lonely shadows [open]

[melodyy]

the tabby she-cat sulked back into camp, her jaws firmly wrapped around the juicy squirrel she had caught. her pelt was mattered and dirty, her eyes wide and distant. it was as if she wasn't living in the present, but in the past. she looked around to see if anyone was looking at her, as if she were uncomfortable with the thought of her clanmates looking at what she was doing. she put the squirrel into the fresh-kill pile, before grabbing a small shrew for herself. sweetmelody walked over to the shadows, and lied down on her side. her tail flicking back and forward. she took a few hesitant bites of the shrew, chewing the stringy animal. after she was done with it, she turned her head and started grooming her brown tabby coat.

her head was filled with thoughts. thoughts of herself. her clan. her parents. her friends. friends. what friends? she didn't have any friends. sweetmelody rolled her eyes. so much for living as a clan cat. barely any cat stopped by to talk to her. most just gave a small nod of acknowledgment before going on with their own business. she was the shadow in shadowclan.

perhaps she was better off as a loner. after all, that's how she lived her life here. alone. usually eating what she caught for herself. hunting alone. patrolling alone. she didn't even talk to anyone. nor did anyone ever talk to her.

sweetmelody closed her eyes. and nodded her head. perhaps she should leave the clan.

yes, that's what she would do.

"yes. that's what i'll do."

//ah. bad post. anyways, she's not really going to leave the clan. i just thought it would be a good idea to write about, since it's been a long time since i rped with little mel here. open to anyone(:

[bonebreaker]

The shadows were already taken.

Bright vivid flames suddenly became visible and sharp fangs were exposed in a deep but silent yawn. The shadows had been taken by Ebonysnarl. The one member of ShadowClan you really, really didn't piss off. Had this intrusion got to him? We'll soon find out, won't we.
He didn't take intrusion of personal space well from anyone, from the clan members, from the Leader and especially not from you, sweetheart. His growl was warning and trickled from between showing canines before it ended and he turned around.

He come into contact with the cause of his irriation and partially sat down, so his shoulder and chest were looming almost directly over her. His vivid red/amber eyes flared and cooled with the wind. He was about to give her a vicious bite and tell her to get out of his space when she mumbled something vague about doing...something. His eyes narrowed and he prodded her with a clawed paw.

Oi. You know talking to yourself is the first sign of madness. right? he growled in an offhand manner.
And what in StarClans' name happened to your coat?

[melodyy]

"oi. you know talking to yourself is the first sign of madness. right?" she lifted her head to look into amber-red eyes. she looked at him coolly, in a knowing fashion, before twitching her ears at the claw that had poked her. "and what in starclan's name happened to your coat?" she flinched, and sinking even deeper into the shadows. she knew as well as any cat that it was his spot. and ebonysnarl wasn't the tom to piss off. if only she could sink deeper into the shadows. then maybe, just maybe, she might become invisible. she saw that he was quite irritated, and just a few mousetails away into doing who knows what. he was looming over her, and made her feel cornered. sure, she wanted someone to talk to her. but not in this manner.

she put her tail on the tom, gently pushing him. the universal sign saying to back off. she smiled and said in a sweet voice, "hello ebonysnarl. i apologize for taking this spot. i'll be leaving you to rest in peace soon, just let me finish grooming my pelt." her unblinking forest-green eyes gazed into his red ones for a moment, as if daring him to say anything impolite to her again. her tone was melodic and sweet, after all- that's what she was named for; the manner she talked in.

no wonder why others found it so hard to talk to her. she was always nice. it was the only emotion that she ever showed others. that's what she had learned from her clan-born mother, however, to be nice to everyone. all the clans seemed to love her, the way she joked and laughed. how she never spoke ill of any cat- clan, kittypet, loner, or rogue. but that was dawndapple. she did exactly what her mother told her to do, but it seemed as if the clan didn't care about her.

oh. i'm sorry mother. i don't think i'll be able to keep your promise! sweetmelody thought as she looked up at the blue sky. the she-cat started grooming her pelt in rhythmic strokes. every once in a while she looked up at the tom, as if saying: see. look here. i'm grooming my pelt. if you would oh-so-kindly back off now? i'll be leaving your shadows soon, and to never return. her eyes were clouded with confusion, shock, pain, and grief. although no one knew what she had seen, she was scarred by it. the murder. it would be impossible to talk about it.

sweetmelody sighed. and she lifted her head to look up at ebonysnarl once more.

"are all promises meant to be kept?"

[/size][/color]

[bonebreaker]

Ebonysnarl backed off as asked and sat down fully, plonking for than placing himself and yawning hugely. Head back and eyes closed before he looked back at her, his face an emotionless mask but tired as well. He shrugged and tilted one ear to the side...actually, it more flopped. That's how tired he was and then the other head went down in a slightly mor regal manner but now he just looked bored. Better than agressive though, wouldn't you say so?

Mrrgh. Don't worry about it, sweetheart. You're not on my bad side and I can't be bothered to claim a shadow. he gruffed out. Wasn't really resting anyway. I can't with all this kafuffle going on around me. I sleep outside the camp in the day. He flopped to the ground and shook his head, his ears flinging out breifly. He just couldn't be bothered today.

He blinked slowly, fire meeting life and he went onto his side, almost like he had passed out, only his eyes were still partially open and bright with life and intelligence.
Stay a while anyway, seems you could use an ear to scream into. I'll lend mine. he smirked.

Promises woeren't meant to be kept.
No. No they weren't what makes you say that?

[melodyy]

"mrrgh. don't worry about it sweetheart. you're not on my bad side and i can't be bothred to claim a shadow. wasn't really resting anyway. i can't with all this kafuffle going on around me. i sleep outside the camp in the day."

he gruffed out after he backed off. he flopped onto the ground, yawning. his face was emotionless, and he shook his head. he went onto his side, exactly as if he had passed out. his eyes open and bright. "stay a while anyway. seems you could use an ear to scream into. i'll lead mine." he smirked.

"i don't scream," sweetmelody meowed. swishing her tail back and forward. she shrank back into the shadows, blushing after correcting the black warrior. "sorry." she apologized.

"no. no, they weren't. what makes you say that?"

she looked at him. "ah. okay." she said in a soft voice. her eyes darkened and she opened her mouth, spilling everything out. "i promised my mother a lot of things. and i promised sparrowflight that i'd tell smallclaw something. and i promised myself a few things. and i promised him that..." sweetmelody stopped, her voice breaking. she looked at her paws, her eyes burning. a single tear dropped out of her eye, before she looked back up. gave her famous, huge, sweet, smile. and said in a smooth, even, melodic voice.

"im sorry. don't mind me."[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[bonebreaker]

His calws extended and retracted. It wasn't really hard to image what may have happened had be been fully awake and not in such a good mood. But for now, he only stretched, almost as harmless as a kitten. Almost. Let's not push that, eh?
As she babbled, Ebonysnarls eyes grew more and more amused. Bless her, she had alot on her mind. He would offer her a way out, but he was not that kind. Just as she stopped, he chuckled. A low rasping sound. His eyes showed the first genuine humour for months. Suddenly, that humour shattered, with the tear that fell top the ground and he was one his feet, leaning towards her.

Instead of the inevitable attack which usually followed with the massive tom whenever he moved, he sat nex to her, tial wrapped comfortingly around her back. He looked into her eyes which were now smiling up at him. But he knew there was something beyond that. He sighed and then...he purred. Low, raspy and thunderous. He never purrred to anyone, let alone to comfort them. But now, he didn't stop himself.

Hey, take it easy. I'm here to listen. Don't apologise. he said gently.
He looked up to the freshkill pile and spotted a big buck rabbit that had been brought in. He tensed and then sprang out from the shadows. A few clan-mates actually leaning or stepping back from his flight as he powered towards the pile. He was breifly challenged for the rabbit but a rear up on his hind legs did the trick.

He came back with the rabbit, carrying it as if it was nothing and placed it. Yes place, not dropped, placed it by Sweetmelody. and then sta where he had been before hand. He took a deep breath and settled down as her name came to his mind.

Now, Sweetmelody, wasn't it? Come on, take a breath and start again. No pressure, no rush. I'm here, I'm listening and I won't tell a soul.

Oh sweet Jesus on a bicycle! Was there a soul beneath that dark coat and blood eyes? We'd soon find out.

[blackface]

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[bg=6B6B6B] It was nice outside. The sun was shining, but there was also a nice breeze protecting one from the heat. The massive tomcat emerged from the entrance and stretched almost gracefully, his short fur press flat against his skin. His sharp claws extended and scratched into the ground in front of him. Looking around, he flicked his ears, shaking off a pesky fly that kept coming back to him. There, sort of to the side, but still in plain sight, Blackface noticed two cats side by side by the fresh kill pile. Currently, they were facing away from him, but he immediately knew who one of them was - Sweetmelody. An old friend. Well, not really friend. But she was friends with Sparrowflight. Sparrowflight, how he missed her sometimes. Shaking his head, he took a cautious step forward. Sweetmelody seemed distressed, he was unsure if he should approach the two cats or not. His amber eyes flicked from one to the other, contemplating. After a moment, Blackface shrugged. What harm could he do? Someone was in distress, he would help. It was in his nature, and there wasn't much that he could do about it. He was starting over. Blackface now stood, towering over many around him, before he began walking forward, taking slow steps forward towards the other cats. As he approached, Blackface noticed that that aura of distress he felt from her was not only correct, but she was crying as well. His claws dug into the dirt beneath him as he took a place next to the weeping she-cat. He dipped his head politely before speaking. "Is there a problem?" He questioned lightly. He knew it would probably be seen as him intruding or whatnot but frankly, he didn't care. He had a right to show compassion for another animate being. Like... Like his mouse. He still knew where it was buried in the marsh. He visited the site at least once a day or every other day. There was just a deeper meaning to it for him, something about it made him feel happy. Something about it made him feel whole again. His outburst after Icestar's death was something that haunted him to this day. He'd been traumatized so much recently. His dear leader dying, his best friend becoming leader behind her, Sparrowflight's death, Lavapaw's loss of interest, and his inevitable drifting away from Nightfrost. It all led to one big explosion in his brain - an outburst of rage, if you will. In which he caught a mouse, pinning it down by its tail and ripping off its legs one by one. He quite literally ripped the thing apart alive before finally, he ripped off its head, ending its painful experience. Instead of bringing that mouse back to camp, Blackface had buried it in a secret spot that only he knew the location of. Every day or other day, he would go there and sit, and stare. Just thinking about the past, wishing for things to be that way again. Wishing for Sparrowflight back, wishing for a friend. Simple things like that. Before that day, Blackface was a cold-hearted warrior. So, one would understand why he took interest in Sweetmelody's condition. It was in his nature to help those in need, and by the looks o it, she was in need. Though she had a warrior, Ebonysnarl? With her, Blackface still felt a responsibility to butt in, if not only to ease his own mind by helping another. A selfish act? Yes. But it was a win/win situation.

[melodyy]

he sat next to her, his tail wrapped comfortingly around her back. he looked into her eyes, sighed and then purred. his purr sounded alien, it was something that was never heard before. the picture was something the clan had never seen before. the huge, black, tom with red eyes, leaning in comfortably around a she-cat clearly on the edge of breaking down? this was a scene that would be a topic of gossip around the camp for days. "hey, take it easy. i'm here to listen. don't apoligize." he said gently. sweetmelody didn't say anything, instead she looked at her paws. trying hard not to lose control. he stood up and disappeared. no surprise there. the she-cat closed her eyes. just a few minutes. she promised. just a few minutes and i'll be off. after all, even ebonysnarl walked away from me. who else do i have left?

the unthinkable happened. the tom came back, carrying a rabbit and placed it in front of her. he then took his position again. back to comforting her. "now, sweetmelody, wasn't it? come on, take a breath and start again. no pressure, no rush. i'm here, i'm listening and i won't tell a soul."

the she-cat looked up at him, her emerald green eyes unblinking. she took a deep breath and then moved closer to him. feeling his heat warming up her cold body. she burried her face inside of his pelt. a move that a kit would do to their father. except, she had never done it before. no, sweetmelody never had a father or anyone close to her. she didn't speak. instead stayed there, closing her eyes, for a few more moments.

she felt as if she were light as a feather. she was drifting away across the marshlands. it was the first time she had felt that way, and it was mostly because of this mysterious tom-cat that she just met. the presence of the tom was frightening, yet beyond his looks he was a nice cat. someone who possibly cared. "don't leave me," she meowed, her voice soft, barely louder than a whisper. she wondered if he could hear her, and the hurt and pain behind those three words. after all, she had been left by all the others who she learned to trust.

"is there a problem?" a voice questioned lightly. sweetmelody was jerked back into the present. her eyes grew wide at the tom-cat in front of her. a black tom. blackface. she tensed, remembering faintly that this was the other cat who had fought for sparrowflight's affections. smallclaw was the other. smallclaw, the frightening black warrior who hated her guts. sweetmelody shifted away from ebonysnarl, not meeting his eyes. instead, she was looking at her paws again.

"no, no. nothing's the problem." she meowed. looking up. instead, something else caught her gaze. just outside the nursery was a little orange she-cat with forest green eyes. instead, the kit looked older than she really was. the cat gave one look at blackface, love and wisdom shone through her eyes before she stared evenly back at sweetmelody. sweetmelody gave a small gasp. next to the kit was a small sparrow, the bird was also looking at the tabby warrior. as if on cue, the sparrow took flight, and all the knowledge in the kit's eyes disappeared.

"sparrowkit! come on back in!" a voice sounded outside of the den. the she-cat mewed, her voice so much like another cat's. it reminded sweetmelody of someone's. "coming!" the kit gave one last look at the three cats and went back inside. all of a sudden, the tabby warrior fit the puzzle pieces together. she looked distant, and her voice came out as a gasp.

"sparrowflight?"

[bonebreaker]

Ebonysnarl contonued to purr, it came naturally to every cat but not so naturally to him. It wasn't something that was forced though, for once, is was nice to drop that vivious persona and give way to the softer tom that he could be. That he shouldn't be but that was there. He allowed himself to looked back into her shimmering green eyes. He saw all the emotions speeding through like her mind was a highway. An abused highway. Too may, too fast. He dipped his head breifly, why? Maybe just to try and calm her a little more.
He tilted one ear to the side, now looking slightly goofy since all hardness had vanished from his gaze.

She pressed into him and he didn't stop her. The combined warmth was nice enough. He wasn't too used to it, but he wasn't going to stop her now. He contonued to purr, this time, quieter. He started a little when she buried her head in his fur but didn't move, instead, started to groom between her ears, his purr a little breathier now that his mouth was partially open. He heard her plea for him to never leave her.

I'll never leave you he rumbled. And he wouldn't. As long as he wouldn't have too. The pain she felt peirced him like a knife as he thought of his other priorities.

Is there a problem? asked a voice.
Ebonysnarl snapped round and looked straight into the eyes of Blackface. Another male warrior. He stood up slowly. Obviously he was bigger than Blackface, but he didn't use his size this time. He just never too any confrontation laying down. Friendly or otherwise. Ebonysnarl never used to know what to think of Blackface and he still didn't now.

Then a kit half wandered over and was looking at Blackface. Ebonysnarl wasn't too intrested and barely noticed when the kit was called back. But what caought his attention was what Sweetmelody said afterwards.

What? he asked with clear confusion.

[blackface]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true]

[bg=6B6B6B] For some reason, Sweetmelody seemed to be scared of him, or was it Ebonysnarl? Blackface's jaw tightened as she answered him - her voice so soft and quiet he probably wouldn't have heard it if he weren't waiting for her to say something. no, no. nothing's the problem. Blackface flexed his claws and narrowed his eyes. She was lying. Not that the black and white warrior blamed her, he would probably lie as well, but he was being hypocritical right now. He needed someone to take car of, and as long as Ebonysnarl didn't challenge him, he would stay right here. At the same time, Ebonysnarl whipped around and looked at him before standing. Blackface couldn't help but smirk at how Ebonysnarl tried to be bigger than him. Even though he was, it wasn't by too much. Blackface didn't feel the need to stand and challenge him as long as the other black warrior didn't do something. Blackface's amber eyes studied the other warrior closely. There was something about him that he didn't trust. Maybe it was the fact that he was massive and had somewhat of an attitude about him. Blackface's smirk grew. Something happened with a kit nearby, but Blackface wasn't really paying attention until Sweetmelody gasped and said something. Very quietly. sparrowflight? Blackface drew himself up and stood in an instant, towering over the poor she-cat. Bolts of rage, fear, and confusion shot up the tom's spine like lightning. What? Ebonysnarl's voice came faintly to him, though he could tell the confusion in his voice. What was going on? Why had she said that name? What in StarClan's name was going on here? "What?" Blackface's voice came out shakily as his amber eyes darkened, yet continued to pierce into Sweetmelody's. Was this some sort of sick joke? Sparrowflight was dead. Gone, Never to return. He thought everyone had gotten over that. He thought the subject of Sparrowflight was long gone. Why had it even angered him so much? It was just a name of a she-cat who hated him. Slowly, Blackface sat back down, ripping his gaze away from Sweetmelody and looking at his paws. What had gotten into him? He was acting like an immature apprentice. He flexed his claws and muscles, stealing a gaze at Ebonysnarl for his reaction.

[melodyy]

"i'll never leave you." ebonysnarl rumbled. but she was barely paying any attention. the moment the name slipped out of her mouth, both tom-cats turned to look at her- as if she was insane. she probably was. "what?" the red-eyed warrior asked her first. the other cat, however, towered above her. his amber eyes dark and unforgiving.

[/color] "what?" he said, his voice shaky. sweetmelody bristled. her eyes clouded over, maybe she really was confused. uncertainty began to prickle her pelt, and she kept looking back at the place the kit had gone in. no. no. that couldn't be possible. sparrowflight was dead. dead cats don't become kits overnight, that's impossible.

"oh. never mind. i thought i saw something," she meowed, lying smoothly. she stood up and shook her pelt, making it rough and messy once more. she grabbed the rabbit that the black warrior had given her, and put it back into the fresh kill pile. her usually soft, green gaze turned hard and determined, as she walked back to the two toms. she flicked her tail, smoothing the dirt that blackface had dug his claws into. she looked back at him, her gaze unflinching as she said in a much colder voice- the temperature between the three cats dropped about thirty degrees, "i got confused. after all, sparrowflight talks to me in my dreams. i'm pretty sure she does the same to smallclaw. and where does that leave you?" she smirked, reminding herself of her former friend- now rogue- skye. "oopsie daisy. i'm sorry. i shouldn't have said that," she said bitter-sweetly, flashing him a deadly smile. "stay away from me in the future, riverclan. you make me lose my sanity."

the she-cat stalked away, looking once into the red eyes of ebonysnarl. her gaze softened and she opened her mouth to say something- but what? i'm sorry? no, that wouldn't work. come with me? no- after what she told blackface, it sound pathetic. she snapped at the other tom, but she couldn't say anything to ebonysnarl. she shook her head, and walked a few steps forward. "i'm going hunting," she declared, "you can come, if you want." not once, looking back, she stepped outside of camp and into the warm air. she wasn't going hunting, instead she walked around the camp, trying to get her mind straight again.

she snapped at blackface! the warrior who had done nothing wrong! sweetmelody shivered, why had she done that? she never does anything like it. she keeps her opinions to herself and she doesn't put anyone else, but herself, down. she should go apologize- right now. no. no. let the tom think. after they both cooled down, she'll go talk to him. she'll apologize, and everything will be alright.

ebonysnarl. the strange, black tom-cat who everyone feared so much had been so gentle to her. so nice to her. it was unexpected. what was going on? she still smelled his scent on her pelt, still heared his voice promising he wouldn't leave her. the tom, everyone thought he was something to be afraid of. someone who didn't deserve a place in shadowclan- a cat to be feared. was the gentle warrior really that kind of cat? she saw the look in blackface's eyes when he walked up and asked what was wrong. as if implying that ebonysnarl was the source of all problems. really? was he that kind of cat?

and that kit. it looked so much like her. but it wasn't her. it couldn't be. the tabby warrior sighed loudly. what was getting into her, were bees in her brain? "what's wrong with me?" she yowled, loud enough for her voice to echo. her ears prickled up, as she heard the soft squish of the marsh underneath another cat's feet. she turned, expecting to see blackface or ebonysnarl or any other shadowclan warrior. instead, what she saw, was far beyond her wildest imaginations.

"skye. what are you doing here?"

the blue-gray rogue smirked. sweetmelody's desperate voice was still ringing in her ear. her blue eyes danced with michief, as she walked closer to the tabby warrior. she was far enough away so that the shadowclanner couldn't reach her, but she was close enough so that she could leap and fight.

fight. the answer to all of her problems.

"why? so surprised to see me, softie?" she cooed, as if talking to a kit. "barely out of the nursery are you? i wonder what your mother says, bet she's worried sick about you- talking about leaving the clan." emerald eyes widened in shock, and skye spoke in a much softer voice, "heard about your troubles, softie, do you want me to solve them for you. it won't be a problem. actually, i'll enjoy it. that's what friends are for, aren't they?" her claws extended and slid into the soft ground beneath her paws. sweetmelody's eyes grew wider. skye started walking around the tabby warrior.

her tail rested calmly on sweetmelody's shoulder. and she walked right behind her. the rogue's sweet scent filled sweetmelody's nostriles and when she spoke, her mouth smelled of blood. "where to start softie? where to start? i'll put an end to all your misery. quick as that. don't worry, softie. it won't hurt one bit." the blue-gray cat moved in front of the warrior, who was still frozen. "not gonna defend yourself? what kind of warrior are you? well, softie, that just makes everything easier for me. let the fun and games begin!" she spoke in a sweet voice, clearly mocking the other cat. she lifted her paw, gently moving her claw to outline the face. "pretty face. such a waste." she breathed softly. tension crackled.

skye was clearly enjoying herself. after all, isn't that what the coterie was all about? following her way of life? eestablishing fear into these petty warriors, and taking revenge on all they had done to her?

"say hello to my dead father for me, softie."

//mwhaha. i needed skye in here, it'll make everything more interesting. won't it be fun, darlings, to see where ebonysnarl's loyalties lie? and how blackface would respond? sweetmelody's a wimp. i hate rping her, at least skye's gonna add some shizzaz to the thread.[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[bonebreaker]

The moments passed fast for Ebonysnarl. The rabbit was returned, words were exchanged and the temperature dropped. Both ears laid flat back in confusion and his rump lowereed to the ground, and he side stepped away from Sweetmelody as she stalked past . He looked from Blackface to her and then back again and behind her back mouthed to Blackface.
What was that? You did nothing wrong.

[/i][/color]

Out load he said.
Woah, hold on. We're coming. He flicked his tail at Blackface, all hostilities forgotten for the moment. He almost pleased for the other warrior to come with him. With his head lowered in an almost hunting postion, Ebonysnarl exited with his customary low trot, pushing past a few warriors who skittered from his path. With ears pricked forwards, he continued on his path out of the camp before he stopped. Dead.

His nose was twitching and fur prickling. He smelt Rogue! Or maybe not. he recognised the smell and his heart dropped. Coterie.

Blackface! Get back-up! We've got a Rogue near the camp! he barked back over his shoulder before rearing up and lunged forward, powering through the camp entrance, following the scents.
He burst onto a scene which he didn't like at all.

Say hello to my dead father for me, softie.

Ebonysnarl let out a shreik of rage. Rage that wasn't hearfelt but he faked it. He was attacking one of his own comrades. He skidded to a halt in front of Sweetmeldoy and reared up, yowling deeply and fangs bared. He growled and swiped at the other cat.

Back off Rogue! he snarled loudly.[/blockquote]

OOC// Sorry it's rather crap, lol. I'm cooking as well.[/size]

[blackface]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true]

[bg=6B6B6B] oh. never mind. i thought i saw something Blackface nodded and recoiled a bit. His outburst was uncalled for. But what Sweetmelody did next took even him by surprise. i got confused. after all, sparrowflight talks to me in my dreams. i'm pretty sure she does the same to smallclaw. and where does that leave you? A devilish grin appeared on her face as she said this. oopsie daisy. i'm sorry. i shouldn't have said that. stay away from me in the future, riverclan. you make me lose my sanity. A low growl rumbled in the massive tomcat's chest how dare she say something like that! He didn't want Sparrowflight to talk to him in his dreams... right? With those words though, the she-cat stalked away. Rage flared in Blackface's amber eyes as he glanced at Ebonysnarl. The black warrior mouthed something to him, to which Blackface simply shrugged. Woah, hold on. We're coming. Ebonysnarl spoke this out loud, flicking his tail for Blackface to follow him as the large black tomcat pushed ahead after Sweetmelody. Immediately, Blackface rose and followed him as they pushed their way quickly through the bush. Ebonysnarl had made a reputation, much like Blackface, as the evil one in the Clan. The one everyone was worried about having around. But he didn't seem that cat right now. He seemed softer, kinder, and maybe even a bit loyal. Blackface! Get back-up! We've got a Rogue near the camp! Ebonysnarl's call came from ahead. Back-up? For one rogue? With two cats as big as Blackface and Ebonysnarl, he was sure they could handle it. Blackface pressed forward, pretending to not hear the call. As he came closer to the scene, he noticed Sweetmelody cowered behind Ebonysnarl, who had reared up in front of a she-cat and snarling. Back off Rogue! Blackface weaved his way to stand beside Sweetmelody, just behind Ebonysnarl and crouched into position to defend the she-cat if this rogue decided to attack, curling his lip back in a snarl. Blackface would get Sweetmelody back for her snappy comment before later, but endangering her life was not the way to do it. His claws dug into the dirt below him, he muscles tensed, his ears pressed flat against his head, and his amber eyes shone. "Who are you and what are you doing on ShadowClan's territory?" Blackface questioned with a low growl, his long black tail twitching back and forth as a devilish grin now appeared on his face. He almost wished the she-cat rogue would attack him. He was in need of a good fight. occ// I have a little mini-plot idea for Ebonysnarl if you're interested. I need to bring Blackface back to his ruthlessness.

[melodyy]

"back off rogue!" skye turned and faced ebonysnarl. a fellow coterie member. she smirked, was this tom really leaping forward to defend her? my, oh, my. the she-cat must have more friends than one would think. he swiped his paws at her, but she skillfully ducked. weaving her way around the two black warriors. she was half-windclan after all, barely any shadowclanner could match her speed. she knocked sweetmelody to the ground. the tabby she-cat opened her wide eyes, looking back around for help. the rogue walked forward, holding the warrior down, with one paw to her neck.

"who are you and what are you doing on shadowclan territory?" another cat snarled, his long black tail twitching. he was obviously in need of a good fight. one that she would give him, soon. skye smirked her eyes twitching back and forward from ebonysnarl and blackface. sweetmelody squirmed underneath skye, trying to get out. the blue-gray cat tightened her grasp, snarling at the tabby warrior.

"skye." she snarled, looking at the warrior who asked for her name. "or perhaps you know me better as skylight. after all, i was your clanmate once upon a time pretty-face." she smirked. sweetmelody struggled underneath her again. "stop moving softie!"

sweetmelody looked up at skye, her gaze unflinching as she spat back her own reply. anger was fuming inside of her, but she knew that in this position, she would never win. "then get off of me." skye purred in amusement. "no, no, no. didn't your mother ever teach you something called manners? oh, and ebonysnarl, nice to see you again."

the tabby cat looked up in surprise. "what? surprised we know each other? no, no, he's not as loyal as you think," she purred, turning around to wink at the red-eyed cat.

sweetmelody looked back at the two warriors, eyes pleading for help. but she suddenly felt cautious, what was skye talking about? saying ebonysnarl wasn't loyal? "he's a loyal warrior, and we all know it. stop trying to talk your way out. you're outnumbered, face the truth. you're just scaed."

"me? scared? softie, don't put words in my mouth. i can take on all three of you, and you all know it. but, honestly, which shadowclan warrior's gonna come to your rescue? when they know, that one wrong move-" she leaned into the tabby cat, and tightened her grip on her throat, her claws sinking in only enough to make blood drops fall out. sweetmelody let out a cry of pain. skye stood back again, looking at the faces of the other shadowclan warriors with a grin on her face. "and they know that you're gonna fly up to your precious starclan."

she turned back to the clan cats, her smile devilish and amused.

"so come on. come closer. if you wanna see your precious sweetmelody dead."

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[small • claw]

[atrb=border,0,false][bg=1d2e22] Emerald moonstones flickered like flame-light in the obscurity of the Medicine cat's den; the gleam in their depths snaked and coiled to and fro like the sacred cobra as it swung its tail about to Egyptian gypsies. The black warrior couldn't help but stare, mournfully, at his mate. Thoughts of Midnighthowl and his disturbing nightmares made his days uneasy and resulted in consuming contemplation, all the more, none of it helped him to get over his hatred for ThunderClan. For what they did to Ravenpelt, they would pay dearly. He knew already, in his heart and soul, that violent retaliation wasn't the answer, but another side of him kept pushing away the diplomatic alternative, serving up hot revenge instead. He just couldn't shake off the prickle up his spine, or the sensations of exhaustion that tickled his eyelids. As strong as he was, he felt the darkness creeping up on him... like an assassin on its best behavior, he half expected to go insane, spewing and sputtering malicious nonsense to his mate and everyone around him. What good would he be to his Clan, if he was the enemy that were running from? Smallclaw blinked dully, his line of sight sliding towards a less obvious location. A speck of dust on the ground was enough to satisfy him; he pictured it a hollow instead, full of blood. Like a small crimson pool, and the bodies of everyone he knew and loved were strewn around it... one cat inparticular caught his eye, her black tail lay dipped in the cherry colored puddle. The stirrings of macabre electrified his back, and he shook his head, in turn, shuddering the image out of his mind. He couldn't do this anymore. He needed fresh air. He was tired of waiting around for some results, and it was obvious Ravenpelt's injuries weren't getting worse, but they weren't getting better either. He loved her more than anything, and her safety mattered most to him, but in the heart of ShadowClan, he didn't have to hold her hand every second of every day. They were in camp, and she was surrounded by a Clan of warriors who would fight and protect anyone in dire need of it. That included her, and so, the ebony tom was contented to the point that he would agree to remove himself from Brittlebreeze's den, if only to catch some unsullied space... A shrill cry pierced his ears and his head shot up. Great StarClan! In a flash, his muscular form had entered the clearing, following the presupposed wails of torture. His heart pumped like a hammer as adrenaline pulsated throughout the entirety of his veins; fury surged through their small points, from his head, fueling the potency of every limb he possessed. Whoever it was, something was terribly wrong. Was it the Coterie!? Smallclaw's emerald moonstones narrowed enigmatically, while the corners of his maw curled up slightly; threatening silently that if it was one of his Clanmates... whoever was responsible would get a beating to remember. His claws unsheathed, and he tore himself a hole through the thorn barrier. Tufts of his black fur were snagged, and also ignored, as he pelted towards the intruder that held... of all cats, Sweetmelody in their grasp. The enemies claws were burrowing themselves into her chest and throat; like a missle, he let out a battle cry, and never taking his eyes off of the rogue, he aimed to blow her over with his weight. If she dodged it, she would separate herself from the Warrior, and if not, if he took her down over the hump of the tabbies body, then Skye would regret her decision to bother targeting a ShadowClan member. Icestar had been killed by rogues. He hated them all. If this one was a Coterie member, he couldn't say that the deal between he and Midnighthowl extended to leaving them alone, it was a pact that was between shutting his mouth and she fulfilling her end of the bargain; it left no room for attacks. Likewise, it left no room for Skye's survival. In this equation, she would taste the earth for the last time. Lest he die trying to make that sweet reverie, a reality. "I'll gut you like a fish!" His snarl hit the air, his deep voice an enraged rumble that came from the depths of his husky gullet. He lifted a paw from below to try and give her an uppercut; if his launch proved flourishing. 750 words