Another Unsuccessful Venture [open]

[Lightstar]

The small stream bulged, heavy with melt-water that trickled and streamed into it. The water lapped at the banks, bursting over its edges and turning the earth to muck. The mud clung to the white fur of Charredback’s paws, squelching between his thick toes, cold against his pads. The heavyset tom lifted a paw and dipped it into the stream, letting the playful water lick it with its many frigid tongues, grooming the muck from his snow-colored feet. Vague interest sparked in the warrior’s pallid eyes as he watched the particles of brown drift away in the current, soon lost to his vision. He pulled his paw back and places it once again in the mud, rendering pointless the stream’s generous cleaning. Early evening sunlight slipped through the trees and sparkled on the foam that frothed at the edges of the stream. The burble of water and the shiver of trees were the loudest sounds here, but Charredback’s tufted ears were pricked for the detection of other noises.

Lifting his ashen green eyes from the swiftly flowing water, the warrior glanced around. The marshy forest seemed bereft of prey. Prey had been the lure which made the warrior leave the camp early that morning, and had drawn him, tantalizingly, across practically the whole of ShadowClan territory. Yet Charredback was having trouble grabbing this lure, which occasionally darted right in front of his small pink nose, sometimes appeared several fox-lengths away, and now seemed to have disappeared. Disappointment flooded the tom. The stream was supposed to be a good place for hunting! Usually he could at least catch one tiny bit of food here, if nowhere else. He had caught a frog in these waters before, and only two days before had snatched a vole that had crept down for a drink! Why were all the prey animals hiding now?

Charredback dropped his gaze to the water again. He could vaguely make out his squarish reflection, like a dark shadow darting across the broken surface of the stream. A sigh whispered out from between the warrior’s jaws and he closed his eyes. He stood silently, stoically, for several minutes, listening to the pace of the heart of a hunter who had proved to be an absolute failure. Thump-thump, thump-thump went that heart, powering a useless food-gatherer. Glub, glub, glub went the water. Shh, shh, shh went the trees. Squish-pat, squish-pat went the paws of the vole.

The warrior’s eyes snapped open, and his breathing stilled. Excitement began to stir in his veins as he shifted his gaze by a tiny degree, and there it was! The little rodent was scrambling along the muddy ground, its tiny feet sinking into the damp earth. The problem was that the creature was running right for him, and if he moved, it would surely see, and would run away. Charredback wasn’t sure if he could catch it if it ran. But if he stood still and did nothing, he would certainly not catch it! Indecision flickered in his eyes for a split second, and then he swung towards the vole.

Of course the rodent saw the huge tomcat angling for it. It squealed loudly and scrambled around in the mud, turning with an agility that eluded the massive warrior. Charredback leapt after the creature, stretching out his muddy forepaws, eager to catch something. It would be the first thing he’d caught all day! But in his haste, the warrior had miscalculated his own jump, and went sprawling a little short of the animal. The vole raced away, the prospect of another day spent alive before it.

Heavy cursing ripped its way out of the warrior’s mouth. Words that would make his mother wail in shame echoed through the marshy forest, having sprung from the frustrated warrior who was picking himself up from the mud, though brown earth clung to his white chest fur now, as well as his paws. There went another piece of prey that Charredback hadn’t been able to catch!

[BrightTail]

Gorgeous water flowed through a riverbed, spreading the juices of life throughout the plants that bordered its edge. All that was seen seemed to be connected together. Like a great circle of life. Nothing stirred in the waters, or at least not at the moment. The eerie silence grew, the only sounds were water and the delicate wind blowing through the area. Then, as if a tornado hit the area, the silence was interrupted.

A beautiful beige tabby cat plowed into the water, her eyes wild with excitement. It was one of those rare days where she felt as if she could do anything at all. A gorgeous smile erupted on her face, showing her delicate features. The tabby's name was PetalHaze. She was part of a great group of cats known as ShadowClan. They lived, breathed, ate, and fought together for their land rights. PetalHaze was a cat whose loyalty truly lay with her clan. She fought many battles, even against her own clan mates. However, now she was just a regular cat who splashed about in the water's icy layers.

The season of New-Leaf was PetalHaze's favourite. The smell of soggy grass and rotten leaves really spoke to her. She couldn't forget the cool breeze that New-Leaf brought with it, carrying many strange and interesting scents with it. PetalHaze continued padding through the water, enjoying the wet sensation. At last, she exited the icy depths and lay down to rest on a nearby rock. Her eyes closed slowly, her head falling gently against the rock. She was sunbathing and enjoying it. However, the greatness only lasted for mere moments.

A splash in the water disturbed her relaxation. PetalHaze swung her head around, only to meet the sight of a water vole scurrying through its depths. A vole wouldn't run for nothing, she thought to herself curiously. PetalHaze stood up from her spot and followed the direction from which the vole had emerged cautiously. At last, after wandering for a while and getting her magnificent fur all muddy, she found the source. PetalHaze rolled her eyes at the sight of one of her fellow clan mates. In the mud lay Charredback, a great warrior of ShadowClan. She never thought she'd see him in this state. Letting out a long sigh, she padded towards him. "Lost it again, Charredback? I thought you were totally going to catch one today! It's what I've been hearing all day long!" PetalHaze was amused at Charredback's failure. It gave her the chance to rub it into his face.

Words: 421
Muse: Bleh
Comments: Woot!

[Lightstar]

It was as Charredback was lifting himself from the clinging mud that another cat swept into his line of sight, moving with the elegant grace of a female. Her rolling eyes burned in the tom’s vision and her sigh echoed mockingly in his ears. The offended ears twitched irritably, and in response to the she-cat’s body language came an unspoken statement of the tom’s own, in the form of narrowed eyes and a swishing black tail. This was Petalhaze, a normally beautiful she-cat who was now almost as mud-splattered as the tom she had mocked with her gestures, and was now further humiliating with her words. At the female’s spoken words, more cutting than the ones made by the movements of her body, Charredback’s eyes narrowed even further as his ears swiveled backwards, showing his displeasure.

Charredback’s head dropped a little, an unwilling motion that betrayed his shame. Now his head was level with the female’s, for though she was a large cat, the tom was even more enormous. Despite a lowered head, Charredback scowled angrily, his face thunderous. Thick, dark fur bristled along the tom’s shoulders and spine. A growl rumbled from his barrel chest, initially wordless but finally forming a few coherent words: ”Shut your trap, she-cat.” True, this was not the most creative comeback ever invented, but the tom wasn’t exactly known for his witty words, especially when his mind was, as it was now, clogged by emotion.

The she-cat’s statement struck too close to the tom’s insecurity. The friendly words did not disguise a mocking, degrading voice. He had been trying all day to catch something, after all. Surely his dismal hunting skills were a topic of gossip. Charredback pushed this thought away as he dropped his baleful eyes from Petalhaze’s face, dipping his head to lick the mud from his chest fur. He worked so hard to overcome his inabilities! Surely most cats realized this and appreciated his efforts. He’d be a better hunter soon enough; he just needed to practice. Besides, who was this she-cat to judge him?

Just then, Charredback looked up again, back at the pretty she-cat. An accusation blazed in his gray-green eyes a moment before he opened his square jaw to voice it. ”What are you doing that’s so useful, anyway?” he blurted harshly, attempting the defensive tactic of attack. Let’s see how she feels when it’s her back up against a rock,[/color] he thought, grimly satisfied.

[ooc: My apologies, no muse.]

[BrightTail]

PetalHaze laughed at Charredback's comments. In fact, she found them quite hysterical. She sat down across from him, cleaning er fur. Then, her delicate, yet aggressive voice broke through the tension. ”Shut your trap, she-cat? Wow, how terrifying! I'm so scared I'm going to run to my mother!" If I had one, she thought to herself silently. PetalHaze let out a smile. She loved to tease Charredback, for he always spat the weirdest replies back to her. It amused PetalHaze greatly, yet she felt a kinship forming despite their frequent arguments. PetalHaze gave a smile towards the male, as he spat at her once again. ”What are you doing that’s so useful, anyway?”

PetalHaze gave a playful nudge to the old grouse. "Well, Dad" she said, rolling her eyes. "I've been hunting all day and caught quite a large quantity of prey. I ran to the kill pile and stocked it with my catches and then ran over here on my free time, only to see you fail in catching a simple, slowpoke water vole.." She finished her explanation with an insult and an even bigger one that was hidden in the way she had said it. PetalHaze gazed at Charredback in an adoring way. Even though he was terrible at the hunting and retreiving, she always thought him as a great friend.

PetalHaze stared up at the sky for a few moments before turning her gaze back at Charredback. The scent of a delicious rabbit wafted through her scent glands. "Okay, Hunter Paws, there's a rabbit we can catch. And if I'm correct, there should be a group of them south from here. You coming or what?" PetalHaze brushed her tail slightly in front of the male in order to lure him.

Words: 291
Muse: LOW
Comments: Same post count as an earlier post o-o

[Lightstar]

What Petalhaze considered a “playful nudge” was considered by Charredback to be an unwelcome shove. The tom’s ears flattened even further against his skull as he flinched away from the she-cat’s touch, the suggestion of a warning growl rumbling in his chest. The female’s run-down of her daily activities did nothing to alleviate the male’s foul temper, though shame was creeping under his skin and raising the long hairs along his spine once more. Charredback looked away quickly, drawing back his whiskers in a grimace. She sure liked to rub salt in his wounds, didn’t she? The tom’s bushy tail swished again as he resumed grooming the mud from his ruff.

Though the tom’s whiskers twitched at “Hunter Paws,” the word “rabbit” was what got Charredback to lift his head. The hefty cat parted his jaws, letting the air waft over the glands on the rood of his mouth. The scent confirmed it. There was rabbit to the south of the cats’ current position. The tom looked off in that direction, sunken eyes brightening in spite of himself. Another shot at bringing back prey had just presented itself to him! As he looked in that direction, he felt Petalhaze’s tail swish across his face, and he blinked, confused. His gaze returned to the she-cat, and soured almost instantly.

”What, you’re coming, too?” he growled, none too happy about it. Charredback was positive that another cat watching would not help to improve his hunting skills, especially if he was after rabbits. Those little monsters were hard to catch! ”I can take care of them on my own,” he muttered, though not explicitly saying that Petalhaze was unwelcome to join him. The dirty look he cast in the she-cat’s direction should have been enough to tell her that.

Without waiting for Petalhaze to offer a sharp retort, Charredback trotted off, jaws still parted as he followed the invisible trail left by the savory smell of meat. He couldn’t move with the fastidious grace a lither cat could. It was the most he could do not to lumber around like a hairy badger. The tom’s snout was thrust forward, and his fluffy tail stood stiff as a lance. Heavy paws squished against the mud, but that was not something Charredback could help. The cat sloppily made his way south, finally moving away from the sludgy mud and onto drier ground, where he could move more quietly.

Charredback ghosted through some brush that marked the drier sections of the stream bank, coming to pause in the long shadows of a bush that bristled with thistles. The aroma of rabbit was strong in the air, so strong that drool dampened the cat’s jaws. Swallowing back the saliva, Charredback realized he must have come upon a small warren. A rustle announced the presence of one rabbit, who was hopping through the fronds of underbrush to reach the edge of the stream, though it was likely there were more out and about. The tom, though, focused all his senses on that one rabbit, and wondered what the best way to get at it was.

[BrightTail]

PetalHaze smiled at Charredback's retort.”What, you’re coming, too? I can take care of them on my own" She merely gave a nod as the tom trotted away. He's so high struck, she thought to herself. She instantly followed his scent, keeping a distance from it. PetalHaze started to wonder about this tom. He seemed so unruly and lonely. If only she could be someone special to him. PetalHaze stopped for a moment. What was she thinking! She only like him as a friend and a victim that she could tease and push around. She didn't love him at all... Or did she?

Her face turned dark with shame. How could she be thinking all of that nonsense! PetalHaze shook her head angrily. Suddenly, she spotted the tom quickly. He was hiding behind a few bushes, trying to think of what to do in order to catch the delicious rabbit that lay ahead. PetalHaze rolled her eyes in pity for the cat and quickly got into a crouching position. She stepped forward slowly, watching the rabbit carefully. Then, she jumped. The rabbit was quick, but PetalHaze was faster. She lunged at the rabbit, only to miss it and fall. However, she didn't let that stop her. PetalHaze quickly got up and chased the rabbit from another direction. Naturally, it confused the rabbit, giving PetalHaze a chance to strike. And so she did. The rabbit lay dead in her jaws in a matter of seconds. She lay the rabbit down in front of her and looked back in the general direction where Charredback was. "You were too slow, furball" she called out.

PetalHaze covered up the rabbit and waited for Charredback to arrive, if he would at all. In case he wouldn't, PetalHaze had already scented a bunchload of other prey in multiple directions.

Words: 300
Muse: High
Comments: I see something forming with PetalHaze and her thoughts towards Charredback xD

[Lightstar]

So focused was the behemoth tom on the rabbit by the stream that he did not even notice the lean, pallid form of the she-cat creeping into his peripheral vision. He did, however, see how the fronds of branches, which had been shouldered aside by his prey, had stopped twitching; the creature had stilled. Now… now was the chance! But just as Charredback’s huge muscles bunched beneath his wooly fur, the she-cat pounded into his view so clearly that not even the absorbed hunter could ignore her. Petalhaze broke straight for the rabbit that the tom had been hunting, and the longhair stood quickly, seething with frustration.

It was as he stood, though, that he heard a crackle come from an entirely different direction than Petalhaze and her prey. The bi-color glanced around, the fire of adrenaline rekindling in his eyes, and the burning gaze landed on a tiny, brush-colored figure that was scrambling away from the outburst of rustling and squealing from where the she-cat hunted. The rabbit kitten, probably on its first excursion out of the burrow, was trying frantically to return to its hidey-hole. It was oblivious to the fact that a heavy-muscled tomcat named Charredback, who happened to be very hungry and irritated, was nearby, and was springing towards it on thick but powerful legs. The shaggy tom bowled over the baby rabbit, knocking it over with his heavy clubs of paws. Had the rabbit not been so young and clumsy, Charredback would never have come this far. He held it beneath one massive paw, stunned that he had made his first catch of the day.

In that moment of hesitation, the baby let out a squeal that ripped through Charredback’s eardrums. The cat dropped his head and delivered a killing bite to the prey’s throat as several other tiny animals broke for cover. Hot, sweet blood flowed between the cat’s teeth, slipping across his tongue as it gushed from still-pulsating veins. Charredback sucked up this bit of precious nectar greedily even as he lifted the small, limp form in his jaws. Satiated briefly, the tom thumped back to where he had left the she-cat.

Charredback thundered to Petalhaze’s side, snapping twigs with his powerful chest. He held his prize in proudly raised jaws, his whiskers curled in that way they did when he was pleased. For a moment, golden eyes rested on the she-cat’s catch, which would be a significantly greater contribution to the Clan than the tom’s. Still, the meat of the younger rabbit would be much sweeter and delicate, for those who cared to taste. Feeling satisfied, Charredback dropped the young rabbit and gave Petalhaze a look of complete smugness. Without a word, he sat and began to groom the caked-on mud from his long, patched fur, as if this was the final comment. Charredback had been successful, and the she-cat couldn’t mock him for that.

[ooc: I see that… Heh. I’m not sure yet how Charredback will react to her.]

[BrightTail]

PetalHaze stared blankly as Charredback bounded away. She didn't catch the frustration that he had displayed behind the bushes. A little dissapointed, she started to groom her dusty pelt. She turned her gaze towards the rabbit that she had buried under the damp earth. Her taste buds were begging to eat the rabbit, as well as her stomach. But PetalHaze merely ignored the feelings. She would wait for Charredback to return. At least that's what she hoped he'd do.

As she waited, her mind got carried away with mixed feelings about Charredback. She only wanted to be his friends and nothing more, but something else was telling her different things. She wasn't exactly sure what it was, but she had a feeling that it wouldn't go away for a long time. As she dazed off, she didn't notice Charredback arriving with a small rabbit in his mouth. Once he was closer to her, PetalHaze snapped out of the daydream and looked directly at her friend. She wanted to say, Nice job, you caught a baby! But she didn't. Instead, she praised her friend, in a rather irritating way. "Great catch. Is this the first of the day?" She stared at Charredback directly, happy that she had run into him by the stream.

Words: 211
Muse: Moderate
Comments: Oh my xD

[Lightstar]

A single hostile glance up from his mud-spattered chest communicated pretty much all of Charredback’s reaction. Those narrowed eyes, like molten gold, growled, ’Shut up! Stop talking now or I’m really going to let loose some of my frustration on you.’ Meanwhile, ears lowered, looking so awkward, confessed, ’Yeah, it is my first catch of the day. You know that damn well!’ The tom’s furious gaze linked with Petalhaze’s infuriatingly amused one. The worst part of it was that Charredback, with all his dirty looks and growled words, couldn’t seem to make this she-cat take him seriously! A burning need to show her the full extent of his capabilities, meaning his prowess in battle, burned somewhere in the vicinity of his stomach. For now, though, Charredback couldn’t hold that laughing gaze of the she-cat’s, so he dropped his gaze, hating himself every moment for it.

His fire-colored stare landed, then, on her dirtied pelt. Normally, Petalhaze was a gorgeous cat, with her sleek, well-groomed tabby coat, which glistened pale beige in the sunlight. Now, though, her lovely fur was marred by clinging muck, and Charredback felt a tiny stirring of satisfaction, which caused his tail to flick. He returned to grooming his own long coat, removing the bitter-tasting earth from each strand of hair with swipes from his light pink tongue. When he’d reached a point where he was satisfied, he lifted his head again and stared at the she-cat, his amber eyes intense.

All the while he’d groomed himself, that desire to show the she-cat his strength festered in the wounds had torn in his self-esteem. It infected each part of him, and culminated, finally, in his intense craving to show her first-hand that, while his muscle did not make him the best hunter, he was an excellent fighter. So now Charredback stared at her with a look that was somewhere between a glare and a suggestion. He waited until Petalhaze’s eyes met his before he growled out his challenge, his raging desire for her to take him up on this clinging to every one of his words. His tail was lashing slowly from side to side, and his claws were extending into the damp earth.

”You think you’re good, she-cat?” he hissed. ”Think you’re tough? You might be a better hunter than me, but you’ll need to prove you’re a better fighter. Here—” Charredback stood with a heave of powerful muscle, and with his long fur bristling and his teeth bared threateningly, he looked suddenly impressive. ”—and now. You up for it?” Of course she wouldn’t be up for it, because Charredback was confident in his ability to beat her, but he longed for her to accept his challenge. He goaded her on with a growl, and sank into a crouch.

[BrightTail]

PetalHaze groomed her silky coat, making sure that all of the disgusting contents were removed. Once again, her fur was clean and it glistened as the sun started to break into view. She enjoyed the warmth that it brought to her. The sense was outstanding and the she-cat purred with delight. She enjoyed the season of New-Leaf very much. Then, out of the blue, PetalHaze sensed a disturbance. She looked at her friend and noticed that something was not right. He had seemed to stare at her in a challenging way. Then, the voice. It broke clear of the endless silence that clouded the two cats. ”You think you’re good, she-cat?” he hissed. ”Think you’re tough? You might be a better hunter than me, but you’ll need to prove you’re a better fighter. Here—and now. You up for it?”

PetalHaze was shocked to hear such a thing from Charredback. Her eyes were wide and remained in a shocking display. Why did Charredback want to prove himself so much? It confused PetalHaze greatly. She stood up and stared at her friend. Challenge? She didn't want to challenge. In fact, she couldn't think about challenging him. Of course she could fight him and probably win, but she couldn't imagine it. PetalHaze let out a frown, walked over to her prey and padded away slowly, back to the stream. She would sunbathe to get her mind off of the event. She wondered what had gotten into him. PetalHaze arrived at the rock where she had been sunbathing earlier and lay down, enjoying the warmth of the sun once again.

Words: 266
Muse: Bleh
Comments: PetalHaze doesn't want to fight xD

[Lightstar]

With the look that Petalhaze gave him, somebody would think Charredback had said something incredibly rude, cursed her out, or done something completely impolite. The she-cat’s eyes were wide with disbelief, and perhaps a little indignation. It was the look of a cat who’d been unnecessarily struck, as in for a crime they had not committed. It was an unanticipated reaction, though Charredback continued to crouch there for a moment, growling. He expected her to get rid of that silly surprised look and take him up on his challenge. Instead, she stood, offered him a frown, and padded away.

When she had taken a few steps, Charredback’s growl faltered, broke, and disappeared. The tom sat up, puzzled in a very unhappy way. Tufted ears shot erect, turned towards the she-cat, who was still retreating from him. What was this? What did this mean? Obviously, Petalhaze didn’t accept the tomcat’s challenge. The longhair lashed his bushy tail, frustrated by this fact. That need bubbled up in his chest, hot as magma, persistent as a storm. He needed to fight her, to show her the one thing he was indisputably good at. All she’d seen of him was his poor hunting. Didn’t she realize how much that annoyed him? Even if she hadn’t mocked him for his lack of skill, it would have hurt if she only saw his failure. Stupid, stupid she-cat! And females were supposed to be observant. Well, if she was observant at all, she would have accepted his challenge.

Charredback’s claws were still sunk into the soft earth, and he pressed them in harder, deeper. He imagined it was flesh that he was piercing, that it was blood that was dampening his pads instead of water. Teeth were bared and ears were flattened, and still the tom stared ruefully at the spot where Petalhaze had disappeared. For a moment, he toyed with the idea of running after her and attacking from behind. That would show her, it would. Somehow, though, that didn’t seem right, and the word “dishonorable” rang silently in the tom’s black-furred ears. Charredback grit his teeth together, infuriated. There was no way to show Petalhaze that he was just as good a cat as she was, if not better.

Sometimes, Charredback despised himself and his failures.

The growl resurfaced, but this time it was directed at himself. Charredback snatched up his baby rabbit and turned, beginning to trudge back in the direction of camp. Before he reached the bushes, he glanced over one hairy shoulder, searching for the pale-pelted form of Petalhaze. She was gone, though. Damned she-cats,[/color] the tom thought to himself, and looked firmly away. He broke into a loping run, the bunny bouncing in his jaws, and he did not stop until he returned to the ShadowClan camp.

[BrightTail]

PetalHaze lay there on the stones, absorbing all the warmth that the sun gave off with great happiness. Then, she thought about what Charredback wanted to do. Fighting, is that what every tom wants to do these days? Her head was spinning with thoughts. Why would Charredback be like one of them? The glory-hound warriors that do nothing but fight all day long. It made her sick, thinking how all those warriors wanted to do, was rip things apart day and night.

PetalHaze pondered for a moment. Charredback was a noble cat of his word. He would never be like those glory-hounds. Suddenly, she stood up. She raced over towards the last spot where she had seen him. His scent was quite faint, almost undetectable. She managed to make out his direction. It appeared that he was heading towards the ShadowClan camp. PetalHaze quickly dashed off towards his direction.

She sped through bushes and destroyed ferns that lay in her path. She swiftly moved through the forest until she reached the camp. There, she noticed RavenFlight dozing off. She looked around the camp eagerly. Then, she spotted him. Charredback was arriving. She had caught up to him just in time. "Charredback!" she yelled, while approaching him. She gave a small sigh and began. "I'm-I'm sorry about earlier. I just... They... You-You acted like those glory-hound warriors. It frightened me for a second and I just.. I..." She stopped. She didn't know what else to tell him. That was it. He would hate her now. Her eyes swelled. She wanted to cry, but she stood her ground.

Words: 264
Muse: Bleh
Comments: Maybe we should move this over to the Shadow Clan camp board? Just reply in there?

[Lightstar]

Thorns dug their claws into Charredback’s pelt as the large warrior thundered into the camp. The plant matter twisted and tugged, but the tom pulled past, hardly caring that he left behind clumps of black-and-white fur, hanging like forlorn leaves left over from autumn. A little more aggression whooshed out with every heaving breath that left the cat, each gust of air forcing itself out of his nostrils because of the blockage in his mouth. The tom’s paws left heavy, damp-filled imprints along the entrance tunnel and in the camp itself. He shook himself, breathing heavy, as he slowed. Angling for the fresh-kill pile, the massive tom threw his meager catch on and sucked in a gulp of air. Lungs expanded then contracted as the tom turned from the food, hungry but unable yet to stomach the thought of eating.

”Charredback!” The summons roused the tom, and his tufted ears twitched in the direction of the call. He turned, and incredulous eyes of gold landed on none other than Petalhaze, who was, infuriatingly, smiling again. Aggression came swarming back into the pit of the long-haired tom’s stomach, but he swung around to confront her fully. His ears went back, revealing displeasure, but the she-cat had already begun to speak.

Of all things, it was an apology that was born from the mouth of that rather frustrating female. Petalhaze was stumbling through words, attempting to explain away her reaction to his offer to fight. Charredback stood as a pillar of stone, watching her contorting face. His expression remained thoroughly unmoved, but behind careless eyes swam his confused thoughts. What did she mean, glory-hound warriors? Did she honestly think that fighting her would help him accumulate glory? What glory was there in fighting some cat in your own Clan? She-cats were frustratingly stupid sometimes.

As Petalhaze’s monologue stumbled to a halt, Charredback observed her through veiled eyes. Their opaque surfaces were like yellow stones sunk into black soil. He considered for a moment her apology. The next consideration was what to say, but what could he say to her? She didn’t even apologize for mocking him for his inexpert hunting, which was the core of what had hurt him. Instead, she was trying to tell him what was wrong with himself. Charredback didn’t appreciate it.

The tom eyed her, his expression still stony, before half-turning away. ”Where’s your rabbit?” he meowed critically. It seemed that, in her haste, she’d neglected to bring it back to camp. ”You’d better go get it before a fox does.” After that, he was closed. Unapproachable. Charredback turned and padded heavily to the warriors’ den. Not a trace of hunger was left in his tight belly. His teeth ground together and his eyes narrowed as he allowed the anger, a blanket to his pain, to have him.

[ooc: Charredback doesn’t want to talk to Petalhaze… He’s crabby. Unless Petalhaze is going to push herself on him, we might as well end this in this thread.]

[BrightTail]

She stared at CharredBack. She really didn't know how to answer him. She then thought about how she had been mocking him the whole day. She gazed at him as his voice broke through, asking where her rabbit was. She snapped. She totally forgot about her rabbit! She was about to turn around, when she stopped short. CharredBack was much more important than the rabbit. He seemed to have said something else, but she wasn't exactly listening. All she saw as CharredBack pad off. She felt bad for him. Her jokes actually seemed to hurt him. It was quite peculiar to PetalHaze. In fact, her jokes never hurt anyone, or did they? Was she just that ignorant to other cat's feelings? She lowered her head. PetalHaze felt terrible now. She realized that she had been hurting CharredBack unintentionally. Well, for the most part...

PetalHaze gazed towards the general direction that CharredBack had wandered off to. She decided that she had to set things right. She ran towards him, making sure not to bump into him or anything. PetalHaze trotted inside the den and lay down next to him. She took a deep breath, preparing for what she had to say. "Hey... CharredBack.. I'm.. I'm really sorry about how I acted... I really didn't mean to hurt your feelings... Well, once again, I'm sorry.." PetalHaze got up and started to walk to the exit of the den.

Words: 235
Muse: Blah
Comments: Blah

[Lightstar]

The bedding of the nest was soft and soothing, trying to comfort the angry warrior as it caressed his belly when he settled down into his sleeping space. With a grunt, he rolled onto his side, letting the moss tickle the smoky fur along his flank. The tom’s golden eyes narrowed as his black lids drooped, and his bushy tail still flicked with irritation. But now he was in his bed, and he could finally relax. No more thinking about his rotten day, or that blasted she-cat, or anything really. Now he could just close his eyes and sleep off his anger…

No luck with that.

There was the feeling of another cat pressed up beside him a moment before Charredback identified the scent of Petalhaze leaking into his nostrils. Instantly his spine was stiffening beneath his thick fur, and claws, unbidden, slipped from their sheaths and pressed into the floor of the den. The she-cat’s breath stirred in his ear fur, and the tom gritted his teeth together, bracing for another stinging tirade, another emotional blow. His ears even sank a little lower, beginning, to flatten, as if they could block out the harmful words that were escaping from the she-cat’s muzzle.

The harmful words, the emotional blow, never came. Instead, it was an apology that lingered on the warm air inside the den. This time, it was an apology for what really mattered to the longhaired tom. As he realized this, his ears began to right themselves and his claws unhooked themselves from the mossy earth. His half-lidded eyes gazed awkwardly at his massive white paws, half-heartedly noting that there was still mud caked in between his toes. He felt it as Petalhaze lifted herself from her paws and began to exit the den.

Shame, potent as deathberries, crept through his veins. Was he really that overly emotional to get so worked up about what some she-cat had said? Sure, he’d had a bad day leading up to it, but had he really overreacted so badly? Petalhaze was his friend… sometimes, anyway. Sometimes, she was a friend, and other times, like today, she was his antagonist, but always, she was his secretly respected rival. Now she was being the mature one, and he was the one acting like a kit. His jaw worked as guilt seeped into his conscience. Finally, just as the she-cat was about to leave the den, his jaw opened.

”Alright,” he sighed, finally accepting the apology. As if the trapped word had been holding him back all along, Charredback’s spine loosened at last. ”I’m sorry for being so… hypersensitive,” he mumbled, then pulled his legs up closed to his body. His fluffy tail curled up around himself like a shield against his disgust with himself. A heavy black-and-white head sank to the ground as the powerful, shameful warrior readied himself to sleep.