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Post by Silverflash // Jayrunner on May 7, 2007 16:22:29 GMT -5
Sakurapaw padded onto the beck and stopped, her fur rippling in the ocean breeze. Soot padded up behind her and stood beside her. "I've never seen the ocean before." He murmured, gazing into the rolling green waves. Sakurapaw gazed out too. "I've only been here once or twice to gether herbs with Raven. The best herbs grow out here." Soot turned to look at her. He couldn't help admiring her finely shaped head, her shining eyes, her smile... Soot was jolted back into reality as Sakurapaw meowed, "What're you staring at?" He shook his head quickly to clear it. "Just the fish over there." He nodded his head towards the water behind her and breathed a sigh of relief that there really was a fish in the water. Sakurapaw smiled. "Only tasted fish once myself." She crept over to the water and extended a hooked paw. She brought it down swiftly and pulled the fish out of the water. She carried it back over to Soot and dropped it. "Fish aren't very good tasting if you ask me, but they have a lot of meat on them and they help you swim." She bent her head and took a mouthful. Soot lowered his head to take a bite and rubbed his cheek softly against hers. She lifted her head and scanned the ocean, embarrassed that her paws had tingled with delight when he had touched her. He lifted his head too and followed her gaze. "I know that it must seem strange that we just met and we're already friends, but I feel this way alot. In Shadow's horde, you either make friends, or make enemies. I'm just used to, well, making friends with everyone." He closed his eyes and lowered his head. "I hope you don't mind."
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Post by Silverflash // Jayrunner on May 7, 2007 16:26:32 GMT -5
Sakurapaw turned to her new friend and shook her head. "I don't mind at all. In fact..." She padded over until their pelts were touching. She rubbed her cheek against his. "I really like it." Soot's tail shot up straight and quivered as a tingling sensation shot all over his body. Soot turned to look at her. "Well... I do to." He gazed out into the water. "If I didn't know that Shadow would hunt me down and kill me, I would suggest that we left this Clan territory and started a new home, far away..." Sakurapaw stared out too. "I would too if I hadn't known StarClan would punish me." She dipped her head sadly. "Medicine cats can't have kits, and it makes it harder knowing that you aren't from OceanClan. I'd have to abandon my medicine cat duties if we were to ever be together." Soot nodded. "I know what you mean."
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Post by leopardstrom on May 11, 2007 21:31:40 GMT -5
leopard strom walks out oblivous to what just happened."sakurapaw" she called not seeing soot" what are you doing, is there any thing i can do to help"leopardstrom looked around as if to say i realy want to help you do somthing for the clan. "are you gathering herbs?"inquried leopardstrom.
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Post by Silverflash // Jayrunner on May 12, 2007 11:23:30 GMT -5
Sakurapaw jumped up, instantly awake, and covered Soot's sleeping form. The shadows hid him well, but she didn't want Leopardstrom to see him. "No, I just came here to get away from the Clan for awhile. I know I'll get in the way during the fight so I, uh...." She looked at the ground in front of her and scuffled her forepaws.
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Post by leopardstrom on May 12, 2007 18:34:36 GMT -5
"sure," said leopardstrom suspisiosly,"come on we need to hunt for the clan, i'll leave you alone shortly so you can hunt alone" she said with an agnoliging gaze as if to say i don't know whats wroung but you can tell me on your own time.
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Post by Silverflash // Jayrunner on May 12, 2007 18:38:15 GMT -5
Sakurapaw turned to blink fondly at Soot before calling after Leopardstrom, "I'll get some fresh-kill on the way back to camp! Meetcha there!" She sat down and started grooming slowly until Leopardstrom left. Then she turned around and licked the sleeping form of Soot. He opened his eyes slightly and blinked up at her. "I have to go, but I'll be back in a few hours." She blinked again as if to set her point. "While I'm gone, can you try to build a nest underground between those roots?" She pointed with her nose. Soot nodded. "Be back soon!" He called softly as Sakurapaw padded off away from the beach and into the forest.
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Post by leopardstrom on May 12, 2007 18:46:23 GMT -5
leopardstrom pondered in the bushes, what is sakurapaw doing, why can't she tell me" leopardstrom contemplated on going back and seeing what sakurapaw was doing, or at least look at where she was mabe for a clue. no she would not do that to sakurapaw what ever it was she should be allowed to choose wether it was right or wroung or wether are not to tell. besides if it got bad she knew where to go. but stil what is that apprentice up to?
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Post by Silverflash // Jayrunner on May 12, 2007 18:49:48 GMT -5
Sakurapaw glanced worriedly at the form of Leopardstrom sitting in the bushes. Had the warrior seen Soot? Or was she just tired from her hike down to the beach and resting? Her paws itched and her tail twitched nervously as she thought of the warrior bursting into camp to tell Shiningstar that the medicine cat apprentice had fallen in love, no less to one of Shadow's warriors. She whimpered aloud at the thought of losing Soot because of where he was born. her eyes glittered fiercely as she promised herself that even if her own mother kept her away from Soot, she would see him again.
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Post by Silverflash // Jayrunner on May 13, 2007 13:37:50 GMT -5
Soot circled around and looked doubtfully at the old tree with it's huge roots. He shruged and padded around to the back where the tree was only a leg length from the cliff face. He squated down between the two tall, wide roots that sheltered the side and began scraping at the soft sand with both paws. He grunted as his paws slipped in the loose earth. He planted his back paws firmly against the cliff face and propelled himself downward with his forepaws. Sand flew high up into the air as he dug down. He fell off the wall and into his shallow hole. He shook sand from his head, took a deep breath, and began piling the sand up on the other sides of the huge roots to get them out of the way. He turned around and dug fiercely downward, sand flying over the roots to land neatly on the new sand banks. As he dug steadily downward with his forepaws, his footpaws kicked the sand that couldn't make it over the roots to join the rest. He watched around him as the ground became level with his eyes and slowly engulfed him until he was in a deep, dark, gently sloping tunnel. He backed out, shook his head, and began shoveling sand out of the way to keep the tunnel entrance clean. He leaned against a thick root and rested, his aching limbs feeling relaxed.
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Post by Silverflash // Jayrunner on May 13, 2007 13:49:15 GMT -5
Soot took a huge breath to calm his aching nerves before hauling himself over the enormous root. He padded down to the beach, his ears twitching to pick out the sound of his returning friend. He sat down in the shallow water and stared at the water in front of him, one paw raised. As a fish swam by, his paw flashed out to send the fish spiraling on to the shore. He padded over and bit it deep. it quit flopping so he began tucking in. He ate the meat away quickly and began licking the bones to get any leftover meat that he couldn't pull off. He licked his lips and buried the bones in the soft sand. He turned and padded over to the twisted tree. He crawled into the tunnel and resumed digging.
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Post by Silverflash // Jayrunner on May 13, 2007 14:13:51 GMT -5
Soot bounced out of the tunnel and winced. The light was certainly brighter after being underground for so long. He blinked several times before shoveling the sand out of the way again. He turned and disapeared back into the tunnel. He padded down the tunnel and admired his work.
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Post by Silverflash // Jayrunner on May 21, 2007 16:22:22 GMT -5
Soot blinked open his eyes and looked around. He was in the cave he had dug before and the light was coming in through the triangular hole in the roof. He stood up and launched himself up to the hole. He scrabbled in the dry, smooth roots of the tree before dragging himself out. He shook his head and bounded off down the beach. Sakurapaw could wait for five minutes and she would see him; he would make sure of that.
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Post by Silverflash // Jayrunner on Jun 3, 2007 19:42:36 GMT -5
Sakurapaw raced along the beach, her paws sending up a steady spray of sand and pebbles as she pounded towards the twisted old tree. Soot pounded after her with soundless paws. As Sakurapaw disappeared over a huge, knobbly root, Soot leaped onto the trunk of the huge tree. He clawed his way up until he reached the top where all the branches split before pulling himself up. He jumped into a long, dark tunnel in the trunk and slid down the steep tunnel lined with soft moss. He slid down and around as the trunk widened, until the tree disappeared and he was sliding through a slick dirt-tunnel. He fell out a few minutes later in a cavern large enough to hold about 30 cats with plenty of extra room. He admired his handiwork for a moment before sitting down in the shadows to await Sakurapaw's arrival.
Sakurapaw padded out of the tunnel a minutes later, her whole body shaking with the effort of walking the tunnel. She flopped down in the mouth of the tunnel and gasped several times to regain her breath. As her breath came out ragged and fast, Soot emerged from the shadows, his eyes clouded with worry. "Are you ok?" She smiled weakly and stood on shaking limbs. She padded over to a bump in the side of the wal. it was about the size of a large bush and had many small holes the size of golf balls all over it with about an inch between each hole. There was a larger-than-normal hole where the raise met the wall, and she slid through it. The dim cave light filtered in through the many holes to reveal two large and comfortable nests made of moss, heather, and feathers of all shapes and sizes. She flopped down in the one farthest from the entrance and settled down. Soot padded in a moment later and curled up in the nest with her, the second nest ignored. She licked his muzzle in rapid, smooth licks until his whiskers glistened. He twitched his ears happily as she stood and wound her slender body around him. As she settled back down beside him, a rumbling purr rose from her throat. "How did you get here so fast?" He glanced upward and she looked through the gaps to the hole in the roof. She blinked. "Ah, you came in with a slide." Amusement flickered in her eyes as she licked his ear. He nodded towards the hole. "It takes a while, but it's alot shorter than the entrance and well hidden. You can't get out through it, but it's as fast as falling out of a tree! The entrance is at the top of the tree, where the branches all start." Sakurapaw nodded understandingly, her eyelids drooping. She yawned, flashing her teeth, before curling up against Soot's body before falling asleep. Soot smiled and rested his head on his paws. As the moon raised up in the sky, Soot fell asleep.
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Post by Silverflash // Jayrunner on Jun 18, 2007 10:41:10 GMT -5
Silverflash followed the bright streaks of color down to the beach and to the stunted tree. They both went seperate ways, so Silverflash followed Soot's, seeing as he was the calmer of the two. She clawed her way up the tree until she reached a huge fork in the tree where the branches left the tree to form a protective barriar around the giant gaping hole in the middle of the trunk.
SIlverflash leaped into the hole without a second thought and was sent spinning down the tunnel. It went straight down for a few minutes, so Silverflash released her powers and the black line of Soot's scent turned and dissappeared through her open mouth. Colors whizzed from nowhere to flow down her mouth. As Silverflash rolled onto her back and dug her paws into the wall to prevent more spinning, the tunnel leveled out slightly and she wazs glad to feel earth under her back. She slid down the step tunnel for what felt like days, but she knew it had only been about ten minutes. She picked up her paws off the tunnel ground and rolled up into a spiky furball. She rolled ever faster down the gradually steepening tunnel until she fell out of the tunnel to land on the floor of a monstrous cavern. She didn't come out of her furry ball, but she could see through her tail fur that Soot and Sakurapaw had woken and were talking in hushed, high-pitched tones. Skaurapaw emerged from the mini-cave and padded over to SIlverflash. She sniffed the ball of fur curiously, and arched her back with a sharp hiss as the familiar smell hit her scent glands.
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Post by Silverflash // Jayrunner on Jun 19, 2007 10:03:38 GMT -5
"Mom?!" Silverflash unwound herself and sat up to face her daughter. Sakurapaw gasped at the sight of her mother's snapped neck. Silverflash frowned angrily glared at her daughter. "You left without even telling me if you would return!" Soot appeared beside his mate and blinked at Silverflash. "How did you find us?" He growled uncertainly. Silverflash glanced at Sakurapaw. "Ask her. She can do it too." She murmured. Soot glanced suspiciously at Sakurapaw, who gazed suspiciously at Silverflash who gazed suspiciously at Soot. "What do you mean?" Sakurapaw hissed. Silverflash swatted at her daughter. Sakurapaw shrunk back and closed her eyes, calling upon all her strength. She felt her strength spill out of her mouth in long tendrils. Some were extremely cold, while others burnt her mouth. She opened her eyes in astonishment and saw many ribbons of color. A thick, sparkling, black band followed Soot. A glowing light blue ribbon followed her every move. Behind her mother, a dull gray trail followed her, hanging in the air where she had tumbled. She turned to Soot. "Hold up your paw." He did as he was told. Sakurapaw's jaw dropped as the black ribbon followed his paw exactly. "You used colored scent trails!" Silverflash smiled slightly. "Yep. And sooner or later a team of trackers will come looking for the injured queen and the two deserters. Then what'll you do? I leave an easy to follow scent trail. They'll know to slide down the tunel." The two young cats exchanged worried glances, then turned back to SIlverflash and shook their heads. "Then we'll leave and cover our trail." Sakurapaw murmured. Silverflash sighed and murmured, "As you wih, daughter." SHe leaped upward and disappeared up the tunnel it only took a bit of scrabbling for the silver queen to get her footing. She raced stright up for a while, but soon it leveled out and she was able to rest. She picked herself up and launched up the tunnel. Her surroundings changed. She could tell she was in the tree now. She clawed her way up to the top. Then she dropped off the tree and padded to the water's edge. She sat in the shallows and sent out a message to Blizzard: "Come here. I'm at the ocean."
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Post by Silverflash // Jayrunner on Jun 19, 2007 10:24:08 GMT -5
Sakurapaw exchanged a glance with Soot and the two took off up the entrance at full speed. They raced as fast as they could up the winding, narrow, rough tunnel. It took almost 10 minutes to get out and they were tired as soon as they busted out into sunlight. They cought their breath and then headed down to the beach farther away from the entrance to the beach (the beach is surrounded by mile high cliffs, and there's only one entrance in the wall about a quarter mile long). They each hastily caught several fish and picked the reed grass around the bottom of the cliffs. They quickly made a pouch slightly bigger than Sakurapaw's herb pouch and stuffed the fish into it. Soot hung it around his neck and left front leg so that the pouch sat on his back between his shoulder blades. The two drank some sea water and took off quickly down the beach.
About 10 minutes later the land sloped upward, the sand turned to grass, and the cliffs were lower. They knew that they were nearing Peace Place. They locked their claws into the cliff face and hauled themselves upward to the many holes in the wall. They were both rather skinny cats, so they were able to crawl into the holes and edge down the tunnels. It only took about 30 seconds for them to get through before the tunnel dropped off. They fell down to the cave floor several yards below. They rolled over and leaped onto their paws. They were in a cave about the size of Shadow's, but much more beatiful. The walls were pure white and light entered the cave from the many small holes in the wall. Sakurapaw looked around and saw a ledge much like Shadow's, but a bit higher and with more room on it. She leaped up onto the ledge and saw a huge room beyond the short, wide, tall stone tunnel. She padded through and found that the room was simply the size of Shadow's, without the waterfall. There was a platform in the middle with enough room for two cats to stand and move around. Under a wide leaved bush she could glimpse the space for two cats to sleep. She crawled back out of the room and looked around at the floor below. Now that she thought about it, there were many heaps of moss, heather, and feathers all around in the trench that ran around the edge of the cave. There was a platform attached to the wall where a heap of prey was. From here she could tell it was crowfood, but it made her think. What if woever had lived here before had kept an army, just like Shadow? And what if they still lived here and had just been gone a long time? The thought horrified her, but the bedding was all fresh and there were many cat smells. She called upon her powers, eyes closed. When she opened her eyes, she forced them shut. The whole room had been blck and sparkling or white and dull. the high contrast has also mingled with many tiny, thin streaks of vibrant colors. All of the colors ended at a tunnel covered in reeds. None of the colors came back out. Ever.
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Post by Silverflash // Jayrunner on Jun 25, 2007 10:56:26 GMT -5
Sakurapaw let the powers slip, but instead of the colors swooping into her open mouth like her mother had done, they all just vanished. She beckoned to Soot with her tail and he followed her into the room where no scents ever came out. They peeked around the corner and saw no one. They cautiously padded into the room, Sakurapaw scanning the cieling and Soot quickly checking around them. When they were both sure of their safety, Sakurapaw padded forward to what might have been a pit. a pit was pretty much the right word. A bottomless pit, filled with the stench of death and despair, but newly spilt blood on the walls showed that things still lived here. Sakurapaw called upon her power, eyes closed. When she opened her eyes she leaped back in astonishment. With her powers she was able to see the souls of the killed cats sitting guard around the pit. She looked around and ranks of dead cats, not noble like StarClan, but cruel and evil, sitting on the ledges that rose up the side of the cliff. Sakurapaw quickly let the power go, but she could still see the spirits. They all had dark eyes, none seeing, and had black auras floating around them. She gulped as she realized that they had just walked in on the captives of Place of No Stars.
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Post by Silverflash // Jayrunner on Jul 3, 2007 23:04:48 GMT -5
Sakurapaw wrapped her tail around Soot's tail and leaped out of the cave, bounding through the small hole in the wall. SHe felt herself falling, Soot's weight on top of her. SHe scrambled out from under him and braced herself. As she hit the ground Soot fell on top of her. She hissed with pain as the breath was knocked out of her, and she scrambled out from under him, her lunges frozen with fear. SHe gasped but no air filled her lungs. SHe flopped on the ground and gasped several times as air filled her lunges painfully. Soot coughed and wheezed as he struggled to his paws. He grabbed his mate's scruff and hauled her to her paws. They stood, gasping for breath, for several minutes, their limbs shaking. Then Soot leaned against Sakurapaw and the two made their slow way down the beach. They came upon SIlverflash, staring out across the sea, and she sighed. She stood and escorted them back to camp.
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