.xx. Just [to] Breath [again] .xx.

[.<>Azure<>Rain<>.]

Xx. The ambiance was full of the tranquil silence, as a silhouette of a feline made it's way through the terrain. The pads drummed the ground as it sauntered past each tree, but no noise came from the creature.
Suddenly, it gave a violent surge of speed, and was madly careening through the RainClan lands, it's paws now carelessly destroying leaves and snapping twigs. For long minutes it showed no indication of slowing, and if anything, increased the mad pace every chance it could. Through twisted corners he made his path known, and his legs stretched into giant leaps as he came upon bracken that was dense.
Then, as if he suddenly made up his mind that he had had quite enough, the tom slowed his vibrant body, and continued at his collected pace, moving steadily.

Finally, Nativedancer halted. He felt his travels were sufficient upon the moon's luminous beams, and that he no longer had interest for a silent trek. He lowered his haunches to the cooled ground, and gazed up at the stars, silent wonder running through his mind.
No, he didn't expect to find anyone out and about on this night. A part of him hoped no other creature would discover him sitting there, for it did seem a peculiar site. The RainClan deputy, gazing at the stars, miles from his camp? No other feline would understand his comprehension, for there really wasn't anything to it. He could have very well stayed at his dwelling if all he desired was to look upon the stars. But he had been feeling a sense of restlessness lately. Periodic runs through the wood seem to ease his mind, though he had no clue as to why.
As his orbs took in the dazzling stars that were in truth his ancestors, he pondered many questions. Nothing was said aloud, except for an occasional sigh here and there. Nativedancer was within his own world now, contemplating situations that held the utmost importance, to the very things other cats overlook everyday. .xX

[broomkee.<3]

A dusting of newly laid frost stuck to the tall grass waving in the light breeze as if it was a tail of a cat, flicking a farewell or a good evening. The moon gave off just enough light to see what was left of the brightly colored flowers, the late bloomers that would die and shrivel up soon enough. Leafbare wasn't the prettiest time to take a stroll through the Lullaby hill, nor was it the warmest spot in all of RainClan territory but it gave a pleasant view of Silverpelt and even though it was cold, damp, and dreary outside and by the looks of the coming clouds, rain would fall soon, it was a serene evening to take a peek at long lost family or friends in the stars.
In the distance, a tom, probably only the age of thirteen or fourteen moons, ran. Even in the moonlight he was as dark as midnight yet his eyes pierced through the darkness like stars yet even brighter. These were stars that could glow through clouds or fog. This feline seemed as though he was on a mission. That is what you would think, yes, but no. His speed began to pick up until he was sprinting across the moor land, those long strands of grass waving as he passed them but his tail kept close to the ground. Now do you see what this tom is doing out at night? I hope so because now his body began to move closer and closer to the ground until you could barely see him behind the tall grass. And then he stopped. All was silent for a short moment and then whoosh! At lightning speed the dark flash pounced and landed square on the late night hunting bird's shoulders. It let out a squawk that faded into the distance and with a grunt of success, the thin long-haired tomcat killed the bird. He picked it up in his jaws and was off again, his speed was calm and he looked as content as ever. He enjoyed late night hunting and with a keen eye sight like his own, it wasn't very hard to spot the biggest of the bunch.
The tom came up over the hill to spot a dark outline of a cat sitting but not ten fox-lengths away. Crowtalon was close to the Aurora's Faithful boarder, so he had to be careful. But a harsh breeze blew past him, carrying a smell of RainClan and Nativedancer, the RainClan deputy. Feeling much more comfortable, Crowtalon began to slowly walk forward, hoping not to scare the older tom. Her could see his breath in the cold night and knew it was getting colder out. Another breeze blew past, this time it was carrying the scent of Crowtalon to Nativedancer and a great feeling of relief rushed over him. He loved the wind and it's mysterious ways and after he dropped his bird near a clearly marked rock he padded up beside Nativedancer and bowed his head to the older tom. "Good evening," he murmured deeply, his voice cracking from not speaking for hours. He never spoke, only when it was polite or needed. Emotionless yellow orbs gazed at the Deputy with the hint of admiration and the dark tom then looked at the stars, admiring their beauty and grace.

[ﭏ/.Twilight./ﭏ]

[._Shadowdancer's breath created frosted particles in the air as she walked in silence. The only thing breaking the quiet was the soft crunch of her paws on half-frozen leaves. Silverpelt shined from above illuminating Lullabye Hill. Shadowdancer had wondered from her warm, cozy den after experiencing a particularly nasty nightmare. She had hoped that the frigid night air would clear her thoughts. But it didn't have the effect she hoped for, her thoughts kept coming back to the same dream and she had wondered farther and farther from camp until she was close to Aurora's Faithfull's borders. She shuddered as she gazed into the night in the direction of their land. They frightened her with their strange customs. Shaking her head, she walked on, her smokey pelt blending in with the dark shadows. A gust of wind brought the sound of a voice. Worried she lifted her nose and whiffed the air, she sighed in relief. It was just a RainClan cat, two of them in fact. She paused, puzzled. That was strange, two cats- three now, out in the middle of the night.

She quickened her pace, suddenly eager for the company of others. Maybe that would get her mind off that dreaded nightmare. As she came closer, she noticed that one of the odors was that of Nativedancer, the RainClan deputy. She wrinkled her nose in confusion, what was he doing out here? She twitched her tail, oh well, it's not like it was against the Warrior Code. She rounded the next hill, and the two cats were in sight. It looked as if they had just met, and weren't in any deep conversation. That helped, as she hated interupting a conversation and probably would have just left instead of stopping and conversating. The other cat, she noticed, was one she saw around camp but had never really conversed with. What was his name? It was on the tip of her tongue... Crowtalon! That's it. She thought, embarrassed that she had forgotten his name. She licked her lips as she saw that he had a bird, it looked good. She strode forward dipping her head in respective greeting to the too.
"Hello." She mewed, trying to keep the timidness out of her voice; she was just so dang shy!_.]

[.<>Azure<>Rain<>.]

Xx. Confusion seeped into his eyes, as the tom detected the scent of another feline, and quite close. Instinctively, his fur stood on end and full of a rigid texture, as he deciphered where the smell came from, and what story it held. However, after a brief examination, he found it was of his own clan, and that the cat coming was not a foe. He turned his cranium, though not his figure, to gaze at the starlight hills. To his surprise, the mystery feline was only a foot from his face, and now greeting him in a pleasant tone. The deputy nodded back, and moved his body frontwards once more, as Crowtalon moved beside him, and also looked to the astral bodies that lined the skies.
"I hadn't expected company, but perhaps it is good you found me." he murmured, almost too softly. It was true; he had wanted another companion to speak with, maybe not of his worries in particular, but just of anything. Anything there was to discuss.

However, before the conversation could take wind, Nativedancer sensed another approach. He hadn't scented it along the breeze this time; for he hadn't been paying attention, to wrapped in the confoundment of Crowtalon's arrival. But a feeling within his body had sounded the bell. The tom was not fearful as he had been the time before, as he looked over his shoulder blade. His orbs found Shadowdancer, his truest friend, quickly coming to the other warrior, and he.
After she had embraced them with a sunned welcome, he dipped his head to the femme. "Hello. A peculiar thing, we should all be restless on this night?" his voice held a puzzling tone, full of good natured humor. The deputy was certain it was a simple coincidence, though it didn't matter either way. He was simply grateful of the company. .xX

[broomkee.<3]

[& What he had thought as a peaceful hunt to clear his mind and feed the Clan had turned to a gathering spot it seemed. And the peak of his tall hill, sitting below the stars, it made him feel as though he could reach out a grab one of them. The light showing from the small crescent moon hung high in the sky and the light from the twinkling stars made him dizzy. No wonder Nativedance had come to witness their beauty. The soft voice the came from the deputy's mouth made him shiver and close his eyes for a long moment. He felt as though it was Troutcatcher speaking to him in her gentle tone but when he opened his eyes and saw the deputy of RainClan looking at the stars, he felt so alive and overwhelmed. Not once since... Ever! No one has ever spoken to him as though he was wanted and it made him feel especially honored for it to come from the mouth of his Deputy.
Suddenly, a breeze made his fur ruffle, and another scent washed over him. He had a way with putting scents to names and knew immediately that it was Shadowdancer. He had no possible idea of why she was out wandering this late, nor did he know why Nativedancer was out here either but the feeling he got when the smoke colored femme padded up to him made him feel like he wasn't alone anymore. They only thing that had been there for him this evening was a vole that he had been carrying in his mouth since the lake, but then left it back when he saw the bird. His shoulders loosened and he began to feel very comfortable, when most cats would be tense. Standing next to a Deputy could make anyone tense. But Crowtalon knew that for once, he could trust this cat and it took a lot for someone to gain trust, even the most little things. A few words, a gesture, or a smile.
As Shadowdance padded up to them, Crowtalon bowed his head in respect for the she-cat. She was only two or three moons older but he respected all cats older and wiser than himself. As Nativedancer spoke once more, Crowtalon moved his gaze to the stars again. The words sliced through the quiet night, almost seeming too loud for their surroundings but Crowtalon just shook his head and- Was that a smile? A small grin? Well maybe it was but it flashed away to nothingness and just stared at the once known cats of RainClan. "Very strange I must say, though I was feeling quite restless this night. A midnight hunt cleared my mind, yes it did," he murmured quietly, though in his sensitive ears it sounded louder than it really was. And those too sentences were just as long as he could go. He wasn't a talker, never was. Sighing, he set his tail over his cold paws and closed his eyes, yet he could still see the stars in his mind... &]

[ﭏ/.Twilight./ﭏ]

[._Shadowdancer grinned and waved her tail in gretting to Nativedancer. She nodded to Crowtalon also, and speaking to them both mewed,
"It is quite strange that we're all out at the same time, isn't it?" She pondered this for a moment, turning over different possibilites in her head. Dismissin everyone of them Then she heard Crowtalon speak of the reason why he was out.
"Same here, I had an... unpleasant dream..." She finished lamely, kind of embarrassed. She looked down and shuffled her feet, she hoped Nativedancer would understand what she meant, he knew about her nightmares. She looked up, her pale yellow eyes catching the starlight just right; making her eyes shine.
"Anyways, I went on a walk to clear my head too." She shuddered to herself, trying to shake off the remnants of the dream and the horrors it held. She often wondered why she had such dreams, and why they never escaped her. Sometimes, they were so vivid and realistic she woke up believing they actually happened! Other times they were crazy and balistic, and still others dull and faded. Each night, she anticipated a new dream. Only occasional would she have a reoccuring dream, and much more commonly she'd even have sequels to her strange nighttime fantasies._.]

---

ooc;; Sorry for the shortness, trying to reply to multiple rps at once. =/

[.<>Azure<>Rain<>.]

Xx. Nativedancer's head bobbled to both of the warriors. For a fleeting moment, his eyes rested upon Crowtalon, as a brief thought fluttered past his mind.
He is very respectful, for a tom that is in very close rank to those he talks to. It was true to Nativedancer; he had a fair impression of the other feline, believing him to be very honorable. He was not far behind in position to Shadowdancer, yet he treated her like the leader. He held no hot-headed brashness.
However, Nativedancer felt it was his turn to explain his presence in the secluded, star-filled night. For a moment, he wondered what exactly would be truthful, but yet, not enough to give away his sense of urgency. Finally, he brought forth these words.
"The transition into Leaf-fall has been difficult. I've been feeling restless, not because of the excessive work, but for a reason that I can't quite put my paw on."
A part of the respected tom wanted to break down the barrier between he and the other cats. Perhaps, if Shadowdancer and he had been lone, he would have confessed to her. But with another individual being here, he knew it was not a wise choice. Though Crowtalon surely would not gossip, Nativedancer felt that he should keep his sense of panic a concealed thing. No part of the Warrior Code stated a deputy could not share news and things with his clans mates, unlike a leader or medicine cat, but an emotional value halted him from spreading the apprehension to others.

The tom's orbs traveled to the prey that Crowtalon had brought with his self. He had seen Shadowdancer's longing gaze to it, but had dismissed the thought. Digging for words, he decided discussion of prey would be a well sought topic.
"Prey is still fresh and running. Perhaps we should all embark on a midnight hunt, just as you were doing," he looked to Crowtalon, "And you were going to do." the tom's gaze then flicked to the quiet femme.
Nativedancer had not been in a moonlight hunt in many seasons, the truth be told. The occupation of a deputy demanded work long into twilight, and labor starting at dawn. He was neither keen nor willing to add extra steps on to his daily plan. But on this night, something felt different. Like there was a sense of unity between them all. For the unspoken, perhaps unknown, reason that lay in their hearts. .xX

[broomkee.<3]

[& It was right then and there that Crowtalon realized that Shadowdance and Nativedancer were friends, good friends at that and the thought of not being a loner any more vanished from his mind. He felt as though he did not belong out here. Sighing, his gaze left the stars and ended down at his paws. He could barely listen to what Shadowdance was saying. As she spoke of her dream, he felt suddenly hot with fear that because he wasn't their friends, they didn't trust them with their secrets. It made sense. Not many cats trusted him, only Troutcatcher. He didn't speak to Shadowdance or even look at her. She only looked at Nativedancer, like he knew what she was talking about, which made Crowtalon feel both clueless and loner-like. That was normal.
But the catch of Nativedancer's eyes made him feel slightly uncomfortable and the feeling that he just wanted to run, grew and grew. His words, they didn't seem like truth to Crowtalon, and he was one that could see through lies easily. He could very well tell that he wasn't telling the truth. The whole truth. There was something going on in Nativedancer's mind that made Crowtalon feel interested but he also didn't want to snoop. So he said nothing about it. Shadowdance and him were good friends, very good friends, and to tell each other their secrets, Crowtalon could not be there. He had never had a good friend, a close friend, but no one ever thought to get close to Crowtalon. Thats what hurt the most.
But his Deputy's offer to hunt made him nod slowly, automatically. He knew that, with prior hunting, it was a very nice evening to hunt. No fog, a slight breeze, and not too cold. And hunting with some company would be nice, even though they probably just wanted to talk to each other and without him. He sighed quietly, and for the first time in a few minutes, he looked up from his paws and at Nativedancer. His quiet voice was merely a whisper as he croaked a few words. "Yes. Pleasant night to do so." He spoke quick, glanced at Shadowdance and then looked back up at the stars. Whoever loves me up there, dear StarClan, why do you not look down on me? &]

[ﭏ/.Twilight./ﭏ]

[Awwww, I feel sorry for poor Crowtalon. ]

[._ Shadowdancer felt a radiance of discomfiture coming from Crowtalon, she was unusually atune to others feelings, though she had no idea why he felt that why. Must be something from before he met with us. She thought to herself, she tried to catch his eye and smile; it made her nervous when others where on uneasy. Her eyes strayed to his prey again, and realizing she was staring she quickly jerked her gaze away. Then Nativedancer suggested a late night hunt. Immediately, Shadowdancer's smoky ears perked up her eyes brightening.
"That sounds like a great idea!"[/color] She mewed enthusiastically, she looked at Crowtalon as he agreed and she twitched her tail. She noticed he only seemed half-hearted about his agreement, and his reply seemed almost... reflexive. She soon forgot this though because she could feel her stomach growling at her. She didn't feel like quarreling with her hunger at the moment.
"So, shall we split up? Stick together..?" She trailed off, realizing she was getting ahead of herself. Nativedancer was the deputy after all, he would make these decisions. She felt a tingle of happiness as she remembered this, and reminisced on how proud she had been. It hadn't been too long ago, but he had done such a great job so far!
She resisted the urge to pace, bounce on her feet or any other motion that was relatively distracting. She no longer felt the ebbs of drowsiness and was completely awake. This dampened her spirits for a moment as she thought of the difficulty it would be trying to get back to sleep when the nighttime excursion was over. But as usual, she bounced back, shrugging it off in a matter of moments looking excitedly from Nativedancer to Crowtalon; she hadn't been on hunt in a long while._.][/size]

[.<>Azure<>Rain<>.]

[ooc;;] Ya...... me too. =[


Xx. Nativedancer's orbs stayed clearly focused to the stars, for am elongated minute. He heard Crowtalon's voice, but it was soft. Too soft. Out of the corner of his eyes, the tom examined the other male, that sat close by. He felt a small trace of... resentment? Perhaps he wasn't registering it correctly, or maybe he was finding things that simply weren't present. However, the diminuative indication had pricked him hard, and he began to think over the matter, within the private enclosure of his mind.
His maw was quick to answer, but I feel something in the air. It seems I've disappointed Crowtalon, though I have no clue as to why. Could it be because he is tired of hunting? the deputy thought the question over a second. Momentarily, he answered it his self. No, it wasn't hunting that was the dispute, for Crowtalon had been hunting only a few hours before. There was an enigma for Nativedancer to solve on that expired twilight, and the other tom would be investigated.

The whole process of thinking had only taken a handful of seconds from the real world. Now he turned his attention to restless Shadowdancer, who was extremely eager. He too felt excitement flicker at the thought; long weeks had passed since a peaceful recreational time with friends was spent.
"Yes, let's get moving. It really doesn't matter to me if we split up, or try and do this as a team. What would you like Crowtalon?" Nativedancer's tail twitched, as he gazed at him with adventure radiating from his being. The tom hoped that Shadowdancer would not feel he was focusing to much other their other companion; but being the intuitive feline she was, Shadowdancer would probably figure what he was getting at. Relieve some of Crow's stress, and make him feel like an equal; make him feel that Nativedancer wanted to be his friend. .xX

[broomkee.<3]

// ooc :: don't feel bad. :] this is just the way he is. \\

[& Regret soon became a factor to Crowtalon. He regretted coming out here on this glorious evening to hunt for his Clan. He regretted coming over to speak to the Deputy, even though that would be outrageously rude and he had learned from his foster-mother and foster-father that respect was key. And the place to start, was to be polite. But even though it had been polite, he should have smelled the other feline, Shadowdance, and if he had smelled that, he would have known how close the two were, and would have left them alone to speak to each other in private, for maybe they even meant to meet each other out here on this very night. And now he regretted acting like himself, like a loner, because now, he felt awfully uncomfortable and he willed himself to be asleep in the Warriors den, in his corner of course, with all the other nests laying farther away, even his sisters had moved closer to the other younger warriors. So now he was really where he was in his mind. And that was alone.
Crowtalon was personally fine with going hunting some more in the hills. He felt like running through the open plains would clear his mind and make him start thinking about other things other than being just another speck of dust in the gleaming sunlight. He mostly thought of being Leader one day, but not in the kind of sense that made him power hungry. Then he thought of pretty she-cats, the stars, what his parents were like, Troutcatcher, and other random things like how many pieces of prey he could catch by sunhigh. It was all better than the thoughts rushing through his head.
These thoughts blocked out most of what Shadowdance and Nativedancer had been saying for the past minute or so and when a question was directed to him, he snapped back into reality, both felines were looking at him and he thought of what Nativedancer's question meant to him and how he was probably trying to include him, since no one ever asked his opinion. Crowtalon's eyes raised from the ground and met Nativedancer's. "I don't really mind, but splitting up probably won't get us much more than sticking together. There isn't much out tonight," he murmured, louder than before, but still quiet and soft. He blinked back surprise that he had given his opinion and shook with unease, but he waited for a response, hoping it was good. &]

[ﭏ/.Twilight./ﭏ]

[._Shadowdancer was confused at first by Nativedancer's motives, then suddenly it all clicked together. Of course, how could she not realize, even if it only was for a couple seconds, that Nativedancer was trying to make Crowtalon feel included. She smiled warmly, thinking about how nice he was. Then Crowtalon spoke his opinion, he seemed slow and as if it was carefully thought out. He was speaking a little lounder than before, but it wasn't very noticeable. She noted after he was done speaking, he seemed worried as if they would beat him if he was wrong. This confused her, why should his opinion not valued? Even if by the deputy. She shrugged mentally, and thought up an encouraging reply, because, truly, it was a good point. "That's a good point, Crowtalon," She mewed, echoing her thoughts. "It probably won't make a difference."[/color] Her eyes still glinted with excitement as sure half-turned toward Nativedancer and swiveled her ear, waiting for him to make the final descion. Maybe Crowtalon is like me... She wondered her thoughts drifting. It certainly seemed like it, though his unsuriety was diffinately more pronounced. In fact, no one in the clan would guess that Shadowdancer was insecure. Only one person knew, and that was Nativedancer. Crowtalon seemed edgy and anxious around other cats, which was just the way she felt around other cats too! Though, maybe, it was just because he was about to go hunting with the deputy and was nervous about being his best? Now she was going in circles in her mind, and she stopped, stumped. As usual, she wished she could ask him, or at least know what he was thinking but, also as usual, there was no way in the world she would ever ask any cat such personal questions. A sudden chilly breeze swept through the clearing, shaking her from her pondering. She shivered, her teeth chattering. She felt as if all the warmth had just been swept from her body. She wished for a moment she was huddled back in the warm den, and not out here on this drafty hill. The anticipation of the hunt seemed to fade and dip before it kicked back up again. She didn't want to go back to sleep, no, not when the nightmare was flickering on the edges of her conciousness. Frigid or not, she would rather hunt then feel that same fear the clouded her thoughts everynight._.][/size]

[broomkee.<3]

[ ooc_:: Well it seems as though Twilight is gone. Rainy, what would you like to do with this post...? ]

[.<>Azure<>Rain<>.]

[ooc; There was something that happened... and I suppose Twilight left the site for good because of it. *sigh* So... I guess there isn't much to do.... perhaps you and I could restart things on a different thread, just Crow and Native?? I dunno.]

[broomkee.<3]

[ooc;; sure. but im not making the thread! XDD you can make it whenever you can no rush. ^^;;]