A Lone Daisy

[ofone]

Night had fallen on the mountain, and a medium sized calico she-cat was making her way around the mountain in search of prey. She hadn't found any, and she wasn't sure why she was looking anyway. This place barely had any prey, but this had been where she ended up tonight. She never had a constant home, she had various nests spread around the area outside the clans. She has a nice cave a few bear lengths up the mountain where she could take shelter. A nice moss bed, sound good about now. Her paws were kind of sore and she was pretty tired from the day's exertions.

Turning her eyes upward looking at the peak of the mountain, she wondered what was up there. She never actually went up the whole way, for fear maybe something dangerous was up in the high levels of the mountain. Down below it was relatively safe, except for your occasional fox, but those were somewhat easy to drive away and when she couldn't - she'd just run.

Talia padded forward sniffing the air, and looked at the line of trees she was following. She had no luck finding any prey so far and she felt like she needed a rest so he laid down a top of a grey boulder at the base of the mountain. Yawning the multi-colored she-cat curled up closing her eyes. I'll rest just for a bit, then I'll continue looking.

While Talia's eyes were shut, she remembered what it was like in the clan, and she was glad she was out of there. The ginger, white and black she-cat would have never made it to a warrior ceremony, and with her brother always nagging her, it was best for her if she left. She remembered Brindlepaw and how nice she was, until Talia's started breaking the rules and becoming troublesome and 'shameful'.

The she-cat lifted her head up to look at the stars int he sky. Wondering if Starclan was meant for her too, she still believed in them - just not in the declared rules for the clan. She hoped that was enough to admit her into Starclan when she had the chance, she had to see her sister Brindlepaw in the next life, she missed her despite her ostracizing Talia.

Looking down she decided to leap off the grey boulder and start her search again for prey. She stopped, however, when she saw a lonely daisy crowing out of crevice in the rocks. She stopped to look at it, maybe this was Starclan sending her a sign? She didn't know, she decided to bend down and smell it, the scent was warm and welcoming.

[Head{admin}]

Scarredheart was having a strangely good day. The memories that normally shifted across his eyelids whenever he closed his eyes were not haunting him today. The large, dark gray tomcat was laying on the ground beneath an overhanging rock, basking in the cool shade and the soft breeze that ruffled his fur. The sound of little paws scrabbling over the steep mountain, dislodging dirt and little pebbles, reached his ears, but he had no interest in hunting. No, today was a day of relaxing.

The soft wind carried with it the scent of another cat, and Scarredheart's ears twitched forward in slight interest. This was no Clan cat, he could smell, which didn't surprise him--Clan cats were not often found wandering around this barren, dangerous place. Raising his head from his forepaws, his pale green eyes caught sight of a young calico cat sniffing a little yellow daisy. Sitting up slowly, Scarredheart stuck to the shadows and simply watched the young cat for a moment, sizing her up. She didn't look very dangerous, and he figured she couldn't be up to anything bad if she had time to stop and "sniff the roses", as it were.

"Hello," he mewed, padding out of the shadow of the rock and into the warm newleaf sun. He normally didn't enjoy visiting with other cats, but today was a good day, and he felt he need to be friendly.

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[ofone]

( Alright, so I couldn't sleep, so I wrote a post for ya. :] )

Gasping in surprised Talia snapped her head up in the direction of the greeting. She was caught off guard, not expecting to find other loners or rogues about. She did run into them from time to time, but she just wasn't prepared right now. Glancing at the daisy Talia dipped her head in greeting. How embarassing, caught sniffing flowers...you mouse brain. He probably thinks you're weird now. If she could blush, she would have been a dark shade of red, but instead her black ears swiveled back in embarrassment. Although she was embarrassed she couldn't help but feel excited. She was meeting someone new! Her long black tail swished in the air happily. She didn't know this cat but she was happy she might be making a new friend. "Hi." She replied back grinning.

She looked up into the sky, and realized dawn had come. Maybe she had fallen asleep when she closed her eyes? Talia shook it off, it wasn't important anyway. "What brings you out this way?" She asked as the she-cat sat down when she was done checking the tom out for any kind of threat. Upon noticing this cat wasn't a threat, he had a much too friendly demeanor to be considered a threat, and thus far and she knew he wasn't one of those clan cats, he was either a rogue or a loner. The calico she-cat looked into the forest outlining the mountain, to find no prey hiding out in the small bushed and patches of grass - at least from what her eye could see from that distance. Sighing she turned back to the newly arrived tom. She looked him up and down and he seemed to have seen many moons, much older than she. She was barely warrior age by clan standards.

"I was out here trying to find some food, but I haven't had any luck." She mewed somewhat sadly, but with enough of a spark to her voice to sound too proud to admit defeat. "Haven't eaten since early yesterday morning." She added, her ears swiveling, a nervous habit she picked up a long time ago. Talia was normally a good hunter, but for her the prey seemed to be avoiding her from yesterday to now and she didn't know why. The tri-colored she-cat looked at the tom. "Prey running well for you?" She asked gently, licking a paw.

Setting her paw down, she tilted her head to the side, smiling at the tom. She wondered where he came from and what his story was. Everyone had a story, but that was none of her business until they became at least good friends. Talia go to her feet again, unable to contain her energy, which she often had pent up she swished her black tail excitedly, hoping and praying this encounter would go well. Back when she was in Valeclan, many saw her eagerness and happiness as a curse, and wasn't too socialized with other loners or rogues yet, so she didn't know they'd take it. She would have introduced herself but something kept her tongue bitten. She didn't want to overload the new arrival with too many questions or facts. She knew if she just met someone and they suddenly started yapping away, she'd tolerate it, but...she would be highly annoyed. She waited patiently with a smile for him to reply to the questions and statements she had already made before making anymore moves to being friendly, she had to be careful sometimes, or she'd step on someone's paws.

[Head{admin}]

((Well it was a lovely post ^.^))

He had come across a friendly cat, that was for sure. Scarredheart could see it just by looking at her, and the fact that she couldn't seem to sit still--this stranger was quite the energetic youngster. And youngster she was. Couldn't be much older than an Clan cat apprentice. A small frown creased his brow as the she-cat continued talking, asking several questions on spot. Not that it bothered Scarredheart, of course--he was a different type of rogue than most. But he had met many rogues and loners in the past lonely moons, and some of them, he knew, would tear this cat to shreds if they came across her and she acted like this. She couldn't have much experience, that was for sure.

"Ah, I was just coming here to relax some," he mewed, deciding to save his warning for later--if she continued to prove friendly, he'd warn her about being more careful. "It's easy to find solitude here." Solitude. Huh. As if he even had to find it. Ever since Gingerleaf died and he'd left MireClan, his life had only been about solitude.

The she-cat's next words made Scarredheart a bit uneasy. For a full-grown cat like him, a day was not all that long to go without food, but a young, still-growing cat would be suffering from something like that. I guess she's a tough youngster, he thought, wondering how a hungry cat could be so friendly and energetic. "There isn't much prey to be had up here." Glancing around him, he knew it was true. Sure, the various caves provided shelter for some rabbits or mice, but more often than not, those caves were occupied by foxes or adders. No, this was not such a good place to hunt. "Ever considered Whiteswan Lake or Crimson Meadow?" Perhaps she didn't know they existed. He couldn't think of another reason for a hungry cat to be here, rather than by the cool water or in the lush meadow. Unless she was just looking for adventure.

[ofone]

( Thanks Ivory! Your posts are nice too, the way you write is refreshing to read. :] )

Nodding Talia listened to his explanations. She sat back down and curled her black tail around her front white paws. The young she-cat had to learn to look normal and not so...happy? She couldn't help herself though, it's just the way she was. The multi-hued she-cat opened her mouth to speak but shut it as the tom continued. Solitude? Did he like to be alone? Talia found that hard to understand, she didn't necessarily want to be alone herself, but it was the way things worked out for her. "So you came here to be alone?" She asked looking around, this was a good place to do it, she thought, as no one was ever really around here when she came here.

She couldn't exactly read his facial expressions and didn't know what to make of him when she said she hadn't eaten. She was used to eating everyday, at least once and she hadn't yet today. Talia was somewhat worried she wasn't acting the way she should be acting, not that she wanted to be acting like anything else beside herself but something about this tom made her feel uncomfortable. He was friendly, yes, but he seemed to be thinking a lot. "No, there's not much prey here, I just came here for a challenge and a walk. If I happen to see prey, I'll try my best to catch it though." The young female smiled, thinking about her brother. Always trying to outdo her in the clan by catching far more prey than her, although she wasn't too sure he was doing it just to outdo her. Shaking of the thought, she mentally cursed herself for thinking of her brother. She hated him and he hated her, and so she should just let it go.

The tom's next words were no surprise to her. "Eh, yeah. I like those places, Crimson Meadow is my favorite." She thought about why she chose this place again, and added, "I like this place though, even though it's barren. It's quiet and peaceful and sometimes you can find hidden treasures, like that daisy over there." Her tail unwrapped itself and from around her paws and flicked it in the direction f the pretty yellow flower. She looked at it for a moment, wondering how it could be growing in a such a dry place, it hadn't rained a while.

[Head{admin}]

((Haha thanks. Your long posts make me want to do well, too ^.^))

"I suppose I come here to be alone, yes," Scarredheart replied coolly, shrugging his broad shoulders as he curled his long, gray tabby tail around his forepaws. "Or perhaps I come here because this mountain is a good deal different than other territory." Nah. I come here to forget, he added in his mind, closing his green eyes for a long moment. I come here to forget all the crap I've gone through. But you don't need to know that, young cat.

"I like this place though, even though it's barren. It's quiet and peaceful and sometimes you can find hidden treasures, like that daisy over there."

Scarredheart looked up at those words, and his eyes traveled over the dusty, rocky spokes of this barren wasteland. It was true, what she said, but he had never thought about it before. She was quite the philosopher, this she-cat. No doubt, there were hidden surprises, both good and bad, to be had on this mountain. Small caves that, once followed, led to the clearest, freshest pools of water any cat could imagine. And yet, those same caves could lead to a den of adders, whose one bite could kill a full-grown cat. And then there was that daisy.

A chuckle rumbled in Scarredheart's throat as he rose to his paws and padded over to circle the small yellow flower. He walked with a slight limp, favoring his left hind leg. A patch of fur was missing from this leg, revealing several deep puncture wounds from many moons ago. To this day, fur refused to grow there. Another scar, a claw mark, appeared to run down the left side of his body, parting the fur slightly. One could not say Scarredheart had not been in his fair share of fights. The sorrow hidden behind his pale green eyes attested to the fact that he had undergone far more suffering and pain than any one cat should have to deal with.

However, as he leaned down and sniffed the flower, before glancing up at Talia, one would not notice the horrible pain that dwelt deep within his heart. At least, only the most observant cat could tell, at this time, that he was dying inside. "It's a tough little plant, this one," he mewed ponderingly, glancing up at the hot sun that should have scorched it by now. "One must be, when one's alone." Now he felt like the philosopher.

[ofone]

( haha, that’s good I’m glad. Your posts make want to do better too, we make a good team. I love Scarredheart. ^_^ )

Talia nodded. She wondered why this tom would want to be alone, she could understand though. She herself didn’t mind being alone, but she couldn’t stand being in solitude for long. She didn’t ask further questions for fear of stepping on his paws. “Yes, it is different…it’s nice.” She looked around at the tan surroundings and the tall cliffs. Talia watched him for a moment before turning her head to look up at the peak of the mountain. “I always wondered what was at the top. It’s probably way different than what we’re used to. I never went to the top.”

The young cat curled her tail back around her paws when a breeze came and ruffled her fur, causing some dust to fly in the air. She squinted and felt sand hit her fur. She stood up when the wind stopped and shook her pelt, lightly, so she would not hit the tom with her sand particles. She hated things clinging to her pelt and hated being dirty, it was one of the worst things for her to think about. She cleaned herself excessively already. Not for appearances but for herself. Being unclean was one of her pet-peeved and couldn’t see how others could live without washing themselves at least a few times a day – like her brother and sister. There she goes, thinking about her littermates again. Why did she think about them so much? All they’d done was ignore her, hurt her, so why did she think of them so much? Shaking free of the thought she looked at him and heard him chuckle a little.

She smiled knowing she’d brought some happiness to this tom’s life, even just a little bit, at her mention of the lone yellow flower. She noticed, for the first time, he was heavily scarred on his hind leg. She was concerned as he was still limping, but said nothing. They seemed like old wounds. She’d never seen battles, so she wouldn’t know what it was like – she assumed anyway that these were battle scars. Maybe fight with other rogues or loners? Then again, he could be from another clan like her. Talia also noticed the long scar along his flank, she looked at for moment and tore her wondering gaze away as to not be rude. That was the last she wanted to be. Offending someone was not in her nature, and she tried to accept everyone as they came, but sometimes that was hard when they constantly put her down…like her family and clan.

She padded forward back with him to the flower. She was happy when she saw him taking some pleasure from its presence. She nodded in agreement, “Yes, that flower is strong, as all flowers are it is delicate but it can endure even the toughest conditions. Somehow. Like cats. We go through tough conditions, yet most of us can still come out alive, even if we have the hot sun boring down us all day. You know?” She looked at him watch the sun and didn’t much else after that.

“One must be, when one’s alone.”

This made Talia think, sending her deep into her mind. Things she tried not to think about. How delicate she herself was, out here alone. Dangers surrounding her at every opportunity, and yet she remained afloat. She tried to ignore how delicate life was; forgetting death even existed, even though it was all around her, had affected her own sister. Looking away from him, her green eyes seemed far off. She was suddenly scared of all the dangers out there. She shook off the thoughts and focused on the tom before her. Hoping he hadn’t noticed her moment of weakness. That was the last thing she wanted to come off as.

[Head{admin}]

((Ah, but when I wanna be lazy I can't, haha you won't let me))

What was up on the top of the mountain? Scarredheart shifted his gaze to the rocky slopes, wondering if it was even possible to reach the top. Perhaps the rocks would give way beneath one's paws. Perhaps the slopes got so steep, no cat could climb them. Or...maybe not. A small dust storm showered the two cats in light filth, and Scarredheart closed his eyes to keep the particles out. When it was over, he blinked his eyes opened and found that both he and the she-cat were dusted with dirt, but it didn't bother him--Scarredheart had stopped caring about his fur long ago. About the same time when he'd stopped caring about his life. Live? Die? He didn't care either way. The only reason he was still alive was because he'd not yet come across a cat strong enough to kill him.

The fact that this young cat shook the dust from her pelt reminded Scarredheart that some cats still cared about their lives. They still cared about breathing air and hunting prey. He heaved a heavy sigh and shook a single forepaw free of the dust. She was so innocent, this young she-cat. So interested in life and different places. And yet, she was quite thoughtful and seemed very smart. At least, as far as he could tell from these few minutes they had spent together. She seemed to understand things more than young warriors in MireClan had. MireClan. He shook his head to rid himself of the memory.

Another breeze picked up, this time leaving the dust be and simply ruffling his gray tabby fur. It even blew a bit of the dust off of him, as if StarClan were trying to say, "Look, not every force in the world is going against you." It sure felt like it, sometimes.

He could tell that his last words had sort of upset the she-cat. He hadn't really meant to say them in a sad or unhappy way...they had just sort of come out. One really must be tough when one's alone. There isn't a soul in the world to back you up, he thought, gazing at the she-cat uneasily as her face fell slightly and she seemed to gaze off into space, at a scene he could never see. But as he, himself, often did the exact same thing, he thought little of it...other than to feel a bit of sympathy, for he knew how quickly life could turn for the worse for a cat. Perhaps she had a hard past, too? "My name is Scarredheart," he mewed, not knowing what else to say. He didn't even know what to call her by, and neither of them seemed to be a threat to the other.

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[ofone]

( Haha, That’s probably a good thing, but my muse is really low right now, so this post won’t be so great. )

Talia saw that Scarredheart didn’t are he was covered in a light layer of dirt. How could he not care? She asked herself. She herself couldn’t stand being dirty so the idea of not cleaning herself was very strange to her. The young she-cat sensed an indifferent coming off from the tom, and wasn’t sure what caused it. Then a light wind came and ruffled her newly licked fur. It was like airing drying, she liked that. Some dust fell from Scarredheart’s pelt and she felt a little better. She would have stepped in and be mother like and clean him herself, but she didn’t know him, and quite frankly it would probably be weird, since he was a grown cat. Talia used to clean her siblings, even though they hated it.

Her siblings. Again she thought of them. Why? She didn’t need them. An they didn’t need her. Brindlepaw had needed her, but she failed her when she had greencough. Her brother however, didn’t need her, he didn’t even like her. She was an embarrassment to him, a blemish on is clan name, his reputation. A part of her wished they could get along but really, those wishes would never come true. Looking at Scarredheart she tilted her head to the side. He seemed to be thinking, but she didn’t know about what. He seemed to be a thoughtful tom and she liked that, she hated thinking she was the only one who thought too much, although she didn’t know if he thought of things she did, but he did think.

Talia hoped Scarredheart hadn’t seen her moment of weakness. It was the last thing she wanted. Talia wanted to be strong and independent, and hated thing getting in the way of that. She was alone now, and even though she had many obstacles in the way she knew she could make it. Although the thought for something out there destroying her life somehow, lingered over head like a rain cloud, heavy with water.

When the tom mentioned his name, she smiled. She finally had a name for the face. “I’m Talia. IF you’re lucky I’ll let you call me Tally.” She said smirking, flicking her tail excitedly. If he’d chosen to dhare his name it must have meant he wanted to be friends with her, right? The young she-cat liked making friends and meeting new cats.

Talia looked around. “Would you like to walk together? Maybe we’ll find some prey, who knows, maybe even a secret cave, that adders and foxes don’t know about.” She suggested her green eyes eager. She always wanted to explore with someone out here, she didn’t always like being alone and doing so.

[Head{admin}]

Again, the she-cat seemed to be pondering something, and it kept her silent for a few long moments. Scarredheart smiled slightly, and thought, What a pair we are. Gaps in the conversation simply for reflecting on things the other cat could never see or know. So, her name was Talia. She couldn't be a Clan cat, that was for sure--no Clan cat had a name like that. Unless she'd changed her name? But why would a Clan cat bother to change their name? If they had something to hide, he told himself, narrowing his eyes slightly as he sized her up. Should such a young she-cat really have something to hide, or was he thinking too much?

Scarredheart's smile dipped into a frown as Talia continued, suggesting they go on a walk. No, she was not very experienced, was she? "And you would trust me enough to go into a dark cave, where I could turn on you and tear your throat out?" he asked sternly, flexing his sharp claws in order to make his point. "Do you trust all strangers so easily?" He didn't want to look too intimidating, because he really wasn't going to hurt her, but he needed to get his point across. Great StarClan, any cat could pretend to be friendly, lead a innocent cat into a cave, and attack. Any cat at all.

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[ofone]

At Scarredheart’s words Talia froze. Green eyes glancing down to his claws, surprised at his sudden actions. “Well, you don’t seem like a nice cat, I mean…I dunno.” She felt nervous now, why was he acting this way? She didn’t understand. She never encountered another cat out here before, and she was happy he seemed very nice, but now, she wasn’t so sure. Her eyes were fixed on him in fear now. Perhaps he was just trying to teach her a lesson. Talia stepped back one paw step and looked away when she answered his next question.

“Well, kind of, you didn’t seem like a threat. I try not to worry about things like that or worry at all really. Worrying is an enemy, if I was constantly worrying whether every cat I encountered was gunna kill me, then I wouldn’t be living. That’s one of the reasons I left my clan, so I wouldn’t have to worry or just waste my life away.” She looked back at him, staring him in the eyes. He made her think about how stupid she’d been to trust him so easily, that was probably the whole point of him saying such things. Then she mewed quietly. “I won’t trust so easily again in the future, Scarredheart…okay? Unless you’re the one I have to look out for…” She trailed off glancing at his flexing claws.

[Head{admin}]

Okay, so clearly he'd made his point. Relax, Scarredheart, he told himself, closing his pale green eyes for a long moment as he let his claws retreat back into his paws. Well good, at least Talia looked a little concerned now. "There is no reason you would need to worry about me hurting you," he mewed at last, sighing heavily as he sat back down and curled his tail around his forepaws, hoping this action would allow her to relax. "I am not a cat you need to worry about. But there are other cats you need to worry about. But there are cats you do need to worry about. Trust me, I have met them. Some of them come around here."

He lifted his eyes to the sky, praying to StarClan for what to do. Should he stick around with this young cat and make sure she didn't get herself killed? He didn't like being around cats for very long, no matter how friendly. "Not worrying is a bad idea. Maybe you don't need to be as cautious as I am, but you do need to worry."

((Sorry, I was in a rush so I had to do that quick))

[ofone]

( It’s okay my muse is basically dead anyways. )

Talia nodded, “Thought so,” She smiled a little, weak but it was there. Her green eyes watched the tom for a moment before looking at the ground. When she glanced back up she saw him sit down. His next words kind of unsettled her but she did not let that show and sat down with him. “Oh. What’s their motive? I don’t really understand.” She’d become a rogue to be in a more peaceful environment and more free, how could she escape it? She was in thought for a moment. Worrying? A good idea? She could have laughed at that.

“Maybe worrying a little might be a good idea,” She didn’t actually agree with him so she didn’t meet his eyes. “Thought out here I could escape worry and needless confrontations. I guess I didn’t think it through. Still I’m happier out here, better than being back at my last home.”

[Head{admin}]

Oh, she was just so young. Scarredheart sighed and shook his head, glancing up at the sky as a swift breeze tossed dust into his pelt one more. "You could never escape worry and needless confrontations unless you decide to go hang out in a deep cave for the rest of your life, young one," he mewed, giving the she-cat a sad look.

"But I do understand about trying to escape your last home. I left my home several moons ago, and have never been back." He stopped at that, not wanting to go into detail about his past. "Where were you before here? I've been hanging around the Crimson Meadows recently," he continued. He wasn't asking her for her past, but rather where she had been traveling.