through the forest [OPEN]

[rainy]

The snow fell harder now, a thick cascade flurrying past the sparse dead trees that decorated RiverClan territory. The boundless little streams that cut through the land were frozen over and if one looked closely dark little shapes could be seen swimming underneath. Life was still in motion, even as the forest lay quietly. Life was still in motion for the Clan cats as well -- something that wouldn't be exactly considered a good thing by some cats.

For Thornfang especially. The tom was in his prime of life, at just about six years of age. The handsome dark golden brown tabby picked his way carefully through the snow, his bushy leaf-bare fur keeping him warm. Though he might be physically comfortable, he certainly wasn't mentally. Silverstar's death had come as a huge shock to him. After Riddlestar's mysterious death, Silverstar had died as well!? Sure, she had been young, but had been a very able leader for the Clan. And she had been the leader for such a long time, nearly dating back to when he had been a young warrior. Leaders came and went... but leaders lost their lives one by one, not all at once. This seemed to be a disturbing trend with the RiverClan leaders that persisted as each new one was named, and it unnerved Thornfang greatly.

As did the ThunderClan alliance. Sadly, many of his RiverClan allies were younger than him, and did not enjoy discussing politics. They lived for the moment; they didn't see the long-term consequences of things. Thornfang padded along frustratedly through the woods, where the dead trees grew abnormally thick for RiverClan territory -- a result of being close to ThunderClan. That so-called Clan with its abomination of a leader. He wasn't enjoying leadership under Riverstar, either. Was it just him, or had Riverstar been too quick to call the alliance with a Clan they had been feuding with since the beginning of the forest?

Presently the tom came to a stream and looked down at the ice. Unsheathing his claws, he smashed the thin layer with his large paw, and watched the fish dart underneath. With a stance trained by moons upon moons of experience he soon successfully hunted a couple fish, then scuffed snow over them to bring back to camp later. I should eat them. Riverstar's not following StarClan's rules and setting a bad example for everyone else; so why should I be any different? he thought angrily, but didn't dare to touch the food. At least there was one cat in the Clan who still had the Clan values strongly instilled within him.

[spottypelt]

[Wildtaon]

Wildtalon paced restlessly on the ice, watching helplessly as fish darted under paws. Her tiny paws couldn't break through the thick ice, and she was resorting to extreme messures; walking and jumping on the ice, to get it to break.

Wildtalon could almost hear her sister's screech: "Get down this instant! What are you trying to do!? Get yourself KILLED!?" She chuckled slightly, watching as the whie cloud of her own breath spiralled into the bleak sky. She loved her sister dearly, but wished she would stop acting like a mother!

Scrabbling frantically, trying to at least crack the ice, Wildtalon gave it one more try. She had brought home three fish yesterday, and she was determined to bring home four today! But the ice wouldn't bundge! It was almost ironic; when she was a kit, the ice had cracked so easilly, plunging her into the freezing water and unlimatly giving her the greencough that stunted her growth that now made it impossible for her to break through the ice to get to the fish! It was humiliating, being the only cat in Riverclan that couldn't hunt alone in leaf-bare! She always had to hunt with a heavier warrior, so that she could get through the ice. Today she had hoped the ice would be thinner, but she was wrong.

Looking down stream, she caught sight of a dark golden pelt. Thornfang! He was a big cat, he could help her get through the ice! She jumped back onto the bank, shaking her freezing feet, and started to pad through the frost-tipped reeds to the older tom. She was about to speak up, when she saw a heavy paw fall down onto the ice, splitting it open and revealing the fish-ladden water underneith. What a strike! Wildtalon silently thanked Starclan that Thornfang was in HER clan and she would never have to face him in battle!

"Thornfang! I'm glad I found you!" She padded over to the golden tabby, waving her tail in greeting. "I was wondering if I could ask you for a favor?"

[rainy]

Idly scuffling a bit more snow over the fish, Thornfang turned his attention downstream. Perhaps the prey was a bit more plentiful there. That was when he caught sight of a figure moving on top of the ice. Instantly his pupils dilated in fear for the cat's safety. What are they doing?! They need to get off the ice -- NOW! He was about to call out when the little cat hopped off onto the riverbank and began trotting toward him. Thornfang followed its -- no, her -- movements, confused. As she drew closer, he recognized Wildtalon, another young warrior of the Clan.

His fear for her safety had subsided to amusement. He had often gone thrill-seeking like that when he was young, but now knew better. Let young cats have their fun. Suddenly he felt old, and that thought was kind of depressing. I'm not THAT old, Thornfang reassured himself, as Wildtalon began to speak.
"Sure," he said amiably, wondering what he could do to help the young warrior. Probably hunt fish or something. He, as well as the rest of the Clan, knew that Wildtalon often had trouble hunting in leaf-bare. "Just don't go out on the ice again, okay? I would have a lot of explaining to do if you fell through."

[/size]

[spottypelt]

[Wildtalon]

Wildtalon fixed the senior warrior with a cold stare. She sat down and twitched her whiskers, angry at his jab about falling in.

"I'm not a mouse brain," She snorted. "Just because I fell into the river ONCE as a kit, the whole clan thinks I do it for fun!" She bend her head down to smooth her ruffled chest fur, not ashamed at all by her disrespectful address. "I was going to ask if you could break me a spot in the ice so I could catch some fish, but if you feel the need to dote on my well-being like a queen, I'll just go hunt further up the bank."

Wildtalon wasn't usually this disrespectful to the senior warriors, but she was very sensitive about her size, and the way other cats treated her because of it. She did acually like to swim, and was quite good at it, too! But she was still a young warrior, and the fact that she was so small seemed to make the other warriors think that she was incapable of hunting for the clan. Well, she would show them.

[rainy]

The tom was surprised as the warrior fixed him with a cold stare, apparently offended at his words. His momentary surprise subsided to amusement soon enough. She-cats! They take everything the wrong way! The same could be said for any young warrior. A combination of both and you had yourself someone more easy to offend than any proud ShadowClanner. He was even more amused by her apparent apathy toward the outright disrespect she was showing -- but it was to be expected; he had done the same thing as a hotheaded young warrior. Besides, feisty ones were more fun than the monotonous ones, yes? He had meant his remark to be more of a joke than anything else, but you could never be too careful.

Their difference in size was colossal. Thornfang was larger than normal and Wildtalon was smaller than normal; they made quite an odd-looking pair to be sitting up on the riverbank. When he was young he had also been sensitive about his stature, but had grown to accept it as a thing that couldn't be changed. Now he had more important things to worry about. "No, no, I won't dote on you, I'll leave that job to your mother," he remarked. "Sorry if I offended you! I'll help ya hunt, I don't think the ice will be thinner upstream." That is, I'll help you unless you insist on being rebellious and doing it yourself, he thought amicably. Thornfang padded over the river and stood poised, watching the fish, waiting for a cue to smash through the ice.

[/size][/color]

[spottypelt]

[Wildtalon]

"Hmph." Wildtalon sat back down and pointed at the ice with her tail. "Well then, get on with it," after a moment's thought, she added, "Please." She could see the fish swimming right under the ice; so close and yet so far! It was so unfair that some cat's were so big; Thornfang was huge! He was easily double her size! It's you're own fault, Fallingfrost would have said, You just HAD to be the first kit into the river, and now you must live with the consequences!

Usually, Wildtalon would have jumped right onto the ice to fish, it was much easier to catche them when you weren't anchored to the bank, but it obviously made Thornfang nervous to have her padding around on the frozen river, and the last thing she wanted was to acually fall in and have to have him save her! Starclan forbid, she would never hear the end of it! She she waited on the bank, paws kneeding the frozen ground.