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Post by skypaw on Nov 4, 2011 21:57:25 GMT -4
Flicker felt his ears burn hot with embarrassment. His heart beat a little faster and for the first time in a long time, he was alive. This cat he barely even knew had managed to do what no cat had done since he was a kit, and he was amazed. He suddenly wanted to know everything about her, what her life was like, what her clan was like, what she liked to do in her free time, who her family was, who her friends were. His mind didn't even register the pain and he suddenly realized with shocking clarity that this cat had no alterior motive for helping him. She was much like him, in the way that she helped and cared for others and the phrase kindred spirits came to him from a memory that was more like a dream.
He was two moons old, curled up by his Mother in one of those moments that he loved. His Father was close enough to keep his eye on them, but not hear them, and Onyx was sound asleep. 'Your Father,' she was saying, bright green eyes resting gently on him,' always thought I brought out the good in him. He never saw that we were kindred spirits, both wanting to help the helpless,both cast out from our homes for things behind our control. He never realized that the good he saw in me was with him all along.'
The memory, long forgotten and buried, brought him a sense of desperation. He wanted more than anything for Sparrowsong to stay with him, at least for the night but wasn't sure if he was pushing it or how to even ask for that matter. So, he started off a bit simpler, easier. He shook his head. "I'm not really tired. Too hungry, I suppose. I haven't eaten in a few days," he mewed, not making any attempt to move his paw. He looked at her with soft green eyes. "You could stay and hunt. Have a quick meal. Catch some to bring back to your clan..." he paused before continuing nervously, obviously embarrassed," I wouldn't mind the company..."
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Post by sparrow on Nov 5, 2011 21:08:48 GMT -4
Sparrowsong sat in thinking for a while. Why would Flicker have any reason to trust her at all? She was so curious. She wished she could remember her own family in her wonder about Flicker's life. Both of her parents had died when she was a young apprentice. That was before the fox incident which might of explained why she had been put in that situation in the first place. It wasn't like her to almost get killed and have a loner save her. After all that had only happened once.
Sparrowsong wished more then anything to see her sister again. But she had run off after their parents had died. Lionfoot Sparrowsong almosted sighed outloud. Why was she thinking about it now?
She nodded. She was rather shocked he hadn't eaten in a few days. "Sure." That was all she could say for the moment. She was too busy concentrating on his paw under hers. She was happy for the time being. Something that Sparrowsong couldn't always say. "Quick?" she mewed with a smile."Really, what's the need for the rush."
She smiled as she got up and walked farther into the horseplace field. She knew that in the bushes there would be a mouse or two. She walked over to the same bushes they had used to put on Flicker's shoulder. She was surprised at how much vegetation was over this way. She sat down for a second before entering the bushes. She saw a shadow scurry in front of her. It was a mouse for sure, and a lucky one. She couldn't see where the mouse had gone, so it looked to be as if that one escaped her. She crouched down taking careful steps. Her ears were perked and she was very focused. She wanted to do this right.
Sparrowsong felt a chill as she heard something to her left. It didn't smell like a mouse exactly. She sat quietly, almost completely frozen. Was that a snake she was smelling? She wasn't sure but decided to walk a little farther.
In a flash she saw a white fur ball running across her path. She made a quick and quiet swipe and the mouse was dead. It wasn't a huge mouse, but it would do. She looked around a little more. Where there was one there was many; a saying her mom had told her when she first started training to hunt. She walked quietly, her pelt almost touching the ground. She was sure to be cautious of the snake she thought she had heard, but that wasn't going to stop, or even slow down her hunting.
Soon she popped out of the bushes with three mice dead in her mouth. She happily padded back to where Flicker was sitting, and pushed two of the mice his way. She sat down next to him once again, satisfied with the work she had done.
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Post by skypaw on Nov 6, 2011 16:46:15 GMT -4
Flicker was relieved when she said she didn't need to rush and happy that he had bought a little more time with her. None-the-less, he found himself subconsciously taking on his Father's habit as she padded off. His eyes scanned her surroundings, ears pricked, mouth open to catch any strange scents. However, these turned out to be unnecessary since his instinct was his greatest weapon. And right now, he felt a chill run down his spine and his blood run cold. He could tell she sensed something too, but didn't seem too worried.
He relaxed slightly, very impressed by her hunting skills. She moved gracefully and fluidly and felt something tug at his heart, watching her every move intensely. "That was fantastic," He mewed with warm eyes as she began walking up to him. Suddenly, however, he froze as something caught his eye.
He was up in the blink of an eye, injured shoulder pushed back in a fit of adreniline, and in one swift motion, slammed down on the slimy creature a mouse-legnth from Sparrowsong's paws, the dark-skinned creature almost invisible thanks to the undergrowth around her. The snake reared its head back up, now clearly visible, and striked. Flicker barely dodged, the fangs brushing his fur, and bit its head as it tried to recover. "Perhaps we should eat in the barn," he suggested, quickly flinging the dead snake away in case its nerves caused it to strike again.
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Post by sparrow on Nov 6, 2011 21:10:00 GMT -4
Sparrowsong could still hear Flicker's words ringing in her ears when he jumped into action. This again? she thought quietly to herself as Flicker took care of the snake. She couldn't believe he had saved her twice. She was so grateful to him.
"Thank you so much, Flicker." she mewed softly looking at him. He seemed to have the experience to keep safe. He didn't need her help. She wondered why he really wanted her to stay. "You are right." she mewed while she padded off into the barn. She found a soft pile of hay and sat down to eat. She waited a second, looking around this barn. She had never been inside, and insistently appreciated the shelter that the barn gave. However, she didn't think she would like the fact that two-leggs would linger around. Sparrowsong had never liked two-leggs. She wasn't sure why. But she believed they brought death and destruction.
She looked at flicker for a second, before tearing into her mouse with her claws. She slowly ate the mouse, thankful to starclan for giving her a good hunt and keeping her safe. "Thanks again for killing the snake." she mewed shyly. "I thought I smelled it but I couldn't see it. Must of been watching me though."
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Post by skypaw on Nov 6, 2011 23:40:16 GMT -4
Flicker didn't answer, a bit embarrassed but proud also. He followed her to the barn, flinching, now feeling the soreness in his shoulder full force. It was more than worth it to help Sparrowsong but he gritted his teeth as he slowly limped after her. He flopped rather ungracefully beside her, fighting the nausea boiling in the pit of his stomach. Despite his earlier hunger, he suddenly didn't feel very hungry at all. He glanced at the mouse at his paws, knowing he needed it to gain his energy back and began to softly bite into it and slowly chewed and swallowed.
He felt, again, embarrassed and softly rested his tail on her shoulder. "Any decent cat would of done the same. Besides, you caught us feed. The least i could do was watch your back," he said gently, truly meaning it. The thought of the snake striking the pretty she-cat, filling her with its poison made his stomach roll even more and filled him with pure horror. He had seen cats die of snake poison and it was truly a horrible way to die. There was no peace in it and it was slow and filled with agony and a sense of knowing you were going to die. He was glad he was there to stop it.
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Post by sparrow on Nov 7, 2011 0:13:09 GMT -4
Sparrowsong couldn't concentrate on eating. She hadn't been very hungry in the first place. She normally used hunting as an excuse to go out on her own. Sparrowsong watched Flicker as he spoke. He seemed so grateful, so full of ambition, which was something especially Sparrowsong had never seen in a loner.
She smiled at the feeling of his tail on her shoulder. She didn't respond but just listened to his gentle words. She felt safe with him, and she believed she had every right to. No cat had ever defended her like Flicker. Sparrowsong could be clumsy and unaware, but around camp she was motherly and caring. She never had kits of her own, but had been a good mentor to an apprentice or two over the moons. She remembered when she was that young, and applied herself completely to her fellow clanmates' training.
She felt calm for once. A quiet, almost eerie calm. She wanted to tell Flicker how must it had meant to her but was embarrassed and could tell that he was rather embarrassed as well. A bright blush had come over her face, but she acted like she hadn't noticed. It didn't matter what she said. This loner was just that. Flicker would move on and Sparrowsong would go back to her boring life, and that was horrible for her to think about.
She looked over to Flicker. And she knew he was in pain, there was no way he couldn't be. He hid it so well. She tried to find the right words but she couldn't get a single mew out. After thinking for a moment she looked at her mouse. She was obviously done, and was now tired after eating. She looked real quick to make sure she was on the side of his good shoulder and then softly laid her head on him. "Were you born in the wild, Flicker?" A question that she now felt comfortable enough to ask. She moved her head up for a second to look at him. Everything seemed perfect.
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Post by skypaw on Nov 7, 2011 9:39:52 GMT -4
Flicker felt electricity spark at his pelt when Sparrowsong rested her head on his shoulder. There was something about it that felt right, definite and he could imagine countless moons spent in this same position. For just a moment, he stiffened at the contact, felt something telling him to pull away, to run. But these feelings weren't strong as they once were. The tug was more like an annoying fly on his pelt and the voice barely a whisper that he easily ignored. For once in his life, he felt completely happy and content and it was all thanks to Sparrowsong.
He gingerly licked down a stray tuft of fur on her neck as he thought carefully about how much to tell her at the moment. "Yes," He mewed thinking back on a time that seemed so long ago. "My Mother was a kittypet but she was kicked out of her home a few moons before she had me. My Father never talked about where he came from originally but he was a loner. I was born in a small set of woods close to twolegplace," he finished quietly, not afraid to tell his story to her. He rested his head softy on top of her's.
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