Into the Fields (Tagged)

[Lionhearted]

Tagged: Heron [Liontooth] 

OOC: Boy, I'm tagging you a lot tonight ^^' 

Heatherfern sniffed the ground, hoping to find some sign of prey. She knew some of them went into a deep sleep that lasted the entire leafbare, and that would've made them much easier to catch and kill- if she could just find some first! 

"Hm..." she flicked her ears. She could smell the recently-marked border, which meant she was approaching non-Clan land. On the other side of the territory were the Fields; on the other other side of that was the famed Skyfield and the Pond of Truce. The Fields were dangerous to travel through, and it was safer to go through other Clan's territories to reach the sacred places. 

but Heatherfern was not one for holding back. She'd been in the Fields multiple times, but had never had the courage to go deeper; she'd only strayed far enough so that she could still see and smell the border. She tilted her head. Could there be prey hiding in those tall grasses? Perhaps. Probably a higher chance of finding prey in there than in this depleted forest. No, it wasn't going to be breaking the code. No, she would never do that! She was just finding prey for her Clan. 

And so she crossed over. 

[Heron]

Amidst the snowy wasteland of a forest was a single, flicking flame. However, this flame was not a flame at all but instead a cat, stalking low with a nose locked onto a scent. Its large head and ears were locked in, those the cat's eyes kept flickering from side to side in an attempt to sweep and stay alert of its surroundings. On the edge of Midnightclan, where the scent was beginning to fade, the tomcat did his best to remark those scents. Despite the greencough outbreak and the frigid blizzard, the warrior was determined to do his duty and keep Midnightclan's scent fresh. If, for a moment, a band of loners or rogues believed it was time to strike...well, Liontooth did not wish to give anyone that opportunity.

As he listened to the woods, silent and still, he was suddenly alerted of a familiar scent. Another Midnightclan patrol? No, this seemed like a lone cat. Just one, wandering alone. Maybe with the same idea as he, he realized. He picked up his head and his pace, taking large steps to avoid sinking deeper into the snow. He followed the wind obediently, stopping short when he saw what cat it belonged to. His adrenaline spiked for half a second, believing that this cat was a threat coming through the border. Ready to defend, he raced forward just as the cat crossed the border; except instead of stepping deeper into Midnightclan, the cat went back toward the opposite direction. As the cat stretched out and stepped forward, Liontooth realized that this cat was one of Midnightclan's own.

Relief flooded through him, and also confusion. Not wanting to really pry on the cat's intentions, (although he did want to question them) Liontooth picked up pace and stalked toward the cat. "Hello," he greeted loudly, stopping his large body just behind the border and looking over at her like an invisible fence. It was Heatherfern; a cat he shared the warrior den with but never really spoke to for obvious reasons, which were his blatant lack of communication with others. His suspicion heightened as his mind raced. Was she escaping Midnightclan? Was she going to meet someone? "You're a bit out of boundaries," he confessed hesitantly, as if she hadn't known she stepped over the border line. Though it was obvious what her intentions had been, even from an onlooker like the large tomcat.

---

Hehe, that's okay! <3

[Lionhearted]

"Hello. You're a bit out of boundaries."

Heatherfern nearly jumped out of her fur at the voice of Liontooth. StarClan knew how disciplined of a tom he was! Though she was only his comrade, he gave her that impression. "I-I'm sorry," she stammered, "I was just going to look for prey. Er, I mean, there weren't any in MidnightClan territory, and since these Fields don't belong to any particular Clan, I thought I'd just try to find some in there." She flicked her tail nervously. Please don't tell on me!

She felt tiny as she stared at him; he was huge in comparison, and she dwarfed him easily. He was the quiet type; she would've attempted to start conversations if he wasn't constantly working. She rarely saw him, and only at nights. Hurriedly, she stepped over the border, smiling weakly. "I honestly didn't mean to do any harm. I was just trying to help," she babbled. Her heart began to pound; this was one of the first times she'd gone over the line. And now someone had caught her. With my dumb luck!

[Heron]

Liontooth lifted his head, ears pricked forward and whiskers twitching in slight amusement as the she-cat warrior babbled in front of him. "I was just going to look for prey. Er, I mean, there weren't any in MidnightClan territory, and since these Fields don't belong to any particular Clan, I thought I'd just try to find some in there." He wavered in believing whether or not she was being truthful, then decided to let that part of his mind go and focus on the fact that she was still here in front of him. If she had planned to escape, she didn't get very far. "Well," Liontooth said at last. He looked past her into the snow covered fields, then back to her. "Just because the clans don't live there doesn't mean they are empty. A lot of loners and rogues still need to eat, too." He reminded her casually and politely. He had no ill intentions toward his clanmate, and his patience was beginning to shine through as he spoke to her softly.

"Now would not be the best time to go exploring," he continued, stepping over the Midnightclan border to stand in front of her. He reached around with his fluffy tail to give her a comforting touch. "The outsiders no doubt know that the clans are weak during this time; crossing our border alone was a bad idea, you could've been killed. And..." he smiled warmly, looking toward the sky. Clouds were starting to roll in, dark and threatening snow fall. "Looks like it's about to snow again. Would you like to help me scent the border and then head back to camp? We can try to find prey, too, if we can." he added lastly, knowing she had intentions to hunt.

[Lionhearted]

"Yes, sure," said Heatherfern hastily, quickly nodding her head. She felt his feathery tail on her shoulder, and she jumped, momentarily relieved at the fact that he was not going to give her away. Smiling, she wriggled her haunches playfully. "After you, dear Liontooth," she giggled. His patience was something she was thanking StarClan for right now, and had it been someone else it would've been much worse for her. Bramblestar would've surely been involved.

"Who do you think will be the new deputy?" she said abruptly, flicking her tail. "It's unfortunate that Ashstep disappeared. I liked her. but Mothcloud came back; do you think she's going to fill the role again? Poor Bramblestar's getting old (don't tell anyone I said that!), and he'll need someone by his side."

[Heron]

Liontooth's lips pressed tightly together, except for his large teeth for which he had been named for that poked through. He was, frankly, quite eager to see who would assist the new clan. With Mothcloud's reappearance, Bramblestar could potentially have her refill her role. The warrior looked straight ahead and avoided her gaze. "I don't know," he replied honestly. "Bramblestar doesn't forgive or forget very easily."

Old? He didn't consider Bramblestar quite old, just old fashioned. His values and morals needed work in some areas, but in others, well, Liontooth thought he was an admirable leader. He did need someone to stand by him, but Liontooth had no idea who that might be. "Well," he continued after a few moments. "Whoever it will be needs to be strong and capable of taking on whatever Starclan has in store for the clan now with this sickness and leaf are." He rested his gaze on Heatherfern now, wondering what she interpreted about the situation.

[Lionhearted]

Heatherfern's shoulders suddenly sagged. "It makes me angry to think that StarClan's doing this, if they are," she said miserably. It was sickening to think that their ancestors could be so... heartless. "It's really not fair to anyone. Is it some sort of punishment? What do they expect us to learn from this? To be stronger? 'Cause some of our Clanmates can't be any more stronger, I don't think. They're working as hard as they can, and still have the chance of catching greencough or dying. It's lucky that there's no fights-- it would be really stupid and selfish of someone to look for one now, don't you think?

"And poor Spottedsky-- right when the greencough hits, Maplepaw disappears! What was she thinking? That she could just run away?" she said, her voice growing angrier and louder. "She has a duty to do! And what of StarClan? Stop bringing this upon us! All they do is go around and collect dead cats that they 'claim.'

"'You're ready to join us, Lilykit. You're ready to join us, Dovepaw.' What do you mean, ready? It's not fair to those poor apprentices and kits! They would never get to live a full life, and they have to live with that knowledge forever. I've realized that fate isn't set in stone. No one's life is carved out before they're born. No one knows how the entire world functions. Not even StarClan. If you're destined to save the Clan, you can either do it, or not. It's not a matter of fate, it's a matter of listening to yourself. Am I right, Liontooth?"

[Heron]

Liontooth was a bit shocked at the other cat's outburst and sudden emotion. However his face gave nothing away except for the twitch of his tail which signified that he was thinking quickly. In a way, Liontooth did agree that Starclan was rather unfair. The death of apprentices and kits was a sad one; the tom had a soft spot for the future of the clan, and with each death he experienced of a kit or an apprentice was like a nettle to the heart. As an apprentice his old mentor once told him he might gain a name such as Lionheart, for his fierce tendencies, but the time had come and he was named Liontooth for his signature, sharp teeth.

The ginger tabby sighed and shivered away the light snowflakes that began to fall. The air was crisp and sharp. "Starclan isn't always fair. As long as those who lose their lives now run with Starclan, and not elsewhere, then they will find their peace. They are warriors in my heart." He mewed sadly.

"Maplepaw's disappearance is a coward disgrace," he started, with a dark tone that was enough words in its own right. A cat should die for the clan, not run away! Liontooth felt shamed by the young apprentice, shocked and annoyed by the runaway. "I have no sympathy for those who run away from the clan in time of need. An apprentice to be a medicine cat, no less." He turned away from Heatherfern. If she had been thinking of escaping, well, she knew how he felt about that now. It would be her choice to be a great warrior to die than a coward that ran.

"You are right. It is unfair, a tragedy. but I believe Starclan does know our destinies." The Tom stopped and turned to gaze down at Heatherfern. His wild, fluffy fur was draped around his neck like a mane. "I have to believe in that, otherwise all of this will be just bad luck. Our sickness... harsh weather...deaths...the run of a medicine cat apprentice-- in the end, it will mean something. Everything has a cause and effect, I think." His ears flicked, an indication that he was listening to the area around them at the same time as speaking.