..PATH less travelled by..{open}

[cedarclaw]

Dainty paws thrummed quietly against the soft ground, the white coloration soon disappearing as brown streaks blended their way into the fur. His movements were that of a graceful cat, although traveling at a quick speed, a root caught him every now and again and he stumbled, regaining his composure a few heartbeats later. His paws delicately stepped over puddles, and with every jump, his body arched agilely and his frame straightened out quickly as he made contact with the ground once more. His mind was set in going to one place, his favorite place to go during the spring time, where the largest brook in the territory bubbled happily and loudly as the spring rain filled it to it's banks. It was a long and somewhat tedious run to the brook, but he loved watching the water race by, as his paws were cooled and the frigid water passed down his throat, replenishing everything within him.

He still had a few more minutes to go before he reached the brook, but the tom happily slowed his pace to an even trot, looking at the clear sky above his silver tabby striped head. His gray eyes softened but stayed somewhat lively after the run, and as he looked around, he admired the way his territory looked like. The leader watched over the moors keeping an eye out for any signs of his Clanmates or predators. He always had to keep a watch out, after all, he was the leader of the Clan, he couldn't be prancing around, unaware of the goings-on around him. The thought alone seemed slightly stupid.

Soon enough, the male warrior reached the brook, and his thoughts proved him right. It was swelling from all of the rainfall they had received from the previous days. He was capable of crossing the brook to the other side, but he really had no intention to do so. It seemed a foolish thing to do, anyways. Crossing the brook would just get his fur wet, and with a misting rain starting to fall and rest softly on his coat, he didn't want to chill himself any more than he knew he would be once he got back to the camp. A soft and soundless sigh escaped his throat and he placed his paws neatly into the water, a chill surging through his spine, and a refreshing smile appearing on his maw. He needed to stay observant, though, so the male kept his ears erect and his mouth slightly parted so to catch any unwanted or unneeded scent.

The leader arched his neck and took a few needed laps of the chilling water when a small path came into his vision. It was on the other side of the brook, and it was covered with lumps of dead grass, but it was noticeably a path, but he figured it was used by two-legs. Curious as always, the tom readied himself to cross the water, looking for the shallowest bit, where he could see the bottom with the help of the sun. He took a few cautious steps into the chilling water, and pranced out of the brook quickly, shaking his pelt off as he reached the other side, before continuing toward the path.

It led into more long grasses, but it seemed clearly visible, so the warrior began to drag his paws forward and his frame disappeared into the path. He didn't know where he was going, but sure he was out of trouble, he continued onward. He could still faintly scent that he was in his own territory, so the leader knew he was not breaking the Warrior Code, and if he did manage to find himself in another one of the bordering Clan's territory, he had a valid excuse, that he was investigating where the path went. His steps were now eagerly following the path, which was still bordered by tall grasses. He kept his tail high, mouth open, and ears high and alert, for signs of any danger. Abruptly, the male stopped, his gray eyes searching through where the path stopped. As his eyes narrowed, he realized the path really wasn't gone, but it narrowed down so that only one cat could walk the path without being pushed into the longer grasses that bordered the now dirt walkway. He pushed himself on, and found himself in a small clearing, with a spring fed pond placed right in the middle.

Eyes wide, the tom stepped forward, sniffing the water with his light pink nose. Nothing seemed harmful here, but the problem was, the leader had no idea how far into his territory he had gotten, and whether or not he was still within his own territory. Amazed at what he had found, the male placed himself ext to the pond, tucking in his paws under his chest and looked into the clear water, staring at his own reflection for a few heartbeats before closing his eyes, and finally able to relax, the male thought of nothing but happy thoughts and memories, still trying to keep alert for any sign of danger.

[LYNX ♥]

The thrumming cadence of his heart battering against his quickly collapsing and inflatinglungs and the hard bone of his slender-build ribcage almost matched the harmonious beat at which his long, almost thickset legs thrashed against the damp, sodden moorland. The soft, more usually velvet pink pads cushioning each stride bled slightly, as they did each twinkling ZephyrClan morning as he took it upon himself to race along the land he could call home. The swift-stepping fellow allowed hismelf to flow along the dips and scoops into the smooth flatlands, working harder to press up the bluffs only to, with a chuckle to himself, leap off the other end and feel the rush of sweet dew-laced air meet him halfway. It was no mystery why bluffs and small, grassy cliffs were his favorite to meet upon the territory, for it was the closest the feline came to morphing to avian, almost as if by flinging his forelegs wide apart, they would explode into a flurry of feathers, enabling a short flight for the hopelessly daydreaming warrior. Then his fluidly outstretched forepaws would meet land with a pained jolt, like lightning streaking through his long bodice. But of course, Fleetfoot would decline his face into a determined mask and press foreward, lean, sinew-encased figure pumping air into the atmospere behind him while leaning into the slight roll of the land.
Yet now his rhythem decreased, moment by moment, until the pale-shaded tom skipped to a complete hault before his secretive trail which led the the life-giving pond, where he ceased his eternal running for a moment to slumber lightly, dancing into irratic adrenaline-feuled dreams. But this endless cycle he took day-byday was interupted by the strong odor eminating from the leaves and trees dotting the trail. Fleetfoot lowered his ivory tail for a moment, a child-like frown disturbing his smooth features in that same instant. The unsettled tom touched his nose to a tree nd pulled away quickly, identifying the strong, recent scent as that belonging to the leader, Dewstar. Fleetfoot stamped his forepaw in a bit of a huff at having his theripedic routine crumpled before venturing further, to confrotn the leader. Would the other tom make a pattern of this visit? Of course it was an opportunity to get closer to Dewstar, as the leader was always a valuable friend to have, but yet the black and white tom was yet upset by the greedy thought of being forced to share his hideaway.
The long reeds greeted him enthusiastically, twining with his tail and long legs as the warrior waded through them, taking his time, putting off the meeting. Why not find a new place? He wondered to himself, but was suddenly certain Dewstar had sensed another presense by now. It would be foolish to take off at a full run, and he was too tired anyway. "Dewstar?" The tom ventured, creeping closer until he was at the moist, boggy edge of the pool. He glanced around and finally spotted the slightly smaller silver tabby, and offered a peace-making smile. "What are you doing here?" The black and white male kept his tone airy, as if asking a casual question, he even added a gentle smile to his features, but the twitch of his tailtip gave away his bursting impatience.

[cedarclaw]

The lithe and seemingly graceless bodice seemed so still and lifeless, each breath easing its way slowly out of his closed mouth. He was at peace for a few moments before he tensed up, hearing a noise behind him. The scent was that of his Clan and taking another deep inhalation, the male realized that the cat behind him was none other than his own Clan member and friend, Fleetfoot. The leader inhaled and then exhaled slowly, waiting a few heartbeats, before the warrior spoke up, finally near him. Dewstar could hear Fleetfoot's even breathing, but something seemed off about his greeting. Sure, the tomcat said hello, and it was only right to ask what he was doing here, but...something with the question set the tom from relaxed to unease. He was normally laid back, but he was just relaxing, hoping to have the morning to himself after leading the Moonhigh patrol and staying up in his den, pacing restlessly.

Opening one gray-green eyes before slowly getting to his four paws, ignoring the small droplets of water spilling off his fur, the leader turned to look at Fleetfoot, a small smile placed forcefully upon his maw. He thought no other cat knew of this space, but apparently Fleetfoot did, but knowing the tom, no other cat did besides these two. The leader opened his mouth to say something before a sigh escaped deep from within his throat. Because his mouth was open, the sigh spilled out of his maw, and the leader glared down at the ground, annoyed that his tiredness was showing through.

"Hello, Fleetfoot," Dewstar greeted his friend, his tail-tip flicking in a harmless and lively manner. The leader's eyes burned with needed sleep, and he felt it hard to keep his normally bright optics glued to the other warrior. Trying to stand tall, the leader gave his chest fur a few quick licks, before replying to the other warrior's inquiries about his being there. "Ah, me? Well, I was taking a drink from my favorite brook in the whole of the territory, when I spotted this convenient path. I followed it and it led me right to here. It was quiet, and myself being tired, I placed myself next to the pond and was trying to relax for a few moments before I was needed back at camp for some reason. I suppose you've been here before, yes?" asked the leader, a half amused, half tired glint shining from the depths of his clear eyes. The leader sat down, wrapping his striped tail neatly and tightly around his small paws.

[LYNX ♥]

One milky paw stepped foreward in a dainty movement. Cautious, almost, as if his subconscious was screaming his greedy displeasures toward the leader, who was judging every movement. Of course, the patched warrior knew full well that this was only an exhausted mind-hallucination of the friendly tom before him, but yet these thoughts persisted, interupted only by the occasional yowl of you need rest! Of course, he ignored this too and grunted softly in reply of the tabby tomcat's acknowledgment of his greeting. Though not an unpleasant sound, his wordless murmur drew more attention to his displeasure than ever intended. Fleetfoot did not mean to be pushy, but to tired part of his mind was shrieking for a nap, and the part of his brain that held an ounce of intelligence was cooly informing him to go elsewhere for his slumber like, StarClan forbid, his nest.
Yet here he was, on her verge of picking one of those silent fights with the pleasurably serene leader of his clan, while laughing at this mousebrained decision in the same moment. Fleetfoot managed another step foreward so that the lithe tabby's frame was fully captured in his vision. Minty-tinted lights flickered faintly as he watched as Dewstar stood, not making a complaint to his clanmate's intrusion. What a nice fellow, how foolish am I? Fleetfoot caught his energy-drained thoughts echoing. A gentle zephyr- clan's namesake -kissed the scummy, copper-tinted water's tranquil surface lightly before meeting each feline in turn, brushing each fur tenderly before passing on through the small grove of elms and birches peaceably and the warrior found himself raptured in the breeze's presence, almost forgetting what he had come to argue about. Oh how he loved the clan of the wind, ceaselessly being caressed by the light touches of cool, billowing air. he'd never leave this clan, that was certain.
"Odd, to think I've been here so many times my very own paws have left a trail," Fleetfoot's low voice was soft, as he could see that the other tom, too, was sleep-deprived. "And it doesn't surprise me that you supposed right, Dewstar. It'd be awfully strange if I had followed you., huh?" He chuckled lightly, blinking his gentle aqua-tinted eyes, as if with the small amount of conversation he had been drained of the need to steal back his secret sanctuary. "Actually, I come here every day. It's a cool place, the breezes still touch this hideaway, but it's closed up in the trees. It was pure chance I found it and managed to keep it hidden so long. Awful selfish of me, I would agree." The warrior swept his gaze over Dewstar's before allowing it to land on the cool water. He strode foreward with slow, measured steps, careful not to let his steps sink into the oozing silt encircling the verge of crystal water. His neck tilted downward ever so tediously to press his parted lips to the refreshing liquid with each satelite-like ear tipped backward to catch Dewstar's reply.

[cedarclaw]

The leader closed his eyes, and listened as the cool and fresh wind whipped through his coarse, short fur, and a soft purr welled up inside him, but the warrior stopped it from erupting from his mouth by tensing up and looking down at his paws. He watched as his Clan mate and friend headed toward the pool and bent his head low to the water, in order to drink. He was still refreshed from the brook, but he was slightly thirsty. It could wait, though. He felt like he was intruding on the other warriors space, so he wanted to chat some more and leave the tom be, so he could relax like he had been doing before he was interrupted. Now the leader knew why Fleetfoot had a slight edge to his voice when he was asking him why he was here. Why was he still here? Was it because he really didn't want to go back to camp, where he would not be able to get an ounce of sleep, or was it because he liked where he was? This time, the sigh slipped through, but the leader clamped his mouth shut and internally scolded him. He was tired, but it was wrong to act rudely bored, even if it was done purposefully.

Dewstar smiled and looked at Fleetfoot before replying to his words. "This is quite a place. I can understand completely why you haven't shared it with anyone. I'll leave you and your place right now, if you'd like. I'm sure there is some more stuff that has been unattended within the camp," he meowed, trying to keep his voice light and happy, but there was a slight hint of agitation that made it's way through the false emotion. He knew his pale green-gray eyes were probably giving everything he felt at the moment away, but he thought his Clan mate was focusing on drinking at the time, so he didn't really want to conceal what he felt. Taking a small step back, the leader tilted his head, waiting for the warriors reponse or reaction.

{Bad post, rushed, sorry. xD}

[LYNX ♥]

In, out, in, out, holding his long milky pink tongue cupped to catch the murky water and swallow, the tom let his eyelids slip together, tranquility frosting over his mind for the moment. That is, until a speck of duckweed splashed up and clung to his soft pallid nose, forcing him to step backwards with a start, mildly fretting that the brilliant green fleck was a stinging insect, but, realizing what a foolish picture he was showing to his leader, watching from only several steps away, Fleetfoot ducked his head slightly and managed to cough out a light-humored chuckle. "That is scary stuff," He added with a sheepish grin, both ears twitching backward again, though this time no longer trying to pick up words but instead dignity. The warrior leaned back and plopped his bottom onto the muck, much to his chilly surprise, but ignored the oozing liquid soil and dusted off the fiendish waterweed with a brush of a claw, then turned slightly to glance over his shoulder at Dewstar, catching a glimpse of smouldering dark gray-green eyes and stared again once more, peering over to the other side of the pond where he swore he saw a rustle. His tail flopped to one side with faint excitement at the prospect of a meal but his attention remained on the tabby tom behind him. Fleetfoot allowed the faintest smile to play across his face before replying. "As if you could catch a wink of sleep in camp? And anyway, there's no need to act l ike I own this place because it's your territory. And there isn't really a way to erase it from your memory, as far as I know," He stepped forward, body so low to the eath that the velvet fur of his belly brushed the small wisps of grass, sprouting from the pond silt. He spoke in a more hushed tone now, as he slithered forward with precsise stealth, "My home is your home," He whispered, then darted forward, slamming one paw into the leaf while the other waited ready to catch whatever sprang out, although he realized what a foolish mistake this was on the off chance it was a snake hiding within. His was relieved even in his quick moment of reflex to kill as the water vole scurried out instead. His mouth moved in with a fatakl bite for the furry creature and as he picked it up and slipped back over to where Dewstar sat and dropped it at his leader's paws, the warrior beamed as if he were a new apprentice killing for his mentor.