~c.a.m.p~ {skyclan rocks the ridge!}

[Battooth]

Mistheart thanked Mai quietly. She was slightly relieved to have told someone the secret that had weighed her down for so long.

As Cloudpuff approached she glanced at Mai, a look of amusement lighting up her face. "Hello Cloudpuff," she meowed cheerily. "How's your prey running?"

((SO... SHORT... *dies*))

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

[xD S'all right, Battie. Once in your lifetime is okay, but do it again and... DUN DUN DUN DUN. x3]

"Well, of course, the prey is running not so well around SkyClan territory since it's leaf-bare," Cloudpuff responded truthfully to the gray she-cat warrior, Mistheart. Aware that Mai was in the grouop, he decided to tactfully change the topic into a more cheery one that didn't focus on the problems that SkyClan was currently facing. "But Mai did quite well in her training today; I believe Northstar will accept her into the Clan," he meowed, purring as he looked at the she-cat, pride showing in his eyes with a hint of affection hidden within his golden copper gaze.

Mai looked at Cloudpuff rather shyly. She managed to sneak a glance at him for a few moments before she instantly looked away. He was handsome indeed, but love so soon? How could it be? She herself knew that she could easily get to like him and eventually... love him, but she was rather surprised that all of a sudden Cloudpuff had fallen for her so quickly.

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[Battooth]

Mistheart nodded happily. "Good," she meowed, "I'd hate to see her have to leave." She flicked her tail at Mai, just grazing the she-cat's shoulder. "How're you adjusting to Clan life anyways? You tried fresh-kill yet?" She purred softly, thinking that once a cat had a taste of fresh-kill, they would never want to leave the forest behind.

x--

An angry hiss sounded from the entrance of the elders den. After talking for a while with the elders and filling them in on the new arrival, Flamefoot had decided to go see if Mistheart was ready to apologize. When she caught sight of Mistheart sitting with Cloudpuff, Honeypaw, and Mai she stalked away from the elders den and threw herself down with her back towards the little group. She began grooming furiously, her tail flicking with anger.

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

"It's doing pretty well," Mai meowed, nodding at her words. She couldn't help but feel rather warm inside at the fact that Mistheart said that she would hate to see her leave. "And yes, I have tasted fresh-kill," Mai added, her mind flickering back to when she had shared the piece of prey with Cloudpuff. Cloudpuff. Thinking of his name almost brought shudders down her spine now that she knew how his feelings for her truly were, but she managed to just contain herself. "At first, it seemed rather barbaric, but it is rather... delicious, especially if you're sharing with a friend," Mai finished.

At Mai's latter statement, Cloudpuff couldn't help but let another slight rush of affection pass through his golden copper eyes as he heard her say the words. Even though Mai didn't quite favor him as much as he favored her, she at least liked him as a friend; that was a start, wasn't it?

Suddenly, out of the corner of Cloudpuff's eye, he saw Icefoot approaching. He didn't exactly know what to make of the always calm warrior -- there were times when Cloudpuff truly admired him for not losing his temper, but it was just a little... odd. "Hello," he meowed as Icefoot settled down into their group for conversation.

"Good day, Cloudpuff," Icefoot greeted mildly in response to the white pelted tomcat. He looked at the unknown she-cat, although he had learned that her name was Mai from various rumors spreading around the SkyClan Camp. "And I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Mai isn't it?" he added, dipping his head in the direction of the cream-colored she-cat. He looked around the group, seeing Mistheart and Honeypaw as well. "Hello, Honeypaw," he meowed, then turned to Mistheart. "I heard somewhat that Flamefoot is rather... objective to this new cat in our Clan?" he asked the gray she-cat, referring to Mistheart's best friend.

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[Battooth]

Mistheart sighed softly. "Yes," the gray she-cat meowed to Icefoot. "She's being a mouse-brain about it." She felt slightly guilty about that comment- Flamefoot was her best friend after all- but it was true. "She'll get over it eventually. She probably just needs a day or two to get used to the idea."

Mistheart heard a loud snort of contempt nearby and spotted Flamefoot's bright ginger coat near the edge of camp. The silver-gray she-cat rolled her eyes and turned back to the group, choosing to ignore her friend's atittude.

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

"Indeed," Icefoot meowed, although he chose to remain more placid about the subject. He followed Mistheart's gaze and soon located Flamefoot. "I'll go and speak to her," he decided, heaving himself to his paws and making his way to the ginger pelted she-cat. His steps fell quickly upon the ground, for he didn't want Mai to live with this dread of being taunted by Flamefoot, nor did he want Flamefoot to still hold this... well, grudge against Mai.

"Flamefoot," Icefoot meowed as he neared the she-cat warrior, who by the looks of it, was in a rather fuming and disagreeable state. Even though she was basically the polar opposite of him in attitude, he couldn't help but liking the fiery temper that the she-cat warrior had, much in contrast to his calm and amiable personality.

--x

"Ever think of love, Mistheart?" Cloudpuff asked Mistheart, tilting his head to the side as he looked at her, awaiting her answer. As he waited intently for Mistheart's reply, he failed to see the fact that Mai was shifting rather uncomfortably at the fact to be talking about the topic known as love. The cream-colored she-cat glanced uncertainly at Mistheart, not knowing what the she-cat warrior's answer would be.

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[Battooth]

Mistheart glanced at Cloudpuff in surprise at his sudden change of topic. "Nah," she meowed. "Well, not anymore. I used to like Maplestar of EarthClan, but I quickly realized that it was just kit-love, nothing more. I think I admired him more than loved him." She stole a quick glance at Mai, her eyes glittering with amusement, before she looked back at Cloudpuff, the look gone. "Why do you ask?"

x--

The ginger warrior glanced up sharply. "What?" she demanded, pushing away the slight tinge of guilt she felt as she snapped at the white warrior. "Does someone want to say sorry?" She stole a quick glance in Mistheart's direction, her nose wrinkling with disgust as she saw the silver-gray she-cat still talking with the little group and Mai.

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

"Just a question," Cloudpuff meowed quickly as an excuse to get out from having to answer Mistheart's question. In truth, he had wanted a cat who had experience with love; he wasn't exactly quite sure how to approach Mai in this love-stricken daze he had given her when she had arrived at the SkyClan Camp with Foxflower. "So... you don't know much about love?" he asked, a pleading look passing through his eyes.

Mai remained where she was, although the topic that they were on was making her feel rather... akward. She stole a glance in Cloudpuff's direction, and when she found that his gaze [for once] wasn't completely on her, her sapphire blue eyes took in his features. Suddenly, though, his head jerked to the right and he met her gaze with his own golden copper gaze. Although Mai wanted to pull away, the intensity of his gaze made her simply lock hers with his, unable to tear away.

--x

Icefoot looked at Flamefoot with a good-natured expression. Of course, this was the natural manner that the she-cat warrior acted in. He countered her fiery words with his own placid ones. "Look, I'm not here to disagree with you nor to agree with you," he meowed calmly, fixing his gaze on Flamefoot. "Mistheart's not relenting, and I hardly believe that you will. I was just wondering why you seem so uptight about this new cat joining SkyClan. SkyClan needs more cats -- warriors specifically, and Cloudpuff tells me that Mai has shown some talent," he meowed to the she-cat, awaiting her answer, not knowing if it would be short and snappy or if she would keep her temper.

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[Battooth]

Mistheart shook her head. "Nope, none at all," she meowed although she was aware that the tom had turned to look at Mai. Wow, she's actually meeting his gaze, Mistheart thought, amused. "Inkpaw and Dreampaw would be best to talk to," she continued, her eyes glittering with amusement.

--x

Flamefoot narrowed her eyes when she heard that Mistheart was still being uncharacteristically stubborn. Unaware that Mistheart had already told the story, Flamefoot lowered her voice. "The reason I don't want a cat born outside of the Clan to join is because my mother took up with a rouge," she meowed, her eyes darkening slightly. "My father stayed around long enough for us to be born, then left, according to my mother taking something away. The reason I don't want Mai to join is because if cats like my father are out there and can take up with someone and just disappear, then they shouldn't belong to a Clan. If Mai wants to join our Clan, whatever, but my experience with un-Clanborns is they don't stay. They're not loyal." She glared in the new she-cat's direction, then looked back at Icefoot. "Try not to let that story slip, will ya?"

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

"Inkpaw? Dreampaw?" Mai meowed uncertainly, still not accustomed to the rather odd sounding names that the cats in this... this... Clan was called. Although the names were rather... akward, Mai couldn't help but admire the originality and the exotic sounding names that all the cats around here seemed to have. Did she have to change her name from Mai to... whatever the leader -- Northstar, wasn't it? -- wanted? The thought of losing her identity and embracing a new one seemed rather scary for Mai. "Am I going to have to change my name?" she asked suddenly, looking at Mistheart to give her eyes a break from having to gaze into Cloudpuff's penetrating golden copper gaze.

--x

"If that cat -- Mai -- has gotten through Northstar's judgement, I daresay Northstar trusts her. You know how Northstar dislikes disagreeing against her well," Icefoot responded calmly, nodding his head in a way that showed Flamefoot he would always keep his solemn word about her story. "Mai doesn't seem like the type that would corrupt trouble. Besides, Cloudpuff's basically falling head over paws for her, and most of the times, that tomcat warrior's got good sense," he added with a faint nod of his head and a glimmer of amusement passing through his eyes as he said those words.

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[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

[Inkpaw && Dreampaw's Return]

The return back to the SkyClan Camp from the SkyClan Lakeside proved quite restful and calming as well as uneventful. Inkpaw and Dreampaw soon entered the SkyClan Camp, both of them quite content with their current positions of their pelts brushing each other, giving warmth on the icy and blustery cold day. Although Dreampaw's ear was rather cold since Inkpaw had licked it and now the winds had chilled it, she didn't bother to give him a reprimand; it was too cold to do so.

Settling down with her tail tucked around her frame and resting on her paws, Inkpaw brought himself to be seated beside her, purrs still rumbling in his chest and throat as he sat next to the silver tabby she-cat apprentice. Who would've guessed that in earlier days, Dreampaw had used to detest him? Inkpaw wanted to ask Dreampaw this question, but wasn't exactly looking forward to having her give a sharp response, so he kept his mouth shut and simply let tender purrs sound out in the air.

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[frosty ♥]

Swanfeather gracefully padded into camp, her mate Hawkclaw at her side. As the harsh wind blew the tomcat took a step forward to block her from it and the white she-cat purred her thanks. "I love you" she murmured, happy that Amaryllis wasn't here anymore. Before they arrived into camp, Swanfeather had finally told him she was expecting kits. Hawkclaw was now even more protective and gentle. His head was lifted proudly as he strode ahead to the fresh-kill pile to retieve something to eat for himself. Swanfeather's tired paws made their way into the nursery leaving Hawkclaw behind.

--x--

Hawkclaw felt happiness flutter in his chest. He was going to be a father! Another trill of excitement and joy rippled through his emotions. As he padded to the fresh-kill pile he promised to himself he'd take perfect care of his dearest mate. Soon he chose a thrush then padded to a shady spot of earth, later he would bring Swanfeather some food since she said she didn't feel hungry at the moment.

"A father" he muttered under his breathe with disbelief.

[[:; [h] e a r t ::♥]]

"I know about love", Honeypaw mewed, looking at Cloudpuff and feeling akward at giving a warrior advice when she was just a 10-moon-old apprentice. Honeypaw's gaze flicked toward Onespot tenderly before looking back at Cloudpuff and Mistheart.

[Agii♫]

Shifting her dirty-moss gaze towards the two cooing apprentices, the slim she-cat padded to them with a hearty glint in her deep eyes. Large ears locked forwards, she whisked her long, elegant tail against her heels, scarred with constant rubbing against each other and battle-scars. Blinking calmly, her whiskers twitched tensely, thick stomach-coat waving back and forth unhealthily. The leader came to the silver and obsidian apprentices, glancing them over briefly as she stood, inhaling a sharp breath.

She did not notice anything; nothing strange nor out of the ordinary as the invisible stalked around the leader. Northstar felt herself at the uttermost amount of unease, and knew that there was something immensely off about this day. Was it not only the very day?

Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she regained herself, lifting her small skull and facing the two apprentices with distracted eyes. "I am proud to say that both of your ceremonies will be tonight. Wait until your names are called to come up to your new mentors." Northstar released a slow, shaky sigh, "The rest I assume you know."

With that she turned, eyes clouded over with grief, and walked away. How ever much she tried, she could not shake the emotion. The leader had been hiding this for as long as she could, and yet still she was futile.

---x


Multi-hued eyes widened in awe, emotions flooding over him as his thick obsidian coat prickled with lust and envy. "Northwind! Northwind!" he called, and found that his voice was hidden amongst the land he was in.

Moonrun's face contorted in pain, and his shoulders slouched. "Northstar?" he whispered, tearing his eyes from her lean body, bedraggled with grief and unhealthiness. The obsidian warrior saw with deep concern that her body was indeed too thin for a feline of the clan. Her ribs peered from her sides, and her delicate face seemed much to thin.

He whimpered, head hanging down as he whimpered to her. Suddenly anger came to him, and adrenaline ruffled his coat into an anxious bristle, gray and sapphire eyes blinking open with fire. With speeds unknown to even himself, he leaped forwards, pushing past the two apprentices as his light, large paws dolphined towards the leader. He leaped in front of her with a loud hiss, eyes wide with anger. "Why aren't you listening? Is this a joke?"

He panicked.

"Why can't you hear me?!"

[>>BLACKiE! ]}]

Although Cloudpuff was rather surprised at the ability for an /apprentice/ to know what love was, he reminded himself starkly that Inkpaw and Dreampaw seemed like the ideal couple as well. He nodded at his thoughts. Ducking down and whispering in Honeypaw's ear so that it wasn't audible to Mai, he asked the question that had been nagging him for a while today. "How do I get Mai to love me back?" he whispered. Lifting his head so that it didn't appear suspicious to Mai, he sent a purr in the she-cat's direction, his golden copper gaze flickering slightly with warm affection for the cream-colored she-cat.

--x

What question had he asked the younger she-cat? Nervous and anxious thoughts flitted about Mai's mind, her sapphire blue eyes filling with confusion as she watched Cloudpuff whisper something to the other cat. Suddenly, she became aware of the purr that Cloudpuff sent to her. Although she felt rather akward around him, natural instincts kicked in all of a sudden and let a purr out from her chest, sounding in a rather trembling manner in the air.

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