.Red.[OPEN].Wings.

[[Jinxed.Forever]]

{All I need it half a chance - a second thought - a second glance to prove}

A thick, fiery pelt slithered through the frozen, swampy undergrowth, his large paws leaving deep imprints in the soft ground. Blazing orange eyes scanned the trees and foliage, alert and ever watchful. All seemed to be silent throughout the Pine Grove. The cold sun burned directly overhead, struggling to cut through the dense canopy with its golden light, and prey remained huddled safely in their nests. A predator was stalking.

Redwing's body stiffened with the next step he took, his pupils narrowing into dagger-like slits. His hard muscles quivered beneath his shadowy, vermilion pelt , anticipation spreading throughout his body. His indistinct nub of a tail- a trait passed down through his family- twitched with the tension in the air. A soft breeze whispered through the trees, carrying the delicate rhythm of a heartbeat on its wings. A tiny, racing heartbeat. Redwing's long claws sunk into the ground, and his chest hovered a mere whisker's length above the earth. All was still until, like a dart, Redwing shot out from the undergrowth, leaving deep gashes in the soil where his paws struck the ground.

The muskrat didn't make more than a squeal of surprise before its neck was broken

{I got whatever it takes}

[--|Sootie|--]

We say goodbye then never let go

A tall silvery she-cat wandered slowly through the Pine Grove, her paw-steps barely stirring the frosted leaves on the ground. She looked like she was simply taking a walk through the thickly scented forest, ponderingt he meaning of life, but actually, each of her acute senses were searching. Searching for prey, searcing for enemies, searching for a friend. Skylark had friends, a recent find, but they were still mourning Foreststar. And Skylark spent most of her time puzzling over Ringedpaw, and her own past. Recently though, she'd been thinking if it was time to let go. How would be the best was to let go? She needed to let the dead sleep and leave the past in the past.

We live, we die 'cause you can't save every soul

Upon hearing a leaf flutter, Skylark dropped into a balanced crouch and pulled herself forwards soundlessly to the source of the noise. Under a pine sapling sat a mouse. The mouse was tentativley nibbling a partially frozen blackberry. Skylark could feel the power to leap in her tensing muscles. But she could also feel some strange tug in her chest, and allowed her mind to see what her eyes were. Five, helf-sizzed mice were not far behind the one eating the berry. They were only mouse-kits, and this was probably their first time out of their nest too. For some reason, Skylark was washed with guilt for considering murdering their mother, and stood up straight. Instead of pouncing on the still unsuspecting mouse, the dusty grey warrior narrowed her lilac eyes and blundered ungracefully through the clearing where the mice were, warning them away from the threat which she was. This recieved the response she had planned for, and they scattered, but too late, she realised that the noise she'd made would have attracted any cat around. She sighed. She'd best find anyone out there first. And feeding the clan would ahve to wait too. She'd seen enough families torn apart by death.

You gota never look back, never look down and never let go

_{Music by Bryan Adams, Never Let Go}

[[Jinxed.Forever]]

{All I need it half a chance - a second thought - a second glance to prove}

The disturbance created by Skylark grabbed Redwing's attention like a bolt of lightning. The tom's blazing orange eyes peered through the trees, his pelt bristling and muscles tightening. His head swiveled all around, double-checking to make sure there was no immediate threat present. Carefully, he picked at the scents in the air.

'Ice, pine, muskrat, Arcticclan...' At the recognition of a fresh Arcticclan scent, Redwing instantly settled, licking down the prickling fur on his chest. Carrying his freshkill protectively in his powerful jaws, the tom made his way toward Skylark's commotion. He spotted her not far off, and his muzzle twitched with a smirk behind the muskrat's corpse. He easily recognized the she-cat's small build and marbled pelt from around camp- if he remembered correctly, she hadn't been a warrior for very long. Chuffing quietly to himself, Redwing paused and dropped his kill, ears perked and head high.

"Skylark, fancy running into you here- hunting for the clan, or simply out for a stroll?" he inquired, voice deep and strong. Grinning his trademark grin of pride, the tom nodded to the she-cat as he padded a bit closer. With less distance between the two warriors, their difference in size became strikingly apparent. Skylark with her small, elegant frame and Redwing with his larger, more muscled build- a blow from him would likely break her.

{I got whatever it takes}

[--|Sootie|--]

Ah, the night is calling

Skylark stayed where she was; her paws kneading the ground and her silvery tail brushing the snow and leaves on the ground. She felt stupid for scaring the family f mice away when she was supposed to be hunting for the clan, but it just seemed so cruel and unnecessary. She stayed where she was and listened for any sign of approach. It wasn't long before she heard the stealthy movement of a cat from somewhere behind her. She turned around to face the direction where the quiet rustling came from and sniffed the air, friend or foe. It was the scent of an Arctic Clanner. Redwing, a warrior, tom who was only a few moons older than her, but had been a warrior much longer. She could see his image in her head as his profile slipped into the small clearing. He was much larger than her, as he was musular and strong; but even so, Skylark's violet eyes were level with Redwing's orange ones. She may be incredibly thin and delicate looking, but she was also unusuallu tall for a cat with her builld. Made her look willowy and weak.

And it whispers to me softly, 'Come and play'

'Hi Redwing. How's the prey running?' Her easy smile faltered slighlty as she realised how that question sounded after her previous action. Even though Redwing hadn't seen, not that she was aware of, she imagined his answering 'It's running quite far today. Like someone had warned them all to stay away...'
She looked around her, and thought over her journey from the camp to the Pine Grove. 'I am out for a stroll but am hunting quite successfully too. I have a huge blackbird and a squirell burried back there soewhere.' She guestured with a flick of her tail. Again her thoughts drifted to the mice and an image of the slaughtered mouse-kits filtered into her mind. She sighed inwardly. 'How about you? You jsut came from over by the wet-mud, didn't you? I can smell the dampness' Skylark was trying to steer the conversation away from her hunt. She was still pretty confused about her behaviour without trying to explain it to someone else too. She smiled tentativley hoping that Redwing would talk about something else.

But I, I am falling, and if I let myself go I'm the only one to blame

_{Music by P!nk, Sober}

[[Jinxed.Forever]]

[Sorry about the delay- was very busy :3 And I wasn't sure how to describe Skylark because her bio is still "Skypaw" xD]

{All I need it half a chance - a second thought - a second glance to prove}

Redwing's ears perked forward and he tilted his head to the side with a smile. "That would be correct," he mused lightly, kneading the ground with one large paw as though wiping the mud away. The tom arched his back and let out a good, hard stretch, his muscles bunching and quivering as his body tensed. Shaking his thick pelt free of any clinging foliage, Redwing returned his burning amber gaze onto Skylark. Though they'd been a part of the same clan, the two had rarely had an instance to interact with one another. 'Pity,' he thought. Redwing usually made it a point to show interest in all of his clanmates.

"I haven't been much for hunting today," he continued, pacing lazily about the area. "I nabbed a muskrat-" Redwing gestured toward where he'd dropped his kill before greeting Skylark. "-but that's it so far. I was really only out to check the borders and perhaps go for a bit of a run." Always willing to flaunt his strength and always eager to impress, Redwing reached up and dug his long, solid claws into the soft bark of a tree. He pulled and stretched his body, showcasing his hardened body and leaving behind deep gashes as he sharpened his talons. "What's your opinion on this new land, Skylark?" he asked, rubbing his muzzle and shoulder against the tree he had marked as though claiming it as his own.

{I got whatever it takes}

[He's so into himself... lol xD]

[--|Sootie|--]

Now I know what I'm without

Skylark's violet eyes couldnt keep still while she was sat listening to Redwing. She knew that she should be spening more time getting to know her clan-mates better, but she just didn't want that mouse family to come back here just yet. To distract herself, she stood up when Redwing scratched the tree an looked at the mark his sharp claws had made. It would certainly give the impression that strong, dangerous creatures live here to any invading predators or two-legs. While she watched him stretch, Skylark couldn't help admiring the strength and power which flowed through Redwing's tensed body. She could tell that he wa showing off, just so typcal of a tom, and she was impressed. What wouldn't she have been given to have been born in Redwing's litter instead of Ringedpaw's? Better to have a show-off as a brother than a revenge-bent demon. Star Clan, at least she liked Redwing.

You can't just leave me here

Having realised that her thoughts had turned back to what she came out avoid, Skylark looked up into Redwing's firey eyes just as he asked her about the new lands. She twitched her tail slowly as she thought f her reply. 'The land itself is beautiful. The snow and ice are our brothers and friends. In the old land they'd gone and left us lonely and incomplete. And it's great how the clans have managed to keep a truce since we got here. The bonds between clans which were made during the Great Journey aren't easily broken. To fight them now would be like figting clan-mates in some ways. I know it can't last, but it's nice while it does.' Skylark thought back to the times in the old lands, when there were battles between clans every moon and cats died to defend their clan and their pride. If for nothing else, she was grateful that the new lands have given al of the clans peace. 'And I am also happy that the memories of the old lands are gone. My entire family were murdered there, and this place gives me a new start and a new life. I know that maybe some of us don't like letting go of memories, and that some of us had to leave behind loved ones who couldn't or wouldn't travel, but that provided my realease. I really like it here. My life is much happier now. I have a life now.' Skylark wondered why she was telling all this to Redwing, who she hardly knew, when she'd never told so much to her friends; but she didn't mind. It was better to let go of all her feelings. It finaly felt like she could breate, without fear of being sufocated by the past.

Breathe into me and make me real

_{Music by Evanescence, Bring Me To Life}