{tiger tiger burning bright}open

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[atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/6945r8.jpg ] LIGHTNING lanced through the midnight sky, illuminating the forest in a way that made the trees come alive as crook-clawed demons and breathed life into the shadows. The air was alive with electricity, humidity oppressive and smothering. This storm had been building for weeks, rains withholding themselves in the mountains and refusing to fall upon the dense TigerClan forest. Tonight all the withheld fury was going to be unleashed. Every tiger knew it and wisely kept to camp as soon as the sun went down, sheltering in the dens, bellies full and ready to wait out the violent summertime thunderstorm. Mother Nature stirred in the sky, brewing a storm so violent there was sure to be massive damage come dawn's weak light. Still, it was nothing the clan had not endured before. It was the very nature of summer rainstorms, that they hide in the mountains for weeks or months at a time before unleashing themselves upon the lower lands. It was a pattern, almost comfortable in its familiarity. Tonight however, one tiger did not feel the need to cower in camp and await the storm's passing. POWERFUL muscles rippled under a black-striped ginger pelt, amber eyes lit up each time lightning flashed overhead. An aura of danger clung to this particular tiger as he prowled the dark undergrowth, a beast on the hunt. His steps were sure, swift and silent as he carried himself through the nighttime territory. The only real way to see him was to catch the glare of his fire-bright eyes the color of polished amber. They held not the slightest hint of fear when thunder roared and lightning flickered. The smell of ozone, the promise of a lightning strike, barely made his whiskers twitch. IT wasn't often this particular tiger gave in to desires for violence, in fact they were concentrated to times when he felt intense rage. Tonight was one of those nights. He could not lie placidly in camp and wait for the violent weather to pass when his mood was thus. Oh no. He had to be out in it, a hunter among his pray. If he stayed in camp he would go mad, hearing the storm but not being in it. His rage would grow like a weed amongst the docile company of his clanmates and when he finally lost control of it, well, it would not be a pretty sight. The clan would be much better off that he was here, alive in the storm, than brewing massacre in camp. They didn't know the truth. They didn't know the betrayal brewing in their heart, the disease spreading from the very soul of the clan. He could not tell them, for fear of hysteria, and yet he had the overwhelming urge to do so. NO. They could not know. GROWLING low in his throat, the amber-eyed beast slipped out of the foliage and stood on a cliff that overlooked much of the territory. He could see the indent in the land where camp was. Where his clanmates lay content in their nests and arrange patrols for the next day, sharing news of the orders he had snarled out before leaving camp. The camp, however, could not hold the tom's intense gaze. His eyes wandered instead to the black clouds and white-hot lightning. Tree tops bent as winds washed through the territory. From this vantage point the clouds looked like an advancing army, the army of the sky ready to wage war on the mortals of earth. WITH an easy leap, the TigerClan male landed on the low hanging branch of a tree that grew at the edge of the cliff. It was a precarious perch, the branch hanging more over the cliff than not with only the tree to hold it to the earth. He settled himself contentedly upon the branch, striped tail hanging down. Front paws crossed over one another, as though this was a fair afternoon and he was resting between hunts and patrols. Burning amber orbs watched the advancing clouds, ready to watch the battle of sky and earth. Perhaps it would provide some insight to his current...problem. Tagged;; open Word Count;; 690 Background Song;; "Animal I Have Become" by Three Days Grace Notes;;

[}M.idnight]

'A raging storm is brewing out there. I can feel the electricity in my fur. This is going to be nasty.' The grey-blue tiger thought with a shudder. She looked over her medicine stocks and sighed deeply. 'I need so many herbs and if the storm is going to be as bad as I think it will be, then I need to hurry out and pluck some before they're gone. I better hurry up then.' She quickly listed out all the herbs, but some of them she knew would have to wait. She shook her pelt to free it of any debris from the herbs or her bedding. She poked her head out, whiskers twitching as she looked to see if it was raining yet. It wasn't, so she set out.

She slipped out of the camp's entrance, watching the sky to estimate when the sky would open up and drench the camp with a flood of water. She didn't have to look hard before she was able to find one of the herbs on her list, Coltsfoot. She soon stumbled upon an abandoned spider's web and quickly snatched that up, too, wrapping it around the tip of her tail. She sniffed around tree roots and in bushes, looking for her precious herbs that would help safe sick cats.

She wandered even further coming across flower patch and a sweet soothing smell came to her wide nostrils, lavender. Clarence had told her that lavender was a great remedy for achy muscles or headaches. 'Just mash 'em up and water 'em down and that should get the job done nicely.' She could hear his voice and that small southern twang in it. She missed him dearly, but didn't let her sadness cloud her mind and take her away from her work.

She kept walking, searching for herbs when she picked up another scent. It was the scent of another tiger. She twitch her ears. 'I thought everyone was back at home, waiting for the storm to pass. Huh, interesting.' Cobwebs still on her tail and the bundle of coltsfoot delicately in her mouth, she went on the hunt for the tiger. She finally came across a tree not far from camp, tail hanging down from a low branch. A tail hung down in front of her nose. She smirked, set down the herbs and nipped the tail tip. "What are you doing up there? Don't you know there's a storm-?" The last part of her sentence was cut of as a clap of thunder rolled over head followed closely by a long bolt of lightning. She flattened her ears and placed a paw on herbs and tucked her tail close to her small body as a large gush of wind blew past her.

Word count: 462
Characters: Petaldawn & Blazeheart
Background song: Dirty Dancer by Enrique Iglasias
Notes: I didn't think it would turn out as good as it did.

[Bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/6945r8.jpg ] THE electricity of the approaching storm was intoxicating. Amber eyes burned like flames as Blazeheart watched the rolling storm clouds. It was beautiful. Dark. Dangerous. Mother Nature at her most violent. Watching, Blazeheart flexed his claws in the bark of the branch he was laying on. Part of him wanted to leap off the branch and just free fall to the forest floor below. His chances of survival would be iffy but it would be simple, primal, easy. So much easier than the politics of the clan. Of a treacherous leader soiling the clan with loner blood. Maybe he would find some answers. Blazeheart had never bought into soul-searching, believing firmly that StarClan would reveal things as they saw fit, but there were times when he wondered if it would help sometimes to just run and roar and tear things apart. His claws itched for it and his blood pounded and roared like the approaching thunder. It was tempting. A nip at his flicking tail tip brought the TigerClan deputy back from his thoughts. Glowing amber orbs peered down and back toward solid land where he spied a tiger through the pre-storm gloom. Through the muggy electric smell of the storm, Blazeheart could smell sharp herbs and plants whose names were unimportant to him. Instantly he knew who it was. Petaldawn, the clan medicine cat. She was much like his first apprentice, Thistledown, blue-gray in color instead of the traditional orange. Many in the clan had wondered if they were family but Thistledown had told him they were no blood relation, not that it was much of Blazeheart's concern. He'd never paid her much heed. Medicine had never been something that interested him. BRINGING his tail up out of her reach, Blazeheart twitched his ears as she spoke, only to be drowned out by a crack of thunder and flash of lightning. Looking up at the sky calmly, the tiger surveyed the stormy sky for a long moment before looking back at Petaldawn, his eyes bright even as the night's shadows swallowed the rest of him. THERE was a reason he'd been named after fire. "WHAT I know and don't know isn't your concern," Blazeheart told the she-cat down below, a low growl of thunder accompanying his words. HOW appropriate. Even nature agreed. LOOKING back at the sky, Blazeheart laid his tail against his side. "Go back to camp Petaldawn before you get caught in the storm." SHE'D probably think him rude but in all honesty the deputy was in no mood to entertain tender-hearted medicine cats. Normally she would have his respect and full attention, seeing as she was supposed to be StarClan's chosen speaker and he merely a glorified warrior. Tonight though, his blood was up and even though he laid calmly on the tree branch, he wasn't sure where the night would lead. Violence. Bloodshed. Contemplation. A sign from StarClan. Rebellion. Who really knew? As the wind ghosted past him, caressing his striped pelt, Blazeheart felt his heartbeat quicken just a bit. He had the urge to run, to fight, to join the violence of the upcoming storm. Still, he'd have to hold himself together with some sort of composure until Petaldawn left. He had a reputation to keep, even if it meant a few sharp words to the clan's medicine cat. Tagged;; Petaldawn Word Count;; 555 Background Song;; "One Step Closer" by Linkin Park Notes;; ^^

[}M.idnight]

The medicine cat narrowed her bright yellow-golden eyes at the harsh worded deputy. She growled and sat down. "Do NOT tell me what I should and should not do. I have my own free will and will do as I choose. I do not have to listen to some ill-tempered tom tonight." The last words out of her mouth were of a hiss than a normal mew. She glared up at him. He should respect her more. Yes, she knew he was a warrior who liked war and itched to fight and shed blood, but that is no way to talk to her. Of all cats in the clan! A wicked smile snaked its way across her face. The found a heavy rock at the base of the tree and place it carefully over the herbs she had just collected and weaved the cobweb through rough bits of bark. 'Let's see how he likes company.' She thought with a slight hiss.

She placed her front paws on the rough bark, sank in her claws and shimmied up the trunk, perching on a branch right next to and a little higher up from the grumpy deputy. She laughed. "What do you think about this? I am not going anywhere." Her mewed wasn't hateful, just as cold as leaf bare itself. Her tail tip twitched back and forth in a slow, rhythmic pattern. Her gaze was fixed on the warrior just below her, who was still watching the sky. She occasionally would look up, too, but would mainly have her sight Blazeheart.

She noticed when the lightning flashed, his muscles would ripple, with what, she could only guess to be excitement. She sighed. 'This tom was crazy. Deliberately sitting a tree with lightning flashing every few seconds. But then again, I just had to make a quick herb run and now I'm sitting in the same tree.' She lowered down to rest on her belly, front paws tucked neatly under her chest and hind paws perfectly balanced on the branch. "What in blue blazes are you doing out here? And I want an answer and not just a, 'Go back to camp, I want to be alone,' nonsense." She narrowed her eyes again, a low growl rumbling in her throat. Normally she was a peaceful cat, caring and happy, but tonight the deputy had pushed a few wrong buttons. She didn't want to be push around by the likes of him.

Word count: 409
Characters: Petaldawn & Blazeheart
Background song: Shattered by Trading Yesterday
Notes: There's a thunder storm outside where I live right now.

[Bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/6945r8.jpg ] IRRITATION tickled at Blazeheart as he heard the hissing medicine cat down below and had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. She could have his respect in dawn's light but right now, he simply didn't care. She could do whatever it was she thought she was doing. Intimidating him or standing up to him or thinking he was crazy, whatever. That was her business. Generally Blazeheart was a reasonable tiger, firmly set in habits of hard work and respect but occasionally he just decided it was easier to let the storm rage. Right now of all times, he needed it. What with the mess brewing unseen in the clan, he needed some way to vent his frustrations. After all, Thistledown's recent findings weren't promising in Dragonstar's favor. In fact, he had almost all the evidence he needed that there was indeed something filthy swimming in the shadows of TigerClan. If it was one thing he would not stand for, it was Dragonstar's brand of betrayal. "WHAT in blue blazes are you doing out here? And I want an answer and not just a, 'Go back to camp, I want to be alone,' nonsense." EARS twitching in annoyance at the she-cat's words, Blazeheart watched her blue and black tail sweep down in front of his nose. It twitched lazily from side to side, much like his had been before she disturbed his storm watching. Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Blazeheart had to stop himself from making her tail several inches shorter. The last thing he needed was a lecture from Dragonstar, one he'd received as a young apprentice and taught to his own apprentices, told to him by a a foolish back-stabbing leader that had no respect for the clan at all. If he shortened her tail, he'd feel better but it would be much more hassle in the long run. STANDING up on his precarious perch, the tree limb swaying in the wind, Blazeheart looked down. Blackness opened up below him, the cliff's sheer face dropping straight down into more sprawling forest. For a moment he simply stood and looked at the darkness before looking up at Petaldawn. Annoying she-cat. "I don't ask why you go sniffing herbs all day. I'd appreciate if you would show the same respect for privacy." HIS words were spoken coolly with no hint that he was annoyed by her attitude and presence. Blazeheart had been a warrior and deputy long enough to be schooled well in portraying calm and making it appear as though comments and sneers simply rolled off him like water on duck feathers. It made life much easier if those he helped to lead believed he was unshakable. When he was bothered by something or someone, Blazeheart wouldn't let them see it until it was too late for them to fix their mistakes. A flashing glare of warning would be all they had before he took their ears off. Otherwise he considered himself a reasonable feline. He put up with Dragonstar's disappearances even though he suspected their origin, he tolerating whining apprentices, bumble-headed warriors and nosy medicine cats. That was better than most warriors managed in their lifetime. SPRINGING off of the branch, Blazeheart landed a paw's width from the edge of the cliff. Lashing his tail from left to right he glanced once more at the sky as he felt the pin pricks of the storm's first raindrops, their descent hastened by the high winds. His amber gaze swept through the gloom until they caught the blue-gray tigress in the tree. He gave a small smirk, probably lost in the dark but there nonetheless. "I wouldn't suggest staying in that tree much longer. Flutterpaw's not nearly ready to be a medicine cat and the clan wouldn't want to have to do without you." GIVING himself a bit of a shake as the rain began to fall a bit faster, Blazeheart turned away from Petaldawn, the tree and the cliff. With lightning flashing at his back and thunder growling overhead, the TigerClan deputy padded toward the shadowy foliage of the forest. He'd patrol the borders again or perhaps just roam for a bit during the storm. There was nothing better to do and if he didn't keep the scent markers fresh, StarClan only knew when Dragonstar would get around to it, seeing as the leader neglected not only the borders but his apprentice and the clan as a whole. Simply disgraceful. Tagged;; Petaldawn Word Count;; 700 Background Song;; "Wild Boys" by Duran Duran Notes;; ^^

[}M.idnight]

She growled, the fur slightly rising up on her shoulders. 'This cat was frustrating! How did he become the deputy?' She sighed, and cooled her thoughts and her rising temper. 'I'm sure he worked hard to get that position, just like I did to get my medicine cat position.' She watched as the tiger tom slipped down from the tree branch. Rain started to fall and she rolled her eyes.

"I wouldn't suggest staying in that tree much longer. Flutterpaw's not nearly ready to be a medicine cat and the clan wouldn't want to have to do without you." She sighed, but she had to agree with him. She didn't want to slip and fall. She bunched up her muscles and delicately jumped down from the tree let out a small groan as she landed. She shook herself. She watched as Blazeheart started to walking into the forest. She wrapped the cobweb on the tree back around her tail, moved the rock and picked up the coltsfoot and lavender in her teeth.

She checked to make sure the web was secure around her tail tip and took off after the aggravated tiger, watching his orange and black striped pelt just barely visible in front of her. "Hey, wait up! I don't care that you are the deputy of the clan, but you shouldn't go alone." She mewed, most of the anger washed away. She flattened her ears as a fat rain drop exploded on her forehead, sending tinier droplets onto her nose and down her muzzle.

She scrunched up her nose, annoyed by the water on it. She followed next to the tom, not caring if he would get upset. 'He looks as if something is really troubling him though. I wonder want could be weighing to heavily on his mind.' The sped up and was walking right beside him. She looked over at him. Placing the herbs a certain way in her mouth, she spoke, "What's on you mind, you seem, very upset and troubled." She sneezed as a raindrop hit her in the nose once more. She gave her head a small shake to get rid of it. "Don't try to tell me it's nothing either. This small medicine cat can tell." She looked at him with concern in her bright yellow eyes.

Word count: 383 (lame, my posts are getting shorter! D:)
Characters: Petaldawn & Blazeheart
Background song: Stronger by Dead By April
Notes: Petaldawn is a pesky kitty.

[Bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/6945r8.jpg ] STARCLAN'S grace this she-cat was persistent! A slight turning down of the corners of Blazeheart's mouth was the only sign of his disapproval however, as Petaldawn bounded after him. A bundle of herbs swung from her maw and a swath of silvery cobwebs were wrapped around the tail tip she'd just waved in front of his face. Couldn't she just go back to camp and leave him to think about what to do? If he didn't handle this correctly, the clan would explode in outrage. TigerClan had always been a proud one, if they discovered what was going on, there would be civil war between those loyal to Dragonstar and those loyal to the ideals of TigerClan. The last thing the tom needed was to make a mistake all because of a pesky blue-furred medicine cat that insisted on following him around in the middle of a summer thunderstorm and pestering the living StarClan out of him. He'd end up telling her about Dragonstar and then she'd blab to someone else and it would keep growing and growing until someone arranged a coup. If Blazeheart could find a way to get rid of Dragonstar quietly he would do it. If he could find the she-cat responsible and get rid of her that itself would be enough. THE blood thirsty thought was interrupted by Petaldawn's question about what was wrong and her babbling about a medicine cat's intuition. Blazeheart's jaw clenched and he nearly snarled in annoyance. Speeding up his steps, he sprang over a fallen log and veered to the right, pushing through the wet ferns to disappear off of the path he'd been following, favoring the dense undergrowth instead. "IT'S nothing that concerns you," Blazeheart growled, even though that was only a half truth. It would concern her sooner or later but she didn't need to know that right now. "Go back to camp before your herbs get ruined or you catch greencough. I'll be back in time to see the dawn patrol off and that's all you need to know." WITH his current attitude it was a wonder no one suspected Blazeheart of wrongdoing but unlike Dragonstar, he was't stupid. He never left the clan borders and on the rare occasions he did, he didn't go far enough for it to be inexplicable. Chasing out loners happened often along at least one border, the border Dragonstar frequented the most and the one Daypaw had complained to him that Dragonstar never let her patrol with him. Not that Dragonstar wasted much time letting Daypaw do anything. That was another reason Dragonstar was falling fast out of the minimal favor he had had with Blazeheart. When Blazeheart took apprentices, they lived in his shadow. They watched him do things and then showed him what they'd learned and practiced until they could do it right. That was how apprenticeships were supposed to work. With Daypaw's, Blazeheart saw the young apprentice moping around camp because Dragonstar had vanished again more often than he saw her out training with a random warrior or even rarer, actually with Dragonstar. SHAKING his head, Blazeheart leaped over a creek that was swollen from the now fast falling rain. The gloom of the night was so thick that Blazeheart's hind paws actually slid in the mud, nearly sending him flying into the stream. His front claws hooked on some roots and plants, allowing him to haul himself up but he hoped in the back of his mind Petaldawn would go back to camp and not keep following him. The howling winds told him tonight would be quite violent. Too violent for a small blue tigress that had little in the way of a warrior's reflexes. Tagged;; Petaldawn Word Count;; 618 Background Song;; "Storm Warning" by The Carter Twins Notes;; ^^

[}M.idnight]

Petaldawn let out a disgruntled hiss. 'No stubborn warrior is going tell me what to do.' She still continued after, paws pounding against the already becoming soggy ground. She stopped quickly by a tree with a hole in its trunk. Checking to see if anything was in it, she gently placed the herbs and balled up the cobwebs and stuffed that in, too. 'That ought be safe till I can get back.' She drug her claws down the side of the tree so she would make sure she could find it once more and took off after the angered deputy.

She followed down the same path Blazeheart had taken. Jumping over fallen limbs and dodging debris. She came across the swollen river and saw were he had almost fallen. 'I hope he isn't hurt. I'm sure he isn't, but I just want to be sure.' She picked up her speed, not running, but a fast paced walk. She blink as bolt of lightning zigzagged across the sky above her.

And then she saw him, walking solemnly, muscles looking tensed up. She breathed a sigh of relief and quickly caught back up with him again. She looked down on her paws and saw a little strand of lavender between her toes. Plucking it out, she inhaled deeply. It was a calming scent and thought that it might help the tiger tom. She'd keep it with her.

She padded up next to him and looked over at him. 'Yep, same angry look on his face. Why was he trying so hard to hide what was bothering him.' She frowned slightly. She looked away and focused her gaze ahead of her. "Why won't you tell me what's wrong? Something is eating at you and I hate seeing any cat like that." Her voice was serious and all anger gone, just a hint of sorrow. "You can trust me. I won't spread it. I don't gossip."

Word count: 320 (getting shorter, gah!! Sorry!)
Characters: Petaldawn & Blazeheart
Background song: Blood Sugar by Pendulum
Notes: Oh, Petaldawn. So persistent. xP

[Bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/6945r8.jpg ] PETALDAWN had to be more stubborn than any young warrior or eager apprentice Blazeheart had ever met. She was a medicine cat, she shouldn't be so concerned with warrior goings on! Frowning in the night's gloom, Blazeheart strode through the undergrowth as lightning flickered overhead and illuminated the forest for a split second before plunging it into darkness again. How could he shake her off and get her back to camp? She'd already disrupted his storm watching and now she was tailing him on a solitary patrol to clear his mind. If she could just go away, he was sure he could think of something that would benefit everyone. Petaldawn was simply being a nusence. But Blazeheart couldn't get mad, he had to keep his cool even though at the moment he wanted to sink his claws into something and make it bleed just to soothe his frustration. At this rate, he'd have a heart attack or something from the strains. "WHY won't you tell me what's wrong? Something is eating at you and I hate seeing any cat like that. You can trust me. I won't spread it. I don't gossip." BITING down on his tongue to contain his temper, nearly to the point of making it bleed, Blazeheart wheeled around to face the Maltese tigress. He turned so suddenly the pair were nearly nose to nose. Her gold eyes glowed through the darkness. They were a few shades lighter than the amber orange of Blazeheart's. Blazeheart was much bigger than Petaldawn, though average for a normal male tiger, he had no problem imposing himself on her personal space. He took a step forward, his paws nearly brushing hers, his nose nearly touching hers, his eyes lit up in the night. Over his head, lightning split the sky. "IT. Is. Not. Your. Concern." He spoke each word with force and a heavy coating of warning. "There is nothing wrong, the clan is fine. Go back to your herbs and cobwebs, where you belong." HE'D be sorry tomorrow because he knew it was extremely rude to speak thus to a medicine cat, or even to a concerned clanmate. Blazeheart would probably hand deliver the finest piece of fresh kill tomorrow and send a warrior or apprentice to accompany her and Flutterpaw when they went about their herb gathering. Right now though, Petaldawn was quickly fraying his last nerve, not that they'd been in the best condition when she'd come upon him sitting in the tree on the cliff. At least then he'd been a bit more tolerable. Right now he was a whisker's width from giving her a nice new set of stripes across her nose. He never would but it was extremely tempting. He didn't trust her to keep her trap shut. As persistent as she was right now, there was no hope for her to stay quiet if he really did share what was going on. It would never die on the lips of a nosy blue medicine cat. Oh no. She'd spew false prophecies and drop hints to all the warriors and apprentices that passed through her den. That wasn't how this needed to be handled. Blazeheart simply needed to...simplify the equation. Take out Dragonstar's little problem, make sure his leader had nothing to distract him from TigerClan and his prior duties. Tagged;; Petaldawn Word Count;; 555 Background Song;; "The Game" by Disturbed Notes;; :3

[}M.idnight]

At this point the blue-grey tigress could not hold her anger back. Her soft golden eye turned fiery, claws sinking into the softening ground and the fur along her spine rose up. "Listen here, I don't know what's itching in your fur, but this has got to stop! I have done nothing wrong, only just followed you." She snarled, losing all patience with this tom. She had tried to keep her words cool and her temper in check, but now she couldn't hold it.

She took a step towards him, tail lashing behind her. "You say there's nothing wrong in the clan, but there is. And you're hiding it. Something is going on, and I can tell." Growls of thunder accompanied her own, lighting flashed violently ahead. Another step forward. A strong gust of wind swirled around the two tigers. "I know very well that this might concern me. And I have a right to know. Stop evading the question."

She looked hard at him, her muscles tightening up. 'I may look small and frail, but I can fight. I may not be a warrior, but I have the heart of one. If this came down to a fight, I won't back down.' She stared at him. Fiery golden eyes locked onto to the same fiery intensity of amber eyes. Her muscle rippled under her short, blue pelt. A low growl escaped from her chest. "What is your problem?" It was a simple question, but it was also filled with much anger and hurt. She blinked once. Twice. And then shook her head. 'It's hopeless. Maybe I am better off going back to camp and forgetting about this entire night. Flutterpaw is probably worried sick right now.' She took a step back. Anger burned out to nothing more than just a mere ember. She was hurt and didn't know if this was even worth it. "I don't know about you anymore."

Word count: 321
Characters: Petaldawn & Blazeheart
Background song: Riot by Three Days Grace
Notes: Angry kitty.

[Bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/6945r8.jpg ] LONG hooked claws slipped from Blazeheart's paws and sank into the softening earth as rain poured down around the pair and the sky tore itself apart and the storm raged. Electricity tingled in the air but the TigerClan deputy paid it no heed. His burning gaze was fixed completely on the stubborn tigress barely a whisker's width from him. He hadn't been this close to another cat in a long time. He wasn't anti-social or anything, you couldn't be as a deputy, but he didn't make it a habit to get into the personal space of those he led. It had always seemed unprofessional to him. Right now though, he found he didn't care in the least. His nerves were frayed and he was frustrated beyond belief, not only with Petaldawn but with the whole situation. Situations like this weren't supposed to happen! That was what the warrior code was for! That was why it was taught so much to apprentices, when they were still young and impressionable. This was what happened when headstrong loners soiled the clans and tried to live by their own rules. They had no discipline, they were out for murder and chaos. THEY'D killed his family. Loners. Rogues. They didn't change just because they joined a clan. Blazeheart never believed that. Dragonstar sure didn't prove hime wrong and Petaldawn, he tolerated her because StarClan chose her. At least, that was how it was supposed to go. She probably didn't even believe in StarClan. For all he know, he'd tell her what was going on and end up getting poisoned. She was probably covering Dragonstar's tracks or something. GROWLING low in his throat, Blazeheart looked away from the medicine cat. "I don't trust you." He eyes locked on to hers again. "Or anyone like you. You're all the same. Now get back to camp, that's an order. I can have warriors keep you in camp for the next three moons if I chose to. Now get out of here." THE last part was spoken as a sharp snarl, his eyes dangerous. If it came down to it, he would trump her authority or even force her back to camp just to get some peace. StarClan knew Dragonstar would never notice anything. The tom was never in camp. Never with his apprentice. Never with his clan. He didn't talk to them, hear their complaints, hear their reports. Oh no. That fell to Blazeheart because Dragonstar shot them a glare and chased them off. He wasn't a leader. He was a lazy loner mooching off of the hard work of a clan and trying to soil their blood, trying to twist their laws and acting as if the code didn't even exist. No. Blazeheart wouldn't tolerate him or anyone like him. If Dragonstar some how noticed Petaldawn being under lockdown, it wouldn't take much for Blazeheart to trump Dragonstar too, maybe even chase him out. The clan didn't know him. They knew Blazeheart. He was the one they went to for orders and reports and who fixed their problems. He worked himself to the bone for them while Dragonstar... WHILE Dragonstar decided he was too good for them and found some LionClan tramp to spend time with... WHEELING around, fueled by his fury, Blazeheart lashed out with a snarl. His claws tore through a nearby tree, leaving deep grooves in the tree's bark and softwood. Petaldawn better count herself lucky that tree wasn't her head. Looking over his shoulder at the blue-pelted pest. "IF you don't go back to camp the next one will be your head," Blazeheart snarled. "I'm out of patience for your nosy self." Tagged;; Petaldawn Word Count;; 606 Background Song;; "Dance With the Devil" by Breaking Benjamin Notes;; angrier kitteh

[}M.idnight]

She watch as claws gouged deep wounds into tree. She shook her head. 'Stupid tom! He's acting like a spoiled kit who didn't get what he wanted when he asked.' She thought bitterly. She watched him and listened his words carefully. He was angry, yes, but just spewing empty threats. 'He would never think to try and kill me.' She hissed at him, sinking her claws deeper in the ground.

"Is that truly your wish? Too push away a clan member, your medicine cat, in a time of need? How mouse-brained could you get?" She let out a frustrated growl. "Fine, be my guest. If you think your so all knowing and powerful, then forget you." She turned around, glancing back over her shoulder just has he did to her. "And when you come back to camp, stay away from me. Hatefulness gets you nowhere in life and if you keep pushing everyone away, you'll end up lonely. I feel sorry for the tigress who meets you." She spat out the last words and started back the way she came.

She walked a few feet away from him, before she turn and looked back at him. "Try swallowing your pride sometime. You'll be happier." And with that said, she walked away. She didn't even think to look back once, just kept her eyes forward. She growled and felt the rain fall around her. Her pelt was already soaked ad she worried about getting sick. 'If Blazeheart comes back sick, I'll have Flutterpaw deal with his sorry pelt. I want nothing to do with him.' She sneezed as water splashed into her nose.

She followed her path back to the tree, where her herbs had stayed nice and dry from the rain. She found a few leaves, shook them as close to dry as she could get and laid the coltsfoot and lavender on it, placing the ball of cobwebs on top. She wrapped it up and gripped it with her teeth. She started her trek back to camp.

The rain picked up and the thunder and lightning were not wanting to leave just yet. She flattened her ears. 'I was stupid and foolish to try and follow him into the forest. He can handle things on his own. He didn't need anyone, surely not his medicine cat. Whatever, he can handle his worries on his own.' She growled.

Word count: 395
Characters: Petaldawn & Blazeheart
Background song: Glory by Hollywood Undead
Notes: And she gives up. xD

[Bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/6945r8.jpg ] BLAZEHEART rolled his eyes as Petaldawn spewed her two-faced words and disappeared into the forest. He had no intention of running after her and apologizing. Oh no. If she'd left him alone like he'd asked, she wouldn't be drenched to the bone and angry. She would have been stung for a bit but she would have gotten over it. Oh well. As long as she continued to do her job for the rest of TigerClan, the deputy could honestly not care less about what she thought of him. Normally cats like her and Dragonstar, he could ignore them. They were members of the clan, his responsibility as its deputy. Tonight though, Petaldawn was treading on thin ice and then wouldn't stop. She'd finally touched a nerve and now she was going to go pout because she'd gotten burned while playing with fire. Well, too bad for her. She could get over it and suck it up. She was the medicine cat, that was all. It didn't mean she was entitled to seeing into his soul and knowing everything there was to know. She was a loner. She didn't understand clan politics. She'd think it was funny or sweet or cute. PUH. SHAKING his head with a soft snarl, the deputy strode through the wet undergrowth. His pelt was dark red with rainwater, slicked to his body, making him look a bit smaller than normal but Blazeheart wasn't bothered. Even as the storm raged around him he refused to worry. He had other things to think about. STANDING in the middle of a small clearing, Blazeheart turned his head skyward and looked up at the forked lightning. "Stupid tigress," he muttered, amber eyes watching as lightning flickered from cloud to cloud. "Well fine. She wants to know what's going on? She'll find out." IT was time to use Thistledown's idea. Let the rumors spread. Whisper warrior to warrior of Dragonstar's mysterious disappearances. Let the spoken word bring about the tom's fall. It would be his own fault. In half a moon the entire clan would be crying out for justice. They'd have to keep it quiet so Dragonstar didn't get too suspicious. He had to keep meeting his little solid-pelted lover or they'd never be rid of her. He'd find warriors to assist him. They'd find out where Dragonstar met the tramp and they would destroy her. If LionClan pitched a fit, TigerClan would be well within its rights and with good reason, LionClan would agree to look the other way. Dragonstar could then be at the mercy of the clan, caught in the act. He would either leave or be destroyed by the clan. DIRTYING their blood with loner or rogue blood, it happened and always would. It would almost be excusable because the she-cat's kits would never be part of the clan as long as Blazeheart was deputy. Dirtying their blood with a lion's blood...that was just unnatural. TURNING his head a bit back toward where Petaldawn had gone, he watched a fork of lightning streak from the sky and strike a tree. The shower of sparks that followed the strike flickered in Blazeheart's eyes. StarClan had to be frowning upon Dragonstar's foolish antics. It was Blazeheart's responsability to the clan, his leader and his ancestors to put a stop to it. No matter what Petaldawn thought, there was a rhyme and a reason to every move Blazeheart made. She didn't know him, didn't understand him. She never had and never would. She didn't want to, not really. Her sympathy was false, forced by duty as a medicine cat. She didn't know if he was lonely or not because he wasn't. She didn't know because she never would because she wasn't strong enough. Tagged;; Petaldawn Word Count;; 624 Background Song;; "City" by Hollywood Undead Notes;; if you want petal to get caught in the strike somehow, he'll go save her and probably we could form some kind of heart to heart moment if you're interested

[}M.idnight]

As she padded back home, pausing once or twice to check behind her, she mumbled things to herself. 'Inconsiderate jerk. Yelling at a medicine cat. I may have been a loner in my life, but I know full well of the warrior code. My mother had taught it to me and Clarence had repeated some of it to me. Mouse-brained deputy.' She mutter more things under her breath as she walked further from him. "I don't need him telling me what to do. You hear that?!" She hissed into the night.

She kept walking, eyes fixed on the path ahead of her and she saw a bolt of lightning dance across the sky and strike the tree right beside her. She gasped, dropping her bundle of herbs and cobwebs and jumped back. She tried her best to get out of the way of a large falling branch, but it caught her on the lower back, pinning to the ground. A smaller branch that had broken as it was falling caught her in the leg, cutting deep gash in it. Her bundle of herbs was just out of her reach. She let out a loud painful roar, sending sleeping birds scattering out of trees nearby. 'I just hope Blazeheart isn't too far away. Gah, I hate to ask him for help, but he's the only one out here.'

'Just great. I'm pinned and bleeding and it's still raining and the storm doesn't seem to want to let up anytime soon.' She looked at the sky. "I'm sorry StarClan, for any trouble that I had caused tonight with Blazeheart. Forgive me?" She said, pain and hope laced her voice. She dropped her gaze. "I just he the ancestors hear me and send that stubborn tiger tom." 'I must look pretty foolish; a medicine cat caught under a fallen tree, unable to help herself.'

She laid there, unable to move, but all the time in the world to think to herself. Breathing was a little hard but she could manage; the worst pain was in her leg. Her back hurt some, but nothing was broken in it. She was sure nothing in her leg was broken either, just torn open and bleed fairly well. She turned her head and winced when she caught sight of the wound through the gap between her body, the ground and the tree. She laid her head on the ground, just thinking to herself. 'I'm sure I won't die tonight, but if I do, I would die happy. TigerClan is strong and their medicine cat in training will do fine, with help from others.' She closed her eyes and waited, for what, she hoped it to be Blazeheart. "Even as stubborn as he is."

Word count: 455
Characters: Petaldawn & Blazeheart
Background song: S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W by My Chemical Romance
Notes: Run to her Blaze!

[Bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i56.tinypic.com/6945r8.jpg ] A muffled sound roused Blazeheart from his thoughts, reaching the clearing just in the tail end of a thunder's growl. Perking his ears, the deputy straightened up and looked toward the darkened trees, rain pouring down around his orange form. He listened. Silence. He almost hoped he hadn't really heard a roar because the only cat around outside of camp was Petaldawn. Tail twitching, the tom took a step in the direction he'd left the she-cat. Amber ears searched the stormy darkness. Silence. Thunder growled. Lightning struck. No second roar. The tom hesitated for only a moment before deciding it was better to be safe than sorry. That lightning strike had been close but surely not that close, right? Something nagged at the back of Blazeheart's mind, telling the striped deputy that he was wrong. Petaldawn may have gotten on his nerves but he didn't hate her, he was just mad. If he left her out here and she got hurt, he'd feel terrible about it later and the clan would be down a medicine cat. Flutterpaw was promising but still in need of guidance. Not someone he'd leave a dying cat with. HIS massive paws splashed through the soggy ground and massive puddles as the deputy took off into the foliage. He hadn't made it far before he found his path blocked by a massive fallen tree split down the middle. His amber eyes flitted from the tree to the ground. He could smell ozone and burnt foliage. LIGHTNING had left its mark here. GROWLING in frustration, Blazeheart peered into the gloom. "Petaldawn?" he called, his voice sharp and loud as a roar of thunder nearly drowned him out. LEAPING onto a huge chunk of the trunk, his gaze swept the debris of the struck tree. He couldn't see any blue fur poking out anywhere or smell Petaldawn but that didn't mean much. With all the ozone and burned foliage it was impossible to smell much else. Digging his claws into the wood, he propelled himself into a thick tangle of branches, seeking out the medicine cat. If she wasn't really in this mess, he'd be furious. He stepped on a branch to push it out of his way and peer into the tangle of branches. The branch snapped and whipped back, catching Blazeheart across his muzzle. A snarl of pain rose from the deputy as he took a step back from the object that had caused his pain. Blinking blood out of his eye, Blazeheart leaped away from the tangle and caught a glimpse of his reflection in a puddle. A line of blood was slashed across his face from just above his right eye to his jaw. Great. This night just couldn't get any better. LEAPING over the broken trunk, Blazeheart looked around and spotted a foot caught under a branch. Petaldawn. Springing over branches and limbs, the tom spryly made his way through the mess of the fallen tree. His claws slid into the mesh hodge podge of small limbs and leaves as he carefully made his way toward the foot. Beyond the smaller limb pinning it down, there was a larger limb pinning a blue-furred body to the ground. A moment of panic struck Blazeheart but he kept it from his face. What if she'd broken her back? Or was dead? Fantastic, just fantastic. StarClan would haunt him for all eternity! "PETALDAWN," Blazeheart called, leaping over the larger branch to land next to the blue medicine cat. GOLDEN eyes swiftly swept over the debris. The branch pinning her foot, he could probably move. The one pinning her down...that would take some work. Padding closer to it, he reared onto his hind paws and gave an experimental push. It didn't move, sunk into the mud already. Dropping to all fours he gave another trial push with his shoulder. Still nothing. Stepping back his eyes flicked from object to object again before he sighed and shook his head. "OF course you would be caught in a lightning strike," Blazeheart grumbled, no real fire in his voice anymore as his tired eyes fell on Petaldawn. "Can you still move your foot? Fell your hind legs?" Tagged;; Petaldawn Word Count;; 697 Background Song;; "Heart Like Memphis" by the Carter Twins Notes;; ^^