if i survive , , then i'll see you tommorow

[ACE! the cannibal]

ah, sleep. truly nature's one and only treat. Wrenstar was on the border of sleeping, head floating peacefully on the relaxation of sleep. Her paw was dangling off the tree's branch, her head resting on her outstretched arm. Wrenstar gave a hearty and rather happy purr, tail curling and uncurling. As leader, finally, leader, she couldn't be chewed out for avoiding duties. She chewed people out. And that thought was extremely pleasing. Not really worrying about the dangers of being found out or enemies, her only worry was the ground beneath her. The solution was simple, find a branch nearest to the ground and she had found it. A simple, well-rounded branch that was thick at the base, only a leap away. Besides, didn't all cats land on their feet?

Cracking a silver eye to the sun, Wrenstar had to guess it was noon, as the sky was perched just above the brow of the trees, barely visible through the foliage of the tall trees. Giving it some thought, the rather young leopardess wasn't really being that lazy. She had managed to send out the dawn border and hunting patrols which was always a hassle. She hated getting up and ordering people, before she had time to ease her muscles and blink sleep from her eyes. As soon as she saw them out, she followed them before finding a suitably strong tree before she settled down and slept once more. She grinned and snickered slightly. And to think she was worried about being a leader! The entire thing was easy, she could roll and drift with it just like when she was a warrior. But this time, no complainers, no enemies and no punishments. Although, she would have to watch her tongue. Just in case.

Letting her eyes flickered shut once more, she allowed herself to stretch out, enjoying the heat the sun provided and the shade the tree had given her. i'll have to remember this spot. she thought, for it truly was the perfect blend of shade and sunlight. However, something kept nagging at her, something she should be doing yet wasn't. Border? No, she had sent out a good group? Hunting? She frowned in her semi-knocked out state of mind. Maybe, but she could always hunt on the way back to camp.

[Bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i51.tinypic.com/ev9nox.png] THERE was never any peace, that was a lesson Cloudclaw had learned well when he'd still been an apprentice under the strict order of his mentor. Idleness led to chaos, one of his mentor's favorite little lessons. Cloudclaw hated it. He was a dreamer at heart, named because his mother said he always had his head in the clouds, plotting and daydreaming. It was silly really, but he'd never grown out of it. So, when he'd woken up because of noisy clanmates in the warrior's den, there'd been little place else to think except for outside of camp. It was one of his favorite passtimes anyway, so he might as well hunt and let his mind be idle since it had been trained out of him to let his body be too idle. MERELY thinking about his grumpy old mentor made Cloudclaw huff a sigh through the mouthful of rabbit he was carrying. It was rediculous. Being too busy was unhealthy and yet, being too idle was chaotic. Huh. Crazy old leopards. Shaking his head, Cloudclaw leaped easily onto a boulder that blocked his path, muscles rippling under his thick silver coat, the splattered black spots on his sides shimmering oddly in the patchy forest sunlight. It felt good to stretch his muscles, like when he ran or jumped, though climbing was by far his favorite. Standing on the boulder, the silver leopard surveyed the land before him, limp rabbit still held in his strong jaws. All seemed still, despite being so close to the TigerClan boarder. Bushy tail flicking near the tip, a habit of his, Cloudclaw put down the rabbit and took in deep lungfuls of air just to make sure he wasn't missing anything. Better to be safe than sorry. That particular motto, was his own, not his stuffy mentor's. WHEN he found nothing extraordinary, the young warrior picked up the rabbit and sprang off the boulder. His paws, densely furred, made no noise as he traversed the land. Weaving like a silver serpent between boulders and trees, leaping ravines, and the like, he picked his way along the border, choosing to take the long way back to camp. After all, it would merely be noisy and busy and he enjoyed the serene forest landscape much more. It let his mind wander, drifting off as his paws carried him down one path, his mind slipping down another. A bird call overhead drew his pale yellow gaze skyward, that was when he made his big mistake. Not watching where he was going, the silver leopard only glimpsed the fallen tree barring his path. Thinking absentmindedly, he jumped, thinking he had enough clearance with a simple, easy jump. Just as he was clearing the log, his hind feet didn't come up high enough. With an unpleasant jerk, Cloudclaw's wandering mind was brought back to earth with a sudden thump as he was sent tumbling and rolling into the dirt. Leaf litter was scattered by his paws as he tried to save himself and nearly overbalanced, causing him to trip on his own feet and stumble into a tree. Thanks to the unmoving nature of the healthy tree, Cloudclaw's near tumble came to a stop. FOR a moment he simply stood, staring. Somehow in his scramble to save himself from making a fool of cats everywhere, he'd turned himself around. Now, standing with his right side to the tree he'd run into and facing the tree he'd tripped over, Cloudclaw could only stare dumbly. It took him a full four heartbeats before he realized he wasn't holding the rabbit anymore. Looking around, the male saw it laying, probably thrown accidentally by yours truely, under a thick tree branch on the tree he was standing next to. Turning to go retrieve it, another surprise hit Cloudclaw. His pale yellow eyes slowly tracked upward from where the rabbit lay. FIRST he saw the tail. Then the spotted pelt. Then the outstretched paw. Then the face. MOUSEDUNG. IT was Wrenstar. "UH..." Cloudclaw began stupidly, wondering if by some miracle, she'd missed his bout of clumsiness. Tagged;; Wrenstar/acez Word Count;; 683 Background Song;; "I Just Haven't Met You Yet" by Michael Buble Notes;; poor clumsy Cloudclaw xD

[ACE! the cannibal]

Nothing.nothing.nothing.nothing.nothing. Light! You are my light! who.who.who.who.who? loud.rumble.loud.cry.strong.kit.brother. brother bond. brother bond. brother! brother! loud paws. loud paws. loud paws. spotted. grey. my brother loudpaw! hurt. sad. hurt. hurt. sad. hurt. sad. anger! hurt. sad. hurt. sad. why hurt? why sad? why do you frown brother? why do you frown? sister. sister. i am here. sister. sister. brother? why do we play hide and seek? happy. happy. happy. i smile brother, can't you see? sister. sister. frown. hurt. sad. angry. is something wrong brother? did i do something wrong brother? panic. panic. run. run. scared. brother? why do we run? sister. sister. that man will hurt you! run. run. brother! wait! trip, stumble. trip, stumble. hurt, brother why don't you help me? turn and look. turn and look. fumbled fragments! you are dead! you are dead! you can't hurt me here. hurt me! screaming scars. broken back. father i hate you! father leave me alone! brother help me! i have fallen! screaming terror, dream, this must be dream! wake up. tears, cold. blood, hot. tear.cold.hot.blood. pain! pain in my spine! wake up! wake up! WAKE UP!

Toppling nearly off her branch with the trembles of the tree, Wrenstar snapped her head up, eyes wide and trembling in a hot and cold shivers. Breathless, although instantly, Wrenstar was starting to forget. Wanting to forget such a terrible dream. Either StarClan was screwing with the leopardess, but she knew it was the jumbled up guilt in her stomach, her hope that her brother lived and the hate for her father, all rolled up into one shattered dream. Her breathing was shaking as she tried to calm herself, steady terror and chase any doubts of insanity. Nightmares. Everyone had one. Until something came and plopped itself right on her branch.

Wrenstar knew she didn't wake up on her on accord. Although the pain of her father's claws on her back felt real, the knocking of tree caused her to dig those ebony claws into bark, to stop herself from falling of the edge and plummeting to the forest floor. Looking up, she wondered if a bird flew into the branches and that's what caused the tremors and for the small rabbit to fall from the sky and land at her paws. Maybe it was raining prey. Frowning, she turned to the floor and her ears pricked forward in curiosity. She narrowed her grey eyes, as her first thought appeared. damn, they found me. Stretching her spine, she gathered the hare into her jaws and she jumped down, tail flicking. Normally, she would be annoyed, but she was so relieved. She hated dreams, and preferred the empty darkness that normall surrounded her brain. Throwing it in Cloudclaw's general direction she sat down. It neither a grumpy, energetic elder or her deputy that come out to draw her back to camp, to her duty. But a warrior, one she had trained with since she was younger. She let out a happy sigh, a release of pleasure. Thank StarClan.

Raising a hind leg, Wrenstar scratched her ears and neck before lowering it and blinked. So, what have you been up to lately? You know, other than practicing the sport of throwing hares. She gave a kidding smile and nodded in his direction, as the dark, haunting nightmare still lingered on her whiskers. It was going to take awhile to shake the dream remnants of that one.

[Bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i51.tinypic.com/ev9nox.png] PALE yellow orbs followed Wrenstar's reaction as she jerked awake and then spotted him and dropped down to the ground. Cloudclaw blinked. Something seemed...off with the LeopardClan leader, though he had no idea what. Mentally shrugging, Cloudclaw decided he'd gotten himself in enough trouble as of late, no need to go poking his nose in the business of others. Not to mention she seemed pretty amused by his 'rabbit throwing'. Blushing under his fur, Cloudclaw ducked his head a bit, ears flitting back and forth nervously. He was such an idiot. Normal leopards didn't misjudge a jump and trip. They also didn't disturb a leader when she was resting. Wrenstar may think his little almost tumble was amusing but Cloudclaw not so much. He felt it was humiliating and just went to prove that Icefur and all those other cats that said he could do fantastic things were just plain insane. He was klutzy and good for nothing but to laugh at. Jeez. "UH..sorry about that," Cloudclaw told the tawny-pelted she-cat, bobbing his head respectfully. "It...I don't know how it got away from me," he lied lamely, barely stopping himself from flinching at how stupid that sounded. GET away from him? It was dead! How could it get away? It shouldn't have. He shouldn't have tripped. Jeez he was a mess. What was wrong with him today? It was like someone had pulled his brain out and thrown it into the nearest stream and let it get washed away. He couldn't help but remember when he was a kit and his confidence had been through the roof, when he'd held his head high and laughed and joked and wrestled with other kits and even some young apprentices. Back then he hadn't been ducking his head and keeping out of everyone's way. Then he had been sure of himself and the world he lived in, the world he shared with his brother. Now he knew better. He knew how dangerous and uncertain it was. Knew how things could change in a heartbeat. It was just a mess. And yet some cats could continue holding their heads high and being sure of themselves. Well. They'd never lost something as suddenly as Cloudclaw had. THAT was why he always had trouble going around cats his age because he knew they might remember the frantic search for himself and his brother, would have even been part of the party that dragged him half frozen from the reeds and told him Thornkit was nowhere to be found. They might remember the days of shell-shocked silence that had swallowed Cloudclaw even into his apprenticeship. They'd remember the drastic change and shake their heads at him, thinking him pitiful for letting himself fall so far into the blackness of uncertainty. Cats like Wrenstar, young enough to remember but not old enough to let it go, well, they made him even more unsure because he was sure that was all they remembered, all they knew about him. He hated being the tell-tale tragedy but, it seemed to be the disease clinging to him. "I'LL go, sorry to disturb you," Cloudclaw said, bobbing his head again and reaching between them to retrieve the rabbit. Holding it firmly this time, he stood and made to turn and retreat. Tagged;; Wrenstar Word Count;; 548 Background Song;; "The Witness" by Under the Flood Notes;; sorry its kind of short, it's hard to get into cloudclaw's head for this one for some reason >.<

[ACE! the cannibal]

She raised an eyebrow as Cloudclaw stuttered out an excuse, in which she gave a ruthless smirk and found a laugh trying to tease it's way through closed teeth. Yeah, that new species of flying rabbit is quirky one. She chuckled, flicking her tail near his shoulder, her tone light and kidding. Trying to tease the cloud leopard, like they were old friends.

But that was the point wasn't it? They weren't old friends, they were comrades. Maybe they went on the same hunting assessment. Yeah, she remembered it, but it was a fading memory. Her father had been kicked out of camp, her mother dead and Loudpaw.. Loudpaw was gone. Cloudclaw was the dutifully following student, the best of the best and her mentor would often scold her to follow in his footsteps. She often complained he was a goody-two-shoes and had nearly failed. But Wrenstar also remembered a mixture of jealousy and pity when she looked at Cloudclaw. Cloudclaw never straying, always praised. And Wrenstar had ignored any quips and quotes from others. Wrenstar had always figured he'd be leader, but here, because of her rebellious nature, she was leader, confident and strong. And he stood there, afraid and stuttering like a newborn kit getting a tongue-lashing from the elders.

Of course, she was old enough to remember the incident with Thornkit, which was unfortunate. She actually had a family back then, and her mother chided her to be on her best behavior around Cloudclaw, and to be careful with her words. To show some kindness and compassion around him. Too late for that.

Shrugging her shoulders, she watched him turn around before she shivered, and she looked at the tree with a mixture of hatred and fear. The nightmare was still letting it's fingers run through her mind and thoughts, and all she could remember in the loneliness as Cloudclaw started to walk away. I'll come with you. She chirped, nose twitching as she padded up next to the white warrior. She chuckled as she shrugged her shoulders, hoping that Cloudclaw didn't mind the company of the pushy, boisterous leader. If I don't show up soon, the clan will have my hide.

[Bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i51.tinypic.com/ev9nox.png] CLOUDCLAW very nearly groaned aloud when Wrenstar mentioned coming along but he kept his mouth shut and nodded politely to the leopardess. He kept his gaze fixed, trying to pretend he didn't know Wrenstar's attitude. She was so much like the others it stung. Cats had two ways of reacting to him, acting like they were longtime friends or just acting like he was a scaredy cat that didn't deserve a second glance. At least Wrenstar was decent in pretending they'd been companions as apprentices. Cloudclaw knew it was wrong and so did she. He'd kept to himself, afraid that another wrong choice, another wrong turn would hurt someone. Even now toward perfect strangers, Cloudclaw refused to do things that might lead them to danger. Most warriors reveled in their confidence, especially Wrenstar. She was a cat that, at least to the outside world, appeared comfortable in her own skin and sure of herself. That was all well and good, perfect in a leader, until someone got killed because of one rash order. SHAKING his head at the thought, Cloudclaw sprang lightly onto a fallen log and dropped over onto the other side. The sound of a wide stream rushing through the forest made the snow leopard's ears twitch. Without looking back to see if Wrenstar would follow, not all that concerned if she didn't, Cloudclaw padded toward it and dropped the rabbit next to a small rock on the bank. Dipping his head, the young warrior lapped up the cool water, his mind wandering to the strange little she-cat he'd pulled out of a much fiercer river. Did this stream feed into that one? Was the she-cat, Kiya, doing alright? He hoped she was. For all the fire in her belly, she was still blind and the world was unforgiving toward such things. Stopping his drink but still remaining crouched, Cloudclaw looked at his rippling reflection. The world was unforgiving toward a lot of things. SITTING up a bit, Cloudclaw glanced over at Wrenstar. "Farther down stream there's a clearing where a vixen made her den," he reported, wrapping his tail around his paws. "We'll have to keep apprentices from hunting there but they shouldn't cause any trouble otherwise." CLOUDCLAW had stumbled upon the vixen while hunting a few days ago and very nearly received a nose full of claw marks for his troubles. Being a bigger and faster animal however, he'd avoided the irritated mother and only just spied the three kits huddled at the mouth of her den. Most clan cats would argue that the foxes needed taking care of but in general, Cloudclaw was a live and let-live kind of cat. The foxes hadn't caused any trouble yet and unless they did, there really wasn't much that needed done. Most leopards hunted big game anyway, so what trouble would it make if a fox hunted more rabbits and mice? Wrenstar might not see it that way, but that was Cloudclaw's reasoning. REACHING for the rabbit, Cloudclaw stood and waded into the stream. Most cats would use the steppingstones or a fallen tree to leap across but since his voluntary leap into a much stronger river to rescue a perfect stranger, Cloudclaw had found he didn't mind it so much. Sure his thick double coat took forever to dry, but there were worst things in life. Drowning. Suffocation. An outbreak of illness amongst the clan. Yep. If a wet coat was all he ever got, Cloudclaw would be good to go for the rest of his life. Tagged;; Wrenstar Word Count;; 590 Background Song;; "Not One of Us" from the Lion King Notes;; we need some action in this thread....:3