Cross my Heart and [Open] Hope to DIE

[[Ridge] of [Sapphire] light]

Her eyes narrowed and she looked down at her paws as the she-cat spoke. She flicked her ears and sighed quietly. She knew what she wanted to say, but she knew that if she spoke the words she would never be able to take them back. She lifted her head and looked into the eyes of her Medicine cat and friend. They held caring and understanding. She sighed again and took a deep breath, but as she inhaled a scent wafted over her jaw, one that she hadn't smelled so freshly in such a long time. her eyes widened and she turned her focus away from her friend to a figure emerging from the shadows just beyond their clearing. She watched him, wander in, his eyes on her, and her's on his. She flicked her tail and then his words flooded over her with renewal and reassurance. "Sapphirestar...'[/b] His good eye stared at her and her heart broke for him. "Taintedfaith..." She breathed and moved forward a pace to brush her cheek against his. His scent engulfed her and she breathed it in. "I have missed you so much..." She said and closed her eyes, she didn't know where he had been, she didn't know if he would be ok, but he was there and that was all that mattered. " Where have you been my love?" She asked.

[r a v e n]]*]

[TAINTEDFAITH]

The dark male winced slightly before remaining still beside her. His eyes were filled with pain as he pulled back to look into the beautiful eyes he had been missing for so long. It was so good to be back. He glanced back at the entrance, watching as the smaller tabby limped in behind him. He could hear a strangled cry from the warrior's den before Russethawk sprinted from the den, pulling Lynxpounce against his chest. Taintedfaith felt a shooting pain fall across his skull as he saw the two reunite. At least he could save one to bring back home. He winced as he thought of the daughter he barely knew, and the fact that he had lost her... Shaking his head, he turned his attention back towards Sapphirestar. "I am so sorry for leaving you, Sapphirestar. I am so sorry for taking Lynxpounce with me... and Silentpaw. But we had..." The tom winced, shaking his head. He turned his attention towards Midnightdawn, greeting the medicine cat with a slight nod.

"Oh, how I missed your magic paws, Midnightdawn. Silentpaw was so proud to have you as a mentor" He murmured, not taking his eyes off the medicine cat. "Were you one of the few..." Taintedfaith blinked his eyes, then slumped back onto his haunches, breathing heavily. He glanced up as Lynxpounce, whom was leaning against her father, approached them. His adoptive father shot him a look that was a mix between worry and annoyance at his adoptive son's actions in brining his daughter along with him. He watched as the tabby twisted her head around, then looked towards Sapphirestar. "Where is Poisonhealer?" She asked, her voice was hoarse and cracked slightly. Taintedfaith's eyes widened slightly. He hadn't heard her speak since they left to come back home. It made his heart ache, the way he used to see the two of them together.

The coffee-colored male rose to his paws slowly, then turned against towards Midnightdawn. "I'd love for you to use those magic paws on me again, Midnightdawn" He murmured, his charming smirk across his face.

[LYNXPOUNCE]

[--|Sootie|--]

When life is a bitter pill to swallow

Chikorypaw had ran quite a way ahead of Midnightdawn and Sapphirestar, sniffing about for either marigold or catint. She knew that catmint was only found near to two-leg nests or abandoned nests, so she wondered where she could look for it. Chikorypaw stopped at the base of a huge aspen tree, and sat beneah it wheezing, trying to catch her breath. She sat still had listened to the sounds of the forest, watching a line of ants crawling along a bed of fallen leaves. Chikorypaw noticed how quiet it was. The softly falling snow smothered everything. The scents, the sounds, the sky. She thought it looked beautiful. Slowly, so not to start coughing again, Chikorypaw began nosing around under the snow, trying to see if there were any leaves or roots which Midnightdawn could find useful.

You got to hold on to what you believe

Chokorypaw stopped. There was a familiar smell here. But it wasn't any plant or herb. It was a cat. A missing cat. Chikorypaw raised her head our of the snow drift and shook the white powder of the end of her nsoe. She looked around, her blue eyes questioning the scenery. The snow was hiding a secret. Seeing no signs of the AWOL deputy, Chikorypaw hesitantly called out his name. 'Taintedfaith? Taintedfaith, where are you?' Shestuck her head back under the snow, sniffing the patch of Taintedfaith's scent again, making sure it was or real. The scent was fresh, so where was he? He'd been missing for many moons now, so the only explanation was that he'd been nere, not so long ago. Chikorypaw began to worry. Was he back? Was Taintedfah okay? Was Silentpaw with him? Another thought froze her where she was. Did Sapphirestar know?

Believe that the sun will shine tomorrow

The small black and white cat turned around and bobbed through the snow to the tree where she had sat to catch her breath before. If Taintedfaith was back, he could be injured, strved or ill. He could even be lost in his own territory if he'd been wandering for ages. Silentpaw was probably with him, so he might have cured his injuries, but if he wasn't there then Taintedfaith might possibly closer to Star Clan than Glacier Clan. Chikorypaw stood up and stoped waving her tail. She had to get back to Sapphirestar and Midnightdawn, and they would send out a search party for Taintedfaith and Silentpaw. Chikorypaw wheezed in a deep breath, and ran back towards camp. The other two cats would know waht to do.

And that your saints and sinners bleed

_{Music by Bon Jovi, We Weren't Born to Follow}

[x-Ginger-x]

Midnightdawn opened her mouth to say something, when she heard footsteps in the snow. She whipped around, and her jaw dropped wide open, when she noticed Taintedfaith. She didn't say a word though, as she listened to the deputy. "I have a question, where is Silentpaw?" She asked, looking around the deputy for her apprentice. When she heard his question, she laughed lightly. "Of course I'll work my 'magic paws'. I'll help all of you." Her gaze caught all the other cats. "But first, I have to find Chikorypaw." She got to her paws and bounded in the direction the apprentice headed in, and almost collided headfirst with Chikorypaw. "Sorry!" She cried, surprising herself. "Come on, we have to get back to camp. Taintedfaith is back, and he needs my help. And I may need some help too." She smiled at the apprentice, before leading her over to the others.

[--|Sootie|--]

So one day he found her crying

Chikorypaw stopped and fell back when she ran into Midnightdawn. The medicnie cat seemed to be in as much of a frenzy as she was. Chikorypaw stood up and managed to decipher Midnightdawn's excited, worried jabbering. So Taintedfaith was back and Midnightdawna and Sapphirestar did know. That made her feel slightly better. How could a useless apprentice inform her leader that her mate was lost somewhere in their territory, probably injured and possibly dead? Chikorypaw hadn't ever thought about having to tell Sapphirestar something like that, and was glad that she wouldn't have to. Even thinking such a thing made her long black and white fur bristle and her dark green eyes twinkle with tears. They'd been without the deputy for so long now, it would be just too much for him to wind up dead.

Coiled up on the dirty ground

Once the initial whizzing of confused thoughts subsided, Chikorypaw could begin to make sense of what Midnightdan was telling her. The simple phrase 'Taintedfaith is back, and he needs my help[/strike]' was enough to tell Chikorypaw that there was something wrong. If Taintedfaith was injured but not healed, then that suggested that Silentpaw wasn't near, and that set Chikorypaw off worrying again. As she shook the melting snow out of her fur she noticed the last part of what Midnightdawn had said. 'I may need some help too'[/strike]. Was Midnightdawn asking her to help? How long had it been since Chikorypaw had been able to do something useful, make a contribution to clan life? Well this was something new.

Her prince finally came to save her and the rest you can figure out

_{Music by Paramore, Brick by Boring Brick}

[[Ridge] of [Sapphire] light]

Her blue eyes fell onto his form as he leaned against her and she nudged him with her nose purring deeper in her chest than she had in moons. She was so glad to see him she forgot herself for a moment. "I love you so much..." she murmured into his ear. She flicked her tail as she heard the familiar voice of Lynxpounce and she turned seeing the dismayed look in her eyes as she asked for her mate. She knew all to well the desires in the she cats heart, and she knew also that she would be excited to know, her mate would be back soon. She flicked her ears and smiled. "He is out on a hunting patrol, and will return shortly I'm sure." She flicked her tail and turned back to Midnightdawn, knowing the she-cat understood her mind on a different level than even Taintedfaith. "Please heal him quickly. I need my deputy back in working order shortly." She then turned her attention to Taintedfaith. "I will speak with you later, right now I need to hunt for our clan. I will return, and I expect a full story, in my den after you have been treated." she mewed and with a quick lick across his face she bounded into the forest ready to hunt for the whole afternoon.

Poisonhealer moved through the underbrush his tail low, and his paws making not a sound between the leaves and snow. He flicked his ears as the crunch of snow in front of him set his heart racing. His eyes narrowed on the hare and it's scent wafted over his nose and into his lungs. His mouth began to water and he moved forward slowly. In a flash he leapt and his claws found flesh. he pressed his head toward it's frame and found the vein in the neck where life pumped through the animal and he pulled it out. He felt the rush over his tongue and he sighed as the animal died. "Thank you Starclan for this gift, please be with Lynx where ever she is." he prayed before dragging the rabbit over toward his small cash of food. He wasn't far from camp, but he was ready to head back. He had caught a robin, a hare and three mice. He threw the rabbit on his back, and picked up the three mice and robin with his mouth and padded slowly toward camp. He made his way in through a side entrance near the nursery. He kenw he shouldn't use it because it was really just a hole that needed fixing after a fox tried to find the camp. He sighed laying his burden down. Oh Lynxpounce...where are you? why have you left me?[i/] Just as these words left his mind, a scent hit his nose like a wave and joy fluttered in his ehart. He checked his thoughts though, knowing it could just be a scent from the warriors den, but he sniffed again, and his heart leaped into his throat, and he tore off toward the main entrance. "LYNXPOUNCE!" he yowled his voice echoing across the clearing, and wakeing every sleeping cat in the clearing. He didn't care, he knew that smell was hers and was recent. He skidded to a stop but, didn't time it well enough and bowled into her, his eyes flashing with joy. He pressed his muzzle agaisnt hers and breahed in her scent. "WHere have you been my love? No matter, are you hungry? tired? thirsty? anything? what do you need?" he asked his voice trembling with awe and excitment.

[x-Ginger-x]

Midnightdawn flicked her tail at Chikorypaw and grinned. "I do need your help," She answered the apprentice's unasked question. "Come on!" She trotted away into the camp, following her leader and deputy.

It was good to see Taintedfaith again, but there was someting different about him. She was a little worried, not just by the pain in his body, but by the looks in his eyes. She shook her head and continued on to her den, collecting herbs she needed. "Alirght, Chikorypaw, which herbs do you think he'll need?" She asked, laying the herbs on the ground, waiting for the answer.

[r a v e n]]*]

[TAINTEDFAITH]

Taintedfaith met the medicine cat's eyes before she let, telling her just with hs gaze that there was much to talk about. With both the she-cats. But, for now, he let her go, turning back towards Sapphirestar. He brushed his muzzle against hers softly, smiling slightly at her hushed words. There was truly no mistaking the love between deputy and leader, and for those that were looking on, they'd obviously saw it. At that moment, Taintedfaith didn't care. All he did care about was that he had brought Lynxpounce back for her father, and for Poisonhealer, whom he watched race across the clearing to press against the tabby she-cat. We watched Russethawk shoot him one last look before he backed off from the two younger cats, padding off towards the camp entrance.

"I love you, Sapphirestar.. I'm so sorry for leaving like I did..." He murmured softly, watching as she bounded off. With nothing more to do, the deputy pulled himself to his paws, slowly walking into Midnightdawn's den and laying himself out. All scents of his home washed over him. The only thing missing was the daughter he barely knew who loved this clan more then anyone.

The tabby turned her head sharply as she heard her name being called, her ears pricked as she picked up the sound, the voice, knowing it anywhere. "Poisonhealer..?" She murmured softly, eyes wide as she looked around quickly. She turned her head towards her father as he stepped away a moment before she scented a warm scent of her mate. And then there he was. "With Taintedfaith.. And Silentpaw.. They needed me..." She murmured as he pressed his muzzle against hers, nuzzling him as her body relaxed slightly. Without willing it, her legs buckled beneath her, sending her to the ground, where she looked up at Poisonhealer with a slight smile. "Guess that answers one question.. I'm very tired.. Not too hungry.. I just need sleep..." She murmured, her eyes blinking closed.

[LYNXPOUNCE]

[[Ridge] of [Sapphire] light]

Poisonhealers heart stopped as Lynxpounce fell to the ground beneath him. He looked down at her but her words calmed him enough and he smiled lightly. HIs den still held her place beside him, and he missed having her pressing against him in the night. He licked her forehead and spoke softly. "I have been out hunting all morning and deserve a little rest myself. Come, let us sleep together." ((*giggle*)) Her scent poured over him and he barely noticed Taintedfaith walk ast him and toward the medicinecats den. He sighed letting his body become accustomed to his mate again. He pressed his shoulder agaisnt her and breathed in her essence as the pair walked tails entwined to their nest.

[r a v e n]]*]

[LYNXPOUNCE]

Letting out a slow breath, the tabby turned her eyes up to look at her mate. The one cat she had missed, other then Russethawk, had been this one that stood in front of her. She smiled tiredly at him before pulling herself to her paws. "Sleep.. Sounds extermly good right now..." Lynxpounce murmured, stumbling slightly and leaning against his shoulder. "I'll rest for a bit.. But I need to get back into the swing of things around here. Can't just sit around like a bump on a log. I'm not the one injured and too stubborn to heal them on the way here" She said with a smile, inclining her head towards the medicine den where her adoptive bother disappeared. She let out a slow breath, nuzzling Poisonhealer's ear, then slipped forwards, padding slowly towards where she remembered their den was.

[[Ridge] of [Sapphire] light]

((Ok, I'm gonna start a new thread in the leaders den, for Taintedfaith, Lynxpounce, and Midnightdawn. OK?))

[r a v e n]]*]

[[Alright, sounds good :3]