F l e e t like W i n d (Heather, Windclan cats)

[tiger]

Patrols. Fleetfoot pushed his way out of the crowded warriors den. They needed to set the day's patrols. He stretched his long limbs, then trotted of to the center of camp. It was early morning, most were asleep, and the sky was a cloudy grey color. He could taste rain, a storm was coming, and the fresh-kill pile was low. Windclan had a disadvantage during rain, because all rabbits immediately hide under the ground in their burrows. He would have to sent out extra hunting patrols, and soon. Heatherstar would agree, he knew it. And even if she didn't...

His eyes glanced around the camp, looking for the few souls who were not snuggled up in their nests. Sighing he realized no one was awake yet. At this rate he might have to make his way into the dens and wake a few cats up. But he could wait a bit longer... Couldn't he? There wasn't really any rush. Was there? Lately he'd been a little uncertain about his outlook on life... Was he right? Or was his ideas sorrily deluded?

[flameclaw]

My body may be behind iron bars, but you'll never cage in my soul

---

Paws hitting the earth with a silent sound, running like he could never die. Wind blowing back his fur as he made strong leaps, hitting the grass below him with power but he remained a quiet runner. As he emerged from the land he recognised as WindClan he jumped into a fantasy land where all around him were blooming flowers that opened themselves freely. And he continued to gallop, free as a bird and light as a feather, even though he was going nowhere... lost in the paradise of...

Reality. Striking Flameclaw like lightning he yawned, jaws open and sharp, gleaming white fangs exposed due to the rising of his upper lip. Noticing the absence of Fleetfoot, the deputy, in the den he guessed that there would be a patrol soon. He wanted to fall back aslee and dream of a land only he could find, a land where love was real. But there was no such thing. Love was only a pain bringer and he knew that. As no other cat was awake the thought crossed his mind of getting up and finding Fleetfoot so he could vollenteer to be in the patrol.

No. Thinking how dumb he had been just then, he was tempted to close his eyes and return to a peaceful slumber, unafraid of anything, but he didn't. The temptation of going back to sleep was something he could resist, unlike some things that just overpowered the ginger tom. But death wasn't something he had running through his mind like a hare... just plain boredom. Even if going on patrol because of vollenteering wasn't something he commonly did and would look strange in a way, he wanted to feed the hungry bored beast inside of him.

Flameclaw got to his paws and he could taste the signs of a storm and realising the sky was a shade of grey he sighed. Not that he hated rain, there wasn't really much problem with it, but he just felt deppressed. Lost in thoughts, he began to wonder what was the point in living. The Clan was fine without him. If the Medicine cat died, or deputy or Heatherstar died there would be a big wave of sorrow drowning the Clan, but if that quiet guy Flameclaw died a few would mourn but move on quickly and easilly. What was his purpose?

Shake it. Break it. Get off your feet

[sILVER--»]

Heatherstar opened one bright blue eye, not wanting to wake up, when she reminded herself of her Clan. The ginger she-cat stood up and yawned, stretching elaborately, her paws out in front of her. Even from inside the darkness of the leader's den she could just make out the shape of two cats outside. She opened her mouth slightly, letting the air tickle the scent glands on the roof of her mouth. Fleetfoot and Flameclaw. Two of her best warriors. She nodded, eyes shining. Heatherstar had only been part of her Clan for a little while, but her Clan was already obeying her and Fleetfoot with respect. She gave her ruffled chest a quick lick and padded out of her den, greeted by warm, fresh air.

The first scent that hit her was a storm. She nodded. Hi, you two. Why are you up so early?

[/color] She glanced up at the sky; it seemed a cloudy shade of dark gray. I think we'd better get some patrols before the rabbits run back into their holes.[/color] She gave a slight smile. Glancing at Fleetfoot, she felt almost shy but not quite. He was very handsome, she had to admit. But she felt sorry for Flameclaw. His love had been killed by Roughpaw, and now he seemed so quiet, as if he had put invisible walls around him. He was untouchable.

Even thinking about Roughpaw did not make Heatherstar less optimistic. She gave a slight shake as a huge drop of rain hit her tail. She glanced at the other two cats.

ooc:: are fleet and heather mates already or are they going to mate?[/size][/blockquote]

[tiger]

ooc;; It's easier if we said already. xD


Fleetfoot saw two shapes emerging from different dens, quiet Flameclaw and his leader, Heatherstar. He gave her a small, welcoming smile, then blinked back to his usual hostile expression. He gave Flameclaw a curt nod before turning back to Heatherstar. "Morning Heatherstar... Flameclaw. Yes, exactly what I was thinking, and why I'm up. I don't voluntarily wake up this early you know." His voice was halfway teasing, but still a bit aggressive. But that was Fleetfoot for you.

"Those rabbits are going to go play hide and seek in their holes as soon as it starts sprinkling. I say we get a few extra hunting patrols out at sunhigh, it smells like the storm will hit later this afternoon." He shrugged, and flicked his tail. "I say we lead a smaller dawn patrol to spare more cats for hunting. I'll lead the dawn patrol if you think I should."

[flameclaw]

It'll be a show to remember, and you can take all the pain away from me

---

Heatherstar, Fleetfoot and the firey coloured tom seemed to be the only cats awake and the deputy had spoken truth about having a smaller dawn patrol and a larger hunting patrol. That was certainly best, as if Flameclaw would say that out loud. He noticed Heatherstar looking at Fleetfoot and wondered what she was thinking. Whatever she thought of him was none of his buisness, so he forgot about it quickly. A small thought crossing his mind such as that could be erased from Flameclaw's thoughts like the wind blowing away small purposeless things like dust and bugs.

"That's fine by me," he spoke quietly but loud enough for a cat's ears to detect. Flameclaw looked cold but there was something in his eyes that said that he wanted to go on the patrol - no matter how deppressed or whatever he appeared as he looked. With Fleetfoot leading the dawn patrol, the tall deputy of the swift moorland cats known as WindClan, he would hope that none of the other cats on the patrol upset the tom as he knew what the hostile cat was like when annoyed.

With a storm coming the patrol would have to set off soon, and Flameclaw pondered if they would begin the dawn patrol any moment soon. He padded a little closer to the other two and sat down on his rump, tempted to ask. Though the answer would come to him sooner or later so he decided not to - Flameclaw thinks through his actions alot but it isn't noticable unless a cat could read minds or something. Flameclaw twitched slightly, rain didn't bother him but the storm could be more awful than he was expecting.

I ask why, but in my mind I find I can't rely on myself

[sILVER--»]

Heatherstar almost beamed when Fleetfoot looked at her. She felt like a princess. Heatherstar, you are SO immature, she told herself joyfully, swishing her tail. She perked up her ears quickly when Fleetfoot began to speak. He didn't voluntarily wake up that early, does he? The golden she-cat was about to say something, but didn't as he began to talk some more. Flameclaw quietly added in a small 'It's fine by me.'. Heatherstar nodded, and the leader part of her came out. Why don't we send out two border patrols? Two warriors and an apprentice. The rest of the cats can hunt, and the assigned apprentices can take care of the elders. Heatherstar suggested. Then, we can go on a hunting patrol, and possibly stay out until the storm hits. After that, everyone can huddle in their dens with their bellies full.

[/color] Heatherstar gave a grin. This was going to be a hard. It was just their luck to have a great storm in winter. All the rabbits that they found now were thin and sickly, and did little to feed the Clan.

That didn't lower Heatherstar's spirits though, as she sat down and started giving herself a severe cleaning. Her belly rumbled softly once, and she glanc ed at the fresh-kill pile again. It was better to save that for the queens, kits, and elders, though, as they were the most helpless ones in the Clan. She knew she had to do her duty and feed her Clan before herself. She looked up suddenly. We could also possibly gather a little bit of catmint, she meowed, It's going to be greencough season soon and we need as much as we can get.[/color] She remembered grimly the effects of greencough; Sometimes it even turned in blackcough. Every year it came, it killed many cats of her Clan. [/size][/blockquote]