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Post by Brightstar & Company on Oct 8, 2008 9:11:04 GMT
"Oh." Scarlettclaw blinked. "But do you still love him?"
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Cinderpaw
Apprentice
Cinderthorn of Thunderclan
Posts: 85
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Post by Cinderpaw on Oct 8, 2008 9:14:34 GMT
"No." Cinderthorn mewed simply. She even managed to get a short purr into her voice as she lied.
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Post by Brightstar & Company on Oct 8, 2008 9:17:01 GMT
"But a love like that couldn't have been easy to forget about." Scarlettclaw mewed, "I know I couldn't have."
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Cinderpaw
Apprentice
Cinderthorn of Thunderclan
Posts: 85
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Post by Cinderpaw on Oct 8, 2008 9:23:08 GMT
"I already told. I don't love him anymore, and even if I did, I'm a medicine cat." Cinderthorn couldn't stay here any longer, backed into the corner. Scarletclaw's response had hit a little too close to home. "I'm sorry, but I have to go; Flowercloud will need help sorting those herbs." She brushed past the she-cat, trying to get away before Scarletclaw could see the pain in her eyes, or the tears that were forming, and pushed her way into the fern tunnel. Halfway through, she paused, trying to clear her eyes and slow her racing heart. When she felt ready, she padded, as calmy as she could, into the medicine clearing, only to have her heart start racing again when she saw Eaglefrost sitting next to Flowercloud, easily sorting Juniper berries with one paw while he talked to the medicine cat. Cinderthorn cleared her throat to announce her present to the other two.
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Post by Brightstar & Company on Oct 8, 2008 9:29:19 GMT
Eaglefrost settled down next to Flowercloud and began helping her with her new supply of Juniper. Ever since he began hanging around with Scarlettclaw instead of Cinderthorn, Flowercloud had become more of a friend to him. She had apologized and they had settled their indifferences. But even Eaglefrost couldn't deny the fact of how bad it hurt to let go of his love for Cinderthorn. She was after all, his first love. But now he was with Scarlettclaw and it was best for everyone. Especially Cinderthorn. But as he was pawing at the berries, a noise made him look at the enterance to the medicine clearing. "Hello, Cinderthorn." He mewed coldly.
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Cinderpaw
Apprentice
Cinderthorn of Thunderclan
Posts: 85
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Post by Cinderpaw on Oct 8, 2008 9:32:22 GMT
"Eaglefrost," Cinderthorn mewed curtly. "Wasting time again, I see." He opened his mouth to protest, anger blazing in his eyes, but Cinderthorn swept past him, turning instead to her mentor. "Anything I can do Flowercloud? Did you get all the herbs you needed?"
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Post by Brightstar & Company on Oct 8, 2008 9:38:04 GMT
Eaglefrost glanced up at Cinderthorn. How dare she say such a thing! He was the one helping Flowercloud, when it was Cinderthorn's job. He was about to claw off her ears but he stopped when she pushed past him. "Anything I can do Flowercloud? Did you get all the herbs you needed?" She asked. "I don't think so, Cinderthorn. Eaglefrost has been a great help." Flowercloud purred. "Wait, maybe you could take Scarlettclaw to get some marigold and poppyseeds. We're running a bit low. And I'm sure Scarlettclaw would like to stretch her legs."
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Cinderpaw
Apprentice
Cinderthorn of Thunderclan
Posts: 85
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Post by Cinderpaw on Oct 8, 2008 9:43:21 GMT
Cinderthorn thought for one wild moment that perhaps Flowercloud had overheard their conversation, but shoved it off. Her mentor was wise, yes, but she couldn't read minds. CInderthron tried to keep her voice light as she mewed, "Of course, I'll go talk to her now." She padded back out of the den, not sparing a glance at Eaglefrost as she brushed past him. Emerging into the main clearing, she saw Scarletclaw still sitting where she had left her at the edge of the clearing. SHe padded up to the she-cat, trying not to look embbarassed as she mewed, "Flowercloud wants me to take you out to get some marigold and poppyseeds. We're running low, and she thought you might like the exercise." She stopped and waited, a little anxiously, for Scarletclaw's response, silently praying to Starclan that Scarletclaw wouldn't say anything about their conversation.
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Post by Brightstar & Company on Oct 8, 2008 9:47:43 GMT
Scarlettclaw stared at the she-cat for a moment. "Okay, i guess. If Flowercloud says so. Where do you want to go?"
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Cinderpaw
Apprentice
Cinderthorn of Thunderclan
Posts: 85
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Post by Cinderpaw on Oct 8, 2008 9:55:50 GMT
"Well marigold grows by the river, and there's a little stand of poppy plants by sunning rocks, with the heads already dried. I figured we'd go down there." Scarletclaw nodded, and Cinderthorn led the way up the ravine and into the forest. They trotted through the forest mostly in silence, only their breathing echoed around them. When they reached sunning rocks, Cinderthorn stopped. She flicked her tail at the poppy stems rising through a crack in one of the rocks farther away from the river and mewed, "There, take the ones that are brownest. We only need two or three heads. I'll go down to the river and picked some marigold." Scarletclaw nodded again and padded over to where Cinderthorn had gestured, while the little grey apprentice walked down to the river looking for a good clump of marigold. She soon found one, and as she bent her head to gnaw off the stems, she heard footsteps behind her. She looked over her shoulder, not surprised to see Scarletclaw standing there, her mouth crammed full of dried poppy heads. Cinderthron nodded approvingly. "Good job, I'll just grab a few of these, and we get back to camp I'll dress the wounds and yoy can have a few poppy seeds." She bent her head again and started nipping through the stems, uncomfortably aware of SCarletclaw standing stiff behind her.
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Post by Brightstar & Company on Oct 8, 2008 10:00:56 GMT
Scarlettclaw watched Cinderthorn gnaw the stem of the marigold plant and thought. How could she be happy spending her whole life like this? Wouldn't she get bored? Scarlettclaw followed Cinderthorn back to camp, aware of her discomfort. But as they neared the clearing, Scarlettclaw heard something. It was faint at first, but then, as she approached the tunnel it became loud. Shrill and loud. Something was wrong.
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Cinderpaw
Apprentice
Cinderthorn of Thunderclan
Posts: 85
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Post by Cinderpaw on Oct 8, 2008 10:16:23 GMT
As the two she-cats were coming up on the camp, Cinderthorn saw Scarletclaw's ears flick up. A moment later, Cinderthorn heard why; some shrill shriek was coming from the camp. Immediately she picked up her pace, until she was racing through the undergrowth to the tunnel. She was dimly aware of Scarletclaw running right behind her. Trying not to let the marigold leaves tear on the thorns, Cinderthorn forced her way through the tunnel and into the main clearing. She stopped dea when she saw what had happened. Behind her, Scarletclaw burst into the clearing, stopping just in time to avoid running into Cinderthorn. She heard the warrior draw in a sharp breath. Four twolegs were standing in the clearing. Three of them had their giant paws pointing around wildly as they grunted to each other. The other one, a female, was the one making the horrible wailing sound. Her delicate looking paws were covering her face. All the cats had taken refuge in their dens, but for once for the twolegs weren't paying them any attention. "What are they doing?" Scarletclaw whispered, as one of the huge twolegs cupped his paws to his mouth and bellowed. "I think they're... looking for something." Cinderthorn replied. Slowly the two cats crept backwards into the undergrowth, their eyes never lleaving the twolegs as they roamed around the clearing, bellowing every now and then. The female stayed where she was, wailing horribly and shaking. After a few minutes that seemed to stretch for a lifetime, the twolegs must have decided that whatever they were looking for wasn't there. They turned and trampled back the way they had come, one of them leading the loud female. Once they had disappeared, the clan slowly crept out of their dens, mewing questioningly to each other. Cinderthorn turned to Scareletclaw. "Here, take a few poppy seeds for yourself, then bring these herbs to the medicine den. I'll dress your wounds later, but now I must go see Flowercloud." Her mentor had just padded out of the warriors den, and Cinderthorn hurried up to her.
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Post by Brightstar & Company on Oct 8, 2008 10:28:58 GMT
Scarlettclaw stood by the tunnel, poppyseeds in mouth. She slowly crept to the medicine den and deposited the seeds, not bothering to take any for herself. She didn't like being sleepy. And there was no more pain, so why? She padded out of the den and looked around for Brightstar, but she was nowhere to be seen. She's probably in her den with Bramblenose, she thought. "Scarlettclaw!" Scarlettclaw glanced back to see Eaglefrost hurrying toward her. "Are you okay?" He asked, tail twitching. "Of course I am!" she snapped, ignoring the surprise in her friend's eyes. "What happened here?" Eaglefrost licked his chest, obviously trying to mask his pain at her rudeness. "These twolegs were playing in the forest when one of them trapled through here. Thank Starclan they didn't see anyone! But the biggest one almost trampled the nursery. I'm just glad Snowshadow and the kits were off by the training hollow, watching Lightningpaw hunt with Darkmoon." Scarlettclaw blinked. "I thought she was your apprentice." "Yeah," He mewed. "but she wanted to hunt today and Flowercloud needed my help. Darkmoon is the best hunter in the clan so it's only fitting." Scarlettclaw nodded, trying to find a way out of this. She liked Eaglefrost, but after her conversation with Cinderthorn earlier that day, things had been weird. "Oh, I have to go. But I'll talk to you later." Scarlettclaw padded away to Cinderthorn before Eaglefrost could say anything else. "What have you heard so far?" She asked her.
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Cinderpaw
Apprentice
Cinderthorn of Thunderclan
Posts: 85
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Post by Cinderpaw on Oct 8, 2008 10:39:54 GMT
Bramblenose hurried into Brightstar's den as soon as he thought the twolegs were a safe distance away. His leader was already there, with Flowercloud and Cinderthorn. The medicine cat looked up at him as he came in. "Twolegs!" he spat. Can't they leave us alone. That huge brute almost trampled our nursery, and that wailing one must have scared off all the prey from here to Fourtrees." Cinderthorn looked up at the deputy. She tried to sound respectful as she said, "I don't think they were here to bother us. I think they were looking for something." As the memory of watching twoleg and halfmonster plunge into the river flashed through ehr mind, she had an idea she knew exactly what they were looking for. SHe didn't dsare bring it up though, for fear her leader and deputy would think she was crazy. As she was thinking it over, she caught Flowercloud looking at her. Bramblenose just snorted. "I'm going to go see where they've gone. I want them out of our territory." He turned and bounded out of the den. Cinderthorn left too, figuring her leader and mentor would want to discuss this privately. As she emerged, she saw Scarletclaw coming towards her, asking what she had found out. Cinderthorn looked up into Scarletclaw's eyes, expecting to see fear but instead saw a curious mix of guilt and discomfort. She did her best to ignore it though, and mewed, "I don't know. I think they were looking for something, but Bramblenose thinks they were just a bunch of mouse-brained brutes. He's gone off to see where they went."
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Post by Brightstar & Company on Oct 8, 2008 10:43:11 GMT
"Oh?" She mewed, "What do you mean looking for something?"
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