[sapphire and faded jeans] tawny&&silver

[glowlynose]

"Thank you, Silverflower, for doing this with me. I really appreciate it," Tawnywhisker mewed to her newfound friend as they trekked across FogClan territory in search of water. A gentle smile played across her lips, and she sighed happily. Yes, there truly was no better way to spend the day than this - serving her clan and hanging out with a friend at the same time.

"Oh! We should be coming up on the river soon." Tawnywhisker searched in vain for something more to say, but what could she really talk about? For cripes sake, she and Silverflower were in the middle of the forest looking for water! So then, when they had found said water, they were going to bring it back to camp, dig a hole, and then pour the water in the hole. To fill up their pool was going to take a lot of water. Oh, where was Shrewpaw when he was needed? With him here, things would be so much simpler. The mottled she-cat blinked a few times in utter shock. Had she seriously just thought that? If Shrewpaw was here, he'd be bouncing off the sodding trees and just making a general ruckus! Ah, but he was one more mouth to carry water-soaked moss with.

Up ahead loomed the steep bank of the river. On one side, it rose up like a cliff, literally. Luckily, the companions were approaching from the side that had only a slight decline to trek down before they reached the all-important water. However, not all fortune was smiling on them today. This section of the river was very straight and relatively slow-moving, even when it was swollen with rainwater. This made it easier for the biting cold to invade it, and so it was mostly frozen. The few places that water was still accessible from were either in the middle of the sheet of ice, on the other side of the river, or so small that it would take more effort to get the moss soaked than it was worth. But maybe...

"Hey Silverflower, d'you think we could make a few of those holes in the ice bigger? Like hit 'em with our paws or something, as unpleasant as that sounds. Then we wouldn't have to go to a different place. Or we could go. Whatever you wanna do." Personally, Tawnywhisker would prefer to move on. The ice would undoubtedly be sharp after they hit it and broke it, if they could even break it, and they might cut their paws in the process. Brightnose would NOT be happy to see the two she-cats in her den asking for herbs because they'd cut their paws on ice.[/]

[/center]

[Crowzerplorodon]

The weather, Silverflower realized, trekking across frozen FogClan lands with Tawnywhisker, was getting progressively grayer. The trees had definitely lost all their leaves by now, and the sunlight just seemed so dull, hidden behind thick, monochromatic clouds and bits of smoke from twoleg nests. The grass was laden with frost and generally flat, with the exception of the areas where cats often walked. It was actually amusing to make out the well traveled paths on FogClan territory. The grass stood tall here, looking much greener than the places less traveled.

“Oh it's no problem, Tawnywhisker!” It must have been the thousandth time she said it, but Silverflower didn't mind. Reassuring her friend that what they were doing was something she was glad to do seemed necessary. Besides, Silverflower couldn't help feel a twinge of satisfaction that she had been (or was going to be) a part of this idea. It really was a brilliant one. Sure, there would be some kinks. But those could be smoothed out fairly easily. They couldn't let the little things get in there way! That would be such a downer, if the little things always ruined ideas. Just think of all the things they would have or know if cats were deterred by the little things!

… Would they have mouse bile? Or poppy seeds? Or any of the other herbs Brightnose and Finchpaw used? What about the warrior code? Or hunting skills? Or the neat little uses for whiskers? The she-cat shook her head. Bad thoughts, she really needed to stop thinking them. First giant ticks and now the lack of everything they needed to get by as warriors? Madness. Maybe she had been infected by a-

Oh, StarClan. More bad thoughts. Again she shook her head, large ears flattening against themselves. Focus, she told herself, peaking an eye open to watch where she was going. Focus.

And there it was. The river. Or, should she say, the ice, as the water was pretty much covered in the stuff. Under the thick sheet of ice, Silverflower could actually see some water still rushing by. It was... depressing, in a beautiful way. The silver she-cat smiled, feeling oddly soothed by the sight, then turned to Tawnywhisker, fully prepared to bring this water back to their clan.

“Smacking the ice sounds brutal, Tawnywhisker,” she said innocently, eyes wide. “It wouldn't be nice to the ice, or the fish still living in the water.” Did fish live in cold waters? “And we might get the water dirty or our paws wet. Or even fall in! That would be bad in this weather!” She nodded confidently, taking a few steps down river before turning back to wait for Tawnywhisker. “Let's look for a place that's less icey. And some moss! We definitely need moss.”

[glowlynose]

Oh cripes. Where were they going to get moss? Tawnywhisker surveyed the surrounding area with a critical gaze, searching for any sign of the essentially absorbant plant. That was what moss was, wasn't it? It's green. It has to be a plant. Now stop being ridiculous and find some already. With a self-assured nod, she padded toward a small cluster of trees, beckoning for Silverflower to follow with her tail. A breeze tickled Tawnywhisker's nose, and on it came the sharp scent of coming snow. That was fantastic! Snow would come and it would provide water for the clan until it melted! However, until the snow came the clan would still need some form of hydration.

"Oh, bugger. There's no moss here. Bloody inconvenient, wouldn't you say? Hey, do you smell that? Looks like we'll be getting a bit of snow soon." Tawnywhisker looked up at the barren trees. It always made her sad to see them like this, stripped of leaves and any indication of life. Everything seemed to have a sordid cast of grey about it during the winter, but the snow always changed that. The snow transformed the land from a barren waste to a glittering picture of cleanliness and beauty.

"I quite like it when it snows. It's so awfully pretty. Do you like the snow?" Tawnywhisker mewed absentmindedly over her shoulder. There were scratches on the tree trunk over there. Why? Where had they come from? They looked to be too large for cat's claws, maybe about the size of... a badger. Yes, a badger's claws had bade those marks, though a few days ago it had been. The scent of the beast was faint, but it had left a tiny clump of hair on a bit of unscathed bark. The mottled warrior's fur raised and her pupils narrowed. They should leave here. It wasn't safe. The badger was gone for now, but there was no telling when it might come back for whatever had been in the tree.

"We should go. Badger. Not here, but could come back. Let's move on." Tawnywhisker's mew was considerably faster than her normal voice, and laced with paranoia. As much as they hated to admit it, the cats in FogClan were becoming weaker as the prey ran out and the river froze. She wasn't sure if she and Silverflower would be able to escape a badger attack with little more than a few scratches. One of them - or both of them - could get seriously hurt. Hopefully the badger wasn't on their territory anymore, but there was no way to tell from the signs. She took a few pawsteps and looked back over her shoulder to gauge Silverflower's reaction. If she didn't want to come along, then they would stay put.

[/center]

[Crowzerplorodon]

Moss? What moss? Why did Tawnywhisker say something about... Moss! Oh, StarClan, moss! Right, they would need moss, to carry the water. How silly of her for not recognizing the fact that there was no moss around here anyway. It was a good thing Tawnywhisker was so sharp, or else they might have cracked the ice and hurt their paws, only to realize there was nothing to actually carry the water back in to camp. That would be a bother. A 'bloody inconvenience' – yes! Silverflower liked how Tawnywhisker put that, it sounded so much more elegant and fit the light colored warrior in a spectacular way. Silverflower just wished she could pinpoint why it fit her friend so well.

And snow, oh yes, the snow. With thick, gray clouds in the sky and frost coating the grass and trees, Silverflower had no doubt that it would snow soon. And the smell, that wonderfully crisp, chilly smell that permeated the air peacefully. Already the silver she-cat could feel the soft petals floating in the air, freezing the earth even more, but locking it in the quintessence of beauty that nothing else in this world could parallel. Did she like snow, Tawnywhisker asked. What a simple question. “I love snow,” she replied with a smile, blue eyes like crescents on the she-cats face. “I love it so much, it's beauty and grace folding together to keep the world serene and perfect.” Oh how she could go on about that which was snow.

But all of that was ruined by the badger. Or, well, the evidence of a badger. Another thing Silverflower didn't catch that her friend did – oh what would she do without Tawnywhisker? How horrid, though, the sight of a badger. Surely it wasn't the one that had plagued MeadowClan and StreamClan a few moons back, was it? They had reported not seeing it since then, it could have returned and settled down on FogClan territory – how dreadful! Owlstar would have to lead a strong batch of warriors to safely drive it off if they found any more hint of the beast living within their borders. “Yes, let's go,” she squeaked, frightened of the badger that wasn't even there. “We should a-avoid the badger and find a place with plenty of moss! Yes, lots of moss. And less ice on the river. That would be nice. Less ice, more moss, and no badger at all!” She giggled nervously, stopping her rambling before she was too far gone.

[glowlynose]

Tawnywhisker nodded and turned away, trying not to show Silverflower the relieved smile that was spreading across her face. I was not the opportune moment to let the facade of stability and nonchalant behavior drop. For now, she had to let Silverflower (and herself) believe that she was unfazed by the discovery of the badger's scent. Of course, she failed to remember that she, a few moments ago, had informed her friend about the badger with panic sparking the very words she spoke. As she padded away, Tawnywhisker took a few deep breaths to steady her nerves. Why had it been such a big deal? It was just a trace of a sodding badger. The beast wasn't even around to cause any trouble.

"Mmmph. We'll probably need to tell Owlstar or Mistpelt about that place," Tawnywhisker mumbled only half to herself. But what could Owlstar do about it? She couldn't even keep a coup from happening right underneath her nose. Her clan was cold, miserable, thirsty, and starving, and she didn't have the power, the brains to do a single bloody thing about it. It took a cat like Mistpelt to get anything done in the clan. Tawnywhisker cast a sidelong glance at Silverflower. Where did she side in this conflict? Was she neutral, on the losing side, or allied with the surely to be victorious Mistpelt? That could determine the course of their friendship, as much as Tawnywhisker hated to admit it. Here was someone who was finally willing to spend some time with her of their own free will, and she might lose her due to a simple difference of opinion. It would be best to take care of this as soon as possible.

"So, have you heard about Mistpelt lately? Apparently she had a dream from StarClan or something. Some cats think that it means StarClan favors her over Owlstar." There. It was out. Now all of Silverflowers secrets would be exposed, and all it took was a little phrase, a careless string of words put together somewhere in Tawnywhisker's subconscious. However, the mottled she-cat's own opinion would be carefully concealed until she chose to reveal it, if she ever did. As she reveled in this sick sense of power, she nearly ran straight into a tree trunk.

"Oh, look! Moss!" Her near run-in with the tree had almost cost Tawnywhisker her consciousness, but it had provided a source of moss. How strange to find moss in the dead of leaf-bare. She eyed it skeptically for a few moments, swiveling her head from side to side in a strange motion. Her head was pulled backwards, and she was craning her body forward to get a better look. It was all a very laughable sight. She would have continued had she not seen a flash of silver out of the corner of her eye. Then she was reminded that she was being watched, and promptly resumed a normal position.

"Mmm-we better get some of that."

[/center]

[Cloud of Diamonds]

She needed to get away. All those idiot cats who were her Clanmates, especially the toms, had all been getting on her nerves even more lately. And the gray-and-white warrior was too good to put up with their silly chatter. So out to the river it was.

Well, more like the thick, icy, somewhat slushy thing that now wound its way through her territory.

Frostfang happened to like the river more than any of her Clanmates. It gave her food and it was something to be respected and admired. Much like herself. It was far greater than any cat. Like StarClan. Her green eyes narrowed contentedly, thinking of comparing herself to the all-powerful ancestors.

But the long-legged StreamClanner was bored. What could she do that was actually exciting?

Looking over the swath of frozen water, an idea formed in her mind...dare she walk to the other edge and back? An amused smile showed itself on the green-eyed cat's face. Why, she thought she would. It would be something to do, and that ice looked plenty strong. After all, she was named for a kind of ice. Maybe that meant, in some strange way, that she could walk on it.

Why didn't she just do it already?

So, bunching her muscles, the StreamClanner leaped onto the river. However, the ice was nowhere as thick as it had seemed. It broke under her back legs, the frigid water below seeming to burn her hind legs, numbing them so they couldn't move. Desperately she tried to heave herself up, front paws slipping to keep a grip. But it was not long before she succumbed to the powerful rush of the water below. StarClan, was her last thought before the water claimed her life.

OOC: Sooo...now I guess Crow can move her bio from the third page of accepted StreamClanners to dead kitties. Call me cold-hearted, but I'm happy I killed her off.