&. a day in the /springs/

[.x │ s h e l l]

d e m i s e . . ashclan________________________x

t h i s w o r l d i s c o l d



Her claws came down on the creature with unrepeatable swiftness. The pearly whites attached themselves into the mouse's neck fur, digging down further and further until they heard the repulsive snap of the creature's neck. Satisfied the she-cat let go, inching forward with her nose to sniff at the gray bundle of fur. How she loved the smell of fresh-kill, blood and flesh still warm with life. It was so tempting. Lifting her chocolate colored crown, her golden depths peered about. She couldn't see anyone.. The femme swiveled her ears. All she heard was the bubbling of the springs. She bent down, and devoured the mouse in a few quick bites.

Straightening up again, the cat set to work washing her face self-consciously. She couldn't go back to the clan with mouse scraps on her face. In fact, she probably shouldn't go back to the clan empty pawed, either. She decided she would go hunting later. Lowering her mitt, she looked up at the sky. "It's only sun high," she mumbled to herself. "I've still got time."

She rose to her paws and stretched her limbs slowly, one at a time. Padding down directly to the water's edge, she peered at it for only a moment before slowly sliding in. It was hot, yes, but it soothed her aching limbs. Sleeping on stone was not exactly soft on the muscles. Closing her eyes, she let the soft churning of the water lull her.

[[xdsterx]]

Questions, as usual, ignited in Stonefall's mind. An uncontrollable conflagration that couldn't be extinguished. Billows of suffocating smoke that stung his eyes. He prayed that one day, his questions might be answered. A torrent of waves might put them out forever. They singed his tongue, the very tip of it. He always managed to avoid the hottest of flames. Dodged them so he might retain some part of his sanity. But the flames laughed and Stonefall was thrown toward the inferno...

The gray tom raised his head from his dozing and wrinkled his nose uncomfortably. He loathed those vivid dreams. The surrealism of it all was a sick figment of his imagination. Erase them. Erase them all. He shook his head to clear it and tried to banish the laughing flames from his mind. Eclipsed them with other thoughts.

The fur along his flanks pricked and he swung his broad head to the left. Laying about near the hot springs probably wasn't the best idea in the world; he felt the heat rolling off from the water and rose to his paws to shake the feeling from his short fur. Slightly parting his jaws, he drank in the smell of the air and, with it, another familiar scent. Cat-scent. AshClan. She-cat. But he couldn't determine which of his clanmates was near. The water muffled it far too much.

Treading carefully along the stones that protruded from the springs, Stonefall bounded from one rock to the other, taking care to remain balanced and followed the she-cat's scent trail. He didn't even know why he was tracking his clanmate. What did he care? Why should he care? His Clan was precisely what caused the questions to burn his mind. The gray tom scowled at the thought but kept moving forward despite that.

He had to care, somewhat. He was their deputy. He would protect his Clan even if it costed him his life. That was how he became deputy. But even though this tom wasn't fond of his job, it didn't keep him from rejecting it or otherwise procrastinating. Stonefall would do everything in his power to help his Clan even if he found them... Questionable.

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[.x │ s h e l l]

OOC: DX [ insert swear word here ], I accidently pressed "modify post" instead of "quote." >,< My above post and this one are now exactly the same.. Sorreh. *suicide*

d e m i s e . . ashclan________________________x

t h i s w o r l d i s c o l d



Her claws came down on the creature with unrepeatable swiftness. The pearly whites attached themselves into the mouse's neck fur, digging down further and further until they heard the repulsive snap of the creature's neck. Satisfied the she-cat let go, inching forward with her nose to sniff at the gray bundle of fur. How she loved the smell of fresh-kill, blood and flesh still warm with life. It was so tempting. Lifting her chocolate colored crown, her golden depths peered about. She couldn't see anyone.. The femme swiveled her ears. All she heard was the bubbling of the springs. She bent down, and devoured the mouse in a few quick bites.

Straightening up again, the cat set to work washing her face self-consciously. She couldn't go back to the clan with mouse scraps on her face. In fact, she probably shouldn't go back to the clan empty pawed, either. She decided she would go hunting later. Lowering her mitt, she looked up at the sky. "It's only sun high," she mumbled to herself. "I've still got time."

She rose to her paws and stretched her limbs slowly, one at a time. Padding down directly to the water's edge, she peered at it for only a moment before slowly sliding in. It was hot, yes, but it soothed her aching limbs. Sleeping on stone was not exactly soft on the muscles. Closing her eyes, she let the soft churning of the water lull her.

[[xdsterx]]

Stonefall's lithe figure slid over and under an obsticle course of stones as he made his way around the springs, his nose catching the fading scent of the AshClanner. Eyes narrowed, he continued along until he lost his balance on the wet rock and his forepaw dunked into the seething water. Wincing, the deputy recoiled and dragged his paw out, scattering the droplets that scalded him. He gave his burns a few soothing licks before he shook the feeling away and hurried back on track.

It wasn't long until he lost the trail. Almost like the cat had vanished into thin air. Stonefall inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. Faint. Very faint. The water's doing. It must've already begun to erase the scent, no doubt. After swallowing his frustration, the gray tom padded swiftly along, his partially unsheathed claws clicking on the stones.

He wanted to go back. To give up this futile chase and get back to camp. Perhaps hunt first, but go back. It didn't matter what clanmate was out here; they could fend for themselves. It wasn't as if they were helpless kits. But curiosity urged him forward and he did so without further complaint.

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[.x │ s h e l l]

d e m i s e . . ashclan________________________x

t h i s w o r l d i s c o l d



Ah.. The soft mumuring of the spring, mixed with the warmth of the water and the fullness of her belly, lulled her gently. She sat down, careful to keep her head above the hot liquid. Closing her golden eyes, she swayed slightly, suddenly very tired. The steam stroked her face, and she felt herself begin to fall asleep.

"What a tragedy it would be to drown because I fell dozed off," she muttered, opening her eyes again and standing up. Pulling herself from the gentle pull of the supple waves, she stepped back upon the slick stone. She stood there for a moment, letting her pelt drip before she shook it out. She loved how the warmth clung to her fur.

Suddenly, a scent came to her. It was faint, yes, but she recognized it to be the scent of Stonefall, the deputy of AshClan. She shivered, and shook her body to send the remaining moisture from her fur. There was something about the tom that didn't seem right.. And his eyes, deep shades of brilliant gold.... They were peircing, to say the least. Quickly she ducked behind a jagged stone.

[[xdsterx]]

Stonefall shook out his forepaw again, the uncomfortable stinging and wetness of the hot water not yet fading. His amber irises gleamed with aggravation, dilating as he cautiously peered into the foggy liquid. He was almost certain that his blazing eyes were making the water boil freshly, threatening to soak him again. He withdrew at the thought and continued along his rocky perch.

The deputy swallowed another mouthful of air, attempting to pick up the she-cat's scent again. It was almost completely erased now, to his own dismay, but he quickly shook the feeling away. A scowl plastered itself on his face as he growled quietly, "This had better be worth the trouble." Part of him was, secretly, craving a conversation with another cat. It just refused to outright admit it, even to himself.

Stonefall was on the vedge of conceding to defeat when he heard the faint sounds of sloshing water. His claws almost unsheathed themselves in his instinctive enmity but he quickly tucked them away, his ears swiveling to catch a clearer sign of his clanmate. The gray tomcat twitched his tail anxiously, met with an unnerving silence. But now he knew he was near.

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[.x │ s h e l l]

d e m i s e . . ashclan________________________x

t h i s w o r l d i s c o l d



A new thought came to her. How suspicious would it look if the deputy found one cat sneaking about like this? She pondered it. Yes, she didn't want to be seen but.. She peered around the rock. Stonefall's ears were twitching, and his eyes were searching the mist. He seemed to know she was here. "I guess it's best not to scare him, if he is to find me." She muttered, emerging from her hiding place.

OOC: Tis short. :3

[[xdsterx]]

Stonefall narrowed his eyes as he looked around. In a flash of gray, he whisked around at another sound and saw the she-cat he sought standing before him. So this was where she was. Her fur was glossy with the water, and the deputy wondered how any cat could tolerate the steaming liquid against their skin; soaking their pelts.

The gray tomcat tilted his head to the side slightly and blinked thoughtfullly for a moment. "You're Demise, yes?" he meowed, summoning the name from the back of his memories. He prayed he'd gotten it correct; he didn't want to look like a fool in front of his own warrior.

ooc - Mine's no better. xD

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[.x │ s h e l l]

d e m i s e . . ashclan________________________x

t h i s w o r l d i s c o l d



Suddenly Demise came face-to-face with Stonefall. His golden eyes were drilling into her, and somehow she thought they looked judgemental. "Uh... Yeh. That's me.. And you're Stonefall. The new deputy." Her ears swivled atop her crown. She felt a draft come from the shade, cooler than the usual heat. The clinging moisture made the air seem even colder, and she practically shivered. "What are you doing out 'ere?" she tried to fill the akward silence.

[[xdsterx]]

Relief swept through Stonefall's fur as he'd gotten her name right. It was a bit easier to breathe now, and he relaxed his tense muscles with a shudder. Pausing a moment, he took the time to sit down and wrap his tail neatly around his paws. "Just out and about," the deputy replied coolly. He blinked at her question; it seemed like an accusation of some sort. "And what about you?" His bronze gaze looked at her fur. "A dip in the hot springs?"

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[.x │ s h e l l]

d e m i s e . . ashclan________________________x

t h i s w o r l d i s c o l d



Demise saw him relax, and her eyes followed his movements as he sat down wistfully. Returning her line of sight to his, she blinked harshly. "Um.. a dip. Yeah. Old medicine cat trick," she lied, "Not that I'm sick or anything. It just soothes your muscles." At least that much was true. She felt her whiskers twitch, and she hoped he couldn't smell the mouse she had just devoured. Maybe the spring had washed the scent of blood from her pelt.

[[xdsterx]]

Stonefall nodded his head in understanding but tried to hide his disgust, with little success. He couldn't help but redundantly glance at the water before straightening forcibly and staring at Demise. "I see. Well..." He slowly trailed, wondering what else there was to say.

ooc - They're getting shorter. o.o;;

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[.x │ s h e l l]

d e m i s e . . ashclan________________________x

t h i s w o r l d i s c o l d



The she-cat fidgeted, and cringed inwardly. This was obviously going nowhere. "Uhm... I'm going fishing. Care to help?" The thought of having the tom around for much longer didn't really appeal to the femme - it was much too akward - but she figured since he was the deputy it would be beneficial..

OOC: Well yeah. 'Tis okay though. It's sort of actioney. They don't really have to be long.

[[xdsterx]]

Stonefall slowly blinked, noting the she-cat's reluctant generosity. His bent tassel swiftly floated through the air in a smokey blur as he nodded acknowledgement and replied. "Sure," he meowed, politely dipping his head again. "Then we're off to fish." He coughed. "Ladies first, of course."

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The she-cat looked at Stonefall skeptically for a moment. Ladies first? No AshClanner she knew had ever said that before. Slowly she headed past him. It felt weird to lead the deputy. But despite that, she quickened her pace and made haste to the river. It was slowly getting darker.