Status: Working Working WORKING
The Spark That Started the Fire
A Friend Among Foes
"Well? Who are you and why are you in my territory?" Nutmeg snarled at the handsome stranger. He looked surprised at her hostility, but what did he expect, some cozy house cat? She flattened herself to the ground, her rear shaking as she posed to pounce. The stranger began to laugh, a long, amused purr coming from his lips.
"Don't shake your bottom like that, it makes you look like a rabbet." the tom laughed, sitting down.
His amusement only made her spit, a long hiss coming from from her teeth "Shut up!" she she bounded for him, tackling him over and trying to rake her claws over his pelt, but he slipped easily to the side and pinned her easily, one paw on her neck and another on her belly.
"It also shows exactly where you're going to pounce." he purred, amusement still twinkling like sparks in his warm amber eyes. She snarled again and they rolled around for a moment, but he landed back on her, pinning her down. He licked her muzzled a few times and she tried to snap at him but he ducked his head away. "Oh, don't act like that." he rolled off her, landing on his back beside her. He press his paw on his chest. "You're breaking my heart!" he said in mock sadness. That made the side of her lip twitch in a smile. He was funny, and the lack of hostility made her relax.
"I'm sorry." she apologized, her green eyes giving off a sparkle. "Honestly, out of my family, you're the only friendly cat I've met out here." she said, looking down as she turned onto her side to face him. He turned to face her on his side as well, his eyes understanding. "Out here it's be hostile or get you're throat ripped out." she winced as she thought of her father. If only he had been a little faster, maybe...
His voice broke her thoughts, "It is not quite like that where I come from, but I know what you mean."
Nutmeg blinked in confusion, "Do you come from the town?" she asked, he looked at her with blank eyes. "You know with all the housefolk and house cats?"
"Do you mean twolegplace?" he asked.
"What is a twoleg?" she asked, the word seemed vaguely familiar, as if from a dream.
"A big creature with no fur except it's head and huge paws that walk on two back legs." he said, "I think you call them housefolk."
"Oh yes, those things." she nodded her head, "You sure have odd names for things."
"You're one to talk." he smiled, prodding her with his paw. "What's your name?"
"Nutmeg, what's yours?" she asked, feeling embarrassed she had completely forgotten formalities.
"I'm Firepaw. But not for long, when I become a warrior I'll have a different name." he beamed proudly but Nutmeg blinked, lost from the conversation.
"What?" she asked, her eyes wide. "A Warrior?"
"You've never heard of the four clans?" Nutmeg shook her head.
"Listen, to the forest in the south, there are four clans. I come from WindClan, the one on the moors. There is ShadowClan to the east, RiverClan the west, and ThunderClan. When we are born we are given the name kit, when we become apprentices we earn the name paw and a mentor to teach us how to earn our warrior name, when we get an individual name."
Nutmeg tried to follow the conversation best she could, "What do you want to be called when you get your warrior name?" she asked.
Firepaw's shrugged, "I'd honour any name I earned."
"You'd make a good Fireheart" she said, purring. Firepaw shrugged, not meeting her gaze.
The two cats talked into the night and Firepaw told her all about clan life and his eagerness to become a warrior. It sounded like a great life, like something she could only live in a dream. It was as if it was a story, so wonderful but no way to touch it or see it with her own eyes except for the cat in front of her. She began to feel uncomfortable when Firepaw began to talk about the joys of hunting rabbets.
"I'll tell you, there is no feeling like the feeling of biting into a piece of prey." he paused, "Do you hunt?". The simple question sent a stampede of feelings rushing through her belly. She looked away, her ears twitching.
"Not yet." she mewed in a quiet voice.
"Have you tasted fresh-kill?" he asked, trying to meet her gaze.
"Not yet." she said, her voice barely audible to Firepaws ears. "My pa used to hunt for my ma before... before he died." her sentence ended in a whisper that visibly chilled Firepaw's spine. He nuzzled into her fur, mewing "My mother died giving birth to me." he sighed, "I can't say I know what you're going through but I know how it is to grow up without a parent." he gave her pelt one more nuzzle before pulling away. She didn't want him to pull away, he soothed her. She licked the top of his head gratefully and he purred and they embraced for a moment before Firepaw looked up to the sky and saw the sunrise he gasped, "Oh no, I should have left for my camp long ago, I'll be missed." he got up and stretched his stiff muscles and dipped his head.
She got up and mewed, "When will you be back?" she mewed desperately, not wanting to loose him so quickly. He gave a wince, did he not like her. She felt her heart sink and disappointment made her throat tighten. He shook his head, "I'll come back the night after tomorrow." he gave her a smile, "Goodbye, Nutmeg." then he raced off with his powerful legs and he was gone in a second.
"Goodbye, Firepaw." she whispered to herself, her voice carrying in the wind.[/georgia]
"Don't shake your bottom like that, it makes you look like a rabbet." the tom laughed, sitting down.
His amusement only made her spit, a long hiss coming from from her teeth "Shut up!" she she bounded for him, tackling him over and trying to rake her claws over his pelt, but he slipped easily to the side and pinned her easily, one paw on her neck and another on her belly.
"It also shows exactly where you're going to pounce." he purred, amusement still twinkling like sparks in his warm amber eyes. She snarled again and they rolled around for a moment, but he landed back on her, pinning her down. He licked her muzzled a few times and she tried to snap at him but he ducked his head away. "Oh, don't act like that." he rolled off her, landing on his back beside her. He press his paw on his chest. "You're breaking my heart!" he said in mock sadness. That made the side of her lip twitch in a smile. He was funny, and the lack of hostility made her relax.
"I'm sorry." she apologized, her green eyes giving off a sparkle. "Honestly, out of my family, you're the only friendly cat I've met out here." she said, looking down as she turned onto her side to face him. He turned to face her on his side as well, his eyes understanding. "Out here it's be hostile or get you're throat ripped out." she winced as she thought of her father. If only he had been a little faster, maybe...
His voice broke her thoughts, "It is not quite like that where I come from, but I know what you mean."
Nutmeg blinked in confusion, "Do you come from the town?" she asked, he looked at her with blank eyes. "You know with all the housefolk and house cats?"
"Do you mean twolegplace?" he asked.
"What is a twoleg?" she asked, the word seemed vaguely familiar, as if from a dream.
"A big creature with no fur except it's head and huge paws that walk on two back legs." he said, "I think you call them housefolk."
"Oh yes, those things." she nodded her head, "You sure have odd names for things."
"You're one to talk." he smiled, prodding her with his paw. "What's your name?"
"Nutmeg, what's yours?" she asked, feeling embarrassed she had completely forgotten formalities.
"I'm Firepaw. But not for long, when I become a warrior I'll have a different name." he beamed proudly but Nutmeg blinked, lost from the conversation.
"What?" she asked, her eyes wide. "A Warrior?"
"You've never heard of the four clans?" Nutmeg shook her head.
"Listen, to the forest in the south, there are four clans. I come from WindClan, the one on the moors. There is ShadowClan to the east, RiverClan the west, and ThunderClan. When we are born we are given the name kit, when we become apprentices we earn the name paw and a mentor to teach us how to earn our warrior name, when we get an individual name."
Nutmeg tried to follow the conversation best she could, "What do you want to be called when you get your warrior name?" she asked.
Firepaw's shrugged, "I'd honour any name I earned."
"You'd make a good Fireheart" she said, purring. Firepaw shrugged, not meeting her gaze.
The two cats talked into the night and Firepaw told her all about clan life and his eagerness to become a warrior. It sounded like a great life, like something she could only live in a dream. It was as if it was a story, so wonderful but no way to touch it or see it with her own eyes except for the cat in front of her. She began to feel uncomfortable when Firepaw began to talk about the joys of hunting rabbets.
"I'll tell you, there is no feeling like the feeling of biting into a piece of prey." he paused, "Do you hunt?". The simple question sent a stampede of feelings rushing through her belly. She looked away, her ears twitching.
"Not yet." she mewed in a quiet voice.
"Have you tasted fresh-kill?" he asked, trying to meet her gaze.
"Not yet." she said, her voice barely audible to Firepaws ears. "My pa used to hunt for my ma before... before he died." her sentence ended in a whisper that visibly chilled Firepaw's spine. He nuzzled into her fur, mewing "My mother died giving birth to me." he sighed, "I can't say I know what you're going through but I know how it is to grow up without a parent." he gave her pelt one more nuzzle before pulling away. She didn't want him to pull away, he soothed her. She licked the top of his head gratefully and he purred and they embraced for a moment before Firepaw looked up to the sky and saw the sunrise he gasped, "Oh no, I should have left for my camp long ago, I'll be missed." he got up and stretched his stiff muscles and dipped his head.
She got up and mewed, "When will you be back?" she mewed desperately, not wanting to loose him so quickly. He gave a wince, did he not like her. She felt her heart sink and disappointment made her throat tighten. He shook his head, "I'll come back the night after tomorrow." he gave her a smile, "Goodbye, Nutmeg." then he raced off with his powerful legs and he was gone in a second.
"Goodbye, Firepaw." she whispered to herself, her voice carrying in the wind.[/georgia]