{ wo!f in sheep's c!othing } !ily/north/ref!ect

[lily ♫]

LILY T H O R N

She'd awoken to a depressing drizzle halfway through the day that put her entire body on edge. It hadn't rained in awhile and the dampness that had set in would not leave her bones. Reluctantly, the deputy lifted herself from her nest and began to take care of each task that was seated upon her shoulders. Patrols needed to be organized, older prey needed to be inspected, elders needed to be checked upon, and warriors needed to be doing something productive. The hours quickly passed as the ginger she-cat danced about camp, dreading the dark grey clouds that had covered the sky nearly the entire day. Lilythorn smiled as Reflectedpaw and his mentor, Northwind, came back from one of their last training sessions. As the white tom with tabby markings made his way to Lynxstar's den, the deputy's smile turned into excitement for the young tabby tom. Not even but a few moments later, the leader came and asked her to do an assessment.

Accepting the offer, the she-cat seeked out the apprentice first. Her cerulean orbs couldn't place the auburn tabby, so she asked another apprentice. "Heatpaw, would you by any chance know where Reflectedpaw is?" The deputy demanded of her fellow warrior's son. "Uhm, I think he went to the elder's den.

[/i]" Replied the bright ginger apprentice, looking uneasy at the she-cat's sudden question, and quickly flitted away. Frowning, Lilythorn bounded over to where the Clan's two elders made their home. A voice could be heard from the inside, and its emotion made the ginger dusted she-cat smile.

"When I was your age, Reflectedpaw, we received much more training.[/u]" Brittlewing began, sniffing the air with a self-concious feeling. "My mentor had me out in the territory for days at a time, hunting and battling. He was mighty fierce, and mighty handsome if I might say so myself.[/u]" Lilythorn decided that then would be a good time to rescue the tom from the eldest ladies of the Clan. Stepping in, she dipped her head to both of the seniors, and began to speak. "And then he became your mate, and you lived happily ever after." She purred, flicking her tail swiftly at Brittlewing and smiling at Darkclaw. "Now, if you ladies don't mind, Reflectedpaw has somewhere he needs to be." The deputy then motioned for the apprentice to exit the den, and followed after him.

R E F L E C T E D PAW

He'd been listening to Brittlewing and Darkclaw tell of their apprentice days, and it'd been quite interesting. It even gave his fur time to dry and he had even managed to get in a short nap. Neither of the elders minded, but they wouldn't let the boy go without a bit of teasing. When Lilythorn came to retrieve him, he felt sick to his stomach. Was it time for assessment already? Northwind had said he was going to try for this evening, but Reflectedpaw thought that it would have taken longer. Then again, he was the oldest of all the apprentices and he was the only one near having a Warrior's ceremony. As she motioned for him to leave the den, he held his breath, and waited outside the entrance for the deputy. "Don't be so nervous! You'll stink like fear when I get Northwind at this rate.[/i]" She snapped, trying to help him out.

"Thanks for the warning." Reflectedpaw replied, dipping his head to her as she began to search the small crowds in camp for the familiar tabby he knew so very well. When Lilythorn seemed to have almost given up, he saw movement in the corner of his eye, and pointed with the tip of his tail. "I swear, I can never find who I'm looking for![/i]" The she-cat muttered under her breath. He chuckled at her words and received a nice sharp glance from her icy blue eyes. "Sorry." His meow was cut short by her paw, which collided playfully with his skull. He hissed in pain. Of course she just had to hit where Northwind had. "Can we get Northy now?" Inquired the younger of the pair, itching for territory.

Brilliant colors splashed the sky, a few clouds dotting the vast expanse. Darnkess was coming soon, and the camp already made everything appear dull. It was dusk, and time for an evening patrol to head out. A few apprentices stood near the den, two of them, a grey swathed obsidian cat and a bright ginger cat, were arguing. A smile spread across Reflectedpaw's face as an adult ginger she-cat with glowing emerald eyes began to chastise them. "Good ol' Flamingarrow.[/i]" The deputy meowed before heading in Northwind's direction. Reflectedpaw missed her greeting, it was a simple "Hello, how are you?", but he caught her last words. "It's time, Northwind.[/i][/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[LYNX ♥]

[whisper=lily]why on earth did you copy my post titles exactly? owo[/whisper]

The sky still spat upon the land rather angrily, or so it seemed, but Northwind's spirits were up. However, fear-scent lingered sourly within camp, hovering there like the raincloud itself, and the tabby-and-white could only guess as to what could possibly be the cause, and where was Lynxstar? He held his breath, as if the answer would erupt from the silence that ensued. Nothing came, except the loud pulsing of blood through his ears, and his heart pumping deep within his thick-set chest. He lead his apprentice through the camp entrance and then flicked his tail, nodding after the smaller tom with a smile, "Bring a bit of bedding to the elders, then try and catch a nap," He murmured, then took his own way, emerald gaze glistening sleepily as he padded softly into the welcoming gloom of the warrior's den and sought out his oh-so-familiar nest, far in the back. The den was all but empty, only few other napping clanmates scattered sporatiacally about in their own nests, so the tom picked his way easily to the back and curled up, breathing in his own familiar scent as he let his tailtip fall over his nose.
Her soft, dusted-gray pelt was like silk against his sleeping face as she wrapped herself around his muscular frame, small purrs tumbling forth from her throat every so often, and it was this sound that brought open Northwind's eyes, and he looked up, smiling at Dustedrose's beautiful fur, her delicate frame oddly offset by her enormous pregnant belly, but she was stunning anyway. She finally settled down, then turned to look at him, and Northwind then gasped, leaping up in his astonishment, startling from the she-cat a disgruntled mrrow. Her face was not rounded, with small ears and round amber eyes! No, it was fox-like, with large cream-colored ears and wise cerulean eyes. Her short, silken mauve toupe fur was rapidly melting into a long, pale ginger one. When the foreign female spoke, he recognized the voice, Hello, how are you? He started, mournful and disappointed, but also invigorated and confused. Northwind shook himself and saluted to the deputy until she spoke his name, he snapped to consciousness.
"Lilythorn!" He gasped, rapidly drawing breaths to quell his pounding heart, threatening to burst from his alabaster chest. After a few moments, he allowed himself to calm, falling back to his characteristic stoic serenity. "I- sorry. Um... bad dream?" He offered feebly in a rather oddly quiet voice, then dipped his head to the deputy, visions flashing across his mind's eye of the last several times he had spoken to the pretty ginger female, both distant, awkward, perhaps she was even angry - he could never tell. He had had a mate and a happy life and left her from it. But she didn't have a temper to speak of, at least she never showed it to him, but it woul have been better if she would have yowled his ears to stinging and gotten it over with. He would have chosen that over this false-friendly facade she had set up but then, he had returned the jest. They were both guilty. Northwind averted his gaze from her sky-blue eyes and instead landed on his apprentice who stood behind her, as if he had noticed the younger tom for the first time. "Right, then. Shall we?" He asked, still not meeting her gaze, he acted as though speaking to the sienna tabby. "We're going to give you a head start, alright Reflectedpaw? Catch and bury the prey-animals you find, and remember to be cautious out there. We won't be far, but try not to fall over a cliff or get yourself eaten by a bear. Clear?"

[lily ♫]

LILY T H O R N

"Haha, we all have those from time to time." The she-cat replied politely to the tom's statement about his bad sort of reverie. It had occurred in an odd place, but the deputy really wasn't the judging kind. As long as she received enough respect from those around her, she would be kind and at ease with them. Thinking for a moment, Lilythorn remembered how often she had seen the tom about camp, but had never stopped to talk. Mmmmrrr, it was all because of that incident moons ago, wasn't it? She began to question herself mentally, and realized she was out of it. "Ah, yes. We shall!"

It was then that the apprentice traveled off, heading out of camp with an air of very high spirits. "Seems that you've done well with him, Northwind." She purred, watching the tabby skit out of sight. Turning her head back to him, she smiled. "He'll make a fine Warrior, I'm sure of it!" The she-cat added, little sharp points of her bright teeth sticking out onto the white expanse beneath her mouth that was her maw. Assessments normally were average, but none had been done lately and Lilythorn had high hopes for this tabby duo. They'd trained hard together, the ginger she-cat knew that for a fact. She hadn't seen a more ready apprentice in moons, and the hardships both the mentor and apprentice had faced were difficult problems to face. Sighing contentedly, she flicked her eyes to the sun splashed sky and muttered, "We best be going soon so that we don't get too far behind. He might hunt the entire forest with all that energy he has." The deputy mrrowed, amused at her thoughts.

As they began a slow traipse toward the entrance to the camp, the she-cat felt just a bit out of place. "How've you been, Northy?" She asked, calling him by his common nickname for the first time in moons. An odd expression crossed her face at the way the name had slipped so smoothly from her maw. They were hardly even awkward acquaintences anymore, but everyone's pet name for him slipped out easily. Mentally shrugging, she carried on, her feet light on the soggy pine needles below. They crumpled and poked at the soft skin of her paw pads, but they had been rough since her first moon here in VertigoClan. Among the herbs, she had plenty of time to roam without her mother minding.

Looking to her temporary companion, shock was her primary emotion. "I think that's the most I've said to you since before Reflectedpaw was even born." The ginger she-cat cried, memories of the very events that had caused them to talk rushing back. They seemed vivid, but the hurt had dulled. Just a simple regret to her now, but she couldn't decide what she regretted. Ignoring the tom afterward, or blubbering about him as he comforted her. Oh, what a fine assessment it would be.

R E F L E C T E D PAW

His paws were ravaged with rambunctiousness as the deputy and his mentor spoke. He was excited to be having his assessment, and nearly all the nervousness had faded. It was nothing too pressuring. Catch some nice pieces of prey and leave them for Northwind and Lilythorn to stumble upon. Suddenly, after all his worrying and fretting over what stood between his becoming a warrior and the rest of his life, Reflectedpaw began to realize how easy it would all be to accomplish. "Yes, sir!" Was the cry that escaped exhuberantly from the tom's maw, emotions running wild. A confident smile on his face, the young auburn tabby tom escaped from camp with swift ease, not even looking behind at where Northwind and Lilythorn stood, caught in idle chit-chat.

Seriousness overcame his mind the minute he entered territory. Something was off, and it felt like it had been for awhile. Shaking his head, Reflectedpaw focused on the task at hand. A rustling in the pine needles to his direct left caused him to flick his own cerulean eyes calmly to the place. Dark, muddy-brown fur was among the dull, dried out needles that tickled at his paw pads. 'Voles are so stupid.' Reflectedpaw thought before crouching down low enough to feel the tickling at his underbelly. Before a tiny titter could escape, the young tom held his breath and slowly drew nearer to his prey. Smacking its body down hard with his paw, the creature nearly made a cry, but his sharp teeth put a stop to it, bones crackling and crunching beneath his force. "That was close!" He whispered to himself and to the world, but more just to warn himself to be more careful. Scaring prey away was exactly the opposite of what he needed to do.

Snatching it out of the pine needle nest it had begun to make, the auburn tabby tom scraped away needles in another area until his paw pads felt dirt. He then rolled the freshkill in the dirt, saving it to be discovered by the older cats. Pleased with his start, the tom quickly raced in the direction of a sparrow's familiar trill amongst the trees deeper into the territory. A woodpecker's constant knocking on the wood pounded through the pine forest, and echoed through the rocky slopes that overlooked the lake and other Clan's territory. In his opinion, the assessment was off to a good start.

[LYNX ♥]

Soft, liquid emerald eyes carried along after the young tabby as he bounded from camp, flitting deftly on his light frame into the darkened evergreen woodland. He hesitated, but he didn't know why for there was no real reason to be at all frightened of the one-on-one time he would soon be sharing with Lilythorn, but perhaps, after it all, Northwind was helplessly afraid to look into her broad, pretty face for what she held there would harm him, no matter what it was. Indifference, false-friendliness, or lingering affection. No matter what the silky ginger was feeling, Northwind thought that he himself would react negatively, though he couldn't quite decipher why. He didn't want her to love him because... because he was terrorized by the love of any she-cat now, scarred and battered by what had been his love-life, Northwind would prefer to avoid anything of the sort. However, should Lilythorn have passed over the feelings she had once held toward him so easily and so dismissively, well, that would leave just as dark of a bruise.
So he didn't look at her at all. Instead, the big, muscular tabby-and-white erected his long spine into a graceful curve as he stretched his lean frame, preparing to trail his apprentice and hoping Reflectedpaw's results would be satisfactory. Shaking out his thick coat, Northwind knew his young friend would do just fine and dipped his head almost curtly toward the deputy while allowing his gaze to remain trained on where Reflectedpaw had disappeared. Sluggishly, he realized she was praising he and the younger tom and smiled almost sheepishly, "Thanks, Lily. It was admittedly pretty tough dealing with him at first. He seems calm enough now, but at the start was was... he was pretty unruly. And I can't pretend befriending a tom who may as well be Emeraldfire's twin was very easy either." The warrior shrugged it off languidly, and added as an afterthought, "Yeah you're right though. I can't believe we've nearly made it to his ceremony." Unintended, the words tumbled out in a rough purr - Northwind curled his tailtip appreciatively.
The big tabby-splashed white tomcat nodded at the female's next words and padded forth, headed toward the camp exit knowing that Lilythorn would be trailing him. Northwind started at her next statement, projected at a volume which tore him from his quiet reverie, and while he scrambled for a reply as he kept a steady pace, Northwind found he had none. What could a tom say to such a thing? "Yeah..." He answered weakly, cringing at the word as it slipped from his maw. He suddenly paused and pressed his cold mauve nose to the needles underpaw, as if distracted by a particularly intriguing scent. Of course, the only odor that met his nose was that of Reflectedpaw's excitement and faint prey-smells melting together with a rich pine scent. But still, the tom was feeling particularly sheepish. He ceased his loud sniffing and continued on his apprentice's trail only to stop again, pleased to find the cleanly-killed carcass of a vole beneath a thin blanket of soil. "Reflectedpaw, one. Northwind, zero." He joked, twitching his whiskers, wondering if he still ought to answer her statement. What could be said, anyway? Sorry I didn't mate with you. Lil. It's a real bummer Dusty and I worked out. Northy crinkled his nose where Lilythorn couldn't see, and finally mewed, "Sorry, though, Lily. I, um, I never meant to hurt you. You know that, don't you?"

[lily ♫]

LILY T H O R N

A faint smile spread across her rose-tinged lips as she listened to the tom's idle chatter turn from his normal rumbling to purring. Typical Northy, not knowing when he broke his calm demeanor and went right into a proud one. "Must have been all your reprimanding that made him mature right up." The deputy joked, cerulean eyes dancing with a light dashed with flickers of amusement here and there. She didn't dare laugh at her own oddly worded jokes - she was anything but a funny creature. Only when she overreacted was she entertaining to her Clanmates, but she'd rather laugh than charm. Rustling in a chilled wind, her middle-length, ginger dusted fur whipped slowly about, back and forth as the breeze ran its course.

Her nimble paws quickly followed the footfalls of the tom she was accompanying, tracing the ground with imperfect pads, roughened by the hardened rocks and stiff needles below. As she tagged after the tabby tom, her ears began to pick up the wild sounds of the pine forest, calling to her inner instincts, tempting her to roam freely and without care through the ensuing twilight. Tracing the tall evergreens with her bright and curious orbs, she lowered her gaze back to the task at hand, Reflectedpaw's assessment. Tail flipping about behind her, she nearly stumbled right into her fellow Warrior's rear end as he paused to examine the prey his apprentice had caught. Carefully stepping forward, she too began to explore the pine cache with her sharp and critical eyes.

Reaching out with a single paw, the she-cat rolled the vole over, checking for wounds other than the clean and precise fang marks at the game's neck. With much scrutiny, Lilythorn amended that there had been no other entry points. It had died swiftly, without pain, and the hunter had known exactly what he was doing. "Now that's a clean kill." Marvelled the deputy before continuing to praise. "Either he's a natural, or you've taught him extremely well, Northy." The tom began to speak then, and the she-cat let a short, controlled laugh escape from her maw. Nodding her agreement to his comical statement, she froze when the tom's words turned into an apology.

Suddenly, a bitter scent strongly reeking of TempestClan came over her. "I never meant to hurt you." The tom's deep voice rumbled as his snarl caused the hair on her neck to bristle. That wasn't the end of his mocking, though. "That's what /you/ said, sweetheart. Got all caught up in your little VertigoClan life. That's not how it works, Princess, and you're going to pay for it!

[/u][/i]" Her memory flickered back into the present as the momentary nightmare faded. She was trembling, and her voice shook as she replied to Northwind's query. "Y-yes. I know." It was all the deputy could force herself to say, still haunted from her short and sudden flashback. Blinking away the terrified look in her eyes, she cleared her throat. "I don't hold it against you, Northy."

ooc: since i never really had a story for her unexplained past, i finally thought of what's happened to her. she broke it off with mr. tempestclan and was with chasmfang. everything was good until mr. tempestclan found her out all alone and raped her. she killed her kits because she didn't want to have to face them, and chasmfang killed himself because she stopped talking to him and because he thought that she killed their kits. D:

R E F L E C T E D PAW

Camoflagued with the thick undergrowth and evergreen trees, the auburn tabby tom raced through the territory, searching for the sparrow that wouldn't stop its song. Sure, birds weren't typically found in the diet of VertigoClanners, but what better way to impress Northwind and Lilythorn than by catching one? Smirking at his plan, his paws continued to fly forward, edging him onward through the sunset shadowed land. As the cry grew more concentrated in the area, he slowed his pace and began to search for the source. A breeze slipped through the land, stirring the tree's fresh needles and causing a peaceful sighing sound to rush across Reflectedpaw's pounding eardrums. Pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat, his heartrate contiued to accelerate as the rsutling above stopped and he could spot motion in the trees above. Locking his eyes onto a creature with auburn and white feathers and a blackened crest, Reflectedpaw itched to start his climbing.

'That's a bit high.' His conscience warned, using a cautious tone. Heart nearly bursting as the sparrow began to flit away from the tree, the apprentice let out a sharp whisper. "No!" He cried softly, only to notice another one of the birds located at a much lower branch. 'I'm in luck!' The young tabby tom thought before racing up the trunk of the pine tree and hopping out onto a branch. With the sparrow at the end of the long and slender limb, Reflectedpaw said a silent prayer to StarClan and began creeping out to where the bird sat, calmly looking at its surroundings, and not behind itself, where it really matter. Bracing his body down against the tree with his hind legs, the apprentice locked them tightly so that he wouldn't fall in the next coming moments. Then, reaching out with his two front paws, he snatched the bird between them, held it down with one, and carefully snapped its neck with the other.

His actions weren't quick enough to stop the sparrow's final, short, and soft alarm call, but only the birds in the trees adjacent flew away. Looking to the forest floor below him, his confidence was restored by sudden movement from a rodent below. Knocking the bird down to the ground, the apprentice began chasing after his next bit of prey after rolling the sparrow in the dirt.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[LYNX ♥]

It was over and soft, mellow joy hummed in that were slung around long, graceful legs that moved with all the contained power suppied by sinew hidden beneath alternating patches of sienna and white. Yes, yes he was happy. It was a pure, bright feeling like the sun glittering on one's face in the midst of summer. Of course, puffy clouds drifted and shaded his metaphorical state of paradise, for thoughts of the relationship he had yet to patch with Radianteclipse darkened his emerald gaze and the tom averted his eyes from Lilythorn's face at once. Still knowing this, he couldn't keep his tailtip from dancing rather delightedly behind him, a beacon of his pleasure. Reflectedpaw was nearly a warrior, Lilythorn wished to be friends again. Northwind wished he could still say that it was the simple joys that brought a smile to his face, but that was no longer true. Nothing was simple anymore; everything was poisoned or convoluted.
So he gripped the warmth of the moment while he could, before it was swept away. He looked over once more as they wove along through the labyrinth of pines and boulders and caught the depth of sorrow and mist of her past echoed in her pretty gaze and he found his maw stretching into an encouraging smile, "Glad we've got it all sorted out now." His words were kissed with sarcasm. Nothing was ever all sorted out. Of all the cats, Lilythorn would understand that almost as much as he himself did. His warm smile melted into a full-toothed grin and he turned to gaze forward, long tail still performing a rigorous sort of dance that matched his satisfied mood. And yet suddenly, he paused, his nose flew skyward with its nostrils flaring and his ears quivered, erected cautiously. He had sworn a shout had just rung out, but his muscles slackened once more when he determined that he was either imagining it to create something to worry about, or that the cause itself was nothing of concern.
His gait continued once more until, of course, he stopped. His large white paws were beige with grime and dust and only became ever more colored when he unearthed a small dead bird and inspected it. "Another clean kill. Hmm," He cast his companion another grin, "must be my suberb teaching. StarClan knows he certainly wasn't a natural from the start." He chuckled and reburied the sparrow. "We probably ought to slow up a bit, I think I hear him up ahead."

---

I am hungry. Dark topaz eyes, angled in an unusually canine manner, glittered with desperation, I need blood in my throat. More blood in my throat. Its long muzzle emerged from the torn and devoured carcass, blood stained and caked with obsidian fur. No, a single kitty wouldn't be nearly enough for the day. Two. More. Hungry. Carelessly, it kicked the remains into the stream. They would wash away there, at least. It turned and headed back into the evergreen forest, wet black nose to the needle-carpeted earth.

[lily ♫]

LILY T H O R N

She actually snorted at his ignorant comment. "Oh yes, all sorted out." The deputy crooned sarcastically with a wink before letting out a laugh, trying to end the moment rather than let it hang in the air awkwardly. Things with Northwind would most likely always be odd, and that's just how it would be. No way in changing it, except for maybe some time and talking. Shrugging off her more depressing ideas, the deputy put on a bright expression and followed her companion as they made their way through the pine forest, dashing alongside and behind each other, the undergrowth seemingly parting to let them through as they traveled.

As they came across the small, crumpled body of a sparrow, Lilythorn noted the distinctive markings. "These are usually only found in the highest parts of the trees!" Exclaimed the creamy, ginger-dusted she-cat with great exhuberance. Reflectedpaw really did know what he was doing. Looking to the tabby, she couldn't stop herself from smiling and letting out a laugh. "I remember quite a cheeky little fella back in the nursery with Radianteclipse. He seems to have matured since then, Northy." She continued on with a joyful tone, cerulean eyes sparkling with assurance. 'Finally,' The she-cat thought to herself. 'Northwind has reason to be happy.' His deep rumble of a voice spoke then, and she nodded in agreement. Reflectedpaw's scent was still strong in the area, he had to be nearby.

"Just think, soon enough, Reflectedpaw's going to be a Warrior and he'll have his own little kits to be apprenticed and then they'll be big bad Warriors and we'll feel so old then that we might as well be elders!" The deputy said with a laugh. That was, in the end, how life worked, but both of the cats were far too young to be fretting over being elders. Who knew what would happen?

R E F L E C T E D PAW

The ground was muddy from the earlier rain, and occasionally, his paws would stick into the ground. He hadn't seen much prey since he'd hunted the sparrow right out of the tree. Shrugging off the lack of small animals in the forest, the young tabby tom danced about, allowing himself to calm a bit. His emerald tinted eyes gleamed with sudden curiosity as his gaze caught on a puddle that glinted in the last rays of sunshine. Edging closer and closer, the apprentice stretched his neck out and peeked down at the reflected contents of the leftover rainwater.

The well-defined features made him jump, and a cry escaped from his maw. Stepping back, his heartbeat raced. His father, where was he? Whipping his head back and forth, searching for the intruder, it finally dawned on the young tabby tom that the figure in the rain was only himself. With a slow start, he began to laugh, at first with nervousness, and then with growing vigor. Had he really just mistaken his own face for his father's? Grinning, he peered back into the sort-of mirror, examining the individual flecks of emerald in his cobalt eyes, and admiring the strong definition of his cheek bones.

A toothy grin later, the tom was examining his sharp canines. In his few moons, he'd never even gotten a close look at himself. With a confident air, he looked around himself as he heard a twig snap behind him. "Northwind? Lilythorn? Is that you?" He called, looking back into the rain puddle mirror. It was then that he noticed the canine scent and saw the menacing, liquid amber eyes glaring at him through the puddle. Shrieking, the tom cried out as the wolf lashed out at him.

[LYNX ♥]

Juvenille cat. It assessed the air, and then darted forth through the light brush that consumed this forest, abandoning all stealth his its desperation. Weak. Hungry. Its strength was low, its ribs protruded from beneath its torso flesh in a grutesque manner, but maybe this one more meal would hold it off for a while longer. The enormous tawny canine threw itself forward and placed himself directly over the young cat, pinning it. It was not like the cat. It would not play with its food. Opening long, powerful jaws wide, the wolf drove his snapping teeth toward the kitty.

The tom grinned in return, his long tail flicking his clanmate gently across the shoulder. Although their pasts were so starkly different, it was not the details that were relevant to their friendship. In fact, perhaps none of it mattered at all. They had both suffered, they had both pushed through, and they were both strong, powerful cats. Perhaps, he considered, casting his liquid emerald gaze forth ahead of them once more, perhaps this friendship is what we both need the most. It certainly made sense to him. Neither romance nor solitude could heal some wounds, but it was a known fact that the ever-present strength of a long-lasting friendship could hold dams together, let alone the petty emotional breakage they had both dealt and suffered.
His contemplative trance was shattered when the pale ginger female spoke up again, her voice trilling out happily. "Well he is a pretty nimble cat," The tabby-patched tom admitted, nodding his approval. Reflectedpaw had more potential than he had first thought, and it was now shining in his moment of requirement. "Oh sweet StarClan!" He yelped, when Lilythorn continued dreamily, "Don't even go there, missy. Reflectedpaw, a dad? I can't even imagine. He's just a kit! Don't go jumping to the future." Northwind boomed, laughing with good nature. He nudged his friend, "Just live in the present, would you?" In the brief moment of silence that followed, Northwind pricked his ears, stifling a gasp. Something was in the forest - something big. Following the monster's crashing through the woodland was his apprentice's tenative call, followed by a sharp cry. It didn't take a genius to understand that something had gone horribly, horribly wrong, "C'mon!" The warrior wasted no moment's hesitation, but instead slipped into a smooth run. The evergreens floated past him in blurs, but he was deaf to the ruckus he was creating. Only Reflectedpaw was his concern.

[lily ♫]

reflected&lily**

It had him pinned in seconds. Long claws protruding from its broad baws etched themselves into his skin and pelt. The pain was nearly unbearable, but then, in a single instant, something lept up onto the wolf's back, yowling like it was the one who was being attacked. 'Lilythorn!' The tom thought, before falling into an semi-unconcious dream state.

- - -

Instantly, the she-cat flinched and grew serious. Something had gone wrong, and terribly wrong at that. Her paws raced through the underbrush with certainty and quick nimbleness. One quick glance behind her told her that Northwind wasn't handling the territory as well as she was. Then again, this was near the edge, where the forest grew more wildly and heavily. The stench of canine ripped through her nostrils as she flared them, searching for the apprentice's musky scent. 'We're coming, Reflectedpaw!' She thought as she burst through the vegetation and into the clearing.

"No!"

Her yowl was loud and high pitched. A giant, lupine form had the auburn tabby tom pinned down to the ground, long and looming yellow teeth reaching down for the apprentice's neck. At her cry, the wolf's eyes searched for her, but she wouldn't allow it time to move. Within the same moment, or at least it seemed, the deputy was screeching out protests and taunts, and had unsheathed her claws and leaped. She landed right where she had wanted to, on the wolf's back. Her claws sunk right into the bony flesh, and she took in the severity of their problem. A starving wolf could kill off an entire Clan in days. Paws ripping and tearing below her, she felt warm, sticky blood, but it wasn't enough to do good. In one quick, fluid movement, Lilythorn was thrown off, landing on her back in a pile of pine needles. The creature was far too strong.

His aquamarine eyes flicked open as he realized the wolf's attention was no longer on him. Jumping up, he began to snarl at the canine. "Hey ugly. Leave 'er alone!" Reflectedpaw spat, unsheathing his claws and lashing out at the wolf's front legs. They were mainly skin and bone, much like the rest of its body, but the tabby tom could tell from the way its skin rippled in a sickening way as it moved, there was definitely muscle. Lilythorn had let out a small 'oof' as she had landed, but by now she was on her feet right next to him. "This isn't going to be easy.

[/i]" She muttered under her breath, launching herself to the side of the wolf and attempting to rake its prominent ribcage with her claws. At that point, the apprentice heard rustling and was relieved to see a tabby and white tom moving closer in the corner of his eye.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/center]

[LYNX ♥]

It stopped, jaws locked open and aimed for the throat of the young cat, and it nearly crumpled under a sudden weight that landed on its back with force. Another cat. Less hungry. There would be no challenge in taking down, and then eating, two of them. This one was obviously stronger, but no match for the wolf. It shook as though its shaggy pelt was wet and the new cat was expelled. Cat do not attack me. It let out a harsh, thunderous snarl, I attack cat. The wolf fell upon the bigger one, snapping with its knife-like teeth but it had darted away in an instant. Too quick. Very hungry. It thought rather weakly, swinging its head from side to side, analyzing while continuing to dart in at them, lips raised with threat. Going crazy? More cats. Less hungry. Licking its chops, it dove for the new cat, it was much bigger. It didn't hesitate like the others. The big cat evaded and threw itself into the wolf's thin, but enormous, frame. The canine stumbled, then spun quickly, snapping after this new opponent. The cat only drove its claws deeper into its flesh, drawing an enraged scream from the wolf. It felt hot blood streaming through its unkempt coat while the cat yowled in the way that only cat do. Suddenly, more catweight slammed into it, it cried out again, snarling as foam tumbled from its vibrating jaws. Pain! Pain! Blood is running, it is mine! The wolf shook itself again, and again, but the cat claws only drew deeper. It finally gave a long, lonesome howl and threw itself to the ground. The cats withdrew. The wolf withdrew. Must go, must starve. It fled, tail tucked firmly between it's pumping hind legs, into the dark pine forest.

He watched, emerald gaze narrowed, as the monster ran into the forest toward the mountain's dangerous peak. Good riddance. Northwind thought, but he knew it wasn't true. The wolf would be back. As the adreneline of battle drained from his weary frame, the warrior took inventory of his wounds. The predator had managed to shred a portion of the flesh on his flank, which was now bleeding profusely. The big, tabby-patched warrior cringed, wishing he hadn't seen it at all. Stop being so selfish, Northwind! He reprimanded himself sharply, and turned to his clanmates, holding his breath. "Are you two alright? We have to get back to camp, pronto."

[lily ♫]

reflected&lily**

As the wolf fled, their breathing became a cacophony of pants and wheezes. "Well done, boys. Well done." Lilythorn gasped, looking worriedly at the two toms on either side of her. The expression she wore was one of fear and anxiousness. This wasn't over. Her cerulean eyes met Reflectedpaw's emerald tinted orbs, and she could do nothing but try to formulate words. "I'm okay, Lily.

[/i]" His voice rumbled softly, a mature deepness to it that she'd never took the time to notice.

He'd grown up when she wasn't watching, hadn't he? It was then that Northwind spoke, grabbing her attention once more. "As far as I know, I'm alright. Just a bit shaken." Her voice cracked as she teared up a bit. They all could have just easily been killed. Sniffling, she dispelled the majority of her fears, and blinked rapidly. What had actually just happened? The deputy couldn't be one hundred percent sure.

Camp. The place seemed so far off to him, but there, his mother would be waiting, eyes shining with pride for his accomplishments. Afterall, she was all the real blood he had left. With a glance at Northwind, he nodded silently. "Let's go, then." He meowed with shaky confidence, seeming to have forgotten the purpose of the outing. Lilythorn fell into step beside him, and Northwind would be closely following. They all would be relieved to set foot back into the dark camp again.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/center]

[LYNX ♥]

xx closed,
this thread is finished.