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Post by » Sacrifice on May 1, 2009 20:45:37 GMT -5
There was an eerie feeling in the meadow, all was silent, as though the storm that had rocked CresentClan wasn't finished, and was just waiting to strike down upon the lost souls of the Loner's Meadow. Pouring rain already was in the Canyon, the black skies and jagged lightning was proof of that. It would be only a matter of moments before the winds shifted that massive storm to the meadow, although only a fool would be out with the tension in this air, the almost humming of pure, raw power. Maybe though, as a lone figure walked the soft land of the meadow, insanity wasn't as obvious as some would like to think. Sometimes, it wasn't even insanity that drove others to what this lone figure was doing, walking on the line, in front of a storm that seemed to gather power with every moment, black thunderheads above promising a grim future, although the future wasn't always something that one could count on to have any good fate. Everyone ran on false hope, how often was it that hope was real? That someone could honestly say they believed in that one thing, and not have any doubts in the end? A select few, if any could rightfully say that.
For the ginger, grey, white, and black she cat, she was not one in that group. Rather, she was on the darker side of that hope, someone who seemed to only see the negative side of things, although like with many things in this life, it was hidden by a simple mask that even the youngest kits could accomplish in this world. A world of pain, a world of bitter betrayal. A world of life and death, a world of sorrow and loss. Where there was a positive, there was a negative, and you know what? It was usual that as the hate grew like the approaching storm, and the bitterness of being alone, the negative was the only side that one could see. There was no revival when one had nobody to turn to in this world. Her siblings had been long lost, her father not wanting to see her, and her mother unknown like her siblings. A rogue who walked with the loners, a cat that was half and half. A clan cat and a rogue, with only two possible paths to follow, where was the room to break away from the usual routine? To escape from the pressure of life as she knew it?
The storm was through waiting, and with an almost deafening boom, lighting struck the sky, illuminating the dark sky with sudden clarity, as though it was attempting to chase away the dark thoughts that engulfed the world as Ballad knew it. It took only moments, but the rain soon came, falling hard ad fast, almost as though it was pelting all those left on the outside. So hard was this rain, it quickly plastered the once silky pelt of the young she cat to her lean frame, making her look even smaller, her large light brown eyes uncaring as she moved through the pounding storm, dimly aware of the frozen feeling that was eating at all her heat, knowing that she would freeze if she was out here too long. Pouring rain for a lost soul it seemed, didn't heal as though everyone had hoped. Shrouded in darkness, engulfed in mystery, tormented by her heritage, the world seemed to be crashing down, as the fall of Renegade had crashed the rogue world. Was it possible to ever forget what had been said to her as a kit, when she had first found her father Darksun?
You were a mistake, I'm sorry. Please, don't bother me again.
The bitter pain she had felt back then, having risked her life to find someone she hadn't even been sure existed in this world, only to be turned away, to be told she wasn't good enough to be his daughter while he had gawked at a brilliant white she cat with soft blue eyes. Not being one to stop, only moons ago, Ballad had returned, to find her father with kits, but not from the white she cat she had seen before. It seemed that he had found yet another mate. What did that make, three? Was there no end to the madness this world produced? Was there any hope for redemption for what she had not done, although every glance at what she should have had burned like a thousand coals, to see the kits of her father being treated with such love and care, that it made her feel as she had never been worth anything, even now as she was grown into a sleek adult she cat? Does this world have no mercy for those whom have only known hate for their clearest memory?
The answer to that question is simple; no. What would mercy be, other then just a way to save one's self? There was no reason for it, as it was a sign of weakness. And as the storm rolled on with pure power, it made one thing clear; nature was not ever going to show a weakness. Even on the clearest of days, it was there, lurking in wait for just one little mistake to be made. There was no redemption where one only played to live. Reaching the lip, what she had been looking for, Ballad's eyes looked down the land, cold but unaware of it, and felt the sorrow overwhelm her. She would not collapse though, and admit her weakness. She was far to prideful for that. Rather, she bore out the torrents in a bitter agony, only her eyes reflecting what she felt. Her expression was a tortured expression, one enough to make anyone feel as though they had been punched in the gut repeatedly.
How easily though, that could be covered up, to be replaced with a simple defiance in case one wondered what she was doing out here alone. Ballad kept her weakness a secret, for it was something that would kill her if it got into the wrong paws. That much, she knew from her various experiences. And no matter how much this world hurt, the she cat found that she still did choose life over death...
((Open.))
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Post by H-a-w-k-i-e on May 2, 2009 0:58:08 GMT -5
The grass tickled the longhaired gray tom's nose as he crept carefully through the meadow. Why he was here...he wasn't really sure. Goldstar had just recently gave him an apprentice, despite his inexperience as a warrior. It looked as if the Pewterclan leader had put quite some faith in him and his brother. Yet, here he was, creeping through the grass, half hoping that he'd run into the pregnant she-cat he'd seen at the last clan-rogue battle, with Zane.
There was just something about her...something that stirred up very vague and blurry memories. Aceslash was almost certain he hadn't experienced the events in his lifetime. But still, he was restless. Every free moment of his day, when he wasn't mentoring or on patrols, he'd be thinking about the whole matter. It was distracting him. And the fact that Havoccrypt and Depthvision being together so much more often nowadays gave Aceslash more alone time than he'd like to have. He needed to get out, find something else to do so he could keep his mind off of the confusion.
Looking up, his golden gaze caught sight of another cat in the meadow, and he slowed his movements, dropping into a crouch. Was she hostile? Taking stealthy pawsteps towards the she-cat, he opened his jaws to scent the air...
Just to sneeze as the long grass brushed by his nose again.
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Post by » Sacrifice on May 2, 2009 12:42:10 GMT -5
The wind had shifted slightly, sending the scent of a clan cat toward the lone she cat, however, she didn't turn from her pose. It was as if she had a part to play, to act as though she had never expected another cat to come see her, as though she had been too engulfed in her own problems to notice the other cat's suprisingly stealthy approach. If it had not been for the storm with it's sharp wind changes, it was more then likely that she would have never noticed the tom behind her, at least, not until he sneezed. The long grass had a thing with making cats sneeze, although it was rare for it to effect her. Maybe it was because she had lived with it all her life.
"Bless you."
Ballad's voice was soft, and she finally turned to face whom had been watching her. Well, not her. He had been looking for something, and feeling rather bored with something that she couldn't place. Something about blurry memories, that was all she could get from the very way he wandered. The fact that he was a PewterClan cat was what most suprised her. They had just gotten their home back, why would one wander away from it, considering how long they had been living here.
Light brown eyes focused on the long pelted grey tom, Ballad's light brown eyes watched him with a wary grace. She was not afraid of him, rather, she was hesitant of the other tom. It could all be a set up, considering she had worked for Renegade, and they probably wanted to hurt all his followers. Oh well though, it was better to find out what he was here for, then to drown in worry.
"Hello clan cat."
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Post by H-a-w-k-i-e on May 2, 2009 19:54:59 GMT -5
"Bless You."
Aceslash groaned inwardly, mentally hitting himself on the head for his not-so-stealthy-anymore approach, and the sheer bad luck that the wind had changed so suddenly. AND, he should have remember to mask his scent before leaving Pewterclan land. Stupid Ace.
Wrinkling his nose, he straightened himself, nodding to the she-cat. The warrior's eyes were still a little reserved though, carefully watching. She was a rogue. Or at least had been in the canyons, where Renegade had reigned, recently enough, by her scent.
But then again, she didn't look like she was going to claw his eyes out right now. Aceslash padded a little closer, a polite but amused smile on his features.
"Hiya...um...Non-clan cat. Nice weather, eh?"
The gray tom didn't exactly enjoy rain; whenever he was wet, his long fur seemed to deflate, sticking to his wiry frame and making him look smaller than he usually did. Shaking himself, he attempted to dry himself a little bit, but to no avail, with the incessant rain pouring down on every single thing in the meadow.
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Post by » Sacrifice on May 2, 2009 23:06:03 GMT -5
A faint grin curved the maw of the she cat as she read the other cat's emotions as they played out for a moment across his face. He was a young warrior, that was the term right? All the different ranks were a bit confusing to her, there were only a few in the world she knew. She had seen him at the battle, he had been beside the foolish black tom who had tried to attack Renegade, and had taken on Scorpious in order to give the other tom a clear shot. It was interesting to her, although she did have siblings, they had never really known each other, or been close in any way.
"Sure, if you want to call it enjoyment."
Faint humor flickered in the light eyes of Ballad as she shook her pelt, trying to rid it of some of the water. It was a useless gesture, but now that she was aware of how her pelt was clumped to her thin body, Ballad felt slightly ashamed that she would let her pelt get this way at any time. Oh well, she didn't know of any dens around here, so there was nothing she could do about the increasing dampness that engulfed her.
"What are you doing so far away from your, camp? I thought warriors were loyal to the death, and followed your code."
Suprisingly, there was no hostility in her tone, as you would expect from a true rogue, even more so from one who had served under Renegade. It was only pure question, as though she found that fact quite interesting. In truth, she did. Just because she had a grudge against everything that had to do with MapleClan, it didn't extend to every clan, and was this cat really a clan cat, if he was outside the boundaries?
"Oh, that reminds me. I'm Ballad."
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Post by H-a-w-k-i-e on May 3, 2009 0:15:18 GMT -5
The gray tom chuckled, amused. When he was a kit, and even as a new apprentice, he actually did try to follow the warrior code as much as he could, though he was still often dragged into not so pleasant situations by Havoccrypt. Over time, he'd loosened up a bit, not minding to bend the rules a little bit. Like the numerous times he and his brother had ventured out of camp to spend sometime with Adito, before she'd joined their clan as well.
"Naw. It gets dull if you spend your entire life in camp. And plus, rules were meant to be broken."
And plus, he'd always felt a pull away from camp, since he was born, though usually he ignored that. It would be a bother if Goldstar or Nudgewing caught him running off the canyons every night.
"Just call me Ace. I don't use my clan name when I'm out of my clan. A pleasure to meet you, m'lady."
Grinning, he bowed a little, before returning his golden gaze to her.
"And what, pray tell, would bring a fine lady like yourself out here in the rain?"
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Post by » Sacrifice on May 3, 2009 10:33:22 GMT -5
And aslo, rules are meant to be broken.
If that wasn't the truth, then Ballad didn't know what was. It seemed that everyday, the confine of the rules got to tiight around somone, and the only way they knew of to release themselves, was to break that rule. She had heard of all the rules with the clan cats, and frankly, found some of them a waste of time. There were better things a cat could be doing then a lot of those rules; but she had let them live in their little blind faith life without making the faults obvious.
"I would imagine. You guys have so many rules, it is--
Breaking off, it was obvious that she was trying not to offend the new cat, but her loose tongue was making it hard. She was very outward thinker at time.
"The pleasure is all mine Ace."
Dipping her head slightly, a faint grin flickered up for a moment, before her serious expression returned once more. It was hard to be amused in the rain, but it seemed that the two cats were ignoring it well, all facts considered.
"I am simply looking over the bitter set of cards life has handed me."
Pausing for a moment, she sighed softly, before asking the expected question in return.
"What brings you out here in this storm when you could be tucked away into one of the dens you have at camp?"
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Post by H-a-w-k-i-e on May 3, 2009 14:40:00 GMT -5
Grinning, Ace flopped onto his back in the grass, paws in the air. He looked more like an oversized kit, rather than the loyal and bold warrior who'd taken on Scorpius in the last battle. Though he didn't enjoy the rain in particular, he really did prefer being under the open sky rather than stuck in camp all the time. Looking at Ballad from his upside down point of view, his grin looked like a frown.
"I would imagine. You guys have so many rules, it is--
The tom laughed, amused. They seemed to get that alot from non-clanners, even from some clan cats. That's why some of the minor rules weren't always followed.
"Yeah, I know. But it keeps things tidy, I think. And everyone is treated well enough."
The quadricoloured she-cat looked a little sad, bitter even. Rolling back to his paws, and sitting comfortably, tail wrapped around his paws, he sighed, though his golden eyes still danced with amusement.
"When life gives you lemons, you chuck'em at dogs."
Grinning widely at Ballad, he flicked his ears. The only good thing about the rain was that there were noticeably less insects flying around, which was relief.
"I always feel a pull away from camp," Ace confessed, with just the right amount of sheepishness, "I feel good in the open."
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Post by » Sacrifice on May 3, 2009 17:24:35 GMT -5
Shrugging, Balld still found the whole everyone was family thing that she had always heard in the clans a bit strange. She could understand taking care of your senior family members if they wanted it, and kits of course, but what about the ones that would rather die then be taken care of by someone else.
"I think personally that the elders should get a chance to say what they want, not be taken care of if they didn't want to be."
Snorting, knowing that she would hate it if her freedom was taken away like that, Balld olet out a grin as she looked Ace in the face as he rolled in the soft green grass. He couldn't be too old, maybe as old as she was, although she could guess she was a bit older then him. Her moments did come though when she was like a kit herself...
"Or go under a fence. They tend to run right into them."
Chuckling, a rather fond memory of a dog running into a tight planked fence suddenly flashed up, proving the fact that dogs were not the smartest things in the world. Between two legs and dogs, Ballad would always bet on the two legs for being smarter then the dogs, but not as smart as most of the other felines that lived around here.
"I can agree with that. I'm half clan, my father is in MapleClan. I tried the whole 'caln' thing for a while, but there is just something out here that calls to me, from the wide open sky to the fact the only one you have to worry about is yourself. It gives you a sense of freedom that you just can't find anywhere else.
A soft sigh escaped her, as she looked away from the tom, her gaze sweeping across the wide open land that always gave her a sense of being free, no matter what the weather was.
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Post by H-a-w-k-i-e on May 4, 2009 22:56:09 GMT -5
Ace followed Ballad's gaze, getting a good look at wide open land, the faint horizon line visible even during ever present lines of rain. He loved being free, without having to worry about breaking rules, without having to have the tend to everybody else. The tom echoed the she-cat's sigh, slight frown flickering across his face.
"I'm clanborn. My parents...one was a loner who joined the clan."
He was silent for a moment, before chuckling again, tail twitching.
"But I'm pretty sure the whole clan wonders if me and my brother are really of clan blood, and not a pair of rogues."
Not to mentioned they had, more than once, run off to spend the nights in loner territory instead of tucking into their nests in the dens at camp.
((Ack. Writers block...and time shortage ><))
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Post by » Sacrifice on May 5, 2009 18:51:23 GMT -5
This place was home, as her gaze swept onto the land, she knew that there was no way she could ever change what had happened to her. Maybe it had worked out for the best in the end, anyways. After all, there was no lacking beauty when it came to the land she walked.
"A lot of your memebers are mixed, aren't they?"
It was something she had noticed, that a lot of loners often joined the clan and settled down. It was interesting really, to see who was related too who.
"I've seen you two, at least, a long time ago. Someties you looked a little unwilling to follow your brother."
Chuckling, Ballad's mind flicked back to when she had observed the two cats racing with a loner as well, looking as though they had been in the best place possible. At times, Ace had looked a little lost, but the two toms were never sepeate on their journey out, a fact she had noticed on a rather bored day.
((Same here.))
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Post by H-a-w-k-i-e on May 8, 2009 23:59:45 GMT -5
"Not as many mixed-blooded cats as in, say, Mapleclan, but still yeah. Many leaders don't have the heart to turn away cats in need of a home."
Ace didn't really have an extensive knowledge of his own heritage; he only knew the name of his mother's parents, and that was about it. They didn't really talk about stuff like that.
"I've seen you two, at least, a long time ago. Sometimes you looked a little unwilling to follow your brother."
The tom laughed, grinning. Back then, everything was still a game for him. There hadn't been the threat of rogues driving them out of their home and such. Although he was still relatively a young warrior, the recent events seemed to have made Ace more mature. He'd always been thoughtful, but now he'd glimpsed a darker outlook on life. But wherever his brother went, he was sure he'd be at his side. Havoccrypt was more than his brother; he was his best friend, and partner (in crime).
"We had a friend living here. Adito, was her name. But we haven't seen her for a long time."
Sadness tinged his voice a little. They`d had so much fun with her...until she left. And Havoccrypt had been devastated. The black tom had clearly had an interest in the silver she-cat. Though what drove her away was a mystery. And would always be, unless she returned.
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Post by » Sacrifice on May 9, 2009 18:52:08 GMT -5
MapleClan. Wincing as though she had been struck, the young she c at's pelt flicked, as though warding off bad memories. Oh yes, MapleClan took in loners all right, they couldn't turn them away. Who would, when the more paws one had the better? Nevermind the fact that they had a family out there, trying to live on their own. Nobody cared about that, or background either. You want to join? Ok, feel free too. Next battle we have, you can risk your life to fight someone that probably hasn't done anything to you. What is another loss of life? There are always more helping paws.
Although her relations was something the multi-colored she cat had found out for herself, there were many other factors, and felines, that she didn't know about. Aunts, uncles, there was nobody saide from her siblings and parents that she had ever been introduced too. Maybe though, it was better that way.
"That is the problem here. You can be alive one day, dead the next before you know what you did wrong."
Grimly, the thoughts of fallen friends seemed to appear, from battles to murder, everyone eventually fell in the end. Here, it was mostly from outside forces, nobody who was active lived very long anymore. The world was just too deadly. It could be a real pain sometimes.
The rain had fina;lly stopped, and although the sky was still dark, everything was warmer, the storm having finally passed by.
"Leaders I find can be rather dictating. Here, in the clans, everywhere. Sometimes it just annoys me. I'm not sure how the clan leaders are, but here, it is better juist to go along or get into some really big trouble. Death is the most often punishment for treason, or anything close to it."
Of course, the so called noble code really wouldn't allow from the leader to kill a cat, so the punishments were probably not a ssevere as the ones here. Still though, who knew? There could always be a leader that was different from the others, someone who doubted StarClan's laws, one that saw outside of the box that the clan cats had wrapped themselves in.
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Post by H-a-w-k-i-e on May 15, 2009 21:00:41 GMT -5
Ace grimaced, the expression looking a little out of place on his normally cheerful broad face. He'd leaped life threatening situations without a second thought before. Now that he thought about it, he could've easily been killed, and he wouldn't be standing here right now. He'd never feel the sun's warm rays on his pelt, never sleep under the open sky ever again. A cat's life was really just one fleeting moment in the history of the world.
Might as well do something significant and bold than.
Now that the rain had stopped falling, the tom shook his thick, long pelt. His fur was useful up in the mountains during leafbare, but it was a little hard to manage in the warm green-leaf seasons. And that's not even counting when it got wet. Right now, his fur stuck in in odd directions, half soaked.
"Leaders I find can be rather dictating. Here, in the clans, everywhere. Sometimes it just annoys me. I'm not sure how the clan leaders are, but here, it is better juist to go along or get into some really big trouble. Death is the most often punishment for treason, or anything close to it."
The young Pewterclan warrior tilted his head, biting his lip thoughtfully, before nodding in agreement.
"Yeah. They ARE control-freaks. A lot of the cats are given some power, and they let it go to their heads. But it depends on the cat too. Take Zane, for instance."
The mysterious black tom was a little odd yes, but it seemed to be somewhat decent. As far as rogue leaders went, many of them were not exactly sane. Perhaps being always hidden in the semi darkness underground had something to do with it.
"And I guess Goldstar is okay. Apparently he used to be rebellious tom as an apprentice. Even ran off to the rogues, I think."
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Post by » Sacrifice on May 16, 2009 15:15:06 GMT -5
Flicking her fur slightly, with the luck that Ballad had it would probably puff up as soon as it was dry, creating a bit of a challenege to smooth back down, there seemed to be something troubling Ace, curiously his good humored grin was out of place. Must be the recollection of memories, and things that could have easily gone wrong. Leaping at death was never a smart move, and it had occured for her at least more then once. Did she regret what she had done, straying off the sure path of life?
No. If you only got one shot at this life, then you might as well make the best of it. After all, what was there to live for after death? You might as well get everything done that you want to get done all at once.
Tilting her head slightly, Ballad thought about what the tom had said, trying to remember everything she could about the clan cats, and the canyon leader.
"The Canyon Leader may not be overly dictating, but I find him odd."
Chuckling to herself softly, all the leaders the quadcolored she cat could think of were strange, if not dictating. All cats did have their own personality quirks after all. For her, maybe it was the fact she had a decent sense of humor, but was also a bit strange herself. She couldn't tell really though.
"Sounds like you and your brother."
Offering a slight grin, Ballad shook her fur, trying to rid some of the water from it, without much luck.
"Ahh great. I'm going to fluff up when I get dry."
Rolling her light colored eyes, a soft laugh escaped Ballad as she glanced at Ace, and his long pelt.
"Although, I think your going to have more problems then I will."
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