Cougarfeather was in a bit of shock, "I knew she was lying!" she said, shaking her head, "but I don't think he wanted to hurt you." she said sincerely.

____

Moonsong shrugged, "you can never have too much family. Other than Cougarfeather, I have seven other siblings back in the mountains, me and Cougarfeather are the oldest though." she said with a small smile.

____

Feralwind sighed, "I actually thin you two will become warriors at the same time." he said.

Limfeather snorted. "Yeah. He looks really sorry."

~

Sablepaw perked up. "That's still cool, though! We're gonna be ahead of Poppypaw!"

~

"wow," was all Poppypaw said, purring a little. "Must have been crowded."

Wolfstar only flicked his ears a little, only half listening.

Cougarfeatehr shrugged, " you can never tell how he is feeling on the inside, hes good at hidint his emotions when he wants to. you need to look past what he shows you."

___

Feralwind laughed, "I guess thats a good thing, if you think abandoning Poppypaw to be alone in the apprentice's den." he said, raising one eyebrow.

___

Moonsong shrugged, "no. The mountains are much larger than the forest. So there was a lot of space for my tribe. But me and cougarfeather never really fir in there, so we came to the clans." she said.

"Oh," Poppypaw said. "do you like it better here? Do you ever miss the tribes?"

Wolfstar was still intent on the scent in the air he knew as Snakepaw.

~

Sablepaw frowned. "I mean, it's not cool that she'll be alone, but I think it'll be cool that I won't be last to become a warrior!" She twitched her ears. "How come there aren't any cats in the nursery?"

~

 Limefeather only flicked the tip of her tail. "I don't even want to look at him right now, never mind try reading his emotions."

Moonsong thought for a moment, "sure I miss the tribes. I miss my little borthers, and my one little sister. But this is my home now. I'm happy here." she caught Snakepaw's scent and touched Wolfstar lightly with her tail, siltently wondering it he had smelled it too.

___

Feralwind laughed, "because there arent any kits obviously." he said.

___

Cougarfeather shrugged, "I guess thats up to you. But if you ever want to talk, Come find me. I'm never too busy." she said. She turned and padded out of the Elders den and found a shady spot to sit and groom her fur.

"Why not?" Sablepaw asked curiously. "Oakfeather and Cougarfeather are pretty much at that point. And Adderstrike and Finchtail, and Wolfstar and Moonsong, and Lionfur and Windrush!" she flicked her ears.

~

Wolfstar nodded slightly, indicating that that had been what he was focused on. 

Poppypaw paused, then said softly, "I can smell Snakepaw. He's close. Near the river, I think..." She frowned as she tried to think. "Nobody else is with him... I can faintly smell Dreamsplash and Limefeather, but they were there earlier..."

Wolfstar looked at his apprentice for a moment, impressed.

~

 Limefeather sighed, and started rasping her tongue over her fur gently to pas s the time.

Feralwind chuckled, "Who knows. Maybe there will be some kits soon." he said, "but maybe their wont be, not all cats decided to have kits just because they have a mate." he pointed out.

__

Moonsong nodded, "Im getting all the same scents. But I can also smell Adderstrike, so he must be watching in secrecy, so lets just wait and find out." she said.

A grey pelt slid out of the shadows and Adderstrike joined the patrol silently, "good observation Moonsong." he said is his deep, quiet voice, "and no I'm not with him, we got in a fight and he took off, so I guess hes avoiding the rest of the clan." he said.

Poppypaw's stomach gave an uncomfortable twinge. He didn't like them sneaking up on her brother like this...like he was some sort of rogue. Trying to look like she did it on accident, she stepped on a stick laying on the ground. It snapped loudly.

Wolfstar looked at his apprentice, who only muttered a quiet apology.

~

Snakepaw pricked his ears, a loud snap drawing his attention. He waited for a moment, then returned his attention back to his reflection. There would be no point in trying to scent who it was; the wind was blowing in the wrong direction.

~

"That's silly," Sablepaw said, rolling onto her back. sunlight beamed down on her, warming up her belly. She smiled. "I'd love to have kits eventually, if I find a mate," 

Adderstrike raised on eyebrow at Poppypaw, "why are you alerting him we are here on purpose? Its not like we plan to hurt him or anyhting." he said.

Moonsong nodded, "but it doenst seem as if hes paying the sound any mind." she whispered, listenign to where she knew Snakepaw was, all she could head was hsi breathing and the steady trickle of the water. He had made no motion to explore the noise, although she didnt know if he was aware of their presence, "He's quite capacble of taking care of himself." she said, "lets go if we have no other reason to be here." she said.

____

"well sure." Feralwind said with a shrug, "but some cats don't really like kits much. I mean, look at Birdfall. he absolutely loathes them for some reason, but others love them, like you." he said.

Poppypaw twitched her ears guiltily, and padded onward with the rest of the group. She knew Moonsong and Wolfstar wouldn't hurt his brother...but she was scared of Adderstrike. She trusted him, but he seemed to loath their mother...what if he decided to take it out on her and her brother?

Wolfstar nodded, eyes staying on Poppypaw for a moment. "You seem awfully fidgety and distracted, Poppypaw. Are you feeling all right?" She responded with a feeble nod.

~

Snakepaw dabbed his paw in the water, watching it ripple and change. When the surface cleared, he was no longer reflected in the water, but a mas sive brown tabby with a nick out of one ear and glowing malicious amber eyes peered back. Tigerstar?!

Yowling in shock, he stumbled backwards.

~ 

"Why doesn't he like kits?" she asked, pawing at a falling leaf that had floated towards her. 

Adderstrike left the patrol as silently as he had joined it. For moons, he had learned the art of being silent, when he avoided the clan after Finchtail left him. He noticed he was slowly going back to the way he had been when she first left. He 'reappeared' beside Snakepaw, "whats wrong now?" he asked.

___

Moonsong closed her eyes, she could head better that way, she had heard Snakepaw yowl, and was listening to see what happened after.((Shes a bit on the nosy side XD))

___

Feralwind shrugged, "the same reason you like them, just because."

(( i thought of what Adderstrike is gonna say to Limefeather "I'll do whatever it takes to turn this around. I know whats at stake, and I know that I've let you down. And if you give me a chance, and believe that I can change, I'll keep us together, whatever it takes."  song im listening to now XD))

((noms other extra post))

( Awe <3 )

Snakepaw got back on his paws, trying to flatten his ruffled fur. "I saw something rather unpleasant in the water," he said, nodding his head towards the silver surface. "You probably won't be able to see it now, though..."

~

( omg Moonsong. BUTT OUT. xD )

"I don't like them 'just because'," Sablepaw said indignantly. "I'd love to start my own family, because I never knew my parents. And kits are so cute, and I'd want to feel proud when they become warriors, and I want to know I'd do anything for them and-" she burned under her fur. "I'm going to stop rambling now."

~

Poppypaw started bickering quietly with Wolfstar.  

((I KNOW RIGHT!  would totally claw her ears off if i was in that clan XD))

Moonsong twitched her ears and stopped listenign to Adderstrike and Snakepaw, she had a feeling that if Adderstrike knew she was eavesdropping, she wouldnt have any ears to listen with anymore.

___

Adderstrike looked into the water, and only saw a grey cat with a scar across one of his amber eyes looking back. His own reflection.((seriosuly. check his bio. he has a scar on hsi right eye XD)) He looked at Snakepaw, "what did you finally see what you look like? Now you know how the rest of us feel." he teased.

___

Feralwind laughed, "please feel free to ramble, its kind of..." he searched for the right word, "cute."

Sablepaw flicked him with her tail. "It's stupid," she said, rolling her eyes. "It makes me look like I'm a mousebrain."

~

With one last angry hiss, Poppypaw insisted she was fine, and Wolfstar gave up. "Fine," he said. "But you know as well as I do that Leaf Bare is coming up, and we don't need you shoving off your sickness."

She rolled her eyes.

~

Snakepaw looked at him, clearly unamused. "I saw what Dreamsplash sees at night," he said quietly. "A large, brown tabby with black stripes. A nick out of his right ear. Bright, glowing amber eyes. Long, curved, sharp black claws like a tiger's." His eyes flickered. 

Feralwind laughed, "harebrained? yes. Mousebrained? nah."

____

"she doesnt smell sick." Moonsong mumbled.

____

Addetstrike tilted his head, "you saw Tigerstar?" he asked, most of the clan knew that Draemsplash talked to Tigerstar in her dreams, the debate was weather it was willingly or not. He looked into the water again, and agian his own amber eyes looked back at him, concern, worry, and curiosity showing in them.

"It's just a headache and a little bit of a stomach ache," she said dismissively. "Come on, let's just go."

Wolfstar sighed, a little annoyed with Moonsong's habit of having to know everything. She was a bit nosy.

~

"Correction," he said smoothly. "I see Tigerstar. All the time, actually. He speaks to me. But...he won't leave me alone. I've tried to get rid of him, but he just won't go away." He flicked his ears. "At first, it was only in my dreams, but now..." Snakepaw sighed. "He's everywhere. It's driving me mad."

~

Sablepaw prodded him with one paw, rolling onto her stomach so she could stand up. "I am not harebrained!" she protested.

"what?" Moonsong asked, attention on Wolfstar, just becuase I can't see you, doesnt mean I cant tell when your annoyed." she told him.

___

Adderstrike shrugged, "no offense, but maybe you are mad. Maybe he came to you in your dreams, did he maybe say something? Or threaten you in any way that could have you a little bit paranoid?" he asked.

___

"whatever you say." Feralwind said with a smile, "you can have your opinion, and I'm entitled to mine."

Snakepaw trembled slightly, Dreamsplash's words echoing through him. You'll be leader...Just need to get rid of Wolfstar....Speed up your training....Fake Omen...Rule... He looked Adderstrike in the eyes, trying not to show any weaknesses. "Yes," he mumbled. "He did say one thing...and has been mentioning something else..."

~

Sablepaw rubbed her head on his shoulder playfully. "You're mean," she teased. "I should kick you out."

~

Wolfstar grunted, "And I wasn't trying to hide it from you. Can we just go?" Flicking his ears again, he trailed after Poppypaw, suddenly feeling a little guilty. He shouldn't have thought about Moonsong that way.