Hungry

[siberiantiger]

Brightflame padded out of the warriors den. She shook the moss out of her orange fur, then padded toward the fresh-kill pile. The pile was pitifully small. She sighed. WindClan barely had any food, she should be used to this by now. But Brightflame wasn't. She was hungry, and wanted to eat. But so did the rest of her Clan. Her stomach growled and she had to give in to her hunger. She chose a small mouse from the pile, and sat down to eat. Why must Leaf-Bare be so hard? she groaned inwardly.

[keestaa..]

All was quiet except for the fate cricket or a bird chirping here and there. The soft pitter patter of paws was heard as well when the pale brown feet hit the frosted grass. Once and while there was a soft crunch crunch of sticks being crushed under his massive paws. The stripes that lined his body were glossy and shining in the light of the early sun. In his mouth he carried but one scrawny mouse and a large but old rabbit.

Prey was scarce this time of the four seasons and Brokensoul knew that very well but he wanted to bring the best for the Clan. This was all the prey he caught from dawn until now. It was actually a lot of prey caught for such a short amount of time. This tom was not proud though. He wanted to do better than just a scrawny mouse and a old rabbit.

His tabby figure padded in the direction of camp entrance which was so close. He took large steps but he was not trotted or running. He was taking his time. There was nothing back there at camp to come to and not many cats would be awake wanting the prey. He soon was at camp and padded through the entrance and toward the fresh-kill pile he walked. He saw Brightflame and nodded his head to her, his eyes emotionless. He set his prey on the pile with a thud and spat,"What a catch!"

His skinny body trembled from the early morning cold as he bent to look for the prey he wanted. At once, he spotted the most smallest, disgustingest piece of prey on the pile and took it for himself. It was an old mouse. Brokensoul was used to taken the worst for himself and leaving the better onces for the cats that needed them.

The tom backed himself up to sit beside Brightflame but a couple tail lengths away. He began to dig into the mouse, digging his sharp teeth into it's flesh. It tasted horrible but he was so hungry. Pushing the fur away that he had clawed off, he continued to eat it. Soon it was gone and left only bones. It wasn't satisfying but it was enough to fill him until the next morning when he would eat again.

[siberiantiger]

Brightflame managed to give him a faint smile. "Oh Brokensoul," she mewed, "We appreciate every scrap of prey that you catch. Besides, you've caughten a lot more than I have today! I haven't even gone hunting yet." the ginger she-cat felt ashamed. She should be hunting for the Clan, not stuffing her face with valuable prey. She looked down at the remaining scraps of her mouse. "I shouldn't even be eating this," she murmured. "I should be out feeding the Clan. In times like these, we all have to contribute." Brightflame smiled at Brokensoul. "So don't be cursing yourself." She scraped at the ground with her paws, and buried the mouses' tiny bones.

[keestaa..]

Forest green eyes stared at the fresh-kill pile. He was so hungry but the mouse was enough. He would eat no more until the pile was full enough to feed the whole Clan. And then he may be able to eat another old stringy mouse. He sighed and looked away from the pile, closing his dark eyes. After a moment, he opened them to see the remains of his mouse, tiny bones that he could break from just stepping on them. He unsheather his claws and dug a small hole. He then set the pile of bones in the whole and put the dirt from the whole, back where it came from.

A small pink and wet tongue rasped over the blood stained paws from hunting and tearing the mouse to shreds as he ate it. he wished he had savored the taste but he was so hungry. Sighing, he set his paw down and looked over at Brightflame. A smile crossed his face. Her bright spirit during these hard times always cheered him up. "It's just that, I'm not Clanborn. I feel that I must do more to show them that I can be Clanborn,"he murmured, his eyes looked down at his paws. He couldn't help but to hear the sound of his mother's screeching as she was torn to shreds like the mouse was. He winced. It was like he was feeling the pain that she was.

[siberiantiger]

Brightflame gazed into his eyes. She did not know what to say. Brokensoul seemed so upset. What could she say to cheer him up? She tried to give him a reasuring smile, but she couldn't. She was so hungry, that it made her weak. She had eaten moments before, but her stomach was already growling again. She blushed at the sound; embarassed.

She looked down at her ginger paws, thinking. "Every member of WindClan's appreciated, Brokensoul. Maybe you can't see it right now, but it's true. This is the most harsh Leaf-Bare we've had in a long time. We need every cat we can get." she tried to give him a smile again. She the corners of her mouth turn up ever so slightly. "Never forget that," she mewed. This time, a larger smile flashed across her face, and her eyes shone with gratitude.

[keestaa..]

The tabby tom's dark green eyes zoned on his paws. He had heared and was able to process Brightflame's words before he went into a total zone out dream.

Everything was dark in the alley. Once and a while a car would pass by or people yelling, sometimes even gunshots would be heard. In the alley a group of cats lay. Two cats were standing, walking in low angry voices. A young cat lay, with his eyes open, staring at them. He tried to listen to what they were saying. This was it: "He is off milking! Let me go home!"a she-cat mewed. "Never!"a tom hissed and swiped his paw across her ear, claws, unsheathed. "Let me go!"the she-cat exclaimed. Now most of the toms were up, pacing around the fighting cats. So was Broken. He was forced to pace around the fighting cats. "Fine,"he tom shrugged,"If you want to leave so much then go." He flicked his tail and all of the sudden the toms launched at her, clawing her, biting her. She let out screeches until it was quiet. When the toms backed up there was the bloody body of his mother, dead. It was then that the toms feasted on her flesh. Broken did not eat that night.

Finally, Brokensoul looked up from staring at the ground. He looked at Brightflame with terror in his eyes but it soon faded to an emotionless gaze. "I won't forget it,"he meowed and smiled slightly at her.

[siberiantiger]

Brightflame gave her chest a few self-concious licks. She did not remember much of it, but she herself had been a kittypet as a kit. She remembered being lost and alone in WindClan territory. But WindClan had found her, and taken her in.
She gathered all her courage, and spoke, "I'm-I'm not Clanborn either." she glared down at her paws, and held her breath. Her ginger tail flicked back and forth, and the winds swept harshly at her, ruffling her fur. Brightflame's ears twitched once, and she waited for Brokensoul's response.

[keestaa..]

Brokensoul stared at her, his eyes completely blank. It was almost like he knew that all along. She had a bright ginger pelt. Not a lot of Clanborn cats had bright ginger pelts but Brokensoul was too embarressed and afraid to ask her such a question. "It's almost like I already knew that,"he meowed quietly, still staring at her. "Not saying it's easy to see,"he added. There was a long pause between his next words. "I just know...." His voice drifted off and he looked down at his paws.

[siberiantiger]

"I always felt a bit different." mewed Brightflame. "I don't really remember much of it though..." her voice trailed off as faint memories came back to her. A soft bed under her paws. The gross food. And then she had run away. She remebered her first vole she had caught; the warm, delicious taste. And the warriors that had found her. She shuddered as she remembered her heart thumping with dread. She shook her head to rid herself of these memories. "I guess you feel a bit diffent too..." she mewed, looking up at Brokensoul.

[keestaa..]

Brokensoul nodded. "Ever since I've come here, I've felt like an outcast,"he meowed almost angerly,"I don't want to be an outcast anymore." He looked up at her and bit his lip to keep from bursting out in tears. "I feel as though I don't belong!"he exclaimed. His eyes were glossy and he felt as though he could just run away from here. He wanted to more than anything. "But I can't go back..."he meowed and looked down at his paws sadly.

[siberiantiger]

Brightflame didn't want to make up his mind for him, though she wanted to help him- in any way she could. "Do you want to go hunting?" she asked shyly, "I know you just got back from hunting, but..." She kneaded at the ground with her claws. Her she could feel her golden fur becoming hot with embarassement.

[keestaa..]

Brokensoul stared at the ground. He had forgotten about the Clan and the prey that needed to be caught for them. He lifted his head to the sky and stood. He stretched his cramped limbs and let out a long yawn and shook his head, some tears managed to get out of his eyes as he shook and landed on the ground around him. He thought nothing of it though. "Okay,"he meowed, emotionless,"Let's go."

[siberiantiger]

Brightflame trotted toward the camp entrace, her fur ruffled slightly. We'll catch something for the Clan thought Brightflame. Because we are Warriors. She had reasured herself slightly, but she didn't know if she could reasure Brokensoul or not. She would try again soon. She glanced back to the camp once, before heading out into WindClan territory. "Where should we hunt?" Brightflame asked.

(ooc: should we switch to a different sub-board? Somewhere in WindClan territory?)

[keestaa..]

Brokensoul followed behind more slowly, his tail drug in the dust and his head was down. His eyes stared at nothing paw the ground right in front of his paws. He was lightheaded and he wanted to sit but he needed to hunt. He padded up beside Brightflame and looked around. "Tall Hill?"he suggested emotionlessly and shrugged.

[siberiantiger]

"Okay," mewed Brightflame, then she trotted forward. Tall hill wasn't far up ahead. She couldn't smell the scent of prey anywhere. Hopefully, they would find some prey soon. She stumbled once, when her paw fell in a rabbit-hole. "whoops." she mumbled, embarassed. She stopped and sniffed at the rabbit hole, hoping to smell a rabbit. She sighed after she realized that this hole had been abandoned long ago. "empty," she murmered. The wind ruffled her ginger fur, and she could hear her stomach growling even through the roaring of the wind.