::A New Moon:: ||has dawned|| (PRIVATE)

[Sapphirestar]

A nose was poked into the den's gloom, soon followed by a body. Sapphirestar slipped into the darkness of her den, enjoying once more the feel of the sandy ground and the freshness. She had been away so long; she had seen so much; she'd forgotten about the warm, sweet scent, the rock walls, the soft nest. She sighed, sitting at the entrance, reticent to disturb the peace of the deserted den. I almost forgot how good it is to be here.
She'd been gone a long time, yes. How long? She didn't know... she didn't remember. It was last greenleaf, while hunting out with the apprentices...
How had Peachpelt done with the Clan? Any events, news? So many questions...
Sapphirestar had slid into the camp as inconspicuously as she had been able to; she hadn't wanted to face the Clan quite yet. She'd climbed down the sheer cliff at its highest, just over the entrance to her den, barely clinging on with her powerful claws and hindquarters. She still didn't know how she had done; maybe it was the events she had just lived...
She suddenly remembered something and glanced at her flank: a long gash ran across it, still looking fresh. She looked around her den, trying to remember where she had stashed the few herbs she had once kept, in case there was an emergency and the medicine cat had been absent. She followed the special scent to the secret stash and dug up a few yarrow leaves and burdock roots - some of the only herbs she partially knew how to use - which she chewed into a pulp and applied to the wound. She then lied down in the back of the den and relaxed, carefully concealing her weak side.
She lay her head on her paws and listened to the outside rummage.


[she's forgotten to wash her own scent off the stones and the aire outside ;-) ]

[Amberpaw]

The body that had moved into the deserted leader's den had caught her attention. To many things had been going on lately for her to ignore this. The black and white she-cat abandoned her post at the entrance to the camp, moving quietly around the edge of the camp. Her paw steps were light on the ground, and her pelt blended into the background. These days, she was almost undetectable- it was just her thing. Silent stalker- her nickname she had rightfully earned.

The she-cat paused at the entrance, opening her jaw to taste the scent. Definitely not ThunderClan- the scent was to musky and wild to be from their clan. Unsheathing her claws, Amber jumped into the den with an angry hiss. "Who are you and what are you doing in ThunderClan territory?!" She ordered, her voice layered with hostility. The face of the intruder was directed at the back of the wall, so the only thing she could see was the ragged pelt. Ever since the badger attack in WindClan... Amber pushed the thought out of her mind. Things have never been the same.


[I'm having Amber act like Sapphire has been gone for a while. Peach has died in the badger attack against WindClan, and the clan has been running itself. She called herself Amber, not Amberpaw, because they didn't have a deputy or leader to promote anyone. **Remember the last training thread they had, Amber was going to be promoted to a warrior. But then the plot started and Amber decided to wait.**]

[Sapphirestar]

[Good thinking, I like the Amber-name idea]

Startled, Sapphirestar's head swivelled to face the cat, but she stayed put; she knew that only ThunderClan cats would act that way right up into the ThunderClan camp. Because of Amberpaw's shadow, not only was the leader's face covered by darkness but she could not distinguish the cat - and the roof of her mouth was still tingling with the taste of herbs. But the voice gave itself away; a smile flickered across Sapphirestar's features.
"My name is forgotten and I have duty in this territory," she responded gravely. Would the apprentice recognize her? Doubt was forming at the back of her mind, the same doubt that had been gnawing at her for the past two moons. Was her apprentice still... an apprentice? Sapphirestar caught a hint of repressed sorrow - or was it regret - behind the hosility in Amberpaw's voice. Had something bad happened?

[Amberpaw]

With all of the commotion lately, Amber didn't think about the leader that had disappeared all those moons ago. Instead, she acted on her first instinct- to protect. Her claws remained unsheathed and she straightened out her stance, blocking the entrance more with her body. "Whatever you're business is, state it now. ThunderClan has no room for intruders." Her voice was hard and uncaring. Whatever "business" this cat had in their clan, it wasn't that important. Otherwise, they would have gone to the guard at the camp entrance. Sneaking into a den doesn't sound like business to me. Maybe it was a spy from ShadowClan? StarClan knows that they had been quiet for too long... Now would be the prime time to attack to- with there being no leader or deputy to control them.

Or maybe a rogue had wandered into the camp? To steal, perhaps? Possibility. The black and white she-cat opened her mouth slightly, only to be hit with a scent she had missed. "What are you doing with ThunderClan herbs?" She spat, ears going flat against the back of her head. "Our medicine cat can't afford to be wasting those- especially on cats we're not responsible for." Who did this cat think they were? Barging into someone's camp, stealing herbs... and the badger attack hadn't been so long ago. Bellrose would defiantly need all the herbs she could get! A low growl rippled through her throat as Amber grew impatient waiting for a response. "You better remember your name now- or I'm going to have to remind you myself."

[Sapphirestar]

Sapphirestar listened amusedly to Amberpaw's speech, but was suddenly taken aback by the"wasting those herbs". Oh no. This meant trouble. This meant that something bad had indeed happened, and that Bellrose needed all the herbs she could get. This meant...
Then Sapphirestar remembered what she had noticed while climbing down: no guards, small but plump fresh-kill pile, no scent of Bellrose, no kits playing... only some warriors hanging in ones and twos, seemingly not even sharing tongues.
And she had been treating herself before others.
StarClan...
This was what two moons of wilderness did. She had forgotten her duties of leader; she had forgotten Clan spirit, she had forgotten all sense of membership - she had forgotten so much. New knowledge about hidden threats outside - about how to hunt when there is nothing to hunt, about how to kill when when you were about to loose, about how to be strong and impartial when the world was crumbling around you, about how to fight with every little parcel of your brain, with tooth and claw, to the ends of your capabilities, against enemies thrice the size and treaturously cruel, about which alien herbs to use on which wound when the native flora was different then the one you knew - all this knowledge didn't help a Clan in need.

A wave of guilt washed over the bestruck leader, instantly repressed by her new instincts.
Be strong at all times.

Sapphirestar was now graver, but she still had some mischief at the back of her mind. Now was the time or never to see if her apprentice had learned well the lessons she had taught her - to see if she had been a good mentor.
Test begins - Now.

"Show me."

[Amberpaw]

[Is she going to win? Or did you have other ideas?]

A low and furious growl rose from the back of Amber's throat. "You dare to challenge me in my own territory?!" She hissed, his liquid-fire eyes narrowing into slits. Who did this cat think she was?! Did she have no knowledge at all about clan life? How futile it was to challenge someone on their own soil? Especially, someone who had been trained by the best... someone who had been prepared all her life to ward off intruders.

The room was small; even with her small size, jumping into the air would be out. The black and white she-cat would have to use ground moves- preferably staying on all fours. Amber's mind raced through multiple ways to attack in a matter of seconds, taking in the size, lighting, and objects present. Also- the most important thing for her- what this cat could know.

Waiting gave the opponent an advantage. So without wasting another moment, the small she-cat shot toward the loner with her back legs. Before you could say mouse, she had her right front paw out, claw's aimed at the cat's shoulder.


[Kinda bad post... I have a hard time starting off fights xD]

[Sapphirestar]

[I'm actually not sure... oh, wait. Sapphirestar, as said before, spent some time in the wild and has learned a lot more [dirty] moves than a Clan cat could ever imagine. Yeah, she'll probably win, but only because of that xD]

Sapphire (let's call her that... she's not really leader right now) lithly side-stepped and Amberpaw's claws barely grazed her fur; but the move was a very good one and startled her slightly. Instantly she regained control of her thoughts and stood stock-still, barely shifting her weight to prepare for the next attack. Her mind was now clear, calm, serene, instead of the muddle of feelings and adrenaline it used to be - before the wild.

[Amberpaw]

[I'm cool with losing ]

It was like she was in the training field again- watching Peachpelt and the other mentors train their apprentices. Ever since her mentor had disappeared, the black and white she-cat had been the cat to act as the "other cat." While it may not have seemed like she was getting the right amount of training at the time, she realized now that substituting for everyone was the best training she could have received. So the instant she felt her front paws miss their target and hit the ground, Amber knew exactly what to do next. Without bothering to shift positions, she leaned on her front paws and lashed out sideways with her back claws.


[Kinda like shifting positions, but she's lashing out with her back claws and what not =]... just in case you got confused.]

[Sapphirestar]

An instinct made Sapphire crouch at the very moment the apprentice landed, so that when she kicked the lithe she-cat was already gone. Sapphire instantly leapt forward under the apprentice's belly; she felt claws graze her skin once more as Amberpaw's back paws dropped back to the ground, having not found their target; but, barely taking notice, she swooped the apprentice's hind legs with a powerful blow, leaping away before Amberpaw could fall on her.

[I'm trying to find a way to get hurt without compromising the chances... I think it'll all end with Amber's exhaustion because of the intensive "dirty" fighting and Sapphire's sudden stab of pain where her wounds re-open xD We'll just have to see. Meanwhile, this is a good training for creativity!]

[Amberpaw]

A small whooshing sound made Amber cursed under her breath. She had hit the cat but only slightly, and now she felt her back legs being swept out from under her. The black and white she-cat knew this was a very bad position to be in. The other cat now had the upper paw, and she was almost inches away from losing. It was while she was falling to the ground that Amber remembered something- something she had learned at a time that didn't seem to long ago. Go with it.

Peachpelt had always been a very laxed she-cat- one that would rather settle things with words then resort to conflict. It was during one of their few training sessions when the ginger she-cat had given Amber some sound advice. "When going against an opponent," The deputy had said, continuing to circle around her. "It is better to go with what is coming rather then trying to resist it." Peach had stopped circling around Amber and settled for standing in front of her so she could look her square in the eyes. "Let's use what just happened as an example: I'm running at you and I try to push you onto your back. You could try to use your weight to stand up to the force, but it would be easier if you just went with the attack. That way, you could roll with it- throw me off and then attack when I'm down. Always look for something that's easier for you in the long run."

The deputy's advice hadn't failed her since- now, Amber was going to use it to her advantage again. As she felt herself fall to the ground, the black and white she-cat let her body absorb the fall as she landed on her side. Then, just as quickly as she had fallen, Amber used her new position to roll back onto her paws. Her amber eyes turned to focus on the ragged she-cat again before she lashed out with her right paw.


[Not a big fan of the last paragraph...]

[Sapphirestar]

[don't be so harsh on yourself, I really like that last paragraph ^^]

Sapphire paused for a heartbeat or two, her imposing if bedraggled and rugged features outlined against the light. Her eyes flashed as the light shone on a paw, and she instinctively lashed out with another paw to beat the coming blow off. She was surprised at her own move and slightly un-balanced, but quickly regained assurance. Where had she learned such things? That was a very strange move...
But the she-cat barely had time to think this before her powerful new instincts coursed a message through her blood.

When you were out in the wild, the first thing you learned was to expect anything from your adversary and never be surprised. Anticipating your opponent's moves was impossible - for a cat it could be managed, but a badger did not hold for such things, and a wolf had no use of your anticipation; wolves worked by the law of probability, not capability.

Wolves.
The nastiest creatures StarClan had ever set their eyes upon.
And even StarClan hadn't been where Sapphire had been.
One learns fast when the only law is that of cruelty and hunger.
Tooth and claw was a minor detail in such a world.

She automatically flung herself onto the opposing wall, right over and behind Amberpaw and stood there, her limbs trembling with vitality, her head clear of all thought or emotion, hard set in instinctive speculation - ready for the next attack.


[bleh... that tasted horrid xD]

[Amberpaw]

Amber eyes flashed wide as her paw was smacked away. Normally, a cat would have tried to dodge the move rather than try to deflect it. She had never seen a move like that before- very useful and practical. Although it did come with it's flaws. By batting her paw away, the outsider lost her balance for a moment. The black and white she-cat would have used this opportunity to attack again, if she had an opening.

Her amber eyes shot open wide as the outsider jumped over her and landed on the wall. The cat had used her unbalanced state to launch herself out of the way, just like Amber had done earlier. Who is she? A low and irritated hiss rose from the back of her throat as she spun around to face the ragged cat. "Who are you?!," She seethed, her amber eyes narrowing into slits again. None of it made any sense to her. So many opportunities to attack her... why? "Why won't you attack me? Why?!" Anger pushing her beyond words, Amber launched herself at the rogue with claws outstretched. She was going to make contact... she was going to get rid of this parasite herself. ThunderClan couldn't afford to have thieves running about.

[Sapphirestar]

Sapphire had turned slightly sideways, her mind suddenly clear of all thoughts. Then, slowly, her mind began to focus, her vision blurred slightly, and the stranger inside her began to leave some space for Sapphirestar, ThunderClan leader and Clan cat. Words came through to her as if through a cloud, yet clear and laden with meaning: "Who are you?" said the voice. Sapphire looked away again, her body parallel to the cave's wall, her flank open to attack - but she didn't seem to mind. And this Sapphirestar, this civilized ThunderClanner, was saying: This has been going on long enough.
"Why won't you attack me? Why?!"
Sapphire suddenly turned her eyes, her bright, piercing, sapphire eyes to the oncoming threat, and light from outside caught her pelt which, although matted and dirty, flamed fiery ginger.
Heartbeat.
Oustretched claws were ignored as instincts took control.
Heartbeat.
Adrenaline coursed in her veins as powerful back-legs launched her forward with surprising speed.
Heartbeat.

In one moment, Sapphire had pinned Amber to the ground, holding her still with the force of her gaze. They were nose to nose - like that time in the Oak Tree clearing, way before the badgers, before the wilderness, before the entire world changed for both Amberpaw and Sapphirestar - before the pain, before the deceit, before the grief...
In one flash, something seemed to pass between them.
Sapphire felt like this was once more mentor and apprentice.
She stood there, pinning Amber on her back, eye in eye, thinking and not thinking at the same time, unsure yet filled with assurance, remembering the words, letting them flutter in the storm of her past, for what seemed like an eternity.
Then Sapphire bent her head sideways and whispered:
"I think we could make a warrior out of you yet."



[[And a little - or a lot - Hollywood drama to make this scene memorable and epic ^^ Tell me if I went too far on the drama...]]

[Tigerfire]

((Tigerfire walked out the warriors' den to see a bedraggled cat fighting with Amberpaw. Her scent carried that of the wild, unexplored regions. She was a vicious fighter, just short of savage. It was as if she was not in control of her body. Who knew why?

He walked to the scene. "Amberpaw, break it up!" he said before turning to the other cat and asking "Who are you?"))



Note by Sapphy:: I may sound over-controlling, I'm not sure if we shouldn't just ignore this post... no offence, Tigerfire! It is partly my fault not to have made it clearer...

[Sapphirestar]

[[gaaah, I thought I had told you in my PM not to post here! I'll have to change the title, anyway... I hadn't bothered before, because there is, like, no one active in camp, but this will be marked PRIVATE]]