holly's freezing body. Then the 'something' broke loose and she discovered in dismay that the hard surface at her claws was mouse's skeleton. Poor thing must have drowned. Shaking it off, she turned and braced herself for the turn that was quickly coming closer. Maybe there would be a stone near it, so she could push against it and leap up and onto the ice. It would probably break, and the only thing above water would be her nose and her paws. Then she'd have to pull herself up and back onto it. . . oh, what a strange sight it would be for any ThunderClanners. Or RiverClanners, for that matter. A RiverClan cat drowning! Who would have thought they would see the day?

Holly was lucky. A stone stood right in her way, a tiny portion not swallowed by water. She was pushed right up it; with the water's force and her skill, she ran along it and leaped. Her paws barely missed the ice. Oh, snap! She thought, her head engulfed by the icy substance. The snow that was falling, along with the water, had put a sheer blanket of ice over the rock and she had slipped, practically tumbling forward and nearly crashing into the thick ice at the side of the river. This water was amazingly and stunningly cold! Holly was surprised she hadn't frozen yet. It would have been better than this adventure down the river that had, so far, only been thirty seconds to a minute. She pushed at the bottom of the river, her paws thrusting up from the rocky ground. Her head broke the water and she took in sacred air, filling her iced mouth. It wasn't very comfortable. The RiverClanner was pushed back under, but this time she did it willingly and went beneath the ice. If she didn't break the ice, she could be doomed to swim beneath the river forever. Her head was suddenly facing down in a misjudge of current, and she took her chance then and made a big kick.

It worked, all right. The ice not only cracked but shattered right on top of her. With a quick flip her head was in the gap she had made, and she pushed herself up a little more before she hit the jagged end of the ice. "Ouch!" Holly hissed. Her tail lashed beneath the water, but even it her now bleeding pads she managed to get up and sit, shaking like a leaf, on the ice. Water dripped mercilessly from her fur. She was going to freeze; her pads were torn and she was practically frozen. Both counted against her walking back to camp. The snow's direction changed as a wind picked up. Even better, she thought sarcastically.

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Salmon
Loner

Salmon had always loved the river.

Maybe it wasn't the river he loved, but the prospect of living by it, hunting from it, swimming in it. RiverClan had always fascinated the young loner tom. When he was younger he'd always considered joining the Clan one day. Sure, he was still young, probably barely under 12 moons now. He'd lost track of the days, all the constant wandering through the loner terras. Alone. Salmon hated to be alone. He loved to have fun, he was a party-animal. There was no point in that if you were alone. He sighed, shaking his long, golden fur and peering toward the river with calm amber eyes. Boredom kept him alert, looking for something to do. His tall, pointed ears remained pricked as he gazed at the icy river, feeling a shudder roll up his spine at the thought of swimming now. Surely he'd drown or freeze, or both.

Salmon flexed his claws against the icy ground, his eyes moving across the barren landscape oncemore. This time, they landed on a clump of fur. Well, it was larger then a clump. Salmon narrowed his eyes, moving forward a couple steps. Each step he took measured his caution. The creature was clearly a cat, with a pelt that was mostly white with a few different-colored patches. Salmon noticed the cat was drenched with river water, and suddenly realized that she was probably freezing to death. Eyes suddenly wide, the golden tom ran forward toward the femme, kicking up snow and ice as he ran. He didn't care that this was most likely a trained RiverClan warrior. He couldn't just stand by and let the cat freeze. The wind picked up, blowing his golden brown fur.

Salmon felt a bit panicky for a moment, wondering how a RiverClanner would react to him being on the territory. He shook it off, though, and finally reached the cat. Unsure of what to say, he was only able to utter, "A-Are you okay? Do you need help? What happened?"

[/color][/blockquote]

[Kitsu <3]

hollyfeather

"A-Are you okay? Do you need help? What happened?"[/b]

Holly glanced up at him. "I slipped into the river. It was too cold to really manage to get out. It felt like a moon before I did. And warmth would be nice, but that's it for now." She forced herself to her paws and hissed softly as she felt like she couldn't move, chips of ice dropping down and splattering on the larger block. She didn't mind at that moment that there was a loner on her territory. Maybe if it had been warmer, pleasant, she would ponder chasing him out. But if he was saving her life by warming her? Not a chance. Never would the thought of attacking him or telling him to leave the territory cross her mind for over a moon. . . as long as he was going to help her.

Her fur fluffed out and more ice scattered onto the snow. She sat, facing Salmon, and her stomach growled softly. How long had she actually been in the water? Holly twitched as a minor wind blew, breaking one or two crystals off her ears. She flattened them to her head, crouching and pressing close to the snow. I can't believe I just nearly drowned. I'm a full-grown RiverClan warrior who knows perfectly well how to swim, fight, and hunt with little to no problems! This will humiliate me if I go back to camp, not only because I nearly drowned, but also because I was foolish enough to try to get a fish when the ice was so fresh and thin. Even though I didn't break it. . . but still. Her claws dug into the snow, and as she thought she slowly and unconsciously pulled it away and cleared a spot of half-dead grass to move to.[/color]

[ooc] short, sorry.[/size]

[Blackie]

He loved her.

No, he did not! He'd have to be an idiot if he did.

But he did.

Alright, alright. I'm not as great as I like to think . . . Yes, I'm an idiot. The biggest idiot this side of the river. But I'm willing to bet there's a cat on the other side that's more of an idiot than I am.

Proud to have won his mental battle, Goldburn padded more quickly through the RiverClan growth. He was heading for the river, a prospect that sent his heart fluttering. Would he have a chance to see her? Would she be there, looking for him like he was looking for her? The bracken furred tom doubted she felt anything for him. He had been mean to her, and when he wasn't being mean his nervousness had made him disturbingly weird. She probably thought he was a mouse-brain with a mental disorder. Still, he wanted to see her. Even though he knew the meeting would be an awkward one. Goldburn seemed to loose his wits when ever Shatteredmirror was around.

The last thing he had expected was to see one of his Clanmates dripping with ice cold water talking to a loner.

Goldburn stopped dead in his tracks. His amber eyes flared wide with shock. Was that Hollyfeather? Who was the loner? Why was Hollyfeather soaked? Goldburn regained his composure and drew in a deep breath. If he was crazy, she was even crazier. Yeah he might be a swimming RiverClan cat too, but he wasn't dumb enough to swim in freezing temperatures. Okay, maybe if Shatteredmirror was there, maybe I would. Maybe. Okay, okay, fine! I'd swim the stupid river. But only if it was Shatteredmirror.

Tail tip twitching, Goldburn decided this was a good time to lift his spirits by embarrassing his Clanmate. One of his favorite things to do. Head lifted with a proud, mocking air, Goldburn padded lightly over until he was in viewing range of the two cats. He snorted loudly to get their attention and then set about to teasing.

"My goodness Hollyfeather, whatever are you doing?" he sneered at her. "Isn't it a little cold to be showing off? He's not that good-looking." Goldburn cast a mean smile at Salmon. Of course, he had no idea what sort of relationship the two cats had if they had any at all. But, he reasoned, wasn't he over here to try and steal a lonely moment with a cat he loved? So why shouldn't they be doing the same thing?

"Really, Hollyfeather," Goldburn mewed as he padded closer to them. "If you want to get sick and die, I don't see any problem in you jumping into freezing water for some," He looked Salmon up and down. The cat was almost the same color as Goldburn. Alright, I'll admit he's got a nice pelt. "For some bedraggled nobody. Of course, if you planned to live afterwords, you might want to get back to camp and ask Honeystripe to take a look at you. I shouldn't wonder if you catch greencough." Goldburn gave Salmon a pitying look. "Some cats just don't think twice before they take the dive, do they?"

[/size]

[Kitsu <3]

[ooc] let's get an order. me; Cinder, Blackie, Minty.

[the; MINTY ♥]

[ ooc; can i join? birchfeather is bored xP ]

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Salmon

[/color]
Loner

((I don't mind if you join, Minty And okay Running, an order sounds good))

Salmon, no longer worried about the prospect of the cat being hostile, listened to her story with interest. He had to hide his smirk of amusement; after all, it was a RiverClan cat that had nearly drowned. He ducked his head, batting at one ear with his front paw. Once he regained his composure, Salmon took in the warrior's words, mentally telling himself what to do. The warrior clearly needed to be warmed first; that had to be his first priority. Then Salmon would proceed to lead her back to camp. "I'm going to rub your fur the wrong way, it should warm you up pretty quickly," he mewed. Just as he prepared to follow his words, a new scent wafted into his nostrils. It was another RiverClan cat, most likely a warrior. Tense now, Salmon allowed his claws to unsheathe.

It took only moments for the golden tom to enter the area. Salmon briefly noticed how similar their pelts were in color, although Salmon's pelt was almost like a caramel color at times. This warrior was unlike the she-cat Salmon was preparing to help. He seemed much more hostile, though there was something more that Salmon couldn't figure out. The tom looked boastful, and almost taunting. Salmon glared as the warrior spoke, feeling his neck fur rise with a sudden amount of hostillity. Now he knew the name of the femme that had almost drowned, though. Hollyfeather. Salmon looked over at Hollyfeather, trying to catch her reaction but not seeing anything. Salmon felt the sudden urge to defend her and stepped forward, his amber eyes narrowed as he held in a snarl.

"In case you haven't noticed, your Clanmate, Hollyfeather, I presume, just nearly drowned. Instead of mocking her, you could be much more helpful and fetch her some prey while I helped warm her up." He took another step forward, coming nose-to-nose with the golden warrior. Salmon didn't understand his fury toward the warrior, but he didn't question it. He didn't like cats that were bullies, and so far this warrior seemed like a pretty big bully.[/blockquote]

[the; MINTY ♥]

[ ooc; yay. ]

birchfeather ^

The young tom padded quickly after Goldburn and out of camp, his ears pricked for sounds of prey. Birchfeather was unconsciously following Goldburn's scent; his mind was on other things as he trotted through the reeds. And that scent led him to the riverbank, where he immedeately scented two other cats; Hollyfeather and a somewhat familiar loner scent. Birchfeather slipped around Goldburn and padded over to Hollyfeather. The she-cat was soaked and freezing, she must've fallen in the river. "Are you okay?" he meowed, looking at her in dismay. She wasn't usually one to pull stupid stunts, most likely it was an accident. He looked up at the loner, who clearly wasn't hostile to his half-drowned clanmate, so he said politely but rather tonelessly, "Who might you be?"

He had ignored Goldburn's presence for the time, but then he looked around and noticed that, once again, Goldburn was taunting Hollyfeather. He sighed in frustration and quite agreed with the loner. "Oh shut up, Goldburn! Stop messing with her and go do something useful." He turned back to Hollyfeather and began licking her fur the wrong way, trying to warm her up.

[Kitsu <3]

hollyfeather

Holly began to purr, extremely softly, as Birchfeather began to lick her fur. "I slipped on the ice," she quickly began explaining, "and the water was much too cold to get out. Your limbs become useless in there." She smiled at him, mentally scolding herself for her stupidity. Unless you want to drown or kill yourself, fishing on ice is not the greatest idea, especially if you run over it. Mousebrain. Her eyes turned and looked sideways at Goldburn. Why was that loner standing up for her? She, a RiverClan cat, that was supposed to chase him out. Then again, she was a RiverClan cat that was supposed to know how to swim. I do! Holly thought, claws unsheathing to break the ice that bound them. As cold as she was, save for her back, where Birchfeather was licking it backwards, she was getting half frustrated, half 'I'll kill you next time you insult me' built within her. Usually, it took her fur to be extremely hot and someone to be insulting her like a ShadowClanner to pull anger out of her veins. Yet here she was, flaming inside.

Holly sighed and tried to relax. Next thing she would know, Goldburn would be leaping out at the kind Salmon and killing him. She couldn't allow that. And why was it that these toms were helping her? She didn't exactly feel like she deserved it, especially since she was supposed to be smart enough not to slip on the ice. "Goldburn, why do you have to mock everyone?" She asked, giving it a careless tone. "Trying to get us to run so you can go for a swim yourself?" Her tone turned to half match what his had been before. "Does the big brave warrior have a little love on the other side of the river?" Now her voice was what a queen might do to her favorite kit. Then it hardened. "If not, then go back to camp and take a nap, you big lump of useless fur."

No, it wasn't exactly the nicest thing for her to mock him in return. But if she didn't, she was sure she could rip apart a cat. She suddenly sneezed; her eyes flew shut and it felt like her whole body trembled forward instead of just her head. Now her nose felt a little wet; she gave it a quick lick then glanced at her paws. Well, she could at least help warm her own body up. Twisting her paw as if she were going to clean the pads, she began to lick to the best of her ability, which wasn't much. It was hard to lick your own fur backward, she realized. No wonder other cats usually did it. The taste of ice was cold on her tongue. It helped soothe the fire that boiled inside her, but it was still there. The splash of a fish caught her attention and she glanced up over her paw. Holly wasn't going to try that again.[/quote]

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Salmon

[/color]
Loner

Salmon, not wanting to confront Goldburn any longer, turned to address the other warrior. This one seemed much less hostile, in fact he didn't seem to notice Salmon at all. His ears pricked as the newcomer asked for his name. Flicking his tail casually so he wouldn't show signs of hostility, Salmon mewed, "I'm Salmon. I was just passing through when I saw Hollyfeather," he pointed to the drenched she-cat with his plumed tail, and I wanted to help. I am no threat, and I will leave if you wish." Salmon turned his back on Goldburn completely now, instead focusing on Birchfeather and Hollyfeather instead. They didn't seem to care that he was there. Salmon sighed, moving his amber eyes to the river again. He loved the river. He loved being near the river. Sometimes... he wished he was a RiverClan cat.

He couldn't think of that, though, at least not while his family was shattered. With his mother, Creek, and sister, Noel, in WindClan, his whole family was basically torn apart. He never saw any of his siblings around anymore. Salmon's eyes became distant as he thought of his sister, Cinnamon. He'd always been the closest with Cinnamon; the two had shared a bond that Salmon didn't share with his other siblings. Salmon's caramel-colored pelt was a similar shade to his father, Mythecho's, though it was longer like his mother's pelt. Salmon shook his head, clearing his family from his mind as he turned to address Birchfeather and Hollyfeather, ignoring Goldburn now.

"I could fetch you both some prey, if needed," he offered politely. "I won't steal anything, you have my word on that. I just thought I'd be of some help to you." Salmon sat down, wrapping his fluffy tail over his paws and waited patiently for a response.[/blockquote]

[Blackie]

Woah. Their upset about something.

Goldburn's eyes widened slighly in surprise when Salmon jumped up to defend Hollyfeather. The fact that a loner would stand up for a Clan cat was beyond the RiverClan warrior. He wouldn't even stand up for a Clan cat if their was no profit in it for him. The fact that Salmon disapproved of Goldburn's teasing for Hollyfeather's sake only convinced him more that the two cats had a hidden relationship. He was about to reply - ready to tease them - when Birchfeather's familiar scent drifted past him.

"No, not you too-" he started. But he didn't finish as the ginger and white tom promptly joined Salmon in scolding him.

"Something useful? I'll show you useful, Birchfeather." the bracken colored tom glared angrily at the three cats. He wasn't sure exactly what he was going to show Birchfeather, but he could usually think of something. But alas, there was another cat who must demonstrate their rage to him. And worse, they were a female.

Goldburn rolled his eyes in exasperation. Hollyfeather's mockery was for beginners. One thing Goldburn never did was back down and break to the scorn of another cat. Unless of course it was Shatteredmirror or his sister, Thymeheart.

"Who cares about my love life, Hollyfeather?" Goldburn asked calmly, not acknowledging the truth or trying to deny it. "If it were me, I'd be worrying about yours while it's plain out in the open. Are you trying to cause trouble, or are these two helpful toms here at the same time an accident?" he inclined his head at Birchfeather who was clearly worried for Hollyfeather and waved his tail dismissively at Salmon who was making an offer.

Goldburn's eyes furrowed. He wasn't a rough cat, not the sort to engage in physical combat without a superb reason. But he didn't like the idea of a loner on RiverClan hunting grounds.

"Thanks anyway, Trout, but we don't need help from a scrawny nothing like you. You know what borders are? Well, it's sort of warrior duty to make sure no one crosses those borders without permission." He glanced meaningfully at Hollyfeather and Birchfeather. "And you don't have permission, Goldfish."

[/size]

[the; MINTY ♥]

birchfeather ^

A sigh of exasperation escaped the young tom's maw, nd he rolled his eyes pointedly at Goldburn. His tail flicked in annoyance and he decided to simply ignore the spitting clan cat for now. He continued licking Hollyfeather's fur backwards, a slight shiver touching his shoulders as his tongue rasped against her fur. His eyes closed half-way and he tried to relax. This was nothing. Just a friendly grooming. He didn't like Hollyfeather that way. Just friends. But his paws kept tingling; he almost hissed at them to stop. Why did his body always seem to react to some subconcious thought? Always. A tail twitch. Whiskers shake. Paws tremble. Something. It was so annoying. He blinked slowly and shook his head roughly, as though trying to get rid of a bug.

"Salmon, I guess it would be okay for you to get some prey... But just don't take anything for yourself." Birchfeather mewed, looking up from licking Hollyfeather's shoulder. Then he twisted around and glared at Goldburn. "And if I say he has permission to be on RiverClan territory, then yes he does have permission." He turned back to Hollyfeather. She was feeling warmer and dryer now against his tongue. "So don't boss me around." His eyes narrowed again and then, at last, he leaned back, sitting up. Hollyfeather seemed mostly dry now.. He turned his head and looked away from her, his body once again reacting to subconscious as his cheeks grew warm.

[Kitsu <3]

hollyfeather

Turning her head when Birchfeather stepped away, she noticed he was uncomfortable and thought almost coldly, What is he, afraid of me? Her tail twitched and she fluffed up the warmer fur, feeling life return to her body. Hollyfeather glared over at Goldburn, hissing, "Okay, so a RiverClan cat is about to freeze to death and the only useful thing close enough to help is a loner. Would you rather have me freeze to death or simply let him cross the territory and help me? He is clearly not even a tiny bit dangerous at this moment, though I know he could be if he wanted to. He has my permission at well, and I don't plan on attacking him if he ever comes across our territory again. Is a warrior's life less important to you than protecting the borders, or are you just a little annoyed because the kittypet you fell in love with already has kittens?"

Holly turned her gaze to Salmon and then back to Goldburn. "Now, unless you plan on helping me, then go back and organize those feathers in your nest." Flicking an ear back, she nodded over to Salmon. "Go ahead. And like Birchfeather said, don't take any prey for yourself." She herself would've been fine with it, but with Goldburn and Birchfeather watching? No. Maybe later she'd be able to get the tom something to eat for himself, but not at this moment. She broke her gaze from Goldburn, tired of looking at the stupid, immature cat that belonged in the nursery and changed it to Birch. Hollyfeather mouthed a soft 'thank you' before licking her fur back into place. Moving herself off the ice and onto the snowy grass-- she didn't want to take any chances-- when she finished, she lifted a paw and began breaking the small ice crystals off of it and warming her pads.

[ short D; ]

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Salmon pointedly ignored Goldburn's taunts, not caring that the warrior purposely said his name wrong. Why should he care what the warrior thought? The tom was rude, stubborn and just no help at all in the situation. Salmon looked back at Birchfeather, watching as the tom groomed the not-quite as soaked Hollyfeather. He gave a nod of appreciation at the tom's words, feeling even better as Hollyfeather backed him up. He felt better, knowing that he wasn't considered a threat to the majority of the cats gathered. Salmon nodded curtly at the two warriors' words, mewing briefly, "I won't take anything; you have my word. I'll remain within your range as well." He shot a glance at Goldburn, feeling bold. His amber eyes narrowed as he watched the golden tom. "I believe that I was just given permission, Gold-something-or-other, so I'll be right back."

Salmon glared once before turning again and padding off. The icy ground stung his pawpads as he walked, keeping his ears pricked for the sounds of prey. The temptation to snatch something for himself as well was fairly strong; his stomach growled just at the thought. He hadn't eaten much that day, and the scent of water vole wafting into his nostrils was just another painful reminder of that. He pushed the thought out of his mind as he pushed forward, catching sight of the scrawny creature scurrying along by the riverbank. Salmon crouched low, relying more on stealth thanks to his golden pelt standing out against the snow. Knowing that he wouldn't have another chance like this, Salmon bunched his muscles and prepared to lunge. Within moments he felt his paws flying off the ground. Before the vole could utter even the softest squeak, Salmon bit into the creature's neck.

With the dead vole in his jaws, Salmon returned to the group. Without speaking he dropped the vole beside Hollyfeather, giving her a curt nod. He back away a few paces, realizing that he now wasn't needed. Salmon tried to stop the frown from forming on his face. He loved the river, yet he knew that he was no longer needed or welcomed. Salmon sighed before mewing, "Well, I don't think that I'm needed here anymore. Thanks for not chasing me off, and for allowing me to help." He smiled once more and dipped his head.

[Blackie]

Goldburn was slightly surprised by Birchfeather's boldness in inviting Salmon to hunt, but he otherwise ignored the tom. He was focused on what Hollyfeather had said - her attempt to insult him. Goldburn was a master at hiding his temper, but this was almost too much for him. It took all of his self-control just to keep his tail from lashing. If Hollyfeather knew who Shatteredmirror was - a former RiverClan warrior - she wouldn't say things like that. He was tempted to tell her who she was actually insulting. He knew better than that, though.

Goldburn had been so focused on his self-control that he barely heard Salmon. Long whiskers twitched in amusement at the loner's pitiful name-calling. He would never admit it, but he liked Salmon. Goldburn allowed his tail to wave invitingly toward RiverClan territory.

"You did get permission, didn't you?" Goldburn crooned as if he were talking to a kit or young apprentice. "Well, I'm surprised."

Purring gently, the bracken furred tom watched Salmon hunt with gleaming eyes. He glanced at his Clanmates, his purr rising a little. They thought they were so smart and brave. Alas, they forgot who they were dealing with. Calmly, Goldburn set to washing his fur so that it shown with sleekness. He had something special planned and he wanted to be looking his best.

When Salmon returned with the vole, Goldburn stopped grooming and widened his eyes mockingly. "Oh, that's a nice one, Catfish! You're a splendid hunter. I'm sure Hollyfeather is pleased. But, um . . . I wonder what Dragonstar will think of all this?"

Goldburn's eyes flashed warningly at his Clanmates. He purred sweetly, a great contrast to the sharp-clawed glare he was casting. "Just because you out-ruled me this time doesn't mean you can give away our hunting to an outsider. You don't own this territory, Dragonstar does. I don't think he'll be very pleased." Goldburn was fully aware that if he told their leader that Salmon had been allowed to hunt on their land, Birchfeather and Hollyfeather would tell the story of her falling in the river. But Goldburn was angry and barely suppresing it.

[/size]