Sealpelt nodded, she and Quailpaw starting on their way up the rocky path to the cliff top. The older she-cat cleared the rocks in record time, and was left to wait at the top for the apprentice. Smirking, she thought silently about how lazy Quailpaw was really getting. 
--

Fadedstar raised her head, her usually gentle eyes swimming with chaotic emotions. "I'm up," she said quietly, sitting so she could wrap her long, fluent tail around her paws. "I can't sleep; I'm worried about Graypaw. I don't know what to do..." Frowning, she shuddered delicately and forced a smile. "What is it you wanted, Stormwing?"
--
Boneshatter nodded, surprised to see Mistdance. He wasn't used to having warriors come and visit him when he was out. "Graypaw is a strong she-cat. Fadedstar shouldn't worry too much; she is much less fragile than she seems. And she is under the care of myself and my apprentice. To worry is to doubt our skills." Eyes sparkling, he turned to her and pushed himself onto his paws nimbly. "I suppose I should go and check on her. It is time I be getting back to camp anyways. Dreampaw must have noticed my absence."
--

Xerus crouched, belly pressed against the ground. The gras$ tickled her underside and nose, forcing her to bite back a sneeze. The small brown rabbit in front of her reared, lifting its head. She watched in mute silence as its ears twitched, one brown eye looking in her direction. Within a moment, the rabbit slammed its foot down on the ground in warning to others around, and prepared itself to run away. 

The grey and white she-cat was too fast though. Paws digging into the loose dirt, she lunged for its neck, teeth meeting its mark with a crunch. Swiveling her ears as she stood up again, Xerus watched Mace pad up to her, a finch clenched in his jaws.

"We're near Clan cats," Mace rumbled. "Real near. I can smell their markers everywhere. Perhaps we should head off. We've been here far too long, anyways." The big brown tabby turned his head, emerald eyes unreadable. "Lots of prey here, though..." 

Stormwing sighed. "I think Mistdance is too. She's been fretting about the apprentice like she is her own kit." Shaking her head slightly the deputy backed up a little to allow Cedarpaw inside the den. "But, Cedarpaw is here to help with anything. I'm sure he'd be glad to check up on Graypaw." Purring as the apprentice nodded dutifully, but without annoyance, Stormwing touched his shoulder gently with the tip of her tail. "I have to get going now. Just do what Fadedstar requires you to do," she meowed in his ear before padding out of the den.

--

Happy to be serving his leader, Cedarpaw didn't feel to uncomfortable about helping out with Graypaw. After all, the she-cat wasn't rude or violent, just sick. And the tom was feeling particularly helpful today at any rate. Glancing over his shoulder as Stormwing left, He settled on the floor and gazed up at Fadedstar. "So should I go check up on Graypaw?" he meowed quietly, feeling a bit intimidated by the leader.

--

"I think Dreampaw has already woken up," Mistdance purred. "I heard some noises coming from your den." Gazing around thoughtfully the she-cat looked at the horizon, which was a brilliant blue, tinted with gold. "DO you require help carrying some herbs back?" she asked, remembering that the medicine cat had been gathering them before she had come. If she had interrupted his outing, it was only fair that she helped him in return.

--

Feeling annoyed by the sudden turn of events, Scorchwhisker padded along the ridgetop, though still a good length away from Mistdance and Boneshatter. Grumbling under his breath the fiery tom veered to the left and began heading a bit deeper into the undergrowth, the scent of prey filling his head. "They won't notice if I get something to eat," he meowed under his breath, stomach rumbling with hunger. "After all, they sent me here alone."

--

Stormwing hurried up the cliffside path towards Sealpelt and Quailpaw, huffing slightly. 'Good exercise," she wheezed as she reached the two, lagging slightly from her arduous climb. "Sometimes I wish our dens were a bit higher up."  

Fadedstar blinked, eyes following Stormwing as she left the den. For a moment she looked confused. "Hmm?" she mumbled, looking at Cedarpaw. "Oh. Oh, yes. I'll go with you. I need to stretch my legs anyhow." She got up, shaking out her brilliant silver fur. 

--

Boneshatter smiled. "Sure. You can carry the burdock root." Amused, he nodded towards the herbs at his feet. "You know which one that is, right?" He flicked his ears at her, waiting to see which pile she would pick up. Ah, how he loved confusing others.
--

Sealpelt grinned. "Ah, but that climb keeps the cats in shape." She stretched out her muscles, which were slightly sore, and let her claws dig into the loose dirt. "Let's head towards that old two-leg building. There's a lot of mice around there."

Quailpaw only nodded, pretending to listen. He was watching two shapes in the distance. What're Boneshatter and Mistdance doing out alone? he thought. Shaking it off, he turned his eyes back on the older she-cats. 

--

 Xerus pricked her ears, fur standing on end. She dropped her rabbit, the limp body landing on the ground with a muted thud. "Hear that?" she hissed, unsheathing her claws again. Her tail lashed from side to side.

"Clan cat," Mace said, nodding. A slow smile crept across his face. "and he's alone..." The pair hid their prey and then started in the direction that Scorchwhisker was in. 

Mace lost sight of the cat, and a skunk that had been startled when Scorchwhisker jumped sprayed him. He couldn't smell Xerus or the Clan cat at all. "Xerus?" he meowed, shaking out his now-damp fur.

Xerus hissed and pinned herself to the ground, tail lashing back and forth. Her ears were flat against her gray and white head. She stared at Scorchwhisker, not moving. "Clan cat..." she breathed, blood pounding in her ears. 

--

Sealpelt only snorted, occupying herself by chasing a blue and white butterfly. She jumped and tried to catch it, leaping higher than thought possible when it started to fly upwards.

Quailpaw nodded. "Scorchwhisker taught me a while ago. I think I still remember." He flicked his ears and pawed at the ground, kneading the soft dirt with his small paws. 

--

Boneshatter put his herbs down for a moment so he could speak. "Why don't you walk on my other side, so you're not near the edge of the cliff?" he purred. "There's enough room for both of us to walk side by side." Picking the bitter plants back up, he nodded at Mistdance.

--

Fadedstar stared sadly at Graypaw. "Boneshatter will be here soon," she said quietly. "Is there anything you need, Graypaw? Water,  a mouse or two?" Her eyes danced. "Please, don't be afraid to speak up." She felt sorry for the young she-cat; this was no way to spend your days.

"My name is Xerus," The younger she-cat breathed, eyes wide and aware. "And that idiot blundering through the undergrowth is Mace." She sat up, sheathing her claws to show that she wasn't looking to attack. However, her pulse didn't falter and continued at the rate it was going. "We're from far away. We come from a land of permanent snow."

--

Quailpaw twitched his whiskers, dropping into a crouch. He drew his body across the ground slowly, as if stalking something. At the last moment, he bunched his muscles and leaped, landing on Sealpelt's back. She hissed, and batted him off, claws sheathed. "If you were a mouse I would have caught you," he purred.

Sealpelt, however, was not amused. "But I'm not a mouse. I'm much bigger than a mouse. And I was chasing a butterfly -which you made me lose, by the way- and I was not paying attention." She snorted, tracking down a gras shopper that she could chase.

--

Boneshatter twitched his whiskers, clearly amused. But the herbs in his mouth prevented him from speaking, so he didn't respond to her. Every cat has their weakness, he thought quietly. Being scared isn't a shame... its something that makes you more intelligent. A cat who knows how to fear lives longer than a cat who is scared of nothing.
--

Fadedstar exhaled, glad to see the apprentice was feel better for once. "Alright," she said. "But you mustn't overwork yourself." Her tail curled, showing her relief and happiness. "Okay, you two. Some rocks got dislodged from the wall and fell in front of the entrance to the nursery. We have to move them out of the way. Graypaw, cuold you go fetch Owlpaw? If she's not doing anything right now she can help. Meet us there after. Cedarpaw, you come with me."

-Bump- 

C: 

{ Awe. D:  Get better~ } 

Xerus let her breath out slowly, blinking in thanks to him as she followed. "Thank you," she purred softly, glancing backwards for only a moment. She'd fetch Mace later, when she knew it was safe for them within the strange clan. "You don't know how much of a relief this is. What's your name, if you don't mind my asking? I'm known as Xerus."

--

Sealpelt snorted unhappily. She knew what she smelled wasn't false. She'd been smelling it for a couple days now; a male and female rogue. However, she bit her tongue and followed her deputy dutifully. Fighting the urge to run off and take the loners down, she stared blankly at a silver and gold butterfly.

Quailpaw was too busy staring at a hawk in the sky to be paying attention. "I wonder what its like to fly," he purred, amber eyes scanning the feathery creature. "Do you think it'd be fun?"

--
Boneshatter watched Graypaw intently for a moment, frowning gently. The she-cat was up and moving, but still smelled sick to him. He only shrugged, padding into his den in silence. He quickly put away the catmint and juniper berries, realizing faintly that Mistdance still had the burdock roots. 

--

Fadedstar chuckled with a good-natured purr. "Move the smaller stones first," she said. "That will make moving the larger ones easier." She started to roll a fair-sized stone with her paws, pushing it towards the spot where the water lapped hungrily at the sand. "The current will carry the smaller stones away... the larger ones will have to be moved somewhere else."