i wake up alone [open]

[looney]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=width,450,true]

[atrb=background,http://img844.imageshack.us/img844/842/speckledmid.png] The sun was only just rising when Speckledstar cracked one of his dazzling blue eyes open. Honestly, the tom didn't want to get out of his nest. An apprentice must have slipped some feathers into his nest the night before, because he couldn't remember sleeping as soundly as he had the night before since he had been named leader of SkyClan. Even though his eyes were open, Speckledstar let his mind wander. While he was in his reverie, his eyes were fixed on a particularly dark piece of wood. It had only been a short eight moons since Spiderstar had lost his ninth, and final, life, and honestly, Speckledstar was sad to see him go. He was a great leader, and he could never imagine being as great as the other tom had been. Not ever. It was different, being leader. He honestly didn't know what to do with his self, considering the new deputy was doing all the things he was used to doing. Now, he mostly just went on a few patrols every once in a while, but mainly made sure the camp was in good running order. Which consisted of continuously checking the elders to make sure they didn't need the medicine cat, making sure the queens were all fine, and keep hard on the apprentices' paws, making sure they were all doing their daily chores. An abrupt sound brought Speckledstar back to the real world, and he pricked his ears, passing the sound off as a bird or a squirrel. What piece of prey would wander into these oak trees, with all the feline smells lingering in the air? Oh well, that must have been them squeaking in surprise, noticing it all. Sighing, the tom stood up, taking a few small steps away from his nest before he stretched out his front legs, then his hind legs. After his joints didn't feel as stiff, he sat down and decided he would actually groom himself for a change. No toher cat besides the dawn patrol were up and about in the clearing that he could hear, so he might as well pass the time by doing something. Bending his neck, he began the rhythmic stroke of his tongue. The sun was well over the horizon by the time Speckledstar completely finished grooming his pelt. It was shining and healthy looking, and didn't have the brown tint most cats were accustomed to seeing on him. Getting up, he padded out the old owl's nest, being careful as he descended the branch he used as a bridge to get to the Large Rock. When he did finally get to the top of the Large Rock, Speckledstar looked down at his clan. Most of the cats were slowly stirring, but he knew either most of them were still in their den's sleeping, or they were out on the dawn patrol. He could have sworn he heard the deputy forming a hunting patrol while he was grooming, and his suspicions were confirmed when he saw how low they were getting on prey. It was odd, not seeing a lot of prey on the fresh kill pile, especially since it was New-Leaf, but he knew his clan would restock it fairly quickly. Thinking about the food, his stomach started growling. Crouching down slightly, he lightly jumped from the Large Rock, landing almost silently on all four paws. Padding over to the fresh kill pile, he nosed through it, sniffing for some sort of descent piece of prey. Finally finding a nicely sized mouse, he dragged it out the pile, picked it up, and then went to the base of the rock. Laying down, he tucked the mouse between his paws and took a bite out of it, savoring the juicy tendrils.

[Elf]

They say that dreams are always lurking, in the depths of your mind to the beginning. For the young warrior of Skyclan, this was more true then false, and thus lead to where he lay now. His awakening came from the chirping of a loud sparrow, flying over his head, as furry lids parted to show two odd blue colored eyes. The tom fluffed his mighty white and brown pelt and lifted himself to his paws; odd blue eyes drifting over his landscape. He had fallen asleep during a midnight hunt, and had two mice settled beside him. Paws twitching with annoyance he bowed his head and picked the mice up, only an air of sleep left around him as he padded to wards his camp.

Thorn-nose, that was the tom's name, was an unusual cat by standards of the Cliff. His parents had been daylight warriors back in the day, giving birth to not only him, but his brother as well. The only difference between other children of daylight warriors, was that his parents had, after Thorn-nose's birth, stayed warriors and had been of a pure-breed of cats. Meaning they were fully that type. He remembered the lectures his mother and father gave him about keeping the blood-line pure and he had simply questioned that. Pure meant incest, and incest meant defects, so should they breed outside their breed?

He had earned a swift swat for that.

The sun had begun to rise over the territory that was occupied by his clan. His paws carried him quickly over the landscape, picking up a hare here, and a mouse there until he carried five pieces of fresh kill and the bramble entrance to the circle of trees came his target. His paws padded quicker, carrying him faster, and heavier across the land and soon he stood at the small entrance. Another reason he hated returning to camp. His large side, mostly made up of fur, would get caught and snagged in the brambles. A groan passing his lips he padded through the entrance with minor difficulty and into the camp.

He felt the sun's rays had touched the camp's floor as he padded through and dropped his catch on the pile, taking the mouse as his prize. His eyes wandered the camp, searching for a cat to chat with perhaps even question of the ways the clan ran since Spiderstar's death, when his eyes fell suddenly on Speckledstar. A grin spread on his face as he trotted over, fluffy white and brown pelt bouncing with each step he took. Once he had successfully crossed the camp, he dropped his catch at his paws and meowed rather calmly, 'Would you mind some company, this fine morning Speckledstar?'

The younger tom's ears twitched in curiosity and excitement as he waited for the leader's reply.


words - 473
tagged - speckledstar
notes - my muse is fried