Watching the Ranch [join if you'd like!]

[laur]

An off-white picket fence stood straight across a vast expanse of land. It protected rolling fields of crops and groups of animals from the outside world, keeping everything out. Well, almost everything. Sitting atop one section of fence was a tiny, thin she-cat with fur the color of liquid silver. Pale, grey-green eyes scanned the rolling hills and rows of crops, curiosity and yearning burning beneath their protective out layer.

The she-cat sighed, her soft silver head lowering as she crouched on the fence. The beautiful farm scene reminded her of her past, her happy, loving past. The cat's eyes filled with pain at the thought of her past; at the idea of seeing her family. Grief-stricken, she bounded off the fence and onto the lush green grass below her.

"I better go hunt," Mistpaw told herself, twitching her long silver tail as if flicking away her thoughts, "or Sootclaw will be mad." She wandered towards the towering trees across a smaller field. That is her home now. Her subconcious mind could not help but make the she-cat let out a little sigh. Oh, how she missed her family so, but there was nothing she could do. Her tiny grey paws taking her closer and closer to the forest's beginning, Mistpaw shook her head to clear her thoughts.

Suddenly, a flash of fur appeared between the trees, gone again in the blink of an eye. Confused, Mistpaw bounded a few fox-lengths forward. "..Hello?"

[Slug]

Clayfang had come here to ponder on his past-- but apprently this silver she-cat had beaten him to it. Pelt prickling with raw anger that made his very claws and fangs ache, Clayfang narrowed his wood brownish yellow eyes and stepped out from the undergrowth at the she-cat's call.

"Sonya," He purred smoothly-- carefully-- eyes glinting with untold malice. "What are you doing here, she-cat?" Clayfang questioned, leaping onto the fence that Mistpaw once stood on. "Do you not have your apprentice duties to complete? What of the elders and their beds, Sonya?? Will you leave them to ache while you lounge about here?"

Silence-- for a moment. Then Clayfang gave a frightening laugh-- purring maliciously.

"I did when I was younger!!" He stated gleefully, stareing out at the crops and it's rolling feilds. "Good times, those were, Sonya-- my little she-cat." Clayfang anounced, scratching his ear with his hind leg; fluffy tail twitching.

[laur]

Mistpaw stared at the new arrival, listening to his words carefully. Clayfang had used her old name, and he did it purposely. Every silver hair bristling, Mistpaw's pale green eyes turned cold with unimaginable anger.

"Don't. You. DARE. Call. Me. SONYA." The she-cat hissed, her tail lashing in intense anger. "That is NOT MY NAME." She growled at the large brown tom, taking a step forward. Her cold eyes scanned the long hairs on his pelt, searching for a weak spot if it ever came to a fight.

"I was about to hunt. Why must you butt in on business that does not include you?" Her gaze shifted to Clayfang's amber eyes, searching. She lashed her tail once more, her silvery ears beginning to flatten against her small head. She knew she was no match, and that the actions she just exposed were horrid and unkind.

Forcing her fur to flatten, Mistpaw dropped her head. "Sorry." She muttered quietly, unsure whether she should look at the tom's face again. She doubted the tom would feel bad in any way, making her tail begin to bristle once more. Knowing this was not a fight she should pick, Mistpaw backed up a few paces.

"The elders aren't going anywhere. I will be on my way."

[Slug]

"I was not "butting on your business", Sonya." Clayfang stated. "I mearly came here to... remember." His tail gave a lash of it's own, curling like a black and brown whip; blurring with restrained rage. "Sonya-- why were you here? Was it because you too wanted to remember your farm life?" His dark amber eyes drilled into Mistpaw's own, studying her for a second.

"I accept your apology... Mistpaw." Clayfang leaped from the fence and over Mistpaw, landing gracefully-- like a landing swan-- just a few feet farther than Mistpaw was standing.

"...You could still return, Sonya--return because you still have a chance. Where as I, do not." He mewled softly-- a manner so unlike him; back to Mistpaw, head lowered and gazing at the ground as if it was the most intresting thing in the world; pawing at a blade of long grass.

"Don't waste what little time you have left, she-cat!"

[laur]

Mistpaw looked up at Clayfang, eyes burning with emotion. She sat, her long silver tail curling over her paws like a thin blanket. "I cannot." Her voice cracked from the overwhelming pain she felt at the thought of her family. "They're gone by now. I left, and I cannot go back. This is my life now." Mistpaw nodded towards the expanse of pines behind her.

The tip of her silver tail drummed the lush grass as Clayfang's bore into her pelt. A longing look took over Mistpaw's face as she stared once more at the large red barn on the other side of the fence. Snapping her head away from the scene, she looked up at Clayfang once more, the look of longing replaced by pure curiosity.

"What do you mean?" Mistpaw was burning to know what Clayfang had meant. Did he come from a life like mine? What happened to him? The questions sped by in Mistpaw's head, one followed quickly by another. As she tried to be patient, the silver she-cat hopped over to a crack between fence posts. She stuck her nose in one, peering out into the farm beyond.

Turning around to face Clayfang once more, she focused her almost-silver eyes on the tom and patiently waited for his thoughts to collect.

[Slug]

"It never hurts to check on your family, Sonya." Clayfang gave a assured coo, suddenly at Mistpaw's side; tail petting her flank in a comforting manner. "I did. For my family-- I left them for this clan." He admited, stopping his petting and turning to gaze dully at the barn.

"Curiousity will drive a cat mad before they finally found out what they want, Sonya-- I know you want to find out, even if it's bad." Clayfang's ear swiveled to the left like a rotar, listening for something; then returned to it's original spot.

"I should know, she-cat-- I lived in that farm once, too."

[[ hardyrex ]]

(Crow-whisker magically comes to the ranch for lulz. Roll with it.)

Along the white fence a black shape stood out, strolling next to the picket fence that stood across the land, seemingly never ending.

The cat's long tail was slowly flicking back and forth, almost in sync with his pawsteps as small paws and short legs carried him along. His yellow eyes scanned the land very slowly, looking for some source of entertainment.

His radar-like ears picked up the sounds of cats; two of them. Crow-whisker padded a little faster until he saw the cats. One was a small, thin she-cat with sliver fur and the other a (insert color of Clayfang here) cat. He stopped not to far from them, wondering how they would react to the arrive of himself.

(I'm so rusty. D:)

[Deleted]

ooc:
I SAW WHAT YOU DID THERE.

[laur]

Mistpaw flinched at the touch of Clayfang's pelt, the silver fur on her spine beginning to stand on end. She made it lie flat again, listening to the tom speak. "I-I don't know if I can," she muttered, "I probably don't have the time. And Sootclaw would be mad..." Her gaze lowered to the grass below her, askewed because of her tiny grey paws. She shifted on her haunches, gripping the grass with unsheathed tan claws.

"I should know, she-cat-- I lived in that farm once, too."

Mistpaw froze; her silvery eyes growing wide and large.Him? On THIS farm? Her mind swirled with all the possibilites; endless, endless possibilites. Taking note of Clayfang's comment on curiosity, Mistpaw forced her thoughts to stop and attempted to act naturally.

"You did? Which part?" Images exploded in Mistpaw's head; images of a clean modern house with a large red barn out the window. An off-white kitchen with a soft blue bed in the corner, matching bowls to the right. Her eyes bore into Clayfang's, her mind trying to keep her under control.

"A-and when? When did you live there?"

[[ hardyrex ]]

ooc; OH GAWD RAIMI IS ON TO US. D: