*wandering about|open!!

[.::/S a g e\::.]

Sagepaw !
six moons xwindclanxthe gorge

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~Earlier in Apprentices Den~

"Ah-ah-ah CHOO!" A small shivering ball of fur sneezed as she tumbled over, successfully destroying her nest of moss. It was way too early for this small cat to be up, as far as she could hear the dawn patrol hadn't even left yet! Snorting in self-contempt at her un-apprentice-like squeak the small kitten yanked her front half out from under her bottom half, only managing to skid across the ice cold floor of her den. Somewhere across camp, probably in the Medicine Cats den someone coughed. It wasn't a normal cough, like one having a finch bone stuck in their throat but rather a hacking cough that sounded like someone choking. In a brief flash of anxiety, Sagepaw wondered if there would be an outbreak of greencough this Leaf-Bare. Shaking her head as she glanced around the den. It was practically empty save for maybe one or two other apprentices snoring peacefully in a warm fluffed out ball of happy dreams.

A hot flush of anger spread through Sagepaw, she could swear her ears just turned pink from the sudden warmth. Why did they get to have mentors and she didn't. What was the point in making her apprentice if she couldn't have a mentor? She wasn't even allowed out of camp yet because all the other warriors were too busy with warrior stuff that involved being bossy furballs or catching fresh-kill that was one tail length away from being too stringy to eat. But, the small kit's anger was over just as soon as it had come. With a dejected sigh, Sagepaw curled her tail over her toes turning slightly to begin washing her fluffy gray and white splotched fur. She would be patient. It wouldn't be long before she would have a proper mentor, but until then the entire clan were her teachers. She would just have to watch their moves as they wandered about camp. Maybe, around sunhigh she would go talk to Laststar and ask about her mentor or ask instead if he would take her out into the moors to teach her some hunting or battle moves. She smiled happily as she pounced up to her paws making her way out of the den, nearly letting out a yowl when a big patch of snow fell on her head.

Her fluffed out tail twitched in irritation. This so wasn't her day. In truth, had anyone bothered to look over at the soft thud of snow hitting the ground they would probably be amused or perplexed at the wriggling backside of a trapped apprentice. "Oh come on Sagepaw! What kind of apprentice lets herself get eaten by a lump of snow! Honestly you mouse brain get your act together or Laststar will never give you a mentor and you'll be stuck in camp until you're as old as StarClan or until a hedgehog wanders over and sits on you." she mrruped in a slightly degrading pep talk yanking her head and front paws out of the snow mound nearly tumbling into a small rock. Her gray-blue eyes widened as she sniffed at its sharp edges. That would've sent me to the Medicine Cat's den for at least two sunrises if I had hit it. she thought silently licking her chest fur before bounding out of camp to explore.

~Present - Sunrise, The Gorge~

It took a lot of willpower to keep herself from shouting out. She couldn't help it, the beauty of the Gorge was amazing and she wondered if her voice would echo off the sheer rocks. Sagepaw bounced up and down like a kit who had just been given a new toy. Of course she knew the stories, about how many cats had died trying to make their way across the Gorge. And she wasn't mousebrained. No, she was a WindClan apprentice. One day before she would join StarClan, she vowed to jump that gorge and make it. In all honesty, Sagepaw could see it now. The day of her natural death using the last of her strength to launch herself over the ravine, floating, carried on the backs of her deceased clanmates who would see her safely across before landing under that maple sapling and dieing. Such a beautiful fantasy.

Mrrowing in pleasure at her own idea of her death the apprentice turned to look over toward the ThunderClan border where she knew the sun would rise. The blue-gray sky already starting to lighten as the first few rays peeked out over the horizon. Sagepaw's eyes widened as she watched as the seconds ticked by. Overhead a flock of bickering blue jays looked down at the cat overwhelmed by the beauty of the sunrise over the gorge and squawked even louder trying to get the cats attention. Sagepaw ignored them, her jaw dropping open as the golden rays slid over the rocks bouncing off the hidden crystals then reflecting off the water.

Irritated at being ignored the blue and white birds circled lower, taunting the cat who continuously ignored them. She was much too busy thinking up ways to tell her story of how when the sun rose she could see the cats of StarClan climbing up the gorge and back into the sky after a night of frolicking on Earth's soil. The birds fury increased with each passing second Sagepaw ignored them. Finally their boiling point reached the birds fell into battle formation dive bombing the young gray and white cat.

Sagepaw let out a squeak of protest at the birds attack and simply moved away from the cliff thinking that she was way too close to the nest. She growled as they came back a second time, their talons yanking on her fur which was the only thing protecting her skin from being torn open by the knife sharp claws. She hissed pelting away from the gorge hoping that her speed would be enough to deter the meddlesome creatures. She yelped as the leader of the flock bit at her ears. Why did it have to be her?! She spat in frustration, running faster than she usually did, making her chest feel heavy and her lungs about to burst.

The flock of blue jays continued dive bombing the cat ecstatically their squawks sounding throughout the sky. "Cat cat! We got the cat!" they cried circling and swooping down again but crash landing onto the ground as they realized that their toy had disappeared.

The apprentice bit back a whimper as she licked her paw and ran it over her wounded ear. It wasn't bleeding but it stung like nettle leaves. She had hidden..or rather fallen into an abandoned rabbit hole and could only pray to StarClan that the birds would leave her alone. But why in StarClan are they chasing me anyway?! There wasn't any nest anywhere! She wailed in her head, tail twitching against her paws. Uh Oh. Sagepaw murmured softly, her sensitive ears catching the sound of rustling feathers not even two tail lengths away from her hiding place. Someone help me!

[BiRDZiLLA!]

Ghostshell

The winter gusts tussled the warrior, and silently Ghostshell ducked his head a little lower. A dark cloud of his own despair seemed to loom as he bounded over a small hill of tumbling snow. Riverclan was desperately lacking healthy paws, so the Deputy found himself alone on the border patrol, but this really didn't concern him. Not many would be stupid enough to try and cross the thinly frozen river, and the gorge left little room for border crossing to his west. He was more concerned about his clan than looking for enemy patrols at this point.

To his relief the river was barely trickling when he reached the frozen over shores, a small sleek fish swimming under the ice crust in front of him. Smacking a paw against the ice, he watched it flop away, telling it telepathicly 'You're lucky.' Quickening his pace now, Ghostshell headed to where the river suddenly broke into the large gape in the earth - the gorge that divided Windclan and Riverclan. Birds loved to make nests on the blunt rock perches, and with a flicker of hope in his heart he headed for the edge.

"Hmmmm" he rasped, tail flicking savagely with it's own beat. The prey was close - or rather had been recently - and it perked all of his scent glands with interest. Carefully, making sure not to misstep and find his way over the edge, Ghostshell picked his was closer to the ledges the birds usually perched on. None where there, but something else now caught his eye.

They were flapping madly, creating spiraling acrobatics through the air. Their position wasn't on Riverclan he noticed with a pang, but the flocks erratic movements kept his gaze focused intensely. The small blobs on the horizon kept bobbing and ducking about, and with a strange laughing-purr he realized they were most likely finding their own prey. Still striked with interest, he made back down the border, heading to where he could get a little closer to the action. In all honesty he'd never seen another animal make a catch before, and like a bouncy kit he was set on witnessing this now, as long as he didn't manage a hair over the border. [/color]

Ooc; Buh, suckishhhh.

[.::/S a g e\::.]

Sagepaw !
six moons xwindclanxthe gorge

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Sagepaw shivered, the fridgedness of the compact earth seeping though her fur. She was beginning to feel the first stages of claustraphobia. Being WindClan she was used to the open air but she had only just entered the apprentices den and so her downy fur was not used to the coldness. The tiny gray and white she-cat let out a yeowl of protest as a smaller bird managed to grab hold of her tail with its beak. Hissing in outrage, Sagepaw whirled around to bat at the birds head with her front paws. It was nearly impossible to fight in this tiny space but it was either lure them in one by one or go out and face a most likely defeat. What was that her father had said before Larkkit died? Choose your battles wisely and use your brain not your claws. she made a face her back paws kicking at the sides of the hole as she moved farther back.

The bird hopped backwards studying the cat before hopping forward to get in a sharp nip. The blue jay was confused as to what this cat was doing. It should be fighting back, but the fluffy cat was simply moving backwards batting blindly at the bird whenever it came close.

The WindClan apprentice's breathing was quickening. She knew she had to calm herself down before she completely lost control. The bird was getting closer. If only she could get a firm footing! She growled in frustration, her tail twitching. It would take ages to get the muck out of her tail, but first she had to get out of here. She swiped at the birds head, her claws catching themselves in the smooth feathers when the jay hopped sideways. Sagepaw backed up again, her back paws hitting a firm wall of dirt. The hole must've collapsed last New-Leaf. Pining her ears back the small apprentice launched herself forward with her back legs tackling the bird and delivering a swift bite to its pretty throat. Giving thanks to StarClan for the food to fill her Clan's belly she tossed it to one side and raced back up the tunnel and poked her head out and letting out an earsplitting yeowl. Bird-free for all. Techinically she was calling to her clanmates but if the birds flew off over towards RiverClan territory, that clan would feed well too. After all there must be four clans in the forest.

Silvery gray-green eyes caught sight of the black and white tom across the border and flinched inwardly. If he decided to help, she would be shamed for moons at being helped by a RiverClan warrior. If he decided to cross the border and steal the birds..she would be powerless to stop him. She hissed in pain and ducked back down into the tunnel another bird following her to its death.

NOTE: Gah it sucks completely but my muse failed halfway through xD

[BiRDZiLLA!]

Ghostshell

The Riverclan deputy was on the verge of losing interest and all hopes to catch the colorful prey. The river left him open to the natural gusts of cold Windclan air, sleek greasy pelt from fed much fish in his life time holding no barrier against it. Turning on black toes, Ghostshell sent the frozen river a small prayer to thaw soon before leaping back over the snow drifts he wadded through on the way there. Stiffening, his muscles stopped working seconds later when the feline shriek cut through the bird's cat calls.

It was nothing he knew prey could make, and it reminded him eerily of a kit wailing in the nursery. Remaining rigid, Ghostshell made his way back to the river's edge. "Heyyyy!" he yowled as loud as he could, drawing the last shrivels of breath from his lungs, hoping he'd provoke another sound to tell if it really was a clan cat in trouble. 'Windclan or not...' he told himself sternly, trying to create a valid argument to help out if needed be.

The birds kept on their vicious victory calls, and the black and white deputy began to incline on his toes for a better view. Windclan was barren enough most snow had nothing to catch on but the ground, creating a sleek white space to glance across. Here and there the snow exploded around the particular spot, and Ghostshell couldn't help but gulp in confusion and growing worry. 'I pray to Starclan that's not Birdsong....' crossed his mind, almost picturing his brother's apprentice with picture perfect clarity.

"... Birdsong?" he inquired, still waiting for a response (or none at all) from the Windclan territory.

[.::/S a g e\::.]

Sagepaw !
six moons xwindclanxthe gorge

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Two birds down, and an entire flock to go. The WindClan apprentice snorted in irritation as she flopped down onto her belly to catch her breath. Her sides were heaving from the effort and dark mud splatters were smeared all over her white and gray fur. "I need a better plan." she muttered unhappily. Any more she thought up really sucked and it ended up with her getting worse injuries than she already had.

Scrambling back up the tunnel, she poked her head out quickly to see how clear her surroundings were. The birds had taken off high into the sky, obviously communicating with themselves as they circled the area. Flicking her tail, Sagepaw bounded up and out of the hole and shook off the dirt clumps. She knew she had to think quickly otherwise she would be reduced to cowering in the hole again. Her ears pricked up as a feline shout carried over the wind. She blinked glancing over to the RiverClan border again. Gah! That stupid tom's still there?! Doesn't he have something better to do than stare at she-cats from another clan? she hissed mentally, her fluffy tail flipping from side to side in aggitation.

"Birdsong? Are you mousebrained?! Do I look anything like that hyperactive cat?" she mrrowed back at him, irritation lacing her voice. She didn't know Birdsong well, but she knew what the she-cat was known for her rather eccentric personality. In a way, Sagepaw admired the cat. In her own weird way, the she-cat was herself as far as Sagepaw could tell and it was refreshing to watch if a little annoying half the time.

Her bright eyes blinked as a call distracted her from her argument with the RiverClan tom as a divebomb of blue jays headed back down towards her. With a yowl of frustration, the gray and white apprentice dodged back down into the rabbit hole.

[BiRDZiLLA!]

Ghostshell

The deputy's ears strained to pick up the minced words, but the irritation still fluttered clearly towards him. With a beat of hesitation, Ghostshell took one large leap in attempts to heave himself over the river, his front paws comming down close to the shore but not cutting it fully. The ice groaned under the force, and he scrambled forward on to the frozen grass before it shattered like frozen glass, sharp peices bobbing in the fridged water. Quickly he picked up a pace, trying to restrain his muscles as adrenaline kicked in.

Everything in his being screamed at him that was a stupid stupid, stupid idea, but he ignored it to the best of his ability, letting out a vicious cat call as his neared. His well built hind quarters, descended from Windclan blood, helped him arch into the air as he neared, trying mostly to scatter the wailing birds than to take them down. Ghostshell decided he'd only assist - not wanting to kill one of the birds and be mistaken for stealing prey.

"Hey!" the two-toned tom stiffled over the steadily growling shireks of the birds, tail twitching savagly as they began to rain down him like a ballet routine.Code Geass - CLAMP