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Post by Light on Jan 25, 2018 0:31:42 GMT -5
Roselight purred, happiness shining in her eyes. When he asked the question, she paused, before her expression brightened with an idea. "There is one place I'd like to show you," she replied, jumping to her paws. She stepped out of the nest and sprinted out of the den before glancing back to see if Yew followed. "Come, it's not too far away!" she called back.
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b1oodyface
We're your friends. We're not like the others, man, really.
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Post by b1oodyface on Jan 25, 2018 0:46:36 GMT -5
Yew rose to his paws as quickly as he could manage, though he was no match for Roselight's speed. "I'm coming, hold on." He called over as he tried to keep up with her sprint. He figured this place had to be pretty important for her to be so excited, and he was curious as to just what would make her feel that why. "Where are we going?" He asked, trying not to sound as out of breath as he was. Running was hard, especially since he hadn't been expecting to have to move much at all.
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Post by Light on Jan 25, 2018 1:09:58 GMT -5
"You'll see," Roselight replied, choosing to keep it a surprise. The trees thinned out and a short ways outside of the territory of NightClan, where no other clan bordered. The land became rocky, slick with ice and snow as she travelled up an incline that became rather steep at places. Roselight almost lost her footing as she slid back a couple paces on a sheet of ice. "Be careful, it can be slippery. It's usually easier to climb in summer." She caught no recent scent of her brother, which was a good thing. She hadn't told him about her time with Yew, and didn't plan on it. She'd never be able to predict what her imaginitave brother might do with that knowledge in mind.
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b1oodyface
We're your friends. We're not like the others, man, really.
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Post by b1oodyface on Jan 25, 2018 1:19:07 GMT -5
Yew followed closed behind, eager to see what this place was. It had to be something worthwhile if Roselight wouldn't tell him, or so the loner figured. "I'm working on it," Yew mewed as he struggled to keep up with her. Being as clumsy as he was, the tom had several close calls before he really started to make any progress climbing up the steep incline. Though it was clear that he wasn't the best-suited for such a climb, Yew wasn't known for giving up easily. Besides, the harder it was to get there, the more excited he felt.
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Post by Light on Jan 25, 2018 9:56:16 GMT -5
Near the top, the early morning sun shone brightly, glaring against the ice, and almost blinding Roselight. It almost appeared as if one could climb up and right onto the sun. Roselight squinted as she climbed the last stretch and the stone levelled out. There was no ice at this level, but the snow there was crisp. She turned around to see if she could help Yew up the last stretch. "Need any help?" she called down, rather amused at his clumsy progress.
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b1oodyface
We're your friends. We're not like the others, man, really.
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Post by b1oodyface on Jan 25, 2018 12:53:19 GMT -5
Yew shook his head 'no', a combination of pride and fear of pulling Roselight down with himself preventing him from accepting her help. It didn't take too long for the loner to catch up though, and the view that he was rewarded with was incredible. "This place is beautiful, Roselight." The tom purred as pressed his muzzle against hers.
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Post by Light on Jan 25, 2018 14:25:50 GMT -5
Roselight purred and rubbed her head against the side of his neck. Then she turned to face the land below the edge of the cliff they now stood on. Directly across the sky from them, the sun was slowly rising, lighting the snowy land below. Trees and bushes cast long shadows across the snow. When she glanced behind them, she realized that their own shadows stretched out behind them. "My brother found this spot in our early years as apprentices. The silly furball had always dreamed of exploring beyond the clans."
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b1oodyface
We're your friends. We're not like the others, man, really.
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Post by b1oodyface on Jan 25, 2018 14:57:17 GMT -5
Yew was a bit surprised to see just how high up they were. That would explain why it was so hard to get up there. "I've been beyond this forest. Trust me, he's better off here." That was a bit strange, for a few moments Yew seemed to freeze up with a snarl on his face. It passed quickly, and he sat down next to Roselight. "I met your brother once actually. I'm not surprised he found this place, when I saw him he was still running around with another little kit from your clan." He grumbled, referring to the last time he had seen Frazzlepaw with Nettlepaw. Frazzlepaw had seemed like the kind of cat who would spend a lot of time exploring outside of camp.
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Post by Light on Jan 25, 2018 17:24:29 GMT -5
Roselight watched him with concern when she saw the snarl on his face. She had never seen such a look on his face before. She pressed herself against him, in hope of comforting him and was relieved when it passed. "That's what I keep telling him," she agreed, laughing under her breath. "But do you think he listens? Nooo. Not Frazzlepaw." She snapped to attention when he mentioned meeting Frazzlepaw. "You met Frazzlepaw?" she questioned, her voice rising. She lifted her eyes skywards as if she were giving a silent plea. "He knows he isn't supposed to go off on his own, much less convincing younger cats to do similar. Ohh... What am I going to do with that tom..."
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b1oodyface
We're your friends. We're not like the others, man, really.
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Post by b1oodyface on Jan 25, 2018 17:49:23 GMT -5
Yew chuckled softly, her reaction making it clear that he was right about Frazzlepaw. "Don't blame him for it, I saw him running around out here with the Nettlepaw. I didn't think such a quiet little cat would dare leave camp, but I've seen her out here before." He thought back to that day, remembering what the apprentices had told him about a war coming. "That's how I found about the war between two of the other clans. They told me that NightClan might be drawn into it as well." The loner sounded more then just a little worried, although he had little reason to doubt Roselight's fighting ability. He also left out the part where he told the two apprentices they would be better off leaving the clan to avoid the fighting if it came to that.
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Post by Light on Jan 25, 2018 18:16:45 GMT -5
Roselight's eyes narrowed, but she settled a bit at Yew's words. "As long as Nettlepaw isn't going out there along. I'd hate to see the young apprentice get hurt. Even a featherbrain such as my brother would be some help if they were to run across an enemy." She closed her eyes and sighed. "But these are dangerous times to be running about without caution. You see, my brother would have been a warrior by now too if he hadn't gone running off to fulfill his own interests over the clans," she explained in softer tones. Her eyes opened, somewhat saddened. "It's not that he's not loyal to the clan... He's just- I don't know. He's a dreamer; a dreamer that doesn't understand the times he's in."
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b1oodyface
We're your friends. We're not like the others, man, really.
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Post by b1oodyface on Jan 25, 2018 18:40:08 GMT -5
"It sounds to me like you both have a tendency to sneak around and get into trouble outside camp. After all, you did come out here with someone your clan might consider an enemy." Yew didn't like the way that sounded, but it was the truth. He licked Roselight's cheek, "Not that I mind of course. I'll be sure to keep you out of harm's way while you're around. You'll always have a place with me if it gets too dangerous." The coming war was unsettling, but the loner intended to do everything he could to keep Roselight safe while he could. He knew Roselight was loyal to her clan, but he really didn't want to see her getting hurt in a war that wasn't even NightClan's to fight. "I'm sure your brother will learn how to be a great warrior like you, Roselight."
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Post by Light on Jan 25, 2018 19:09:54 GMT -5
Roselight laughed a little at his last comment. "Haha. I don't want him to be like me. He has to develop into his own cat, but I do really hope he'll find whatever he's looking for soon. It's kind of silly, really. Ever since meeting you, I've been starting to see more from his point of view," she commented, her tail flicking thoughtfully. "You may be an enemy to them, but you'll never be an enemy to me, not ever again. But still... know that if Nightclan fights in the war, I will too. If I didn't fight, imagine how many more pointless deaths it might cause to the clan," she murmured, her eyes growing distant.
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b1oodyface
We're your friends. We're not like the others, man, really.
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Post by b1oodyface on Jan 25, 2018 19:48:27 GMT -5
"Hopefully it won't come to that." Yew mewed softly, not wanting to imagine the kind of destruction a prolonged war could bring to the forest. He had seen his share of battles, but he wasn't used to fighting between such large groups of cats. "Just another reason to make good use of the time we have now." The tom purred, looking out over the edge of the cliff again. Even if Roselight made it through unscathed, wartime would make it incredibly hard for them to meet and would put Yew's den in danger. He figured they should enjoy the relative peace while it lasted, and wrapped his tail around Roselight's.
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Post by Light on Jan 25, 2018 20:04:30 GMT -5
"Hopefully..." Roselight echoed in agreement. She brushed her head against the side of his neck, and followed Yew's gaze down over the edge of the cliff. Her heart squeezed at the thought of maybe not seeing much of Yew during the war. Tensions would be high, and that would put Yew in danger as well. She lifted her gaze to examine the yellow tom. If it came to it, she would defend him in any way possible. Pulling her tail from his, she traced it's tip down one of his scars. "How did you get all of these?" she asked softly.
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b1oodyface
We're your friends. We're not like the others, man, really.
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Post by b1oodyface on Jan 25, 2018 20:23:51 GMT -5
Yew hadn't been expecting her to ask that, and let out a short sigh. There wasn't a very simple answer to give. "I've lived in a lot of places before I ended up here. When you live alone there's no one else to defend you, or even fight by your side so it's easy for an enemy to get a good strike or two in." He realized he wasn't being very specific. "There's almost as many stories as scars, which one did you want to know about?"
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Post by Light on Jan 25, 2018 20:37:24 GMT -5
Roselight watched him, holding onto every word. While she had lived under the support of a clan, he had fought for himself each day. It was strange, that even after all that, he still didn't want to become a warrior, but she respected his decision for what it was. "The one by your right eye," she chose, trailing the long scar across his face with her eyes. "That one looks like it has quite the story." Her gaze rested on his yellow eyes.
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b1oodyface
We're your friends. We're not like the others, man, really.
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Post by b1oodyface on Jan 25, 2018 21:09:55 GMT -5
Yew nodded, taking a second to determine just how far back he should go. "Well, I was living in a twolegplace far beyond this forest at the time. I was barely any older than what you would call an apprentice at the time, and I had just left the territory I was born on." He stopped, trying to think of how best to describe his situation at the time. "It was just me, I didn't have any family or anyone around at the time. There were more cats living in just a fraction of that territory than there are in this forest, so prey and space were hard to come by." He thought back to how much harder it was back then, wondering if his new life had made him soft. "I slept underneath of a sort of den where twolegs threw things. A lot of times they'd leave food in there, are there were some rats and mice that would come by. About a moon after I came to the twolegplace there was a flood. Cats from all over were forced out of their territory and everyone was looking for a new place to stay. That's when I ran into the first 'clan' I'd ever seen. Poison was their leader, and they called themselves DuskClan. They were more like rogues just living under a clan names, they didn't have all of the structure you have here. Anyway, they essentially took over after the flood. Their 'warriors' forced a lot of loners and kittypets to either join them or be run off. A tom called Oak found me. He was a huge cat, with a dark brown pelt that had more scars than I could count. He knew I wouldn't be of any use to his clan, and attacked me when I wouldn't give up my den or my prey." It wasn't a pleasant memory, that particular scar had almost cost Yew his right eye's sight. It was also the first time he was beaten that badly. "I was a lot smaller back then, and I didn't know much about fighting. Oak beat me worse than anyone I've ever battled, and it took me a long time to recover. I had to live off of twoleg scraps, and there were no healers or herbs around to help me. Once I was back at full strength I realized cats like Oak had the right idea. I started driving off anyone I knew I could overpower, taking their prey and dens until someone else came who was stronger." Yew shivered at how rough it was living there. "A few moons went by that way, and I ended up living a small group of rogues. We were the strongest group outside of that clan, so naturally we spent a lot of time fighting them. I met Oak in battle again, but by then I was much larger and far more experienced. I tore his throat out the same day we took the abandoned twoleg den that DuskClan used as a camp."
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Post by Light on Jan 25, 2018 21:23:48 GMT -5
Roselight's eyes were wide as she listened to the story. She was about to say that the clans tried not to get into such situations, when she realized that it still happened. She swallowed, thinking of how easily such situations could start, with one group taking over the other, and dominating until a stronger group came. It never happened in her lifetime, but it still did happen, it still could. When would the fight for power and revenge ever end? "What happened to your group of rogues?" she asked, leaning forwards in her eagerness to hear what he might say next.
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b1oodyface
We're your friends. We're not like the others, man, really.
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Post by b1oodyface on Jan 25, 2018 21:32:53 GMT -5
Yew laughed when he thought about how things had turned out for the group, though he sounded a bit sad when he spoke. "Things went downhill pretty much right after we took over that twoleg den. There wasn't really anyone left worth fighting, so for a little while things were peaceful. Then, a she-cat named Frost decided we needed a leader. After all, we controlled most of the twolegplace and someone had to lay down some rules if there was going to be any kind of order. Or at least, that was her argument. I guess you could say the two of us were friends, she was the one who brought me into the group. As you could probably assume, most of us wanted to be leader. I never felt the need to be in charge like that, but there were a lot of powerful and dangerous cats around. Not the kind who want to take orders. Everyone started fighting over the position. Frost fought this tom called Snake for control first. She was a wiry little thing, but she was fast, and everyone was shocked when she climbed up onto Snake's back and gave him a killing bite. She was in charge for maybe half a moon before Snake's mate, Ruby, came back and killed Frost in her sleep. After that it all fell apart, I left the territory and that was the last I saw of anybody from that place."
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Post by Light on Jan 25, 2018 22:26:07 GMT -5
(I'll reply as soon as I finish washing dishes. ^^)
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Post by Light on Jan 25, 2018 23:07:49 GMT -5
Unease crawled through Roselight's pelt as she listened to Yew's story of brutal fights for power, and plots of revenge. "I'm sorry for your friend," she murmured, bowing her head. The clans were far better than such unorganized madness. "There was so much bloodshed where you came from. When the clans were made, rules were made to keep harmony and peace between us all. They don't eliminate fights completely, but the warrior code keeps us from completely destroying ourselves," she explained. After a long pause, she continued. "Yew, what do you think about fighting? About killing? About... death?"
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b1oodyface
We're your friends. We're not like the others, man, really.
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Post by b1oodyface on Jan 25, 2018 23:24:01 GMT -5
"Don't be sorry, you didn't kill her." Yew was slightly uncomfortable talking about his past, but it was important to understand what he had come from in order to understand what made the loner who he was. Roselight's next question certainly wasn't the sort of thing Yew was expecting her to ask, but it wasn't very hard for him to answer. It just wasn't something he was sure he wanted to say in front of the she-cat he loved, fearing she would think less of him "There's no code for loners. Fighting and killing are...natural." That was the best way the loner could put it. "If someone tries to run me off or take what's mine, I'll fight them. I'll fight to take things I want or need from anyone I think I can overpower, it's just kind of the way things go. Life isn't easy, so when you live like this you have to take any chance you can get. A warm place to sleep or a plentiful hunting ground are things worth fighting over. Killing is just a part of fighting. A cat you let go can come back to kill you later, or at least leave you wounded and take your den and your prey. Everything dies, and one can only win so many fights. Eventually something kills everything. Doesn't make much difference what." It was obvious that there was a disconnect between the warrior code that Roselight followed and the seeming lack of any real respect for life that Yew displayed. "I mean there are limits. Kits, queens, elders. But anyone capable of being a threat is fair game."
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Post by Light on Jan 25, 2018 23:54:59 GMT -5
Roselight nodded slowly, her eyes narrowed deep in thought. These ease of which Yew spoke of killing made her shiver, but when he mentioned sparing kits, queens, and elders she felt her tightened muscles loosen in relief. Something in how they first met occurred to her and she couldn't resist to ask. "Why didn't you kill me back then?" she asked softly. The fight had been quick and dangerous at some points, but she had not originally identified the loner as a killer, just simply desperate.
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b1oodyface
We're your friends. We're not like the others, man, really.
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Post by b1oodyface on Jan 26, 2018 0:06:37 GMT -5
Now that was a question Yew really didn't want to answer. Ignoring Roselight wasn't really much of a choice though, so he tried to think of the best way to put it. "Honestly, I didn't kill you because I didn't want to go through the trouble. You were already unable to fight, I had your prey, and I wasn't prepared to deal with the retaliation. It's bad enough trying to avoid patrols, a murdered warrior would have me marked for death. Besides, I respected you. You were brave and strong, not to mention beautiful. I've seen a lot of cats die, and it's gotten pretty old." The big yellow tom shivered at his own words as he spoke them, but he couldn't bring himself to lie to Roselight.
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Post by Light on Jan 26, 2018 0:30:27 GMT -5
Roselight lowered her eyes, her gaze unreadable. It did make sense, as much as she hated to admit it. Having grown up in such a way, Yew was used to having to kill to survive. As for Roselight, she had never killed another cat before, and never wanted to either. If it came to protecting what she loved or a battle for her life, she would most certainly kill to survive. But to kill a cat over a peice of prey that would last one meal... wasn't that a bit excessive? He didn't kill her surely enough, but their were reasons for his own safety that he did what he did. "Thank you for being honest," she murmured to him. One of the reasons she loved him was his complete honesty in all situations. She could count on him not to hide anything from her. "But I have one more question." She took a deep breath. "Did you enjoy it? Killing that is. You said it was natural, but did you enjoy it when you killed?"
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b1oodyface
We're your friends. We're not like the others, man, really.
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Post by b1oodyface on Jan 26, 2018 0:43:12 GMT -5
Yew practically jumped out of his pelt. Sure, he had grown up tough and there were a lot of things he wished he could undo, but he wasn't that far gone. At least he didn't think so. "No. Killing is something that you do when you have to, not because you want to." Well, that was mostly true. "I mean, it's different when it's someone like Oak who tried to kill me. I wouldn't say I've ever enjoyed it, but there were times where I didn't have to think about it. Trust me Roselight, I'm not that far gone that I'd kill someone just for fun." His yellow eyes met her gaze only for a moment, quickly focusing back on his shuffling paws. He had really made a mess of this, and now the loner was wondering if he had said something he really couldn't take back. Telling someone who loves you the only reason you didn't kill them was that it was more convenient they stayed alive wasn't usually a good move.
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b1oodyface
We're your friends. We're not like the others, man, really.
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Post by b1oodyface on Jan 26, 2018 2:24:06 GMT -5
(Sorry, Yew's the only character I have and he's tied up at the moment.)
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Post by Paws on Jan 26, 2018 7:58:14 GMT -5
(( Maybe Echoscream or Alderblood could, or I could make another apprentice and they could fall in love or something like that :3 ))
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