::Camp::

Swiftdarkness lay out in the sun, which had snuck out from behind gloomy, gray clouds. This leaf-bare was, by far, the harshest he had ever lived through. When he had been a kit, Swiftdarkness had listened as the elders told tales of bitter seasons of starvation, but never had he understood those words like he did now. Falconwing, my love, this is so much harder than I ever thought.

Looking up into the sun, the ebony warrior imagined his mate with two of his kits. "I pray to you that I haven't failed on our last two kits," he barely breathed the words. A gentle breeze took them away before any cat could hear them, but Swiftdarkness knew that his mate had heard them. C

losing his sapphire eyes, Swiftdarkness relaxed even more on chilled, snow covered ground. His body heat combined with the sun had made it a perfect tempature and he was soon napping. Although he knew that a certian apprentice would want his attention soon. I will just dream about what I should teach her next...

True to his word, Firtail had gone out hunting long before the sun had even risen. The cramped warrior den didn't give him any hope of sleep, so the young tom had gone straight out hunting. Prey was much harder to find than in TreeClan, but he made due with the fact that IceClan didn't scout in the trees, like TreeClan cats did. Successfully catching a thin robin and a plump, little starling, Firtail trotted back to camp with his catches. After putting his prey in the fresh-kill Firtail curled his lip in distaste as he spotted two pieces of crowfood. Nudging them away, Firtail gingerly picked them up and tossed them out. Maybe I should have stayed in TreeClan, he thought, but he knew that he couldn't do that. I won't turn my back like a corward.

The moment Twigstar became leader things had changed for him. At only nine moons old he had become a warrior, but his mother, Twigstar, had told him soon after why. StarClan had not only given Twigstar her nine lives, they spoke of to her about him. How he was nephew of Leopardheart and he needed to know his rightful clan. Twigstar had continued to explain to Firtail that she and Leopardheart were littermates, and she had been kitnapped by TreeClan. Firtail should have been raised in IceClan, just as Twigstar should have, but in becoming leader Twigstar no longer wanted to go back to her birth clan. In fact, the suggestion had made her bristle. For Firtail it was a different story. He wanted to know his kin, and it saddened him that he wasn't friends with the warriors his age. No cat in TreeClan had been rude to him, but they were never kind either. "I wonder if they will like me," he murmured softly.

Gazing around him, Firtail thought it odd that they didn't lounge in trees. I will have to get used to some things I guess. Padding around he poked his head in many dens. The first one was empty, but he imagined elders chatting away in it. The next had a small entrance that he could see apprentices' dashing in and out of. Mews and scolding came from the next and it made him hesitate. His aquamarine eyes wide with curiosity, Firtail spotted two kits and a she-cat; they were all chatting away about whether they should or shouldn't go out in the snow. Though kits were utterly annoying to him, Firtail could see that the she-cat was at her tail-end. Stepping into the near opening, Firtail meowed, "I could help you watch over them." He blocked the sun with his large shoulders, but a few rays snuck through between his long, muscular legs. "Uhh, what are you're names?" he asked shyly. "I'm Firtail, by the way."

 Blackwolf listened and smiled. "No...thank You. Dear Eagelstar. With you not fighting back. I have all the more reason to kill you. Good-bye. And say hello to Starclan especially Nightfang, Hawkmasks father for me. I do hope the old tom is ok." With that he lunged and bit into Eaglestars throat and pulled up tearing it. Smilling like the cheshire cat he held the maniacle laughter rising inside.

 Padding out of Eaglestars den he checked for any cats in his sight and snuck out of the camp. Unnoticed and unheard. As he was farther away he cleaned himself and padded into Fireclan territory sniffing around he smelt for a Fireclan patrol. When he caught scent he put on the fear act of warning. "Fireclan patrol I bring terrible news I wish to bring to your leader!" he yowled when he saw them and waited for the patrol. Panting as if he had been running the whole way. When the patrol got to him he mewed "I-Icecla. Eaglestar is planning on destroying Fireclan. All the others agree that it would bring great promise to our lack of prey. I am as shocked as you are. But I went against them. I am on your side. They plan on attacking by the crack of sundown the next day to have time to prepare. But I have a plan for a counter and I wish to tell your leader. Wolfstar I believe." he mewed his lie but hid it with his fear scent. "Please. I'm not a spy. I wish to save your clan. Iceclan is no longer my clan." he rasped in hatred to the apperantly evil clan. 

((I might be getting ahead of myself but Blackwolf is evil. So...neh)

ooc; Yay! Posts!   I like it when I am sneeky-ish. xD    '

Bic; 

Emeraldrain looked at the strange ginger tom, but welcoming feelings spread through her as she looked at him. "My name is Emeraldrain," she meowed, "And this is Duskkit," she pointed to the ginger spotted white tom, "And Sunkit." she pointed to the pretty tabby brown she-cat.  Looking up at the ginger cat once more, she meowed, "And what is your name?" she asked more friendly than she should have.

Feeling her happiness ebb away, she noticed Duskkit pad toward him. "Hi!" he meowed, "Will you teach me to be a warrior?" What if this cat is a murderer? What... what............. STOP it emeraldrain! he isn't mean... overreacting in her head, she swept him away with her brown tabby tail. "What..?" Duskkit meowed, anger flaring up in his mind. "I want to be a warrior." he meowed, learning quicker about the warrior code faster than Emeraldrain herself.

 "Not now Duskkit." she hissed at him quietly, then looked at the ginger cat again. Casting her emerald gaze to both kits, she shivered at the fact of this powerful cat coming to kill them all. No, he won't. Stop over-reacting and making up things. something about this cat made her fur tingle. But is it good or bad..

>>FireClan>>

"What?" growled a FireClan warrior. "What now!" he hissed, then pelted his way toward the yowling.  His white flank blending in with the snow, her bunched his legs and leaped off the ice covered river. "What do you want?" he hissed, "Get off our territory!" Hissing and spitting, he bunched his powerful mussels for a killing blow. "I need to speak to your leader.." he heard the cat say, "Oh?" hissed another cat from behind, "Snowshread, you shouldn't have come alone." Rolling his light blue eyes, he landed them onto the grey cat. "Doesn't matter," he hissed, "I could have beaten this skinny cat If I wanted to!"

He took a step forward, unsheathing black claws, "Hold off!" hissed the she cat, her calico fur ruffled. "Now you say you need to speak to our leader?" she asked, her amber/green gaze drifting, "for what reason, might that be?" then she listened to the cat answer. "So you are saying, an IceClan cat is tattling on it's own leader?" hissed the she-cat.

"How can we tell you are telling the truth?" asked the big white tom cat.  "I am giving you 2 minuets, then we will chase you out of our territory." she meowed brutally, her silver claws sliding out. She turned back to the Snowshread, revealing a long battle scar on her side. "Amberflame," he meowed, "Are we going to believe him?" he asked his eyes wandering back to the grey cat. "We will see what he says." she hissed, "Then we will drive him out."

Snowkit raced towards Swiftdarkness and gleamed. "See! I told you I could protect the camp while you were away." he mewed puffing his chest out a bit to seem like he was a tough warrior with a smile of triumph on his face. "I'm strong too. Just like Duskkit and Sunkit. Just noone believes we are cause we're small and less knowledgable." he mewed. Obviously he was a little too proud but in reality any kit would be if they managed to protect the nursery from a mysterious stranger in the camp even if he ended up having the creep end up in his head. Purring he smiled even bigger and held what would be considered cockeyness.

 *Journey*

Lostfoot limped as the rest padded ahead of him. With one missing paw it was harder to walk for so long and such far distances. But even so he kept tough to keep up but obviously it was showing he was having troubles. Not giving up though he paid attention to the smells sounds and range of sight he was keeping. Looking to the left he noticed figures running towards them and panicked. "Somethings comming from the left!" he yowled and kept his eyes at the figures.

 *Fireclan territory* 

 Blackwolf head his head up high. "I will not fight you even if you try to kill me. Eaglestar wants more territory for the clan to have their rightfull as she put hunting grounds. They'll wipe you all out even the kits if they don't join. She even took a few rouges and kittypets and trained them while you were all training apprentices to become warriors. One of the rouges is even a murderer that was willing to join the clan." he stated his head held high and defience on leaving promenent. "Do you really wish to sacrifice you're clan without even having a plan on beating the clan?" he asked his voice like velvet.

::Camp::

Firtail dipped his head to Emeraldrain, Duskkit, and Sunkit. A teasing smile on his lips, Firtail purred, "So little kits, I have all ready learned the warrior code." Proud of his accomplishment, the spotted and striped tom took their introductions as an invitation to come in. Stooping in the entrance wasn't comfortable and it made him feel odd. "I am Firtail, by the way," he supplied, "in case you didn't hear the first time."

It surprised him when Duskkit approached him without hesitation. Firtail was built large and could be intimidating without even trying. Brave little guy, he thought with warmth. It was wonderful seeing kits with courage. The tabby she-kit, Sunkit, asked about growing his size and he couldn't help but mrrow with laughter. "I don't know," Firtail answered honestly, hoping that his laughter didn't hurt her feelings. "My mother told me I took after my uncle. So if you have a big uncle, maybe." His nose scrunched as he smiled wider, they are too cute. "Emeraldrain, with my help I'm sure they can play outside." He added quickly, "Please."

Though this clan seemed to be starving, the vibe of life filled each cat and Firtail found in addicting. He wanted to be filled with their will that he had lost long ago.

OoC: Wait...is Eaglestar really dead? O.O ::just comprehended the post:: No! ::tears:: D'=

BiC

::Journey::

Having fallen into a trance, Patchpelt jumped when Lostfoot yowled a warning. Her calico pelt stood on end, as her emerald eyes searched for Shadowpaw. Spotting him, she sprinted over to him as she strained her ears to pick up on the intruder. Standing tall next to him Patchpelt knew that he could fight well, but she would be too worried in battle if she couldn't see him. "Where are they coming from?" she asked Lostfoot.

Slight, little ears perked, Patchpelt scanned the trees and brush around her. Opening her mouth, she scented the air but found nothing. They must be down wind of us, she thought. Her emerald gaze went behind them. Claws out of their sheath, Patchpelt knew that her pelt was bristled, and she would fight to the end for her group. Even for Redpaw, she admitted.

Meanwhile, the ginger apprentice lifted his head when he heard Lostfoot and Patchpelt meowing something. He was behind again, but every cat seemed happier that way. He didn't want to be yowled at any more than they did, so adopting the back of the group had been easy. Now he wished he could hear what they were saying.

Jogging to catch up, Redpaw picked up on the sudden tension of the group. Something was coming, the instinct torn through him like claws on hide. Unsheathing his claws, Redpaw looked to Brightleaf. "What's going on?" he asked, ready to prove he could battle. "Is there some cat I get to sink my claws into?" The last question was to unnerve the gentle she-cat. Why do I do that? But he knew, Redpaw would rather protect himself than others. He had been hurt too many times before.

::Camp::

With an askance look at Emeraldrain, Furtail dropped to the ground. With a playful yowl of defeat, he mewed, "Oh! Mighty warrior, have mercy!" Rolling onto his back, careful not to move too fast and squish Sunkit, Firtail showed his belly. Never would he do that in battle, but the little kit was too cute. I guess that's a new way to beat my defenses, send a cute little kit out, he thought but at the same time it was horrifying. A kit in battle would be the end of him. Never would Firtail purposely hurt such a defenseless creature. Framing the tabby's head with his forepaws, the spotted tom rubbed his nose with hers. "Butterfly kisses!" he chirped loudly and waited for her counter attack.