Heaven Help Us

[{darkles}]

The days were slowly shortening, slipping past like leaves in a breeze. Leafbare was always the most depressing time of year for the grey warrior. He had lost his mother in the middle of leafbare some seasons past, and though he was no longer a little kit, cringing and whining to those older than himself, he still missed her. She had been the only kin he had ever known and now he felt as lost and alone as any cat could be. For moons he had wandered around in a daze, doing his warrior duties to a perfect standard but never really noticing exactly what it was he was doing. This morning he had woken before dawn and been unable to go back to sleep. He had lain in his nest for some time, his eyes clouded with daydreams of a better time, a happier time. Eventually he had given up on the thought of clearing his mind, and instead had decided to take his misery elsewhere so as not to disturb the others. His black-patched paws took him to his favourite spot without him even thinking, the route was so well trodden from his paws alone that the earth had turned into dusty sand and dirt, in harsh comparison to the harder ground of the rest of the moorland.

Blackthorn had never gotten over his mothers death. He had never felt as though he belonged in his Clan when there was no cat there whom he truly cared for, neither as kin nor as a mate. As he approached the RiverClan border his ears pricked with the sound of the steadily gushing water that separated the two territories. It seemed that although the frost could smother the undergrowth with it's biting chill, it had not the power to stem the flow of the river. Not yet. He settled himself amidst the frosted grass that grew beside the river bank. Here the drop was not so steep and he could peer over the edge into the dark grey water as it pounded past. A hollow look entered his eyes when he saw his reflection. It reminded him of the desperate emptiness that he felt inside. Everything around the camp, the entire territory, reminded him in some small way of the cat he had lost. Sometimes he would notice something that he and his mother had laughed about before, and would turn around to tell her with a grin on his whiskered face, only to realise that she wasn't there. She would never be there.

The sky was streaked with a pale yellow tinge, a sure sign of further snowfall. Blackthorn was well and truly lost in his own thoughts as he stared at the river, he may as well have faded to nothing for all the notice his Clanmates had taken of his absence. Depression had taken hold of the young grey cat, and so far nothing had appeared that would give him the motivation to shake it off and start anew. He sighed gently, poking one slender paw into the icy water and absently trailing it back and forth. He supposed he should be returning to the camp for the sunhigh patrol. Not that it matters, he thought bitterly, no cat misses me, I may as well have joined StarClan already..

[Jayflight]

A pair of eyes, a broad and faintly striped gray head, the flick of a furry tail, and a still lingering scent of his former clan. Who was this? In the grasses he stalked like a lion, making no sound at all. Notched ear and untouched both pricked forward, cold ground underpaw doing little damage, nor did the tomcat notice. He was focused on the fellow Windclanner. Pity would have clawed at his heart, for he knew of Blackthorn's mother. Why should he mope, thought the tom, just because his mother died? Why, if I mourned every lost family member like that, that's all I'd ever do! Smokefeather was just fine with the fact no cat in Windclan would ever trust him; it didn't matter. Because nobody would be brave enough to say that to his face, since they'd have both him and Leopardstar to deal with if it was in public. And if it wasn't, they'd have claws that had ripped Windclan pelt before raking at them. "Thinking of swimming the river? I'm sure Riverclan has plenty of room for you." The grasses, dead and brown, parted; giving way to the massive tomcat. His limbs, muscular instead of lengthy, rippled beneath their gray hide. He obviously wasn't from Windclan, yet he was as true a member as Nightfeather was.
"You can mope all you like, we already have enough of them in our clan," he added sourly, thinking of Nightfeather. "Your not special. You know what makes me so mad I could just spit?" The tom's fur was bristling, but he wouldn't attack Blackthorn. If anything, Smokefeather always got angry. "Your mother died, I know that much. Guess what. Mine did too. My siblings, my father, my mentor, all dead. What's worse, I was exiled from my clan, I was forced to join Windclan. But I'd do it all over again." He sat down, looking up, lashing his tail. "Windclan is my home now, and my losses have made me stronger. If you could just grip your loss and get over it, you'd be stronger as well. I miss my family; I wasn't always an overgrown lost cause myself. My mentor, dead or not, taught me everything I know. You have no more reason than that pathetic Nightfeather, or myself, to mope around. Go out there; get yourself some friends. A mate. Whatever." Smokefeather threw a yawn out, flicking an ear. Then, it was as if a little star started shining above his head. "Ya know, if you can't make a friend, I'm in need of a right-paw tom to back me up."

[OOC: Little currupting demon. xD I love Smoke.]

[{darkles}]

Blackthorn blinked suddenly. He raised his head from where he crouched and took notice for the first time of the rising sun and lightening skies. He shivered. The cold ground had sucked all of the warmth from his body and frost had begun to settle along the lengths of his whiskers, giving him a rather odd appearance. The tomcat cast another look into the river. He loved to sit and watch it, he drew strength from its undying force and ability to renew itself. It sounded corny, but it was never the same twice. A voice behind him made him start, being upwind of Smokefeather he had not scented the larger cat until too late. The grey warrior turned to face him and narrowed his eyes at the harsh words. He was not as mentally strong as some cats. He could not forget as easily, pull away from the memories that still haunted the space behind his eyes. To be honest, Blackthorn was too much of a thinker. He analysed things and re-thought them until the subject was so picked over he had no idea which way was head or tail. He found it difficult to move on and start fresh. Why could Smokefeather not accept that not all cats were born without feelings like the cold grey tom that he stood and faced now, his yellow eyes betraying the anger that he felt inside. If Smokefeather hadn't been a clanmate, Blackthorn would have sunk his teeth and claws into the toms pelt and already be tearing chunks of fur from his shoulders.

'Do you take pleasure in the misery of others?' He snarled, glaring at Smokefeather with all the power of StarClan. 'You are a traitor and possibly the most unpleasant piece of crow-food to ever walk beneath Silverpelt, save for Tigerstar himself!' Hissing fury he shouldered past the older warrior and pushed into the dead grass that had shielded him earlier, heading for the border with ThunderClan in an attempt to rid himself of the presence of this new-found pain in the tail.

[Jayflight]

"Yes, as a matter o' fact." Grin was given, daring him. Just daring. "And you forget; being compared to Tigerstar is an honor for me." He looked around after the tom had left, blinking. "See ya 'round, then," he murmered to himself and started back to camp.

[Because I just have to butt in with another character. xD]

New mentor Jayflight had been staring over the border, as if drawn to the moors. Odd, she thought to herself, just before a wave of Windclan scent hit her; obviously fresh. "Something wicked this way comes," the she-cat muttered, unsheathing her claws. She expected it to be Leopardstar and a battle patrol, ready to take the camp. She stood just inside her own border, eyes blazing. If she couldn't save her clan, then she'd die try- What? Just one cat?

[Leopardstar]

Mistydream sat near the Windclan/Riverclan boarder and gazed. Just gazed at the sudde change of scenery, different smells in the air, different prey. Mistydream had always been a thinker and today was no different. She often got lost on a train of thought and forgot about everything around her. Unless it was something important. But of course that lead her on to another thought to ponder upon. Nothing exciting ever happens to me. At that thought she deflated. Completely and intirely.
Lifting her nose to the air she smelt mixed clans. Windclan was the strongest as she was right on their boarder, probably looking supisious but there was also the faint scent of Thunderclan. As she sat there the Windclan scent drifted away on the wind, following the owner.
She growled miserabley and even though she wasn't intending to look she couldn't help but see the little dots of cat on the windclan plains.
The grey dot seened to be moving away from the previous cat company and even though she didn't know him she desprately wanted himto turn around and see her.
What a strange feeling
Her blue eyes, although trying not to stare seemed to her to bore into his back as he went further and further away.

[{darkles}]

The grey feline continued to run, bounding as fast as his paws would carry him. He sought some comfort in the feel of the wind against his pelt, as any WindClan cat would, it was their birthright. He kept tight to the river, heading for the narrow strip of RiverClan that separated his territory from ThunderClans forest. It was there that the river flowed smoothest, the curving bends causing the water to slow its pace. It was peaceful there.

When he thought he had put enough distance between himself and Smokefeather he too began to slow down. He found his breathing came in puffing gasps, much unlike the usual display of fitness and agility. The lack of prey must be getting to him. Blackthorn padded carefully along the grassy slope and paused to lap at the grey water. His head still buzzed with thoughts of the arrogant fox hearted warrior that he was forced to call a Clanmate, and his heart still felt heavy with the feelings of loss and grief. It was hard for the tomcat to imagine being happy again. As he raised his head to look back at his territory he caught a movement on the opposite bank. Opening his mouth a touch he scented the air. Above the mingled smells of the Clans, the river and the bitter cold, he could taste something different, distinctly RiverClan and - though it's rather hard to tell with most cats - feminine. He did a double take and found himself gazing into a pair of startling blue eyes. For a few heartbeats he stood motionless, his eyes roving downwards to make out the blue-grey pelt of a stunning she-cat. All of a sudden he shook himself roughly, making his ears flap against his head like some kind of mongrel dog. This was a warrior from another Clan - he had no business thinking that she was anything other than a rival. Whatever you may think of Blackthorn, he had always been loyal to the warrior code.

'What are you looking at?' he growled, taking a pace closer so that water flooded over his fore paws, getting inbetween his toes in the most uncomfortable manner. He hissed and withdrew his feet, as if he had completely forgotten that the river was there at all. His yellow eyes burned with self-disgust that he would embarrass himself in front of this stranger. Come to think of it she was a total stranger, he had never noticed her at previous Gatherings.. Abandoning that train of thought he returned to the matter at hand - why was a RiverClan warrior staring over into WindClan territory?

[Leopardstar]

Mistydream always thought of different possiblities but he did not expect the sleek Windclan cat to turn around and see her! Stunned she just stared at him, her stunning blue eyes wide in disbelief. He tail twitched anxiously, set on automatic.
All types of thoughts flickered through her mind and eventually she realised that she probably looked a bit silly just sitting there staring. She didn't want to scare him off.... just yet.
She let out a small chuckle and although a bit shakey, she didn't really feel threatened by the cat opposite her. Its wasn't long until te words reached her. Thinking she must really look stupid by now, she shuffled her paws slightly before thinking, Great work Mistydream. He REALLY doesn't think your a jerk now!

Sighing she answered his question. Although said in a growl she could tell of the sadness he hid and what the other cat had taken advantage of a few minutes before. Breathing out, trying not to let him bother her she simply said: "Its none of your buisness what I was looking at. You couldn't see it from your position anyway."

[{darkles}]

Through the tangled haze of his own thoughts and feelings, Blackthorn could tell that this she-cat was thoroughly unnerved by seeing him. For whatever reason he didn't really care, so long as she didn't try and cross the border, but it did make him wonder what could possibly make a cat so wriggly. It was like looking at a kit with ants in it's pelt. He sniffed dismissively at her words but couldn't help glancing backwards, squinting in the light of the morning to try and see what she was talking about. Maybe he really couldn't see what she was seeing..

'It doesn't matter' he snapped, turning around and realising what a mousebrain he'd looked like, 'You're still too close to the border for my liking. Clear off if you know what's good for you! I have backup if needed.' The last few words were an absolute lie. True, Smokefeather was only a few bounds back along the river, but the grey warrior had irritated Blackthorn so much that he wouldn't inflict his company on any cat - WindClan or not. He flattened his ears and curled his lip at the she-cat to try and scare her off. The problem was he just wasn't in the mood for being nasty. All he really wanted to do was sit by the river and enjoy it's soft splashing as it whisked his troubles downstream like a small piece of driftwood caught in the current. He faltered, clawing at his dignity with all the effort he could muster. I suppose I should at least try and be polite.. he mused, flicking his tail in annoyance.

'So uhm, what's your name anyway?' he mumbled, still not exactly sounding friendly but his voice was no longer a threatening growl. He crouched down on the bank. being careful not to get his paws wet again, and began to study the RiverClan warrior more closely. She had a beautiful pelt, and her eyes sparkled in her pretty face. Of course, Blackthorn was only being truthful, there was no way he was going to fall for another cat, particularly one from a rival Clan. He changed the direction of his gaze, noting her very powerful looking muscles and barely suppressing a shudder. She may look pretty and delicate on the outside but the grey warrior harboured a guess that she wasn't all that innocent on the inside.

[Leopardstar]

Mistydream growled at his rash behavior. Her mucsles buched underneath her silver/blue pelt, eyes narrowed into slits. She was shocked that a Windclanner like him, could be so hurtful. She couldn't help but notice that maybe something else was going on with him.
Supressing a laugh at him for turning around trying to see what she had, she thought, I was looking at him. Stupid Windclanners. He was overall a rather stunning cat in more ways then one but it was impossible for her to put her paw on what it was that made him stand out. Maybe it's his eyes.
A small fish, hardly significanat, leapt out from the river making a small splash, breaking the silence.
It was this small fish that made her realise that he was waiting for her to answer his question. She had calmed down a bit now as his voice was soft and almost unthreatening. "Mistydream. And yours?"

[{darkles}]

The she-cats tone of voice quite startled the tom. She was being polite? After the way he had treated her? His eyes widened in surprise and his reply came as an embarassing stutter.

'Uhh, my uhm.. m-my name's Blackthorn..' His sleek grey pelt bristled with unease every time he met Mistydream's eyes. He coughed uncomfortably and flicked his tail at the rushing water, indicating the small splashes of the fish. 'Aren't you meant to catch those?' It seemed strange to him how cats from other Clans lived. If that had been a WindClan rabbit he would have wasted no time at all in haring after it at top speed, just to feed his clanmates. It was leafbare afterall and prey was becoming increasingly scarce. And yet, here was this RiverClan cat calmly watching her Clans chosen prey leap and swim in front of her and not twitching a whisker. He tipped his head to the side, watching one of the silvery shadows beneath the surface of the icey river.

The grey tom stretched out one tentative paw to hover over the shape, just breaking the surface of the water. The little fish immediately bolted away downstream. Blackthorn pinned his ears back in annoyance and shook his paw away, licking it furiously to rid it of the cold feeling that was seeping through his fur. Fishing was no fun at all! How in StarClans name did these cats make a living from it? He shot a tentative glance at Mistydream, hating himself the moment he locked his gaze with hers. It felt like there was a pawful of butterflies in his belly. He pushed the feeling away, telling himself it was only because he'd just tried to steal prey - in front of a cat from another Clan. Mousebrain! he scolded himself. Mousebrain, mousebrain, mousebrain!


[OoC; Perhaps Miss Mistydream would care to show Mr Blackthorn how it's done properly? ^^)

[Leopardstar]

>Sure can!! Shs pro!! Jk<

Mistydream noticed his discomfort around her and she felt slightly at ease. At least he wasn't being touchy anymore. Birds whistled overhead but they didn't interest her in the slightest.
Looking at him again, she noticed that he had a quality to him that was different to other Windclan cats. Maybe it is the almost haunted look in his eyes she thought suddenly, having no idea where the sudden knowledge came from. That often happened to her although it wasn't a sign of craziness or anything.
Watching the stuttering Windclanner trying.... and failing to catch a fish amused her to no end and she had to try REALLY hard not to laugh or let out a sarcastic comment. She thought about just walking away, and she almost did, but something drew her back. Something, that made her want to help him. To show him how it was done.
She got up lightly and closed the distance between them in only a couple of steps, moving like fluid water. Her blue/ grey pelt shimmered in the water in front of her and she blinked away, turning her gaze to him. "So, you wanna learn how to steal prey huh? Well you cant do that unless you know how to 'steal' it first." Amusement sparkled in her eyes, almost as if she was laughing at him.
"Lemme show ya," she mewed. Delicately she dunked a paw into the water away from the fish as not to startle them. She waited until the headed her way before swishing her paw in an arc, flinging the fish onto the already wet grass. "There ya go. One fish...... For MY clan" she laughed. "Go ahead and try if you want."

[{darkles}]

A biting wind ruffled the tomcats thick winter coat, pressing the grey hairs to his shoulder and sending the longer fur around his shoulders into a frenzy. He twitched his whiskers in a smile - it tickled slightly. The blue furred she-cat in front of him was having difficulty smothering her laughter at his failed attempt at fish-hunting. He didn't mind so much. At least she wasn't trying to shred his ears for almost stealing her prey. His careful yellow gaze raked her slender body as she raised herself to her paws and stalked through the water towards him, not even flinching as the cold touched her feet. He envied her strength of mind, knowing he would never have the courage to try swimming. WindClan cats just weren't made for such unnaturalness.

The pawful of butterflies in his belly seemed to double in size on her approach.

He felt her pelt brush against his.

The butterflies leapt to his mouth.

He leant closer to catch her words. She was going to teach him to fish? The tom spent so much time by the river and now, finally, he would be able to get something back from it! Eagerness showed clearly in expression as he followed her swift, controlled movements in the water. She was so skilled, so patient. Blackthorn found himself watching her more than he was watching her actions, drawn to the fluid confident motions of her body, the way her pelt moved, the way her ears twitched to the sound of birdsong. The first fish landed a little way behind him, dripping water onto his nose as it arced through the air.

'Wow! That's actually quite clever!' he meowed, and instantly wished he could take his words back again. Backing away from Mistydream he braced himself for the sharp snag of claws and the sting of harsh words. Too late, he tried to make ammends.

'N-not that I think you're stupid! I don't think that! Not at all!' he protested, shrinking into himself to look smaller. He could turn and run, bound across the moor back to camp and never have to see this cat again. And yet as the thought crossed his mind, he knew he wouldn't. It was as if StarClan had reached down one spangled paw and squashed him flat to the ground, crushing the breath out of him. Somehow he knew that if he turned and walked away now he would regret his decision for the rest of his born days.

Meeting Mistydream's eyes, the butterflies were choking him.

[Leopardstar]

Mistydream chuckled to herself at his attempt to correct himself. "Dont worry about it" she murmed. She had to admit, she was beginning to like him. Stepping up from her place in the reeds she moved back until she was further over her side of the border and cocked her head to one side. "I havent seen you around much. You new?" Even though they were in different clans she was pretty sure that a cat like him would have been taken to gatherings.
She didn't know why but this Windclan warrior was easy to talk to and she felt that he got her more then other cats in her clan did.

>sorry its short. NO MUSE!!!!<

[{darkles}]

'No, I'm a true Clan cat, born and bred, I don't go to many gatherings though, I'm not normally very social..' he smiled sheepishly, forcing the butterflies down with a very loud swallow. He felt a small pang of disappointment as she moved away from him, but then again it would look strange if she was caught chatting on his territory - so it was all for the best. It was nearing sunhigh, most of the morning chill had evaporated from the air but his coat was still fluffed out to keep in the much needed warmth.

'I should probably be getting back.. before someone comes looking I mean. Uhm, would it.. would it be wrong of me to ask if we could meet again?' The last thirteen words spilled from the toms mouth in a whirlwind rush. Blackthorn found himself strangely drawn to this newfound acquaintance. She didn't give him a pitying look every time she saw him, or make fun of his misery - like Smokefeather. It was nice to be in the company of a cat who didn't seem to mind his mood swings, or his personality in general. Now that he thought about it, the grey warrior realised that it was nice just to have company. He padded over to the silver fish that lay motionless on his side of the border, gently lifted it in his teeth and, holding his breath, waded out into the river to give it back to Mistydream. He hated getting his paws wet, the feeling of the current - so beautiful to watch - was so strange and unnerving. It tugged at his fur, threatening to lift him off his feet and send him tumbling ears first into the grey murk. With the fish in his mouth he could only make muffled gestures, using his tail to emphasise the important bits. It sounded like a winded badger climbing a hill.

'Wou oo mee me ere a shunhai 'morro?' His tail flicked at their surroundings, indicating the riverbank and trees, whilst he moved his eyes up to guesture at the sun. He hoped she'd know what he meant, either that or take the fish from him so he could repeat his message - he hated standing in this water, no matter how much he wanted to be friends with this she-cat.

[Leopardstar]

The sun was starting to set behind the Windclan hills in front of her, a few wisps of light still sneakily combing the top. It sent trickles of light flooding over the plains. A landscape, so different to hers, so many different scents, smells and textures. So many different opportunities. She flicked her ears in frustration at the thing that she wanted so much she couldn't have. Her eyes flicked to the tom standing in the river, uncomfortably. Also something she couldn't have and the frustration seized her, a metal fist enclosing and squeezing her heart. This always happened to her and she was often chasited for it. Her heart always yearned for the things beyond her reach. Nobody could understand why she couldn't like someone in her clan or why the landscape of Riverclan wasn't like the others to her and why she couldn't settle down happily. She felt like a lost soul compared to them but with Blackthorn? Well she didn't know. A sense of peace had blanketed her during their meetink and even though she hardly knew him she already felt like they had been friends for a long time before this moment.

By now he had the fish in his mouth and she could, quite clearly understand his muffles with the help of the gestures. Her heart leaped. He wanted to meet her again!
She knew that it was kind of against ALL clan rules but if caught she could just say that it was a meeting between friends right? She realised she didn't care. A streak of rebelion flashed through her. Stuff clan rules she thought. I feel like a kittypet at the moment with all these restrictions.
"That would be nice", she meowed finding her voice. "And if i was you, id eat that fish before you get back to camp and they start asking pressing questions on where you've been" she continued, laughter in her voice.

[{darkles}]

[OoC: Sorry I'm late ^^;]

Blackthorn lashed his grey tail in excitement, his heart leapt at the thought of seeing Mistydream again. He dipped his head to her in acknowledgement of her words, turned, and padded out of the freezing water to stand on his side of the bank. There was something about this she-cat that made him inexpressibly happy when he was near her. His paws began the familiar path back to camp, treading lightly in the sandy earth by the river. Pausing to gulp down the fish, which tasted surprisingly good, he prayed to StarClan that Smokefeather had headed back earlier and wouldn't ambush him with claws and questions..

[OoC: Sorreh, not much muse left. Shall we wait a while before they meet again or continue in this thread? How's Mistydream's other relationship going? =)]

[Leopardstar]

[Uhm i think we should make another post. I have to talk to Ebon about the relationship but we'll get it up and running soon...... ^^ whoops]

[{darkles}]

[OoC: Mmkay, you post now 'cause I just did - and my muse is lacking more than yours =D]

[Leopardstar]

>Mmmmky. By the way my muse it at an all time low haha<

Mistydream walked silently towards the Windclan riverclan boarder. She was kind of scared. What if he didn't show up? What if he played this prank just to laugh at her next time he saw her? Doubt was eating away at her and she imagined herself as a pile of fur and bones by the border. She shudder, but then she remebered their previous encounter and realised that he wasn't like that. She hoped that was true and not a ruse. She could only hope.
Reaching the border she sat and wited, flicking her tail in time to the trickling water.

>sorry its short ^^<

[{darkles}]

It was more difficult than first thought, sneaking away from camp. Being one of the more senior warriors he was expected to be in certain places at certain times, and was almost always surrounded by other cats - either on hunting or border patrols. Yesterday evening however, he'd managed to convince Spottedpelt to let him stay off normal duties today, complaining of a bad bellyache and the need for a bit of recovery time. The grey tomcat had made a point of slipping out of the warriors den several times during the night, being extra noisy to ensure at least some cat noticed him leave in the direction of the dirtplace.
At around mid-morning Blackthorn had paid yet another fruitless trip to the sandy patch next to camp. During the summer months it aquired quite a stench, but thankfully the freezing weather of late was keeping the smell to a minimum. Keeping quiet and constantly glancing furtively around himself, he had managed to slip through the gorse branches unnoticed and was now trotting confidently across the wide moorland plain to the border with RiverClan. He was pleased with himself. This meeting meant the world to him, even though he knew it shouldn't. It had only been a few hours since he last saw Mistydream, but it felt like a whole moon or more. He could scent the fresher smell of the river cutting it's path through the forest and quickened his pace, bounding through the thickening foliage that signalled the borderline was close.

Blackthorn burst through the river grasses on his side of the border, staring around his surroundings with searching eyes, seeking only one thing. There! He spotted it, amidst the beautiful scenery on the opposite bank, the blue-grey pelt of his favourite she-cat in the entire world. A grin lit up his whole face, sparkling in his eyes and making him twitch his tail with glee.

'Mistydream! Over here!' he called out, as loud as he dared when so close to enemy territory. Even as he thought it he frowned. Enemy territory? And yet here he was gazing at the so-called 'enemy' with nothing but adoration and admiration held in his eyes. It would be true to say that Blackthorn hadn't felt this happy since before his mother died, and possibly even before then. How was it possible that the 'enemy' could be the one cat he know knew he had fallen paws over tail for..