losing to imagination --- {elmfrost}

[sliver]

[cs=2][rs=2][bg=white][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] A light breeze drifted across the moors of WindClan's territory, blowing the long grasses to and forth, creating the illusion of rippling hills, like golden water. It was truly a sight to see, and was by far Sliverwing's favorite; the best thing about being in WindClan was observing the moving moorlands. It brought her peace, in some way, and calmed her down whenever she felt upset. It was serene, almost heavenly. Every day, whenever there was a wind stirring, she would sneak out of camp at dawn to watch the sun rise on the insubstantial-looking hills. It was the most beautiful thing to her. After this, she would always hunt, so she didn't feel guilty about leaving the camp so early. So here she was; the snowy-white she-cat was perched on the large, flat rock that her Clan called the Outlook Rock. The sun was about to rise, as the sky was turning from navy to light blue, pinks and oranges coloring the horizon like pastels. Sliverwing's golden-amber eyes were glued to it, waiting for the sun to finally make it's appearance, above the trees and hills, far off in the distance. She lay in a comfortable position, her paws tucked beneath her and her tail wrapped around them. She was leaned lightly off to the side, as relaxed as she felt necessary; she didn't want to fall asleep here, and waste the whole day. She simply waited, watching for the sunrise. { bleh post. sorry. }

[elmfrost]

The grass was always something of a fascination to most cats around the place, they way it moved, swaying to and fro with the soft whistling breeze which glided through the small landscape. Much like the water, depending on the wind as it bustled across the meadows, the grass very much did act like it's liquid counterpart, changing from stormy currently to small ripples within a matter of moments. The only difference really, was that unless you got caught in a seriously strong wind storm, the grass couldn't kill you, while water, well that was all but a death-trap unless you learned to breath like the fish did. That activity was something the WindClan tom was certain he was not going to try any time soon. Not that the experience itself wouldn't be of interest, it was the idea of coming so close to drowning was not a keen one, within the boundaries of his mind. How such a relation between grass and water actually came to settle in his head, he wasn't entirely sure, but anything went, as long as it wasn't going to give him internal strife. Elmfrost paused mid-step as he slowly glided through the long, wavering blades, his bright blue gaze trailing up to where the sky, no longer the deep navy of night, now seemed to be brightening to a slate blue, the golden oranges and yellows of approaching sunrise beginning to smudge through the cool colours of night. Now, why he was out so early, the tabby and white tom wasn't sure himself, but, when sleep had ceased to grip him in the wee hours of the day, the only logical option, seeing as the dawn patrol had already been organized, was to get out of the hollow and do some hunting. Like most times when no certain idea was embedded in his mind however, the tom had found himself wandering aimlessly through the strands of grass that whipped slightly against his short, thick pelt. Such breaks in the day however, gave his always speeding mind a chance to pursue ideas without the thread of loosing concentration on a task. A hum danced on the warrior's tongue as he moved forward once again, gaze drifting instead to outlook rock, as it stood, tall and proud as a ledge out of the grass. Although the beautiful golden morning light was turning the stone a bright brown and selective shade of tan, his attention was at once snatched to where a cat lay, watching the grass and the lands below. Curiosity caught, Elmfrost's ears pricked up slightly as he turned his attention toward the other form out at such early hours. After a moment of studying what he could see of the white cat, he came to the conclusion they were from his own clan, and it was only when his paws moved toward the rock without his full consent, that he was able to place the familiar name of Sliverwing to the white she-cat. Paws gliding onto the rocky ground, Elmfrost bounded almost soundlessly up onto the main, flat surface of the rock. Pausing for a few moments, he studied the she-cat, who seemed deep in thought. He wasn't exactly the most socially comfortable cat around, and it was only standing there, he realised he wasn't entirely sure why he should even bother the she-cat. Something in her distracted gaze and clearly relaxed posture captured his pure interest however, and without another thought, the warrior padded forward, long tail flicking aimlessly from side to side. "A piece of prey for your thoughts m'dear?" he meowed, his voice soft and coming out as a low rumble as he lowered his head in a respectful dip, before moving up to sit at the she-cat's side, his own bright gaze trailing over the horizon. "After all, it is a rare occasion to catch one sitting out in the territory without a clan-related purpose and still missing the importance of free thought." He couldn't say he knew Sliverwing that well, but from the few patrols they'd been on at the same time, the idea of the distant she-cat not having a certain thought in mind was a bizarre one. [bg=1c1c31][atrb=width,400][atrb=border,0,true]

[sliver]

[cs=2][rs=2][bg=white][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] The sun was peaking upon the horizon now. Sliverwing waited in silent anticipation, her mind focusing again, her eyes growing intense. Her relaxed posture stiffened lightly, her spine curving lightly, and the she-cat leaned forward toward the rising orb. Finally, after only a single moment of waiting, the sun cast it's glow over the far reaches of the distant hills, coloring the mundane morning with it's rich, vibrant colors. The swaying grass sparkled, the morning dew reflecting the light, only adding to the beauty of the new day. Sliverwing's expression softened lightly, a slow half-smile curling her lips. She truly loved this sight; it made everything worthwhile, in her oppinion. The best things in life are the little things, and this was one of them, in her book. The she-cat's eyes were so glued to the wonderful occurrence before her, not paying attention to her surroundings -- enough that she didn't notice the other cat's approach, however quiet it may have been. Normally, she wasn't seen smiling like this around camp; thus, no one really saw this smile at all. She was embarrassed to show this kind of vulnerability in front of her Clan mates, who already had so much to tease her about. Any sign of weakness, she'd convinced herself long ago, and she would never be able to live it down. She'd never encountered another of her Clan - or any other feline at all - out here, so she wasn't on her guard as she usually was. "A piece of prey for your thoughts m'dear?" she heard from behind her. Taken by surprise, Sliverwing let out a breathless, near-silent yelp, her back stiffening, her fur standing on end. The momentary surprise froze her limbs, disabling her ability to rise to her paws and deal with this intruder, so she simply whipped her head around, searching for her supposed attacker. A burly tom stood near her; she recognized him vaguely, as she saw him around camp, but never really payed much attention to his existence. She struggled to find his name, but came up blank. Despite this, she was somewhat comforted by the fact that he was in her Clan, and not some sort of intruder, and relaxed slightly -- but only slightly. Surely, he would recognize her, too. After all, she was probably the smallest warrior in camp. "After all, it is a rare occasion to catch one sitting out in the territory without a clan-related purpose and still missing the importance of free thought." He continued, as Sliverwing was still raking her memory for his name. He settled down beside her as he said this, getting comfortable. Now over her little fit of shock, the white feline was a bit uneasy by the closeness, intended or not. She didn't normally sit beside other cats in camp or at Gatherings, and in turn, no one really bothered her, either. She wasn't used to the feel of another body close to hers, except for at night in the den. But in that instance, she would most likely be sleeping or waking up, not required to make conversation as she did so. Furthermore, as the brown tom sat beside her, their size differences became more apparent; she didn't like how small she looked next to hi, though she was small compared to practically anyone. It still bothered her, however. He seemed to be waiting for a reply, but it took Sliverwing a moment to process that. She looked at him, her amber eyes staring blankly for a moment, as she ran her thoughts through her mind. After a moment, she cleared her throat, finally diverting her eyes to the stone beneath them, her ear twitching back in an uncomfortable manner. "Um." she started, though her voice faded off as she shifted from side to side lightly. Intelligent, she sarcastically applauded herself, a bit of annoyance at her own social awkwardness stirring in her eyes. "Do my thoughts matter?" she countered quietly, her eyes glancing up at her Clan mate, looking slightly quizzical. "I was watching the sunrise. On the other paw, what are you doing out here? I've never seen you out of camp this early before, so I assume it's not a regular occurrence?" She tilted her head to the side lightly, blinking. She'd never been good at conversation, and the look of apprehension in her eyes derived from her worry of not going about it in the right manner.

[elmfrost]

Now, he was not the type of cat who really talked to many others straight off the bat unless he had to, so the fact he'd made it this far was a step in itself. His face was settled in his usual calm position, not giving way anything to do with the slightly unsettled feeling hovering in his belly, due to actually talking with another cat about, well, something that wasn't fully planned out ahead of him. Mind you, that didn't stop the small smile from ghosting across his jaws as he peered to the side at the smaller white she-cat, her amber eyes blank for a moment before she seemed to gather herself. Giving the she-cat time to think as she looked down at her paws, the warrior's vivid gaze drifted to the horizon, where the golden line of the sun was becoming more apparent. It was without a doubt a beautiful sight to witness, and although at any other time he would've found himself wanting to sit there and just watch, thinking about how the sun came and went throughout the day, he was more interested, for once, in the company he currently had, however uncomfortable it made the white she-cat. "Do my thoughts matter?" Elmfrost looked down to meet the she-cat's quizzical gaze, his face once again blank except for the small smile which twitched at the corner of his mouth. “On the contrary, every cat's thoughts are of some important, whether in the public sense, or the private,” he replied softly, almost with a thoughtful sense to the words. “I was watching the sunrise.” A small chuckle escaped his jaws as he looked back to the sky, the trickling sunlight warming his white and tabby pelt. Oh what a sunrise it was to watch. “On the other paw, what are you doing out here? I've never seen you out of camp this early before, so I assume it's not a regular occurrence?” A curious glimmer reached the tom's gaze as he turned to the she-cat once again, studying her gaze with quiet thought. So this would mean she was often out here this early? Well that in turn answered one of his questions, and proved that it wasn't just a wayward occurrence that they were to meet out here. “Call it misplaced impatience. Sleep refused to come, so it made more sense for something of mild use to the clan, than to lie still in the depths of the camp till the sun rises.” He meowed simply, giving a small shrug before settling himself next to the she-cat, his belly flat against the stone itself. He knew that, much like himself, the she-cat wasn't used to this sort of interaction, and knowing he wasn't alone, made the tom flick his tail lightly against her shoulder. “Relax, just say what comes to mind and try not to think so deeply about what you're saying. I, myself have little faith in what words can portray,' he meowed, glancing at the she-cat from the side, hoping she'd not feel like he was intruding. While he could just move off and continue hunting, right now, he was more interested in what brought the sunset to the she-cat attention, which was a perfect reason to ask, in his opinion. “Not to sound like I'm intruding, but what, if it makes any sense, captures your interest in the sunrise?” [bg=1c1c31][atrb=width,400][atrb=border,0,true]