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Post by heartnet on Jan 26, 2009 18:48:28 GMT -5
Two figures weaved side by side. Both were small cats, not full grown warriors yet. Though, one in size was very close. Heronpaw lead the way through the unfamiliar territory as Lightningpaw followed a little more hesitantly before. In a way, he was glad it was finally the night they had agreed to meet Burntstar. For the past two moons while they were still being punished, thoughts had been racing through his head. he couldn't get a break from them in even in his sleep where he had dreams, or nightmares, of Burntstar's eyes watching them. Somewhere in his gut, something was telling him this was not going to end well. It was against the warrior code and it was just wrong. This was the cat who had killed their father, taking one of his lives while he was still young! He was a traitor and close to being a murderer. Why was his brother so eager? Was it to prove he was the best? 'Oh Heronpaw....what have we gotten ourselves into this time...? he thought, his eyes cast up to the sky but the stars were half hidden by clouds. Did this mean Starclan saw them and was disapproving as well. Lightningpaw sped up his run, running up beside his brother's shoulder. "Are we almost there?" he asked, trying not to let his brother hear the nervousness and doubt in his voice. But even as he tried to cover it, these emotions were obvious to Lightningpaw himself.
'What have we done...?
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Post by á£Îmaý---♫♥ on Jan 26, 2009 19:30:22 GMT -5
The moonlight cast eerie shadows across the land, turning swaying branches into waving tails and darting cats. The wind rustled grasses causing them to suddenly brush up against the young cats' sides. Branches creeked and leaves rustled, was there something moving out there? In this unfamiliar territory it seemed everything could be anything. A grey and white tabby cat was creeping slowly, his head buried in his shoulders due to his own fear and nervousness. It had seemed like an excellent idea at first but now he was out on the hills in the middle of the night with a freezing wind blowing at him, Heronpaw wanted to run back home and forget about the whole thing. Meeting Burntstar didn't worry him, it was whoever else that was skulking in the dark that scared him. Due to their punishment and the cold leaf-bare, they hadn't spent alot of time on practising their fighting skills. He blinked his eyes slowly and like his brother, turned his head up to the sky. Underneath those clouds he knew the stars of Silverpelt were shining down on them and the eyes of their ancestors watched their journey to the home of the rogues, traitors to all Clans. Would StarClan reveal them to Swiftwind or Hawkstar? Maybe they already had...
Part of him didn't know how he was meant to follow this through and return back to camp where in the morning Sootpaw, a fellow apprentice, would be happily chatting and preaching about the wonders of the fifth Clan. He shook his head and looked over to Lightningpaw, just as nervous and fearful as he was. "I don't know...there's scent trails but I can't smell anything in this wind," he meowed, his voice low. Below them, down the hill, the sea crashed against the shore.
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Post by lord of all yellow mice on Jan 26, 2009 21:10:47 GMT -5
Woodpaw hadn't done all too much in the past while; with six apprentices in the clan, many of his regular duties were covered for. Since he'd had plenty of time to sleep during the day, it wasn't too surprising that he found himself waking up in the middle of the night. He opened his eyes slowly, glancing at the other sleeping forms. "Ugh..." he groaned softly, shifting in his nest. He was going to have a hard time getting to sleep again - he was beginning to wish that he'd asked Wolfheart to give him an extra training session so he'd be tired enough. In addition, extra training sessions might help him improve more quickly. Maybe I'll actually manage to become a warrior before Lightningpaw and Heronpaw and Littlepaw... He placed his head on his paws, and closed his eyes. Oh yeah, and Goldenpaw. Keep forgetting about her. Then, for some reason, he felt himself open his eyes again. Something was different. He glanced around the inside of the tree, squinting.
Speaking of Lightningpaw and Heronpaw, where were they? Their nests were, as far as he could tell, empty, though their scent was somewhat fresh. Were they doing some sort of nighttime training? Woodpaw hoped they weren't - he'd never gotten to do anything like that, so why should the newest apprentices get to do so before him? It wouldn't be fair. He slipped slowly from his nest, trying to be as quiet as possible. If Lightningpaw and Heronpaw got to train at night, he was going to go and train with them.
Don't trip, Don't trip, Don't trip, He thought to himself, over and over again. Though he usually didn't mind the attention he got by randomly stumbling and bumping into things, he didn't think that the other apprentices would be happy if he accidentally woke them up. Clumsily, he maneuvered his way between the nests.
He didn't trip until he was at the entrance to the den. It was dark, and the roots that surrounded him were difficult to see - as he turned away from the den, he felt his hind paw smack against something hard, and down he went. "Ow!" he yelped, though he suddenly shut up. He didn't want to explain to any cat who might be on guard at night what he was doing up. He pulled himself up, carefully placing his back leg on the ground. Thankfully, it didn't seem to be injured.
Now, where could the two apprentices have gone? He sniffed around the den, trying to find their scent trail, though it had mingled with the scents of the other apprentices as they went in and out of the den. There was a trail that seemed to lead toward the edge of camp - maybe that was it? He put his muzzle to the ground, to help him with the tracking, but mainly to avoid tripping over anything else in the dark. Other cats were sleeping; he needed to be quiet.
He looked about nervously as he approached the entrance. I'm an apprentice. I'm not supposed to leave the camp on my own. He remembered going to the tree grove when he was still a kit, though, and how excited the other apprentices were when they found out he'd been there. Maybe breaking the rules wasn't so bad after all...
Anyway, they're training. There must be warriors with them, right? However, as he continued to follow the scent, the idea that these apprentices were just out for some nighttime training began to fade away. There were no other scents around those of Lightningpaw and Heronpaw, and the trail seemed to be leading away from anywhere Woodpaw had been. No, the apprentices were doing something on their own - something that Woodpaw probably wasn't meant to know about. As this realization crept in, the shadows of the night seemed to grow around the tan apprentice. He didn't know where he was going or what he was getting into, and he was afraid. He wanted to turn back, yet he couldn't. He had to find out what Lightningpaw and Heronpaw were doing without him!
As Woodpaw's confusion grew, however, the trail became less clear. He didn't know what he was doing, yet he blindly stumbled on. Was he even still on RainClan territory?
Having lost his former carefulness, he barely noticed when he tripped yet again. This time, though, he wasn't quite so prepared. He yelped loudly in surprise as he crashed heavily onto the forest floor, landing on his side.
As he tried to pull himself up once more, he didn't feel all that much pain. Again, he seemed to have been lucky enough to avoid getting badly injured. His head hurt a bit, though, and he was slightly dizzy.
Upon trying to continue, he found himself crashing straight into a large tree.
He stumbled backward, groaning and shaking his head. If he was following Lightningpaw and Heronpaw, he didn't really want them to know he was there - but he was lost. If he could find them, maybe things would sort themselves out a bit more.
"H-hello?" He called into the night. "Anyone?"
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Post by á£Îmaý---♫♥ on Jan 29, 2009 20:12:46 GMT -5
(( Waiting for Ally. ))
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Post by Jaystar on Jan 29, 2009 20:36:48 GMT -5
Snake padded out of the shadow of the ferns along the rouge nest, taking the apprentices by surprise. Fang followed close behind and let out a menacing snicker. They paused and waited for Burntstar's signal. /These must be the new recruits/ Snake thought to himself as he circled around the apprentices' /How droll/ Fang thought. /These apprentices wouldn't survive a day in the rouge nest/ He waited eagerly for Burntstar's signal. He grinned menacingly.
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Post by heartnet on Jan 29, 2009 21:02:35 GMT -5
Lightningpaw locked eyes with his brother, nodding then looking around carefully. "Me neither. Maybe these weeks without training is getting to us..." he murmured, trailing off as something moved to his left. A figure...when his eyes adjusted more, he saw that there were two rogues, circling them. Oh, this was not good. Bracing himself in a defensive stance beside his brother, pressed against him. His eyes followed them as the two kept circling them. What were they waiting for? He could feel their menace and dislike. He figured the odds would be a little better if they had been training, but he and Heronpaw had been in trouble and couldn't. This wouldn't turn out well at all...
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Post by á£Îmaý---♫♥ on Jan 30, 2009 0:10:37 GMT -5
Heronpaw followed his brother's gaze to where there was a flicker of movement. There was somebody there. A quiet snicker and the reflective flash of eyes alerted him to a second cat. This wasn't Burntstar. He took a step back, his grey fur bristling up to make himself look larger. Heronpaw wasn't yet full grown but he was certaintly larger than the normal apprentice. Unfortunately, he had a feeling that his size and little training would be no help in saving himself if these rogues decided to attack. The pair had split up and were circling them, two on two. He followed one with bright eyes, not letting him out his sight. "Lightningpaw," he breathed," Run or fight?"
Burntstar was viewing the scene from the shelter of a patch of ferns. His dark mottled pelt helped camouflage him and the recent frost had dampened the soil, softening his scent. He blinked his bright amber eyes and smiled. It would be interesting to see what the two could do against Fang and Snake. The rogues had been told to attack the apprentices but not wound them severly. Imagine trying to explain to Hawkstar what had happened to his precious sons. He chuckled softly with amusement and dipped his head. Hopefully Snake and Fang would see the signal and attack. Sometimes Burntstar just couldn't understand why there was a need for such things.
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Post by heartnet on Jan 30, 2009 10:13:54 GMT -5
To Lightningpaw, the immediete answer was to run. They weren't supposed to be here in the first place, it was wrong, and surely these rogues wouldn't follow them into Rainclan territory. He had confidence in his speed enough to run, but two things held him from uttering that word to his brother. One, even if they ran, they didn't know the surroundings and the rogues did. And two, Heronpaw wasn't as fast as him. Being larger in size, it had always slowed his brother down considerably and he couldn't leave him behind. So in response to Heronpaw's question...
"Fight. We've got no other choice. And I bet they'll try to separate us to one on one advantages. We have to stick together and watch each others backs." he whispered back, his green eyes glinting as the moon broke through the clouds and washed over them both, his white marking standing out against his dark pelt.
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Post by lord of all yellow mice on Jan 30, 2009 18:54:55 GMT -5
After receiving no reply, Woodpaw decided to give up on the finding the two apprentices. It's probably none of my business, anyway. He turned, trying to find his way, but the landscape that surrounded him was completely unfamiliar - hills, tall grass, sparse undergrowth, and trees - including the one he'd just crashed into. He'd seen little like this on RainClan territory. In addition, the wind blew much harder here than it did in the camp. All around him, he thought he could catch the scents of strange cats, but he could no longer locate the trail of Lightningpaw and Heronpaw. Where was he? They couldn't possibly be here, too.
Though disoriented, he stumbled forward - or backward, or whichever way he might have been going. The wind was going against him - had this been so before? He couldn't remember.
Something gently brushed against his pelt, and he sprang back in alarm. Surprisingly, he managed to stay on his paws, and turned, panting. Ferns. Just ferns. But... what are they doing here? Frightened, he began to run once more, his paws thudding heavily against the ground. I need to find another cat... Need to find my way back.
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Post by á£Îmaý---♫♥ on Jan 30, 2009 21:08:25 GMT -5
Heronpaw gave a slight nod in agreement, all the while wishing he hadn't bothered coming to meet Burntstar again. Lightningpaw was quick and if he could find their scent trail he could run back down to RainClan territory before anybody could say 'mouse. He, however, was not built for speed but for strength and would end up tumbling over his own feet if he were to run blindly downhill. Lightningpaw was right, they had no choice but to fight the rogues and hope they survived. Thankfully, the clouds over the moon had been blown away and light now poured over the group. It seemed StarClan was still watching.
Amongst the ferns Woodpaw had stumbled into, a large cat crouched. His calico pelt broke up his body shape and allowed him to blend into the dark plants. The cat in question was rather large with stocky legs and muscular shoulders. When the moonlight washed over him you could see the traces of scares of his muzzle and chest. His ears were knicked in several places too. Cactus rose to his feet and stood watching as Woodpaw ran past, bolting like a frightened rabbit. The wind carried his RainClan scent to the old and he smiled to himself. The cats back at the Nest would have some fun with the tresspasser. He flicked his tail and gave chase.
((Cactus can bring Woodpaw to the Rogue Nest where Heronpaw and Lightningpaw recognise him. ))
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Post by lord of all yellow mice on Jan 30, 2009 23:38:25 GMT -5
As he struggled against exhaustion and the wind, Woodpaw's pace slowed within seconds - though the roar in his ears seemed no softer, the night no less dark. His heart was pounding, but the rhythm would not synchronize with the whistling wind. The entire world was a multitude of confusion, dropping further and further into disarray as the apprentice struggled through the grass.
He was expecting to trip over something sooner or later - but, strangely enough, what stopped him was his mind, stumbling over an idea that had suddenly forced itself into its scrambled path.
Why am I running?
He halted; the wind sent him tumbling onto his back as it realized it could run its natural course. Breathing heavily and shaking, he scrambled back into a sitting position. If he stayed in one place for the rest of the night, it might be easier for him to figure out where he was in the daylight.
(ooc) Okay, good idea! =3
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Post by á£Îmaý---♫♥ on Jan 31, 2009 15:52:49 GMT -5
To Cactus's pleasure, he didn't even need to bother finding a scent trail because the young cat was running like a three-legged badger. Anybody could follow him purely by sound. But then oddly enough, the sound of thundering pawsteps stopped and he could only hear the rustle of leaves and the roaring wind. Cactus suddenly halted and stood with a puzzled expression. Had the Clan cat heard him and was know searching for him or had the mouse-brain fallen and couldn't see the point of getting back up? Either way it didn't matter, he'ld find the trespasser. He moved into a stalking position and crept forward through the grasses, gently pushing them away with his muzzle. It took a lifetime of living on the hills to develop the skill of walking through long grass without being heard or seen. Unfortunately, the wind was coming behind him and blowing his scent towards the cat. Cactus could see now the light-brown cat sitting and trembling. He smiled and lept out, slamming his forepaws into him.
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Post by Jaystar on Feb 1, 2009 12:59:35 GMT -5
Fang grinned and lunged at the apprentice who was watching him carefully. He snapped at the apprentices' neck.
Snake snickered and followed his brother as he lunged at the other apprentice. He extended his claws and raked them down the apprentices' back.
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Post by heartnet on Feb 1, 2009 14:58:35 GMT -5
Lightningpaw's ears twitched as he heard one approach and he turned to see one rogue launch himself at Heronpaw. He was about to help when he heard a snicker behind him on to feel claws on his back and he yowled, trying to shake the larger cat. Finally he decided to roll over on the cat, sliding out from the grip of his claws and regaining his footing. Quickly, he snapped at the cat's tail, biting down hard. Then he let go and backed away quickly, watching the cat warily. If he used his speed and dodged most of the hard blows, quickly getting in a few here and there, he might have a better chance. Out the corner of his eye so not to be distracted from his opponent, he watched his brother to see how he was fairing with the other.
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Post by á£Îmaý---♫♥ on Feb 1, 2009 16:24:55 GMT -5
When Fang lunged, Heronpaw was prepared. He side-stepped, turning himself around while putting one forearm around the rogue's neck and pushing his head away. It was a simple technique he often used on Littlepaw when they were playfighting. Unfortunately, he didn't have the advantage of size and he had stumble back away from Fang. Lightningpaw seemed to be doing well, having managed to get a few blows in himself. He crouched down, his tail swishing back and worth.
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Post by lord of all yellow mice on Feb 1, 2009 20:30:16 GMT -5
Woodpaw was completely unprepared for whatever hit him next; as something rammed into him, his heart seemed to leap from his chest in shock. He didn't have much time to figure out what was happening, though; the next thing he knew, he was barreled onto the ground. Wide-eyed, he struggled up, turning to face his attacker.
Even in the dim light, it was not hard to tell that the cat was enormous - Woodpaw doubted that even a competent apprentice would stand much of a chance against him. From his scent, it was evident that this was no Clan cat. The light brown tom stumbled backward, his ears drawn back against his head. If he ran, he probably wouldn't be fast enough to escape the full-grown tom, either.
Am I going to die? He shuddered, but he did not take his eyes off of the other cat.
I might be a mouse-brain, but I'm not a coward! I have to try! Without quite thinking it through, he ran straight toward the tom, leaping forward at the last minute.
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Post by á£Îmaý---♫♥ on Feb 2, 2009 1:49:03 GMT -5
This little one has some fight in him! Cactus grinned. The brown cat had slipped out under him and stumbled back before suddenly running at him and leaping. It caught him off guard and he stepped back, bringing up a forepaw and swipping it across the back of the cats head, pushing him away. "How long are we going to playfight like this?" he sneered, his muzzle brushing Woodpaw's ear.
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Post by lord of all yellow mice on Feb 3, 2009 22:41:08 GMT -5
As Woodpaw jumped at the other cat, he wasn't too surprised that he was quickly pushed away again. He landed in the grass, skidding a bit but managing to keep on his feet. The cat suddenly whispering in his ear did surprise him, however, though it scared him more. He leaned away, trying his best to keep his eyes on the large cat.
"P-play-fight?" the sandy-coloured tom repeated. The cat was making fun of him! But was he asking how long it was going to be before the the big cat considered the fight pointless and left, or how long it would be before he got fed up and decided to kill the apprentice?
Woodpaw wasn't sure what to do next. Should I keep trying to fight back?
"Um, I... I don't really want to die," he meowed timidly, his tail twitching.
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Post by á£Îmaý---♫♥ on Feb 4, 2009 23:57:11 GMT -5
"Finally it speaks!" Cactus laughed, flicking his tail from side to side. He began circling the young cat with long, purposeful strides. He could see Woodpaw trembling and hear it in his voice. "Is the Clan cat afraid of the big nasty rogue? Afraid to die?" he sneered. He scoffed and feigned a leap forward, his teeth barred. "I thought a warrior fought better than this. I know a warrior fights better than this."
{Short. Sorry}
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Post by lord of all yellow mice on Feb 7, 2009 0:19:40 GMT -5
As the big rogue began to circle him, Woodpaw tried to follow him by moving backward. In case the cat attacked, he didn't want to let him out of his sight. It was becoming more and more difficult, however. there were too many other things to concentrate on: carefully placing his feet, the cat's voice, his own thoughts and fears. He jumped when the cat made to leap forward, panting in relief as he realized he wasn't being attacked - yet.
He didn't want other cats to see him as a coward, he really didn't - but the words that stung the most were those that mocked his fighting skills. No, he couldn't fight as well as a warrior should. His paws were too big, he was too clumsy, his mind didn't work fast enough so that he could thoroughly think things through in the heat of battle, and it wasn't fair. Was there any point in trying to prove himself when he was so sure that he couldn't? If he kept trying to fight back, would the rogue kill him later, or sooner? It certainly didn't seem that the large tom would back down from the fight anytime soon - but if Woodpaw didn't attack right, he could be killed instantly. He was so confused...
His eyes moved to the cat's paws. If you were smaller than another cat, attacking them from underneath was often your best bet. Maybe he could make it work. Clenching his teeth, he began to move forward, aiming to attack the tom's legs.
Guess I'm deciding to fight, after all.
Besides, if he did manage to survive, he could tell the other apprentices that he'd fought a real, live rogue. He hoped they'd be impressed, even jealous.
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Post by á£Îmaý---♫♥ on Feb 7, 2009 23:09:32 GMT -5
Cactus gave a surprised yelp and stumbled backwards as Woodpaw ran at his legs. He rose one paw defensively, swiping angrily. "So you do know how to fight," he snarled. He took several steps backwards, away from the apprentice. "I'm sure you're wondering what I have planned for you," he meowed casually, his amber eyes boring into the apprentices. "Would you like to know?"
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Post by lord of all yellow mice on Feb 10, 2009 18:38:19 GMT -5
Woodpaw tried to double back as the larger cat reached out to swipe him again. His feet didn't move as fast as he would have liked, and he stumbled, but was able to dodge without tripping. This cat was a rogue, and likely a dangerous one. He doubted such a cat would feel sorry for him for falling over every other step; Woodpaw didn't think he could afford to be careless, however difficult that was.
He halted in the grass, panting nervously. The rogue had moved backward as well, leaving them at a reasonable distance from each other, though Woodpaw could still see his eyes. He shuddered.
"Planned?" he meowed slowly, not sure how to take the tom's words. Did he have another purpose in pursuing Woodpaw, or was he about to reveal exactly how he'd been planning to turn him into crowfood? "Er... Sure. Knowing would be nice," he mumbled somewhat stupidly. It occurred to him afterword that his response might have been more affective if he'd added a low, suspicious tone to his voice - so he tried to add the effect into his next statement.
"What do you have planned?" He narrowed his eyes, lifting his gaze to meet that of the other cat.
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Post by á£Îmaý---♫♥ on Feb 12, 2009 23:22:37 GMT -5
Cactus chuckled in amusement and relaxed visibly. This was just a game to him and Woodpaw was proving valuable entertainment. He sat and drew his tongue over one paw, still making eye contact with the young cat. It was almost as if he was daring him to shatter this false security, if that was what it was. " Of course you would like to know, everybody does," he yawned. Cactus stopped his grooming and crouched down, tail flicking back and forth. "I'm going to take you back to the Rogue Nest where you will talk. You will tell me everything that has been happening in the Clans just because I can ask and you have to reply. Plus, the health of my family concerns me. It's cold." He winked playfully, as if it was a little secret between the two of them. Many rogues didn't tolerate it when you admitted that you were 'concerned' about someone else, especially a Clan cat. "Then!" he added suddenly, jumping to his feet," I am going to introduce you to the enemy of all Clan cats, the traitor himself!"
Cactus was certaintly insane.
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Post by lord of all yellow mice on Feb 18, 2009 21:35:36 GMT -5
As the large cat continued to speak, Woodpaw found it increasingly difficult to hide his fear. The wind certainly wasn't any help as he tried not to visibly shudder. Though he forced himself not to tear his glance away, his frantic voice revealed his fear. "W-why do you want to know about the clans, anyway? Who's this- this traitor? You're not making any sense, no sense, no..." He wasn't sure that it was a great idea to keep asking so many questions. This rogue was trying to use him to get information - Woodpaw didn't want to give in so easily, but he didn't want to be killed either. Maybe, just maybe, he could follow the big cat back to his - what did he call it? Rogue Nest? - then try to slink away. He hoped he'd be quiet enough. In any case, he didn't think he could run from this situation just yet.
"I - I s'pose I'll follow you, though." he sighed, pawing at the ground. Why did giving in make him feel so guilty?
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Post by á£Îmaý---♫♥ on Feb 20, 2009 19:21:27 GMT -5
Cactus tried to give Woodpaw a reassuring smile but it was more like something you gave to your prey before you ate it. "The rogues have plans little cat," he meowed softly, stepping forward. It was probably not a good idea to give away too much to this Clan cat but if they could convince him to join them, the young tom could prove a powerful allie. "The traitor, Burntstar, will be pleased to meet you," he laughed when the apprentice finally gave him. He flicked his tail over the cat's muzzle as he began padding back through the undergrowth. He couldn't care less if he followed, but curiousity was a powerful thing and he remembered that Clan cats were always trying to impres each other with feats of bravery. And what better than meeting the enemy of every Clan cat?
{We really need Ally!}
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Post by heartnet on Feb 21, 2009 0:17:00 GMT -5
(yeah we do!)
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Post by á£Îmaý---♫♥ on Mar 25, 2009 21:21:22 GMT -5
{We need rogues :/ }
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Post by heartnet on Mar 26, 2009 20:07:34 GMT -5
(Maybe put a notice out for someone to play them?)
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Post by á£Îmaý---♫♥ on Mar 28, 2009 21:01:29 GMT -5
{Redcloud said she would when she had time.}
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Post by heartnet on Mar 28, 2009 21:54:59 GMT -5
(Ok =3)
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