~~ Dreaming ~~

Robin could see a large dark figure standing over her, and the warm scent of milk hung in the air. She purred softly, feeling that she was a small kit laying next to her mother again.

"It was just a bad dream Robin" her mother murmured softly.

Robin felt her mother's warmth and the gentle rasping of her tounge down her fur but then it dissapeared, and Robin looked up to see a twoleg taking her mother. It carried her away and Robin was left in their cold, empty nest. Wailing for her.

~~ End Dream ~~

Robin awoke with a jolt, not understanding what had happened, but as soon as the scent of the ThunderClan hit her she remembered. It was that terrible dream again! Why wont it just go away? Robin licked down some of her ruffled fur and laid silently, staring at the wall of the den blankly. Deep in thought about her dream..

"Morning, Sleepy Head," Darkblossom purred, bustling in with two plump mice hanging from her jaws. Over the past few days, the blind medicine cat had become used to Robin's presence; she even enjoyed it, finding the black she-cat to be excellent company. Setting one of the mice down infront of the loner, Darkblossom stored hers away in a corner for later, turning to her stock of herbs and sorting a few fresh arrivals into their respective piles. "How's that paw feeling?"

Robin looked up as Darkblossom entered, still feeling the effects of her dream lingering in her mind. "It feels well today. I think its deffinately healing." Robin didn't realise it, but she had become more open to Darkblossom over the past quarter moon, it was obvious she was one of the only cats she trusted.

(a quarter moon is a week right?)

Robin dipped her head to Darkblossom, thanking her for the mouse. She ate rather quickly, despite the uneasy feeling she had from her nightmare. After she ate Robin stretched out and sat up, running a paw over her ears quietly, taking a few glances over to what Darkblossom was doing.

"Good, good. I think the bandage from yesterday should still be working fine- now that it's spiderweb and not bark I'm not as worried about the positioning. Hmm, I need some more thyme..." Darkblossom mewed as she finished sorting the new herbs, getting up a stretching for a moment before turning towards Robin. The medicine cat noted with satisfaction that the mouse was gone; her patient was eating well, that was for sure. The thought prompted her memory and she sat down, drawing a paw over her ears as she spoke.

"Robin, didn't Moonstar want to speak to you once you were feeling better?"

Robin perked her ears, forgetting about Moonstar saying that. "Oh, yes.." she mewed, her paws starting to tingle with unease about speaking to the clan leader, bit it suddenly turned to dread. Oh no.. I shouldn't have said my paw felt better! He might make me leave! I don't want to right now! "Should I talk to him now?" she mewed shakily, "Where is he?"

Darkblossom didn't miss the nervous tinge to Robin's voice as she kept her eyes and tone reassuring. "Hey, if you don't feel up to talking to him yet that's fine. No one's rushing you. But if you are up to it, he's probably in his den; the one covered in ivy."

Robin turned towards the entrance of the medicine cat den. "I'm ready!" she mewed. The one side of Robin that not a lot of cats have uncovered was her stubborn side. "I'll go speak to him now.."

Robin pushed her way out of the brambles and stood outside of Darkblossom's den for a moment, collecting her courage and trying to appear calm and casual. Robin strode acrost the clearing, feeling the eyes of the other cats on her pelt. One particual pair stuck out from the nursery and Robin could see Jaykit peeking out of the brambles out of the corner of her eyes. She didn't stop to chat though, she kept going.

When she reached the den, she called out Moonstar's name, hoping he was there...

Darkblossom opened her mouth before closing it again with a snap as Robin pushed her way out of the den, a smile creeping across her face as she silently padded over to her mouse, taking a bite and chewing.

This ought to be interesting...

--

Moonstar had just been exiting his den when Robin marched up to the entrance, calling his name. Blinking in surprise for a moment he padded forward, smiling warmly. "Hello Robin," He mewed pleasantly, dipping his head. "How are you feeling?"

Robin suddenly dropped her brave guard and the uneasyness crept into her pelt once again, and she started to fumble over her words. "Oh, um, good, um D-Darkblossom said I s-should come, uh, talk to y-you because my, uh, paw is feeling b-better."

(<.< she and Ox have never met and yet it seems they are related xD)

Robin shuffled her paws uneasily, keeping her eyes locked on them. Smooth..

(( LOL so true. XDD ))


"I had hoped your paw would be feeling better; and it seems Darkblossom didn't snap your head off either." Moonstar smiled, looking at the nervous loner infront of him. An idea was formulating in his mind...

Taking a step forward, the silver tom mewed, "Last I recall you've already had a tour of the camp- how would you like to see some more of Thunderclan's territory?" The Thunderclan leader's eyes and smile were friendly, even as his brain registered surprise at his sudden suggestion. He was planning on going out of the camp anyways, he argued with himself; why not take her along? It might help out her paw. "If the lioness agrees, that is," He added with a purr of amusement, gesturing towards the medicine cat den with his tail.

(( Now think of the pick-up line scene while reading this.... XDDDD ))

Robin looked up at him, a bit supprised that he would ask. A cat so important, asking to take me on a tour of the territory? "I would love to!" she burst out, her green eyes glowing with delight. But after a moment she calmed herself, fluffing out her pelt slightly to hide her embarassment. "I mean, um, thank you Moonstar, I would like to if it's ok with Darkblossom."

(In other words : The popular guy asked me out! OMG! :uhwut: )

(( XDDD

Moonstar: Oh yeah, I'm good. B)
Darkblossom: *Facepalm* ))

Moonstar purred at the she-cat's enthusiasm, padding towards the medicine cat den. "Well then, let's ask her now, shall we?" Sticking his head into the herb-scented interior, the silver-pelted tom called out calmly, "Darkblossom, could I have a word?"

The blind medicine cat looked up from where she had been finishing her last few bites of mouse, sightless eyes zeroing in on Moonstar's face with a slightly unnerving accuracy. Standng with a lesiurely stretch, Darkblossom padded over, sitting down and beginning to groom.

"What trouble are you cooking up now, Moonstar?" The Thunderclan leader tilted his head, saying with mock innocence, "Oh come now Darkblossom, you know I don't go looking for trouble." The blind medicine cat batted at him with a sheathed paw which the tom dodged, laughing good-naturedly.

"I was wondering if you'd let me take your charge out of camp for a look around the territory," He mewed, filing away any surprise he had for later musing. Darkblossom cocked an eyebrow, looking at him with undisguised curiosity.

After a long moment she spoke, but nstead of adressing the leader she called out, "Robin, if you think you can manage with your paw then you can go." The medicine cat kept her sightless gaze of Moonstar's face, now speaking to him. "I expect you to make sure nothing goes amiss, hm?"

Moonstar smiled. "Of course. Thank you, Darkblossom." He turned to go, halfway outside the den when the black she-cat called out, "And get me some thyme while you're at, will you?"

Chuckling, the leader looked towards Robin. "Would you like to go now?"

Robin nodded silently, her green eyes glowing once again. All of the fear she felt earlier of leaving had melted away, and now she was even a bit exited. "My paw feels fine!" she mewed, putting her paw gingerly on the ground and gently testing it. It still hurt slightly, but not enough to keep here from getting a look at the territory, and with the leader! Robin turned as Moonstar did, wanting to get out of camp and explore.

"Would you like to go now?"

Robin nodded, kneading the ground. "I'm ready!"

Moonstar smiled. "Follow me, then," He mewed, escorting her out of the camp and stopping infront of the entrance to consider where to begin. "Hmm... how about we start with the abandoned Two-leg nest?" The usually calm leader felt oddly excited. He had been through the territory dozens of times, but for whatever reason he felt legitimately excited to show Robin around. His enthusiasm showed itself in little ways; his eyes sparkled even more vigorously then before, his pawsteps were light, his smiles came and stayed easily. It was as if the worries of a leader that weighed upon his shoulders had lifted for a time. The aura around him was warm and friendly as he waited for Robin's reply.

Robin followed him eagerly, almost bumping into him when he stopped to ask her something. She managed to catch herself and stand up straight before he could look at her. Not quite hearing what he had asked, mostly because of the thoughts running through her head, she only nodded. "Okay" she mewed.

Remembering her first day in ThunderClan camp, Robin remembered how afraid she had been of Moonstar, but now she was completely relaxed. She picked up on his happiness and exitement, and it made her feel even more relaxed. She felt oddly... safe.

Moonstar nodded, walking at a slow but steady pace so as to not agaite her paw. "Careful here, there are a lot of rocks and twigs underfoot that can trip you up," He mewed, looking over and smiling warmly at her. "Follow my steps carefully and you should be able to avoid the worst of it." He crossed over the rocky bit of territory, stopping again on the edge of the clearing around the abandoned Two-leg den and sniffing the air to make sure there was nothing sinister lurking in wait for them. A sudden idea occuring to him, he turned to Robin, mewing, "What do you smell?"

Robin concentrated on following his path, following closely behind him. She would sometimes look up to look at her surroundings, trying not to trip. Her mind was flowing with thoughts, and when he asked her a question she almost jumped, but this time she had actually heard him.

"What do you smell?"

Robin suddenly became tense, she had never been tested before, and really she had never paid much attention to the scents around her. For most of her life she had depended on sight and sound. Opening her mouth, she took in the scents around her. "Well.. I smell.. well I can smell herbs like in the medicine cat den... and I can smell... cats, from ThunderClan, and.." Robin could smell other things but she wasn't sure what to call the scents. "Maybe a mouse or two?"

Moonstar nodded in encouragement, understanding that the she-cat had never really had to explain the scents she smelled to another cat. "You're right," He mewed, taking a deep breath to sort through the different scents himself. "I smell Thunderclan cats and herbs too, as well as the mice. I also smell what seems like some sort of bird; and when I focus on where the scent is coming from, I can hear it's heartbeat and the flutter of it's wings as the bird searches for food behind that bush. Can you hear it?" His voice was soft as he spoke, looking gently into her green eyes with his his own grayish blue ones.

Robin let her injured paw rest on the ground, gingerly putting weight on it before tilting her ears, trying to find the sound. It wasn't too long before she found it not too far away. Her scenting wasn't too good, but her hearing was exellent. She was about to reply when she turned, looking straight into his eyes. She stood still for a moment, her own green eyes widening, before managing to spit out her words.

"Oh, um, y-yes, I hear it" she mewed quietly.

Moonstar tilted his head, gaze lingering in hers for a moment longer as he mewed warmly, "Nice work." It took a moment for him to realise he was still looking at her, and he blinked twice, breaking eye contact as he turned. Feeling oddly flustered, something he wasn't used to, he covered it up by gesturing with his tail towards the two-leg den. "There's a break in the bushes over here; we can get a little closer to the den."

Stepping through into the clearing, the silver tom sat down at the edge of the grassy circle, looking at the rundown shed. "Two-legs used to live here, but one day they disappeared and never came back. Ever since it's been abandoned; sometimes we can find prey here when it's scarce other places. It can be dangerous, though; often times badgers and fox will lurk about in the colder moons, trying to get some food to eat as well."

Robin looked away also, her pelt feeling hot with slight embarassment. As he started to move again she got to her feet and followed him in. As she entered the clearing she sat down too, deciding to look for more new smells in this place. She opened her mouth to take in the smells, but they hadn't changed, the smell of herbs had only gotten stronger.

"Two-legs used to live here, but one day they disappeared and never came back. Ever since it's been abandoned; sometimes we can find prey here when it's scarce other places. It can be dangerous, though; often times badgers and fox will lurk about in the colder moons, trying to get some food to eat as well."

Robin listened to his story curiously. Badger? Fox? She had never really seen these creatures, but she had sometimes heard about them. Gathering up enough courage, Robin managed to ask, "What do badgers and foxes look like?"

Moonstar thought for a moment, thinking about the best way to describe the two creatures. "Well, foxes are sort of like a mix between a cat and a dog. They've got long snouts and bushy tails, and are a very distinct reddish-orange color. Badgers have black and white markings on their face and mostly black and gray, bulky bodies. They're not light on their paws, which can often work to a cat's advantage; they sort of lumber around, so you can hear them more easily then, say, a fox." The Thunderclan leader thought for a moment before smiling to himself, getting to his paws and 'lumbering' about in his best imitation of a badger.

"Sort of like this," He laughed, gray blue eyes dancing in amusement as he smiled broadly at the black she-cat.

(( I couldn't resist. XDDD ))

Robin purred at seeing Moonstar lumber around the clearing like a badger. Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she got to her paws and immitated him, being a bit noisy like he said a badger would be.

"Like this?" she mocked teasingly.

By this time Robin's tense guard and uneasyness had all dissapeared, and her expression said so. Her whiskers were twitching and her eyes were full of delight, she didn't even seem to remember the slight pain in her paw. After a bit she sat down and ran a paw over her ear comfortably.

"I see now" she purred.

Moonstar laughed as Robin stood, eyes sparkling. "Perfect," He purred, grinning. "You'll be able to spot a badger a mile away!"

As she sat and drew a paw over her ear, Moonstar took in the change about the loner. She no longer seemed tense and uneasy, but like she was enjoying herself, something that made him feel... happy. Yes, it was definitely happiness he was feeling as he looked at her, smiling softly. His smile grew slightly as he realised that she wasn't the only one who was feeling more relaxed; he was having more fun then he had in ages. He felt better then he had in ages. He grinned to himself as he imaged what his clan would say if they knew he had just imitated a badger!

Finally, he stretched, arching his back before turning towards her. "Shall we continue our tour?"

Robin nodded, a purr still rumbling in her throat. Standing up, she stretched and looked over towards him. Her whiskers twitching, she replied, "Yes."

I wonder what will happen next! she thought, her eyes filled with delight.

Crossing the clearing and skirting the two-leg den to re-enter the forest, Moonstar paused beside a large oak, surveying the space around them. The air was rich with the smells of the forest, from the distinctive scent of squirrel to the different foliage, both gentle and pugent.

"This section of the forest is often one of the richest in prey during Greenleaf. It stretches towards the Shadowclan border, back towards camp and the lake. We've been lucky this Greenleaf; the prey has been very plentiful. Indeed, Thunderclan has been well fed these past few moons." The silver tom purred in amusement, his continued relief that the prey had run well this year evident in his gray-blue eyes.

Thank Starclan for that! Hopefully it will hold for Leafbare...

Robin limped behind him, supprisingly keeping up. She listened as he talked, some things she didn't quite understand.

"This section of the forest is often one of the richest in prey during Greenleaf. It stretches towards the Shadowclan border, back towards camp and the lake. We've been lucky this Greenleaf; the prey has been very plentiful. Indeed, Thunderclan has been well fed these past few moons."

Greenleaf? Is that what it is now? She was curious but she didn't ask, only nodding quietly. She didn't realise it, but she had moved up to pad beside him instead of behind...

(ACK I'm leaving NOW! They moved up the time from midnight to now! >.< I'll reply to anything tomorrow ok? Most likely tomorrow night. I'll miiiiiisssssss yoouuuu *huggle* ^^ talk to you later!)

(( Ack! Have fun! :D I'll miss you too! *Hug* X3 I can't be on tonight (>.<) but I'll reply as soon as I can. Have fun! :D ))

Moonstar came to a stop, having navigated them through a thinner stretch of the woods to enter the woodland clearing. The smell of the Shadowclan border was faint in the sunshine, with a light breeze that ruffled their pelts and set the grass to motion. He looked at the loner by his side, smiling warmly.

"We train our apprentices here. Over there," He nodded towards towards the invisible line that seperated Shadowclan and Thunderclan territory. "Is the border with Shadowclan." A shadow passed over the leader's eyes for a second at the thought of the rival clan; things had been awfully quiet lately. He was thankful of course, but it made him suspiscious, what with Riverclan and Windclan away... Shaking his head slightly to clear his mind, the tom nodded towards the river, turning to look at Robin with a smile. "If you're thirsty we could stop for a drink over there."

(( Boy is he in for a surprise... :yeahsure: ))

Robin listened silently as he spoke, turning her head in the directions he motioned to. As he mentioned the ShadowClan border, she opened her mouth to get a scent and it hit her immideatly. "That's the border?!" she burst out, but quickly looked down at her paws, rethinking what she had said. How do they live with that smell?

When he asked her if she wanted a drink she just nodded slightly, looking in the direction of the stream. "Ok" she mewed softly.

( drive sucked, hotel is stupid, water is FRIKIN WARM -wth? lol- tons of storms..... this was a waste of a trip xD Myrtle beach sucks! lol I like Maryland better lol and Florida. we have no air conditioning in our van so it's all sticky and hot lol yeah it isn't fun but I'm hangin in there! lol)

(( You went to Myrtle Beach? I went to Myrtle Beach once; we went with our cousins, on a week that included my birthday. I really am not a beach person; I prefer rain and wind and all that sort of stuff. Not to mention I got sick on my birthday when we were there. It was really not fun. I'm sorry you haven't liked your trip so far! D: And you're there for two weeks!? Gaah! ))

"You get used to it after awhile," Moonstar answered her unspoken question as they padded towards the stream, remembering his own first encounter with the Shadowclan border. Dipping his head to take a drink, he swallowed, sitting and drawing a paw over his ears.

"How is your paw?" He asked, looking over at her questioningly. He was enjoying showing her around the territory, but he didn't want to over-exert her injury. He could just imagine Darkblossom's reaction if they were to return with her patient feeling worse for wear; and then Robin wouldn't be the only one with an injury. He purred mentally in amusement as he waited for the green-eyed she-cat's answer.

(( Sorry, kind of short post. XD; ))

Noooooo xD I'm leaving tomorrow lol but we are stopping in Maryland before heading back to PA lol and yeah we rode horses today on the beach but that was the only good thing lol and I know, I'm on my iPod so mine are gonna be short posts too)

Robin lowered her head and took a few sips of the cool water, looking at her reflection while she drank. When she lifted her head back up she caught the end of Moonstar's question.

".... your paw?"

She looked down at her bandaged paw and looked back up at him. At the beggining of their tour it was a nagging pain, but now she hardly felt it at all. "Gr-" She paused a moment in her exitement, rethinking what to say. I don't want to leave just yet...

".... It feels ok."

( Robin: Don't kick me out!!! xD

oops o.O why did it post twice? >.> fail lol)

(( XD Hewph! At least the trip wasn't as long as it could have been. Still, sorry you didn't have fun. :c The horse bit sounds nice, though. ^^ Can't wait until you're back! :roll:

XD Moonstar: I- but- and- we- they- whhhattt?! :SOB:

Don't worry about it, I deleted the other post. I've double-posted before too. XDDD ))

Moonstar looked at her for a moment, gray-blue eyes thoughtful. He could tell she was holding something back, a thought that disturbed him more then he had expected it would. A growing suspicion was nibbling at the edges of his mind; it couldn't be that he... but it couldn't be. Could it? Trying to move his thoughts past his confusion, he focused instead on the fact that she seemed uneasy on the topic of her paw.

"Darkblossom seems to have done a good job on it," He mewed casually, tone friendly and unprobing. Despite his wish to know what she was holding back on, the leader knew better then to try and force her to tell him. He didn't want to force her to do anything. Stretching for a moment, the blue-eyed tom stood, still trying to ignore the thought demanding his attention and smiled at Robin.

"If you're ready, we'll continue to the ancient oak."

(( T'would seem Mr. Moonstar is beginning to realise the nature of his affections... *Eyebrows* ))

( Thanks for deleting it ^^ and yeah I'm back now so yeah... we got lost and drove all night so I'm kinda tired, but I can't sleep XD also we kept the cat in the house and there are fleas EVERYWHERE >.<

Also I just realised these two need to start liking eachother FAST because when they get back she has to be all hurt and leave xD something you probably have already realised but I'm slow like that lmao xD let's step it up a bit, hm? haha just kidding but still... XD)

Robin was glad he didn't ask anything about why she was so hesitant. She sighed silently in releif, but refused to meet his eyes.

"Darkblossom seems to have done a good job on it."

She froze when he said that, her eyes on her paws. A wave of icy cold fear washed over her heart. He's right... my paw is fine, who am I kidding? I'm not part of ThunderClan... But.. I don't want to leave! I just don't know why.. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she looked at Moonstar. No.... It can't be that, can it? He's been so nice to me.. am I just confusing my feelings with the truth? Coming out of her thoughts, she once again caught the end of his question.

"... the ancient oak."

The black she-cat just nodded, trying to forget the things nagging at her mind. "Ok" she mewed softly.

( It seems the innocent Robin is starting to realise this too ^^ lol)

(( :c Well, it sucks that it didn't work out that well, but... WELCOME BACK! :roll:

Yeah, I think that by the time they hit camp again they need to both at least somewhat realise they like each other. I have this bit of a post I want to write between Darkblossom and Moonstar when he's trying to decide what to do about Ox that has to do with Robin, which is why I've already started the 'GROWING SUSPICION' (Dun dun dunnnn XD).

*Whips out megaphone* Let's go, you two! We're on a schedule! Get to the liking! :arrogant: ))

Moonstar was still for a moment more before turning and heading back into the woods. Navigating them once more through a thinner stretch of trees, it wasn't long before they came across the ancient oak.

It's huge boughs stretching wide, the tree stood tall and strong, far-off leaves ruffled slightly in the gentle breeze. Dappled light, tinged green, played off the lake's surface where it was cast off from the giant oak's canopy. Moonstar looked up towards the top of the tree, sitting neatly.

"This is the ancient oak. It's the biggest tree on our territory, and from what it seems any of the other clan's territories. There have been accidents in moons past from cat's trying to climb it." As he stared up the tree's giant trunk, the silver-pelted leader watched Robin out of the corner of his eye, his mind reeling in conflict.

It can't be...

(( Thanks, I'm glad to be back lol it doesnt even feel like I went anywhere! ))


Robin followed closely behind him, trying to ignore her thoughts and keep focoused on the trail ahead of them. As the neared the large tree, it was all Robin could do to keep her paws moving.

Great StarClan! I hope I never have to climb this!

The one thing Robin hated more than being around lots of unknown cats was climbing trees, but she never shows it. She still had a scar on her belly from when a dog chased her up a tree, and she had scratched herself badly.

"This is the ancient oak. It's the biggest tree on our territory, and from what it seems any of the other clan's territories. There have been accidents in moons past from cat's trying to climb it."

Robin couldn't help but supress a shiver at the thought of falling from the high branches. She moved up closer to sit beside him, looking up, trying to get an estimant of how tall it really was. As she gazed upward she couldn't help but glance sideways a few times, seeing shadows swaying acrost his grey pelt.

What is this..... this feeling..

Moonstar was silent for a moment, listening to the sound of the wind in the branches overhead. The soft, gentle noise was a backdrop for his thoughts, all tangled up in a confusing mess as he tried to unravel them.

He had always been a serious, straight-forward cat. He was focused, but these feelings... they unnerved him. They were so new. It wasn't that he'd never felt affection towards a cat before; he loved the cats in his clan. But he had never felt like this towards someone. He couldn't help remembering how Sunheart had beamed when he had told his brother about Petalwhisker. At the time Moonstar had been happy for him, even though he had no experience of his own to help him understand the depth of his brother's emotion. But now... could it be that this was the feeling that Sunheart's eyes had practically glowed with...?

He got to his paws, looking over at her before quickly looking away as a flustered feeling surged through his pelt. Feeling uncomfortable but doing his best not to show it, the tom smiled, mewing, "We've got one more stop and then you'll have seen the majority of Thunderclan territory." As he spoke, he looked back over, wondering if she'd meet his eyes.

Robin kept her gaze high up in the top of the tree, her thoughts flowing through her mind quickly. The only love Robin had ever felt to anyone was her mother, but that was a special kind. She simply couldn't explain the light, happy feeling she had in her stomach. She came back to the woods as she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Seeing that he had stood up, she was about to too, but she heard him speak.

"We've got one more stop and then you'll have seen the majority of Thunderclan territory."

She kept her eyes trained on a leaf far above her head, thinking she had detected some sort of emotion in his words that was somewhat like hers. Is he feeling the same way? Maybe I should ask.... No, no. I can't do that. Looking over at him, she nodded, getting to her paws also.

"Ok, sounds great!"

Now she couldn't help but show the flicker of hope she felt in her belly. She felt as if she could run the whole route they took over and over again, despite her paw.

Moonstar's smile grew as his grayish-blue eyes met her green ones, feeling almost light-headed as a sudden rush of happiness hit him. Blinking rapidly to try and clear his head, the leader headed towards their next destination, trying unsuccessfully to focus his attention on getting there.

I don't know what to do with myself like this. I've never felt anything even close to this! It's crazy, but... I like it. Wait, did I just think that? Oh Starclan, what's happening to me? I keep on contradicting myself. Maybe I'll ask Sunheart about all this...

He was so caught up in his thoughts he almost missed the stretch of hard, black material he was aiming for. The old thunderpath still lay dormant as they walked closer, coming to a stop at it's edge.

"No twoleg monster has come on to this thunderpath for a while," He explained, indicating the weeds growing from the cracks in its surface. "Sometimes there'll be prey lurking about, but we rarely come here."

As he finished speaking he tilted his head, looking at her with a slight smile on his face. He couldn't help but notice the way the dark brown flecks in her otherwise black pelt seemed to shine like shards of gold in the dappled sunlight, reflecting in her vivid green eyes...

With a start the silvery-gray tom realised that he hadn't actually spoke the question he meant to be asking and was just staring at the she-cat beside him. Hiding the embarrassment welling up in his stomach, he mewed warmly, "How did you enjoy the tour?"

Robin bounded after him on light paws, barely limping anymore. Her pelt felt slightly hot with embarassment, but warm with happiness. She felt the dappled sunlight on her back as she walked beside him. Even her eyes shone with the bubbly feeling she had.

But, as she rounded a tree and her sight hit the black surface and she froze completely. The fur on her neck rose and she sunk her claws into the earth. She heard him say that no monsters had travelled on it for years, but she wasn't convinced.

She hurt her paw on a thunderpath, getting hit by a monster, and she wasn't about to go on another one. Letting out a hiss, she raced up behind him and hid from the sight. Flashbacks already playing over in her mind.

Moonstar turned in surprise as the loner ran to hide behind him, looking at her with concern. "Robin, what's wrong?" He asked worriedly, putting aside his inital surprise immediately in his haste to find out what had elicited this sort of response from her. She had been perfectly fine a few moments ago; what had happened?

Something clicked in his mind as he glanced behind him at the thunderpath, and he nearly kicked himself for being so stupid. Gently but firmly he nudged the scared she-cat behind the nearest bush to block all sight of the black surface from view. The bush's leafy aroma helped to block out the fading scent of the tar, almost entirely cloaking the thunderpath from them.

"Did you hurt your paw on a thunderpath?" He asked gently, pelt brushing lightly against hers in comfort. His voice and eyes were soothing and calm as he tried to calm the loner down.