{{counting the ways to where you are

[Aiko]

Monarchwing

[/b]
_{do all these roads lead me back to you?}[/color][/center]

Silence.

Tallpines lie still in the fall heat. The creatures of the forest all seemed to be hiding underground or in the trees, waiting anxiously for leaf-bare to grasp them in its sharp talons, where the world would stay frozen until new-leaf. Even in the abnormal heat of the fall, the world seemed quiet, still.

This was just as Monarchwing liked it.

A flicker of movement from the bushes was all that gave the swift, light pawed warrior away. Her brown patched fur mingled well in the brown of the fallen leaves and the changing colors of the bushes. Another flicker, then she stepped softly into the open, her ears pricked and eyes flickering in the sunlight.

She let the silence overtake her, and she relaxed a bit, flicking an ear. Her pelt ruffled slightly in the gentle breeze, and she welcomed it, her mind suddenly open. With a graceful leap, she scaled a nearby tree, slipping onto one of the low hanging branches. She sat here, her tail wrapped around her paws. From here, she could see any approaching cats. With a soft little sigh, she lifted a paw and began to groom herself, trying to not let her mind wander too far.

Monarchwing...

The wind seemed to whisper her name. She paused, twisting her ear, and dropped her paw, listening closely. The breeze picked back up, and she closed her eyes, suddenly feeling sad and lonely. She shook the thoughts from her head and resumed grooming, hoping a member from her clan would come along and jerk her from her sad thoughts.

[Nothing]

Fleetingthunder was out on a stroll, as usual. The tom never really liked company, ever since the death of his mentor and the incident of his fellow apprentices at the time, both jealous of him. The past leader, though it was so long ago, had taken a shine to the tom and saw the truth in his eyes, a truth that no one would ever see, not even Midnightstar. Despite the fact that he trusted her, it would never be the same, not again.

Settling away those thoughts for later, the tom made his way to the edge of camp, looking at the pure black sky, listening to the sound of crickets in the distance and the crunch of his large, grey paws on the frost-covered ground. Turning around, he noticed a figure in the distance, a cat-like figure, and Fleetingthunder's eyes widened. What... was it? Or... who?

Most likely being an intruder or a silly cat that had somehow made it on to their territory, Fleetingthunder puffed. The medicine cat had had enough trouble for today. "Who goes there?" He demanded, frowning.

[warblersong]

Badgertail moved, his every step timed as perfectly as he could with the cat that walked several fox lengths ahead of him, just barely beyond his line of sight. His white and black fur pricked with caution and he kept his nose raised and his mouth opened, determined not to loose her scent. Her fur blended so perfectly with the fallen leaves and brown of trees from leaf-fall he almost envied her ability to dissapear in it.

He stopped, his ears pricked as he heard a distinct difference in the sound in front of him, so faint that if he wasn't constantly straining his ears to what padded before him he wouldn't have noticed. She was no longer on the ground, claws scraped against wood. He hissed quietly. He wouldn't be following her into a tree. Not just because it was simply too easy for her to catch sight of her follower, but because he simply hated climbing. He did lower himself as close to the ground as possible and took shelter under a bush away from where she was looking and was content to simply look up.

She looked so at home in the tree with her tail around her paws as she groomed herself. He froze as the wind stopped for a moment, hardly even daring to breath and wondered if he could hear his heart beating below her. The wind resumed and he continued to breath.

Badgertail nearly leapt out of his fur when he heard the voice of another cat, regardless of the fact that he knew it as his own clanmate. So focused had he been on the she-cat in the branches above that he had not heard or scented his coming. "Nothing Fleetingthunder," He mumbled, quickly lieing and backing out from under the bush, bits of white and black fur clinging to a few of the branches. "Just thought I'd do a bit of night hunting. Saw a mouse but it ran under there and I got a little stuck." It was a poor lie, he hated hunting, even if he was starved. Though if he were it wouldn't be unlikely for him to get trapped in some tangle of branches or another.

[Aiko]

Monarchwing

[/b]
_{do all these roads lead me back to you?}[/color][/center]

Monarchwing could swore she heard something in the bushes beneath her. She dropped her paw, twisting an ear to listen, her breath catching in her throat as she focused. The demanding voice of Fleetingthunder reached her from the leaf covered forest floor, and she looked down, watching the tom cat scan the undergrowth. She fluffed up her fur, watching in amusement, before she heard another voice. She flicked her tail, carefully getting to her paws and toeing closer to the trunk of the tree.

Looking down from where she stood, she could just barely make out the white and black fur in the bushes below. She flicked an ear, eyes narrowing as she quietly observed them, a purr of amusement roaring in her chest. With careful steps, she climbed back down the tree, landing hard next Fleetingthunder, looking at both toms with an amused glint in her eyes.

"Evening, boys," she purred, hoping her sudden drop from the tree startled them. Her eyes glittered. "Trying to sneak up on me, eh, Badgertail?" She flicked him gently with her tail before turning her gaze to Fleetingthunder. "What are you two up to?" She suddenly felt calmer, being around her clan mates. Hopefully a conversation would push her dark thoughts further back in her mind.

[Nothing]

"Oh, it's just you Monarchwing." Fleetingthunder said, sighing, "But that doesn't mean you aren't excused from telling me why you are out here so late, and nearly off our borders?" Attentive, yes, he was definitely.

[warblersong]

Badgertail's own tail flicked when she touched him with hers. "I wouldn't say sneaking" He mumbled. "just . . . practicing my stalking." He kept his fur from bristing when Fleetingthunder spoke. Whether he meant it or not he sounded almost like he was accusing Monarchwing of something.

"We're not off the border." He mewed, "And even if we were it would just be getting into the twoleg place and kittypet territory. It's not another clan's territoy an there's nothing inthe warior code against it."

[Aiko]

Monarchwing

[/b]
_{do all these roads lead me back to you?}[/color][/center]

Monarchwing's fur bristled slightly at Fleetingthunder's words, but before she could replied, Badgertail beat her. She relaxed when Badgertail defended her, giving her chest a quick lick to dissolve her surprise and anger, but when she looked back up, she still felt challenged.

"Badgertail is right," she replied simply, her eyes flickering to Fleetingthunder. She made her fur lie down; things were already bad enough without fighting amongst each other. "I was just getting some fresh air. It's not that late anyway." Her eyes flashed to the sky, staring at the sun as it made it's slow descent before the moon would take over. "I figured getting out on my own a bit wouldn't hurt."

Monarchwing glanced at Badgertail, blinking appreciatively. "Well, until I was up in the tree, I honestly didn't know you were there." She flicked her tail in the direction of the camp. "So you were doing well."

[Nothing]

"You too are both... incourageable." Fleetingthunder sighed, "And I know what is right and wrong thank you and can make that judgement myself. I am the medicine cat after all and it is high time that cats like yourself, Monarchwing, should know that. You are both free to stay here if you wish, but do not come complaining to me when you get a snake bite. But you are right, it is not so late. Perhaps my idle ways have gotten the better of me... But thank you for the compliment anyhow." It was rare the tom had to deal with anything like this, so he didn't quite know if he was handling it as he should have done.

[warblersong]

Badgertail was pleased to hear that the stalking portion of his trip outside of camp went well enough. He only wished he had been good enough to hear Fleetingthunder approached. Still he purred deeply at her praise. The medicine cat himself Badgertail wasn't sure what to do with. He couldn't quite tell if he was angry with the two warriors for being out of camp at night or not. And what was wrong with them being awake anyway.

"Dont worry. I don't think there are any snakes out this late," He nodded to Fleetingthunder then turned back to Monarchwing "How'd you get up that tree so fast?"

[Aiko]

Monarchwing

[/b]
_{do all these roads lead me back to you?}[/color][/center]

Monarchwing purred at Fleetingthunder. "You're worrying too much," she responded, shrugging off the toms slight stand-offish reply. "I know you mean well, but, honestly, it's not a big deal. Don't be angry. We're just playing around." Even though she shrugged it off, his words nagged Monarchwing. She wondered what it mattered; she had never given ThunderClan a reason to doubt her loyalty. She quickly licked her chest fur, hiding her sudden self consciousness. She shook her pelt gently, touching Fleedingthunder with her tail. "But we'll bring back some fresh kill when we come back to camp, okay?"

She returned her attention to Badgertail, her eyes flickering. Purring happily, she unsheathed her claws. "Practice," she responded simply, digging her claws into the dirt. "I've had a knack for climbing trees since I was a kit." Badgertail's commented made her swell with pride.

[Nothing]

Fleetingthunder groaned when Badgertail said that there were not many snakes out late at night, "I was not being litteral Badgertail, obviously there are not many snakes out here." Then, the tom turned to Monarchwing, "Yes, alright... That would be appreciated."

[ŖáIň]

Rainpath could not at all but feel the slightest of bits inquisitive as she peered hesitantly through the low hanging bracken. It unnerved her, and the quiet terror that dreadfully adorned about her was the least of bits terrifying. Thus, in the query of the feline shapes that fluttered upon her irises, she could not feel as though she was a recluse, perhaps a spawn of the night.
Therefore, feeling spiteful of her least of bit societal conduct, she warily padded forward into the lapse of twilight, pallid blue eyes dancing about, falling upon each individual that conversed in the evening. She considered it inexcusable, her discomfiture, though it was her mere comrades that stood placidly, scattered in the clearing.
No. She would not stand there, foolishly, succumbed in the yonder of her idiocy. Thus, she quietly mewed a, “How do you do,” settling upon a fern, whiskers twitching ever so slightly to embrace her mortifying tongue.

[Nothing]

"My, is everyone out parading so late? I suppose that is what young cats do now a days, hm?" he looked at Rainpath, she seemed young enough, "But, greetings. Did you hear us from camp Rainpath, or did you need my help...?"

OOC: Fleetingthunder is like an easily-angered wise-cat. XD

[ŖáIň]

Irate as his response should be, the feline retorted silently, eyes narrowed slightly, tail flicking this way and that, dashing time silently. She was revolted at the scents that furrowed through her mandible, and a low, inaudible hiss, quiet and prudent, fluttered from her maw.
Subtly, she unhinged her muzzle to speak, her soprano mew engulfed by her instantaneous irritation. "At this hour? I'm afraid not, my friend. I had presumed there was some activity in the forest- I intended on hunting, given this racket. However, it was you. I called for no medical assistance, mind you."
She distinctly recalled the obnoxious clamor that aroused her from her pleasant dreams, and she gawked with great scrutiny at the others.

OOC: As is Rainpath. She's not too kind, but that pends entirely on one's demeanor. ^^

[warblersong]

Badgertail looked up the tree. He wondered for only a heartbeat what it was like to be able to climb so easily. Then he retracted the thought. He had never wanted to climb before. He was a cat, not a squirrel. As long as he could get up a fence to drive off a kittypet he was fine. Still, Monarchwing liked it. He opened his mouth to say something when he heard another cat.

His tail flicked with silent annoyance. Was every cat in Thunderclan going to intrude on them tonight? Then Rainpath and Fleethingthunder began to talk and he hoped the two of them would wander off in their own conversation. he turned to Monarchwing and said, "Maybe you could show me a little."