Thunderclan Territory

[Bramblefire]

Bramblefire was dashing back to camp at full speed, which for him wasn't very fast. He smiled as he ran, newly engergized and full of spirt.
He suddenly sened the scent of an unmitacable cat. He slowled to a stop and looked around. He saw no one, and was confused for a moment. Then the slightest sound a claws against bark made him look up. "Falconstar?" he called up the tree. The scent was familar but he couldn't see her. "Are you there?" he called louder but still confused. Why would Falconstar be up in a tree?

[Falconstar]

A familiar voice called up to her, breaking into her reverie. She was glad, for she was tired and had been half afraid she would fall asleep. It wasn't the prospect of falling out of the tree that frightened her, but instead the thought of what she might find in her dreams. Coward, she snorted. Here she was, afraid even of her anscestors. Her father held that much weight over her, even after his death. As a leader she was uncomfortably aware of how much he could see.

Poised with all four paws on her branch, she turned around, large tail curled and keeping her balance. Though she wasn't quite sure she was ready to come down yet, she knew she had to. This was her chance to set things right with Bramblefire, for she knew she had spoken wrongly to him. He was allowed to get upset; she had no right to respond in turn. Steeling herself, she hopped down to a lower branch, continuing down in such a manner so that she caught sight of him in no time. With one last jump she fell the last five feet or so and landed lightly on her paws, tail sweeping out behind her.

"Bramblefire," She smiled, though inwardly she was tensed. Was she forgiven? She did not begin yet, but instead waited, wanting to see what sort of greeting she would recieve. Her words had been harsh, and she was treading on eggshells here.

[Bramblefire]

Bramblefire felt a wave of pain flush over him as he looked at Falconstar, it wasn't anything she had said or done...just knowing that he couldn't love her hurt him, but it always did. Bramblefire had always loved Falconstar the most, but he found he could dismiss that love with the love of another cat, he remebered Tornstar and shook his head to clear it. Falconstar was his friend, she had been for all this time and still was, he new that she needed him right now and he took a deep breath.
The large tabby warrior padded up to greet her, he had a smile on his face, that common lazy smile that Bramblefire was famous for. He laughed "What are you doing up in a tree? Squrrile ruffled your fur the wrong way?" he laughed again, Bramblefire was also famous for making jokes and tring to lighten the mood with his easy going smile and clear sence of humor. But int he back of his mind there was still hurt that prickled at his soul and tried to make its self known.

[Falconstar]

She should have known that he was bigger than to hold a grudge. With a genuine smile now, she felt relief and happiness. No, the argument was not erased, for his words still tumbled in her confused mind, but it was forgiven. She laughed at his joke about the squirrel.

"Of course not! Anyone with a brain knows that birds are the ones who do that sort of thing." She jested in return, her spirits lifted by that familiar smile. "I chased him clear up, but alas, he escaped." She knew that he knew that was not the reason she was up there. As an apprentice she had often been mistaken as lost only to be found a bit later high in the branches of the tallest tree nearby. It was one of those things she loved, the solitude and overall refreshment that could be found in the boughs. It was this that had earned her her nickname with her brother. He had called her 'Skychaser' for the way she was always seeking the sky. She felt a rush of bittersweet emotion at the memory. He had always said she should have been born her namesake, a bird.

That thought train definitally was not going to get her anywhere, though. She hadn't seen Elmpaw since he had disappeared, and right now that was the last thing she needed. With a quick glance to the sky, she could tell that not much time had passed. Still, she could not very well abandon her Clan now. There was something she needed to take care of first, though, before it caused her any more grief. Turning apologetic golden eyes upon her companion, she switched topics.

"Look, Bramblefire, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said the things I did, they were stupid and meaningless." And really, they were. It had been her own insecurities about herself coming to the surface, no fault of his. He had just happened to be an innocent casualty.

[Bramblefire]

Bramblefire looked away, he still had a smile on his face but it was getting faker by the moment. "No no, it's fine...really! I'm the one that should apoligise." He didn't want her to say sorry....well apart of him did and another part did not. Bramblefire couln't explain the way he felt, he wanted things to just go back the way they were...but at the same time, he didn't.
Making things go back they way they were would mean Bramblefire once again lived as Falconstar's silent shadow, keeping watch over her and loving her, supporting her and comforting her...but having her only see it as a since of friendship, and nothing more.
Bramblefire also wanted to perge his thoughts and feelings for her. To tell her how much she really ment to him and how much he just wanted to be with her. But he dare not risk it. Telling Falconstar anything might result in the opposite affect, she might regect him and try to avoid him from that point on, he wouldn't let that happen.
Saying sorry only made him more ancious, partly because not moments before he had been conversating with an enemy clan leader...he had even told her that Thunderclan was weak at this point after the Riverclan attack. And he was the one that bursted into flames and almost clawed her nose off.
He got to his paws (he was sitting) and looked at her again, this time with collected composer and back to his normal self. "Come on," he said gently and caring. He put his tail over her back, "I'll walk you back to camp."

[Falconstar]

She saw that he was still smiling, yet it no longer reached his eyes. Maybe she should have just left things unsaid. Yet it felt better to get that off her chest, and besides, she couldn't very well take back her words. She remained quiet as he countered her apology with his own, feeling as though her world was no longer turned upside down. She had never realized before how much she counted on Bramblefire being there. He was one of her most loyal warriors, she was sure of that, but it was more. She relied on his friendship more than anyone else in the Clan, even Windtail, though he was a bit.... well, he was Bramblefire. While Windtail was steady, an amazing Deputy and a great cat to talk to, Bramblefire was fun to be around. She couldn't really explain it. It was this inability to put words to his personality that she loved.

At his offer to walk her back to camp, she mrrowed with laughter, and as his tail came over her back she bumped his shoulder with her own. "That's chivalrous of you, protecting this damsel in distress." She felt like an apprentice again, a feeling that hadn't arisen in a long time. On an impulse she looked at Bramblefire devilishly, then took off. "Race you there!" she called over her shoulder, grinning.

It was almost like they were once again on a hunting patrol, eager and excited to be rid of their mentors and revelling in the freedom of the forest.

[Bramblefire]

Bramblefire smiled devilously and cheaky. "Being chivilrus(he pronounced that wrong) is one of my better qualityies." Bramblefire laughed.
When she dashed off into the forest he grouned humorusly. Chasing after her he called from behind. "YOU KNOW I HATE RUNNING!" but he laughed as he ran and staied up with her, he promised to savor this moment. When it was just her and him in the world, young and free of adult responiblited once more. 'I'll keep this.' he thought to himself. 'I'll keep this forever...as a very special memory.'

((back to camp))

[Nightpelt]

((Continued with Nightpelt and Falconstar for hunting :3))

Nightpelt thought for a moment, most of his thoughts on his strange dream. They should go somewhere far, he didn't want any curious apprentices listening to what he had to say. "How about we go out by the ShadowClan border? They've been quiet lately." He replied, speeding up his pace a little.

[Falconstar]

He sped up and she lengthened her stride a bit to compensate, matching his pace once more. She nodded when he spoke of ShadowClan. "That would most likely be our best bet. Besides, not many should be venturing over there at this time, not until patrols at least. We won't have any other cats coming in and scaring off our prey." She smiled good-naturedly, joking. It was always annoying, though, when a cat had a kill lined up and was interrupted by some other Clanmate crashing through.

Luckily she and Tornstar were on relatively good terms. Oh, sure, she was ShadowClan and therefore somewhat untrustworthy, but she wasn't trying anything involving violence, so Falconstar wasn't too worried about hunting near the border. Crossing was always a different story, but nearby was not an issue. Fights only started when tensions were high. This was why she had been avoiding the RiverClan border as far as hunting.... and Sunningrocks. She didn't want any small disputes there. They would patrol, but they would not hunt there. Sure it reduced the area, but it had not become an issue yet.

"Is this good?" she asked as they neared the border. They weren't yet at the scent line, but they were pretty close. Slowly she looked around, trying to sense if any prey was nearby.

[Nightpelt]

Nightpelt sniffed around. He heard and smelled prey. Once he caught a few mice he would tell Falconstar about his dream. "Yeah, here is good." He replied before crouching down and stalking a nearby mouse, leaping in the air and killing it with one swift blow.

[Falconstar]

There was prey all around them, so it really was a good location. They would have to be careful, though. If they did not kill immediately, the prey would send out a call that would alert the other small creatures and send them scurrying. Slowly Falconstar crouched, carefully placing her paws so that they made no noise. She was creeping up on a small shrew nibbling near a root. The root's position hid her from view until the last moment, when she timed her leap to carry her over and right on top of the animal. It didn't have time to screech before she had snapped it's neck.

With a small sigh of relief she continued to search, looking for her next target. It turned out to be a cardinal, one of the few birds that stuck around for winter in the forest. Switching up her stalking stance, she moved in.

[Nightpelt]

Nightpelt carried a few mice over to where Falconstar had put her prey. He set his down by it, then noticed a squirrel nibbling on a seed. He carefully and silently stalked towards it, pouncing on it and killing it with a snap to its neck. He carried it over to the pile once again then sat down. It was weird, how much prey was here, but he didn't think about it much. After skillfully catching another mouse, he decided to tell Falconstar.

"Falconstar?" He called to her, sounding nervous. "Could I talk to you?"

[Falconstar]

ooc: it's short, but I gotta go ><


She successfully caught the bird, then another few mice. There was a rediculous amount of prey here, but she was glad. As leaf-bare set in, it was going to get tight as far as food went. They needed to fatten up as much as possible. After she was done she walked over and sat next to Nightpelt, running her tongue over her paws and cleaning herself of blood and gore.

"Sure, Nightpelt. I'm always happy to listen." She looked at him, wondering what was making him so edgy. She hated it when her Clanmates were afraid to talk to her. Perhaps it was something more,though.

[Nightpelt]

Nightpelt sat down across from his leader, fear and nervousness pricking at him like a claw. "Well uhh.." He started, trying to find words. "I had this weird dream... it.. it looked like I was with StarClan." He explained the four glowing white oaks, and the sweet scent. "Then I met Spottedleaf... she.. she said I was destined to be a medicine cat." He looked at his leader in worry. "What should I do?"

[Mirage]

"ooh, this is the forest! it's so pretty! will we see cats here? and why do they chase away you? would they allow me? am i annoying you with all these questions? is that an owl hole? whoa! Squirrel! yah! this is awesome!" Mirage hadn't stopped talking the whole walk to here.