RPGTopia

"Greetings" Tiberium growled while Ferallion simply stayed nodded to the she cat leader. The gray tom was a quiet cat, only chatty with his brother, and only speaking with others when he needed to. Thus was the life style he adopted as a loner.

Spottednose joined his fellow warriors at the fresh-kill pile. "Room for one more?" he mewed with a smirk.

"Why don't we head to my den?" Shadowstar meowed, getting to her paws and gesturing to the far side of the Highrock. "We can talk in more privacy and comfort there."

"But of course," Swanfeather meowed, pawing a young squirrel out of the pile. "There's always room for another handsome tom here." She smiled, showing she was joking.

"You know, most cats here call me 'mudsnout,' not handsome," Spottednose replied nonchalantly, plucking the squirrel from the ground in his jaws. He gave Swanfeather a mock suspicious glance. "Just what are you up to?" he added, though his voice was muffled by the prey...

"Up to?" the white she-cat meowed, widening her green eyes innocently as she settled into a crouch to eat her squirrel. "Nothing, of course."

"After you, Shadowstar" Tiberium growled with a bow of his head. Ferallion's green eyes were locked on Shadowstar and his face was blank, his thoughts buried beneath the expression.

Spottednose, in order to talk properly, threw his squirrel lightly into the air, letting it land skillfully on his head (a special talent of his). "Oh, don't give me that innocent look. That's what the apprentices do to get out of training." He scoffed jokingly. "I thought you were better than that..."

The Clan leader turned and padded around to the other side of the large boulder, where a fairly deep cave had been carved out by a long-dried up stream. Lichen had grown to hang down over the opening, screening the den entrance well. Shadowstar brushed past the growth, padding over the sandy earth to the far side of the den where she made her mossy nest. There she settled herself, waiting for the loners to come in.

Swanfeather chuckled. "Whatever you say, Spottednose," she mewed before biting into her meal.

By now, Firestreak had returned to the perch above his "home", resting calmly in the stillness of the forest...until it was interupted. Eyes open immediately, the orange and white tom watched as a brown and black spotted tom moved below him: Swiftstrike, the WindClan deputy. Firestreak had, after his exile, gotten to know most of the clans. Those that didn't want anything to do with him, he got information from other loners and a few talkative rogues, while others, such as WindClan and ThunderClan, he maintained a relationship with those inside. Cyclostar and his clan were always very understanding, even letting Firestreak hunt in their territory when he was desperate and the clan wasn't suffering from a scarcity of prey. And, in turn, he kept them informed about any troublesome rogues who tried to hunt in their grounds, unnoticed.

"Swifstrike!" the exiled tom meowed, the deputy looking back with a panicked expression, until he spotted the loner in the tree. "Firestreak, thank Starclan. I thought you were...someone else." Swiftstrike growled as he turned to face Firestreak, a look of relief on his clearly stressed face. His words intrigued and worried Firestreak. "Bad tidings, old friend?" the orange and white tom questioned, leaping down from his perch. Swiftstrike nodded. "The worst we've seen in a long time. I was on my way to Thunderclan..." Firestreak's eyes widened slightly. "That...might be unwise." he responded with a shake of his head, Swiftstrike raising a brow. "Thunderclan is quite understanding, but seeing the deputy of Windclan waltz right to their doorstep might force their paw a bit." Firestreak explained, the Windclan deputy sighing in response, understanding what the exiled tom meant. "I'm out of options, Firestreak. Shadowclan and Windclan aren't seeing eye to eye, and Riverclan's reaction would be even worse then Thunderclan's. What do you suppose I do?" Swiftstrike growled, making his point and asking for real aid at the same time. Firestreak thought for a moment, before responding. "Let me join you. Thunderclan might be a bit more understanding if a friendly face can vouch for you."

And with that, the two were off toward the nearby Thunderclan border, Swiftstrike filling the loner in on what had happened, which only succeeded in causing Firestreak to worry, too. Things were looking bleak for Windclan...

Spottednose rolled his eyes, muttering, "She-cats..." before dumping his prey at his paws and digging in hungrily...

"Toms," Mapleleaf responded, Falconflight letting out a low chuckle around his mouthful of sparrow feathers.

"Oh, don't you star--" Spottednose stopped to cough, spitting out a few hairs he had accidentally plucked from the squirrel. He shook his head vigorously as the hairs blew away in a light breeze, then quickly began nonchalantly grooming his chest, acting like nothing had happened...

Tiberium and Ferallion entered the cave shortly after Shadowstar, pushing past the screen of vegetation and sitting down a few feet away from the clan leader. Tiberium kept his gaze even on the gray she cat, however Ferallion widened an eye as he looked at her.

Shadowstar stretched and tucked her forepaws against her chest, returning the gazes of the two toms and meowing, "Let's start with your names....and why you want to join my Clan."

Mapleleaf simply smiled at Spottednose while Falconflight continued pulling the feathers from his bird. The nights were still chilly, and bird feathers made for soft and warm bedding.

Spottednose glanced up at Mapleleaf for a moment. "What are you grinning about?" he meowed. "I see absolutely nothing funny with this current scenario..."

"Oh, nothing," Mapleleaf purred, swallowing a chuckle. "Just a funny memory."

"I am Tiberium" The white tom mewed. "My name is Ferallion...and I see newleaf in your eyes" The gray loner replied, his gaze leveling out. There was a small smile on his maw, barely visable in the shadows. "We would like to join your clan because, first and foremost, it would make surviving the changing seasons that much more easier. I was also told that the cats of this clan share our ideals" Tiberium continued to say, making a note to ask his brother about what he said later...

Spottednose perked up, then narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "What memory, exactly? Something potentially embarrassing to one or more of the cats here?"

Newleaf in my eyes? Shadowstar thought, cocking her head to one side. An interesting thing to say. "And what ideals might those be?" she asked curiously.

The light brown warrior's whiskers twitched in amusement. "Perhaps," she mewed.

"Not turning away from those in need is one of them" Tiberium replied. Ferallion remained silent this time, sitting in such a way that the long fur running down his neck and chest seemed to fluff out