Closed Thread [Closed] We Met At A Crossroad [13FG20]

The breeze ruffled the tufts of fur resting on top of Clovershine's ears as she slowly walked along the border. It tickled. Shaking her head once to quickly get rid of the sensation, Clovershine found herself giggling slightly. 

It's like the wind is playing with me. 

Not unlike her normal routine, Clovershine was up early and walking the borders of ShadowClan. She loved this practice, away from any pitying eyes of her Clanmates (though there were fewer and fewer now) and completely surrounded by the stillness of nature. Despite her stiff leg, Clovershine moved at a decent pace. Her lithe sunshine-colored body bouncing back rays of light as it peeked through the shadows. 

Wind whispered through the trees around her and Clovershine smiled broadly. She loved this corner of ShadowClan territory. Although it was far from camp, she never stayed for long, and the cover of the trees made her feel so safe. Wonderfully protected from the sky. 

She had just passed the opening under the thunderpath and was contemplating going home when she suddenly heard something. A hiss. Then a skittering of small paws across the thunderpath floor. Without thinking, Clovershine's training kicked in. Settling low, she worked her maw open to allow the scent to wash over it. All paws worked to bring her close to the ground-with only one failing to do its job properly. 

That wasn't going to stop her though. 

Eyes wide and patient, Clovershine watched patiently as the chipmunk came into view. He was running for his life, but unfortunately for him, that wasn't going to work. Springing forward, Clovershine pounded at the chipmunk. But with a hiss, she realized the attack was going to fall short.

Oh, this silly leg! 

The chipmunk made a quick maneuver towards a tree, but Clovershine wasn't ready to give up. With a quick twist of her body, she compensated her left side with a powerful push from her right. 

Biting down, the chipmunk squeaked once before he went limp between her teeth. 

Clovershine breathed heavily. She had done it! She was practically glowing with happiness as any catch was successful in her book-despite the fact this chipmunk was rather small. It was at that moment, upon looking up from her price, that Clovershine realized she wasn't alone. 

Across the thunderpath, as bright as the sun, a tomcat watched her. 

Cocking her head to the side, Clovershine paused for a moment before waving her tail at the chipmunk in front of her, eyes bright.

"You were so close! Too bad he chose my side!"

Love is just a cloudy sky as far as I can see
⤝ ⥈ ⥈ ☁ ⥈ ⥈ ⤞

There was no mistaking the scent of Shadowclan as he allowed it to wash over him. Seemed to be a single she-cat - but before he got a good look at her, he head the telltale shuffle of a scuffle, punctuated by the shrill final note of successfully caught chipmunk.

Cloudflare sighed softly to himself - all that work, only to have his catch surrendered to a Shadowclan she-cat. His copper eyes lifted, spotted the cream hued lynx point who dropped her caught prey and gloated her victory.

No big deal...

Cloudflare wouldn't let her catch the faint hint of disappointment in his posture, but instead his tail arched with a huff of confidence. "Obviously it was burned down by my impressive chase. Made it easy for you. You're welcome." He wasn't sure if he recognized the Shadowclanner, but that wouldn't stop him from inquiring who she was.

Familiar, though... at first I almost thought her Palestar.

"May I know the name of the huntress who swiped my kill?" While the tone of his voice was playful, perhaps a bit teasing, the edges were a bit sharper. Just the ingrained suspicion of other clan cats, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try and catch her unaware.

The breeze had shifted, blowing her scent towards the tom so unfortunately she couldn't pinpoint what clan he was from based on the smell but based on which part of the thunderpath he stood on,  it could  only be WindClan. 

Easy for me... 

The brightness that had been in  her eyes faded slightly as  the words echoed through her. How often had she felt that way  within her  own clan? A  burden that things  needed to be made easy for.  Although ShadowClan never  said  such things outright, it was a heavy thought  that seemed  to follow Clovershine everywhere. 

Steeling herself, Clovershine drew her spine taunt, standing straight and strong as her stiff leg braced against the ground  painfully. She ignored the pain and kept her eyes firmly  planted on the ThunderClan cat in front of her. She wan't being hostile, yet. But she wasn't going to be taunted. 

"I am Clovershine. ShadowClan warrior. And who might you be?"

Love is just a cloudy sky as far as I can see
⤝ ⥈ ⥈ ☁ ⥈ ⥈ ⤞

Cloudflare kept a close watch on her, her higher vantage gave her an advantage if she wanted to come meet him across the other side of the Thunderpath. He had lost some of his awareness on his hunt - where exactly it had taken him. He was nearer to Thunderclan than he was Windclan - Jeez, his mind must have been full of mousefuzz.

The tip of his tail lowered, flicking this way and that at the occasional moment of his vigilance when he noticed the Shadowclanner posturing. Body language was key to determining whether or not this cat would remain as neutral as she was - hoping to discover any hostility before it came to claws. Cloudflare practically mirrored her, standing taller and fuller as he willed his muscles to ripple right underneath his pelt as he took a measured couple steps to the side. Calm as he collected the words to echo her introduction.

"Name's Cloudflare. I'm a Windclan warrior. The breeze must have blown me off course indeed. Gotta say, respectfully, this doesn't happen often - so enjoy that chipmunk for me."

He flashed her a smile, cat like maw swiped in a sideways smirk as he couldn't help but admire her pelt as the sunlight hit it just right.

Clovershine could appreciate the tone and appearance of the cat before her. He was sturdy indeed and his nature wasn't off putting; in fact, she found it rather charming the way he attempted to explain away his lost prey. 

Allowing herself to soften slightly, while still remaining vigilante, Clovershine waved her tail in his direction. "As much as appreciate you chasing the little thing this way, I do feel for your loss. At least prey will be running more and more this moon."

There's no harm in chatting. He is far enough away from the border after all.

The WindClan tom had not made any effort to attack or claim back his prey, so Clovershine felt no need to raise her hackles. Instead, she sat, wrapping her tail around her paws and focused her gaze across the thunderpath to the WindClan lands. 

"Did you track that one chipmunk all the way here? Or did you simply get distracted while on border patrol?"

Ooh her sister would be furious, her talking to another clan cat like this But, Clovershine was lonely and it was too nice of a day to leave now. Might as well enjoy the experience and get to know the ins and outs of another clan if at all possible. 

Love is just a cloudy sky as far as I can see
⤝ ⥈ ⥈ ☁ ⥈ ⥈ ⤞

Like a curled caterpillar, she slowly started to unfurl in the midday sun. Not enough for her to fully loosen her guard, but it was enough - his smile eased its bolts, comforted by the fact that she wasn't spitting at him at this point. Always a good sign. Yet he couldn't help but stay alert, keen on detecting the smallest cat sized pawstep or whiff of cat smell.

He didn't particularily want to be interrupted, not when he had caught himself red pawed across the border and seemed friendly with another cat from a rival clan. No doubt Badgerstar would have some heated words at the infringing, and that was if he was in a good mood. Yet Cloudflare didn't let it poison the light of the day or the warmth of the breeze, or his company at present.

"New leaf brings all sorts of excitement." Teasing lightly, yet speaking candidly while still being vague in response to her questions. It was natural to feel carefree at leaf bare's end - he got a bit overzealous hunting, it happened, and he was thankful he was on a pleasant receiving end.

"Yes, the prey has been running better as of late, thankfully. Are the swamp waters warm on your toes yet, or still a bit chilly?" The deep rumble of a purr tore passed his throat, imagining the dainty she-cat tiptoeing through the reeds to nab some sort of amphibious creature - a frog maybe.

A laugh as light as air jumped out of Clovershine at the tom cat's question. She simply couldn't help herself! It was quite obvious that this WindClan cat was a charmer and at the present moment, the she-cat didn't mind being charmed. It was actually quite nice. Sure, her sister would be furious, but honestly when was she not? 

"It's definitely colder than I prefer!" she spoke around her smile "But, warmer weather is on the way and I'm sure once the heat is fully here I'll be sorry I didn't appreciate the coolness while it was around."

Pausing for a moment, Clovershine tried to think of some other neutral ground they could speak about before she went on her way. After all, she couldn't fraternize with the enemy all day! 

Her ears perked as she got an idea. 

"Are you looking forward to the gathering? I am sure it will be full of interesting information!"

Love is just a cloudy sky as far as I can see
⤝ ⥈ ⥈ ☁ ⥈ ⥈ ⤞

With a languid sort of smile, he lifted a paw to his maw, tongue giving it a few solid swipes of his tongue before folding it over an ear. His nose continued to make him well aware of the prey that he had led right into her waiting paws, but only because a slight pang of hunger made it all the more apparent. Luckily he'd spare her the sound of his stomach.

"You're right, there's no happy medium - or at least a consistent one." For himself, he preferred the cooler days, while on the hottest afternoons, Cloudflare barely left camp for the sake of his stocky, well insulated form. "These are the sort of days I prefer. Warm breezes, Cozy sunbeams between shade... Less blistering heat." His copper eyes seemed to flare in the sunlight, all the while blinking intently up towards Clovershine when she inquired about the Gathering.

Yes, it was right around the corner, wasn't it? Even though he was distracted momentarily by his thoughts, he didn't leave the she-cat's question unanswered for long. "I enjoy Gatherings, enough. The information is fine, but I always hope for an interesting cat or so to keep my interest before the announcements are made."

And who knows... Maybe that'd interesting cat could be Clovershine if they were both picked by their respective leaders tomorrow night.

"Oh is that so?"

Clovershine curled her tail in front of her before resting it on her paws. A sparkle lit her blue eyes while her ears lowered in a mock question. 

"And is it difficult to keep your interest, Cloudflare?"

Obviously, she was intrigued. She'd never spoken with another clanner this long before...

Was it the weather?

The tone of his voice?

Or just the fact that she was longing for adventure? 

Whatever the reason, Clovershine couldn't help but keep herself glued to this spot; warmed by the sunshine peeking through the shadows and the odd flutter of her heart. She'd made plenty of friends within her own clan before, but this felt rather different. She was cautious of Cloudflare, of course. Her instincts reminded her of that much at least.

But, she found herself wishing that the thunderpath between them wasn't quite as wide as it was. 

Love is just a cloudy sky as far as I can see
⤝ ⥈ ⥈ ☁ ⥈ ⥈ ⤞

Whatever Cloudflare had hoped to expect this day couldn't have compared to the possibility of coming across one so... amiable from across the Thunderpath. Something about her stare stroked both his confidence, and a bit of his anxiety, thick legs supporting the muscular trunk of his body straighter under her scrutiny.

While attempting to appear strong was one thing, he also wanted to make a good impression.

And I think it's working...?

"Not so much." Came his smooth meow, before dipping into a stretch across the odd grey ground of the Thunderpath, the arch insinuating the sinew of his frame, eyes pinching shut as he briefly shifted in the sunlight. When he stood on all four of his legs, his voice held an impish sort of purr.

"Helps if there's a pretty she-cat on the other end."

Despite her agreeable disposition, however, he could feel his heart beating a million wingbeats a minute. And a part of him was unsure if it was due to the potential threat of an attack, the non-impossible probability of being seen with her, or if it was simply the shine of her eyes.

"How about you, Clovershine? Excited for the Gathering?"

Clovershine stood as Cloudflare stretched on the other side of the thunderpath. Goodness, how long had she been here?? 

Her mention of the gathering had at first been in kindly conversation, but the she-cat now realized just how long her walk had been already....she needed to get back to camp before Palestar sent out an entire search party to drag her home! 

"You're too kind if you're talking about me, and absolutely delusional if you're talking about any other cat!."Clovershine smiled at her own joke and waved her tail towards the prey in front of her. "I'm almost tempted to trot over there and give this back to you considering it's a traitor" she called out through a small laugh "but my sister would certainly have my head."

Bending to pick up the prey before her, Clovershine mentioned one last thought. "I am looking forward to the gathering as I'm sure it will be...interesting." She looked up at Cloudflare one last time before picking up the prey and turning back towards the heart of ShadowClan territory. 

"It wuf nife meeting you!" Clovershine called lightly over her shoulder before she faded back into the shadows with a wave of her tail.

You mousebrain! Talking to a WindClan cat like they're your best friend? What could you possibly be thinking? 

Love is just a cloudy sky as far as I can see
⤝ ⥈ ⥈ ☁ ⥈ ⥈ ⤞

Cloudflare's purr vibrated through his chest at the she-cat surprising sense of humor. It was always pleasing to see some real wit, and he appreciated her pleasantries. Better than having her swipe at him instead of the chipmunk.

"Keep it. And don't give my regards to your sister." he replied simply, a chuff of good humor, albiet a bit too flippantly. Certainly you'd think he'd take such a situation more seriously, but as long as he didn't keep her the whole afternoon it might be fine, especially since the Gathering night was upon them.

Maybe he'd see her again. If not at the Gathering, maybe another bumble of a hunt. He chuckled again to himself, rolling his shoulders as he finally acknowledged the urgency in the back of his head. Yes, it would be important to start to head back...

"Yeah, yeah. You too!" Tail flipping in farewell as his eyes traced the outline of her stride through the shadows of the trees. It was only a second later that he followed suit, quickly trotting over the gravel of the Thunderpath and back over the Windclan border.