Stunted Forest

padding up he stared around at the marshy stunted forest, several of the trees were long dead and their white limbs were stark against the black rocks in the distance. flicking his tail direblood sat down to wait for shadowpup. Blinking blood red eyes he began thinking.
hmm, a camp would be good, make snakepup a medicine apprentice to ebonyfur i think... hmm hopefully moonwhisper will teach oakpup some manners.... better make ripplepaw and stoatpaw apprentices soon as well opening his eyes again he stood and stretched. padding cautiously through the land he perked his ears noticing a elk eating hungrily at some of the long marsh grass. turning he noticed a disused foxden as well as a few frogs. shaking out his pelt he turned and began padding back to the mothermouth hopefully some of the others would be back as well.
~mothermouth~

Moonwhisper was tired by the time she reahed the forest. The mist was thick and it limited her vision to a few feet. Stumbling against a short but twitsted tree with a small whole in it, she heaved herself up to peer in. It was just big enough to fit her. Pulling herself up the few feet to the whole, she curled herself up into the hollow. Bringing her tail over her nose she let some of her frustration out. After she finished scraping at the tree with her claws, she just felt sad. Closing her eyes, she fell asleep.

Ripplestone clambered into the forest, bleeding from a large scrape on her front leg from jumping the gorge badly. twitching her long white tail behind her she turned scenting about for moonwhisper. she shook out her pelt irritably in the mist, ick!. her baby blue eyes glanced around with a careful wariness. scenting moonwhispers unmistakable scent the white warrior padded up to the tree and reared up on her back paws. placing her front ones on the trunk of the old gnarled tree.

Moonwhispers eyes peeled open. Seeing the face of Ripplestone, she sighed. "What do you need," she said hoarsely, her voice raw from whimpering. Shuffling around so that she could see her better, Moonwhisper watched Ripplestone out of her sad eye.

Twitching her ears ripplestone said quietly "are you ok?" her bright blue eyes glittered with worry for her friend. black paws shifted against the old tree. her white tail flicked through the air.

Moonwhisper shook her head miserably. "No... did Direstar send you?" her voice held a bit of bitterness in it. "If he did you can leave. Tell him I'm fine." The she-wolf curled up again, only a sliver of her eye showing.

Tilting her head Ripplestone flicked her black ears and said "you are obviously not fine, and no direstar did not send me" her blue eyes glittered a little as she watched her friend. swishing her black tipped tail the young warrior said calmly "your belly has swell..."

Moonwhisper snarled under her breath. "Look. Direstar never has any time for me now that he is leader. Its all ceremonies this, patrols that." Her head snapped up at Ripplestones comment. "How did you notice. Has anyone else noticed? Any one? Have you told?" She groaned. It wasnt supposed to happen. She could feel the pups, and there was going to be quite a few. She had hoped to drop them of in Windclan or something. Dire was to busy to help with pups, and she was deputy. No allowed. She prayed to Starclan no one else knew.

Ripplestone said calmly "you must step down from deputy, tell Direstar of the pups, he will take good care of you then" her bright blue eyes seemed to be filled with tears, a sad look in her eyes. flicking her black tipped tail she shrugged and said "he is the father he has a right to know about his pups" turning Ripplestone and began padding away.

"You dont understand," she snarled under her breath. "I would rather be deputy than have pups." Leaping out of the tree, she lashed her tail. "Its not fair. I never asked for them." Her heart heavy, she ran back to camp.

-camp-

Ripplestone stood there in shock, moonwhisper had never wanted pups? she knew for herself that she wanted pups but she couldnt have them. she had a sneaking suspicion that she was barren. turning she padded toward camp after moonwhisper. her black paws silently hitting the ground.
-camp

Oakthorn lightly trotted up his tail curling over his back, he glanced up noting a eagle swooping low over the trees. pinning his ears back he bared his long white fangs and growled. shaking his head he began casting around for scents. stale scents of moonwhisper and ripplestone came to his black nose. he sat down and waited for the rest ofo his clan mates.

Streakpaw dashed into the forest. She skids to a stop once she sees Oakthorn. She looks back for her clan mates. "They're slower than usual," She said with a smirk. She sits beside Oakthorn and waits for the others, the scent of prey flooding through her nose.

Oakthorn blinked his eyes and turned his head looking at streakpaw. his yellow eyes glittered with a slight affectionate look in them, he lowered his head and touched his nose to her head before he stood and began stalking a rabbit.

Streakpaw looks at him and smiles. Her eyes are wide, not with shock, but with happiness as he puts his nose on her head. She smiled and sniffed the air for prey. She scents a vole and stalks it, she pounces on it and bites its neck. She lifts her snout off the prey and smiles, as it is dead. She looks for more prey.

Oakthorn brang back the rabbit and dropped it at her feet "um here have this you look starved". he turned and stared at his paws feeling slightly embarrased. he wasnt used to this kind of feeling. he flicked his tail around and moved away embarrasedly.

She smiled. "Only if you share it with me!" She picks it up and carries it to him. She licked him before biting into the food.

He hesitated then nodded and lay down beside her taking a few bites. he couldnt let anyone else see him like this! He cared alot about his reputation among the clans. as the hardest warrior, the one you didnt want to go up against in battle. he flicked his long tail and stood saying "im full"

She smiled as she takes the last few bites from the carcass. She sensed tension and slight hesitation. "Whats wrong?" Her head tilted.

He flicked his ears and said "i cant feel feelings like this" he sounded almost scared. he wasnt used to this, his crush on dragonpaw had been shortlived. he turned and glanced at streakpaw with sorrowful yellow eyes. his oak brown pelt was messy and agitated.

"Why not?" She noticed the tiny bit of scaredness in his voice. "Wait, are you scared? Even if wolves think you will not be a good warrior for liking me, you will always be a good warrior. Don't listen to them." She smiled awkwardly after saying that because she almost stated that she liked him. Though, he could probably tell.

Oakthorn turned and glanced at her, his yellow eyes glitering "i guess". he shook out his pelt but still stared down. his oaken pelt furry in the slight snowfall. he flicked his ears and moved over to her he gave her a light lick to the forehead and said "hurry up and become a warrior"

"I'll try!" She licks him back. I'm almost one anyway! She looked down. She would never think, the wolf who attacked her she would like. She licked him back.

He blushed under his fur when she licked him, perking his ears as he heard pawprints he returned to scenting around and investigating. he decided that he rather liked this part of their territory. he flicked his tail around his back legs and scented the air again, he hadnt had frog in a long time, perhaps he should catch some for the clan.