Morning Stroll [Open !]

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Out from the bushes, a pure white tom padded out into the sunlight towards the lake. He bent down to get a drink of water and catch sight of a fish under his reflection. Quickly but quietly, he dipped his paw into the water and tried to grab the fish. He was just a couple of seconds away from it when he had bent a little to far and splashed into the river himself. He made his way to the surface and looked around the area to make sure no one way there to embarrass himself. Gosh, why am I so clumsy this morning.. He made his way back to shore and shook his pelt sending water in all directions and began to groom himself.

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[>))*~.:Crystalstar:.~*((<]

<sup>Moving on silent silver paws, the RiverClan lynx danced her way towards the lakeside, paws barely seeming to touch the earth beneath her. A warm breeze flirted with her pelt, weaving in an intricate pattern through the silky fur. Pausing to revel in the beautiful day, a rounded head lifted to the periwinkle sky, a velvety nose working to retrieve the smells from the forest. A long, feathered tail darted across the grass as Crystalstar opened her mouth slightly, shining optics closed to concentrate. The leader hadn't been out in a while, and it was a relief to escape her leader duties, even for a few moments, to snatch at memories of the warrior days. A hunting patrol seemed a separate life to her; Ever since she had taken over her Clan's leadership, there had always been some problem at camp waiting to spring up.

Today, it had been the dangerously low fresh-kill pile. Whether the cats were lazy on this beautiful day, or still recuperating from the badger attack, not many Clanmates had been out to catch a few pieces of freshkill. She didn't blame her Clanmates one bit - the chance seemed to be served on a silver platter to Crystalstar, so she could wrap her mind around finding prey - and that alone. Now, stationary as a statue, the cat narrowed in on the scent of a plump vole, optics snapping open to pinpoint on the tiny rodent. Her small frame melted to the ground like a puddle, and she nearly slithered across the ground, silent as a shadow. About ten pawsteps away, the cat leapt, spinning in mid-air to compensate for the extra distance supplied by her legs, and sent her fangs to deliver the fatal blow.

Holding the prey loosely in her jaws, a scent wafted in past the vole. Tilting her head to the right, she could place it easily - in her sleep even, as she could with all of her Clanmates. Keeping her steps light to keep the prey around, the lynx of a leader padded up to Icefoot, a low rumble of a purr beginning to form in her chest. "Good day, Icefoot. Is the prey running well for you?" Her honey-like voice floated in the air, her form too late to see the cat splash into the water. However, the water drops racing off her her Clanmate's pelt was suspicious enough. If it's a story that wishes to see the light of day, I'm sure I'll hear it. Her philosophy of the moment ran through her head, quietly sitting down and placing the vole by her paws, wrapping her tail around her left paw.</sup>

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[OOHHH! RPing with the master of RPing ): I hate you pro RPers]

Icefoot, so concentrated on grooming himself did not even notice another cat come up from behind her. He quickly turned around, still dripping with water on his pelt and was surprised to see his clan leader behind him. Truly this cat was a cat of her wonders, Icefoot had not even heard a single footstep of hers approach him. He lowered his head as a sign of respect and quietly greeted Crystalstar, "Hey CrystalStar, Surprise to see you out of Camp. I haven't seen you out of the camp for a while." He let out a crooked smile and remembered that he was still wet from the accident before. "Good day isn't it? I haven't exactly tried to catch any prey yet," The white tom lied in an almost convincing tone of voice. I couldn't embarrass myself in front of Crystalstar now.. "I just came down to get a drink of water and to cool off. What bring you down to the lake? Icefoot had managed to dry himself off as much as he could and he lay himself down on a patch of grass so that a beam of sunlight would shine on his pelt making it almost sparkle with the remaining water droplets. The tom's green eyes focused at the leader, awaiting her reply and his ears alert for Icefoot was always on guard.

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[>))*~.:Crystalstar:.~*((<]

<sup>Watching the white-pelted tom groom himself, Crystalstar's jaws parted in a calm and reassuring smile - one she had grown used to wearing around her Clan. However, it was only an act in the most dire of situations - usually she was calm and happy around her Clan. Most of the cats that were around her had been brought up with her, and she knew them well. It used to be that Crystalstar was pressured by the cats around her, looking into her uncertain eyes for guidance, and cracking underneath the expectations. And now, the lynx had fallen effortlessly into gliding along with her Clan. She had many reliable Clanmates, and the time since the Badger attacks had been nothing but peaceful.

A few crystalline water droplets flicked onto her fur as Icefoot whipped around, and the silver leader couldn't help but send a few notes of laughter into the air, grooming the now-wet fur. "It's true indeed; The camp has seemed to have been the only part of the forest I've seen for the past few moons almost." Except for Gatherings and the occasional patrol, of course, Crystalstar had really been missing the freedom that wandering around their territory gave them. At the break in her comrade's speech, she raised an eyebrow at the state of his fur, but the twinkle in her eye told that she was more amused than curious.

In his next comment, Crystalstar let out a wonderful sigh, the air rushing around them. Closing her silver eyes again, she clung to the fresh scent of the forest, purring, soaking up the heat on her pelt. "A far too marvelous day to stay inside my stuffy old den, I'd say. I'm growing quite plump from the lack of movement!" This wasn't entirely true - Crystalstar still held the dignity that the Clan leader should, although she was slightly larger than most of her Clan. And that's why I'm here now. Smiling at Icefoot again, her focus shifted to him, eyes meeting his, and warming.

Nodding at Icefoot's next comment, her never-ceasing purr grew in volume. "A perfect day for a swim as well?" You couldn't blame her - the day was hot in temperature, especially for this weather. Watching him lay down in the grass, Crystalstar settled down as well, lying with her two forepaws stretched out, and hind legs tensed, like a sphinx. "I came to move around the forest, catch a few pieces of fresh-kill, and snatch some air that doesn't reek of Stormfrost's herbs!" A joking tone crept into her voice, and humor into the leader's face. "Don't get me wrong, I love her for what she does, and she does it well, but sometimes the smells get to me! How about you?" It was harmless small-talk - the sun forbade any heavy conversation between any cat.</sup>

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Letting out a tiny grin, the white tom looked up towards the sun. It sure is a nice day, I wonder what the other cats in Riverclan are up to. Hopefully they aren't still sleeping. Those apprentices can sleep for a whole moon and still not wake up. Icefoot laughed to himself and looked across the lake. "You sure are right Crystalstar, the smell pretty much makes my nose shrivel up and the sight and smell of blood. . ." Icefoot stopped in the middle of his sentence, memories for being a medicine cat apprentice filled his head and the sight of all the bloody warriors filled his head. Closing his eyes, Icefoot tried to shake the memories out of his mind but they only got more vivid and clear each time he took his head form side to side. Icefoot had many nightmares of this event, it occurs to him often even during the middle of the night, waking him and forcing silent yowls out of his throat. Since then he had found a new way of chasing the thoughts out of his head. He stood absolutely still and took a couple of deep breaths. He parted his lips, his eyes still closed and continued his sentence, "The sight and smell of blood . . . it drives me insane." The tom opened his green eyes again and let out a deep sigh. Thank God thanks over, I have to change the subject quickly, or else I'll be retelling my past again. Or wait, doesn't she already know about the incident? Icefoot muttered to himself and looked back up at his leader with a half fake smile on his face. "Maybe we should go catch some more fresh-kill for the clan, perhaps a little contest?" Icefoot charmed, he was already back to his normal self again. He curved his lips into a slick smile as he waited for a reply from the lynx, the leader for his beloved clan.

[sorry, nasty and dirty post since I'm racing against time to get my homework done :X
Icey freak out on Crystal much ? And he's even bipolar. YAY!]

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[~Beauty;;]

The symphony of rushing water swirling over smooth rocks drew creatures of all sizes forward. None of these crawling, slithering, creeping beasts were alike to the female that approached the rippling lake now. She was built on a larger scale than most cats, her size and sharp, clear markings showing her wild ancestry. Her light, golden eyes seemed to catch and hold the light, a dull glow emenating from the wide orbs. Her ears were twitching, catching all sounds that floated her way, mostly dominated now by the tranquil volume of the restless body of water.

Beauty liked this forest, her new residence. She never really stayed long enough to makes the places she wondered to 'home', but this place was cozy enough. She picked her way along the earth as gracefully as she could, the movements so smooth they were liquid, strong, slender muscle rippling under her short, beige fur. Finally the shore and coupling lake came into veiw. The mist from the slapping water floated over the breeze and into the she-cat's face, making her sigh at its fresh scent and cooling properties. Beauty lapped at some of the cool, crisp water, pink tongue plunging only fractionally into the river, like she wasn't trying to disturb it. The bright sunlight danced off the moving water's uneven surface, making patterns of light slip along her body. Beauty wasn't one to pour over her own reflection, but she admired the light over her beautiful pelt briefly, the pretty light entrancing her a moment.

After her eyes swept the surrounding area, the caught the bright pelt of another cat. The sleek fur and feminine lines suggested one of the cats was was a female. The other was smaller and white, what had caught her attention. Well, not small persay, but smaller than Beauty herself, as most cats were. Feeling reasonably content, Beauty decided not to make a fuss, and calmly greeted the cats with a " Hello ...warriors I presume? Or are you Tribes here?" It was so confusing at times, these groups some cats made. It was hard to keep up with them. She hadn't been here long enough to determine the names of the Tribes, maybe Clans? of this forest. She very well knew all groups had territories, and that she was intruding of these cats' territory, but Beauty wouldn't put up with those even on the best of days. Her face was open, a light smile on her face. A face that looked fragile and small and had a savage beauty all at once.

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Out of the corner of Icefoot's green eyes, He saw another cat approach him and Crystalstar. He noticed that the cat was fairly larger then most cats he had seen and could make out that the cat was a female by the graceful way that she walk. Icefoot couldn't make out what clan this cat was in because she smelt of the forest, not one particular clan's scents that Icefoot could detect easily. The white tom got up on his feet and faced towards the stranger. "Hello. I'm Icefoot, humble warrior of RiverClan." Icefoot was amazed by the color and design on her pelt. It was nothing she had ever seen before. Unique and amazing in many ways. "Oh, And this here is Crystalstar, Leader of RiverClan." He nodded his head towards his leader and then turned back to the strange she-cat. "And who might you be?" The tom sat down a couple paw-lengths away from this unique cat and awaited an answer.

(eh, crap post. trying to finish some homework !)

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[~Beauty;;]

Beauty seemed to be carefully examining the water rushing to her paws, nearly touching the tips of her fur before they retreated, slithering back over the sand and rock and back into the lake. When the male -Icefoot- had finished talking, she turned toward him, staring with liquid, golden orbs. " It's nice to meet you both, Warrior Icefoot and Leader Crystalstar. " She nodded to each cat before pausing slightly, a slow, honey-sweet smile pulling at her lips. "Riverclan," She let the name flow off her tongue like molten sugar, turning the word into a lyric, melodious and enticing. " What a wonderous clan that must be. " The large female turned toward the little waves once more, and as the cool liquid came close, she batted at it with her paw while saying, " I love the water." She turned back to the cats, a bright smile lifting her beautiful face.

'And who might you be?'

The question made Beauty laugh. Not loud, mocking laughter, but a soft, amuesed chuckle, like she was just told a secret nobody else knew. Innocent, but with an edge, like a sugar coated blade. "Me?" She asked, faint surprise intertwined with her silken voice, " I'm just a loner, nobody special. My name is Beauty. " She laughed again, quietly, turning her body halfway toward the tom and his leader, long body streching out. She ran her rough, pink tongue over her shoulder once, her short, gleaming pelt not really seeming to need it. Slender, strong muscle rippling under her velveteen fur and her large ears were front and center. The posture was polite, inoffensive, and showed interest, the right amount of curiosity displayed on her face.

But Beauty was alwats ready, of course.

Icefoot had not shown any signs of aggression, but his leader, Crystalstar, had yet to show her approval. Beauty's long, long legs and superior jumping prowess -which she could thank her serval ancestors for- gave her the advantage if she needed a speedy get-away. Most cats saw and loved the beauty of her pelt, but ignored what the sharp markings ment. That she was wild, dangerous, unbound by any law or code. She went were she pleased and took what she wanted. She followed her own morals and wouldn't take direction from anyone else. It was hard to hate her for it, though. With her sweet voice and smooth angles, what else would she be good at other than roaming around, breaking hearts and charming her way into cats' good books. She couldn't help what she was anymore than a fish could decide to live on land.

"Tell me, Riverclanners," She addressed both the cats, golden eyes flickering between them, voice curious, hesitant, "What other clans reside here? Just so I know who to address if I manage to stumble on their territory. " Again she laughed, this one turned against herself, " I always manage to get myself into trouble. " She gave a light sigh, as soft as the flutter of butterfly wings, " Some cats can be so unfriendly."

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[>))*~.:Crystalstar:.~*((<]

<sup>Somethink about Icefoot's tone made the silver leader turn her head slightly, looking towards the tome. She had heard about the incident, that much was sure, but she never knew how it had affected him. His pain made Crystalstar place her smaller head on the tom's shoulder, a small gesture that mean that she was there now. It was over. The femme had meant for her change in topic only to be a time-passer, although the road spun out with barbs and traps from her comrade's past. Berating herself silently for not being more careful, she withdrew, sitting back on her haunches as he recovered, watching her warrior with ever-observant silver eyes.

As he recovered, she couldn't help but chuckle, tail silently creeping over land and grass. Pawing at the piece she already caught, Crystalstar let out a smile, eyes fixated on the dead rodent. "A contest, you say...?" Her melodic voice droned on with the wind, her silent echo losing itself in the breeze. Grinning such a grin that usually shouldn't fit a leader, one of excitement and competition, she nodded, all nerves in her body slowly releasing the burden of supporting her Clan, and melting into a hunter's crawl. "So, whoever can catch the most pieces before sun-high, does that sound fine to you?" Cat-like 'eyebrows' meeting in the middle of her forehead, she grinned, before straightening up, smelling something out of place.

Having lived and breathed the order that the different Clans provided, it shocked Crystalstar more than it should have to see a loner wandering about. It wasn't like they were a whole different species or anything, just that the lynx hadn't seen another cat outside of a Clan for a very long time. And especially one of this size; The leader being on the smaller end of the scale for a cat, and this newcomer on the larger scale, she couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated by size alone. But her Clan's territory was being trespassed on, although she felt no need to defend it against nomads.

"-" About to open her mouth and introduce herself, Icefoot beat her to the punch, and Crystalstar had to settle herself with that. When her name was mentioned, she bowed her head slightly, showing no intent on anything other than friendship. "Welcome to RiverClan's territory. I take it you've seen the splendor?" At Beauty's response, she gave a small smile, but was tied - she didn't know this cat's name to extend the formal cordiality's. Crystalstar let out a small purr as Beauty retold the wonders of RiverClan. "Indeed, it is a joy to be a part of."

So, 'Beauty'? I've never heard quite a name... Kittypet perhaps. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Beauty." Her own tone was at arms with Beauty's; Both she-cats had the same sugar-coated voice, one with a slight edge, and one with melodic chimes whispering through the air. Watching the newcomer stretch out in front of her, Crystalstar evaluated just what Beauty wanted her to, blinking slightly as she saw the marking of wild ancestry, as she herself bore from the lynx, compared to the cheetah she sat in front of. A small hum accompanied Beauty's question, and Crystalstar thought out loud. "Well, you have ThunderClan over there - they can be softies though, no worries there. Same as WindClan - fast little buggers on the moorland. And ShadowClan is the one you need to worry about. Lurking in the shadows, you never know when they'll strike." As a leader and diplomat, she named the Clans equally and fairly, smiling when she was finished.</sup>

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[~Beauty;;]

Curious. The feral she-cat tilted her strongly marked head to the side, watching Crystalstar with interested, glowing golden eyes. It was strange, how two cats could be so similar, yet so different. Beauty twisted back around again, lashing out at the water, lettig her paw dip into the cool liquid, the spray catching her nose. She laughed quietly, her laughter chiming like soft bells. "Riverclan is indeed a wonderful place. " She turned suddenly, moving so smoothly it was like a dance. She pivoted, shifted her weight to her strong hindquarters, lifting her forepaws from the ground, and launched herself into the air. The Savannah launched herself up in the air almost impossibly high before gracefully snagging the tree limb with her sharp, black claws.

Beauty pulled herself up and cast her dull gold eyes on the cats below. " So Shadowclan are the naughty ones in this forest huh?" She giggled, feeling quite kittish, but deviously so. She swiped her tongue over her black lips, enjoying the feel on her fangs pressing against the soft flesh. She was just an accident waiting to happen. She swished her tail behind her once before streching out along the branch, scoring the bark with her curved claws.

She flicked her ears, dismissing the sound of the angery birds, chirping at her in the above branches. They didn't like the wild cat below their nest. Beauty didn't care less. They were food. "You know, " She said, voice sounding luxurious, "I've never met a group of purely anger or bad cats. Well, besides Carnage and his gang but some of them were pulled into it and they didn't have a choice. Is Shadowclan really that bad? I bet I'm worse than they are." She chuckled at that, nearly falling off her branch.

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Icefoot turned towards to direction of ShadowClan camp, "Indeed they are the worst clan in the forest. Their camp is just over that direction." He turned his head back to the loner and couldn't help to make a thingyy smile. "What might you be doing out in the forest?" The tom cat stood up and stretched his legs which were a tad stiff from sitting for such a while. The sun had started to creep behind the trees and night was approaching them faster than he had expected. Hunger had started a loud war in his stomach, growling and rumbling from the battle field. "If you don't mind, I'll just get a little something to eat." Icefoot padded towards the bushes leaving the two cats alone, looking for the sight of pray.

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[>))*~.:Crystalstar:.~*((<]

<sup>Something about Beauty called to Crystalstar, to pay homage to some unknown instinct raging inside of the lynx. Suddenly, an image of a large lynx-like cat, bigger than she was with darker tones to his pelt, with shining black spots that matched his eyes flashed in her mind, and Crystalstar's ears went down, but only a miniscule amount. It would be virtually unseen by anyone not looking at the leader's face, and even then it could be thought of as a trick of the light. In her own private moment, Crystalstar was thrown into the past head-first, becoming the small apprentice once more, hiding in the safety of her old home. The appearance of the loner had resurrected a burning longing, a passion that had long since been forgotten, shamefully, in the tide of leader duties.

Movement snatched her attention away from the vision of her brother, and silver eyes watched, the sparkle now vanished, as Beauty launched herself onto a tree. Envy was the first emotion to register itself, herself lacking the necessary height and power in her small limbs to achieve such a feat. "ShadowClan..." She stopped herself. ShadowClan was indeed a group of cats not to be trusted, but on a personal level, her blood. And the same murderers who stole away the life she knew. "Generally unkind to visitors, and hold long-lasting grudges." Satisfied with her response, she settled into a more comfortable seated position, keeping her silver eyes on the golden optics above. The loner's remarks unsettled her, although, she tried to console herself, could be from any loner who was so inclined. But as a leader, trained and blessed by StarClan to protect RiverClan with all of her remaining lives, she couldn't help but be unsettled.

Her ears twitched with amusement as Icefoot's stomach made it's demands known. Chuckling slightly, she nodded. "Sure, Icefoot. I'll snag a few moments more of invigorating chatter." Looking up to Beauty once more, her tail crept along the ground as she felt her Clanmate move away. "Beauty..." Her voice trailed off mysteriously, but not suspiciously. The tone ended in such a way that it was obvious she wanted to say something that somehow, Beauty had become entitled to. The next question was a private one, so, extending her legs, she propelled herself to a standing position against the tree, closer to the other she-cat. "Have you heard of a cat... called Onyxfeather, by any chance?" Her tone tried a non-chalant style, but the need pressed in. Her past threatened to cascade on through, and suddenly, the forest seemed like a much bigger place. "Anything at all?" The words were spoken quietly, like dewdrops slipping off of the ends of blades of grass, but there was no telling if Icefoot could hear.</sup>

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[~Beauty;;]

Beauty smiled down at the Riverclan warrior, swiping her tongue over her lips once more before answering. " I only just arrived here a few suns ago. I'm just testing the waters." Icefoot turned to soothe the hungery in his stomach. She could almost hear the internal stuggle from here. His hasty departure had left her alone with the leader. Her eyes flashed down at Crystalstar.

The bark beneath her body was starting to grow scratchy. The tip of her tail twitched impatiently, and she could nearly feel her reservoir of patience for talking to other cats start to drain. The air seemed to begin to charge around the short, shining fur of the female. Almost as if her mood was papable and was starting to change. Their was a glow in her eyes that made her iris appear molten. Beauty draggged her black claws over the wood of the tree, relishing the feel of the wood splintering as her paws passed over them. She paused her claw sharpening when the leader called her name, some unknown emotion lingering in her voice. She felt a stab of annoyance but as Crystalstar began to construct her question, Beauty thought.

Onyxfeather. Had she heard of him? It was hard to tell. Not very many she-cats spoke with her, and too many toms gave her their name for her to remember them all. Something about it struck a chord and distracted her -momentarily- from her teetering moods. Maybe, She decided. There was a good chance she may have passed him, or heard someone speak about him before. With that decision out of the way, she felt the electricity passing through her veins again.

With a lazy, predatory smile, Beauty rolled to the side, plummeting off the branch she had sprawled along. She landed not two foxtails away from the questioning leader, her impact nearly silent. She tilted her sleek head to the side before speaking, " I may of heard the name, once or twice. I'm not sure. " Beauty's voice had changed. It wasn't sugary anymore, but as smooth as silk. Like a sleek, shining peice of cloth streched over a spiked pit. It was dangerous. She was dangerous.

Beauty slunk toward the lake again, no other word being able to describe the movement. Her actions were almost languid they were so smooth. She almost rippled forward, her body oozing the feel of being in the presence of something that was lethal. Beauty was notorious for her forever changing moods. She could feel them violently clashing beneath the surface. it made her skin writh and her claws itchy. Could they feel the change? Could they feel the restless energy that she seemed to release? Beauty looked at the rippling water and breathed a chuckle.

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Icefoot had only traveled a couple of feet into the tickets when his body froze with a nervous feeling. Had he any right to leave his clan leader with a loner. Loners were just like other clan mates; they weren't welcome here. Then again; this was the clan leader. Obviously Crystalstar had won the title of being leader for her brave personality as well as her fighting skills. He padded deeper into the woods and listened for the sound of a mouse or vole. Jumping quickly to the left, his paws gripped the end of a mouse's tail. Leaning down to give it a final blow, Icefoot's fangs met the warm sensation of the mouse's neck. The tom licked his lips and looked around the forest for another kill to bring back to his leader.

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