Post by Kendra on Sept 16, 2010 19:53:32 GMT -5
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A soft breeze tickled the air as the small critters rustled busily through the forest. Lying in the middle of a clearing was a mid-sized raccoon, his flank steadily falling and rising with each breath. The wind ruffled his fur and his ears twitched. Suddenly, a huge gust of wind flew by and the raccoon leaped to his feet, eyes wide.
“Mother!” he screeched. The raccoon looked around and realized it was just a dream. His tail quivered with embarrassment as he lay back down.
As soon as the raccoon was about to close his eyes once more, a cat burst through a bush and prodded him with a silver paw. “Ashtail! Wake up! I found something!” Ashtail rolled over and moaned. The cat leaned in closer. “Come on! Don’t you make me—“
He finally leaped to his feet. “Okay, okay! I’m up!” Ashtail flicked his tail in annoyance. “Don’t get your tail tied in a knot.”
“Come on!” said the cat, bounding through a thick wall of bracken.
Ashtail cautiously weaved his way through the bracken then caught up with his friend. “Wait up!” he called. The cat suddenly stopped and Ashtail bumped into his rear, sending them both tumbling.
The cat regained his balance and snickered. “Watch where you’re going, fluffbrain!”
Ashtail got up and brushed the dirt off himself with his tail. “Well, excuse me, Steel, but who’s the one stopped unexpectedly?”
Steel purred. “Heh, I guess so. But I only stopped because I found it!” His eyes were glittered with curiosity and excitement. Ashtail had seen this look many times with Steel.
“Ohhhh, no!” he moaned. “Don’t say it’s another Tallwalker thing!
Steel’s sleek fur shone in the Hotsky sun. “Oh, just come on! It’s cool, I promise!” To Ashtail’s annoyance, Steel shot away again. The raccoon trudged to where his friend was playing with a shiny silver thing about the size of a kitten’s leg. Most of it was a long skinny handle, but at the end was a round part.
“Hmph.” Ashtail lashed his tail. “What’s so cool?”
Steel looked up eagerly. “Just watch!” The cat found a patch of light and pushed the shiny thing into it. A bright flash made Ashtail cringe away. Steel purred in amusement and pushed the thing back in the shade. “Sorry, I forgot your eyes work different than mine,” he said, blinking apology.
Ashtail grunted. “Just try not to forget.”
Steel didn’t seem to hear. He was focused on something else.
“Steel?”
Ashtail pricked his ears. “Someone is calling you!” he hissed.
Steel didn’t look surprised. “I’ll go check it out.” He started to walk toward the voice, but whipped his head around when he heard Ashtail following. “I don’t need any help!” Steel snapped.
“Y-you sure?” Ashtail checked. “It could be dangerous.” The voice called out again, and Ashtail recognized the meow of a cat. “It could be one of the crazy Clan cats.”
But Steel was determined. “I’m sure. I’m not a kit, Ashtail. I can fend for myself.”
The raccoon let his head hang with these harsh words. Steel ran eagerly away. I guess he just wants to prove he can take care of himself, Ashtail thought. I’ll go hunting just to pass the time. He went to the stream and found a place where his shadow wouldn’t be reflected in the water. He dug his paws into the ground and crouched down. After a moment or two, Ashtail shot his paw into the crystal clear water and brought out a wriggling salmon. He killed it with a swift bite and found a shady spot to eat in.
After the first bite, he felt like he was being watched. He scanned the area, but no curious eyes were watching from the bracken. He tried checking the air, but the only scent that filled Ashtail’s nose was the overwhelming smell of fish. Ashtail took another bite, keeping his ears pricked for movements. Yes! The sound of fur brushing leaves! Ashtail took the last gulp of salmon and strained his ears. The sound was coming from the other side of the river. He waded across with ease. Then he realized that the creature would run away if they knew he was looking for them. So Ashtail tried to act natural, sniffing the rosemary and laying down here and there. He gradually made his way toward the bush where he assumed the creature was hiding. Ashtail recognized the scent of a cat. When he decided he was close enough, Ashtail leaped. He wrestled with the cat, clawing and scratching, but realized she wasn’t attacking back. He pushed away and they both stood panting.
“Why were you watching me?” Ashtail demanded.
The cat circled the raccoon, purring and tickling his nose with her tail. “You are a very skillful hunter,” she said, voice a smooth as honey. Ashtail felt attracted to her warm, yet sweet smell. It was a little overwhelming though, because he could scent over a dozen different cats on her pelt. “Where did you learn to fish?”
He shrugged. “It’s kind of natural, I guess. Fish is the main diet of a raccoon.” He admired her ruffled blue-gray fur.
“I see,” she murmured. “You smell familiar. Tell me your name, ringtail.”
Ashtail was surprised at her demanding tone of voice. “Oh… um—Ashtail. Yours?”
The she-cat proudly puffed up her chest and spoke with a stern voice. “I am Smoothstar, leader of LushClan.” Smoothstar sniffed Ashtail. “Ah,” she said after a long session of sniffing. “I remember now. You smell of FrostClan!”
Chapter One
Ashtail
[/shadow]Ashtail
A soft breeze tickled the air as the small critters rustled busily through the forest. Lying in the middle of a clearing was a mid-sized raccoon, his flank steadily falling and rising with each breath. The wind ruffled his fur and his ears twitched. Suddenly, a huge gust of wind flew by and the raccoon leaped to his feet, eyes wide.
“Mother!” he screeched. The raccoon looked around and realized it was just a dream. His tail quivered with embarrassment as he lay back down.
As soon as the raccoon was about to close his eyes once more, a cat burst through a bush and prodded him with a silver paw. “Ashtail! Wake up! I found something!” Ashtail rolled over and moaned. The cat leaned in closer. “Come on! Don’t you make me—“
He finally leaped to his feet. “Okay, okay! I’m up!” Ashtail flicked his tail in annoyance. “Don’t get your tail tied in a knot.”
“Come on!” said the cat, bounding through a thick wall of bracken.
Ashtail cautiously weaved his way through the bracken then caught up with his friend. “Wait up!” he called. The cat suddenly stopped and Ashtail bumped into his rear, sending them both tumbling.
The cat regained his balance and snickered. “Watch where you’re going, fluffbrain!”
Ashtail got up and brushed the dirt off himself with his tail. “Well, excuse me, Steel, but who’s the one stopped unexpectedly?”
Steel purred. “Heh, I guess so. But I only stopped because I found it!” His eyes were glittered with curiosity and excitement. Ashtail had seen this look many times with Steel.
“Ohhhh, no!” he moaned. “Don’t say it’s another Tallwalker thing!
Steel’s sleek fur shone in the Hotsky sun. “Oh, just come on! It’s cool, I promise!” To Ashtail’s annoyance, Steel shot away again. The raccoon trudged to where his friend was playing with a shiny silver thing about the size of a kitten’s leg. Most of it was a long skinny handle, but at the end was a round part.
“Hmph.” Ashtail lashed his tail. “What’s so cool?”
Steel looked up eagerly. “Just watch!” The cat found a patch of light and pushed the shiny thing into it. A bright flash made Ashtail cringe away. Steel purred in amusement and pushed the thing back in the shade. “Sorry, I forgot your eyes work different than mine,” he said, blinking apology.
Ashtail grunted. “Just try not to forget.”
Steel didn’t seem to hear. He was focused on something else.
“Steel?”
Ashtail pricked his ears. “Someone is calling you!” he hissed.
Steel didn’t look surprised. “I’ll go check it out.” He started to walk toward the voice, but whipped his head around when he heard Ashtail following. “I don’t need any help!” Steel snapped.
“Y-you sure?” Ashtail checked. “It could be dangerous.” The voice called out again, and Ashtail recognized the meow of a cat. “It could be one of the crazy Clan cats.”
But Steel was determined. “I’m sure. I’m not a kit, Ashtail. I can fend for myself.”
The raccoon let his head hang with these harsh words. Steel ran eagerly away. I guess he just wants to prove he can take care of himself, Ashtail thought. I’ll go hunting just to pass the time. He went to the stream and found a place where his shadow wouldn’t be reflected in the water. He dug his paws into the ground and crouched down. After a moment or two, Ashtail shot his paw into the crystal clear water and brought out a wriggling salmon. He killed it with a swift bite and found a shady spot to eat in.
After the first bite, he felt like he was being watched. He scanned the area, but no curious eyes were watching from the bracken. He tried checking the air, but the only scent that filled Ashtail’s nose was the overwhelming smell of fish. Ashtail took another bite, keeping his ears pricked for movements. Yes! The sound of fur brushing leaves! Ashtail took the last gulp of salmon and strained his ears. The sound was coming from the other side of the river. He waded across with ease. Then he realized that the creature would run away if they knew he was looking for them. So Ashtail tried to act natural, sniffing the rosemary and laying down here and there. He gradually made his way toward the bush where he assumed the creature was hiding. Ashtail recognized the scent of a cat. When he decided he was close enough, Ashtail leaped. He wrestled with the cat, clawing and scratching, but realized she wasn’t attacking back. He pushed away and they both stood panting.
“Why were you watching me?” Ashtail demanded.
The cat circled the raccoon, purring and tickling his nose with her tail. “You are a very skillful hunter,” she said, voice a smooth as honey. Ashtail felt attracted to her warm, yet sweet smell. It was a little overwhelming though, because he could scent over a dozen different cats on her pelt. “Where did you learn to fish?”
He shrugged. “It’s kind of natural, I guess. Fish is the main diet of a raccoon.” He admired her ruffled blue-gray fur.
“I see,” she murmured. “You smell familiar. Tell me your name, ringtail.”
Ashtail was surprised at her demanding tone of voice. “Oh… um—Ashtail. Yours?”
The she-cat proudly puffed up her chest and spoke with a stern voice. “I am Smoothstar, leader of LushClan.” Smoothstar sniffed Ashtail. “Ah,” she said after a long session of sniffing. “I remember now. You smell of FrostClan!”