Private Border SkC I did it all for her || barbie

[cinderpaw. cinderpaw.]

"don't worry! I won't cross any..." Yet again, he had gone out of cherrydawns sight, prowling forward as his voice quieted and instead the rustling of leaves took its place. He knew Cherrydawn was right behind him, he just couldn't help the feeling of wanting to run ahead, explore, get out energy. Maybe his father didn't trust him, but Cherry did. How could he learn if he didn't get to push the limits a little?

He wouldn't cross any borders, but who's to say someone else wouldn't? Hunting, not fighting, he reminded himself- the itch of his cheek a reminder regardless. The albino apprentice pressed his chest low to the ground, pink eyes locked onto a form of a mouse picking at seeds. His tongue slid over sharp teeth, eyes unwavering as he took unsteady steps forward.

And then he struck. A large paw hit the side of the creature, claws pinning it down momentarily before leaning forward until the snap of its neck was felt. The squeaking subsided instantly. He picked up the tiny creature in his maw, head turning over his shoulders when he noted something moving in the bushes, something watching him.

The white helm tilted, his eyes narrowing, before he took a few steps forward- mouse snug in his jaws. "Hello?" He called around the prey, eyebrows knitting together. "I know yer there. Ya can come out."

@barbie

cinderpaw - 7 moons - skyclan apprentice - mentored by cherry

 

[barbie]

Barbie has wandered far. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to deduce as much, as her paws have begun to ache long before she found the downy pine nettle ground of SkyClan's territory. It's a nice reprieve... until another cat enters her field of view and she has the urge to hide. The cadet slips into a bush unceremoniously, watching as the albino tom prowls forward, almost expertly, across the ground. Before she knows it, the other lunges forward, and - what? There was a mouse there that whole time?!

Great junkyard, my nose is stuffed! She furrows her brows in frustration, but before she can sneak away, the stranger calls to her. He almost looks directly at her, too. Barbie flinches, but eventually pulls herself from the undergrowth, feigning purpose. "I wasn't hiding," she lies, looping her injured tail tighter with the barbed wire woven around it. She doesn't flinch when the tines drag against her fragile skin, though internally the pain is felt.

"Do you catch those often?" She asks the other. "Where I come from, we've got things like it - we call them rats though. And they fight back."

 

[cinderpaw. cinderpaw.]

Cinderpaw waited patiently, his white tail tip flicking behind him as he pushed out his chest in the confidence he held. His pink gaze softened as she pushed herself free from the branches, revealing herself- but of course, she claimed she wasn't hiding. "Then what were you doing? It looked like hiding," he said rather bluntly, tilting his head as he let the mouse fall to his paws. Though, he rolled it behind his paw, not recognizing the stranger.

His gaze flicked to her tail curling, tiny sharp objects penetrating it, but she doesn't even flinch. Cinderpaw thought about the scratch on his cheek, and knew it must hurt- but it could look sharp- many things he didn't know. He saw the way her eyes glinted, how strong she must be... He shook his head at the stupidity in his thoughts, letting his lips pull into a smile. He had to focus! She wasn't supposed to be here and he had to ask questions, Such as why she was here at all! but then she asked a question, and Cinderpaw looked down for a second. "Oh well, I've never seen a rat- these are mice. They don't really fight back, they're pretty easy t' catch 'n my opinion!" Cinderpaw said, confidence filtering in his voice. "where d'ya come from anyways?"

cinderpaw - 9 moons - skyclan apprentice - mentored by cherry

 

[barbie]

Barbie's already narrowed eyes sharpen slightly more. Well - he has a tongue on him. She wonders if that's just his kind of cat. If those in the pine forest are all critical and skeptical and assume the worse of anyone who walks by. Not too different from the Rustclaws, she guesses, but it's not fun being on the other side of the criticism. "You ask a lot of questions," she mutters obtusely, again her tail flicking behind her, the threads of the wire digging uselessly into the ground with every lash.

Eventually, however, he offers a smile to her. She's not sure what's running through his mind - to her, the moments between their useless exchange are short, but clearly something inhabits him and provides a sense of warmth. Her question seems to confuse him, much to her delight, but he takes to the inquiry with vague curiosity. The tortoiseshell blinks, as if surprised that he's deflected her tone entirely and invited her into an easygoing conversation. "Where d'ya come from anyways?"

"Too far to matter," she charms, fluttering her eyelashes as she looks away. He doesn't need to know about the Junkyard, lest he sick his pine-cats on her own Claw-mates. "It'll take me a day's time to make it back there. And - oh, my paws are sore...!" Barbie continues, ears craning back.

 

[cinderpaw. cinderpaw.]

Cinderpaw wasn't trying to come off cynical, but he had to worry. He had to stress ever since the Thunderclanner apprentice nearly gave him a disease. His cheek was healed over now, but the fur never grew back and the scar was more than just an impression in his cheek. It dug at his ego, and made him feel a way about being too weak- but he had grown and his wariness probably stemmed from that.

She answers, saying far away and Cinderpaw thought about the gorge that the older members spoke of, and how that he heard was a moons travel- but the stranger flutters her eyes and he feels his heartbeat raise a bit as she says that it was a days travel to go back and her paws hurt. "Oh... Um.. well," he started, unsure. "You might be able to have Swallowbreeze look at your paw pads? She's our medicine cat! And then I can get you food?" He offers with a floppy tilt of his head. "You can lean on my shoulder I think, but my mentor is somewhere back there- we should ask her." He thinks aloud, the urge to help a damsel in distress high, yet unsure how to.

cinderpaw - 9 moons - skyclan apprentice - mentored by cherry

 

[barbie]

Barbie flicks her barbed tail against the ground briefly. In the time it takes for her to complain about her aching paws, the tom before her struggles to find a working tongue. She tilts her crown towards him, but can't mask her expression of surprise (and distant discomfort) when he decides to bring in other names into the conversation. Maybe he's talking about his surgeon... but the young molly isn't too keen on letting anyone else work on her, even if her paw pads did hurt. Still, he's almost puppy-dog cute with the way he inclines his head and offers his shoulder. With the slight shift of his weight, she remembers the mouse that he keeps by his paws.

"No, no, I really can't," Barbie leans into the damsel territory that he seems entranced by. "I'll get in trouble with my home. I'm... not even supposed to have gone out this far..." She wonders if Nonna cares at all, truly. The Major cares, no doubt, but moreso about their collective survival than where their paws lead them. Not that the tom before her needs to know. "That... mouse you caught. Could I have it?" Her tone errs no sweeter - in fact, if bluntness was a weapon, this would come down on him hard, with no precision whatsoever. She blinds him with honesty now. "It'd give me the strength for the travel back," she offers him, hoping to tug on his heartstrings, too.

 

[cinderpaw. cinderpaw.]

"Oh, okay I see," he says, letting it go easily- seeming entranced. Though his tone is soft- almost seeming let down. But it would be fine! Yeah, she could make it back home, and then she could get help then. he was kinda sad he couldn't help her- but that was okay.

She mentioned the mouse he had seemed to forget about- and he thought for a moment. Cherrydawn didn't see him catch it, so he could just kick his paw and say he must have bad luck today. She would sympathize... If it gave the other girl the strength to get back home. So the maned albino finally nodding- pink eyes bright as he pushed the mouse to her. "Yeah! Don't worry about it! You can have it, I think we have plenty to share!" He agrees, a grin on his face.

Besides, maybe it was better than those rats- and, maybe she would decide to come back. Maybe she would decide to stay- but that was silly, right? For a moment, he thought about telling his dad, but his heart dropped, deciding no- he definitely wouldn't like he was playing by the borders again. "I'm cinderpaw... But ya should get home! See me if ya stop by again, yeah?" He asks, giving a pathetic look her way with wide eyes.

cinderpaw - 7 moons - skyclan apprentice - mentored by cherry