checking the borders, [open to wc/rc/sc]

[tails//]

›› B I R D G L O R Y 

 Azure gaze watched the early morning change before her very eyes. The process with which the world awoke was a slow one, the middle-aged warrior knew. Birdglory had always been an early riser -- even as a kitten, to her tired mother's dismay. While the day was still young and the grasses still dewy, Birdglory was out and about providing for her clan. Usually for Birdglory, "providing for her clan" consisted almost entirely of hunting efforts, simply because Birdglory was good at it and the clan needed it in Leafbare. 

With Newleaf on her heels, the RiverClanner began to feel a sense of ease. On this particularly warm morning, instead of going out for a hunt, the black she-cat chose to go check the borders and re-mark RiverClan land. Usually, a patrol of this nature would not be taken on alone.

But Birdglory didn't really care about what was customary.

& take off   .

[Shimmerz*]

x.i believe i believe i believe you're one of them.x
{you're one of those things}
x.so, go ahead, scream all you want, 'cause that only excites me.x

Attuned ears perked at the sound of shuffling in the distance. The shadow's claws unsheathed as the perpetrator moved closer. It seemed at ease, whatever it was. Light pawsteps meant it was likely a female or a young warrior, an apprentice even. Wouldn't be too much of a fight, if necessary. A sensitive nose twitched and scented a familiar stench--RiverClan. What filth. They hardly deserved a place in the forest. They were water rats. Nothing more. Still, this was no reason to approach the dolt first. One didn't provoke his enemy no matter how weak or stupid. Better to hide in the dark of night or between the rays of the early dawn. With her scads of moons of stealth practice and carefully disguised scent she would likely not be detected lest she choose to make herself known.

And she wouldn't. (Announce herself that is). No, she'd lie in wait, like any good hunter. The power to terrify, to trap was such a rush to the head. There was no need to fight this one, unless of course she wished to fight the lurid ex-leader (a certain mistake if she did). This entire scheme was just practice. She couldn't afford to get lazy. She had a forest to run, a clean to lead, if only through a pawn.

This was hardly the first time she'd stalked a patrol. It was rather commonplace for her. It was how she became so good. Patrols were, of course, always on the lookout for foreign cats infringing on their territory. Once she learned to avoid their detection, she could elude anyone. As an elder, her instincts were at their prime. Perhaps some argued an elder shouldn't be out on her own so near the border, but they were heaps of foxdung the lot of them. She knew her way around and was fiercer than ever. The frigid-eyed feline cared nothing of StarClan, only of the nine lives they promised. If she could achieve those lives she would be immortal, in prime physical condition no cat would hold a claw to her. She'd be unstoppable. For now though, she'd stay on top of things by sneaking out of camp in the earlier hours. They'd hardly miss her, and even if they did it wouldn't matter. She was a former leader, a beloved and feared leader. Whatever she wanted, at this point, she'd earned it. No one could stand in her way. Gravesky wouldn't have it. Perhaps they didn't see eye to eye all the time, but they shared similar goals for the plan. He trusted her, the fool. Regardless, she wouldn't abuse that trust--until it was necessary to do so, but then again it wouldn't matter at that point. It would all be hers, every last rock, every last blade of grass. She'd discredit him when the time came, and all would rally back to her. She'd tell them how he blackmailed her, how he tried to manipulate her, how she had no choice but to...eliminate the problem. She'll have witnesses, of course, Badgernose, naturally, among others. It would be perfect.

That all was awhile off though. Quietly she made her way to a higher branch in a tree, giving herself an aerial view of her prey, a black she-cat not unlike herself, except rather lamentable, hardly any sort of challenge. One leap from the tree onto the piteous creature's neck and it would all be over. Crushing really. She smirked at her own joke. If only the others had her biting sense of humor, she might be able to put up with the flea-bitten elders all day.

x.i'm naming this plane for the sea, i'm taking you all with me.x
{so suffer little children, suffer little children}
x.x.suffer little children, come and get me.x.x

Word Count: 600
Song: "You're One of Them, Aren't You?" by the PAper ChAse.

[~Nighthunter~]

Raggedtooth

A rather large lumbering tom cat, the prime of physic and fitness in its glory, Raggedtooth made his way through Riverclan's territory. Dark stripes marking his form swayed in the shadows of the leaves as the light flickered through them. His pelt a deep shadowy brown also added to the grey toned blend of the swaying branches. It was a fine day indeed, though the scowl on Raggedtooth's face remained unflinching. She had left without him. That statement kept repeating in his mind over and over, each time it added a new sting to his ego. The dark tabby might be a new warrior, being only fifteen moons, but he certainly hadn't deserved to be forgotten by the she cat leading the patrol. The deputy had to tell him, no reprimand him was more like it, because the patrol had left.

His eyes scanned the territory wildly in irritation, yet also in scrutiny because the objective of his attention was a certain long haired black female with dark blue eyes. Large paws thundering against the ground in his haste to catch up to her had him thanking starclan that they were on patrol not hunting. He was better suited to tracking and fighting more so then hunting. The thrill of the chase kept him interested more then the patience required of a hunter. Birdglory did over rank him, as she had been a warrior much longer then he, which is what confused him. Why would she leave him behind, surely its impossible to forget a clan mate. His sense of importance left his pride wounded.

Thinking he saw a shadow move a little diffrently, he veered towards the Shadowclan border more, and scented the air. His scowl deepening, he bristled in annoyance and called out in his deep gravely voice. "I know your there. Trying to avoid me?!"

[tails//]

›› B I R D G L O R Y 

 Blue eyes scanned the patchy brambles for any signs of trespassing. The she-cat knew what to search for; the scents of the other clanners, the broken spaces in between bushes, pawprints ... The RiverClan warrioress was well-trained in what was an important sign, and what wasn't. Unfortunately for the obsidian she-cat, she was so focused on looking for signs of intrusion that she, at first, missed the obvious. Her gaze remained on the borders even as the former ShadowClan leader loomed above her amid the treetops like a dark gray cloud.

It wasn't until Frigidscorn moved to a higher point in the tree that her ears flicked slightly and the hairs on her back began to raise slightly. She knew something was amiss, but she could not quite place what it was. Assessing the situation, Birdglory could only determine that for a Newleaf morning, it was awfully quiet. No sounds of scuffling, albeit the gentle shift in the trees, or sounds of bird songs could be heard. Everything was still -- as if the world had stopped but Birdglory had chosen to keep going. 
'I know your there. Trying to avoid me?!'

The black she-cat's fur was pointed all the way out at the slightly hostile sounds of a tom's voice. Birdglory did not focus on who the voice had come from, but more where and why. By the time Birdglory spotted the brown tabby features of Raggedtooth, her body was still on the alert, even though he clearly was not going to do her harm. "Ha-ha ... don't get your whiskers in a twist! I ... thought you could use the extra sleep," the she-cat blatantly lied, her voice slightly distant as her bright blue orbs scoured every feature of the defined tom's pelt. As she gave him a thorough look, her black pelt slowly smoothed out along her pelt to give her a calmer, more RiverClan-esque look. Seeing him gave her comfort, and initially Birdglory decided that Raggedtooth was clearly that one causing all the ruckus and scaring the birds away.

Her playful blue gaze glistened in a way that matched the small smirk forming on her jaws. Within the instant of realizing that she was out of harm's way, Birdglory's confidence returned. "What were you doing, stomping through the woods all this time? You've scared the birds away from here to The Little Reed Island!" the warrior exclaimed, whiskers twitching in amusement. She wondered what had caused the birds to get so frightened: was it is heavyset build or his heavy mood? Something about the way Raggedstone had become annoyed so easily amused her to no end.

The dark she-cat turned around, her azure gaze skimming RiverClan territory as before, just a few tail-lengths away from the tree where Frigidscorn watched. "You ... scared me, too," she meowed in a more hesitant, but honest tone. Despite knowing who was the cause of the silence, she still felt on edge. 

& take off   .

[Shimmerz*]

x.i believe i believe i believe you're one of them.x
{you're one of those things}
x.so, go ahead, scream all you want, 'cause that only excites me.x

A scowl spread across her maw as Raggedtooth yowled. "I know your there. Trying to avoid me?!" He shouldn't have had even a slight clue that she was here. She was a master of stealth, a master of strategy, a master of all the pathetic cats in these clans whether they knew it or not. Suppressing her rage though, she sat silently in the tree. It didn't even matter if he sensed her there, really. She would remain silent, unmoving. Try and locate her then, she'd be little more than a shadow.

She heard the tone of uneasiness in the she-cat's speech. It was terribly rewarding, that fear, for it was from that which she fed. They would all bend before her someday; it was just a matter of time, just a matter of feeding Gravesky half-truths until the clans were bowing before her. And what would she do then? Simple. Strict rule. No revolts. No disagreements. No free-thinking. Free thinkers were leaders, and she was the only leader the clan would ever need (until, of course, Badgernose or some other deserving cat took over in her leave).

It was really quite hilarious how some of the ShadowClan cats acted, so relieved that the leadership had changed paws. They thought he was more trustworthy, more moralistic, better for the clan. Ha! Little did they know! Little did anyone know the truth. It was all her, Frigidscorn, the scourge of ShadowClan. It was her that ran the clan from behind the bushes. It had always been and always would be hers. And those traitors? They were on her list now, all on her list. Every. Last. One. Every kit, every apprentice, every flea-bitten elder. Any cat that dared look upon her countenance with anything less than respect and admiration. It was she who had brought them through these plagued moons. She that had guided them when the Moonstone and all the other kit-tales had failed them like she knew they would eventually.

Believing in something beyond the physical realm is weakness. Even if there is some outside power, even if StarClan really did exist, what was the point? Were they going to come down and fix everything? Hardly. Were they going to save one piece of foxdung warrior from hunger? Never. If there was a StarClan, they didn't care enough to be revered or even thought of. What did believing in StarClan really get a cat? Unfilled hopes. Broken dreams. Lies. Pain. Not worth it, just a big letdown. Why even fall into that trap? If every cat thought like her, had such a clear mind, maybe they too would be so actualized. Maybe they too would understand her perfect visions for the clans. But as it were, that wasn't the case. She highly doubted it would be so long as there were mouse-brained queens preaching to their kits about precious StarClan this and that.

If her greatest danger right now were the two idiots below her, the lurid she-cat had no doubt she would be just fine. Even if they did somehow manage to discern her identity and her exact position, she was stronger, more confident, and far sneakier. She could slit one of their throats before the other even caught wind of her presence, or crush one of them beneath her in a cruel instant, grounding their pathetic pounds into the icy, hard-packed earth on which they stood. If they were wise, they would brush off her presence as simply a general sense of dread and let it be. Unfortunately, cats were rarely that wise...

x.i'm naming this plane for the sea, i'm taking you all with me.x
{so suffer little children, suffer little children}
x.x.suffer little children, come and get me.x.x

Word Count: 596
Song: "You're One of Them, Aren't You?" by the PAper ChAse.

[~Nighthunter~]

The dark brown warrior felt his chest rise and fall in controlled yet heaving breaths as his adrenaline scorched through his frame from the run he had endured to get there. Not taking much energy from him, due to the larger anger rolling off of him in waves from being left behind in the first place. Locking onto the form of Birdglory he tried to surpress the anger and remember that she was a clan mate, she had abandoned him and gotten him into trouble yes... but she was still a clan mate. Add to it that she was female and it wouldn't be very gentle of him to simply yell at her, even though he really wanted to. Ragged was also aware that he was a warrior and should be able to solve things without that sort of need to scream.

Taking a more through look at her he noticed that her fur had been sticking up, though she quickly let it flat again. Digging his claws into the ground he swung his head around wildly looking for the thing that frightened her to attack it. Oddly though not surprisingly he found nothing to sink his teeth into, which kind of frustrated him more since he would have liked and anger outlet at the moment. Then her comment about his whiskers twisting made him turn to her again and make a face while rolling his eyes half hearted at her." My whiskers are not in a twist, and I didn't need more sleep, im nothing special compared to the others and do not need the treatment of such. I got in trouble over that you know!"

Once he heard about her being scared his mouth snapped shut, and he deflated instantly. He was such a jerk, he had just yelled at her too. It hurt him that she was scared of him, and that she had caused her fur to bristle. IT made him feel like such a brute. He sat down and frowned, bringing his ears gently back. He looked really somber and stricken." I'm sorry Birdglory. I had no idea... I will go and find another patrol if I bother you so much. I didn't mean to frighten you." He looked like a kit, all huddled there and slumping his shoulders like kit that's been scolded, all the fire driven out of him. The looming doom above them both didn't make him react, it didn't drive his fur to stick up on end. She was all he was thinking about. Part of him wondered why he cared if she was afraid, but the other part despised himself for making her that way, and he couldn't figure out why exactly.

[Shimmerz*]

x.i believe i believe i believe you're one of them.x
{you're one of those things}
x.so, go ahead, scream all you want, 'cause that only excites me.x

The black she-cat smirked inwardly at the little display before her. Emotions were so stupid. They served only to make a cat weak. Those two pieces of fox dung below her, for example, had dulled their senses to her presence in the midst of their yowling and bickering. They did make for q good show though, she supposed, some mindless form of entertainment; however, unlike the fools beneath her she always kept on the alert. Part of her attention was always strictly focused on discerning her surroundings. Even a momentary slip-up could mean failure, and there was no place for that here, none at all.

It was quite evident to her that the tom had taken a fancy to the she-cat from his body language and tone of voice. That type of concern and the look of defeat were luckily things she would never sink to. As a leader she had been protected for this onslaught of the opposite gender, and as warrior prior to that she was simply heartless. Many cats had referred to her using a kittypet term that should be reserved for female canines, but she hadn't thought much of it. They were simply jealous of her center of control, of the fact that she could stand on her own four paws without any cat's assistance or support. She was a strong, independent black she-cat that did not need a tom.

Although...even if she wouldn't admit it, there had been times when she had considered taking on a mate, times where she would have liked to have a subordinate to boss around. The issue, as she was quite aware, was that mates are not to be subordinates but equals, and she saw herself equal to none. She was Frigidscorn, the wisest, most strategic cat in all the clans. The harsh-gazed cat would not settle for being anything less. And beyond that...she had no desire to carry kits. This was likely not a concern at her age, but irregardless the ex-leader would never degrade herself to being a mouse-brained queen. She would sooner be defeated by a flea-bitten ThunderClan apprentice and then shoved into the Thunderpath.

x.i'm naming this plane for the sea, i'm taking you all with me.x
{so suffer little children, suffer little children}
x.x.suffer little children, come and get me.x.x

Word Count: 356
Song: "You're One of Them, Aren't You?" by the PAper ChAse.

[tails//]

›› B I R D G L O R Y 
I DON'T CARE, I LOVE IT!

 Birdglory's blue eyes were piercing as they watched the riled up tomcat before her. There was little the pure black she-cat could do or wanted to do to put the tabby clanmate at ease. In fact, his easily tempered state was amusing for her to see. Birdglory hadn't had much interaction with Raggedtooth, but found his temper to be oddly becoming. Hearing his grating tones against her curved ears made her give a wide grin. Hearing him react so hotly to her idle comment chased away lingering uncharacteristic fear.

"My whiskers are not in a twist, and I didn't need more sleep, im nothing special compared to the others and do not need the treatment of such. I got in trouble over that you know!"

Birdglory's grin hadn't faded by the end of his words. She didn't care that he had gotten in trouble with Hailstorm; his anger was positively juicy. For a she-cat in love with attention, negative or positive, he was a perfect character for her to parasite. The warrioress knew exactly what to tell the tom moments after he had spoken. She would have done so if he hadn't piped up once more in a completely different tone. Momentarily, it weakened her and threw her off of her game. 

"I'm sorry Birdglory. I had no idea... I will go and find another patrol if I bother you so much. I didn't mean to frighten you,"

The black she-cat's ears perked forward and confusion showed in her eyes. Normally Birdglory went through life ignoring the occasional sways of negative emotions she felt from herself and from others. The warrior hadn't really felt an emotional connection with another cat in a longtime. Instead of seeking out those she was kin to, she built heavy walls around herself. She verbally broke others down until they left her be. 

Looking into Raggedtooth's eyes made her want to open up just enough to let him in. Her blue eyes narrowed slightly. "I-It's really fine," the obsidian she-cat meowed, the catch in her voice coming from her personal inability to cope with her emotions and his. He seemed so emotionally exposed to everything. Birdglory wasn't sure how to respond to his words. Comforting another wasn't exactly her strong suit. "It isn't your fault. I just heard rustling and didn't know where it was coming from. I should be the one apologizing, anyways. I got you in trouble with Hailstorm. And she isn't a cat you want to cross paths with," she meowed, whiskers twitching. She knew from experience just how cold-hearted Hailstorm could be.

[~Nighthunter~]

Raggedtooth - Sometimes that's all it takes~

Viridian orbs carefully took in the face of the obsidian she cat before him. Birdglory was uncharted to him, he wasn't used to her temperament, nor had he much experience training or even talking to her. Yet when it came down to it, he seemed to already be able to shake there unfounded relationship. It was odd for him to be caught off guard by another so easily, not that it didn't happen. Emotionally, he was not used to holding things back, it was just not his way. It burdened him to think that if he had caused something wrong that he should let it go unheard. His mentor had taught him to be forthright with his companions, and he was just trying to stick to that, no matter how annoying it was getting. Still it was hard to think that he had unsettled Birdglory, she seemed stronger then that, and it was confusing. Not seeing anything else to attribute to it, was what lead him to believe it was his doing.

Lifting his head some, he searched for her eyes, as she spoke to him, telling him to stay. That she was sorry was something he was not expecting to hear from her, but it was most welcomed, and made him perk right up. He didn't know why, but he hated to think that she could be angry or disturbed by him. Raggedtooth sat up straight and nodded to her in recognition for her words, he even let a little grin show. She had said that it was her fault for forgetting to wake him and getting him in trouble afterall, so this grin was like a winning statement to him. He was keeping his mouth zipped because he realy wanted to agree with her that she had indeed gotten him in quite a bind earlier. Instead he sought to comfort her that he hadn't been all that bad off. " Apology accepted, I was fortunate enough to avoid a full lashing from her, since she became preoccupied, so no harm done. I suppose I rushed in a little more angry then I needed to be. My temper gets the best of me sometimes."

In truth he had no idea why he was being so generous with his words. A moment ago he was ready to shout down the forest and yowl her ears off, with a mountain of complaints. Now he wasn't so sure that he wanted to. First off it felt very immature, and next well, he was sure she would only fight him back. Raggedtooth turned his head to the side in contemplation, he rather liked her better angry at him then in this quieter form. Weird It wasn't the anger so much, but when she was like that he had her full attention, and being a new warrior, and like most he loved extra attention. It had absolutely nothing to do with wanting just her attention on him, of that he was not even aware he was trying to achieve just yet.

Looking back on her in contemplation, he snickered in his head, they were supposed to be moving on anyway, this was a patrol afterall. Why not make her aggravated again, might make things more interesting, patrols are so boring. "If you really mean it and feel bad then you can wander on back to camp and let Hailstorm know you left ME behind. I on the other hand are just going to finish the patrol and leave YOU facing behind me." With that he grinned again in humor, though whether she would be able to tell that he wasn't sure, and dashed through the bushes right next to her heading more along the border.

Comments: Sorry it took so long guys. Lots of family problems lately.

[Shimmerz*]

x.i believe i believe i believe you're one of them.x
{you're one of those things}
x.so, go ahead, scream all you want, 'cause that only excites me.x

The lithe black she-cat nearly retched watching their little display. It was deplorable the way they fawned over each other. It didn't matter whether they acknowledged it or not, they were fools. Apparently fools who couldn't even do their job right. Yes, she was a master of stealth, but she was almost tempted to "slip up" just so they could feel a little less useless. The key word being "almost." No cat would stand between her and her ambitions, whether those were ruler of the forest or spy. She was the master commander of ShadowClan, no matter what Gravesky or the other cats thought. They were all her puppets, directly or indirectly. Even these two here were her messengers, passing along word of news outside of ShadowClan. Now whilst these two pieces of foxdung had said nothing important, it didn't matter. She was getting information in the most unbiased way possible, just an invisible observer in the night.

The tom stopped jabbering and dashed to the she-cat's side. Perhaps this indicated there would soon be a change in topic. That would be nice. If she was lucky, it would be some titillatingly important tidbit. Not that luck had anything to do with it. Luck was something of kits' tales. It didn't matter if the odds were all against her, she knew she would come out on top. She was better, stronger, faster, smarter. Age was only a number. All the forest would know that someday. She cared nothing for the story of StarClan except for the fact of the extra eight lives. She wasn't sure how yet, but she would acquire them in secret. Then she would be unstoppable. No one would expect her to have those. She'd be like a deity on earth, and she would shape the forest into a place of her choosing. Fighters would be trained so fiercely they would rival wild dogs, and traitors would be punished so cruelly that not a cat would ever dare to revolt again. All the stupid peons around her would learn their place rather quickly. Gravesky would be kept only as long as was necessary. She had minions who would happily dispose of him for her.

Staring down at the cats below her again, she began to plan for their demise. Destroyed on the Thunderpath? Too fast. They had to suffer more. Drowned in the depths of the river? Too much effort. Couldn't risk getting drowned in the process. Left for dead among ravenous predators? Too unreliable. Traitors could never be given the chance to escape. Poisoned in secret? Boring and far too anonymous. She couldn't have blind accusations flying around, and if they did survive that was too much of a liability. Throats slit and tongues removed? Delicious. The dark ruler reveled in the grotesque imagery of her inner mind. The other clans had another thing coming.

x.i'm naming this plane for the sea, i'm taking you all with me.x
{so suffer little children, suffer little children}
x.x.suffer little children, come and get me.x.x

Word Count: 477
Song: "You're One of Them, Aren't You?" by the PAper ChAse.
Note: She shouldn't be this fun to write for. xD