Full of Fear, Ever Clear. [Open]

[Twitty]

Rayne

Rain, rain, go away...
All the world is waiting for the sun.

Amidst the green grass that stood stock still, proudly watching over their brethren in the field, there was some movement. Near the borders of the neighboring forest, a black and gray shape mulled about the frost that the morning had left in its wake. The black form was a she-cat, making her way to a comfortable patch of grass. She picked her way carefully through the frost bitten foliage, however nothing could be done about the fur on her underbelly that was already plastered against her side. Why are you dragging us all the way out here? a voice in the back of her head complained. I’m not being stubborn for once, this time, though, she continued. We could seriously use a good mouse or something. Rayne sighed, finally making it to her destination. She sat down tentavely, and wrapped her long, luxuriously fluffy and equally as warm tail around her forepaws. Her yellow eyes scanned the horizon for any sign of life. “Because,” she answered aloud. “I promised to meet her here today.” Cass sighed loudly in the back of her mind, but said nothing more for the time being. The “her” that Rayne had spoken of was none other than her sister, Tawny. She had been missing her kittypet family, and the last time they’d run into each other, the two made arrangements to meet here. Although, as Rayne’s eyes tended to sweeping the horizon of twoleg nests in the distance for any feline movement, she was beginning to realize what a mistake this may be in the end. This was RiverClan territory, she knew, but this was the closest spot to where her family lived. Rayne had offered to just simply show up at their doorstep while the twolegs were away, but her sister, as adventurous as always, had said otherwise, insisting to come out here herself. What if they were caught? Rayne wouldn’t mind that; she wanted to be discovered by this Clan. She longed to become a member, but simply didn’t know how to go about to becoming one. Her sister, however, had no such intentions. Surely the Clan cats would be more forgiving to a “lost” kittypet, wouldn’t they? She could only hope so. Rayne narrowed her eyes against the glare from the sun above. The sky was beautifully clear; a scenic Newleaf day. Even from where she was sitting she could hear the scuttling of field mice underneath the tall grass. The last thing she needed at this moment was a patrol to come by. Just shut up and catch us some fresh kill, Cass complained. Rayne sighed aloud, and shook her head, closing her eyes for a moment. “You’re so stubborn,” she said quietly. No, I’m hungry. There’s a difference. The she-cat groaned. “Fine.” Despite herself, Rayne got to her paws and focused only on catching prey. This was a good way to pass the time, anyway. Perhaps she and her sister could share once she arrived. Suddenly, hunting sounded perfect. Rayne’s ears twitched, picking up the smallest sound of a field mouse close by. This field was rich of them, and they were usually good size, too. It wouldn’t be hard for her to catch at least one by the time her sister showed up. Crouching down when the scuttling noise drew near, Rayne followed the sound a bit to her right, pausing when the prey fell silent, and then continuing only when she heard movement. Prey scent filled her nose; it smelled delicious. She could practically feel the mouse’s body underneath her claws. There! Just a few steps closer now. Rayne gathered herself, her muscles rippling beneath her gray and black coat, before she rushed forward in one spring, landing right on top of the unsuspecting mouse before it had a chance to flee. Rayne finished the little creature off quickly, respecting its life. She didn’t like to toy with her meals at the best of times. Satisfied with this catch, Rayne smiled to herself and lowered her head, gathering the rodent up inside her powerful jaws.

Words;; 677
Status;; Complete.
Notes;; All are welcome in this thread. c:[/size]

[Tikker]

The horseplace has always been the calmest place for the brown she-cat to travel. The horses never seemed to be bothered by a feline's appearence, even due to the fact that a few kitty-pets live in the stables.

Ever since she was made an apprentice, and allowed to walk the territory alone, the brown-coated leader, always had the heart to go and listen to the sound of the water in the lake. I can't believe I walked this path with Ravenpaw and Silverpaw, the day we became apprentices.

The words brushed through the she-cat's mind as she let the breeze blow through her fur. Briarstar could still remember sitting on the small ledge, with the black and silver toms on both her sides. Ravenpaw, Silverpaw, I wish you were still with me my brothers, the she-cat whispered in her mind.

Thats when she scented a hunt in progress; the scent of a stranger in her territory. Placing herself into a hunter's crouch, she paced forward and peered through a couple patches of grass that hid her. A tortoiseshell-looking she-cat was bounding across her territory, the hunt in progress.

After a moment, she noticed that the she-cat had made her catch, the form in a blind grace. If only we had apprentice's with that kind of form when hunting on land and not water. What a great assett that would be to our Clan.

[Twitty]

Rayne

Rain, rain, go away...
All the world is waiting for the sun.

Rayne’s mouth watered as the tiny creature’s blood seeped into her mouth. She could devour the entire thing right at this moment, but that was the Cass inside her. Rayne’s half of her mind wanted to share with her sister, once the she-cat showed. So instead of swallowing the entire thing whole like Cass was shouting at her to do at the moment, Rayne simply picked up her fresh kill and padded back to the spot she was at before she’d began her hunt, a soft patch of short green grass close to the tree line. She didn’t like being in the open, unlike the few horses there were about the place now, who paid no mind to the gray she-cat. Rayne walked slowly, carefully placing each paw in front of the other, as if they each were calculating where would be the best place to put her weight on. Her gait was light and graceful, though had an air of caution surrounding her every move, as if she expected some rogue animal to burst out of the foliage beside her and kill her then and there. The moons she’d spent as a rogue had made her paranoid, one would say, about what lay around each and every corner. She couldn’t be too careful. She didn’t have a medicine cat she could turn to if she got hurt. That thought made Rayne’s heart tug, reminding her once again on how much she longed to be part of a Clan. Now just as a regular warrior, but as the medicine cat. Cass snorted at that comment. You’d be asking too much of them. They wouldn’t let you into their clan, AND be their medicine cat. They’d never trust a rogue like that. Even though Cass’ words were harsh, she was sad at this realization as well. They both wanted that, though it was only just a far-off dream. No way would any leader in their right mind let a schizophrenic rogue in as their medicine cat, let alone as a warrior. Or an apprentice. Rayne sighed mentally, getting increasingly depressed with each of these thoughts. Finally making it to her destination, the soft patch of grass from before, Rayne sat again, placing her plump morsel beside her as her tail curled around her forepaws. It shouldn’t be long now until her sister showed. A faint breeze blew her way, whispering the promise of a secret danger hidden right behind her. A RiverClan scent wafted from the breeze, tickling her nose. It twitched, and Rayne’s body went rigid. Fear escalated in her body, heightening her senses. Her yellow eyes grew wide, and she turned her head quickly to peer behind her, only to see nothing but the usual foliage. Rayne’s nose worked the air furiously as she tried to pinpoint the source of the scent, though it only wisped away and blew the opposite way, this time giving her scent to whatever RiverClan cat there was watching her. This was the worst possible time. Here she was, hunting their prey, intruding on their lands, about to meet her kittypet sister. Oh yeah, they’ll let us in for sure now, Cass said sarcastically. Cass begged to be let out, but Rayne pushed back forcefully; she was going to handle this. She opened her jaw to speak, but no sound came out. What if it was a patrol, and they attacked? She’d have no chance. You need me, Cass crooned, yet Rayne still refused to let her more rambunctious personality out. She’d only make it worse. “H-hello?” she asked the plants in front of her. What they hid in their depths could just be the death of her.

Words;; 614
Status;; Complete.
Notes;; -[/size]

[Tikker]

Briarstar watached the young she-cat as she realized that the RiverClan leader was within sight. The amber gaze of the foreign she-cat caught sight with the brown she-cat's own, but were just passed over as the other cat looked for the source.

The leader's gaze glanced to see the she-cat open her mouth but no sound came, and she she opened again and this time, a studdered word sounded.

"H-Hello?"

Briarstar's mouth twitched with amusement, a tooth-filled grin stretched across her jaw. This she-cat probably assumes that there are more cats than just me, I wonder what she is doing in RiverClan's territory.

Lifting herself from her crouch, Briarstar let her golden eyes set on her target of the strange she-cat. Begining to take the steps forward, Briarstar wondered if this was the best idea, but her paws were already working with their own mind.

"Greetings young warrior, might I ask what you are doing residing on RiverClan's territory?"

The words sounded to formal after she had already said them, and realized she never introduced herself, but thought it might be best for the stranger on her territory to speak her name first.

"What is your name, if I don't sound rude."

[Twitty]

Rayne

Rain, rain, go away...
All the world is waiting for the sun.

The shadows that resided behind the foliage before her produced a lean brown RiverClan warrior. The she-cat had a grin on her maw, and that confused the gray female. Rayne tensed, waiting for more to show themselves, however this brown coated tabby she-cat was the only one to show herself thus far. Maybe she’s already sent word of your presence back to the camp, Cass guessed, weary of the female. Or… Maybe it really is just her. Rayne relaxed in a moment’s time, however, once it was obvious that there was no one else accompanying this female. “Greetings young warrior, might I ask what you are doing residing on RiverClan’s territory?” Rayne flinched slightly at that question, even though she knew it was inevitable. She’d been caught right in the act of hunting on their lands; she had a right to be upset to find a rogue like that. “What is your name, if I don’t sound rude.” The she-cat spoke easily, though she held herself with pride. Her golden eyes weren’t hostile, though didn’t have the warmth inside them as though seeing a family member either. Rayne once again fumbled for words, all the while Cass was mentally shaking her head. Just let me take care of it, sis, she insisted. Still, Rayne refused. She wanted to do this on her own. “I…” Rayne’s voice shook, and then broke off completely. Alright, that’s it. Cass shoved her split personality aside and took control over the entire body that they both shared. The female’s entire stance changed. Instead of being half-crouched with wide, frightened eyes and stiff muscles, her body relaxed, and she stood up straighter, gazing at the other cat with an equal gaze. However, she did tone it down a bit. Cass did want to become part of their Clan, regardless of what she wanted to say to the female at the moment, and she knew that this time just wasn’t right for her to go pick a fight with her potentially only way inside. Despite herself, she bit her tongue and forced herself to be polite… Which was somewhat of a challenge for her. Rayne mentally coached her through it, however, giving her all the words she needed to say. It was a rare occasion such as this where the two worked together this well, but they both wanted something at the moment and they had to rely on teamwork to get it done. “My name is Ca… Rayne,” she began, a mental scuffle over which name should be spoken took place in an instant, and wasn’t visible outside of their mind. Rayne was the dominant personality, and she would not allow Cass’ name to be spoken instead of hers. “I’m a rogue, and have been living around the RiverClan territory for a few moons now.” Even though Cass fought it, Rayne forced the body they shared to lower her head, bowing for only a moment in respect. Cass’ eyes strayed to the dead mouse beside her, and she flicked her gray tail, and then returned her amber gaze to the RiverClan cat before her. Awkward… she thought. Rayne gave her the words to use to explain, and Cass followed; an actor to their script. “I’ve been going a few days now without a meal, so this is my first in a while.” Cass sighed mentally, though she knew what she had to do, even though her stomach was growling at her violently. Cass lowered her head and nosed the small creature forward, toward the new she-cat. “It’s RiverClan territory,” she muttered quietly, retracting her head, though her eyes still strayed downward, looking at the morsel with a hungry gaze. She forced herself to look back up at the female. “Who are you?” she asked curiously, her voice uncharacteristically friendly.

Words;; 633
Status;; Complete.
Notes;; -

[Tikker]

The golden eyes of the RiverClan leader rested themselves on the gray she-cat. Her face seemed to show no emotion, but deep down, the brown feline wanted to have a good laugh. Briarstar had always been known for her hidden personality, but mainly her own Clan knew about that.

She waited for the gray feline to speak, answering the question Briarstar had let into the air. "I...," the she-cat studdered the one word before everything changed. Briarstar noted that the stranger had completely changed her stance, the way her body held itself up. The she-cat stood taller, tried to become equal with Briarstar's own gaze, before toning it down.

"My name is Ca...Rayne. I’m a rogue, and have been living around the RiverClan territory for a few moons now.”

The brown she-cat smiled her hidden smile, the best thing you could do when talking to Briarstar was to be honest. Briarstar continued to watch the she-cat, and took notice that Rayne kept looking towards the morsel of prey she had caught.

“I’ve been going a few days now without a meal, so this is my first in a while.” Briarstar nodded with agreement, as she could hear the rumbling of the young she-cat's stomache, but frankly what surprised Briarstar the most was that Rayne nosed the fresh-kill towards her. "It's RiverClan territory," was the last words that Rayne had said before looking back up at Briarstar. "Who are you?"

There it was! Briarstar was waiting for the words that asked who she was. The brown she-cat would bet anything that Rayne believed her to be an ordinary RiverClan warrior, and not leader of the entire Clan. Briarstar let loose a warm-hearted smile, she really hoped that Rayne would get a kick out of what she would say.

"Well, first of all, it's a pleasure to meet you Rayne. I was wondering why my warriors couldn't find the rogue that had been sented on our territory." Briarstar paused, hoping that the gray she-cat caught the, 'my warriors', words she stated.

"My name is Briarstar, I am the RiverClan leader," the brown she-cat said with her golden eyes hinting her smile. The next thing Briarstar did was lower her own head and nose the kill back to the gray she-cat.

Briarstar didn't care if Rayne was a rogue or a badger....Okay, she cared if she was a badger, but the point was, Briarstar wasn't going to let this young she-cat starve. She wasn't going to be so cold-hearted like some of the ShadowClan or WindClan cats. "Eat, no cat is going to starve, especially if they are speaking with me."

Birarstar waited for Rayne to take the prey before she asked another question, "Might I ask, what are you doing at the Twoleg's Horse Stables?"



Word Count;; 490
Cats;; Briarstar, RiverClan Leader
Notes;; Better...Getting Better...

[Twitty]

Rayne

Rain, rain, go away...
All the world is waiting for the sun.

What was wrong with this she-cat? The brown tabby before her had an amused gleam in her eye. Cass’ amber eyes watched wearily, though when she female spoke, she listened intently. She wanted nothing more than to be in her Clan, and the first step on that long process was to get to know someone who was already a member. “Well, first of all, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Rayne. I was wondering why my warriors couldn’t find the rogue that had been scented on our territory.” Cass sneered mentally, a thingyy grin that she forced herself to hide. She was able to outsmart the RiverClan cats… Or at least hide from them. From her report, they’d already known of Rayne’s presence. The brown tabby paused, and then it sank in. Wait. Her warriors? A mini panic attack erupted within the gray she-cat’s body, rippling up her spine. Before she had time to dwell on the subject, the she-cat continued. “My name is Briarstar, I am the RiverClan leader.” If it was possible for a cat to disintegrate into nonexistence, Rayne’s body would have done exactly that. Rayne melted to mush, leaving Cass to speak for her this time. Cass stuttered for the first time in her life, though nothing verbal escaped from her mouth. She was almost relieved when the leader removed her gaze and nosed the fresh-kill back to where it had been originally. “Eat, no cat is going to starve, especially if they are speaking to me.” Briarstar looked upon her with an almost expectant gaze, and realized that she wanted her to take the prey. Hesitating for only a moment, Cass lowered her head and bit into the small creature’s flesh, ripping off a small amount of meat before she raised her head again. “Might I ask, what are you doing at the Twoleg Horse Stables?” Cass swallowed hard, unsure of her answer. What could she say? That she’s waiting on her kittypet sister to show up so that they could go hunting RiverClan prey together and catch up on the latest events? Yup, that’d go over well. Cass’ mind explored for words, getting no help from a still-silent Rayne. “Uh…” she said dumbly, flicking her amber gaze away for a moment. “The… Horses. I like to come here and watch the horses.” That’s a reasonable excuse, right? She could only hope so. Cass returned her gaze back to the leader once she had finished that one sentence. “And it’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Briarstar,” she said quietly, dipping her head for a moment once again. “I hope you don’t find my intrusion to be disturbing… I mean no harm.” Her words were genuine, but she was speaking a lot more formal that she was used to. Rayne was the one who spoke like this, but right now she was conversing with the leader of the Clan she wanted to join. She had to be polite, even if she had to swallow every word of it.

Words;; 504
Status;; Complete.
Notes;; You're getting better, and I'm getting worse. xD [/size]

[Tikker]

“The… Horses. I like to come here and watch the horses. I hope you don’t find my intrusion to be disturbing… I mean no harm.”

Briarstar's smile faded slightly, she might not have been the brightest kit in the litter, but she thankfully was gifted with the ability to tell if someone was attempting to lie to her. Honesty is one of Briarstar's many prides that she liked to keep close to her heart.

"Rayne, I can tell if I'm being lied to, and you might like to know that I take a great deal to honesty," she turned to look out at the Twoleg nest that resided nearby before looking back at the gray feline. "I know that it is alright to lie about some things, if it's to protect the one your lying to. Would you mind telling me the real reason you wait here?"

The brown she-cat paused once again, the thoguhts being caught and worded in her mind again. "Also, no your being here is of no harm to my Clan as of what I can see. But I do expect you to be greatful that it is only I, and not one of my patrols. Some of my Clan don't take kindly to rogues on our lands."

Briarstar ended with what she said, wrapping her tail around her white stripped paws, the breeze she could feel going through the small knick in her ear from her apprentice days. Then something random hits her, "Rayne, why have you stayed in RiverClan territory if you know the threat my warriors have against rogues?"

[Twitty]

Rayne

Rain, rain, go away...
All the world is waiting for the sun.

This time it was Cass’ time to melt. Great, she knows I’m lying. She sighed audibly, though it was a sigh that held a small tone of sadness. She was lying to the RiverClan leader for the sake of protecting her sister. She wasn’t sure of how kindly she’d take to learning that another cat was on her way here. Cass’ amber eyes stared down at her paws, thinking. She didn’t want to rat out her sister, but she wanted more than anything to be a part of their Clan. On the other hand, Briarstar seemed to be kind enough; perhaps she wouldn’t overreact like Cass thought she would. She returned her gaze upward, though when she tried to catch the leader’s eyes, they were staring behind her, at the line of twoleg nests on the horizon beyond the horse stables. Cass turned around quickly, expecting to see her unsuspecting sister bounding up toward them, but saw nothing. She hesitantly returned to her standing position, listening to the brown tabby she-cat speak. “Would you mind telling me the real reason you wait here?” her tone was unimpressed, and Cass flinched inwardly at that. She reached inside for any support from Rayne, yet once again got no response. She sighed aloud. She was on her own for now. “My sister,” she answered finally, after a moment of silence that was full of thinking. She was about to continue; however the leader continued speaking. Cass respectably listened, glad for the break. She didn’t want to speak about her sister. At the moment, at least. Cass nodded after the she-cat spoke, agreeing with her completely. “I was getting ready to run for it, actually,” she answered. “When you stepped out alone I was expecting some type of quarrel, so… Yeah, I’m glad it’s just you.” Her tone was nothing serious, just an easy tone she had finally picked up on, as if she were speaking to one of her old friends she hadn’t seen for moons. Silence filled the air, but only for a moment. It was obvious that the RiverClan leader was pondering something; Cass could only hope it was something good. Cass waited while the words were forming in Briarstar’s mind, trying not to bring up the topic about her sister again. She really didn’t want to get Tawny into trouble for wandering onto Clan territory. “Rayne, why have you stayed in RiverClan territory if you know the threat my warriors have against rogues?” Rayne peeked up at that question. That’s what they’d both been waiting for. In one quick movement, Cass was shoved aside, giving Rayne control over the body this time. Automatically, her stance changed back to the way it was before; less confident, careful, and slightly crouched, as if the female would attack her. Rayne’s eyes softened and flicked away, uncomfortable with direct eye contact of the leader. She couldn’t believe that Briarstar had just asked that; this is exactly the opportunity she needed to make herself known to the Clan cats. “Well,” she began, her voice much more cautious than when Cass had been speaking. “Uhm… See, at first I didn’t even know about the Clans. But when I saw a patrol near the ThunderClan border, I was interested, and kept following them at a huge distance so that they wouldn’t find me… I got lost lots of times, but finally, after a few days, was able to make it to their camp. I didn’t go inside, of course; I knew better.” She paused and drew in a breath, calming herself. This was a big confession. “I loved the way they all worked together. I hate being out here alone. I looked around the forest to see if there were other Clans like that one, and found three others, yours included. I thought that… This Clan was the right one for me.” Rayne let out a small, breathless laugh, as if scoffing at herself for saying her next words. “I was hoping that if I stayed around here long enough, that someone would find me and report me to the Clan… Then I’d have a shot at joining.” She looked away, embarrassed. “Though the only cats I ever found were your patrols, and I knew I’d probably be in trouble if they caught me… I was scared to confront anyone. You’re the first RiverClan cat I’ve ever spoken to, in all the moons I’ve lived in this forest.”

Words;; 741
Status;; Complete.
Notes;; - [/size]

[Tikker]

Briarstar just sat and listened to Rayne speak. The brown-coated she-cat didn't know of one rogue that would have even thought about joining a Clan, let alone her own. A mirror of her own life was flashing through her mind, the hard struggles she went through to get where she was today.

The RiverClan leader listened intently as Rayne said she had gone through each territory; Very brave of you, I know of a few cats who would have torn you to shreads if you were caught, Briarstar said in her mind. She watched the gray she-cat with fixed emotions, the reasons making her smile on the inside.

“Though the only cats I ever found were your patrols, and I knew I’d probably be in trouble if they caught me… I was scared to confront anyone. You’re the first RiverClan cat I’ve ever spoken to, in all the moons I’ve lived in this forest.”

Briarstar nodded at what the smaller feline had said, "It is true that if one of my patrols had caught you, you would have been scared to speak to me now, let alone stay on our territory. I will admit you have courage for staying on our territory this long, any of the other Clans and they would have sent every warrior that had to get you to leave."

The brown she-cat flicked her ears, the thought about how much she has spoken today rattled her, not even did she talk this much to her Clan, yet she would to a rogue she's never met before. Maybe I have a soft spot for this young she-cat, maybe, blinking the thought from her mind's eye, Briarstar stood to look at the she-cat.

"Rayne, I must say that as the leader of RiverClan, it would be unheard of to allow a rogue to join my Clan." Briarstar paused, the stern-like voice was so unbecoming of her, and so she smiled. For a split second she thought she noticed a hint of disappointment in Rayne's amber eyes, and then Briarstar thought she was being to mean now.

"But many cats have said I am to soft to lead a Clan, that I don't have a leader's paw. So I shall make this proposition for you, the brown she-cat paused, a flicker of doubt passed through her heart. Was this the best idea?

"I will tell you about RiverClan, my life, and what you would expect if you lived with us, in return you tell me about yourself and what you expect. Then after that, if you still think you would like to be apart of our Clan, we can continue off from there. Does that sound fair enough for you Rayne?"

Briarstar turned her golden gaze to stare into Rayne's own amber eyes, just to see if she was terrified about the way she had put her proposition. Then she stiffled a laugh, "I'm terribly sorry, I couldn't resist putting a serious tone on; every cat in my Clan knows I'm not much of a serious cat if I'm not furious."

The brown she-cat flicked the tip of her tail in sync with her ears, as she let the smile warm the look in her eyes and her voice. As she waited for the reply to her request.



Word Count;; 573
Cats;; Briarstar, RiverClan Leader
Notes;; Wow that was hard

[Twitty]

Rayne

Rain, rain, go away...
All the world is waiting for the sun.

Rayne’s yellow eyes remained downcast throughout Briarstar’s entire speech, and her heart pounded inside her chest each time the she-cat paused to think about her next words. She couldn’t believe she was having a conversation with the leader of RiverClan. Her excitement was matched with anxiety, though, and then was flooded out with disappointment when the brown tabby continued speaking. “Rayne, I must say that as the leader of RiverClan, it would be unheard of to allow a rogue to join my Clan.” The brown RiverClan leader spoke with no sarcastic tone; no hint of humor in it at all, it was only strictly business. Rayne’s body sulked. She simply wanted to crumple up into a little ball and fall into unconsciousness. How could I be so stupid? Rayne’s own voice this time echoed throughout her mind. Of course she wouldn’t let me in; what cat in their right mind would? Rayne actually got ready to leave at that moment, but the leader’s voice stopped her from moving an inch. “But many cats have said that I am too soft to lead a Clan, that I don’t have a leader’s paw. So I shall make this proposition for you.” Rayne perked up, peeking up at the she-cat before her with worried amber eyes. “I will tell you about RiverClan, my life, and what you would expect if you live with us. In return, you tell me about yourself and what you expect. Then after that, if you still think you would like to be apart of our Clan, we can continue off from there. Does that sound fair enough to you Rayne?” The gray feline’s body rippled with excitement, little bubbles of happiness floating around somewhere inside. She couldn’t contain the smile that spread across her maw at this news. Wow. We got lucky, Cass commented, though was just as happy as Rayne was to get a chance to prove herself. If at the very least, she wasn’t just some unknown rogue on their territory anymore; she was known now, and that increased her chances if nothing else. She couldn’t wait to go to the camp and meet everyone, learn the way they all work together, become a member… Woah! Woah! Wait! You’re getting waaay ahead of yourself here. Calm down; she hasn’t invited us to the camp. All she wants is to talk. Let’s just play it by ear and hope for the best. Cass was excited too, though she had a different way of showing it. She simply didn’t want to see Rayne get completely destroyed if Briarstar decided not to let her in. It’d be devastating to her. Ever since her father died, Cass wasn’t sure if she’d be able to pick up her pieces again if she fell apart. This was a dangerous offer, but she’d take it anyway. Like heck she was going to let a chance like this slip away from right under her paws. “I’m terribly sorry, I couldn’t help putting a serious tone on; every cat in my Clan knows I’m not much of a serious cat if I’m not furious.” Briarstar’s tone had changed now, it was light and gentle, warm and welcoming, and her expression only reflected those feelings. Rayne’s smile grew bigger; she couldn’t hold it in. “I-it’s okay,” she stuttered. “Thank you.”

Words;; 554
Status;; Complete.
Notes;; If you keep throwing those emotional curveballs her way, I think Rayne may just explode here in a second xDD

[Tikker]

Briarstar saw that Rayne's face gained a smile; the brown she-cat had always liked when other's were in a good mood. And since the young gray she-cat practically agreed to her proposition, it was time to get down to business.

"Now the thing is, we are going to go step by step. If at any time you don't like something, let me know and we can stop. That way it makes our talk fair."

Taking a moment to make herself comfortable, Briarstar stood to turn her entire body to face the young cat. She nestled herself with her brown stripped tail around her snow white paws.

"I'm going to tell you about my life first; and let you know that not many cats know about my story, other than the cats who lived it." Taking a short paused to gather her breath, Briarstar began her story.

"I grew up with my brothers, Ravenpaw and Silverpaw; along with our parents Feathernose and Dustfur. Although with the Clan ages and all, I had always wondered why I became a warrior apprentice before they."

Letting her ear flick, the brown warrior paused, it wasn't often that someone heard her life's story, let alone an outsider, but Briarstar thought this was neccessary.

"My mentor's name was Stoneclaw, and he looked a lot like you do now Rayne," she said as she looked towards the gray she-cat. "Even though he was old, he was wise, and he was like my best friend; taught me everything I know. I went through the normal apprenticeship, and our last leader, Oakstar, sent a raid to WindClan."

Briarstar closed her eyes as she replayed everything that happened that first night. She hated to relive the moments, but she had never spoke of the dark night, and it felt good to release the pain and suffering she held on to for so long. "Oakstar thought that my brothers and I were ready for this, and sent us along with the patrol. When we came across the WindClan cats, the battle raged out, and the next thing I knew, a brown WindClan warrior had Ravenpaw by the throat."

Briarstar turned her head away from the direction she faced, the fact that she had seen her black-coated sibling die like that, she just couldn't face, but knew she needed to continue.

"Silverpaw joined me, along with his mentor Snowtail, and we drove that warrior away, but Silverpaw got clawed to the face. I can still hear his yowls," the brown leader closed her eyes, breathing deeply. "Then when Snowtail left to help a couple other warriors, a WindClan apprentice had tackled Silverpaw and clawed at his stomach, killing him. There was nothing I could do for him, I was no medicine cat, all I could do was watch, and fight for my brothers.

So I bunched up my anger and aggression and unleashed it on that apprentice, the next thing I knew, Stoneclaw was dragging me away from the apprentice's body. Oakstar thought I did so well in the raid that he gave me the warrior name Briarheart, and I sat my vigil."

Briarstar lowered her head to her paws, thinking about her brother's killed her deep down, but she wasn't going to let that stop her from doing what was right. The story was almost finished, and it was time for the last part. The dark brown warrior took the time to let Rayne think about what she had said before she continued.

"That night, my mother, Feathernose, came up to me and told me her held-on-to secret; that I wasn't her daughter. I mean, I probably could have seen it, I looked nothing like her or Dustfur. She told me that I never knew because they wanted to protect me, and being the stupid warrior I was, hated her for it."

Briarstar shrugged her shoulders as she continued her last words. "I avoided both of them, thinking it would get back at them; I didn't even shed a tear when Dustfur died of Greencough. That morning, Feathernose had asked for my forgiveness for not telling me; and told me that my real mother, Lillyfoot, was her best friend and asked if she would take care of me if anything happened to her.

She had died soon after because the Twolegs poisoned the river, or at least that's what Feathernose told me. It made me think long and hard, and so I followed her to tell her I wasn't angry any more, but before I could tell her, she got hit on the Thunderpath by a monster. I regret to this day that I never told her how much she ment to me."

Briarstar lifted her head, and looked towards Rayne, unsure of what to expect from the gray she-cat, and unsure of how her own emotions were playing out that moment. She hated saying anything that would make her seem weak or vulnerable, but saying it she already had. Opening her mouth to speak again, she thought better and closed it; hoping that what she had spoken would make Rayne think more about joining the Clans.

All the bloodshed, was not something she would want to place on a cat who had the choice to leave.



Word Count;; 898
Cats;; Briarstar, RiverClan Leader
Notes;; Sorry if Briarstar got all sappy She hates talking about Ravenpaw and Silverpaw...Geeze! That was a lot to type!

[Twitty]

Rayne

Rain, rain, go away...
All the world is waiting for the sun.

Rayne sat, making herself comfortable, just as Briarstar did. She could tell this was going to be a long talk, so she may as well finish off the mouse she’d caught earlier as she listened to the female’s story. Rayne lowered her head and took another bite off of the mouse, this time tearing off a mouthful of succulent field mouse, instead of the small tidbit she’d eaten earlier. She savored the taste, preferring this prey much more than the kittypet food she’d been fed before she left her twoleg next to live as a rogue. As Briarstar began, speaking of her siblings and family, Rayne was brought back to her own kithood days. Though Briarstar’s history was much different that Rayne’s, it still reminded the she-cat about her family she’d left behind. “He looked a lot like you do now, Rayne,” the brown tabby mewed, speaking of her previous, wise mentor, and that made Rayne automatically think of her father. He had been like a mentor to her as well. The RiverClan leader went on to speak about a raid on WindClan, and about the fight that ensued. Rayne began thinking of herself in that position; in the middle of a battlefield, surrounded by enemies. When the brave brow-coated feline continued on about how she was helpless to defend her dying brother, Rayne couldn’t imagine being able to go through another death like that. She didn’t know what she’d do if she’d been in Briarstar’s paws instead. Rayne stopped eating, too caught up in her story to even think about food anymore. She listened intently to the rest of what she had to say, her eyes wide with awe. Emotions began spiraling within the gray she-cat; sadness about her siblings deaths, happiness about hearing her warrior name, and when shock when she heard about her false mother. However, when the brown she-cat spoke of how her real mother died, Rayne thought she’d once again revert to her mush form. Flashbacks of her father ran through her head like a horror movie; she didn’t know if she could take anymore of it. Thankfully, however, she she-cat seemed to be finished with her sad history, leaving Rayne in a wake of awe at what this single cat had been through. Now she felt inferior to even be in this feline’s presence. She’d been through so much; Rayne’s past didn’t even matter anymore. Not only did her siblings die, but also she found out that she was raised by a cat that wasn’t even her real mother, and then in the blink of an eye, lost them both. It was almost incomprehensible to the small gray she-cat. When the RiverClan leader finished, waiting for some type of response, Rayne was at a loss for words. What could she say? Quickly, she fumbled for words that hopefully made sense, not wanting the feline to think that she’d simply gone brain-dead at that instant… Even though that was the truth. “I… You…” Her mouth formed words, but her brain told her not to speak, so she shut up. For the type being, at least, until she recovered quickly thereafter. “You… Have been through so much,” she said dumbly. “It amazes me that you can freely talk about that.” She knew it caused the she-cat pain to speak of such things, however; she’d been avoiding Rayne’s gaze throughout the entire thing, sadness had been apparent in every single word of that story. “I’m sorry.”

Words;; 579
Status;; Complete.
Notes;; I wasn't sure to have her go on with her history, or what xD I figured I'd cut it off here though, sos it wouldn't be all HUGEMONGOPOSTOMGFAIL.

[Tikker]

“You… Have been through so much, it amazes me that you can freely talk about that...I'm sorry.”

Briarstar flicked her ears and stayed silent for a moment, she could vaguly remember as an apprentice, taking care of the elders, and one of them telling her words of advice. The brown she-cat could even hear the old warrior's distant voice and repeated the words aloud.

"'Your life ends the day you stay silent about things that are really important,' that's what one of our elders had told me after the deaths of Ravenpaw and Silverpaw. I had never understood what he meant by that," she smiled as she turned her head to the gray she-cat next to her. The warm feeling returning to her golden eyes, "until now."

Briarstar returned her head to a streight position, watching the horses before them in their pasture, the stables to the right, nearest the Twoleg nest. Now it was time to hear about Rayne, and the things she has been through, and expects from joining her Clan.

This she-cat has probably been through enough to make her even partially a Clan cat, even if she was a kitty-pet, I still remember the elders telling us about the Kitty-pet leader of ThunderClan, oh what was his name. Briarstar squinted her eyes for a moment before remembering the name of the passed ThunderClan leader, Firestar.

"Alright, Rayne, now it's your turn, I want to know your background, as well as what you expect from joining my Clan. After that, I will tell you what it is my Clan does, and the rest of our baragain. Is that alright with you?"

Briarstar turned her golden eyes to rest on the gray feline, in hopes that this cat would give her the honest truth and not the lies she's been told all her life.



Word Count;; 317
Cats;; Briarstar, Leader of RiverClan
Notes;; Not so good, she just wants to hear Rayne talk for a while, as she gather's her thoughts about what to do XD I know, not as good as the last one

[Twitty]

Rayne

Rain, rain, go away...
All the world is waiting for the sun.

Rayne nodded to the brown she-cat’s signal for her to begin. The gray rogue wrapped her warm tail around her forepaws, shielding them from the dampness that had clung to them earlier. “My story doesn’t even begin to compare to yours,” she said. “But you were entirely honest about your part… So I’ll return that favor.” It’s not like she didn’t want to lie to the RiverClan leader; she simply wanted to protect her sister. Oh well, it’s all going to come out in the open now anyway, Cass remarked, but then became silent for the story to begin. “I was born in a litter of three. My twoleg owners originally named me Smokey, though I never liked that name, and so changed it later on. I grew up pretty much sthingy-fed, I guess you could say. Meals were handed to me in my own food bowl, I had a warm bed to sleep in at night, and had safety within the twoleg nest and the back yard. My father continually spent days on end out here. Whether he was a Clan cat secretly or not, I don’t know, but he usually only came here at night, or once or twice during the day. Naturally, me and my siblings, Tawny and Simba, wanted to know what was behind that large wooden fence.” Rayne laughed light heartedly at how oblivious they were back then, and the amazement that had ensued once they went past the fence. “The wooden barrier had a hole in it that had been overlooked by our twolegs. Slipping away from our mom, however, was kinda hard to do. Once we got her attention focused elsewhere, the three of us slipped out unnoticed into the forest.” Rayne turned her head to look behind her, and then motion to a twoleg nest on the horizon. “There, behind the stables, is where we first made our way here. That is where I was born.” She wasn’t sure if she should have included that part, for fear of her kittypet family, but she wanted to be completely honest with Briarstar this time. “We wandered through this field, through that forest, and then stumbled across the thunderpath over there. The three of us had been warned so many times by both of our parents to never set paw on the thunderpath, because there were monsters that roamed it.” Rayne sighed and shook her head. “But we were young, oblivious, and adventurous. Of course we were going to cross it. My sister and I were too afraid to go, so Simba, being the “bravest” of us, went on ahead. As fate would have it, a monster turned the corner and came barreling right for him. The monster shrieked when it saw Simba in the middle of the thunderpath… I’ll never forget that sound.” She shivered once, but continued on. “Before the monster could hit my brother, Altom, my father, rushed out and pushed the kit out of the way.” Rayne felt her throat close up at the memory of her father’s lifeless body being crushed and mauled by that retched monster. “The monster opened up and a twoleg stepped out and went right for Simba. I don’t know what it was doing, but before it could even get close my mother hissed at it. The twoleg naturally recoiled in fear and returned to its monster.” Rayne sighed then, glaring at a blade of grass that stood in front of her. She hated talking about her past, and reliving that horrible moment, but Briarstar should know. “After a few more moons in the twoleg nest, I decided that the forest was the right place for me. I never truly liked living there; this place is just so much more like home. Also… I wanted to know what my dad found so fascinating out here. I’m living here now for him. The real reason I was waiting here today was to meet my sister. We haven’t seen each other in so many moons. I caught this freshkill for us to share once she arrived.” With another glance around her shoulder, Rayne added, “She should have showed up a long time ago… I wonder what’s happened to her?” The question was more asked toward Cass. I have no idea, Cass answered. After a moment of silence, Rayne’s yellow eyes looked up to the brown she-cat, though darted away instantly once she realized that the RiverClan leader was already looking at her. “I don’t know what you mean by what I “expect” from joining your Clan,” she confessed quietly. Truthfully, her mind was still spinning with the images of her past. It was clouding her thoughts at the moment. Sadness was now coursing through her body, broken past the mental barriers she had fought so hard to set up. “I’m sorry.” Yet again with the apologizing. Why couldn’t she stop feeling sorry for herself? She’d only just met this cat, yet she had apologized multiple times for acts she didn’t commit or hadn’t a choice in.

Words;; 839
Status;; Complete.
Notes;; She talks waaaay too much. xD