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Post by freshwater on Mar 13, 2010 22:11:13 GMT -5
this is the story of a boy who grows up
this is the story of a boy who fell in love
and the man he becomes
(i've heard that good things come) * He yawned, jaws lifting into a well deserved yawn. It was late in the now, with firament appearing clear through water blue and violet, cast over a dull, paper-thin filament like torn paper. The birds floated above, bones slipping through the liquid air as they flapped their feathery wings, airily, and let out their own calls, peals of sounds that drifted lazily into the afternoon atmosphere. The floor was sprinkled with gold, and Freshwater found himself sprawled across it, patches of winter snow sprinkled across his coat. It had been snowing this morning, in small incriments, but the hail had quickly melted to the sor of ice-water that made all the prey flee, and make most felines uncomfortable. Only Freshwater, of course, had found it tactical enough to roll in the dry, winter leaves, shaking the frost from his frame and replacing it with a dull, lingering warmth. The sunlight barely shone through the trees, where the canopy parted just briefly, but he continued to sprawl across the floor, his startling liquid-green gaze caught beneath the strange mix of purple-red-blue that filled the waning sky.
It was a blur. The way that he'd suddenly become thrust in the world of the Wild Cats, had found himself looking up at the wide expanse of land before him and had been forced to learn the ways of a warrior. Everything that had happened after their capture, rolling all the way up to the sudden death of his sister, Frostedflight, and everything onward: Of those things, Freshwater couldn't bother to remember any of it. For a cat who was always filled with such glee in his open expression, he was surprisingly sullen when it came to things about his past. He was a tom who would rather hide away all of his pains inside him, lock them away in his chest, and forget entirely about them. And, it was in moments like these, which he would stop and stare up at the sky, listening to the whispers of the wind, and the ripples of the water. It was only in these moments that he would bother to get lost in thought.
Freshwater was surprisingly well taught in the act of pain and aggression for a tom who, if his heart should be measured in the width of his smile, was perhaps the happiest tom in all of the four clans. (When there had been four clans, before BrookClan had suddenly been abandoned, been left to face the threatening loom of death back at home, had been forced to watch everything they knew crumble and wither away, in comparison to the other Cowardly Cats who had just run away in the face of it all.) Sometimes, he wished that he'd seen it. Seen it first hand. By the time that he had been integrated into the way of the Warrior, and of BrookClan, they'd already been half there way on The Journey. Even if it had been in the innocent gaze of a kit, Freshwater sometimes wished he could have seen it so that whenever instances came up where he could defend them, his clan, it would not be with such second-handed facts that had nearly no base. The sun gleamed through the trees, peeking past the parted leaves. Freshwater closed his eyes, licking his lips sleepily and rolled over to the side, feeling the light lick against his patched coloring. The way the sun warmed his back, it was like a restart. * (to those who wait)
i traveled round the world
never met a star, never met a soul to know
[/center][/color] [word count]: 542 [inspiration]: "Story of a Boy" by Between the Trees [for]: shadowflame <3 [/size][/blockquote][/color][/font] |
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Post by shadowflame on Mar 14, 2010 18:33:08 GMT -5
{s.h.a.d.o.w.f.l.a.m.e} It was one of those days.
One of those days that left Shadowflame restless, her heart stirring with longing and loneliness. Her paws itched to move, her heart yearned to be cherished, her whole body ached to be comforted. But she wasn't attractive, wasn't feminine, and her beloved father was gone. And so she was alone. Her paws made no noise as she walked through the woods, the soft rays of sunlight warming her black and orange pelt. Lifting her head to the skies, Shadowflame's jade eyes glittered, flecks of gold shimmering as sorrow washed over her.
Alone. She was cursed to be alone forever. A small pond was nearby, and she looked down into it, at her reflection. The sight appalled her. She was no feminie she-cat of great beauty, but stocky, unattractive, and....ugly. She unwillingly uttered a muffled sound akin to a sob at the sight, at what she considered ungainly and horrid. She wasn't like the other she-cats and she never would be. No tom would ever find her attractive. And it killed her on the inside. She only ever wanted to be beautiful, to be cherished, to be loved.
She tore herself away from the image, trotting away and deeper ino the woods, her breathing labored with grief and shame. She had no friends in the clan, save for Fernpaw and....and....just the mere thought of him sped up her heartbeat, quickened her already fast breathing. She couldn't take it anymore, couldn't think like this, have these impossible dreams that could never be fulfilled. She shook her head, shutting her eyes tight as if to avoid the wishes and hopes that flitted incessantly through her mind. She couldn't.....it hurt too much to think like that.....but.....the dreams never stopped.
And she had only recently realized that's what they were, for she had thought those longings were merely because she knew she would never be loved. She thought that Freshwater was just a friend, and that that's how she saw him. But she slowly came to realize that Freshwater meant more to her than merely a friend and always would, and that she would merely have to accept the fact that they were only friends, and she would be left in solitude for the rest of her life.
Thoughts turned from him to her father. She missed him so. Missed his advice, missed his laugh, missed his presence, missed everything about him. And she couldn't hel but wonder why...why did he go? Why did he leave me? That was a question she would never have answered, for she was sure he was dead. She could feel it in her heart, feel the loss of his life as deeply as if she had seen it herself. And it caused her a level of grief so unbearable she began to run, gasping, desperate to get away from the hurt and loneliness and sorrow. But she couldn't; it hounded her, chased her, like a fox from Kolette's pack. Finally stopping, she didn't realize that Freshwater was close, could probably hear her. All of her sorrow and grief had been held within for too long, had been hidden behind quiet jade eyes and a small smile for many moons, and today-- today it came out.
Today she let out an anguished wail, unashamed, uncaring of who heard. SToday she was desperate to release her pain, desperate to find some sort of solace. And today, the sun comforted her, the light breeze whispered its assurances, the soft earth beneath her reminded her of StarClan's solid nature. She curled up and let nature comfort her as best as it could, pouring out her anguish to the woods surrounding her.
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Post by freshwater on Mar 14, 2010 20:58:13 GMT -5
this is the story of a boy who grows up
this is the story of a boy who fell in love
and the man he becomes
(i've heard that good things come) * The sound was sudden, the wail that crashed through the trees as if something had been set on fire. Immediatly, the tom rolled to the side and bounded to his feet, his heart pounding inside his chest. There were many instances, he knew, where he had been put in a situation like this. Like the time, when he was only an apprentice, and the foxes had burst into the make-shift den. When, later, as an older apprentice, a badger had broken into the clearing and had killed the apprentice next to him, in his sleep. Then, after, when he was a new warrior and a cat had walked up to him, eyes sullen, and said "Your sister is dead." All of those times, Freshwater couldn't believe it. He didn't. Not until moments later, when he saw the dead bodies cast across the ground like sprinkles or frosting on cake. The death that spilled across the ground and through the air, like many BrookClan cats (clan-born or not), Freshwater had seen it. Now, whenever he'd feel the blood pound in his ears and his heart explode against his ribcage, he'd be reminded of those instances. Those instances when he knew that he had to see it to believe it.
He stumbled to his paws and scampered across the undergrowth, knocking the leaves with him. Freshwater pounded across the floor, his feet a messy jumble of his lips, as he ran into bushes and snow and flowers, kicking up anything that barred his path. There had been a wail, a scream, a yowl, and if Freshwater had learned anything in his moons as a warrior, it was to never hesitate. Because, in those moments that you gave way to hesitation, something could be taken. It could be a minute, a heart, or even a life. Hesitation was not something that a warrior could risk.
His thoughts scattered, Freshwater exploded into the clearing, his eyes wide and bright, face flushed with anxiety. Then, he saw the cat before him, and the breathing flanks, and he felt himself let out a relieved breath, the sound whistling through his teeth. Slowing his steps, the tom flicked his ears in her direction and made his way over, before he felt himself stop again. Muscles locked in place, the wind was soon knocked out of him as he came to a sudden realization who it was curled up on the forest floor before him. " Shadowflame?" he whispered, his tone breathless. Then, without waiting, he scrambled over to her and looked at her, his green eyes fluttering over her sodden frame. Lips twisting, he pressed his paws against the wet soil and leaned over, nudging her gently with a wet nose. His insides churned uncomfortably and he swallowed thickly, biting his lip to prevent himself from letting out a wail not too different from hers. Shadowflame? he asked himself, rolling his teeth over his lips again. " Shadowflame?" he murmured gently, running a muzzle close to her neck, then by her ear, his breath warm. " You okay, there?" Freshwater looked at her, eyes growing soft with concern, whimpering. Meanwhile, his heart hadn't stopped pounding in his ears. In fact, if it was possible, it had just got faster. * (to those who wait)
i traveled round the world
never met a star, never met a soul to know
[/center][/color] [word count]: 542 [inspiration]: "Story of a Boy" by Between the Trees [for]: shadowflame <3 [/size][/blockquote][/color][/font] |
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Post by shadowflame on Mar 14, 2010 22:40:35 GMT -5
{s.h.a.d.o.w.f.l.a.m.e} Warm breath against her neck. A nuzzle, a soft voice penetrating the well of sorrow she had delved into, a voice she recognized and cherished. Shadowflame's head shot up with the realization of what she had done, of what she must have made Freshwater think. She lurched to her paws, stepping back, shaking her head and stammering in her soft, velvety voice,
"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm fine, truly. Nothing- nothing happened, I just.....I'm sorry." She couldn't think of anything else to say, of an explanation for why she had been heartbroken in the middle of the woods.
What must he think of her? Probably that she was crazy. Her heart was pounding in her, hard and fast, and she could feel her paws trembling with anxiety and fear. Why had she been so reckless? So foolhardy as to let her emotions free? She glanced at her paws, hiding her pain-ridden jade gaze from him. She was gathering her composure, trying to regain whatever small bit of dignity she may have left.
Shadowflame slowly tried to smooth out parts of her pelt that had been ruffled in her crazed run, tried to even out her breathing and look more like herself. She glanced back up at Freshwater, hesitant, afraid of his reaction. She had no words, no explanation.
How do you explain something like that? How do you explain a loneliness so deep that it seems to consume you? How do you explain an anguished wail born of years of stifling your heartache? Shadowflame didn't know. And so she didn't say anything else, just waited, anxious and afraid of what he would say, what he would think. Wrapping her elegant tail around her paws, she watched, and waited.
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