Just another day. . .

[shaadow]

Flying into the stars soaring higher than ever before, her paws almost touching the moon. The small black she-cat stared aroud her in wonder. I have died and gone to StarClan, she thought excitedly. Adventure awaiting around every corner just waiting to be discovered.

From the center of the moon a silver shape was coming closer. Shadowstar had never felt such excitement in her life, as she felt at this very moment. It was important that she see the silver shape, her whole being focused on it willing it closer. Her green eyes blazed with her love flight and adventure. When the silver shape came into focus it was the most handsome tom she had ever laid her eyes on. His pelt was a dappled grey that turned into burnished silver in the moonlight. His wings were pure silver light as was his eyes.

Yep have to be dead, she thought to herself as she looked the tom up and down.There's no way a cat this perfect could exist Slowly the tom flew closer, as if he was unsure of his welcome. Baffled Shadowstar held still until he was in front of her. Some time between his appearance and now she noticed that she wasn't flying anymore.

Just as he was about to speak he faded away. "NO!" She shouted uselessly trying to claw her way out of the blackness that was taking over her consciousness. She awoke in her den breathing hard, as if she had just got done running for her life. When the realization hit that is was only a dream her eyes lost the spark that had shown itself in her dreams. With dull emerald eyes she uncurled herself and stretched.

Fully stretched she padded out of her den and into the camp to get her breakfast, heart heavy with an undefinable emotion.

[♫~Vanilla~♫]

Hollyfang stood by the fresh-kill pile, scanning it for anything that looked especially tasty. It was well into the day, the camp was bustling with activity. The pile wasn't exactly the largest it had ever been. "Lazy hunting patrol," she snickered to herself. Weather was fair, clouds occasionally drifting across the hot sun. A soft breeze would ruffle her fur, and send a few leaves tumbling from the treetops. The soft babble of the nearby creek could be softly heard. The trees provided nice shade on the camp, shielding the cats from the blazing green-leaf sun. Many scents swirled around in the air, though the majority smelled of cat and willow tree.

Black fur shimmered in the dappled light. Her silvery eyes continued to look at the fresh-kill pile, though at this point she was just wasting time. Raven wings were neatly folded against her sides, had it been night spotting Hollyfang would've been near impossible. Though in the middle of the day, she was impossible to miss. Slender body was not much to behold, tiny for a cat, let alone a feral cat. It was a wonder she survived as long as she did. The she-cat was certainly not to be pitied though, she had the spirit to make up for her size.

She noticed the leader emerging from her den. Other cats may have dipped their head a bit, but Hollyfang saw no need. It may have been her insecurity speaking there, but it was still hard to find a reason to show that much respect to a leader who may not even notice you. Why wouldn't she? Well it was very easy to tell, the expression on her face and her whole scent pointed that she was troubled and deep in thought. Maybe she had received a dream from StarClan? It didn't matter much to the she-cat anyway, so she grabbed a fish from the pile.

No one would come join the small black cat to eat. Of course not. Her attitude kept everyone at bay, which wasn't really the way she liked it. Hollyfang was without friends in her clan, spending her free time alone. On patrols, it wasn't much different. It was easier when she led, that way she could bark orders. If not she would just stick in where she wasn't needed, just to feel that she was. Her bitterness was what made her bitter, in a sense. It turned others away, which in turn just fed the flames. She sighed and took a bite of the fish, tearing away the slimy skin to get at the meat inside. Not much, not that she needed to much food to sustain herself.

[shaadow]

Ignoring the strange weight in her chest, she selected a small squirrel from the fresh-kill pile. As she turned to go back to her den she noticed a small black cat looking at her with defiance in her eyes. Intrigued she continued on her way. She never paused in her stride, to the casual observer wouldn't have noticed the small shift in her attention.

She was stopped several times on the way back to her den, by cats who wanted to let her know about their lives. Not that she needed to know, she knew just about everything that went on in her territory. She often sat in the shadows at night and listened to the gossip. It helped her understand other cats, though she still has a hard time with it.

Finally she made it back to her den. With a sigh of relief she took a huge bite of her squirrel, and screwed up her face in disgust. It had gotten cold on the ever longer journey back to her den. Why can't those idiots talk to me on my way to the food? She thought sarcastically bitter. Mornings just weren't her time.

[♫~Vanilla~♫]

Scenery hadn't changed much, if at all. The breeze still blew, the trees still swayed. The camp was still filled with cats, young and old. It had only been a few moments after all. The fish remained relatively untouched by her paws, slippery coating removed, hardly recognizable as a fish, more as a bitten into piece of meat. The sun held strong up in the sky, slowly inching its way towards its peak. Still, it was pretty damn hot, especially for a black cat laying out in the sun. Hollyfang picked up her food and moved it over to a more shady corner, under one of the many willow trees. It was much cooler under the cover, and the loud noise that accompanied being in the center of the camp was more of a muted mumble.

She took a long breath in, and exhaled. It was much better for her to get some peaceful rest under this tree instead of being in the middle of a tight-knit group she was excluded from. The she-cat would do anything to become the most beloved cat in the clan, though that obviously would never happen. She thought about trying to change, but she always thought she was defending herself when her outbursts happened. She couldn't help it, it was just who she had become. A confidence boost could save her, but she had no idea of that. It really was love she sought. Love in all its forms, friendship, family, and the list goes on into any and all relationships. Enemies? Got enough. Her rude comments and snide tone earned her that much.

Just as soon as she appeared, Shadowstar had ducked back inside the comfort of her den. Cats had stopped her on the way there to tell the leader things Hollyfang could not hear from this side of the camp, but Shadowstar didn't seem too excited to hear them. Guess those cats have no friends either, if they have to pester their leader with pointless stories. She continued to keep her eyes on the entry way of the leader's den. Why? She was not sure. The little black she-cat was merely curious as to why Shadowstar was acting so strangely.

Finally, she decided to go investigate herself. She cared that her leader was troubled, but it wouldn't show. More so, knowing the information would make her feel more important. Her paws were soon lightly tapping against the ground as she made her way towards the den. Upon entering, she sat in the front, "Shadowstar?" She said in the most respectful tone she could muster. Tail curled around her dainty paws, she sat in wait of the answer. Shadowstar sure was lucky to have this den all to herself, rather than sharing with many others who on any given night could be snoring, or being disruptive in many other ways. Hollyfang was too grumpy when she was tired to even bother making a ruckus, so that was the one time she remained out of trouble.

[shaadow]

With an inner sigh Shadowstar gave up on her food. When she heard a voice,

"Shadowstar?"

"Come in," she called sitting up pushing her food behind her. Like they won't notice that I've hardly eaten, she thought ruefully shaking her head. She stretched out her wings flapped them a few times then re-folded them. Her wings were a constant reminder of what she was expected to do. Even in the glory of flight she was never free to just be. Her dreams of the silver hunk would always remain a dream, along with flying with the stars. That would have to wait for when she joined StarClan. She didn't realize that her green eyes became unfocused lost in her thoughts.

[♫~Vanilla~♫]

Hollyfang took that as her cue to enter, as it obviously was. The den wasn't really the brightest place on earth, but for a feline such as herself, it was fairly easy to see. Through Holly's eyes her leader looked absolutely exhausted, and deeply troubled. What a pathetic attempt at hiding her uneaten prey that was, as much as it was against the warrior code to disrespect prey by not eating it gratefully, she wasn't about to say anything about it. Light entered from behind her, throwing a shadow upon the whole front of the she-cat. Her tail flicked as it lay on the ground beside the rest of her body.

She remained in one of the most respectful stances she could allow herself to be in, and hopefully the leader could see she was at least trying not to be a nuisance. Still, her sharp tongue would exist with or without the presence of the black cat's insecurity, and her words would still sound rude. She was not at all intimidated, because she was here to get to the truth. If someone didn't console the grumpy Shadowstar, the clan would fall into disarray. "Whatever it is that's troubling you, it can't be more important than the clan," leave it to Hollyfang to start out a conversation that bluntly. You couldn't blame her though, she had no experience with any sort of friendship.

The warrior concerned that her leader was stressed, but more so that she was being so self-absorbed. It was her job to stay on top of everything, and she couldn't do that while laying in her den sulking. Holly was quite the dramatic cat, and saw things as much larger than they were. To her, Shadowstar was abandoning her clan to brood over whatever troubles she was having. The only way to fix it was to fix the problem, so that's what she was set out to do. The black cat was determined and ready to do so, without even knowing the issue yet.

[shaadow]

"Whatever it is that's troubling you, it can't be more important than the clan,"

Shadowstar was startled at the statement. "Why would you think that I'm 'brooding' about something personal?" She asked sharply green eyes blazing, not that she was really angry she was more surprised than anything else. Half of her brain was screaming to tear out this snobs eyes for daring to speak to her in such a away. While the more reasonable half of her brain admired the she-cat for her courage and honesty. A friend would be a luxury that she couldn't afford but wanted badly.