Hint of a snarl [o]

[Sandpaw]

Sandpaw

Sandpaw rushed through the frozen forest, dead leaves crackled underpaw. Her golden tail lit silver by the moon, a beacon in the frosty night. She leaped over a fallen branch. Once her paws hit the forest floor she skidded to a halt. She flicked her ears and raised herself onto her hind legs to look around. The forest was silent. Content, she padded on. Though her muscles were still tense, as if she was waiting.

She was unusually nervous tonight, she didn't know why. Perhaps because it was the first time in a long while she had left camp without permission. But she needed to get out. Out of the camp full of hungry cats. Mewling kits. And complaining apprentices. The prey shortage was taking it's toll, and the snow hasn't even arrived yet. She gave her pelt a nervous shake.
Maybe I should hunt. Warm myself up a bit. I'm sure the kits and queens would like something to eat.
She stalked through the trees, her paws as light as clouds. Her ears and nose twitching for any sign of prey. As far as she heard, there was nothing. "Come on! My Clan is hungry!" she muttered crossly. Her frustration and hunger made her uncharacteristically impatient the last moon, when prey began to run low. It was her second leaf-bare, but her first she was a kit and she came off well fed. But she knew what the Clan was going through to feed her then. Now, she thinks back on it guiltily. Wondering why a helpless kit was fed while warriors went hungry. But thinking of this, she knows she'll have to repay the favor. This thought made the she-cat even more determined to bring something back for the Clan.
Sinking into her hunting crouch, she stalked through the brown, dried grass and leaves.

Her paws making no sound against the earth, she froze at the sound of a soft crackle of a thrush's claws on wood. A breeze now arose, blowing the thrush's scent toward her. She was barely a fox-length away. Perfect pouncing distance. she thought. Wiggling her haunches, she prepared for her leap, tensing her muscles in a ready. A split second later she pounced, landing neatly on the thrush's tail feathers, pinning it to the ground. She killed it with a practiced bit to the neck. Pleased with herself, she straightened. A loud pop of a twig flicked her senses to alert. Placing her thrush to the ground, she laid a protective paw atop of it's warm body. "Who's there?" she meowed, with a hint of a snarl in her voice. "Show yourself!" If an intruder were on her territory, she would make them pay...

OOC: Sorry, I NEEDED to post something for Sandpaw. The girl needs ACTIVITY!

[wildstar.]

What was this? Wildstar out on his own in the middle of the night with no cat by his side again? Last time that had happened he'd brought home 'a stray' according to some cats. But that stray was now Clan deputy, Ghostcry. Not too long ago, less than a moon, Wildstar had just been innocently walking around on a new moon night, the fog thick in the air. He'd run into Ghost, a rogue that wandered into ThunderClan territory - not knowing about the Clans, of course. So she seemed like no trouble because of her warrior-like features, and it turned out that she wasn't. He'd told her about the Clans and what they did and how they ran. Wildstar had even mentioned the Moonpool and his black-and-white apprentice, Warpaw. He said that he'd introduce her to him some day, and show her the Moonpool, but he'd said it without thinking. She didn't really mind, of course, because she really was a fun, loving she-cat deep down inside. Once someone got past the fact that she used to be a rogue. Then he'd sent her on her way when she told him she wouldn't need an escort out of the territory. He'd trusted her to leave. When he got back to camp, he had remembered that ThunderClan didn't have a deputy even though the Clan had been waiting for him to appoint one for three whole moons. That was when he turned around and found her on the border with WindClan. He'd invited her to be not just a member of ThunderClan, but also the deputy. It was a huge step from being a rogue to having such a high position in the Clan. Many cats were still upset with him even though a bit of time passed. Wildstar shook himself from his memories, and carried on with his night.

He found himself just wandering around the oak forest, doing nothing but looking at his paws. When he gathered himself, he remembered that the Clan was running low on food and would probably need fresh-kill. He should be spending his time doing something helpful besides just sulking in the shadows. He felt his stomach grow hungrily. He'd been the last to eat food for the past moon - ever since leaf-bare rolled in - and he could feel the hunger biting at him. He was pretty slim now, too - not as skinny as the yellow-bellies WindClan cats were, however. If he had shorter fur, the cats would be able to see his ribs. But his fluffy, thick gray tabby fur covered it, and he thought that at least greencough had infected anyone yet. There was no snow on the ground, either, but it was surprisingly cold outside. Maybe it would snow soon, he realized.

Deep in his thoughts, he wasn't thinking and stepped sharply on a brittle twig. A loud crack echoed around him. He wouldn't have been worried, but then he heard a voice call out, "Who's there? Show yourself!" And then he knew that he would have to show himself to whoever this was right then, as much as he wished to have the night to himself and his thoughts. Before stepping out of the dark ferns, he sniffed the air. Thankfully the breeze was blowing toward him, so all he smelled was ThunderClan. Yellow eyes peered from the shadows and saw a sandy brown she-cat. It was the ThunderClan apprentice named Sandpaw. He breathed out a sigh of relief, happy that it wasn't a warrior that hated him at the moment. A sly smile spread across his lips as he strutted out from the tall plants. "Cool down little cat, it's just me, your ol' leader." Immediately he smelled blood, and looked down at her paws to see the carcass of a thrush. A purr rumbled in his chest, breaking up the sneaky grin that he usually used around the older she-cats. "It's looks like you've been hunting. It's a good thrush, too. You're turning into a very good hunter, Sandpaw." He didn't bother to ask her what she was doing out in the middle of the night. He knew that whenever he'd been an apprentice and cats asked him that, he got defensive. So he decided to keep his mouth shut about that. "Don't mind me, you can continue your hunt." Truthfully he wanted to see how she was progressing in her training. It was one of his favorite pastimes - to help an apprentice hunt or fight.

[Harmonypaw]

Harmonypaw

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Her daddy say's he ain't worth a lick
When it comes to brains
He got the short end of the stick

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Her eyes were half closed, her head hung low on her shoulders, and her paws dragged as she made her way slowly back from the Shadowclan clearing. But hear heart was full and seemed to be soaring miles above her on the clouds. She could feel the snow shuffle aroundher paws as she left long marks through it, barely able to pick her paws up high enough off the ground to keep her moving forward. All she wanted was to get back to her nest and sleep. She wanted to curl up warm and safe in her nest and dream about Finchpaw. Her love. She felt her heartbeat soar another tail length or so at the thought of the words. My love. She sighed and lifted her head a whisker blinking slowly. She could still almost feel his pelt brushing against hers, his muzzle touching her cheek. His scent still clung to her pelt and she drank it in clinging to their promise to meet in another couple of days. He can't get enough of me either, she thought her paws stumbling over a pebble.

She caught herself, and just in time to avoid falling face first in into a tree root. So glad no one is here to have seen that! She thought but just then a voice broke into her thoguths and she froze, wide awake now, her pelt sticking up on end, and her claws digging into the ground. You're turning into a very good hunter, Sandpaw...Don't mind me, you can continue your hunt. She pricked her ears and parted her mouth drinking in the scents praying she was downwind. Sandpaw.. She thoguth and let her pelt lie a little flatter, She wouldn't be any trouble. She'd felt a slight connection with her fellow apprentice ever since her argument with Ashpaw. She caught her breth as the sceond scent hit her tongue and she recognized the voice which had spoken. No....no, no, no. She thought her eyes widening and dropping silently into a crouch. Not Wildstar. Anyone but him but she knew it was. The leaders scent was unmistakable. Suddenly a thought occurred to her and this caused her even more panic. My pelt! it still smells like Finchpaw! She threw her head from side to side looking for somewhere she could hide or clear his scent from her pelt. She backed away from the pair as silently as she could, hoping they would not hear her over their conversation.

She found what she was looking for some dead leaves lay surrounded by mushrooms growing at the base of a nearby oak. She lay down and rolled vigorously trying to cover the scent of Shadowclan and Finchpaw in the strong scent. She stood a lie formed in her head already as to explain both the, what she hoped was, faint Shadowclan scent clinging to her pelt and the dirt and stink on her fur. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her heart which had, at the sound and scent of her fellow cla mates crashed back into her chest and immediately began hammering it's displeasure at being caged again on her ribs and throat. She swollowed trying to quell the fear that was beginnning to make her legs shake. Perhaps they won't even notice me. She thought watching the place in front of her about two fox lengths where Sandpaw and Wildstar stood just beyond a patch of brambles.

But Harmony's young and man she just don't care
She'd follow Finchpaw anywhere
She's in love with the boy

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(Lyrics Credit to "She's in Love With The Boy" by Trisha Yearwood Adapted by Rumor)
Ooc: Hope it's okay for me to join. =)