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Post by cedarstep on Oct 4, 2011 20:28:21 GMT -5
She knew it was wrong, he knew it was wrong - in every sense it was wrong but at the same time it was as more exciting than anything she could remember! Plus, it was perfectly innocent of course, she wasn't really breaking any rules so to speak. Over the past moon she and the famous 'Brokenjaw' who was known as the local monster had been meeting on the borders (usually his, ever tried getting him out of his comfort zone?) simply to talk and maybe even hunt if they were feeling risky. It was only now that she was choosing for him to meet her in ShadowClan, deciding that his own Clan wouldn't question his disappearance for a few hours and she already had a cover story for her side.
She had spent a considerable amount of time preening and preparing for their meet, making sure her orange pelt was as bright as any fire and not a speck of dirt remained on her paws. Of course her sister was suspicious but bless her she didn't comment, she probably just wanted Cedarstep to be happy. Even the location had been thought out - close to the river and close to the two-leg place where the ShadowClan seemed to avoid. Everything was set except for her companion. With one effortless leap she mounted the wall on the bridge and stared into the water with the moon reflecting on the dark waters making the night seem silent against everything else that was going on in the world. Cedarstep felt at peace for a change.
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Post by brokenjaw on Oct 4, 2011 20:44:13 GMT -5
For the first time in the years he could remember, Brokenjaw wasn't dreading every day of his existence. For the past moon, instead of waking up at night only to wander aimlessly, he had found himself going to meet the ShadowClan she-cat, Cedarstep. The she-cat, despite the stories and his deformed state, seemed to bear him no ill will, in fact, he liked to believe that she even enjoyed his company. The thought actually lit his silver eyes with happiness, a happiness no one had seen in years, and no one but Cedarstep had seen recently. He still hid from his Clan and most other cats, the world still terrified him but... her companionship seemed to make life all that brighter.
This day however, he was nervous. Not only was he leaving his territory, but for the first time ever, he was crossing over the other clan's territory, and into another. He was shaking, and hardly slept that day, instead, listening to his Clan moving around, going through their daily routines without a look in his direction. He didn't mind- some didn't even believe he was in there, that he had died long ago and no one knew, others just didn't know what to think and avoided him. As the clan quieted and the sun began to set, he stood, and began to groom himself. He rarely took the time, as there was no reason, but now, it seemed important. He groomed himself impeccably, smoothing his dull, dusty coat to something more presentable, and by the time he finished, the sun had set. Quickly, he slipped out of camp, and barreled across the moor, diving into RiverClan territory before he could change his mind. He couldn't hesitate, for fear he would stop. When he reached the border of ShadowClan, he continued his reckless abandon, shoving through the trees, obviously nervous, afraid to be caught. He saw frogs, lizards, creatures he didn't even know the name of, things that the clan introvert would never hear of.
He slowed his place as he reached where they had planned to meet- close to two-leg place, scenting for her, keeping pressed close to the shadows. The she-cat, even in the night, wasn't hard to miss, her coat burning like fire in the moonlight that filtered through ShadowClan's pine trees. His heart was pounding in his chest, both from his nerves, causing him to be very twitchy, eyes darting in every direction, and from his run- but now, it fluttered a bit. He didn't quite understand the feeling, and for once, didn't question it. He calmed a bit as he watched her, finally approaching her with a rough purr- another noise he had never made until about half a moon ago, when he had begun to feel comfortable around the she-cat he now saw as a friend. "Evening, Cedarstep." |
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Post by cedarstep on Oct 5, 2011 7:31:55 GMT -5
She had waited only a short time before a rustling in the undergrowth alerted her to Brokenjaw’s presence followed by a rough purr which was easily distinguishable as his own as it sounded gruff and inparcticed from years of neglect and not unlike the constant burr of the thunderpath in her territory. Eyes bright in anticipation she turned to face him with a delighted smile of her own, he approached and the she-cat could not hold her excitement for a heartbeat longer. Getting to her paws the little cat skipped towards him and rubbed her cheek gently against his own with a purr that could have rivalled the elders snoring. “I thought you might have been caught already. .” She mewed taking a step back and breathing slowly. She put the dramatic display of affection down to the nerves but within her her heart beat quickly and constant no matter how slowly she breathed.
She noticed that Brokenjaw had changed somewhat, he was groomed for one but there was something else that had changed within him that she couldn’t quite put her paw on but she didn’t mind it. It was a nice change to actually be able to speak to him. "You look great. Underneath all that dirt I wouldn't have guessed there was a tabby." Cedarstep joked followed by a playful wink classic of the she-cat but with no seriousness intended. A noise from behind them made her jump, her eyes searching wildly for the source of the noise but after seeing nothing she put it down to the wind that was picking up. She didn't much care for the coming leaf-bare.
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Post by brokenjaw on Oct 5, 2011 15:25:12 GMT -5
He watched brightly as the she-cat bounded over to him, brushing her cheek against his in an affectionate gesture, speaking her worries that he had been caught. A rusty chuckle was emitted from his throat. "My Clan was all asleep, and if any of the clans had seen me, they all think me a rogue. Just like you did." He formulated his words carefully around his deformity, but ever so slowly, with the regular conversations he had with the ShadowClan warrior, he was beginning to learn how to speak properly with a twisted jaw.
She looked him over, and he stood rigid, nervous under her gaze. Would she like him well groomed and clean? Or could she now truly fathom what age and years of neglect had done to his coat, leaving it dull and his bones jutting out sharply. She did not mention it however, instead, playfully teasing him that he was after all a tabby. He looked down the length of his body, and a crooked smile formed on his mouth. "You're right. I'd actually almost come to forgetting that." He looked back up at her, silver eyes burning into her pelt, looking her over, his heart again fluttering nervously. She wasn't much younger than him, and yet age had done nothing to take the fiery blaze of colour from her smooth, silky tabby coat. "You look... marvelous, Cedarstep." He instantly burned beneath his coat, somewhat embarressed. He did believe Cedarstep was a beautiful cat- he also knew that anything- even their friendship, sneaking out like this to see her, was forbidden- but oddly, he had been the shut in, closed off from clan life for so long, that he didn't care. |
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Post by cedarstep on Oct 5, 2011 16:15:04 GMT -5
Brushing off the suspicion that they were being watched in an instant, she allowed the sweetness of his comment to sink in. Her ears flattened in embarrassment and her cheeks burned beneath her thick winter fluff. She was used to being praised for her immaculate appearance and attention to detail but somehow when he spoke the words in his warm burr she felt self-conscious and extremely aware of the spot under her her hind leg that she might have missed before leaving to meet him. Not that he would be seeing it of course! She smiled sweetly not noticing the imperfections he held in the slightest. Brokenjaw was a lovely cat and no amount of jutting bones and ragged ears would change that. His speech had even improved greatly.
"Oh, you have a sense of humor now?" She purred. "I'm going to miss the fear you know, made me feel speciall."
The little she-cat took up seat next to the tabby tom leaning close enough to him that there shoulders were almost touching in a subtle display of affection. She was unaware how close was really coming to this cat, this stranger and above all this rival but the butterflies in her stomach whenever she met with him quickly dissolved any thoughts that she was doing anything wrong. "And I think it's about time we took thing to the next level." She meowed close to him, with a look on her face that only meant trouble.
"Let's go hunting!"
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Post by brokenjaw on Oct 5, 2011 16:45:58 GMT -5
He watched her move toward him, sitting so close, he could feel the warmth radiating off of her. It made him want to lean into her, to curl up the way he had observed his clan mates doing, just to speak and enjoy each other's company. He entertained the idea greatly- he'd love to be able to that with her, and he couldn't help but think, if she was in WindClan, maybe he would come out... maybe he'd reintegrate into the clan just to spend time with her- but there were different cats from different clans. She ran around during the day, helping her Clan, and he slunk around at night like a rogue.
He was snapped from his conversation as he heard her speak in a low voice, drawing closer to him. Her words set his heart into a frenzied flutter, and he again grew hot under his fur. What on earth did she mean? Suddenly, she pulled back and announced hunting, causing him to burn even hotter. She had meant hunting. What he he thought? He buried the thought, and an awkward, nervous grin made itself forth with a nervous chuckle. "Hunting, yes, I-I'm decent at it. A-although, with WindClan hunting, not forest." He gave his chest fur a few nervous licks and rose to his paws, eyes darting around the clearing. Was there something... off here? But he couldn't pinpoint it and quickly dropped it. He quickly passed it off as nerves, he wasn't used to forests, and especially not ShadowClan's, with the thick shadows produced by the tall pines. "Where to?" |
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Post by cedarstep on Oct 5, 2011 17:09:50 GMT -5
She could feel the heat radiating from him fur against the cold night and it made her smile. It had been a while since she had any cat hot under the collar and the way she had just spoken didn't dawn on her until she finished chuckling alongside him. "Oh." She said simply willing the heat in her face to lessen before he could sense her humility. Luckily he had the manners to ignore it and focused on the suggestion she had made instead. It was risky for her, she was hunting on ShadowClan which was scarce of prey as it was but maybe if she stuck to the places she knew she wouldn't have much prey they could have all the fun of stalking and no repercussions.
"I was thinking that we head to the borders. There is a two-leg place there but there's less likelihoods that we're interrupted. The last thing we'd need is to be ambushed by an angry... anything." Swallowing back the mention of her clan - anything that would bring up questions about her home. "And don't worry, I'll show you a thing or two." and with that she rose to four paws and crossed the bridge, vanishing into the darkness despite the light that her pelt attracted. Once a short distance inside she waited in a small clearing for the WindClan cat to catch up. She sniffed at the ground, checking to see that there was no fresh scents of her comrades and satisfied that there was none she lowered herself to the shadows and waited perfectly still until she was sure a brown figure was emerging from the place she had just come from.
Some kitty was going to taste a ShadowClan attack! She used her strong hind legs to accelerate her from the shadows and land with a soft 'flump' on the figure.
( Sorry I'm trying really hard not to powerplay but I had to add a 'SimbaxNala' moment in there... CAAAAN YOU FEEEL THE LOOOVE TONIGHT?)
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Post by brokenjaw on Oct 5, 2011 17:32:56 GMT -5
He watched her own nervousness grow as the situation had dawned on her with what she had said, and she changed instantly to hunting. She mentioned a place they could go, and he agreed, rising to his paws and following her out into the trees. It was dark in the shadows, and quickly, Cedarstep was out of sight. He thought of calling her, to quickly locate her, but he knew better. To go yelling in these quiet forests was to be caught by cats sleeping in their camps.
Suddenly, there was a rustling in nearby, and he spun, eyes wide, only to feel paws hit his chest, flinging him backwards and pinning him down. He almost cried out, but shock kept him silent as he hit the ground with a soft thud, muffled by pine needles. Overheard, the moon just filtered through the trees, and as his vision cleared, he was staring up at the bright red she cat. The panic cleared from his eyes, and he relaxed under her with a relieved sigh. A soft grin touched his crooked muzzle. "Well then, I suppose you've got me." He purred, amusement lighting his silver eyes as he peered up at her. His heart once again began the strangle fluttering, and he reached a quick decision. He wasn't very strong, but he could get her off guard. He was limp, and suddenly stiffened, heaving her up right, and backwards. He had her in the same position, peering down at her warmly. He knew all to well that he was weak, and she could throw him off with a single whim, but this currently amused him. "And now, I've got you."
((Baaaw... corny, yet too... adorable ;- ) |
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Post by cedarstep on Oct 5, 2011 18:32:01 GMT -5
Satisfied with her victory she hazed down at him smugly relaxing her weight so she wasn't pinning him down too hard. It seemed this was her mistake because as soon as her weight shifted in the slightest she felt the pressure of two broad paws pushing her onto her back. She let out a quick breath in surprise and her vision stopped being blurs of fur and darkness until she was left staring blankly into those deep moon pools and she was silent for once. Her heart beat loudly in her breast, making her well aware of the feeling that she had been this way before - when she had her kits but it wasn't the same feeling only very similar.
"Nobody 'gets' me Lichenpaw." She meowed, the name escaping her lips as she vaguely recalled the handsome little apprentice whom she had met when she had first become a 'paw. She was not six moons old, he a little older than she and then he seemed so confident and so popular she found it hard to believe that this cat before her was the same kit but she was sure now where she had seen those eyes before. That was the first and last time she had seen him... as he was. Leaning forward she delivered a sandpaper kiss to his muzzle - as an apology for bringing up old wounds and a trophy for his successful pin of a ShadowClan Warrior.
Maybe it was her crazy desire to be wanted, or perhaps her need for something different but she knew now what that feeling she had been experiencing now and it was both a terrible and beautiful burden that Brokenjaw might not want to carry. He had enough problems without a needy she-cat searching him out.
[[ I LOVE CHEESY. MAKE MORE CHEESE. ]]
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Post by brokenjaw on Oct 5, 2011 18:55:15 GMT -5
As he stared down at the she cat, she spoke, saying no one could get her- but it was the name she used that shocked the old warrior. Lichenpaw. How... he thought back to his apprenticeship. He was constantly running around the territory running tasks, and once a patrol of ShadowClan warriors... It all dawned on him. A patrol had come over the island to speak with the leader. Amoung that group had been Brokenjaw, Lichenpaw at the time. Of course, the two apprentices had learned each other's names, Cedarpaw and Lichenpaw- they weren't friends, nor enemies, just common cats. Before anyone knew it, the patrol had left, and so on, a moon later, Lichenpaw had his accident. He had never seen Cedarpaw again, until now.
"No one has called me that in a long, long time." He murmured, seeming a little bit lost in thought now. He kept rolling over that initial meeting over and over in his head. How could he have forgotten? He had been so shocked that day to meet a ginger she-cat. The years must have put some wear on his mind, he figured sadly. All of those years lost, because of Mudstep. He should have hated his mentor, but the tom was dead, so there was no spite to be had. It was hopeless. His thoughts were shattered when her warm tongue brushed his muzzle. His heart skipped a sudden beat, and he couldn't help the stupid grin on his face at the contact. She seemed apologetic, but he had no hard feelings toward it- he realized how much he truly cared for Cedarstep, how that one gesture had warmed him from the inside out and set his pelt ablaze. He dipped his head, nuzzling her face into her throat, purring his deep, rusty purr.
He stayed like that for awhile before finally climbing off to allow her to get up. Sitting by her, he peered up through the trees above at the sliver of a moon visible through the trees. "Well, you know who I was, but did you hear- or are there any stories about me that aren't entirely insane, that mention how this happened to me?" |
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Post by cedarstep on Oct 5, 2011 19:35:07 GMT -5
His face was so soft, so pure and genuinely happy that she allowed herself to just drift. She closed her eyes and allowed the gentle caress of his face into her neck lick a sweet embrace. He stayed there for a little while, only the rumble of combined purrs to break the silence until he lifted himself up and sat quietly beside her. She rolled onto her belly and gazed up at the tom with wonder while he watched the nights sky which was visible only through a small partition in the trees above. The night shimmered against his fur, making her feel like he was asking the stars if they could make sense of it. Eventually he broke the quiet, asking the one question she wasn't prepared for.
"Not... many that are popular. You know what Queens are like." She replied softly whilst trying to remember a more watered down version of the tales she had heard. "I heard that you were attacked by... a badger?" She tried but she wasn't exactly sure which animal it was. It might have been a dog or even a fox but what she didn't mention was the 'animal had rabies and drove him insane' version. She used her forepaws to inch herself closer and lean her head against his bony frame. To be honest, she was a little confused about his background but she didn't want to ask in case her hid from her - males she knew usually were like that with any queen nevermind the Clan bigmouth.
"I don't care much for lies. They allways bring trouble."
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Post by brokenjaw on Oct 5, 2011 19:52:46 GMT -5
He looked at her as she rested her head softly against his shoulder, and explained a story that someone had claimed a badger had got him. He had expected much worse, but he also figured she wasn't telling the whole story, but he wouldn't press. He figured there was more than a good chance he wouldn't like what he heard, and therefore wouldn't wish to know. He cleared his throat, looking up at the trees.
"I was getting on in my apprenticeship, and Mudstep was getting older. Not to mention, having an apprentice kept him from the more... entertaining warrior duties." He chuckled, recalling his mentors annoyance everytime he was denied border patrol because he needed to stay back with his apprentice. "He figured it was time for me to earn my warrior name, and what a better way than to prove myself in battle..." His voice grew heavy, weary, a cat lost in memory, a very unpleasant one. "At the time a dog was loose in the moors, and terrorizing cats, so Mudstep decided we'd go take care of it, alone." A heavy sigh escaped the tom. "Although, the dog found us first. Mudstep was killed, and the dog mangled me. It left me when I stopped struggling, and my Clan found me. They didn't think I'd live, so I was named Brokenjaw, so I could go to StarClan a warrior. Needless to say, I survived and stopped going now." He forced a weak smile, looking down at her again, "And so the rumors begun." He shook his headand a humorless chuckle escaped, "For the longest time, I wondered if StarClan actually meant for me to die, and by some unfortunate accident, I lived." On impulse he dipped his head, and rasped his tongue over her ear affectionately. "I suppose I was wrong in that assumption now. Things have gotten... somehow better." |
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Post by cedarstep on Oct 5, 2011 20:16:52 GMT -5
She listened intently, trying to picture that sweet young apprentice with ambitions and dreams following that old mentor of his... she remembered him almost as soon as he spoke the words. Her own mentor had warned her shortly after their appearance that he was not a cat that she would willingly leave any apprentice with no matter how bright the student. What was the point in having an apprentice you had no intention of training? It was ridiculous and time wasting. It was all too much when he explained that he had been set out to hunt the dog down and attack it. It was barbaric!
"But you were just an apprentice! Did he even know what he was doing? A dog! Oh, if my apprentice even though about such a stupid thing..." She trailed off as he smiled weakly, it was rude of her to interrupt but that was more disturbing than what she assumed had happened. Cedarstep frowned at his humorless chuckle, as if this was some sort of a joke. He could have died! But if things had gone that way, she would have never have met him and if he had not been attacked she would never have met him now - well, not the same cat anyway which couldn't been worse.
"StarClan wouldn't have spared you if you didn't mean something and it's not unfortunate because you would never have met this fine cat." She finished nuzzling into him happily feeling the warm tug at her lobe. Wondering whether or not her Clan would be more accepting of his condition she imagined what a life it would be, he would have a home and a reasonably good-looking mate and a little bit more security than he had yet somehow she figured that he wouldn't be happy with all the attention. Closing her dark amber eyes she tried to live for the moment and not for the sun-high but it was a hard realization that this would be their life now she had chosen it.
"Is it okay to be like this?"
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Post by brokenjaw on Oct 5, 2011 20:35:28 GMT -5
He didn't comment to her comments. He knew how stupid it had been to follow Mudstep, but there had been no other way. He had suffered the consequences thoroughly and still paid for his mistake every day. When she mentioned why StarClan spared him, a genuine chuckle did indeed rumble from his throat. "Very true indeed. They knew what would be in store for me." He stopped however, his heart dropping slightly. Was StarClan aware of this from the beginning? Did they know now. If so, did that mean they were okay with the two so blatantly breaking the Warrior Code?
Beside him, Cedarstep spoke, and he closed his eyes. Was this right? Was it wrong? Was it a blessing, or a mistake? Even if StarClan did approve, their clans never would. ShadowClan would be infuriated, WindClan, ashamed- even RiverClan and ThunderClan would turn their noses up at the forbidden relationship. Not every cat was pure, most would do wrong in their lives, but this... he never knew it to turn out well, having mates in other Clans, and yet it was shocking enough for him to- wait, a mate? Was that really what he could consider her? It didn't matter immediately, either way, just sneaking out now to play around and "have a little chat" was breaking the warrior code. Not that Brokenjaw cared much. He hadn't lived by the warrior code since he was named Brokenjaw.
"I don't think our Clans would see it okay." He murmured, settling down so he was laying next to her. "But is it wrong that I just don't care?" He asked, peering up at her through sad, silver eyes, "I've had enough misery in my life, and my clan- no clan has done anything to aid that. I feel I deserve some happiness in my life, no matter their rules." Another weak, nervous smile formed on his broken mouth. "I fear I'm falling in love with you, Cedarstep." |
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Post by cedarstep on Oct 16, 2011 10:47:26 GMT -5
"I thought as much..." She whispered, suddenly all too aware that the reality they were in wasn't going to play happy families even if they were happy. Brokenjaw assured her that he didn't care and she believed him but what she didn't believe was that she felt 100% about this if he was just going to drop her at the first hostile appearence of her Clan. They would question her, trust her less andd StarClan forbid, if she gave him kits they would be questions - who in their right minds within ShadowClan would give her kits after the last time? She found herself purring and it soon occurred to her that she was thinking like him. She could love any imperfect kit and be proud... she could care less.
"They won't be happy but I will be, that's good enough. I mean, I've lived selfishly enough up until now so why not?" She twisted her tail slowly to overlap his, a small gesture that made her feel closer to him. His words stirred a deep yearning within her breast she couldn't express with words so there was was just staring up at him in hopes that the gleam in her eyes did the speaking. She was also aware that the two would have to part ways soon so she may return to the camp unnoticed and she would be forced to participate in the routine that was her camp life. Oh how the little cat wished she could lead a life free from everything but Brokenjaw was living proof that it didn't always work out so easy.
"Can I stay with you tonight? I can tell the others something... perhaps I got trapped? Hm that will be no good but I'll think of something. This night is too good to spend alone." A mischievous grin crept upon her maw. She hoped he really knew what he was getting into...
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