rapture || open

[cobweb]

elmstripe

" try talking to me about the reason behind your tears, and about the thorny roses which pierce through your tiny heart "

Thunderclan camp was quiet aside from the protesting mewls of kittens as their mothers ushered them into the nursery. Overhead a storm was brewing. The sky was gray and cracked. Lines mimicking those of a spider web darted across the sky. Streams of pale sunlight dappled the ground below. The air carried the scent of rain and with it would come destruction. Most of Elmstripe’s clan mates were huddled in their dens. Elders complained about their joints and spat colorful remarks at one another. Warriors murmured softly and queens hummed their kittens to sleep. The orange tom slid out of the warrior’s den. He was uninterested in their conversation and he wasn’t going to waste his day listening to the younger toms exchange slap stick humor. No, the senior warrior would roam far away from camp—deep into the forest where he would be away from the noise.

His paws carried him out of camp undetected. Thunder shook the soil beneath his paws and the clouds were beginning to grow dark. Now wasn’t the time for a stroll but the escape was essential for his sanity. He loved his clan mates (some more than others) and was a loyal warrior but there were days when he just needed a break from their trivial conversations. It seemed like the only thing they talked about was she-cats or the weather, neither of which Elmstripe found appealing. He didn’t care what his leader had to say about his absence. He wasn’t breaking any law, he had the freedom to travel his territory as he pleased. The handsome tom was no longer an apprentice but a seasoned warrior. Although the rules still tied him down in some aspects this was certainly not one of them. Another clap of thunder boomed above shattering the silence of the forest. The tom decided he would rather listen to the thunder than the staticy noise associated with camp.

Storm chasing was something his mentor had enjoyed. Personally, Elmstripe never saw the logic in it but he never argued or protested when his mentor asked him to participate. They’d go out in the pouring rain and chase down the lighting or follow the sound of thunder. What they were looking for he had no idea and even though it was irrational in his mind, he had fun. His apprentice days were full of hard work and determination but those stormy days were the days he remembered the above all else. What other apprentice got to go out and chase a storm down? Granted, they never caught one and he was sure it was impossible to do so but that was never the point. In fact the tom still wasn’t sure what his mentor meant to teach him and if there was anything to teach at all. A rare grin pierced the scowl that he constantly wore. Thick raindrops soon began to fall from the sky and he figured that it would become a downpour soon enough. He turned his muzzle upward only to catch a raindrop in the eye. The tom blinked and shook his head. It was foolish of me to come out here, he thought, his lips forming his signature hard line. However since the tom was already out in the forest he figured he might as well bunker down until the storm passed.

[ words - 557 ]

[Lexi]

foxstar

The crackle and pop of thunder echoed through the air, a charge seeming to follow along with it. The hackles rose upon her haunches despite the calm that hung about her den. She was not disturbed by the storm. She had never been bothered by them. The coming storm was merely another part of the nature in which they lived, just like their very own existence. And so it was that it didn't bother her in the least. The tip of her tail flicked every now and then, her body sitting comfortably amongst the sweet moss of her bedding, the remains of the small mouse she had eaten resting near the edge of her den. She had chosen to eat by herself today merely to be alone with her thoughts, for once more thoughts of the other clans were bothering her. A war was on the horizon, and the tense peace that was still attached seemed to be hanging on by a thread, one that could break the instant a wrong choice was made. It was difficult, for she Foxstar wasn't sure how she would handle it if an all out war broke out between the clans. But she didn't want to think about that right now. She would only think about it if the time ever came for her to worry about it.

Sighing softly, she opened her eyes, realizing only then that they had been closed. Her stormy gaze circled the small enclosure that was her den, taking in the dark stone and watching as patterns were strung across it with each flash of lightning. It was the only thing which the darkness in which she sat, and as her ears flicked to the sound of another boom, she stood and removed herself from her bedding, slowly striding across the cool stone as she moved to the entrance of her den. As she neared the opening she stopped, looking down onto her clan from where she stood. She could see the warriors bringing in the last of the fresh kill for the day, although now they were moving them over into an outcrop in the rock, a place to shelter it from the rain so that the meat wouldn't spoil. After all, they couldn't afford to lose any food that was caught. The mewlings of the kits being nudged back into the Nursery by their mothers caused Foxstar's head to turn and watch, a small smile tugging at her lips as she watched a few of the more troublesome kits trying to get away so that they could continue to play outside. She had been similar when she was a kit, so there was no surprise in her gaze, merely amusement.

It was then that she caught the flicker of movement at the edge of her gaze. She turned her head, just barely catching the tip of his tail before he was gone. Elmstripe. The old tom had been a warrior longer than she, and it had always been a mystery as to why she had been picked for deputy rather than a more experienced warrior, but she wasn't complaining. The burdens she now faced as being Leader wasn't something she wouldn't want on anyone else, and besides, it made her smarter with each decision she made. But Elmstripe was the one warrior who had even been willing to give her a few tips after she had just become a warrior, and if it weren't for his guidance she would have most likely made many more mistakes than she had. Tail flicking slightly, she turned and padded down the small slope of rock that lead up to her den, the small smile disappearing from her lips as her expression became serious once more. She was going to follow the tom, more out of curiosity than anything else. It didn't take her long to cross the expanse of the camp, and as she slipped out of the entrance, she parted her jaws, letting her senses help her to follow the old warrior. The continuous booms and claps of thunder didn't bother her in the least, and as she padded along through the trees, she was silent, letting the forest envelop her. She soon caught sight of the old tom, and it was then that she slowed her pace. "You've picked an interesting time to go for a walk through the forest, Elmstripe." Foxstar remarked softly as she came to the tom's side, matching his pace easily. Despite his cold demeanor, she was still glad to have him on her side, and even if he didn't want her here at the moment, she wasn't about to turn around and leave. Not in this weather.

782 [ words ]
elmstripe [ tag ]
hope you don't mind me joining in! ^^ [ notes ]

[Huntress]

Drip It had started off so insignificantly, unimpressive to the everyday eye as it was only a stray cloud that had no sky to call its permanent home. Snowmint had simply stared for the longest time, her attention forced away from the patch of catmint she had proceeded to gather with haste, and she debated the cloud's inner strength. Drop Her prediction had been correct. The cloud had been a storm, brewing during the time when it was no threat, when it was ignored by all the others and brushed aside by the consistent wind that always seemed to blow every darkness away. Then Snowmint had noticed moments later that the wind had faded away. There was no breeze to ruffle her silver fur, and nothing that could prevent that dark cloud from spreading. Drip Thunder rumbled on the horizon, yet there was still no wind. The blue skies Snowmint once felt so assured under had been masked by rolling blackness and bright sparks of lightning high above the eyes of her clanmates. Thunderclan was under attack by an unseen force. And as the first few raindrops fell, the medicine cat could see many skittish cats dive for shelter. Kits were ushered inside. Snowmint sat in the entrance to her cave...and watched. Drop The rain pattered down in a repetitive dance, as always. Snowmint didn't care any longer if her fur became wet with its presence, she simply stared up into the sky and let it fall onto her face. It mixed well with her rain-colored eyes, and she felt cleansed for once. The rain had fixed everything, morphing the storm from threatening to fulfilling. The she-cat smiled softly as she felt rejuvenated. Drip.. And then she did something rather odd, she stepped forward with her left paw, then copied the movement with her right, and then she was no longer sitting; all four legs were moving in a pattern, syncing with each other as she placed herself in the center of the camp. No doubt many of her clanmates were probably watching her with awe as she smiled and let the rain hit her face over and over again, cleansing her, massaging her woes away. Snowmint ran for joy. She made her swift exit through the camp's entrance and barreled down into the vast forest below, hearing the thunder crash all around, the sky black as night, the trees reaching toward her, threatening to catch her as the thunder cheered them on. The rain motivated her paws by shoving them onward, and Snowmint, feeling more adrenaline than she had in awhile, yowled in reply to the thunder overhead. She collapsed then, buried her nose into the dirt and sweet-smelling grasses. Her paws pillowed her head as she rested there, lightning reaching down to touch her, rain lulling her to sleep, grass tickling her nose in a loving manner. "You've picked an interesting time to go for a walk through the forest, Elmstripe." Her leader's voice broke through the soothing silence that arrived soon after. What was Foxstar doing all the way out here? Furthermore, what was Elmstripe doing all the way out here? Then again, what was she doing all the way out here in the first place? Snowmint yawned and stretched deeply, feeling pleasure at the tingle her soaked fur sent deep into her skin. She padded in the direction of Foxstar's voice, soon finding her strolling alongside Elmstripe. "It seems we all have picked an interesting time to go for a walk," she sighed in admittance. [bg=daf0ef][atrb=width,380,true] [atrb=border,0,true]