Post by Sparrow on Nov 12, 2018 21:25:50 GMT
Among the dark shadows of the conifers, on chilled ground made soft by layers of pine needles, a dark brown smudge of a cat made her way up the slope. She was skinny as a rail, with her fur dulled beyond the distortions that the shade threw over her ragged form. Once bright green eyes now seemed glazed and discouraged, and the she-cat made no effort to mask the sounds of her movements as she stumbled along.
The young warrior was Ivyheart, a member of the now destitute SmokeClan. Less than a moon ago, their neighbours had risen up and driven her and her kin from most of their lands, leaving them with next to nothing. They had banded together at first, those who were left after disappearances and war had ravaged them, but with so little land and leaf-bare drawing in there was no food for their hungry mouths. Ivyheart's ears slipped back against her skull as she seemed to hear the forlorn mewling of the kittens again. There was nothing for them.
Out of breath, she paused in her climb, passing her gaze over her shoulder to the slope below as her breath misted in front of her. The first wisps of snow were beginning to fall, melting as they reached the ground. But she knew it would only be a matter of time before they would settle, and then the true fangs of leaf-bare would bite. She shivered, half from fear as much as the frosty temperatures that chilled her thin frame to the bone.
I have to keep going. This is my only hope
She thought to herself, looking back in front of her anxiously. She was well into tribe territory now, their scent swirling around her like the increasingly numerous snowflakes. She wasn't sure what kind of reception she might get, though likely it would not be kind. But there was nothing behind her but the shadows and wraiths that were left of her clanmates, who cried from hunger and sorrow.
I had to leave. I had no choice. We're all going to die if we don't find refuge in the other clans
None the less, she felt a stab of guilt.
Should I have stayed?
But she knew that what she was doing was her only chance of avoiding starvation. Her only chance to-
A feline growl from up ahead froze Ivyheart's blood, rooting her to the spot as a ginger tom and a brown-and-white she-cat leaped out of the foliage ahead of her with tails up and fur on end.
"WHO GOES THERE?"
The tom growled low in his chest, the dark blue paw print on his shoulder marking him as a warrior of the tribe. Azure narrowed his eyes at the stranger before him, tail swishing aggressively as her strode towards her, tasting her scent in the air.
"I-Ivyheart... of SmokeClan..."
Ivyheart cast her gaze down and dipped her head, this wasn't starting well, he didn't seem very empathetic.
"SmokeClan? Ridiculous! No warrior with a clan to support them would be as thin as you. You're just some layabout loner looking to steal the Tribe's prey!"
Snapped the tribe she-cat, May, who's dark green paw print mirrored Azure's.
"She does smell like a Smokey"
Commented Azure as the tribe cats circled Ivyheart, who curled herself up as small as she could, shivering in the cold.
"I swear I'm from SmokeClan! We've been invaded! ThornClan took most of our territory and has forced us into starvation!"
Ivyheart jittered, fur on end and eyes wide. The tribe cats were healthy and sleek in comparison to her, and as she watched them circle her it dawned on her that this might have been the greatest mistake in her life. She wasn't even sure if she could walk out of their territory, let alone be chased and wounded on the way.
The tribe cats exchanged a glance at the news, obviously perturbed, but it was more for their own safety than the forlorn figure before them.
"Your dealings with ThornClan are nothing to do with us."
"Why did you drag your fire-stink fur all the way into our territory? Can't you make do with just making trouble with ThornClan instead of dragging us into it too?"
Azure and May circled closer, growls in their chests and fear in their minds. Ivyheart was thin and ugly to them, someone who would steal their resources and bring trouble to their home. Fear drove out all empathy, replacing it with bigotry. It was Azure who threw the first blow.
"GET OUT! We want none of your kind here!"
He hissed, striking Ivyheart across the face as the she-cat shrieked with fear.
The young warrior was Ivyheart, a member of the now destitute SmokeClan. Less than a moon ago, their neighbours had risen up and driven her and her kin from most of their lands, leaving them with next to nothing. They had banded together at first, those who were left after disappearances and war had ravaged them, but with so little land and leaf-bare drawing in there was no food for their hungry mouths. Ivyheart's ears slipped back against her skull as she seemed to hear the forlorn mewling of the kittens again. There was nothing for them.
Out of breath, she paused in her climb, passing her gaze over her shoulder to the slope below as her breath misted in front of her. The first wisps of snow were beginning to fall, melting as they reached the ground. But she knew it would only be a matter of time before they would settle, and then the true fangs of leaf-bare would bite. She shivered, half from fear as much as the frosty temperatures that chilled her thin frame to the bone.
I have to keep going. This is my only hope
She thought to herself, looking back in front of her anxiously. She was well into tribe territory now, their scent swirling around her like the increasingly numerous snowflakes. She wasn't sure what kind of reception she might get, though likely it would not be kind. But there was nothing behind her but the shadows and wraiths that were left of her clanmates, who cried from hunger and sorrow.
I had to leave. I had no choice. We're all going to die if we don't find refuge in the other clans
None the less, she felt a stab of guilt.
Should I have stayed?
But she knew that what she was doing was her only chance of avoiding starvation. Her only chance to-
A feline growl from up ahead froze Ivyheart's blood, rooting her to the spot as a ginger tom and a brown-and-white she-cat leaped out of the foliage ahead of her with tails up and fur on end.
"WHO GOES THERE?"
The tom growled low in his chest, the dark blue paw print on his shoulder marking him as a warrior of the tribe. Azure narrowed his eyes at the stranger before him, tail swishing aggressively as her strode towards her, tasting her scent in the air.
"I-Ivyheart... of SmokeClan..."
Ivyheart cast her gaze down and dipped her head, this wasn't starting well, he didn't seem very empathetic.
"SmokeClan? Ridiculous! No warrior with a clan to support them would be as thin as you. You're just some layabout loner looking to steal the Tribe's prey!"
Snapped the tribe she-cat, May, who's dark green paw print mirrored Azure's.
"She does smell like a Smokey"
Commented Azure as the tribe cats circled Ivyheart, who curled herself up as small as she could, shivering in the cold.
"I swear I'm from SmokeClan! We've been invaded! ThornClan took most of our territory and has forced us into starvation!"
Ivyheart jittered, fur on end and eyes wide. The tribe cats were healthy and sleek in comparison to her, and as she watched them circle her it dawned on her that this might have been the greatest mistake in her life. She wasn't even sure if she could walk out of their territory, let alone be chased and wounded on the way.
The tribe cats exchanged a glance at the news, obviously perturbed, but it was more for their own safety than the forlorn figure before them.
"Your dealings with ThornClan are nothing to do with us."
"Why did you drag your fire-stink fur all the way into our territory? Can't you make do with just making trouble with ThornClan instead of dragging us into it too?"
Azure and May circled closer, growls in their chests and fear in their minds. Ivyheart was thin and ugly to them, someone who would steal their resources and bring trouble to their home. Fear drove out all empathy, replacing it with bigotry. It was Azure who threw the first blow.
"GET OUT! We want none of your kind here!"
He hissed, striking Ivyheart across the face as the she-cat shrieked with fear.