A Flame in the Dark (Nikki)

[Silvergrass]

(Ok @echo lets pretend this a few minutes after a ceremony.)

Mossflame yawned as she strolled around the clearing. She had congratulated all the warriors and had even managed to chat with an apprentice. but now was the time when the warriors spent time with their old and new denmates and the apprentices went out and explored. Perhaps I could go and see if the medicine cat needs any help.


Mossflame quickly dismissed the idea and padded over to the fresh-kill pile. She chose a small thrush and sat down crunching on the small bones.

[Deleted]

(Can't wait! )

Darkmask had congratulated the new warriors and decided to go get a bite to eat. He padded toward the large fresh-kill pile, but was stopped by a horde of kits. They swamped him and he purred playfully. Lashing his tail back and forth, the kits began to pounce on it. All five of the little cats couldn't stop his tail.

Playfully, Darkmask growled to the kits, "You better leave me alone. I'm hungry. And I just might eat YOU!" On 'you', He swiped his tail away from the tiny crowd. All the kits went stumbling, and hurried away to the nursery.

Laughing to himself, he trotted away to the fresh-kill pile. Spotting Mossflame, he meowed, "How's the thrush?", before grabbing two small mice.

[Silvergrass]

Mossflame looked up to see the cat she knew as Darkmask come up and choose some small mice. "Quite tasty thanks! Are you sure yo are going to eat both those mice?" The she-cat asked her denmate. She didn't really know him that well, they had only met once or twice. "Did you train one of those warriors?" She mewed, interested in what he had to say. It was always good to know who trusted who.

[Deleted]

Darkmask smiled warmly at the she-cat's sweet green eyes and sat down next to her with his prey. Tucking into the first mouse, he only got three bites into it before Mossflame asked about the mice.

He shook his head, and purred, "I was looking for someone to share with." Nudging the mouse towards her, he heard her question about the new warriors.

"No, sadly, I didn't. I haven't had an apprentice yet." He replied, while shaking out his long fur.

Deciding to ask a question himself, he meowed quickly, "Do you have an apprentice?" 

[Silvergrass]

The she-cat gave a small thanks when he offered to share it with her, and was glad she hadn't taken a bite out of her fresh-kill. She put it back in the pile and sat down, taking a bite out of one mouse. She was sorry to hear that he hadn't gotten an apprentice yet, she knew the feeling very well.

"Sorry to hear that. And no, I don't have an apprentice yet, I think Pebblestar thinks I'm to young." Soon she was talking to him like an old friend, even though they had only met once.

[Deleted]

Darkmask accepted her thanks and te the rest of his mouse. The kits from earlier came tumbling back, and one of them tripped.

"Ow!!" The little kit yelled.

Seeing the kit fall, he walked up to it,"Are you okay, little one?"

"My nose hurts!!" It yowled at the top of its lungs.

Darkmask shook his head at the kit, and said softly, "Shh, shh. Queit down. Would you like to chase my tail?"

The kit looked up bright-eyed and replied with an excited, "Yes!"

Chuckling, he swished his tail back and forth, and tried to dodge the kit's swipes. Realizing that he left Mossflame, Darkmask said a quick goodbye to the kit and padded back over to her.

"Sorry. If a kit's hurt, I have to help them." He meowed, then asked, "Do you want to go for a hunt?"

[Silvergrass]

The brown tabby watched in amusement as the little kit yowled about his nose hurting. She didn't mind that much that Duskflame had gone to help the kit, a chewed thoughtfully at the mouse. She had played chasing tails with a few other kits, not so long ago in her other clan. She missed them all, but was glad she had come to stay in Talonclan.

Her thoughts were snapped out of her as the warrior came back to her. She looked up at him and grinned playfully. "It's okay, we have to help a kit in need right? And yes, a hunting trip sounds wonderful." The she-cat looked up at Duskflame and sighed. Mossflame rose up and headed towards the entrance. She turned and flicked her tail playfully. "You coming?"

[Deleted]

(Duskflame?Do you mean Darkmask?)

When Darkmask padded away from the kit, he had noticed a look of homesickness in Mossflame's eyes. Oh, I remember. She came from a different clan. but which one? Oh well, I forgot.

Hearing her comment about the kit, he purred and said, "It is part of the warrior code."

Trotting to catch up with the she-cat, he meowed, "I'm coming, I'm coming."

Deciding to start a conversation, he asked, "Would you ever want kits?"

[Silvergrass]

(Sorry! I was thinking the Talonclan Meddie cat!)

Mossflame trotted at a slow pace to let Darkmask catch up. Deciding to let him start up a conversation, she dutifully waited for him to ask her something. However, the question she asked really put a shock on her face. but then again, he was harmless. So she simply replied with "To be entirely honest I never thought about it. Tell me, did you join Talonclan or where you born here?"

[Deleted]

(It's okay.)

Walking beside Mossflame, he realized how kittenish his question was and ducked his head in embarrassment. Shuffling his paws, while walking, made him trip and fall on his face.

"I'm sorry." He meowed, then answered her question, "Born and raised."

Deciding again to ask a question, he followed up hers, "What about you?"

[Silvergrass]

(Hey Nikki you wanna continue Specklepaws hunting lesson?)

Mossflame flashed him a grin as he ducked his head. She comforted him by gently pressing against his flank. "Came from Stormclan. Figured I could help around here." The tabby mewed, before pausing and scenting the air. Mouse! And by it's scent it was close. Flicking her tail, the warrior ducked into the undergrowth, hoping to find it.

[Deleted]

(Specklepaw?)

Darkmask blushed when Mossflame rubbed up against him. Hiding his face, he heard her pad away. Scenting the air, he smelled the mouse that Mossflame was tracking. Padding away from where they had been, Darkmask followed the scent of thrush. Peeking out of a bush onto a cliff, he saw a small sparrow pecking at some seeds. Switching into the hunting crouch, he leaped towards the bird. Hearing his paws, it started to fly away. Realizing that he startled it, Darkmask sprang into the air and caught it. Giving it the kill-bite, he trotted back to where Mossflame was.

[Silvergrass]

(Sorry, thinking about a different member!)

Mossflame continued stalking the mouse, until finally she reached a point where she could jump on top of it. Bunching up her muscle, the tabby leaped through the air, landing with a paw on the mouse. Biting it's neck, she killed it swiftly and cleanly. Hearing the startled cry of a bird, Mosslfame turned around to see Darkmask with the bird in toll.

Smiling, she gave a careful note to congratulate him later. "Let's go back for now I think we have enough." She mewed, before heading towards the entrance to the camp.

[Deleted]

Watching Mossflame hunt, he noted how she made a fluid jump. Nodding to congratulate her on her mouse, Darkmask followed her back to camp. Setting his bird down, he waited for her to set the mouse down. Shuffling his paws in the dirt, he looked at Mossflame in the eye and asked her, "Can I ask you something?"

[Silvergrass]

Smiling at him, she heard him give a questioning mew. Can I ask you something? Well of course he could! Why wouldn't he be able to ask her a question? Pondering this, she gave a simple mew of "Yes, of course" and turned her full attention to him. He wasn't a bad looking cat. He must have all the she-cats after him, I'll bet.