RUMOR HAS IT }} dream & void

[Dawn]

It's dragging me down and I can't pull away {dreamfeather}

"You've got your head in the clouds."

Her perception of time was growing dimmer as the seasons passed. How long had she been deputy of Tempestclan? It might have been several moons since Mottledscar had been demoted and she had been made to replace him. And yet, she could feel that it had been nearly a full turn of the seasons, as it had been late in leaf bare when she had been made deputy. That wasn't the only ceremony that Dreamfeather couldn't quite get a grasp on. Lately, she felt inept, and if you'd told her her warrior ceremony had been yesterday, at times she wouldn't doubt it. Dreamfeather felt, to be truthful, like she was stuck in some kind of perverse between. She was young and green; and yet, she was old and weary. She was full, too full; and still, she was empty. Dreamfeather slept at night, but she didn't feel at all rested in the morning. Other times, spells of insomnia kept her awake through the night, and she was full of energy through the day. It seemed like it had been moons since she had spoken, truly spoken, to Voidstar. She needed his guidance desperately; he was her north star, and yet the two weren't exactly friends, so she couldn't be completely open with him. They had to talk in ways that benefited the clan. Of course, she could always speak to Islandsplash, but then again, she couldn't. Islandsplash seemed cautious around her lately, almost suspicious. Sometimes, she worried that their close friendship was fading. Winter drug on and on, playing it's cracked melody over the forest, leaving her in a tired state. Her body, perhaps her soul, yearned for the relief of new leaf. Spring. But it felt like it was never coming.

"She made a fool out of you."

It was midday, and usually the deputy would've been out hunting or patrolling. In fact, now would be a fine time to be training her apprentice, Martenpaw. Dreamfeather had woken up feeling scatter brained, though, and couldn't focus on anything like that right then. She wanted to talk to someone, but it felt like everyone was drawing away from her. Hailghost and she had never been very close, not since their father had died. Besides, even if she did try and talk to him now, they were on uneven ground. He had started a fight between Celestialclan and Tempestclan, and he was busy training Cherrypaw, anyway... She couldn't really talk to her cousins, either. There weren't really a whole lot of options. She may as well just sit there in camp, thinking to herself and being gloomy, instead. Not that that is in any way proactive, but it's not like I can do anything else. She had already sent out patrols, setting her brother Owlscreech to leading the hunting patrol and entrusting the border patrol to the young warrior, Moonbeam. Dreamfeather generally allowed the younger cats to lead patrols after they had been warriors for a few moons- she liked to allow them a chance to prove themselves, and show some responsibility.

WORD COUNT: 517 TAGGED: Voidstar, played by Minty NOTES: Reply whenever you can. C: Take your time. (Currently listening to Rumor has it, by Adele. It's stuck in my head right nowwww.)

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[MiNTY♥]

hear us now, clear and true, wretches and kings we come for you

A sleek black tom with a fluffy mane stirred in his den where he lay – but didn’t sleep. Sleep was for the weak and Voidstar was far too busy plotting against his enemies. He needed an opportunity to get back at Celestialclan for they had been outnumbered in that battle. He would need to take a small group of them by surprise now that all of his warriors were perfectly healed. He would also need to make sure that his best warriors would accidentally be on that patrol. The only problem was there were no excuses for him to attack Celestialclan or to taunt him. As far as the rest of the forest was concerned the two clans had battled and that was it done and dusted. The truth was nobody could hold a grudge like strong old Voidstar could and getting revenge was something he couldn’t hold back from. Maybe the best plan was to act as if he was over the battle but wait for the opportune moment, trouble being that Voidstar got restless when he had nothing to distract him. However, there was a little voice inside his head shouting at him to focus on his social skills and his clan mates for a while rather than fighting and it was getting harder to ignore it.

Snarling at himself he stood to circle a few times before curling up again in the hopes of getting comfortable. He didn’t want to deal with his clan mates because social interaction became a challenge for him if he wasn’t plotting against the cat at the other end of the conversation. As the tom realised that he had considerable social issues he began to feel increasingly uncomfortable and burst out of his den angrily, forgetting that he was on a ledge and slightly losing his balance but his claws gripped the bark of the tree tightly and luckily for him nobody had seen the supposedly refined tom fall off a ledge. He couldn’t explain this feeling he had that made him want to go crazy and he couldn’t shake it. As if in a hurry he darted down to the camp clearing and circled it a few times, whipping his head from side to side as if he felt he was being watched.

It was at that moment he realised he had a longing for his past. More than anything he wanted to be the slightly reckless Voidstrike again who ran off and mated with loners. Heck, he wanted a mate but he just didn’t seem to get on with anyone in his clan. Although that never stopped him before so what made it so different now? He was the leader and there was nobody to tell him off or demote him so for all he liked he could go out there and find a nice female, maybe he would even find that female from before, Jasmine. Maybe he needed to be a little bit reckless to remind himself of who he was. It was at that moment he realised he was staring straight ahead of himself, deep amber eyes burning into the pelt of his deputy Dreamfeather. Awkwardness quickly fell over the leader as he straightened himself up and sauntered over to his deputy.

”Hey Dreamfeather.” He greeted her with a nod and waited a moment before an awkward silence fell over the two business partners. ”Working hard I take it?” He added. Truth be told the leader had no idea what he was doing and as much as it horrified him he felt as though he was not quite on top of things.

words// 604
notes// idk what I'm doing haha *blush*

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[Dawn]

DREAMFEATHER

[/font][/color]

She made your heart melt, But you're cold to the core.

What was she doing, anyway? Moping around camp like some poor lost soul. It was just stupid. Dreamfeather's tail gave a most irritable lash, and she pinned her ears, annoyed with herself. She was being a fool again, and worst of all, she was the one that had made her such a fool. It was bad enough when everyone else set out to make her look stupid; the least she could do was try and cover her own tail, but instead she was sitting around like an idiot. Do something, Dreamfeather! Think! But she couldn't. Her thoughts were everywhere, her focus never on just one thing. It was hopeless. Maybe she needed a change. Yes, that was it. She'd spent long enough skulking about, going out during the night and spending her days going mindlessly about her duties, fitting in a chat with Islandsplash now and then. For Starclan's sake, she was, what... already past her fortieth moon. She'd been around for three changes of the season. Dreamfeather was still quite strong, still youthful, but she had to admit the moons were passing faster than she'd thought. I should, I don't know... take on a mate. Train my apprentice. Plan something. Anything... It was easier said than done. She felt like no matter how much she and Martenpaw trained, they were making very little progress. When she had watched her brother and Cherrypaw training the other day, she noticed all of the things the slightly older apprentice knew, and also noted how well mentor and apprentice worked together. Martenpaw and she had never had that close bond, and she wanted it. Then there was the other old issue. There were lots of toms interested in her. She was the deputy, she was in her prime. She didn't want kits, it wasn't the time now, she knew Voidstar would make her step down if she was pregnant and she couldn't risk losing her position. She could still take on some male companion though. Apparently, it was all the rage- even Islandsplash had found some tom to dawdle around with all day, instead of talking to Dreamfeather. If all of the other she-cats seemed to enjoy it so much, maybe it would occupy her mind for a while, at least? That can't be the answer to everything, letting some tom mindlessly court me. She refused to think that love, of all things, was the solution. It certainly hadn't erased the problems of her parents.

Dreamfeather scuffed her paws on the hard, dirt ground. How annoying everything was. How dreary, how gloomy, how boring... She lifted her head as she heard a cat approach, and found herself staring at none other than Voidstar. His green eyes looked back, closer than she had thought, and the deputy started, not having even noticed him before that. "Hello, Voidstar."

[/color] The silver bengal kept her voice even, unsure of just what sort of meeting this was going to be. Was this business? What did he want? Her shoulders prickled nervously. Was something wrong? A strange hush fell over the two, and she found herself brushing her paws against the ground again, looking away from the leader. Finally he meowed, "Working hard I take it?" At that she sighed, looking back up at him. They both stood about eye to eye in their heights. "Not recently, no." She admitted, a bit cautious to do so. Neither she nor Voidstar were known for having much patience for the lazy. "I've sent out patrols, but there's not much prey, and there's only so much we can do." Her voice had grown quieter with every word, becoming more and more unsure. "So now I'm just... waiting." Dreamfeather finished lamely, flicking her tail before it dropped to the dusty, snow brushed ground again.

WORD COUNT: 620 TAGGED: Voidstar (Minty) NOTES: Herp. I like the little table. :'D [/justify]
[/div]TEMPLATE BY KATIEBABY! OF CAUTION 2.0[/center]

[MiNTY♥]

hear us now, clear and true, wretches and kings we come for you

It was at that moment he realised that he was just the face at the head of his clan. Sure he made all of the wise decisions but he didn’t actually know any of the cats in his clan personally, and that sadly included his apprentice as well. Inwardly he cussed at himself for letting things get this way. When had he stopped caring about keeping up personal relationships? He had let his life get into a bit of a mess and he had to sort it out before he could move forward with his action plans for terrorising Celestialclan. He wanted his warriors to want to fight for him and not just be a force that pushed them along the way. He knew that he would get on with some less well than others because he wasn’t going to pretend he was something he wasn’t, but Temepstclan were always known for being ruthless and that surely wasn’t down to him alone. Point being, there had to be a few others out there that he could possibly even befriend. Friendly social interaction had never been his strong point but he figured even taking a moment to have a short conversation here and there would work just fine.

Quickly he realised he wasn’t getting any life assurance from his deputy and that she probably needed to sort herself out more than he did. ”Come on Dreamfeather, we are going for a walk.” He told her. Denying him this walk was not part of the equation and for once he wasn’t trying to be mean, he just needed to get the silver fur-ball off her butt. Prancing away on unusually light paws he looked over his shoulder and narrowed his eyes at Dreamfeather, but in a slightly playful way. ”Come on then mouse-brain.” He called to her. There was no particular tone behind that but he doubted Dreamfeather would care much for what he said, unless for some reason she was feeling sensitive like a hormonal female.

Dashing out of camp into the snow he stood for a moment in the cold and glanced around him; he hadn’t wanted to give himself a moment of hesitation when he would think better of leaving the camp. The great pines were being dragged down by the snow that had settled on their branches, as if they were tied to the ground with a string ready to spring up again at any moment. ”We have the most experience in the clan of hunting – besides our elders. There will be something in this forest that we can find that nobody else can.” He growled to the female. There was no spirit left in her eyes, she didn’t have that same burning ambition to be leader that she once had. Just to be safe he would have to reconcile those feelings in her. By choosing to leave the clan with her line of hierarchy he felt he had made a good decision. However, he wasn’t going anywhere just yet. ”Not want to show the others why you are the deputy and they aren’t?” He snorted before padding onwards.

words// 521
notes// they can be bamf's together (:

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[Dawn]

DREAMFEATHER

[/font][/color]

} } Sure, she's got it all, but, baby, is that really what you want? *

Things were starting to fall into place. She had long since wished for a cat to call her 'best' friend, and now there she and Islandsplash were, able to share their thoughts with ease, able to connect without difficulty. It was an amazing thing to her, to simply have a friend, because in all honesty, Islandsplash was not just her best friend, but her only friend. She had always closed herself off to such interactions, always seemed cold as ice and twice as hard to break. There was a reason for that- interaction meant becoming close to another, creating a bond- and she had long ago learned that bonds led to disagreements and hurt. Even with Islandsplash, she felt the unspoken questions, the curiosity that her friend had always been too polite to share. Still, it was too late now to draw away from her orange-pelted friend, return to mystery. Dreamfeather didn't want them to be strangers again; something had changed in her life with the making of a friend. A bit of weight had been lifted from her shoulders, to be able to talk, just talk, to someone else. It was one thing to speak to herself, just to get the words out there, but they remained in the air, without anyone to listen and take them in.

For a moment, she let herself wonder what was going on in his head. What was he planning? Who was he thinking of? Where, if anywhere, did Voidstar desire to take Tempestclan next? There had been a time when Dreamfeather wished nothing more of him than for him to share those thoughts with her, a warrior. She had been younger then, of course. More fresh, more open minded. Now she just felt, well, old- that, and cynical. The deputy was troubled. It got tiring after a while. Of course, she didn't have to wait on him to share his plots with her, now. Dreamfeather was the deputy, and with a little luck and a bit of skill she was entitled to hearing said plans. Sure, she had to press at times, but it was all worth it in the end. Wasn't it? She wasn't always sure.

”Come on Dreamfeather, we are going for a walk.” It wasn't a question, like 'Dreamfeather, would you like to go for a walk?' She sighed quietly, a very soft whistling of air. Voidstar seemed oddly full of energy, already moving away from her, and quite quickly. When she didn't move or say anything, he looked back with narrowed green eyes. ”Come on then mouse-brain.” She should've seen this as a good opportunity to talk, as she had wanted before. Guidance from the leader, which she needed so much at current. It got hard, sometimes, when one's faith in Starclan and one's self was so poor. It left very little else to believe in. Dreamfeather slightly dreaded the walk. However, she smiled very slightly, replying, "Alright then." A wind swept into the camp, smelling of rain, pine needles, and the musky scent of the forest, laced with prey scents. Her hesitation forgotten, she jumped to her feet to follow him.

”We have the most experience in the clan of hunting – besides our elders. There will be something in this forest that we can find that nobody else can.” Dreamfeather was silent for a moment, gazing around in the clearing. It was a little past midday now, and she could taste the patrols she had sent out at sunhigh, somewhere off in the fen. The silver bengal glanced toward the leader again, feeling something like an apprentice, waiting for instruction. ”Not want to show the others why you are the deputy and they aren’t?” She rolled her blue eyes, though less from irritation with him and more from irritation with herself. "Now is as good a time as any, I guess."

[/color] The deputy growled a low response, feeling like Voidstar must have some plan, other than dragging her out among the trees to gather more prey. It was a decent idea, though. Not exactly a unique one, since she was nearly always overworking herself by hunting and patrolling anyway, but a decent idea. Besides, she might as well humor him, right? After sniffing the snowy ground, the cold air almost tangible, she parted her jaws fully and let the scents flow in, trying to scent a bit of prey near.

WORD COUNT: 731 TAGGED: Voidstar (Minty) NOTES: There wasn't a whole lot for her to say, hope this is alright. xD [/justify]
[/div]TEMPLATE BY KATIEBABY! OF CAUTION 2.0[/center]

[MiNTY♥]

hear us now, clear and true, wretches and kings we come for you

Not being very well practiced in the ways of kind social interaction the tom cat was unsure of where to go with his little outing. Helping others was not second nature to the tom causing him trouble in finding his words. Of course it was only when he needed it that he wished he had taken time to develop this skill earlier in his lifetime. Although he had always been one to search for ways of self improvement even if you liked how you were currently. Firstly though he would have to admit to himself that he was more flawed than he would like and that was difficult for the tom. Since he had been around for so long one would have thought he would be more comfortable with himself but that wasn’t exactly the case. Secondly he would have to take some time to talk it out with Dreamfeather and he was unsure of where to start or how to actually be of any use in the situation. Maybe it was just the opposite of when he would defeat another in battle and closer to when you would fight alongside another you were close to so in a way he had to fight along with Dreamfeather? This business was so confusing, it was no wonder he stayed away from it.

”Why do you have something better to be doing, like slacking-off?” Voidstar hissed at the she-cat, turning to narrow his eyes at her. Inwardly he scolded himself but it was already too late and he had failed with his plan. Something told him this whole ‘being nice’ thing was going to take him a little while to get used to. Clearing his throat he rolled his eyes at himself and sighed. ”I just meant you haven’t been yourself lately, I just put it in a pretty harsh way.” He added trying to soften the blow a bit. At the same time he was rewarding himself on the inside, with prompts to keep continuing like this. Maybe it wasn’t so hard to be nice after all.

Not really kidding anybody on the leader shrugged off his fake mask and let out a deep breath. Stopping in his tracks he let silence wash over him before beginning to pick out the individual sounds of the forest. In leaf bare the trees rarely whispered to each other due to being weighed down by snow or held stiff by frost. However, he could still hear the wind moving through the trees and as he became one with his surroundings he moved so that the wind was coming towards him, bringing sny scents along with it. Peace Voidstar. At times the great ebony leader had to stop and remind himself to take it slow in order to focus properly on the smaller things in thw world. Opening his maw to let the scent's wash over him he was sure he could scent a mouse ahead of him somewhere. Instinctively dropping into the crouch of an experienced hunter he tip-toed forward only allowing his paws to lightly brush the ground beneath his pads. It was unusual to see something so large act in such a graceful way, then again that was the way of the cat. Waiting, he soon spotted a tiny brown shape hurrying through the undergrowth. Sucking in his breath he waited patiently for it to pause in it's tracks before wiggling forward slightly. Launching himself at the little thing the weight of his paws crushed it as he landed on it and it's short life was ended almost instantly. Picking up his trophy he turned to find Dreamfeather.

Upon spotting her he placed the mouse on the ground and kicked some snow over it with his hind legs. "I hope you were watching that - because you need to beat it." He told the female with a cheeky grin worn upon his face. Tilting his head to the side he watched her with careful eyes ready to see her next move, in a way he was giving her a little bit of a challenge. He knew she had ambition in there somewhere and he just had to find it, and find it his way rather than how he thought others did it.

words// 707
notes// this helped to cheer me up, last post of 2011 (:

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[Dawn]

DREAMFEATHER

[/font][/color]

When Voidstar hissed at her, ”Why do you have something better to be doing, like slacking-off?” She bared her teeth in a snarl, stalking closer to the leader with a tail lashing above her head. "Maybe you'd prefer some battle training among 'friends,' Voidstar?"

[/color] Dreamfeather murmured, in a tone sparked with aggression, annoyance, and perhaps a tinge of playfulness. ”I just meant you haven’t been yourself lately, I just put it in a pretty harsh way.” Her narrowed eyes softened a bit, though not by much. If his plan for making her 'herself' again (whatever that was) was to drag her out here and reprimand her, he wasn't as capable a leader as she thought. For a split second, the deputy considered countering his remark with one of her own, but instead she snorted audibly, turning away and padding off in the opposite direction, scenting the base of a pine tree. She cast the leader out of her thoughts, regretting her wish to speak to him earlier, for it had almost been a bad omen which had brought him to her. Ignoring the ebony tom-cat's actions, she slid past the tree, brushing it with her fur and scent, and followed the tiny three pronged tracks of a bird.

It wasn't long before her hunt was interrupted by the tom again, dropping a mouse in front of her. Dreamfeather's blue eyes sparked, narrowing slightly, and she shot him a quizzical look of irritation. "I hope you were watching that - because you need to beat it." Upon spotting his cheeky grin, she rolled her eyes but gave a half smirk of her own. So, this was what he had planned? A contest? She gave him a look over her shoulder, then crouched and returned to the trail, flicking her tail tip at him. The silver bengal crept along, mind empty save for her concentration on the fresh scent of the bird and the tiny tracks beneath her. She followed them for a good long time, forgetting the leader all together, until she nearly bumped her nose directly against a pine. Jerking her head upward, Dreamfeather parted her jaws and searched the bare, snow covered branches. Hoarfrost clung to every surface, turning what would have been brown white and sparkling. For this reason, the gleam of well groomed ebony feathers drew her attention. The blackbird wasn't too far up in the tree, within her reach, but she knew it would be tricky to maneuver her way up without slipping on the frosty bark.

Taking the lowest branch with a leap that spoke of practiced ease, the silver female let her claws take a grip in the rough wood. Then, little by little, she eased herself to the trunk, and with a jump similar to the first, landed on a branch beneath the bird. The last thing she saw of her prey was it cocking its head, beady black eyes flashing toward her; then, an ivory storm engulfed her. Somewhere, her weight had shifted the piles of snow, held up by the pine. They came crashing down around her, the empty roar filling her ears, the white covering her vision, the cold taste of snow filling her jaws as they opened in a yowl. Still, somewhere in there, she saw a flash of black, and leaped, pushing away from the binding crystals. Her claws brushed something rough and feathery, but she was blind, and could only surge toward the object of warmth, sinking her fangs in somewhere just above the blackbird's wing.

Suddenly, her senses came rushing back. Squawking sounded nearby, and something battered her skull, increasing her thrumming headache. Dreamfeather growled, low in her throat, and shook snow out of her eyes. With a final, instinctive movement, she caught the bird with her paws and brought her teeth down around its throat, ending its suffering quickly. The complicated hunt had both confused and exhausted her, so the deputy lay still, chest heaving, upon the mound of fallen snow. She regarded the crimson splatters of blood about her without comment, dully eyeing her catch, which lay dead two mouse lengths from her face. It was a decent size, but she would've preferred something with a bit more meat on its bones for all of the humiliation and effort she had put out. "Maybe Voidstar will let me win... This was a lot harder."[/color] Dreamfeather muttered, pushing to her paws and shaking away the layer of white covering her.

WORD COUNT: 745 TAGGED: Voidstar (Minty) NOTES: Dreamy's effort was dramatic. She gets an A+ for effort, poor thing. xD [/justify]
[/div]TEMPLATE BY KATIEBABY! OF CAUTION 2.0[/center]

[MiNTY♥]

hear us now, clear and true, wretches and kings we come for you

The avid hunter placed his kill on the hard soil beneath his paws and kicked a pile of snow over it for that was the best he could do. Yes, he liked to make sure his claws were sharp but if he tried to dig up the frozen soil he would have no claws left by the end of it. A cat without its claws might as well not be alive because they would never last very long out in the forest. Not that Voidstar would see any reason to dispose of a weakling with no claws, but he could think of a certain relation of his who would have some fun torturing the little scrap. He frowned at the thought of the tom. His little brother had always been a bloody nuisance. When they were kits there was nothing he wouldn’t do, nothing he wouldn’t risk, and it was so typical of him to follow their mother out to the middle of nowhere without considering anything else. Shard never thought about the consequences of his actions.

Looking up from reminiscing he caught the look upon Dreamfeather’s features and smirked inwardly. Of course she was up for a challenge and of course she wanted to beat him and prove how good she was, well how good she really is and just doesn’t always realise it. Life could become hard when one didn’t receive any praise or appreciation for ones actions but it made you tough and it meant you had to trust yourself more. Anyway, he was fairly sure he would not be the one to give Dreamfeather praise despite him being her mentor and how his actions would teach her to lead the clan in the future .To get praise from Voidstar you had to push him by continuously proving yourself, and then push him some more. Even then little praise from him was very high praise indeed. He did think that it was a good thing when it was deserved, but too many of the other clans gave their apprentices too much of an easy time when they got something small which seriously got on his nerves. In Tempestclan you had to work to earn yourself a good reputation – or a bad reputation depending on how you looked on it.

With the silver Bengal now having wandered off he slowly trailed her scent, not wanting to disturb whatever prey she was stalking. Although, it was a considerable surprise to him when he sighted her in a tree since climbing was unappealing in frozen bark with little grip. He watched her movements carefully, his muscles slightly tense. As she lost her balance the tom cat drew in a short breath and watched with narrowed eyes as she fell from some fox lengths above. As the snow settled he padded slowly over only to be greeted with a shower of frosty crystals that clung to his fur and caused him to sparkle a little in the sunlight. Wrinkling his nose at the blast of wetness he frowned at Dreamfeather. ”Well I would say you don’t get the award for being the most graceful hunter in the forest, but a hunter nonetheless.” He called to her and assessed the area with quick narrowed eyes. Most of the blood came from the prey he was sure from what he saw. ”What the extent of the damage then?” He asked, deciding against adding the name jelly legs to that sentence. Flicking a twig from her fur in one swift swipe he looked to the female for her answer.

words// 595
notes// EEEEEEEEEE MY FIRST POST IN FOREVER :3

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[Dawn]

DREAMFEATHER

[/font][/color]

She watched the leader's approach silently, noting the frown painted on his maw with, she was sure, disappointment. Must I never be good enough? She turned and buried her prey quickly, packing the snow around it with her paws, so as to protect it from other, hungrier predators. Standing up straight now, to her full height, the deputy tilted her chin upward. She flicked her tail at the hard lump that marked her capture, then eyed Voidstar with a tint of regret. Being flustered on the outside would do her no good, and she refused to show her embarrassment that he had seen her. Still, Dreamfeather narrowed her eyes to glare slightly at the tom. She had no personal anger against Voidstar, though he did make many odd feelings, including frustration on most counts, course throughout her mind. She was almost certain that she wouldn't have taken such a foolish risk if he hadn't been creeping around, watching her. It's my own fault, of course... She wasn't usually one to blame her own screw ups on others, but in this case, she simply had a feeling that if her hunting partner had been anyone but the leader, whom she strode so to impress, she would have succeeded more gracefully. It's no matter... prey is prey, no matter how it was caught. She winced, however, as she felt a twinge in her side. Bruises are also just bruises...

"What's the extent of the damage then?" Dreamfeather glanced around, puffing up her silver fur as she felt icy particles brush her skin. It would be so much more comfortable to have a thick, long coat of fur as her brother, Hailghost, had. "No broken bones, and the score is tied between us."

[/color] The bengal responded matter-of-factly, deciding not to comment on her own clumsiness. To speak of one's weaknesses was to admit to them, and once others new of your short comings, they would be quick to use them against you. That was how life worked for her; a constant wall of defensiveness built up to keep herself strong and to keep others at a disadvantage. It was useful in many cases, battles, and interclan relationships; but in many social outings, it made things very difficult. Though her standing in the clan was high, and her knowledge of her clan mates had grown in the past few moons, she still wasn't very close to anyone. There was Voidstar, who she was always on her guard with; and there was Islandsplash, her best and only friend. Besides that, she wasn't sure what else she needed. Her barbed persona made it difficult to get to know her. She had long ago given up the idea of 'love,' or 'family,' and never had she possessed thoughts of a large group of friends.

"If you think you can show me up on that display, go ahead and try."[/color] She shifted to nod at the huge mound of fallen snow, patterned with drops of scarlet blood.

WORD COUNT: 498 TAGGED: Voidstar (Minty) NOTES: None [/justify]
[/div]TEMPLATE BY KATIEBABY! OF CAUTION 2.0[/center]

[MiNTY♥]

hear us now, clear and true, wretches and kings we come for you

When she swiftly turned away from him to bury her hard earned prey he narrowed his eyes initially, wondering whether or not he had done something wrong. Considering how others felt was always a challenge for him and is something he admits regularly that he isn’t talented at, well to himself anyway. How you perceive others actions is not something that appears regularly and day to day conversations. If anyone were to ask him what he thought Dreamfeather’s opinion of him would be he would be completely baffled as to where to start. Like him she wore the hardened mask of leadership where you had to remove your emotions from the situation and think of what would be best for everyone. The only thing was that was all he ever saw of her. On top of that she was far too disciplined to say what she really thought of him, and there was also some respect thrown in there too just as any clan cat would show for their leader. Not that he personally knew many cats for that matter. He watched her carefully but no emotions came across as obvious and he stopped trying to see through her wall. It became frustrating when everyone assumed he was all muscle and no brain, he had an intelligent head within but no cat gave him credit for that.

”Yes, I dare say we are even.” He added. His kill had been very swift and well timed, but hers had been very challenging and the weather conditions added to the challenge. Remembering that he was trying to lighten the mood a bit he was not going to try and start an argument, especially since she did deserve credit for the kill and had a nasty fall. Yet he was caught off guard when she proposed that they continued with their little challenge, although at this rate it would be turning into a rather large one. ”I don’t want to risk any broken limbs which I probably would need to trying to beat that, plus I would recommend checking in with Ashenflight before you climb more trees.” He chuckled. Then he narrowed his eyes in alarm at nothing in particular. It sounded suspiciously as though he was backing out of a challenge and there was no way that was going to happen anytime soon.

”But if you insist we can continue so long as you are up for travelling for a bit, a kill each is a good hunt for weather like this I would say so it could take a while to find some more.” He added just to show he wasn’t afraid of continuing this little challenge. In fact it actually made him feel like a warrior again, going out and hunting just to see who could get the better catch. Tempestclan would be headed to a bad place if their leader and deputy acted like this all of the time.

words// 490
notes// heh lol.

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[Dawn]

DREAMFEATHER

[/font][/color]

Despite her feelings from earlier that this unplanned hunting trip was a waste of time, she was beginning to enjoy herself. She may as well face it, she liked being around Voidstar. Why was that so hard for her to admit? Why was she so afraid to say so? The thought annoyed her endlessly, because she didn't like to be afraid of anything, much less admit it. He can't possibly enjoy my company as much as I do his. She frowned over his shoulder, gazing absently at the trunk of a cottonwood. In truth, the deputy had no idea what Voidstar thought of her. Did he simply see this hunt with her a mere chore, something a leader must do to inspire his deputy? It seemed likely. They were not friends. At times she wished they were, but it had never seemed possible. They were both too much alike. Besides, Dreamfeather realized, she didn't know the first thing about the leader, or his history, or what he dreamed about at night. Nor did she think it would be appropriate to ask said questions, or that he would be keen to answer her. Perhaps it's best not to get too attached to him as friend or mentor. One day, he must die, and I must carry on without him. Dreamfeather considered that for a while, though not in any particular depth. I need to discipline myself. I can't let my own feelings blur the lines. The bengal relented at last, feeling the urge to pace but restraining herself.


"I would recommend checking in with Ashenflight before you climb more trees." She joined in with his laugh, mainly because she knew, and thought he might as well, that that was the last thing she'd do. A medicine cat's job was the care for the sick and the badly injured, not dote on the deputy's petty bruises. It might be stupid and stubborn, but then, there it was. Very softly, Dreamfeather meowed, "So, you think it's too dangerous to continue...?"

[/color] She chanced a sly look, as the question was almost entirely rhetorical. The deputy had expected a response in kind with his. ”But if you insist we can continue so long as you are up for travelling for a bit, a kill each is a good hunt for weather like this I would say so it could take a while to find some more.” It was cautious, warning, so that she might turn back but it would be her own discretion in doing so. There was no making the choice his again. What idiots the two of us are being! She thought privately, almost laughing aloud. "If you think the clan can spare us a while more, we need the prey."[/color] She said, in a more friendly tone than she had begun with, as she was eager to hunt. She was slightly annoyed that Voidstar had done just as he planned; cheered her up, and rekindled her ambition. Oh, he's good... Taking a few paces away from the mounds of snow, the silver furred she-cat added, "Let's go, then?"[/color] She didn't want to lead the way, but she didn't want them to stand about in indecision for much longer, either.

WORD COUNT: 536 TAGGED: Voidstar (Minty) NOTES: :D [/justify]
[/div]TEMPLATE BY KATIEBABY! OF CAUTION 2.0[/center]

[MiNTY♥]

hear us now, clear and true, wretches and kings we come for you

Upon seeing her reaction the swarthy tom smirked. The most dangerous thing in his territory at the present was him, well besides Shard but he didn’t count because he was mentally unstable and nothing he wasn’t used to dealing with. That and he was sure Dreamfeather was longing to swipe chunks out of his brothers fur which would be highly amusing. He wasn’t scared of hunting more, it was a perfectly innocent day to day activity and the female was just trying to mess with his head. The sly look that she wore upon her features almost made him laugh as he recognised that look as one of the emotions he often felt while going about his daily activities. ”Dangerous my butt fur – but still keep a look out for trespassers.” He stated but added the bit on the end when he realised he sounded a bit irresponsible. Then inwardly scolded himself for having to correct himself for being irresponsible.

The truth was he was rather conflicted. He couldn’t decide whether to allow himself time to have fun and joke around or just to be strict and responsible. Voidstar knew what he wanted. He wanted to be able to have some fun at times and take charge of the situation others. At one point in his life he had been a rebellious young tom and even had kits out there somewhere that he didn’t even know. Now he didn’t want to be quite that rebellious he just wanted to remember how he used to have a bit of fun and then do just that. However, he found it difficult to tolerate others at the best of times and he needed to find some friends who understood him, and he knew that Dreamfeather got him but he was never sure she was in the mood for having fun or if their relationship would be better strictly business. Then again maybe it would be nice to have a friend who understood him and his reasoning.

Voidstar rolled his vibrant green eyes at their remark about the clan. ”Oh please, I think they will be fine to stay by themselves for a little while – and I can at least count on them to whip Shard’s butt if he starts being a pain.” He retorted. It was very true to say that Shard had him more concerned than the apprentices did which wasn’t a good position to be in but since he had been behaving himself so far there was no reason to get angsty. ”Alright, one would think I was the one who just fell since you are running circles around me.” He replied with a light-hearted sigh. Padding past Dreamfeather he picked up the pace a little bit and began to run through areas for hunting in his head. He was sure his warriors would have been hunting mostly in the fen area which was covered in shrubs, or at this time of year the skeletons of shrubs. ”Lets head over to the grove area where there are some trees and hopefully we will have some luck there.” The leader suggested.

words// 520
notes// evil dreamy making him have fun XD

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[Dawn]

DREAMFEATHER

[/font][/color]

”Dangerous my butt fur – but still keep a look out for trespassers.” She glanced at him. Personally, Dreamfeather regarded Tempestclan as being the toughest clan in the forest. Any cat that trespassed in their territory was either suicidal or just plain stupid. You didn't cross those borders without looking for a fight. Still, it was irrational to think Tempestclan was completely safe from their neighbors, and it wouldn't do to neglect the border patrols or allow the other clans to think they did. So, she kept a close eye out, and took many of the cats that wended along the borders out herself, for good measure. Dreamfeather was seemingly incapable of becoming tired with patrols. Those that she didn't lead, she went along with anyway, her nose out for trouble. It helped to soothe her concerns, always knowing just what was going on. She didn't much care for second hand information. If there was a fox loose in the territory, chances were she was on the patrol that discovered it, and she would be on the one to chase it out.

”Oh please, I think they will be fine to stay by themselves for a little while – and I can at least count on them to whip Shard’s butt if he starts being a pain.” The deputy flashed a half smile, her expression bemused. "When is he not being a pain?" Dreamfeather didn't think the leader knew of Shard's earlier... treatment of her, and she wasn't going to tell him, either. A leader deputy duo didn't work well if each kept too many things to themselves, but she hardly thought Voidstar needed or wanted to hear about Shard's sickeningly manipulative flirtation. ”Alright, one would think I was the one who just fell since you are running circles around me.” She shrugged. Her wounds from falling pained her only a small amount, and that she wouldn't voice for all the prey in the forest. Again, it was that tired old rule against showing weakness. "The grove sounds ideal." She agreed with his assessment, matching her pace nearly to his own so that she padded only a few steps from walking shoulder to shoulder with the leader. "We'll have to keep an eye out for Celestialclan cats." She tasted the air, to comfort her suspicions. "Then again," Dreamfeather relented, "They haven't given us any trouble since the battle." She remembered the fighting well, a haze of fresh memories that still buzzed around in her perpetually loud thoughts from time to time. Claws raking her flank, and sinking her teeth into the shoulders of well fed, over groomed Celestialclan cats.

WORD COUNT: 438 TAGGED: Voidstar (Minty) NOTES: Void is the evil one. >:C Ruining Dream's bad mood!

TEMPLATE BY KATIEBABY! OF CAUTION 2.0[/center]

[MiNTY♥]

hear us now, clear and true, wretches and kings we come for you

Noting the way that Dreamfeather looked at him he shrugged slightly. ”I know don’t worry, of course I take pride in our reputation.” He added with a small smile, although Celestialclan had given them a considerable battering and left them a few cats down. At the same time the enemy clan had been recruiting new cats out of the blue, old rogues. Now that proud clan of fox-dung couldn’t say anything against him for taking in rogues like his brother, or try and insult him for being a rogue himself. ”They seem to have grown a bit in size too, we should keep an eye on them and if we need to teach them who is boss we shall do it through border patrols – with Hailghost and Blackshard whom ought to send a bit of fear running through their veins as well as anger. And if they are fighting with anger on their head then they will make stupid risks and suffer for it.” He told her before looking to the silver Bengal for an opinion on his thoughts, she was one of the few who would ever get a say in his plotting. At times he forgot to keep the female up to date with his thoughts but he was sure she had a similar line of thought to him anyway.

A little smirk played upon his maw at her comment about his brother. ”True, but he does help with our reputation and in battles.” He added. However, from the way she spoke he felt she had probably the few advantages he brought to the clan but he guessed she just really didn’t like him as many didn’t and that wasn’t their fault. Between speaking he noticed she was padding almost in line with him, although about a step behind. He liked the feeling of being in front, and being in the lead which was another reason why he was so perfectly suited to this position but noticing it even between he and his deputy made him feel nice. It was a good thing she agreed with his decision too since he was already headed in that direction anyway and in the distance he could begin to see the skeletons of weary trees being weighed down by snow. It always felt as though the whole clan was weighed down by snow during the leaf bare and that was an unpleasant feeling but they always managed to pull through it. ”We always put up a good fight Dreamfeather, and I wouldn’t expect anything less no matter how bad things are, and I can count on you to uphold that, even after I’m gone.” He told her, a little bit of sadness in his tone, but he had a few seasons yet. After all, he did still have seven lives left.

words// 470
notes// pfft :3 business man! no subtle hints she wants to drop? haha

ANCK SU NAMUN OF CAUTION!

[Dawn]

DREAMFEATHER

[/font][/color]

Walking along just behind him, Dreamfeather didn't resent her position. She had always highly respected the leader, which was saying a lot, since she hardly ever respected anyone- let alone someone with a rogue background. And yet here I am, the bengal realized wonderingly, serving as deputy under a full rogue, and best friends with a half clan warrior. Mentoring Shard's daughter. Still, it wasn't as if the deputy bowed down and kissed anyone's paws, not even Voidstar. That didn't stop many in the clan from assuming she did, in blind servitude, however, which wasn't true. Dreamfeather was dominant, and she had many of her own opinions, but she and the leader often thought on the same page; and other than when he shared his plans with her, she didn't think it was her place to put forth other opinions. So, yes, she knew her rank in the clan, was extremely conscious of it, and even more of how many things could have gone wrong when she was chosen as deputy. But they hadn't, because the bengal had taken some level of control over the situation, and as time passed, herself. She was no longer the threatening, anger prone female she had begun as, all teeth, claws, and hard edges. But Dreamfeather hadn't lost it, either. She had just learned how to better conceal her temper, how to channel heat into a voice and demeanor so cold it could cause frostbite. Thinking of all the ways things could have gone awry, she felt even more cautious to acknowledge the feelings she was developing and had long possessed for the leader. Already, she'd been deputy for four seasons. She didn't want to screw it all up now.

”They seem to have grown a bit in size too, we should keep an eye on them and if we need to teach them who is boss we shall do it through border patrols – with Hailghost and Blackshard whom ought to send a bit of fear running through their veins as well as anger. And if they are fighting with anger on their head then they will make stupid risks and suffer for it.” She nodded, chasing off her thoughts of the tom. While they walked she studied his sleek ebony shoulder, and considered. Dreamfeather had noticed the growth in Celestialclan as well, and guessed that they were outnumbered, but only slightly. "But are you willing to risk the injury of some of our strongest warriors, should they become angry that we're harboring murderers, and what's more, rubbing it in their faces?"

[/color] Her question was gently put forth, as much for her to mull over as him. It was not challenging, but she realized that she worried for Hailghost, and said as much. "My brother,"[/color] She meowed, addressing him as such for the first time in a long while, "Suffered deep wounds during the battle. He's recovered and battle fit now, but the fact that he was targeted specifically during the fight means Celestialclan may still want revenge."[/color] She sighed, finding herself sharing more thoughts than she had intended to in the first place. If Hailghost was out on patrol, she decided, then she would be too, when she could. Perhaps we could talk again. It feels like it's been a long time. She hated to think that it was duty bringing her kin back to her, not actual effort to close the gap on her part. We're the same age, and we grew up together. How did we become so far apart?

She faltered slightly in her next step, paw striking the ground toe first. It was ungraceful, but almost entirely unnoticeable. ”We always put up a good fight Dreamfeather, and I wouldn’t expect anything less no matter how bad things are, and I can count on you to uphold that, even after I’m gone.” She was silent for a while, on that note. It sounded... so final. It drew the boundaries between leader and deputy even more thickly. Words echoed in her head, reminding her of what she had heard at the gathering moons ago, from a Zephyrclan warrior. "It was foolish. They acted like kits, in the throes of love. Even Cometstar, as proud as he was. They say it was his idea, running off. We can only hope the new leader and deputy make better decisions." That was it in a nutshell. Titianfoot and Cometstar, leader and deputy of Celestialclan; they fell in love, and they ran away together. How could they be such idiots? Abandoning their clan without a leader or deputy. Realizing she had been mute for a long period of time, Dreamfeather flicked her ear, to show she had heard him. "Of course."[/color] She scuffled the toe she had stubbed in the snow, eyes shifting away from his shoulder. "Tempestclan will always be fighters, no matter who is leader," Meowed Dreamfeather, awkwardly.

WORD COUNT: 816 TAGGED: Voidstar (Minty) NOTES: xD Like what? "WANNA GET A MOUSE SOME TIME WITH ME, VOIDSTAR? OH WAIT NEVER MIND, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW." [/justify]
[/div]TEMPLATE BY KATIEBABY! OF CAUTION 2.0[/center]