WindClan & StormClan

The boundary between WindClan and StormClan

Shadestar knew it was a bad idea to leave his pack behind, but he needed to clear his head. The other two had gone off to who knows where, and everyone else was still sleeping or perhaps had also snuck off without him knowing, though that was nigh impossible. His footsteps led him to the boundary between his own Clan and WindClan. The leader wasn't stupid enough to cross, but simply sat at the boundary and was deep in thought. At the same time he was constantly vigilant and never stopped listening or looking for any of his own Clan or perhaps the enemy one. He doubted any wolf would come this far unless for patrols... that would be an interesting experience, for sure. The male had experienced the tension between the Clans first hand, unless the moon was full and all were at the Fourtrees. Even then, there was still suspicion amongst the wolves of differing Clans. Shadestar was one of the wolves who never trusted anyone, even those of his own Clan. Nevertheless, here he was. Perhaps only for entertainment.

EDIT: After waiting and thinking for a while, though becoming no wiser, the male grumpily stood up and disappeared, going back to his Clan camp.

Skypaw sniffed around. She didn't know where she was at the moment. In her temper tantrum she had stalked out of the camp without care. But was it really her fault? Her past prickled her fur and simple things got it riled up. She was going to have to fix that. With a sigh, she plopped down in some tall grass and laid her head on the earth. By the scent of it she was at the WindClan border. She knew this because of the Gathering. A shiver ran down the she-wolf's spine as she remembered the strange dreamworld. With s shake of her pelt, she tried to forget everything.

Though anxiety and worry pricked at his pelt every step of the way, Tallpup relished in escaping from the Windclan camp. The soft heather and gorse under his paws seemed to make his worries melt away, the gentle breeze that buffeted his pelt soothing him. He knew that pups were never permitted to stray too far from camp, especially not as far as borders to other clans, but Tallpup didn't want to restrain himself. He was bent on finding someone to talk to, and the first wolf that had come to mind was the Shadowclan she-wolf, Skypup, he'd met at the last gathering. Besides, Tallpup was almost old enough to be apprenticed anyway. He was certainly big enough.

As he neared the border, the scent of Shadowclan flooded Tallpup's senses. For a moment he paused, wrinkling his nose at the unfamiliar stench. Weariness crashed over him as he padded slower and more cautiously along the border, keeping all senses alert to make certain he didn't cross into Shadowclan territory. After a moment of painstaking stalking, however, a much more familiar smell evaded Tallpup's senses, and he found himself peering through a clump of tall grasses to find his friend laying below.

Rumbling in amusement, Tallpup parted the grasses with his tail and sat back on his haunches. "Having a nice nap?"

Skypaw jumped at the sound of a voice. It had scared her out of the trance she had put herself into. Her lips instinctively pulled back into a snarl but she relaxed slightly when she saw it was Tallpup from WindClan. She didn't question what he was doing here at all, he was someone who wasn't annoying her and that was good enough for Skypaw. "I wasn't napping," she barked, "I was trying to forget." She rolled onto her back and looked up at the male. She blinked softly and wagged her tail a bit.

Tallpup wasn't startled by Skypaw's sudden aggressive gesture; he just shrugged his shoulders, crooked grin widening. "If you say so." He replied wryly. Her words intrigued him -- trying to forget what? -- but Tallpup didn't ask. It sounded as if something had upset her, and perhaps that was why she was so far from camp. Deciding not to press the matter further, he stretched out leisurely and settled down in front of the Shadowclan apprentice.

"So what're you doing out here?" He inquired, the warm sun beating down on his fur instantly making him feel comfortable and lazy.

She shrugged the best she could while one was laying on their bak, "Was bothered and cooped up in camp. Thought I'd get away." She felt slightly warmed by sun, though her pelt didn't pick up the heat like black ones, and a cool breeze caught up slightly, ruffling her fur. Sky smiled a bit and closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling. Without reopening her eyes, Skypaw asked, "And you?"

For a moment, Tallpup just stared at the she-wolf, struck by how serene and at peace she looked. Then he blinked in confusion, barely having registered her question, and wondered how he should answer. He didn't want to flat out lie...but he didn't exactly want to admit that he was out here without permission, either. "Oh, just...wanted some fresh air." He told her evasively, squinting up at the sun as it beat down on the pair of them with vehement intensity.

Skypaw stared at Tallpup in confusion as he was staring at her. After a moment though he seemed to snap out of it and answer her question. She nodded, "I can understand that. But why come all the way out here by ShadowClan territory? Why not run around the moors?" she asked, slightly puzzled by his answer but not wanting to pry. After all, he seemed to respect her boundaries so she would try and do the same to him.

Tallpup wasn't bothered by Skypaw's question. At least he'd escaped any suspicion of her thinking he'd stolen away from his camp without permission. Lazily rolling onto his back, copying the position Skypaw was in, Tallpup blinked a few times against the warmth of the sun. "Why come all the way out here by Windclan territory?" Tallpup teased. "Why not run around the..." He trailed off awkwardly, not so sure what sort of individual qualities Shadowclan territory had about it. All his mother had ever told him of Shadowclan that it was the most arrogant, ominous clan. Speaking to Skypaw, as kindly as she seemed, Tallpup really couldn't believe that.

Skypaw tilted her head slightly as Tallpup's question trailed off. She was confused for a moment before she understood his awkward tail, "Oh, not knowing about the big, bad, arrogant ShadowClan's territory, are we?" she teased lightly to the other pup. The rumors of her Clan didn't bother her in the slightest. She could actually understand them. A lot of bad wolves did come from her Clan, and for some reason those wolves shadowed over the good wolves that came from ShadowClan. But that didn't matter to Skypaw. Horrible wolves have from all the other Clans as well. Continuing to answer Tallpup's unfinished question, she answered simply, "I don't really know what brought me her. I sort of...stormed out of camp..." she smiled a little slyly at the male.

Tallpup tensed at Skypaw's initial words, thinking she meant them in a hostile way, but he relaxed when he realized she was just mimicking his teasing tone. The fact that she didn't enforce the bloodthirsty rumors behind Shadowclan wolves only further pushed Tallpup to believing that perhaps Shadowclan really weren't as bad as they were made out to be. Flopping onto his side so he was looking at the she-wolf, Tallpup pricked his ears in interested as she mentioned storming out of her camp. "Why ever did you do that?" He asked, trying to sound innocent.

Skypaw copied Tallpup's movements so she was looking back at him. She caught the innocence being faked but ignored it, "Apachepaw said something that upset me, so I stormed out. Nothing really special in my opinion," she said with a shrug, being as truthful as she could get without blurting out that her father was RiverClan. Yeah, that would go really well. Her tail flicked slightly as she lay there with the WindClan wolf in...peace? Yes, peace. It was a nice change for the she-wolf, that was for sure. For once her mind seemed to not be thinking about anything that upset her.

Tallpup didn't question her farther, just grinned slightly. He hadn't realized Skypaw had such a temper on her; it was quite an admirable trait, really. Tallpup himself had always been the peacekeeper, the one to split up the quarrels between clanmates, but he'd never been able to compare his mild attitude with wolves who simply couldn't hold in their tempers. Part of him wanted to ask what Apachepaw had said, but he didn't want to rekindle Skypaw's anger. Knowing that he was probably entering personal territory, Tallpup ventured carefully "What'd he say, exactly?"

Skypaw's pelt bristled slightly but she didn't growl like she thought she would have. Pushing the weird moment in a separate part of her head to ponder over later, Skypaw tilted her head so she could look at Tallpup better. She hesitated for a moment before whispering softly, almost hoping he wouldn't hear, "He commented on my fur colour."

Tallpup half expected Skypaw to spring at him or stomp away back into her own territory or maybe both, so he was somewhat surprised when she quietly answered his question. Her fur color? Skypaw had been upset to the point of leaving her camp because of a comment on her pelt? Sure her fur wasn't a darker shade like the majority of Shadowclan wolves, but there was plenty of diversity in every clan. Tallpup shot her a furtive glance. She hadn't even specified if Apachepaw had been insulting her, and judging by how kindly Apachepaw seemed, Tallpup didn't think he'd done so. Why was such a petty subject so touchy for her?

"Well," Tallpup spoke, breaking the silence. "I think your fur is very pretty, if it means anything."

Skypaw wanted to snap at the male that it wasn't that Apachepaw had purposely insulted her, that it was personal, but she just couldn't. Tallpup's comment had made her start to feel hot under her pelt and a blush rose to her cheeks, slightly noticeable through her pale fur. She immediately looked away from the other wolf and mummered out something, she didn't know what she was trying to say! For extra caution of not showing that the words had flustered her, Sky even averted her eyes to the opposite direction {WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GO IN ONE DIRECTION!} on Tallpup.

Tallpup was confused when Skypaw looked very obviously flustered, so he decided to just drop the matter all together. Rolling back onto his back, he was silent for a moment, not wanting to say the wrong words and make the she-wolf snap at him. "So, uhm," He groped around for something to say, trying desperately to settle onto anything that wouldn't rekindle Skypaw being upset about what had happened back in her clan. "Lovely weather, eh?"

She snapped her head around at Tallpup's question and just stared at him for a good minute or two before she burst out laughing. And laughing...and laughing. They question had been so out of the topic that they were in that she just couldn't contain herself. Her tail wagged happily. She hadn't laughed like that in moons. Attempting to sober, Sky shook her head with another airy laugh, "Yes, yes beautiful weather," she exaggerated the 'beautiful' and gave another weak chuckle. She rolled onto her stomach to she could look down into Tallpup's face so that the sun was blocked from his view and smiled at him.

Tallpup's tail thumped against the ground at Skypaw's happy reaction. He was glad he'd driven away her snappish weariness; this bubbly, happier version of her was the one he'd met at the gathering, and the one he much preferred. As she leaned over to face him, Skypaw's ear brushed Tallpup's nose and he held back a sneeze, looking over at her in mock irritation. "Well, I can't see much now. Do you have to block the sun with those big ears of yours?" Despite his attempt to sound angry, evident amusement shone through his voice.

Skypaw nipped playfully at Tallpup's cheek. She jumped up and quickly moved so she was pinning him down, it was easy since he was already on his back, and growled amusingly, "Is that a threat?" she she tried to snap, but a giggle escaped her lips instead.

Tallpup struggled when Skypaw pinned him down, but his attempts were only half hearted. He knew it was all in good fun -- and besides, Shadowclan wolves were a lot bigger than the lithely built Windclan wolves. Flattening his ears to his head in mock submission, his voice was more of a frightened squeak when he spoke. "It was more of an insult..."

{Sky is actually not that big, she is pretty small for her age}

Skypaw laughed and nosed Tallpup's ear, "Yeah well, not a very good one," she teased with a smile. She sidestepped off of Tallpup and laid down next to him, playing her head on his chest with a content sigh, relaxing.

Tallpup acknowledged Skypaw's teasing with a roll of his eyes, watching her as she stepped off him and laid down beside him. Out here, lying under the warm sun with a newly-formed friend beside him, Tallpup couldn't help wishing all days were as peaceful as this. Discomfort flared inside him as he realized what trouble he would be in if he were found so far from camp with a Shadowclan apprentice, no less, but Tallpup's spirits could 't be dampened. He was just making friends -- what was the harm, really? Stretching his legs out in front of him, Tallpup drew in a long breath and relished in the warm, serene peace.

Skypaw closed her eyes and twitched her tail softly. It was quiet enough that she could hear the soft slapping of fur against the earth. A sudden realization made Skypaw tense for a moment before she relaxed. She was an apprentice so she was allowed to leave camp, but with her mentor's permission. And what made things worse was that Shadestar was her mentor. What if he knew she was out at the WinClan border laying with a WindClan pup? But she shook that off. No one would find them there and really, what was the problem? They were just friends from different Clans. Nope, no problem at all. She let out a soft sigh. At least things could continue for now. Tallpup was a good new friend and she didn't seem to...play well with others. So to have someone who didn't make her bristle was a very good change.