. [ if i closed my / EYES ]

[dream.]

[ d r e a m star ♥ thunder c l a n ]

- d r e & c l o & m o s s & s p y & b l a z e & f r o -

A cold crisp air swept through the forests , shifting tree branches and rustling leaves . Cold gray clouds covered the swiftly darkening sky like a thick foam . Though green - leaf was just around the corner , the atmosphere gave the impression of early leaf - fall . The air seemed thick , and tension crackled with every step that the silver pelted tabby took . Her head was bowed low , her bright blue orbs fixed , unfocused , on the ground . She couldn`t see , couldn`t hear , didn`t care . Dreamstar trudged heavily through the forest , dragging her paws as if they were made of stone . She was uncomfortably aware how near the WindClan border her patrol was . As she neared the scent markings though , Dreamstar`s ears pricked and she took a deep breath in . Was she imagining it .. or was there a trace of his scent here ?? Shaking her head to clear it , Dreamstar glanced behind her to check that the rest of the patrol was keeping up . Once it was made clear that they were all in fact following , Dreamstar returned to her private thoughts , avoiding eye contact with any of her companions .

[M A t t.]

h a i l s t o r m - t c

He was daunted by the unsatisfactory weather and the wary tension that came along with the heavy silence that hung in the air. Swinging his head from side to side, the powerful brown tom slouched as he walked, his broad shoulders hunched. He placed his paws lightly upon the ground, startling himself as a twig snapped beneath his stride. Glancing rather nervously from side to side, ThunderClan's deputy opened his mouth to speak, but closed it as he realized how close they were to enemy territory. Apple green eyes glinting, he inched closer to Dreamstar, willing her to break the deafening silence first. He picked up his pace, until he matched her, pawstep for pawstep.
"Dreamstar..." He trailed off, unsure what to say. What words of comfort to offer his mate.

[dream.]

[ m o t t l e d paw ♥ thunder c l a n ]

The cold air that sliced through her newleaf thinning fur was harsh enough to send chills though even the toughest warriors sturdy frames . Thick gray clouds completely obscured the sun and the sky , and the wind that whisked around her grew stronger with every pawstep , threatening to blow her off her light paws . The dappled , brown and black she - cat tried to keep a lookout for herbs , like her mentor had instructed her to do , but the deadly silence hanging between the four cats on this patrol was too much . Forcing concentration into her head , Mottledpaw tried to focus . She took a deep breath in , trying to identify the herb scents . A strong , soothing yet familiar scent hit her nose . Thyme . But what`s it used for ?? She thought . Calming nerves . Mottledpaw moved over toward the thick patch of thyme , and bit off a few stems . Hiddenheart would be grateful for this , she was running low and the stress level was high in camp . Glancing around with her unusually bright orange orbs , Mottledpaw caught sight of a clump of feverfew . Helps cats with fever or chills . After she had pulled out a generous amount of the plant , Mottledpaw padded over to a juniper bush , and started pulling the purple berries off . Soothes bellyache , and helps cats with breathing trouble . As she made her way back to the patrol , mouth crammed with herbs , Mottledpaw saw a large clump of borage , growing just beside a tall oak tree . But her mouth was already too full , she couldn`t carry any more . Besides , borage leaves were great for nursing queens , and it wasn`t like ThunderClan had any at the moment . She would come and get it later .

[the day the world went away]

E T E R N A L f a u l t__________

i h a v e c o m e t o r e l i e v e y o u o f l i f e a n d l o v e . . .

A cold wind swept through the borders of Thunderclan and Windclan, flitting over a small patrol of sleek-furred warriors like the elusive element it was. At the whispers of the numbing wind, one coppery feline lifted his head, casting auric orbs over the world he lived in. Although the wind was cutting and frigid, the sky and earth told a different story: it was not leaffall like the gales suggested, but very nearly greenleaf. The sky was a deep azure, only broken by great swathes of cirrus clouds, framed by tall trees and their bright green leaves; the ground under paw was warm with sunlight and dusty, the dirt clinging to soft fur and the foliage brushing against strong, lithe feline bodies.

The copper tabby previously mentioned was trailing dreamily behind the leaders of the patrol, taking in the world around him with pensive golden eyes. Ahead were the Thunderclan leader and deputy, one pelt pristine silver, the other a dark brown. They both seemed lackluster today, energyless almost. The leader's belly sagged with the weight of kits soon to be born, and Eternalfault watched the two cats pad along, paws matching step for step.

Through a break in the trees, a golden shaft of sunlight was shining down and as Eternal stepped into it, his copper pelt was lit on fire. Snapping out of his reverie and nervously quickening his pace, the tabby caught up to the two older cats and hovered behind them. "So where exactly are we headed to?" he asked anxiously in his trademark soft cadences of words that melted into sentences; this time was the first in a long while that he was out on a patrol with other cats. His ocher orbs changed from tranquil to nervous in the beat of a pawstep.

[untilthis.echo]

[r e f u g e e ; i 'm . a n . e n e m y . o f . y o u r . b e l i e f]

[d.o.n'.t. h.a.t.e. m.e. b.e.c.a.u.s.e. i. d.i.s.a.g.r.e.e.]

[e.c.h.o.]

There was nothing like the taste of the wind this morning, so valiant and sweet and free. There was gentle warmth in the end and it sang in his ears, made his paws bounce lightly upon the short grass of the evergreen fields. Something about today made him eager, plowing his strong body down the hills. Gold-green irises, set on his bold dark face, glimmered and danced with joy. Invulnerable and invincible were the only words that could so describe the feline today. Nothing could bring him from his place in the clouds.

Or so he thought.

Dread, fate, and darkness licked at the tom's paws yet ignorance was fatal bliss. The playful wind had carried him away, far from camp and on the edges of his territory. Only when he saw the trees, with their outstretched fingers that sprouted new leaves, and the thickening green brush did the first sparks of alarm hit his core. Faltering in his steps, the creature paused. A cranium was turned and the tom gazed toward the hills. Single bounds and leaps would dance his way back home. Yet he couldn't throw this chance away to see her.

The wind brought her scent; oh such rich temptation.

Breathing in softly, the silent tom weaved toward the thickets about the trees. Her scent was fresh, he realized in shock. Could she be close? Anxiety fluttering beneath his paw pads, he began his trek into Thunderclan terra. The bengal male languidly traversed the brush, searching. Deep autumn splattered by darker markings upon his pelt shifted through the leaves. Her scent was close and her soul even closer, battering right beside his nervous and weak heart.

She was so close.

[dream.]

[ d r e a m star ♥ thunder c l a n ]

Ice seemed to fill the air at the cold look that Dreamstar gave to Hailstorm . She had no time for him and his false words of comfort . It`s not like he even helped . Dreamstar knew he tried , but if he knew the whole story , he`d understand . He`d finally realize why she was always so cold to him . But he couldn`t know the whole story . No one could . It would be a long , painful road , buried in lies , until she recovered . No one in her clan could ever know about him . The only one she would ever love .

All the other cats thought Hailstorm was the father , and she decided that she had to take that story and run with it . It was her only chance of a cover up , and Hailstorm was a trusted , loyal ThunderClan cat . They respected him . And it would help them respect her more . Most of the clan had figured it out already , though she had told no one . And most of them weren`t too happy about it . Dreamstar had broken the warrior code , and wouldn`t be able to serve the clan as full leader for 6 moons , when her kits were apprenticed .

Dreamstar turned her head away from Hailstorm .
"Don`t .." Her voice trailed off , "Just don`t ."

[M A t t.]

h a i l s t o r m - t c

Apple green eyes closed in deep despair , her words echoed through his mind . "Don't, just don't." What was a cat to do? He blinked them open ever so slightly, and veered away from Dreamstar's stride. His deep eyes betrayed his hurt, what had he done wrong? Why was she treating him this way, suddenly? There was nothing he had done to deserve this, right? This pain she was putting him through.

Lost so deep in his thoughts, Hailstorm barely heard the anxious voice of his clanmate, Eternalfault. He had to pull himself out of his daydreams, shaking his head ever so slightly to clear it, before he could answer.

"We're patrolling along the Forest border and freshening our scent markings with WindClan." Hailstorm's voice was quiet, with a hint of unsureness . "Nothing Special."



And he meant it.

[the day the world went away]

E T E R N A L f a u l t__________

t h e n h e s l o w l y s a w t h e i r n i g h t m a r e s w e r e h i s d r e a m s . .

Creamy small paws faltered in their paths for a shard in time, skipping a beat, then picked up the weary tempo of pawsteps that the other cats had set. The dark copper tabby's crowned ears slowly tilted themselves sideways anxiously, picking up on the almost tangible misery in the air. Low, cut off murmurs promised tension between the leader and her deputy; things seemed not so smooth on this heavily overcast day, the clouds seeming to shroud everything in a dreary, desolate feel that not even the cats could not shake off. Eternalfault's ears ceased their movement and settled for hanging limply to each side, a sign of obvious weariness and misery as he plodded along behind Dreamstar and Hailstorm, paws feeling heavy.

His dark-crowned ears pricked the slightest when the deputy cast a low reply to his earlier question over his broad shoulder. "We're patrolling along the forest border and freshening our scent markings with Windclan. Nothing special." Weakly, the dark copper tabby nodded. "Alright," came the soft-spoken reply, and he lapsed into silence, dully listening to the occasional murmur of the two felines ahead, the soft pitter of paws lightly touching the ground, the quiet rustle of foliage and undergrowth brushing against sleek fur. Are all patrols like this? he wondered briefly as another blast of cold air rode the relentless wind and skittered over their greenleaf-thin pelts, sending shivers fanning out under soft fur.

The next gale was more bitter and brought a message; it was unmistakable, the windblown scent of moor flora and earth. Windclan. It had been so long since the time Eternalfault breathed in the earthy scent of the cats of the hills, and on this occasion he closed his eyes and inhaled it deeply until his head spun with the scent, imprinting the fresh memory into his brain. Another gust ripped him from his thoughts; Eternal's dizzy ocher eyes blinked themselves open, and, realizing he had stopped and was being slowly left behind, the dark tabby loped back to the patrol. Within moments his auric eyes returned to their distracted, pensive state, staring but not seeing at the world surrounding. His long limbs moved mechanically, obediently, tirelessly carrying out the command given: move. Follow and move.

[dream.]

[ m o t t l e d paw ♥ thunder c l a n ]

Her claws sunk deep into the parched earth , as a particularly large gust of wind played at her paws . Tortoiseshell coat ruffled up against the chill and distinctive orange eyes widened with fear , Mottledpaw found it a difficult task to keep up with the patrol and remain grounded . She was careful not to clench her teeth too hard , so the juice didn`t leak out of any of the herbs that she held so delicately in her mouth . Mottledpaw picked her way carefully over to her clanmate Eternalfault . She could sense the wariness coming off of him in waves . In a distant attempt to be friendly , she attempted to mew Some nasty weather today , don`t you think ?? It`s a good thing we`re keeping up on our patrols . But what came out sounded slightly more like " Hum asy eather ooay , dun`t yuh fink ?? It`sh ah gudd hing ere eeping uh oh our hatrolsh ."
Realizing that she made next to no sense , Mottledpaw settled for a respectful nod to her clanmate , before looking down at her paws , faintly embarrassed at her inability to recognize the speech impairment she had with a mouthful of bitter tasting herbs .

[the day the world went away]

E T E R N A L f a u l t__________

c l o s e y o u r e y e s , s o m a n y d a y s g o b y .
e a s y t o f i n d w h a t ' s w r o n g , h a r d e r t o f i n d w h a t ' s r i g h t .

Soundless paws continued their graceful trek through the undergrowth, the fern-like plants clinging to his dark copper fur like desperate hands. He was oblivious to this, dimly following the leaders of the patrol; but a soft rustling and a shadow creeping toward him in his peripheral vision caused his ocher eyes to drift to the side, taking in the picture of Mottledpaw delicately picking a path to his side. He dipped his head mutely when she finally caught up, noting the green herbs stuffed into her mouth haphazardly; he managed a fleeting half-smile when the apprentice tried to talk to him and stumbled on words and herbs poking out her maw. Swinging his dark copper head in the direction of the small tortoiseshell cat while keeping perfect rhythm in pawsteps, he murmured in soft tones, "I prefer rain to sunlight, although the cold is in fact one thing I could do well without."

Eternalfault's dark-crowned ears pricked slightly as the Windclan scent grew stronger; the earthy scent swirled around them with the bitter wind and clung to his dark pelt. Where were the borders at, exactly? A worried, bemused expression claimed his face, more prominent than the pensively blank stare that harbored his golden eyes just mere moments before. He turned to Mottledpaw to simply stare in confusion with his jaws parted as if to speak, but he didn't; instead, he hesitated then turned his attention back to padding along behind Dreamstar and Hailstorm. They'd arrive at the border soon enough. His creamy paws brushed quietly through the foliage and smooth limbs took their time in propelling a streamlined feline body forward. Warm golden eyes returned to their pensive state, although the lines of concern and confusion still wove their way through Eternal's expression.

[dream.]

[ d r e a m star ♥ thunder c l a n ]

She turned herself away from her deputy , distant thoughts crowding her head . Worries , warnings , threats , they began to swirl around in her mind . That`s where the pain started . A deepening dizzying pain . Dreamstar stopped , it was impossible to move on . Her head was spinning around and around ; she swayed on her paws before collapsing onto the ground , jerking and twitching . A wail of anguish escaped her lips , and she lashed her tail . Everything went quiet . She could no longer hear . There were no sounds of prey , scuffling distantly , no sounds of the pawsteps of her clanmates , following her lead on the patrol , no sounds of the wind blowing , nothing . Just the wild pounding of her own heart . Her vision was ebbing , the last she saw was the hazy shapes of her patrol before her sight was obscured completely by gray . Everything seemed to have washed away .
Suddenly , her body went rigid , as if she had been gripped by icy claws . A terrible shudder raced through her , from ear point to tail tip . She gasped , because she knew what was coming . No one was supposed to know about this !! But here she was , with a patrol of ThunderClan cats , some of which the last she would have chosen to witness the birth .
"No .. oh StarClan NO !!" She wailed , allowing her rage to radiate off her .
Was this her punishment ?? To have the whole clan find out about her lies ??
The kits were coming .

[untilthis.echo]

[d e p t h . p e r c e p t i o n ; m u s t . b e . o f f . a g a i n]

[i.t. j.u.s.t. s.h.o.t. d.o.w.n. m.y. s.p.i.n.e]

[e.c.h.o]

So close to the borders, just slinking down through the undergrowth, a strange feeling enveloped him. The wind was blocked on all sides by brush and foliage and he fought down an uprising current of claustrophobia. His heart shrilly screamed and thudded against his ribcage, taut and burdened with hysteria. Something was chipping away at the edges of his soul, bringing a torrent of anxiety. Confusion clouded his auric-shaded jaded eyes as he crept through the thicket. Ears perked upon his autumn cranium as his black nose flared, scenting. Something was terribly wrong.

The atmosphere was heavy and clouded and hazed, disconnected. There was agony in the trees and anxiety fogged every branch and canopy. An agonized wail pierced the silence and his ears rang with its cry, taken in and drowning in its wake. The shrill scream sounded like a feline in pain, he realized dimly as he stood there trembling. Then there was horror in his eyes as he recognized the cry and his paws were flying over the undergrowth, breath shallow and heart aching so tightly. He almost crashed through the grass and thicket as he pushed his way to reach the cry. He knew that scream.

Dreamstar.

An anguished bellow split his throat and trembled the air as his soul sought for Dreamstar's, his heart weak. She just had to be alright. She had to be safe, to be well. And then he was trampling down undergrowth in his haste, eyes alight and wild as he stared at the tremors wracking a familiar argent pelt. His screamed died.

The kits were coming.

[M A t t.]

h a i l s t o r m - t c
The cold winds whipping around him seemed to grow stronger. Flattening his ears to his smoky black head, Hailstorm gritted his teeth, and urged himself forward.
He risked a glance at Dreamstar, but something didn't seem right. She was standing dead still, her eyes widened. She seemed to be looking upon something that none of the other cats on the patrol could see. Her eyes appeared clouded, her gaze vague. Then her face contorted and she let out a scream of pure agony, collapsing upon the ground .
Hailstorm gaped at her, unsure what to think.

A massive shudder raked her body.

Letting out a string of curses, Hailstorm ran to her side, and started licking her cheek. In his desperation to revive her, he didn't even notice the deep autumn pelt that had appeared among the trees. He didn't notice the scream that had died as the feline had appeared. His only focus was finding out what had happened to his mate.

It dawned upon him suddenly, like mist clearing in sunlight.
"Oh no... holy shit! are those my fucking kits, bitch?!" He yowled.

The kits were coming.

ooc: i apologise for all insanity inspired by clo and spy. XDD

[the day the world went away]

E T E R N A L f a u l t__________

n o t a d a y g o e s b y t h a t i d o n ’ t f e e l i t ’ s b u r n .
t h e r e ’ s a p o i n t w e p a s s f r o m w h i c h w e c a n ’ t r e t u r n .
i f e l t t h e c o l d r a i n o f t h e c o m i n g s t o r m . . .

Tension rattled the soft ground; Eternalfault could almost feel the trembling of fear and panic through his creamy paws, clasped firmly on the ground with long claws slowly sinking into the yielding earth. Ocher eyes widened beyond what was thought possible and took in the scene unfolding before the dark tabby almost eagerly, watching in a paralytic silence as first the leader herself collapsed and let out a chilling wail, shudders wracking her body, then another cat dashing into the clearing with a similar clamor that made Eternalfault shiver. What were these cats screeching about?

The answer became clear as Hailstorm rushed forward to Dreamstar's side, oblivious to the autumn bengal also racing to the leader's side. A stricken panic streaked through the air, making the air seem harder to breathe. Again and again the leader's silver sides shuddered and she seemed so agonized, mouth open in a gaping scream of torment as contractions made their pain known. Unwillingly, as if controlled by some force not present in his stiffened form, Eternal stumbled forward beside the Thunderclan deputy, golden eyes still wide and staring. "What's happening to her?!" he cried, staring.

His claws slid from their sheaths once more and buried themselves in submissive earth, his dark-crowned ears flicking back in uncertainty. His face wore an expression of frantic worry, jaws opening once more to give another panicked cry. "W-Why's she screaming?! What's wrong?!"

The kits were coming.

[dream.]

[ m o t t l e d paw ♥ thunder c l a n ]

Blinking warmly at Eternalfault , Mottledpaw was glad that her attempts at casual conversation had succeeded . Something about the older warriors soft tone of voice seemed to pull her inward . It reminded her of soft ripples made by the wind across a perfectly still pond . She turned away , and focused upon the path ahead of her . How much longer would it be ?? The scents of all the fragrant herbs must have been going to her head . Shaking it violently to clear it , Mottledpaw noticed that something wasn`t right . Dreamstar had stopped . The Action seemed to unfold in slow motion , and her mind seemed to turn to gray scale . It was like watching an old , slow movie . Dreamstar had fallen to the ground . Hailstorm was at her side in an instant , and a strange cat had appeared , his scent unrecognizable over the pungent smells . What was wrong with her clan leader ?? She was the medicine cat apprentice , she ought to know .. Racing to Dreamstar`s side , Mottledpaw placed one paw on her flank . A shudder had gripped the leaders body once more , she looked like she was having a fit !!
But Mottledpaw knew what was really happening . Dreamstar was pregnant .
Dropping the herbs from her dappled maw , Mottledpaw remembered what each was for . Thyme - calming nerves . These would do . Dreamstar separated the leaves from the pile . Juniper Berries - breathing trouble . She was running out of time !! Mottledpaw rolled three juniper berries into the mix with the thyme , and carelessly brushed the rest of the herbs out of the way . Glancing around wildly , she hurried over to Eternalfault . "Quickly , feed Dreamstar those herbs !!" She flicked her tail toward the pile and continued on , her mew breathless . " I don`t care how you do it , just get her to swallow them . I`ll be back with Hiddenheart as soon as I can !!"
And with that , she turned tail and tore off toward ThunderClan`s camp , as fast as her paws would allow .
The whole time , the same four words , strung into a sentence , echoed through her mind .


The kits are coming .