.c-o-n-t-r-a.

[t h e h a u n t]

don't call me a contra

--[/center]

The apprentice's body gave a convulsive thrust and he was awake. His green and orange eyes could have looked alarmed. As if just waking from a horrible dream. But the tomcat wasn't having nightmares. He in fact wasn't dreaming at all.

And yet he had a startled, or even frightened look.

It quickly faded as Fallpaw regained himself. Pushing himself form his small, moss bed, he looked around. There were younger apprentices sleeping soundly. Fallpaw was larger than the rest of them--it was obvious he was approaching warriorhood.

Disdainfully he wondered why he hadn't achieved it yet. His personal opinion was that he should have been a warrior many, many moons ago. If the Clan wasn't moving so slow, Fallpaw thought sourly, he'd already be a leader by now.

The mostly white apprentice had already decided he would one day lead GlacierClan. He wasn't quite sure how it was going to come to him--either naturally or... he'd considered force. Nine lives were many deaths. Nine lives were a long time to wait through. The darker side of him insisted he couldn't wait that long.

Still unsure about himself, the white tomcat padded out of the apprentice's den, glaring eagerly at the warrior's den for moment, and then trotting over to the freshkill pile.

He ought to help restock it before he ate, he thought to himself. Fallpaw wasn't so strict with the rules of the Warrior Code, but he was sure there was a part about that in it. Perhaps he should ask someone to hunt with him.

Considered it for a moment, but Fallpaw thought he'd just be slowed by a companion. He lingered in the camp for a few more moments before dashing off. Unsure if he should eat and then hunt or hunt and then eat.

The tom rocked back and forth on his paws.

--
'till you've tried.

^{lyrics; contra by vampire weekend
word count: 300 words exact}

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[[Ridge] of [Sapphire] light]

[Nestpaw]

I need to hear you say

Her white fur lay flat against her pink skin as she lay in her nest. She flicked her ears hearing her brother wake. his awakening was always telltale and sudden. She had been awake since dawn and had been laying lazily in her bed pretending to sleep, while she waited for him to wake. As he did and his green orange eyes scanned the den, she felt them heat her pelt. She flicked her ears and opened her eyes watching his tail disappear out of the den. Her blue eyes blazed and she flicked her tail around her nest as she rose to her elegant paws. Nestpaw stood sturdy and elegant small for a warrior, but large for an apprentice. She was due for warriorhood, just as her brother, but she knew he would be more apt to demand it than she. She knew Sapphirestar had a good reason for not making them warriors yet. She flicked a scrap of moss off her paw and moved, silent as an owl through the den and slipped stealthily outside. The light blinded her for a moment as she stood taking in the white surroundings. She blended in well here in the tundra in the snow and ice of her home. She licked her lips opening her mouth to reveal a pink tongue and startling white teeth.

That I love you

Her eyes found their quarry as he was making his decision about hunting. She watched him dawdle, not noticing her of course. He never noticed her. She was a nuisance to him. She snorted slightly and moved forward after him at a brisk trot. "Fallpaw, wait up!" She called her voice strong, despite the worry on her mind. She struggled to see her brothers side of life. She was gifted with the gift of leadership, much like her mother had been. Blizzardclaw, the deputy of the clan, beautiful and strong sturdy warrior had been a great leader, had been respected in the clan. And after her death, that is what Nestpaw, her only daughter dreamed to become. She wished only to please her mother's spirit. Her brother was another story. He wanted blood. He wanted leadership and was full of ambitions, so ready to take over it scared her sometimes. She flicked her ears pushing the thought away as she scrambled through the entrance and caught up with her brother.

I have loved you all along

"I thought maybe you would like some company." She mewed confidently. She didn't want to annoy him, but then again, maybe she did. She decided the latter and smiled to herself confidently. "Sapphirestar will make us warriors soon, espicially if we show her how well we can help take care of the clan and preform our duties. We have trained for moons and have gotten so much better!" She gave a wry smile and let her voice drop a little as she whispered. She touched her nose to her brothers ear and her words came forth soft but clear to him, "But I bet I can still catch more prey than you!" with that comment she turned and bounded off into the forest. She kept her ears pricked as she moved silently. She heard a rustle and stoped dead in her tracks as a rabbit startled by her sudden appearance raced in front of her. She didn't think she only reacted. She leaped her claws sinking into flesh.

And I forgive you

[t h e h a u n t]

when you mean it on the inside

--[/center]

Ah. He had thought he'd seen more than sleeping cats in the den. He recognized the voice that called him like he recognized his own. Fallpaw paused, looking over his shoulder to see the pure white she-cat bounding up to him. He seemed to have said "Hey, Nestpaw," but it was so low, it might not have been said at all.

The tomcat had distanced himself from his sisters. As they were kits, they had been closer. After all, all they had left was their clan, a story of their fallen parents, and each other. But as Fallpaw grew older, he discovered a "dark side" of himself. In an effort to hid it from his kin, he distanced himself.

Perhaps in doing that however, he had revealed it.

He was going to respond to her first statement, with a hesitantly affirmative, but his sister continued on before he could answer. Talk of Sapphirestar making them warriors. Well, good, she better, for StarClan's sake. Once more, before he could make a comment, she'd continued on.

This time however, a challenge. No words were needed. It seemed the two apprentice raced off at the same time. Although Nestpaw was soon ahead of Fallpaw, whom lurched onto a tree and climbed up it skillfully.

The GlacierClan apprentice then raced along the tree branches, his green and orange eyes scanning the ground for some game. By accident, he stumbled upon a squirrel. He absently jumped on it, both of them dropping from the tree. Quickly back on his feet, Fallpaw took down the rodent before it was able to regain itself.

He buried it and then raced back into the treetops.

--
you still can't get to me

^{lyrics;; way out by yeah yeah yeahs
word count;; 273
ooc;; lulz they're not in the camp anymore but whatever XD;;}

[/sup]

[[Ridge] of [Sapphire] light]

[Anything you can do,]

Her eyes danced as the hare fell dead at her paws. She dragged it back to the center clearing, and burried it quickly. She was just finishing when her brother fell from a tree killed the squrriel, burried it and raced off again. She smirked and turned in another direction following her nose and instincts. She felt the wind against her white pelt and the melting snow under her paws was like water to a seed. She flicked the tip of her tail as she took a sharp turn and skidded to a halt. There before her sat two robins. She smiled and lay down in the snow. The white of it covered her except for her piercing orange eyes. She moved slowly forward towards the unsuspecting couple. They were pecking around looking for food in the snow. She watched them intently for another heartbeat before she made her move. She pressed her weight into her paws and extended her muscles. She sailed through the air like a silent killer. She landed on the first bird breaking it's neck. The other, caught off gaurd fluttered skyward, but not quick enough. Her powerful legs propelled her into the air again and she killed the second robin as they crashed to the ground. She picked up both birds and trotted back to the clearing. Surely Fallpaw hadn't caught more than her yet.



She sauntered into the clearing and burried her kill with the rabbit she had found earlier. Shesniffed her brothers pile finding that he had now caught a rodent to add to his squrriel and was off agian. She shrugged her shoulders rolling them back, unbeknownst to her much in the same fashion her mother had on a very stressful mission. She looked around her her eyes sparkling with excitement. Her heart beat was back to normal now fromw here it had been raised during the chase and capture, but she still needed more freshkill. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, opening her mouth to draw scent in over her tongue. She tasted more than smelled much of anything that way. Her mouth began to water and she licked her lips, she knew that scent if it bit her in the nose. She dropped to a crouch and moved on silent paws toward her quary.



Her eyes focused on the thing just a couple of foxlengeths in front of her. She watched it move ever so cautiously out of it's den and then to her surprise toward her. She smirked and lay still. "Silly water vole, come right to your death."[/s] she thought and smiled. it came two more steps and stopped to look right at her. She smiled and with a mighty leap leaped forward closing half the distance between her and the prey. She raced forward as it turned, stunned and headed back to it's den. Her claws grazed it's hid just as it slipped inside the den. Her claw stayed stuck in it's hid and she dragged it backwards. As it's head emerged from the den, she reached down and killed it with a swift bite to the back of the head. She then returned with her prey to wait for her brother. surely this was enough. Because you know, she-cats are better than toms.
[Better than you.]

[t h e h a u n t]

i'm doing it for the thrill

--[/center]

He was climbing the tree, crawling across the branches and caught sight of his sister cleverly catching two birds. Killing two birds with one stone. She hadn't seen him observe her, which was good.

But it was in that moment, the way she strode back proudly with the two birds swinging from her mouth, he lowered himself to a sort of laying position on the tree branch.

He lay there for sometime, pondering to himself. Why did he have to beat her? It was friendly competition, of course. However, Fallpaw knew it was only disguised as that. To him, at the least. The little sibling rivalry they had on this prey-fight was a test to him.

Not to him exactly, but a part of Fallpaw, regardless.

Some part of him wondered who matched his abilities. Of course his own kin topped the questionable list. If they shared his blood, they had to share more.

Swimming in his thoughts, laying on the branch, Fallpaw was wasting time. He got up suddenly, dropping the little competition. He would make it look like an effort. So Nestpaw didn't assume he was letting her win.

So as he pranced through the tree tops, looking for something to quickly catch. His paw slipped on something slippery and he stumbled, his chin almost hitting the limb he stood on. Skillfully he regained his balance and saw that the branch was... twisting?

Ah! A snake! He jumped back as he could, the limb shaking against his weight. Unsheathing his claws, he scratched at the snake and hissed absently. The snake hissed back before the blood lost caused it to start to unravel from the tree. The GlacierClan apprentice caught in his teeth. Something of an excuse.

Darting through the tree tops, he dropped in on Nestpaw next to her pile, the adder in his mouth. "Cursed adders," He said, spitting the long, worthless creature at his paws. He rolled his green and orange eyes. "Yeah. So. You got more than me or whatever," He faked his sarcastic disappointment.

--
oh i hope you understand

^{lyrics;; in for the kill by la roux
word count;; 333}

[/sup]

[[Ridge] of [Sapphire] light]

[Sapphirestar][/font][/size]

As she watched the pair of apprentices catch prey, and compete she flicked her ears and smiled to herself. Her mind wandered back to when she had been watched by her leader, their father. She flicked her tail and smiled. they were ready. both of them. She leaped down from the branch on which she sat. She landed with perfect grace and elegance in front of the Nestpaw and behind Fallpaw. there was a soft thud as her weight hit the ground and she spoke softly a bright glow in her eyes and a swish in her tail. "You have both done well. I am proud to have you in my clan." She mewed and looked at the stunned face of Nestpaw. "I have been watching you both since you left camp." She mewed and looked to Fallpaw, the adder at his paws. "You both have the makings of great warriors of Glacierclan and I will be proud to fight and defend the clan alongside the both of you. We will hold your ceremonies this afternoon."[/color] She watched the stun in Nestpaws eyes change to excitement and then an elegant honor. She turned and flicked her tail. "Finish hunting, and burry that Adder far from here." She said and trotted back toward the camp her enlarged belly swaying. She was so happy that the kits within her were growing steadily, and they would soon be able to see the world. She looked over her shoulder in time to see Nestpaw tackle her brother in a playful manner, and she smiled at the innocence of young warriors. Somethign about Fallpaw worried her a little though. Not to say she distrusted him, for his lineage was a good as gold to her. Only son of the late great Hauntstar and Blizzardclaw, nothing could challenge her trust of those kits. She shook her head. it was probably nothing.

[Nestpaw]

Her eyes glowed with satisfacton as her brother dropped beside her and the adder dropped form his mouth. She smiled and flicked her tail lightly opening her mouth to speak. She heard a soft thud and looked up behind her brother in time to see the long, beuatiful fur of their leader land behind her brother. Her eyes widened as the leader spoke and she quickly dipped her head and respect. She didn't know wht to say or do, so many questions flowed through her mind, but it seemed Sapphirestar answered them just as she opened her mouth to voice them. She flicked her ears and looked at her brother. He stood there the Adder at his paws, then the word caught her ears and she lifted her eyes to Sapphirestar again. "...Warriors..." They were going to be warriors. It was happeneing. As Sapphirestar left Nestpaw turned to her brother excitement in her eyes. She flicked her ears forward and when she thought She was far enough away she leaped at her brother rolling him to the ground. "We are going to be warriors! Aren't you excited?! It's this what you wanted?!" She asked her mind spinning with excitement and honor. "Let's hurry and get back"[/color] She said and rolled to her paws to go o her pile of fresh kill.

[t h e h a u n t]

round we go, around again cirlces

--[/center]

Fallpaw was nearly surprised and slightly embarrassed when he realized Sapphirestar had been watch them. Especially from the trees. That was his domain, if anything he should have seen her or caught wind of her. Foolish mistake.

Although it wasn't so foolish, seeing as he, nor anyone else, suffered from it. Yet, he prefer it never happen again.

It wasn't as if Sapphirestar's words too him by surprise. It was just... unexpected excitement. His fur stood on its ends as the anticipation in the for of adrenaline rush throughout his veins.

Warriors? Finally! It was what he'd been waiting for for so long! He was so excited it was hard to be angry at Sapphirestar for not doing it earlier. Fallpaw's green and orange eyes looked at the sun, taunting the afternoon.

The white tomcat was suddenly tackled by his equally energetic sister. He was so happy at this moment, so glad, he could act kit-like too. He grinned at her and gave a chuckle at her quick speaking. "Alright," he said collectively as he got out from his tackled position and picked up his adder, nodding, "I'll dispose of this and get my squirrel and be back as soon as possible."

He nodded solemnly to her. But the seriousness of it was broken as he couldn't help a playfully excited smile from slipping out. The soon-to-be warrior skirted off to do what he was told, and what he said he was to do.

--
play this game over again

^{lyrics;; greener with the
scenery, the used
word count;; 239}

[/sup]