PREY !?

[NIGHTSTAR !?]

A dark shape crawled through the undergrowth, nearly completely hidden by darkness. The pelt glistened, however, from streams of sunlight filtering through the overhanging evergreen trees. Paws sunk in the marshy wet ground while pure amber pools flickered back and forth, wary of the surrounding prey that would soon become fresh kill.

The tom crouched the moment he heard a quiet rustle among the ferns only a few tail lengths in front of him. His eyes darted forward, earfur pounding with the vibrations of a mouse's heart. Claws slipped from the toes of the FogClan leader as he silently stalked the creature. It was nibbling on little acorns, gathering some up in its cheeks to save for later, for it did not know when its next meal would come. Nightstar flicked his tail ever so slightly; he couldn't resist the twitch of excitement. His body shuddered with hunger and at the right moment, his strong muscles bunched up and limbs flailed as paws left the ground. His bodice was forming a quick pounce; once he reached his target, its life would end with a painless nip to the windpipe -- the precious airsource of all creatures.

Nightstar landed squarely on his dusky brown mouse, aim almost perfect as he dealt the final blow to the neck. He sighed with relief when the mouse ceased to writhe its short death. Nightstar dipped his head and opened his maw, then clamped his fangs around the freshkill. It was all he needed for his small clan; Nightstar was solitary in what was supposed to be a plentiful amount of cats. He hung his head low as he reached the vacant camp. Then he padded to the central part of it and stripped the mouse of its flesh, devouring it and filling his famished body.

[Sandwhisker]

§Sandwhisker§

Lithe bodice slipped into camp on dainty paws, quieter than the mouse that her leader had been hunting. He hadn't know she had been out, amusing. A sharp glint came to her orbs as she padded in with a thrush gripped tight in her jaws, her gray blue orbs appraising her leader critcally. She respected this tom more than he knew, but like she'd ever voice it.

Slipping past him she sashayed herself over to the Warrior's den and lied down infront of it. She never looked up at Nightstar again as she tucked into the bird. She knew was well as he did that they needed more cats here in this clan, but she knew StormClan was far worse off. They merely had that fluffy little kitty-pet Silverstar. Oh how she abhored that overly pretty silver tabby she-cat. She had just managed this morning to avoid the hairball. She shuddered, oh well, that annoyance would get hers some day. Of that she was sure.

Finishing her thrush she stood and began to wash in long languid strokes. Pink tongue flicking over her gray paw time and again to wash her ears and face. Her rope of a tail was wrapped securely about her other forepaw and tucked close to her lithe, lean bodice. Claws suddenly unsheathed and her pink tongue glided between them, cleaning the blood from them. She had indeed thanked StarClan for this thrush's life, but she did not intend to stay dirty. She was too proud for that.

[NIGHTSTAR !?]

Nightstar quietly noticed his other clanmate, Sandwhisker, as he finished up his mouse. He grunted a greeting, but he didn't pursue his hello. The black tom swiped his tail upward in a dominant position and nodded; then he slowly took long strides to his den. His pride was obvious. Whether or not his Clan was a bit... small... at the moment, Nightstar knew that his few members that he had were loyal and fierce, fighting to the end. And they were on his side.

A tiny purr vibrated in his throat as he vanished inside of his den. He yawned and curled up in his nest, tenderly placing his paws in front and swiping a quick pink tongue over his limb. He sighed and set his chin down, a solemn expression clearly on his face despite the shadows that enveloped and camoflauged him. A small part of Nightstar wished Sandwhisker would follow him. He was, truthfully, quite lonely; the den was chilly, which was surprising because of the very warm newleaf.

Twin towers atop the FogClan leader's head twitched. They were anxious for some strange reason; they picked up strange noises beyond the camp walls. Nightstar squirmed with uncertainty and confusion. It was probably twolegs, but he still wasn't so sure. No doubt it was -- those mousebrained twolegs were always bustling about in newleaf, exploring the woods and smiling and the twoleg kits screaming, disrupting the noise. Nightstar frowned and set his head, which had popped up, back down.

Eventually, Nightstar grew a little hollow feeling in his stomah, so he decided to pad back out into the camp. He immediately began to cease sulking and set his walk to a proud stride . . .

[Sandwhisker]

§Sandwhisker§

Gray blue pools watched the black tom she called her leader scrupulously, it was just how she was. When his tail went up in dominance her head dipped in submission. She nodded as he trotted off and she began to clean her chest fur in long graceful strokes.

Her mind began to wander, back to her hunting, back to that boarder, where she had seen Silverstar wandering alone. She wondered just how much it would take to bring a she-cat like that down. The twittering of birds brought her back, and she looked up. Bunching her haunches she leapt upward, with all the grace of an anchient SkyClan warrior and snagged the low flying bird out of the air.

Her head whipped up and a purr rumbled in her throat as she watched Nightstar walk out, with that handsome, proud stride and she nodded to him. "Hello Nightstar" she voiced. Her tone smooth and her voice only reaching the tempurature of a melting glacier. This was as warm and fuzzy as she got.

Twin peaks swiveled on her shapely siamese cranium and she angled them toward him. Her gray blue orbs were aglow as she looked him over. It was respect, nothing more that made this sharp edged siamese she-cat nice to this leader of hers. She sought no want to make him her mate, and she did not strive to become deputy, she knew she wasn't a choice StarClan would make for a leader.

Her tail tip flipped in the dirt as she watched the powerful tom walk into the clearing. Apparently he had not been able to sleep. Suddenly she wondered why. "Is something the matter Nightstar?" She asked. Knowing that he was the only one who would ever get the question out of her.

[NIGHTSTAR !?]

"Hello Nightstar."

He perked up his ears when she said that. He just shrugged and didn't bother to reply. 'Hello' was too much of a common word. It was used so much that its meaning simply faded away. Nightstar didn't judge her for overusing the word, however. Every cat did. Even he.

The next question was something that startled Nightstar; hardly a cat really paid much attention to him, or to how much he felt. They would condemn him if he didn't lead the Clan 'well enough' . . .

"Is something the matter, Nightstar?"

Nightstar dipped and shook his head. "I'm just fine," he muttered. "Just fine."

Muse: okay-ish
Legend: Khaki for Sandwhisker. Bold for Nightstar.
Wordcount: 153

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[Sandwhisker]

§Sandwhisker§

Watching the ebony tom she grinned maliciously as the small thrush flapped its wings futilely under her silver hued paw. The wicked grin touched her eyes and she looked down at it, her gray blue ocular narrowing in cold satisfaction. The little animal chirped and struggled and she simply raised her paw, let it get a little bit away and then leapt once again, dragging it down by it's tail feathers.

Her paw over it's back once more she swiveled to look at her leader, wondering how batty he thought she was. Most swore she was descended from the ancient Tigerstar, with just how cold and nasty she was. Nightstar hardly saw that side, until now. She had let it slip infront of him and now she narrowed her eyes down at the little creature and then back to him, uncertainty clouding those pools.

His voice washed over her suddenly, causing her to lift her paw and let the little avian live another day.

"I'm just fine,"

She narrowed her eyes questioningly at him, that ruff of fur rising along her spine, her claws sliding in and out, indignity flaring in her. It was a like a smack in the maw when he spoke again

"Just fine."

She fought not bare her fangs and hiss. "Sure. Whatever you say Nightstar." She let her voice grow frosty and she stalked to the other side of the camp, her ears burning in anger and shame.

-Why can he not tell me the StarClan Forsaken TRUTH!-

She screamed the question in her head as she hunkered down in a small sheltered corner and lied her head on her paws, her gray blue orbs never taken off Nightstar and blank now, not betraying anything she was thinking or feeling. No cat should be able to shut the world out so, but oh, Sandwhisker could like an old pro and when those eyes went blank, it was almost scary.

[NIGHTSTAR !?]

The black tom's hackles raised slightly as he watched Sandwhisker acting mercilessly with the thrush. The animal was in pain. He winced a little; he had never seen one of his warriors treat prey so wrong. They were to be killed to sustain a cat's life. Not to entertain it. He was about to open his maw to cautiously say something (as to not offend the warrior), but she let the thrush go eventually, and that made Nightstar's fur flatten in relief. He blinked as she replied to his 'fine.'

"Sure. Whatever you say, Nightstar."

Nightstar was unsure if he was seeing it right, but Sandwhisker seemed to be a little... irritated. He watched as she slumped down in the shade. He frowned when her gray pools did not leave his pelt; however, they were blank and distant. He could not perceive anything, her orbs betraying nothing of her thoughts or emotions. Nightstar slowly grew uneasy, but he tried to not let it get to him. Instead, he opened his mouth to speak.

"How has hunting been?" he casually asked, attempting to break the eerie silence.

Muse: decent
Legend: Khaki for Sandwhisker. Bold for Nightstar.
Wordcount: 225

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