Chain p*censored*ed Tessa the mouse, meowing a polite thanks to Dawnshadow. The she-cat was sitting up, cobwebs completely covering the ugly red wound on her shoulder. She didn't hesitate before bending over and starting to eat the mouse.

Deathnote stalked over to Chain and Dawnshadow from where he'd spotten them; he and Batear had just tracked them down. "Who's this?" he asked, but not unkindly. He could see that Tessa was injured.

Ravenfeather's legs buckled and he collapsed on the ground. Even though Deathnote told him to stay put, he'd started to follow them with Tiger. Clenching his teeth, he tried to get up again, succeeding in nothing but putting himself in more pain. 

"This is Tessa," Dawnshadow meowed, "me and Chain found her, and we couldn't really leave her like this"

"Alright," Ravenfeather said, only because there was nothing else he could really do. He set his head on his paws, letting Tiger's presence soothe him into a state of half-awareness. 

~

Deathnote nodded. "She'll be coming with us, then?" he said, smiling. He silently hoped that she would; the more the merrier, and there was safety in numbers. If they ran into any more trouble, they'd need her to help, seeing as Ravenfeather was out of commision.

~ 

Chain grinned, looking at her expectingly. "Sure," Tessa said warily. "I just hope for your sake that you're not going to take me anywhere near two-legs again." She scratched angrily at her collar, which rubbed against her neck uncomfortably.  

{ 12:00 on a school night. o-o And I may have a possible-date tomorrow. D:< Now I'm gonna look like crap omg. }

Tessa got to her paws shakily with a grin. "Alright. Then, let's head off. Or sleep. Either way, I'm for it."

Deathnote flicked his ear, taking the chance to explain Batear's reasonings to both Chain and Dawnshadow. The rogue nodded, seeming to take it in stride. "I agree," he said. "I've got to keep an eye on three injured cats now; a little sleep would be nice."

Truely feeling sorry for Chain, but also grateful that he was here, Deathnote scouted the area for anywhere to sleep. They'd go back and fetch Tiger and Ravenfeather when they found a spot for them to rest. 

Batear sniffed the air, "I can smell a lot of mice, we should eat then get some rest for a few hours, I still want to travel by night, less risk of twolegs."

~

"Are you serious?" O'Brian hissed quietly, "you have to be joking! Please tell me we aren't really doing this!" He glanced around the quiet twoleg nest, the twolegs were watching their picture box, the one that made all the noise. Gucci was gently nosing the already partially-open window opned further.

"yep." she purred, "you told me earlier one day, I'm going to get sick of just talking about leaving. Well I'm sick of it." once she could squeeze through the window, she turned back to look at him, "you coming?" she asked. O'Brian shook his head fircelt and Gucci just shrugged and leapt off the window into the soft gras.s, padding toward the fence that lead to the forest.

 When she was atop the fence, she heard a light thud behind her and glanced back to see O'Brian running across the lawn toward her. Gucci smirked, "thought you weren't coming." she whispered as he joined her on the fence.

O'Brian shrugged, "somebody's got to protect you, besides," he looked out at the forest, "I'm a rescue, I was a street cat, I know how to hunt." he reasoned, voice back to the calm, relaxed way it usually was.

Chain sat down again, tail curling around his paws. "Perhaps you and Tiger should go hunting," he suggested to Batear. "I've got get some herbs on Ravenfeather and Dawnshadow, and Deathnote should go find us a place to stay."

Deathnote grinned and stretched out. Tessa blinked at them and meowed, "I thought I saw something like a hole in the ground on the way here; not sure, though. I was a bit distracted... Would that be good? Unless you guys like, sleep in trees or something...." 

Batear grimanced, "last time we slept in a hole, it didnt end too well." she said, looking over at Dawnshadow's injured leg.

"We had a run in with some wolves," Dawnshadow explained, "so the trees are the safest place for us." she said.

{ Sorry. Cx I was busy with my birthday and all. }

"Oh," Tessa said, meowing an apology. "Well then, I'll just sleep on the ground or something; I don't think my shoulder will let me climb any trees."

~

Deathnote perked his ears, eyes locking on what looked like a willow tree. The long, thin branches would hide them from prying eyes. "How about there?" 

Dawnshadow nodded her head in agreement wtih Tessa, "I don't think me and Ravenfeather can climb either." she looked around, "speaking of, where are Revenfeather and Tiger?"

__

Batear looked at the willow and just stared at it. They didnt have many Willow trees in StrikeClan territory. It was beautiful.

__

Tiger sat beside Ravenfeather, alert for the first sign of danger. She twitched her ears, a small rustle in the distance, too quiet to be anyhting large, but too loud to be a mouse. "did you hear that?" she asked, not waiting for an anser, she stood up to investigate.

__

Gucci snickered at O'Brian as he tripped and landed on the forest floor with a muffled thud. he had tripped over a tree root.

"Sut up." O'Brian grumbled.

"Oh cheer up BryBry." she teased, using the nickname the twolegs had Giben O'Brian when they had first picked up the stray on the side of the road, "enjoy yourself! We have no more rules." Suddenly, she heard a rustle not far ahead and froze in her tracks. A white kit wtih black stripes and amber eyes stalked out of the brush, ears pinned against her head and fur puffed out, a wild kit! Gucci thought, she had met a few strays, but never a forest cat! She She looked at the kit, "well Hey they little one, what are you doing out here alone?" she asked.

The 'kit' narrowed her eyes, "watch who you cal little one kittypet." snarled a voice much to old to belong to a kit, "I may be small, but I could easily claw your fur off." Tiger hissed, "what are you doing in the forest? Go back to your twolegs."

Gucci blinked in shock, this tiny cat was full grown. Were all forest cats this small? "We left our twolegs behind...." she said, unable to finish her sentence before the white cat laughed.

"Good joke." Tiger meowed, sitting on her haunches, "but why don't you go back to where its safe and warm. The forest is no place for a kittypet." she said.

"No Clue." Tiger replaid, "mind introducing yourselves?" she asked.

Gucci stared at Ravenfeather, slughtly awestruck, he was huge. He almost tripled the she-cat. She coudltn speak, luckily, O'Brian came to her rescure.

"Greetings, my name is O'Brian." he said, dipping his head respectfully, "and this is Gucci." he glanced at Ravenfeather, "there is not need for Violence here. We mean no harm." he said calmly, "is this your territory?" he asked.

___

Batear batted at the low-dangling branches in a kit-like fashion with a smirk. The branches were soft and waved around like gras.s.

"Violence is unlikely," Ravenfeather snorted, "I'm in no shape to be picking a fight with you two, anyways. This isn't our territory; we're traveling right now. We've left our home behind us for about a moon." Then, dipping his head gingerly, wincing, he forced a small smile. "I'm Ravenfeather, and this is my er- friend Tiger."

~

Deathnote scaled the tree, claws digging into the bark as he climbed. "There's a fork in the branchers here," he called down to Batear, a smile forcing its way onto his muzzle. "It's big enough for you, me, and Chain. The others, who can't climb, can stay in the abandoned den under the roots!" 

"Ravenfeather?" Gucci tipped her head, "what an intresting name. Why is yours so long and hers so short?" she asked.

Tiger shrugged, "Simple, he is a Warrior of the Clan, and I am a rouge. He was born in a group of cats known as StrikeClan, and I was born in the forest, on my own."

O'Brian nodded, "when I was a stray, I had heard of the Clans, they are supposed to be very powerful and smart, its an honor to meet one of you in the flesh." he said, smiling faintly.

__

Dawnshadow investicated the den, "Perfect." she purred happily, "completely out of sight, warm, and pretty."