{started off with nothing}open

[Bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i42.tinypic.com/xdva0k.jpg] 'NIGHTCLOUD is just going to love this,' Stormwind thought blandly, stopping for the tenth time in the last twenty minutes to look around helplessly. SHE'D been hunting out on the plains of LionClan's vast territory when she'd happened upon a herd of antelope. Naturally, being the fastest runner in the clan, the young warrior had looked forward to a good chase and clean kill. Too bad she'd gone and made a rookie mistake. That mistake had been kicking a pebble when she'd been creeping around some boulders to sneak up on her target, a young buck. The clatter of the pebble had spooked the herd enough to turn tail and run, the cowards. Too proud to let one get away, Stormwind had blindly charged after the fleeing antelope. Eventually she had given up the venture as a lost cause when she tripped like a newborn kit and landed in a shallow river the herd chose to splash their way through. An unfamiliar shallow river. STORMWIND had found herself in loner territory surrounded by miles of unfamiliar plains. The trees here were skeletal and parched, bone-dry from the lack of rain during greenleaf. The sun was high in the sky and the air was a dry sort of hot. All around her, Stormwind had found only unfamiliar land. No landmarks or scent trails or anything familiar. The sensible thing to do would naturally be to back track on her own scent to get back to LionClan since Stormwind was hopeless with directions. She was fast but if you spun her around three times with her eyes closed she'd be more lost than a blind deaf kit in a maze. The scents of the herd and her own scent were all muffled and dusty as other creatures had crisscrossed over them and at every turn things looked more and more unfamiliar. Nightcloud was the cunning one of her siblings and fantastic with directions, Stormwind not so much. Her sister would love this, think of it as a puzzle until she got back to camp. Stormwind just couldn't think like that. IN essence that left the young lioness standing in the middle of nowhere like a mousebrained fool. Looking all around her again, the golden she-cat again found nothing familiar and no one she could ask for help. Not that she was too inclined to do so seeing as she'd always been told loners were cruel and unfriendly. "THIS just isn't my day," Stormwind grumbled, turning a circle again in futile hope of finding some distant shape she could ask for help. Nothing, just plains and a few skeletal trees. And a rock. A big boulder off in the distance. "Maybe if I'm up higher I can find something familiar," Stormwind muttered to herself. Leafshadow always said being up high helped her focus so maybe it would help Stormwind? WITHOUT thinking twice, she took off running. Stormwind was no cheetah but compared to any other lion in the clan, she was amazingly fast. Graceful and agile too, not that she'd brag. When she'd been an apprentice barely a moon ago, she'd always be challenged to races and obstacle courses. Her mentor had thought it was good training and even encouraged the habit even if the others got pouty when they lost. Either way, when she ran Stormwind was at her best. Her mind was sharp and her form perfect, stride smooth and powerful and practically swallowed the ground under her paws. When she got close enough to the boulder, she didn't even break a stride. With a flex of muscles and one powerful push, she leaped into the air and up on top of the boulder in one smooth motion. Standing atop the sun-warmed rock, Stormwind looked every way she could think of. North, south, east, west, everything in between. Nothing. Just...space. Off to her right, some birds took off from the tall grasses but other than that, all was still. There wasn't even a breath of wind and the air was hot with summer's wrath. Heavyhearted, the young she-warrior reclined on her haunches and stared forlornly at the surrounding empty land. WHO would have thought one hunt could get her so stinking lost? "GUH! This just isn't fair!" Stormwind grumbled, ears flattening and shoulders slumping like a petulant cub being told off by an elder for misbehaving. "Why did Nightcloud get all the brains in the family?" DON'T get her wrong, Stormwind had wit of her own and was plenty smart. Just not directionally so. She was lucky to be able to tell east from west and honestly that had taken a lot of practice. Stormwind was smart when it came to strategy and figuring out how an enemy was weak and thinking fast on how to bring them down using her speed to her advantage and avoiding the issue of her size. She was an average size for a lioness but when you fought with tigers or male rogue lions that were heavier and bigger than you, there were some challenges. Things like directions and more complex strategy like dealing with multiple cats at once were where her sister Nightcloud flourished. Their other sister, Rainfall was more of the healer or a subtle fighter. She was more about defending than anything and seldom attacked first. Not Stormwind. Stormwind had no problem drawing first blood and usually used that to her advantage, surprising rogues and enemies with her fast, aggressive style. Now though she was faced with an enemy she couldn't physically fight, her own inability to remember how to get home. Tagged;; open Word Count;; 954 Background Song;; "Stuck in the Middle With You" by Stealers Wheel Notes;; ^^

[alice?!]

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[atrb=background,http://i.imgur.com/0ZP5h.png] [scrolly:h(81),w(368),sy] Boulder had a steadfast schedule. Every morning -- he woke in the same clearing that Pebble had died in, and stared at her favorite rotted log for a good seven minutes, and then decided he was going to see Lionclan today. He always started toward the border with purpose in his long gait and a tiny smile on his features. As he approached the border though -- that confidence faded -- and like every other morning before since his sister's death, he looked forlornly into the territory he wouldn't dare venture. One, because it was not his own and he was sure he wouldn't be welcomed there -- and two because he couldn't decide if that was where he wanted to be, or if he was once again doing things for dead Pebble. Did he want this so much because she had wanted it so much? He couldn't be sure of that, and so every day at Sunhigh, he found himself at an impasse. And everyday, just after Sunhigh, he once confident walk morphed into an angry trot, and then a full out run as far away from his problems as he could get -- which wasn't far, figuratively or literally. Today was no different, save that things happened a littler earlier than usual -- the herds that usually paraded through the loner lands after sun-high had thundered through his morning -- and if he hoped to eat anything for the next few days, he would have to modify the schedule. The plains were hot today -- but not stifling like they could sometimes become during Greenleaf. They had gotten less rain this season -- but it was not at a critical state yet. Besides, Boulder was confident in his prowess. He could survive a horrible drought alone, oh yes, he just couldn't face a clan of his mother's kin -- his own kin. Like any other day, he had to force himself not to think of things like Lionclan or Pebble, while he was hunting and keeping himself alive -- those gut wrenching thoughts needed to be the last thing on his mind. Not that they always were, but he was nothing if not determined to make them. His large frame cut quickly through the rain-parched grasses that 'clinked' together as he passed through them, half following the muted scent of the antelope herd and half paying attention to the workings of his mind. It wasn't until he'd almost fallen into the river, yet again, that he realized there was another scent mingled with the antelope. Without much thought, the bulky male immediately rolled his shoulders to the earth and crouched below the tops of the (still surprisingly thick) Savannah grasses. Ears flicked about, hoping perhaps that this lion was unfamiliar with the territory they had seemingly followed the antelope into. Boulder knew that some of the bolder rouges here banded together and traipsed all through the territories and into the land surrounding each one. They cared not that a lone lion was trying to survive here -- and would have sneered at him if they found out he didn't have the gall to cross 'the wittle clan territory' He'd come into contact with some of them before, and knew from experience they wouldn't hesitate to steal prey from beneath your nose. Also, many of them were adept at hiding their scents, most were to cocky to really care about it, but if they'd planned an attack he could have a whole group of them hiding before his paws -- with this wayward antelope tracking scent just a decoy. So, you can't blame a boy for being a little cautious. There was no breeze, and nothing in the stifling air to hint at a party of more than one cat -- and Boulder doubted they would gather such a group to attack him, when he wasn't a threat. Still, one could never be too sure. The scent was fairly old -- as if the Lioness had followed shortly after the antelope came through this morning. He supposed he could have been distracted enough with his inner musing to miss the scent on his daily trek to the border... actually he was almost certain he'd been distracted enough. Regardless, it left the lion with little choice. If it was a hostile group, he needed to know -- and if it wasn't?... well, Boulder would take it upon himself to figure out what exactly he was going on when the time arose, and then save the non-hostile from the aforementioned hostiles. Despite his bulk, the male was able to move with surprising stealth through the long grasses. He was not near silent like some cats -- but for the amount of heft he carried around -- it was pretty well done. Besides, he knew how to weave through these grasses when there was no wind. It wasn't exactly a fool proof method, because obviously there was no wind to hide your movements, but he managed just fine. The scent grew steadily stronger -- but still it seemed as if this 'intruder' had traveled a great distance.. A Cheetah? No, definitely a lion. He shook thoughts of agility from his head, and rose in the slightest, eyes peering across the landscape around him. Upon first inspection -- he saw nothing out of the ordinary, although the scent wavered strong in front of him to prove that point incorrect. Then, as he was about to move on, the startled flapping of wings and cries in the distance brought his attention. With little effort to mask his presence now, he moved quickly over the small crest that blocked his vision and looked again. There! in the far distance a rock to the left of the escaping bird flock held a lioness. She was prettily perched upon it's surface, and looking out over the land before her.. A rouge? She didn't look familiar of course -- but he had only seen a few of the rouges before. He continued his approach thought perhaps a bit more slowly now that he knew his 'opponent' at this time was a petite lioness he could probably bat over. Boulder -- despite his strength and obvious brawn, was not necessarily a fighter. That was the last option -- though he would fight to the death if need be, and besides the hard life out here had hardened his thoughts to the point where you almost immediately sized anyone unfamiliar to you up in order to assess any battle skills. When he finally was within a distance that she would be able to here him --- though no doubt she would see and hear his approach from her perch. He settled down. Appearing as non-threatening as possible was a good strategy right. Deep golden eyes focused on her figure as legs folded beneath him and his bulk settled into the dry earth. His voice was soft -- but deep -- and carried easily between them, especially with the lack of breeze to steal it away. "Excuse me." 1183 sorry if it's rambly at bits XD I ramble when I'm tired. [/scrolly]

[Bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i42.tinypic.com/xdva0k.jpg] STORMWIND was getting really sick of seeing nothing but open plains. Normally she loved it because open plains meant she had plenty of room to run. Right now though, they were really beginning to annoy her. Tail tip twitching as she scanned the surroundings for what felt like the millionth time, Stormwind nearly missed what changed. Her light amber eyes snapped back to it the instant her mind registered that something had in fact changed, as shocking as that was. It was...for lack of a better word, a giant. Lions were pretty big, especially the males but this one looked about as big as a mountain. Okay, maybe she was exaggerating but who cared? He was huge! Possibly even bigger than Loudheart and definitely bigger than Swiftstar. Stiffening a little as he approached, the warrior instinct in Stormwind finally overrode the amazement at the male's bulk. LONG hooked claws unsheathed themselves and scrapped lightly against the sun-warmed rock under her feet. Lean muscles coiled under Stormwind's sleek golden pelt. Dropping instinctively into a crouch, the young lioness let out a low warning growl, rounded ears laying flat against her skull, long tail lashing. She looked plenty powerful, every inch a young warrior for LionClan to be proud of. LIGHT amber orbs tracked the male as he approached and lowered his bulky body to the ground, peering up at her with strangely impassive eyes. The Stormwind met his gaze without hesitation, sleek and powerful and dangerous. At least, that's how she looked. On the inside Stormwind was full of jitters. She'd never confronted a loner by herself before. Occasionally patrols would have to chase out bands of rogues or the occasional loner but Stormwind had always been in a patrol with at least one other warrior, usually her mentor or another older warrior. Older warriors had experience in how to handle loners. Stormwind didn't. 'EXCUSE me.' HIS voice was low and deep and calm, not sharp and aggressive like she'd expected. There was no false superiority or rude demanding. That threw Stormwind for a bit of a loop but no one could ever say she stayed like that. This was a lioness that could roll with anything and make the best of any situation. Without saying a word, Stormwind straightened up and leaped. Her long sleek body arched in the air over the massive brute so she landed with a soft thump behind him, landing easy and neat. Whirling around, Stormwind proceeded to walk in a circle around him, pawsteps light and bouncing as she looked at him with open curiosity. Thanks to her better judgement, she did remember to keep some distance between herself and the brute just so he couldn't lash out at her and rip her to shreds but otherwise she had the wide-eyed curiosity of a young kit or apprentice. In her defense, she was only just into being a warrior. FINALLY finding nothing really of interest, Stormwind sprang lightly back onto the rock. Reclining on her haunches facing the massive brute, she curled her tail around her side and angled her head to the side in a fashion that as a kit had had older cats wrapped around her paw in an instant. "Excuse you for what? You didn't do anything did you?" Stormwind chirped, voice bright and cheery like a summer bird. "So who are you? You look like a loner but I guess you could be a rogue but who really cares? Can you help me find my way home? I was out hunting this morning and now I'm so lost my ancestors must be turning over in their graves. It's really my sister's fault though, she knows I'm bad with directions but she still left me out here by myself." Giving a sniff of disregard toward Nightcloud's inconsiderate action, Stormwind looked back at the tom. "So are you going to tell me who you are or sit there all day and stare? Oh! Silly me, I'm Stormwind by the way." thus was Stormwind's way. She talked in rants more often than not, in bursts and fits and then flitted away to occupy her time elsewhere. Boredom was constantly creeping up on the young lioness and sometimes her lack of a brain-to-mouth filter got her in trouble but usually she was more noise than harm. A lot of others thought her honest expressions and peppy nature were quite charming and admired how easily she flipped from being curious and youthful to all business on a hunt or in a fight. She blew into your life like a hurricane hitting the shore and either left you bemused and confused or grinning in an indulgent way just because she was too dang innocent for her own good. She was pretty as a picture and had a spring in her step that most cats lost with age. Add that to her strong, fast, friendly, startling personality and you had one heck of a cat on your paws. Still, she was the way she was and since she didn't know how to really handle loners she might as well treat him like she treated her clanmates until he gave her reason not to. Tagged;; Boulder Word Count;; 886 Background Song;; "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria" from The Sound of Music Notes;; not my best :/

[alice?!]

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[atrb=background,http://i.imgur.com/0ZP5h.png] [scrolly:h(81),w(368),sy] Well, she hadn't clawed his face off, so that was a plus. She reacted defensively, which he noted in the back of his mind with a hint of pride. So she wasn't daft, and she wasn't jump-down-your-throat aggressive good. That meant, at least through his idea -- that they could probably have a civilized conversation. She looked small -- but fiery. Pebble-esque he thought. She looked younger -- around his age but perhaps a few moons later than he. Though of course, he couldn't judge by size. He watcher her with something that resembled a withdrawn yet amused expression, because really -- if he'd wanted to, he could surely bat her away like he would a fly. No doubt she would be much faster than he was, but strength was on his side. His deep golden gaze would sweep around after her -- following her circling. While his instincts itched at him when she wasn't within his sights, he knew that a threatening approach would be no good. It never worked, and the last thing he wanted to have to do today was fight anyone. Despite his haggard appearance, he wasn't very keen on fighting.. of course he would if necessary but the life of a peaceful loner was just that -- peaceful, or so he thought it should be. He couldn't keep the deep chuckle from escaping as his gaze focused on her own -- the expression similar to that of a curious kit. A look that suggested she was an outgoing creature, who enjoyed new situations. At least - that was his assessment. She then began speaking a mile a minute, and he blinked in quiet shock -- idly wondering if she needed to breathe. His next smile was small and secretive, and he chuckled once again for good measure. Tail flicked behind him -- swatting halfheartedly at the flies buzzing about his ears. His speech was curt and quiet, though not unfriendly, " It was a greeting, Stormwind, think nothing of my unconventional ways, the loner life cannot quite be explained in the ways it changes the mind." was he joking? He was smiling, but there was a twinge of seriousness in his tone. Perhaps he was thinking of his mother. " I am called Boulder, and I will be glad to escort you to your border." He stood, stretching slightly and turning his gaze to the sky for several moments. After sun-high now, though they still had several hours before dusk settled upon them. Then, he gaze would returned to the newly introduced Stormwind, and he nodded his head back the way they had came. He turned -- shaking his head as he did so and finally ridding himself of the annoying flies. While he waited for her to gather herself and leave her throne behind, he thought of the best way back. He knew nothing of clan-life but figured she had now been out since before mid-morning. Would her kin worry over her? He knew Pebble would have bitten his head off had he been a moment later that what they'd planned on -- never-mind that he could certainly take care of himself. He decided that they would cut back toward the small brushed area that he usually rested in, and then cross the small stream there, that would put them very close to the border. A glance back at the petite she cat before he began his slow amble toward the borders with the clans. No doubt she came from Lionclan, as she was a lion -- and besides, it was the closest border to here. Without turning back, he called over his shoulder. "Come along Stormwind!" Another chuckle, well this was not exactly what he'd planned on doing today. 687 slow and short and blah. not a good one sorry D: [/scrolly]

[Bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i42.tinypic.com/xdva0k.jpg] 'IT was a greeting, Stormwind, think nothing of my unconventional ways, the loner life cannot quite be explained in the ways it changes the mind. I am called Boulder, and I will be glad to escort you to your border.' ROUNDED golden auds perked up as the rumbling brute spoke. He was weird, that was for sure. Even by loner standards, Stormwind would guess. So far this male, Boulder, seemed very polite with just a hint of amusement coloring his tone. His amusement in turn amused Stormwind. The lithe young lioness may not have a lot of experience with loners but she had plenty of experience with good-humored cats. Some LionClan cats could be real sticks in the mud or really grouchy but there were plenty that had good humor in them. Nightcloud was one of them. Never in her life had Stormwind experienced a cat with as wicked a sense of humor as her sister. At least the first time she encountered a loner by herself he had a good sense of humor and was polite. "YOU mean, Boulder, as in, the rock?" Stormwind said in disbelief, staring at the massive tom. Sure he was big but...what else? "Where's the rest of your name?" COILING her lean muscles, the young lioness sprang lightly off of the rock she'd perched on. Dragged on by curiosity and the promise of getting to see her home before dusk, she trotted obediently behind the big tomcat. Her mentor would have been amazed to see such a thing, Stormwind willingly trailing along behind someone. Dear Falconwing had had quite a time trying to rein in her curious apprentice since Stormwind tended to get bored just following along. She'd quite often wander off after some scent trail or stop to investigate an interesting plant on Rainpaw's behalf. Poor Falconwing would turn around to demand an answer to a question she'd asked four times only to find Stormpaw nowhere in sight, off having her own adventure while her mentor went along without realizing she'd lost her apprentice. TAKING a few bounding steps to keep up with the big tom, Stormwind lightly danced around his side to walk at his shoulder much the way a curious apprentice would approach a mentor with a question during a patrol. Tail waving calmly in her wake, the lithe golden she-cat was quite a sight beside the hulking form of the big tom. Her head was about level with his shoulder and his bushy mane tickled her face on occasion but she didn't mind. Stormwind had never been one for personal space, far too social to let such trivial things bother her. She was genuinely curious too about why Boulder only had half a name. She'd never known the names of any of the loners or rogues they chased from LionClan territory, just that they meant trouble. The idea of not having foot or heart or storm or wind or something, anything, at the end of your name simply didn't occur to the young lioness. She was clan born and raised and never spared much thought for how loner mothers might name their kits. Even if they didn't have ceremonies she had figured they at least had sensible names that described something about them, be it speed, size, physical characteristics or something else. Sure he was big but was that all? It couldn't be so why would he only have part of his name? "BOULDERS are big and, don't get me wrong, you are too but that can't be all there is to you," Stormwind insisted, eyeing the tom's haggard appearance and slow heavy steps. "I mean, you're huge but what about the rest of you?" MUSCLES tried by time and honed by experience rippled under a short golden pelt. Boulderfoot maybe? Or Boulderheart? Maybe Boulderfall if he was clumsy? Something. There had to be something else. Furrowing her brow in thought, Stormwind trotted alongside the tom, light honey eyes roving over his scarred and battered pelt, roving the broad well muscled shoulders, the paws nearly as big as Stormwind's head. He had a big nose. Maybe his real name was Bouldernose and he just didn't want to say it? Tagged;; Boulder Word Count;; 719 Background Song;; "She's My Kind of Crazy" by Brantley Gilbert Notes;;

[alice?!]

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[atrb=background,http://i.imgur.com/0ZP5h.png] [scrolly:h(81),w(368),sy] She sure was a curious thing wasn't she? Perhaps all this time without the interaction with Pebble had left him starved of contact, because in this one day -- Boulder could say he'd probably chuckled more than in the past two seasons combined. Of course, when you were on your own and your other interaction with another cat was a stressful touch-and-go situation with some rouges, there's not much room to chuckle. But still, the stoic tom felt himself almost melted a little within his thick shell by the burning bright enthusiasm of this Stormwind. It left him on his heels in awe. They'd known each other for what? An hour? and honestly all he knew was that she was female (durh) and a member of Lionclan, with sisters. But still, she was friendly enough and though he didn't really show it -- that left the hulking tom scrambled in the slightest. Her first question left him puzzled... What? She only had one name though, be it a long one... Why would he need a second word? Brows crumpled over his deep golden brown eyes, and his stride faltered as he stared at her. "My sister and I only ever had one name, Reed never saw fit to give us long names like yourself I guess..." He shrugged. His mother had been a clan cat, for sure -- but she had only ever called them by the first name. He remembered occasionally when they were young that a 'kit' would slip up after their names, but it never went further than that. Perhaps it had something to do with her departure from the clan. After all, she had never spoken of them until her death. A whole other life that she had lived, and left to raise her kits alone... it puzzled him -- but he could not ask. If she found his name puzzling -- he was positively baffled by her own. He had assumed it was a clan-custom to gift cats with two names, but he couldn't understand the significance of it. Storm -- that was an alright name he supposed, but the 'wind' part he couldn't quite appreciate. How was that important? Boulder's name was enough description -- he thought at least. When others saw him it was the first trait they noticed, and the one he was named for.. He couldn't imagine himself with a two-part name like Stormwind, but he was intrigued by how such a thing was chosen. Did she get to pick, or where her peers the ones to decide? They were moving at an alright pace -- the type of walk that could get Boulder back and forth twice from the territory in one day. He watched with an amused grin as she flitted around him. It seemed several things were not familiar to her -- stillness for one -- and personal space. Now -- Boulder wasn't skittish -- he had no need to be, but he was a respect man, and to him personal space was a necessity. Not hat he would say anything to her of course, and it really wasn't that much of a bother. "I do not know about the rest of me, I've never considered it odd I suppose. What of you? Stormwind holds what significance?" Not a rude question, and it was easy to hear the curiously behind his tone rather than the maliciousness that Pebble used to take when she couldn't understand something. Perhaps that was why he was so withdrawn -- Pebble always needed calming -- and he always smoothed over the situations which she ruffled. He turned his gaze to their path, and the small stream they had slowly been approaching, it still bubbled with life -- even in the dry heat of green-leaf. Granted, it was much smaller than it would be in new-leaf, but it never completely dried up, not unless the drought had dug it's claws deep into the land. He meandered slowly to it's edge, and crouched low to lap at it's slow moving surface. He had yet to eat today, he remembered -- and reminded himself that he would have to hunt tonight. Then -- after he had quenched his thirst, he rose -- excess moisture dripping off his chin. He would wait a moment or two -- in case his companion decided she would like a drink as well, before leaping nimbly over the stream. Wet paws -- eesh. He would continue guiding her to her border then. It was clear that he wasn't much of a conversationalist, answering questions asked of him in a polite manner, but never really engaging himself. Perhaps it is because he was always the quiet cub and Pebble did enough talking for the both of them, and after he death he was too set in his ways to change anything. He seemed content with the silence, and neither grew bored or restless with it. He was a cat of his thoughts -- though maybe with a little work could be lulled from such a state. 850 I like Boulder and Storm, they compliment each other nicely XD [/scrolly]

[Bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i42.tinypic.com/xdva0k.jpg] BOULDER'S explanation about not having another name brought the lioness up short, stopping her dead in her tracks. Never saw fit? Never saw fit! Staring at the massive tom as he continued to amble along, Stormwind couldn't stop herself. She rolled her eyes. Yeesh, loners sure were a weird bunch. They only described one part of them? StarClan! That was not only sort of shallow but rather bland in Stormwind's most humble opinion. How dull would it be if she was just called Storm all her life without any suffix to tell her about the achievements she'd made? Becoming an apprentice with the name paw was a chance to celebrate and a marker of how her life had changed forever as she began her journey to becoming a warrior. Receiving the name wind had been huge for the young lioness, a sign that she had officially matured and earned her way to becoming a warrior. Where did loners get their pride if they had no clan to be apart of, no names to mark the achievements, no warrior name to earn? STORMWIND was drawn out of her thoughts when she realized Boulder was talking again and quite a bit ahead of her. Bounding forward to catch up, her paws danced over the dusty ground until she was once more trotted alongside the bigger cat. He may be big and have long strides but Stormwind had no problem keeping up, her light steps easily complimenting his heavier longer strides. 'WHAT of you? Stormwind holds what significance?' THE question made Stormwind's ears twitch as she contemplated how to explain the importance of clan naming to a cat that had never experienced a ceremony. Humming to herself as she thought, she finally decided to just explain it as she saw it. "WELL, my mother named me and my sisters because of the conditions when we were born. I was first so she named me Storm, my next sister was Night because it was well, night when we were born and my last sister was Rain because it was raining obviously. Kit is the traditional suffix for young kits so we were Stormkit, Nightkit and Rainkit. When we were six moons old, to celebrate us becoming apprentices able to learn and train our names got changed to paw, so I was Stormpaw. All through my apprenticeship the leader and my mentor watched me and when I finally had done enough to earn my name, they chose a special suffix that suited me. I ended up Stormwind because I'm the fastest runner and hunter in the clan. There are all kinds of suffixes though so everybody is unique and the leader can find a name that suits everyone when they earn their warrior name. You can be named for anything really. Grace, speed, strength, something physical or how you act. It just makes more sense because it describes you better because you've spent your whole life earning it." THE narrow stream Boulder waded through caused the younger lioness to pause in her explanation. Her lip curled a bit as he waded through after pausing to drink. Call her fussy but Stormwind was not fond of getting her feet wet. Mud and wet sand felt just disgusting between her paws and it just bothered her. She didn't like anything that messed with her feet since her fleet feet were her greatest assets as a warrior. So, rather than wading through the narrow stream like a savage, Stormwind leaped neatly to the other side. She landed with ease, the distance short and action well practiced. ONCE again charging forward after the bigger cat, Stormwind just didn't stop when she got to his side. She kept running. An experienced hunter could see with ease that despite her young age, her form was perfect. Sleek form, long strides, full body movement with each stride, body compact but not too much so. She was built to run and run she did. Of course Stormwind wasn't out to catch anything or lose Boulder so she didn't run all out. It was an almost lazy run, an easy one, muscles moving smoothly under her sleek pelt as she bounded ahead, startling some butterflies from the tall grass and snapping harmlessly at them as she passed. Once she was a bit ahead of Boulder, the young lioness decided she should probably stop or risk losing her guide and thus being lost again. Wheeling around, Stormwind slid to a smooth stop facing her unexpected companion. "HURRY up slowpoke! I know snails that move faster!" she called brightly, her voice lightly teasing, carried on the summer breeze, playful and sweet. Tagged;; Boulder Word Count;; 786 Background Song;; "Ready for Love" by Cascada Notes;; ^^

[alice?!]

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[atrb=background,http://i.imgur.com/0ZP5h.png] [scrolly:h(81),w(368),sy] She seemed baffled by the fact that Reed had never named her children as she was named, and while he found it slightly amusing -- he still couldn't really understand the fascination with a two-part name. But, when she explained their system to him it made a little more sense, and he now understood why Reed had added a 'kit' onto their names without thinking. In the back of his mind, he wanted to ask her of Reed.. or Reedfoot as her clan had known her, but that was another matter. After all he had only just met her, and digging around in his past was a different situation. He was slightly awed by how she spoke of her life, and it was obvious that she really believed it. Also, that she enjoyed what she had been raised with -- but she had also seen nothing else. He wondered if he would be able to be happy there, because he knew this life without restriction. But, he figured he could at least value it -- because of the fact that it was a life full of companionship and acknowledges of accomplishments. All your good deeds would be displayed for your clan companions, as would all the bad -- but he supposed that was a part of life. If no one witnessed your botched hunting attempts, they wouldn't begin to appreciate just how much you could support yourself. He noticed that she lagged behind once or twice -- and briefly wondered if perhaps he was moving to fast, but then thought otherwise -- she wouldn't be called 'wind' if her name wasn't accurate right? At least according to her. Also, he wouldn't think an 'almighty' clan cat would tire that easily. He was shocked, even scuttled to the right a bit when she sped past him, but then recovered well and simply watched her with amused eyes like he had all morning.. He made no move to hurry himself along at first. His run was sloppy and although he could cover a large distance, he wasn't cherished for his speed. Obviously. She called 'irritably' back at him and he chuckled before trotting to meet her -- greeting her with nothing more than a half-hearted, but obviously good-natured, growl. "Sorry, but not all of us are capable of floating across the ground." His teasing to echo her own was clear in his voice, as it seemed other than being stoic -- Boulder was completely transparent in his emotions. Unless an extremely serious situation, he never held ulterior motives, and told it as he saw. An honest creature, it seems. They had covered some distance from the small stream now -- her impromptu romp leaving him to hurry behind. The small yet familiar and comforting tangle of taller grasses and shrubs had come into the view, off to the left of their position now. Boulder would merely glance at it for a moment or two -- perhaps remembering Pebble and the pain that still rested there. He knew he shouldn't still be there, where she had died and where he had buried her -- but he couldn't bear to leave. Not yet. It was after a moment or two he would force himself to look away -- but it wasn't hard to tell from the scents around them that he passed by here often. A small breeze had picked up as they walked, though it went in the wrong direction -- swirling the clan-scent that Stormwind needed to find her home away from them instead of toward. 605 D: Sorry for the wait! [/scrolly]

[Bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i42.tinypic.com/xdva0k.jpg] AS Boulder plodded his way toward her, Stormwind feigned impatience. She twitched her tail and shot him falsely critical looks simply because she knew he'd get that she was just teasing. It was just the way she was. Stormwind knew she was fast and wasn't afraid in the slightest to say it. Some thought she was cocky or vain when she pointed out her strong suit but the pretty lioness always just turned a deaf ear to them. You couldn't please everyone in any situation and to say he least Stormwind was confident in her abilities. Those that snapped at her for her 'overconfidence' and 'vanity' were just jealous because she could run circles around them in her sleep with a lame paw. She knew running was her strong suit. It always had been and probably always would be, barring unforeseen unfortunate accidents that she would be sure to avoid. Sure, she knew someday she'd grow old and slow but that wouldn't happen for a long time and Stormwind fully believed in living while you were young. She was young and capable so why let jealousy ruin her day? AT least with a cat like Boulder she knew she wouldn't get snarled at in a way that meant someone really had their feelings hurt by her teasing. If nothing else Boulder seemed to have a thick skin and that was something Stormwind could fully appreciate. So, when he finally got to her and playfully growled at her, she growled right back. The comparison in the sounds was almost comical really. He sounded like rolling thunder and she probably sounded more like a kit growling at her father. Oh well. 'SORRY, but not all of us are capable of floating across the ground.' THAT made Stormwind laugh. It was a full laugh, a real one, unlike the sounds some cats made. Tossing her head back, Stormwind let herself laugh for a second before prancing after her companion. "I don't float, floating is something you do in water silly and I don't like water." Special emphasis on don't. Funny how one of the clan's best swimmers truthfully despised water. Bumping her hip playfully against Boulder's, Stormwind was taken by surprise when she found the tom had stopped. COMING up short and doubling back, the lithe lioness found him staring at what looked like a cluster of tall grasses and a mound of dirt. There were a few small rocks around the dirt, almost like...markers. Stormwind's heart dropped into her stomach and her rounded auds laid back against her skull. Technically clan cats weren't allowed to mark the graves of those they buried. Two or three cats would carry a body from camp after a vigil was held and bury it. Usually only those two or three cats would know where the dead warrior was laid to rest. Sometimes though, Stormwind knew it was just too hard to abide by that rule. Rocks would be placed in a special way or a tree would be marked or something along those lines, just so that someone could remember where a loved one was laid to rest. Glancing at Boulder, Stormwind was tempted to ask who laid there but didn't dare. They'd only just met after all. Stormwind had never just thought about loners did when loved ones died... BOULDER turned away suddenly and started walking again. With one last glance at the unknown cat's resting place, Stormwind turned and followed him. She purposefully lagged, walking about even with his hip or a little behind. Her mind felt heavy. She'd met a loner, been outside of the territory and apparently saw a loner's grave. All in one day. Glancing at the sky as the scent of her clan floated to her on the breeze, Stormwind was glad to find that they were early enough that the dusk patrol wouldn't be anywhere nearby yet. Cresting a ridge with Boulder, Stormwind saw home spread out below her and couldn't stop herself from purring happily. Bouncing up to stand even with the big tom, she rubbed her head against his rough mane, purring like a content kit. "OH thank you Boulder! I would have been lost forever if you hadn't helped me!" Reaching up, Stormwind gave a harmless tug on the big tom's ear. "Don't be a stranger okay? I do a lot of hunting out this way and I'd love if you stopped by to say hi or whatever." TURNING toward home, the young warrior couldn't help herself. She started running, long ground-eating strides that rapidly closed the distance between her an home. When she crossed the border, Stormwind slid to a stop, kicking up a cloud of dust. Turning back to look at Boulder standing up on the ridge, Stormwind must have looked fantastic with the sun setting behind her. It cast molten gold light over her dark gold pelt and lit her eyes, their light tone as lovely as any sunset. She gave a low roar of farewell to her newfound loner friend before turning and continuing her dash further into the territory toward camp, eager to find her sisters and reassure them that she wasn't dead. Tagged;; Boulder Word Count;; 883 Background Song;; "Vanilla Twilight" by Owl City Notes;; ^^

[alice?!]

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[atrb=background,http://i.imgur.com/0ZP5h.png] [scrolly:h(81),w(368),sy] She took his teasing well, which he was glad of. While he'd never been exposed to many cats throughout his life -- and certainly never more than six at one time -- He had met several throughout his life that could dish out the insults left and right, but as soon as the tables were turned, they snapped and became angry. Namely his brother Stone, though Boulder wasn't sure he considered him a brother anymore, not after what he had done to Pebble. Of course, Boulder had never had any problems protecting himself, or backing up his strong convictions. Not that he was cocky, simply that more souls were wary of his large size. He was not a formidable fighter by any means, but there was a certain privilege in being of large size. He grinned softly at her comment of water -- but didn't reply. Too lost in his current thoughts of Pebble. Her grave was obviously marked. Just as their mother's was -- though he doubted he would be able to find it now. Little stones that he'd thought she would have liked -- Pebbles, because it was her embodiment in life after all, the slim little sister to the hulking brothers. He knew that Stormwind had noticed his obvious reaction, after all he hadn't hidden the grave or the fact that he was staring at it. She had been his dearest thing in life after all. Besides, he had never thought that showing affection for another was a bad thing -- and anyone who did had an extremely warped sense of what was right. He however, was extremely thankful she didn't ask. As adept as he was about hiding his feelings -- she was still a stranger, no matter how friendly she was or the companionship sort of bond they had developed over the day. He would be a fool to believe that they were 'friends' and that her clan wouldn't attack him should he be perceived as a threat to her -- but he did like her presence, and he wasn't going to deny that. The last ridge stood before them, and they crested it in due time, and he looked down at the border he had sat at this very morning. Contemplating whether or not he would journey to the heart of their territory to meet his long-lost kin and realize his sister's dream. He mused now, that perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad idea -- now that he knew the charming Stormwind. She seemed like she could weave a convincing enough story to have the male allowed there. He quick contact with him was something of a surprise, but he hasn't to return the gesture and swatted at her lightly with a paw, careful to be gentle about it because she was such a small thing. "It was my pleasure Stormwind, and I often pass this border myself. Perhaps we will meet again." She had to know however, he would not sit by the border and wait for her. He had to survive -- but he was sure he would see her again, and besides he wouldn't mind the company. She reminded him of Pebble. The same and yet so different... He watched her until she reached the border, and then turned for her last farewell. He would echo her call, his own a much deeper rumble however. Then, he would continue to watch and make sure she wasn't ambushed for one reason or another. Then, when she had long faded he would turn slowly and trudge back toward his clearing and Pebble's grave. he would need to hunt tonight for sure. 615 I find Pensive Boulder is something of a hard to write Boulder, Also the Opera client does not like Proboards Spell Check [/scrolly]

[Bast]

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