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Post by ;lost&insecure; on Jul 26, 2008 12:48:47 GMT -5
Ocean stepped lightly into the barn, turning back to her daughter, Shadow, to make sure she hadn't snuck off. She looked around. "It doesn't look like anybody's here."
Shadow stalked in, a sulky expression on her face. "There's never anyone here when we come. We might as well just go home," she muttered. Ocean shook her head irratibly.
"Nonsense. Maybe someone will come while we're here. We need to be kept up to date on...Clan life," she said wistfully. She had always wished to live in the Clan, but first, she wasn't forest born, second, she was scared. What if it's not as good as it sounds? "It'll only be a little while. And don't even try to sneak off." Shadow moodily moved into a shadowy corner, dropping her head in her paws, sighing heavily.
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Post by Tiger on Jul 26, 2008 13:11:32 GMT -5
Henry's ears perked up. Something had entered the barn. From his nest in a pile of hay, he was able to be aware of the goings-on in the whole barn at any time. The Burmese stood and looked down at the newcomers. He scented the air. Hmmm. Two she-cats. They smell similar. He leapt down and agilily landed on the straw-covered floor. Henry glanced around for them and sat down. It's best to let them come over here.
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Post by ;lost&insecure; on Jul 26, 2008 17:44:16 GMT -5
Ocean jumped at the sound of paws on the ground. She turned, finding a Burmese standing before her. Shadow lifted her head, eyeing the stranger wearily. When she realized he looked friendly, she jumped up, bounding over to him. "Hi, I'm Curly."
Ocean rolled her eyes, cautiously coming over to the strange tom standing before her. "Her real name's Shadow. And I'm Ocean." Shadow glared at her mother, turning back to the new cat. "I prefer Curly. Anyway, what's your name? Do you live here? Do you know anything about the Clans? Any news?" She licked her paw, swiping it over her muzzle, her eyes gleaming. "It's been a while since they've stopped in the barn. My mother insists on coming here every moon to check up on them, but most times we leave with no new news."
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Post by Tiger on Jul 26, 2008 17:50:26 GMT -5
Henry smirked. "Hey Shadow--or Curly--an' Ocean. The name's Henry, yeah, I live here, and I ain't heard nothin' about the clans. They're keepin' out of these parts lately. Besides you two, I've met a loner an' a kittypet; that's it." He sat down and gave his chest fur a lick. "If ya like, ya can stay here for a bit...ya know, have some mice, get some rest." The loner stretched, his pelt shining on the solitary beam of light streaming into the barn. It highlighted his muscles and scars from various fights over time. All in all, he wasn't very intimidating.
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Post by ;lost&insecure; on Jul 26, 2008 19:02:16 GMT -5
Ocean shook her head, caught off guard. She backed away slowly. "No, we should be going. We came here to find out about the Clans. We'll find somewhere else."
Shadow looked at her mother incredulously. "Mother, please! My paws are soar from trekking this far and I'm sure I'll find something here to add to my collection. Please! Maybe we'll find something else out." Ocean gave her daughter a stern look but she returned her gaze defiantly. "You can go home if you want to, but I want to stay here." Ocean sighed, defeated and sat down again.
"Alright. What were the other cats' names?"
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Post by Tiger on Jul 26, 2008 20:07:33 GMT -5
Henry nodded with an air of approval. "Fabulous. There are mice everywhere; it shouldn' be too hard ta find a bite ta eat. Um...they were both she-cats. The loner went by Hazel and the kittypet was Maddie. Both pretty friendly too." He gave his chest fur another lick and yawned. "Eh, make yaselves at home. It's not often I get company."
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Post by ;lost&insecure; on Jul 27, 2008 6:28:24 GMT -5
Shadow listened, listened for the tiniest scrabble of claws. She found it soon. She pinpointed the exact whereabouts and slunk over silently. She was just about to pounce when- "Mom! Come see this!" The mouse scrambled for cover as Ocean bounded over frantically. Shadow was standing over a red piece of chipped paint. "It's beautiful.." she murmured, picking it up with her teeth and bringing it over the center.
Ocean sighed, following her daughter. "Shadow likes strange things. Rocks, feathers, glitter... I'm sorry if she just scared away all your prey." Shadow glared at her mother.
"I'm expanding my horizons now. I don't have to only look for rocks and feathers and glitter. Now I can look for color chips." She turned away from her mother and stalked over to the corner, talking quietly to herself. Ocean sighed and flopped down. "She's crazy I know."
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Post by Tiger on Jul 27, 2008 10:25:28 GMT -5
"Heh. It's okay 'bout the prey. They'll come back; they always do...or at least, they come outta hidin'. Twolegs parade through all da time but they don't go killin' da mice." Henry glanced over at Shadow and smiled faintly. "They figured that I don't eat any of that cardboard-type stuff I hear kittypets get."
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Post by Lexie on Jul 27, 2008 12:16:32 GMT -5
Maddie entered the barn. Her stomach growled. The brown she-cat took in a breath. She pounced. Her head then popped up with a mouse in her jaws. She sniffed the air, "Henry?" she meowed. She sniffed the air again. "She-cats, two of them," she said under her breath. Maddie's belly touched the ground. She walked along the north wall of the barn. She tried to stay away from the cats.
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Post by ;lost&insecure; on Jul 27, 2008 19:14:25 GMT -5
Ocean's head jerked up at the strage voice. She narrowed her eyes. All she heard was scuffling and a pitter-patter of paws. She turned to Shadow. "We really should be going. Come on Shadow." She headed toward the barn door. Shadow stared defiantly at the sleek tortoiseshell.
"First of all, it's Curly. Not Shadow. I'm sick of you calling me Shadow. Second, I don't want to leave." She turned away from her mother, knowing that Ocean would stay for the sake of her daughter. She padded over to Henry, whispering, "She's very protective of me ever since my father, Tom, and my brother, Ace, left. She doesn't want to lose me, blah blah blah. It's kind of annoying."
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Post by Lexie on Jul 27, 2008 20:06:08 GMT -5
Maddie heard the one she-cat talking to Henry. They must be friends, I think I can come out now..... she thought. The brown tabby stood up and padded over to her friend. "Hi Henry, who's your friend?" she asked. With out an answer the said, "hi, I'm Maddie, I hang out here but live in the Twoleg garden a little ways away." She smiled and sniffed the air. She was ready just in case this cat would attack.
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Post by ;lost&insecure; on Jul 28, 2008 6:22:26 GMT -5
Shadow nodded eagerly. "My names's Curly. My mother and me live in a barn near the Moonpool. The Clan cats sometimes come and stay there on their trip up there." She turned to her mother. "Mother, come meet Maddie!"
Ocean came quietly over to the brown tabby. "Hello. I'm Ocean. This is my daughter Shadow, not Curly." Shadow glared at her mother but stayed silent.
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Post by Tiger on Jul 28, 2008 9:26:53 GMT -5
"Yeah, and ya all know me," Henry meowed, pretending faintly to exaggerate. "Ya'll can stay faw a bit...please do. Like I said, dere's not alotta company 'round these days. Or ever." He stretched his front legs out in front of his body and tucked his paws under his chest, calmly watching his guests.
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Post by Lexie on Jul 29, 2008 11:21:02 GMT -5
"Hmm, hello Ocean, I'm Maddie," she purred. "Hello Curly. I'm sorry but I like Curly a lot better than Shadow, I'm sorry," she meowed. The brown she-cat curled up in a bed of hay. It wasn't as conforting as the bed the Twolegs had for her.
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Post by ;lost&insecure; on Jul 29, 2008 16:06:11 GMT -5
Ocean nodded, stretching her legs. Shadow had a triumphant look on her face, holding her head up high. Her mother rolled her eyes, then began hunting. Her senses focused on a scuffling in the hay at the back of the barn. She stalked, keeping her wait on her haunches, before leaping on the large rat. The tortoiseshell brought it over to her daughter, dropping it at her feet. Shadow thanked her mother, biting into it. Ocean killed another rat, and lay down beside her daughter. Shadow turned to Maddie. "So where do you live?"
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Post by Lexie on Jul 29, 2008 20:37:13 GMT -5
"I live in a Twolegs nest a little ways down. Not far. They have a farm. I'm usually in the barn with the horses." she meowed. "I have to keep the mice out of the barn. There's a lot. Enough to feed all the clans." she purred. "I get praised when I catch them." she meowed with a smile on her face. He muzzled was shoved into a pile, then bringing out a limp mouse. She bit into the mouse and tore at its skin.
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Post by Tiger on Jul 29, 2008 20:47:17 GMT -5
Henry nodded at Maddie's words. "Basically da same thing happens 'round here, 'cept da twolegs stay outta my way for da most part. I only ever see them in da barn when dey want somethin' wiff oneada hawses." He gathered some straw together with a sweep of his tail and curled up on the pile, still intently watching his guests.
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Post by ;lost&insecure; on Jul 30, 2008 7:01:28 GMT -5
Shadow nodded eagerly. "We live in a run down barn. It's been abandoned for years. Half of it's caved in, but it's great. Enough ro-"
Ocean whipped her tail across Shadow's mouth, silencing her and ignoring the pain as Shadow closed her mouth around her tail. Her daughter spat out her tail.
"Sorry, my daughter likes to talk a lot," she replied, giving Shadow a stare. Shadow rolled her eyes and turned away, finishing the rat. "We should be going soon. We still need to find out about the Clans." Shadow turned back around, her eyes wide in incredulousity. (ooc:er...dont know if that's a word, but...too bad.)
"Mother, this is where we come to find out, we're not going to anywhere else. Let's stay here for a while." Ocean nodded in defeat, bowing over her paws.
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Post by Tiger on Jul 30, 2008 9:06:54 GMT -5
"Well, if ya are lookin' for infawmation," Henry meowed, "ya'd be best seein' oneada rogues abawt it. But ya will hafta be careful...from what I hear, they ain't friendly." He curled up in his makeshift straw nest but kept his head up so he could still see his visitiors and their movements. "If ya don't mind me askin', why are ya so interested in da clans?"
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Post by Lexie on Jul 30, 2008 16:22:30 GMT -5
"I know a little about the clans. My friend Sheena just went to go live with the clans. She visits me every now and then. The first time she came to see me she was real skinny. Then the second time she was fat. I haven't seen her ever since. I believe she mated." she meowed. "I know where she lives. I can take you there. But lets hope we find her in the patrol, or her friend Redwind." she meowed.
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Post by ;lost&insecure; on Jul 31, 2008 7:30:38 GMT -5
Ocean's ears perked up and her head swung up. "Really? That's wonderful! I'd love that." Shadow turned to Henry instead.
"My mother's so interested in the Clans because they sometimes rest and eat in our barn, while they're on their way to the Moonpool. They tell us the news, but we haven't seen them for a while. She's worried."
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Post by Tiger on Jul 31, 2008 11:27:26 GMT -5
"Ah, I'm sure da Clans are just peachy," Henry meowed carelessly, accenting his words with a yawn. "Maybe dey found a shorter way to da 'pool and it bypasses ya bahn." A horsefly landed on his flank and he sprang up, swatting at the insect with his tail. He didn't kill it, but it flew away in search of someone less dangerous to bite.
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Post by ;lost&insecure; on Aug 1, 2008 8:00:54 GMT -5
Ocean jerked her head toward the tom. "Well, I'm just worried!" she said defensively. Shadow rolled her eyes, turning away from her mother. "Maddie, could you really bring us to the Clans?"
Shadow looked incredulously at her mother. "Then can I stay here? Please?"
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Post by Lexie on Aug 2, 2008 15:13:42 GMT -5
Maddie nodded to the she-cat. "I'd be happy to. The only thing is I'm not quite sure where to go. I know that it's about a half a day walk. But, if we follow some Twolegs paths, we might be able to work our way there. But I'm not sure if the Twolegs will worry about me. But I live in a barn, it's not like there's no other cats running around that barn." she began. "If we leave now, we can maybe be somewhat there by dawn. Then we can rest and start walking again at dusk. You guys in for it?"
Maddie sat down and licked her white chest. She looked up and waited for an answer.
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Post by ;lost&insecure; on Aug 2, 2008 17:47:07 GMT -5
Ocean leaped up. "I'm ready!" she flicked her tail at her daughter. "Shadow, come on, let's go!" Shadow heaved herself up begrudgingly. "Oh, move quicker. We have to get going!" Shadow swatted her mother with her tail. She turned back to Henry.
"Thanks for having us Henry. My mouse-brained mother is making me go." She picked up her paint chip. "Nice meeting you!" she said, muffled by her firmly clamped teeth.
Ocean looked at Henry too. "Yes, it was a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for having us and I'm sure we'll see each other again soon." She then returned her amber gaze to Maddie. "Alright, lead the way!"
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Post by Tiger on Aug 3, 2008 14:47:10 GMT -5
Henry sighed but flicked his tail. "Nice meetin' ya two too. And good ta see ya again, Maddie. Come back anytime; I ain't got nothin' ta do." He stretched out on the pile of straw and flicked his eyes upwards in the direction of the three she-cats. The loner enjoyed having guests because there were never really any other cats at the barn. Horses and twolegs didn't make for good company.
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Post by Lexie on Aug 3, 2008 18:56:12 GMT -5
"Okay, we can follow a twoleg thunderpath or start at the moonpool and follow the stars north." she suggested. "I think we would be in clan territory in about a day or so, but be prepaired to run into some tough warriors." she meowed. "Now, we can stop at my barn and tell everyone I'm leaving and get some food." she meowed. "Twoleg milk is very good for your stomach, they leave it out for us." she purred. ":Lets go," she meowed as she flicked her tail in the direction of her barn.
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Post by ;lost&insecure; on Aug 3, 2008 20:32:18 GMT -5
Ocean followed Maddie out of the barn, waving her tail in farewell to Henry. Shadow turned back, yowling out, "G'Bye Henry!" before her mother grabbed her by the scruff and hauled her away. They met the fresh air, and Ocean breathed in the wonderful scent of greenleaf.
"Mother, why do you care so much about the Clans? They don't care half as much about us!" Shadow whined. "And my paws are tired. Why can't I just stay there with-Oh no! Mother, I dropped my colored chip! We have to go back!"
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Post by Lexie on Aug 6, 2008 9:08:55 GMT -5
Maddie padded in the direction of her barn. She stopped as she heard Shadow had dropped something. "I'll stay out here, you two can go in," she meowed. she sniffed the fresh air. Her mouth watered as she sment nothing but prey. I can't hunt or think about my stomach! There's no time! Maddie thought. "Hurry! We don't want to be traveling in the dark!" she meowed stubbornly.
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Post by ;lost&insecure; on Aug 6, 2008 12:32:32 GMT -5
Ocean sighed. "No, Shadow, we'll get it on our way back from the Clans. We have to get going!" Shadow looked at her mother sullenly, but said nothing and padded along after the tortoiseshell. She sulked, keeping her head low and her tail drooped. Ocean sighed again, noticing her daughter's attitude.
"She does this all the time. Whenever she doesn't get her way. She's learned now not to ague with me," she whispered to her companion.
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