Time in the Water

[l.ast of the [wild]s]

ooc: This is a closed RP between myself and Cloudy. Please don't pop in and disregard this note. Not without any warning at least.

bic: Spikeshard glanced around the river bend. The pale silver tom raked his deep, sapphire eyes over the streaming water that ran strongly on within RiverClan territory. Spikeshard flicked his scarred ear and gave a toothy grin. Without any warning, the silver bengal stretched his claws, broken nail scarping against pebbles, and the promptly jumping into the cold current. "This feels amazing!"Spikeshard cried out in delight as he let the cool waters run through his hot pelt. The RiverClan tom splashed in the thick stream like a kit in a puddle.

[the day the world went away]

Four small silvery paws padded soundlessly over the soft ground, the dark sterling cat bounding without a purpose through her territory, her depressed mind searching and searching for an escape from everything. A sudden splashing in the direction of the river caught her attention--her dark-crowned ears pricked immediately. Probably one of my warriors. Curiosity got the better of her for once, instead of the usual indifference, and the quicksilver she-cat changed direction, slowing slightly to make her small paws take on a more regal pace, neat and dignified. As she neared the river and the source of the splashing, she carefully arranged her expression so none of her suicidal thoughts would show true on her seraphic face.

[l.ast of the [wild]s]

Spikeshard let out yowls and squeaks of delight as he splashed around in the icy current. Although the river was always strong in flow, today it was unusually placid and calm. However, the RiverClan tom wasn't complaining. It made playing in the water all the more easier. The silver bengal batted at the liquid stirring around his legs.

Suddenly, his darker-colored silver ears pricked and the fine fur on his neck bristled. A shiver ran down the warrior tom's spine and it wasn't due to the growing cold in the stream. Spikeshard whirled around in the icy waters and came face to face with his leader, Cloudystar. Embarrassment and surprise burned the silver warrior's fur. His dark sapphire eyes widened as they locked orbs with Cloudystar's regal silver eyes. Spikeshard forced down a gulp as he began to edge out of the water. His darkly tipped ears dropped in shame since he had been caught red handed goofing off.

"Hello Cloudystar. How are you this sunrise?" Spikeshard asked, trying in some way to lighten the suddenly tense atmosphere.

[the day the world went away]

The dark sterling she-cat merely blinked at the bengal warrior, her flawless face betraying no expression. She dipped her head once and stepped forward to dip a small silver paw into the cool water, letting out a sad sigh at the reassuring touch of the river. She turned back to Spikeshard and gazed at him with gentle achromatic eyes, understanding his playful mood. "Don't fret, Spikeshard. It's okay to let yourself go sometimes," she mewed quietly, her darkened tailtip flicking back and forth.

She raised her faded gaze heavenward, staring despondently at the overcast sky, and added, "I'm fine. Just fine....and you?"

[l.ast of the [wild]s]

His leader's despondent voice almost broke Spikeshard's heart in two. The silver warrior felt his claws unsheathe and scrape against the pebbles beneath his paws as he observed Cloudystar's blank expression. The RiverClan warrior felt his thoughts run rampent as he watched Cloudystar watch the bright blue sky.

Even though she has no emotion on her face, she seems so sad. Spikeshard thought, his ocean blue orbs filling with emotion. The warrior suddenly steeled his nerves and hardened his features. He had come to a decision. Slowly, and quietly he scooted closer to Cloudystar's firm, sterling body. The tom cat leaned his silver head forward, moving ever closer to Cloudystar's neck.

Then Spikeshard spontaneously pushed Cloudystar's into the refreshing waters of the large, cooling stream before the two RiverClan cats.

[the day the world went away]

With a squeak, the dark silver tabby half-jumped into the river, trying to regain her balance from Spikeshard's sudden shove. She floundered around in the shallow water before rolling into the deeper waters where she could no longer touch the river bottom, and treaded water, dark-crowned ears pinned back in something akin to frustration. She forced her tired legs to swim and stepped onto land, shaking her now-soaked pelt.

"Thanks, Spikeshard," she mewed sarcastically, but the sarcasm was ruined by the image of her dark silver fur sticking up in all directions. Embarrassed, the leader quickly scraped her tongue across her pelt a few times, then straightened up, her expression ambivalent.

[l.ast of the [wild]s]

A bellow of laughter echoed around the thick stream area. Spikeshard fell onto the wet, earth ground and began to roll around on his pale silver sides. His limbs flailed as he yowled in mirth at the sight of his regal leader puffed up like a spikey fluff ball. His inquisitive sapphire eyes were closed in obvious pleasure as he laughed.

The only thought that actually occurred to him while he was dirtying his pelt by rolling on the ground was that Cloudystar had temporarily forgotten her discontent. It didn't occur to him is that while he laughed at Cloudystar's sarcasm and wet floor, his subconscious mind considered the fact that she was glowing just a little brighter now.

[the day the world went away]

The dark cat sighed and blinked at the tom, watching as he dirtied up his pelt. "You're going to have alot of grooming to do," she warned, giving him a dry look. "And I'm going to have to take forever to fix up my pelt."

She grumbled for a few more minutes and sat down, starting to groom her dark silver fur with long swift strokes. Stupid..

[l.ast of the [wild]s]

Spikeshard's laughter died down to a few chuckles as he finally allowed himself to breathe and settle. The pale silver RiverClan warrior gazed at his leader with knowing, yet inquisitve eyes. The dark sapphire irises twinkled with slight mischef as Spikeshard turned on his side. The lightly scarred ear pricked up, giving the tom a comical appearance.

"I'm sorry Cloudystar." Spikeshrad mewed softly, gazing at his silver leader with good-humored eyes. But you really needed a distraction.

[the day the world went away]

The RiverClan leader dipped her head to her warrior. "It's okay," she mewed, her cold achromatic eyes softening a bit. She continued to lick down her ruffled fur, the black stripes looking more like stripes than messy blobs now. Then the leader yawned.

I want to sleep forever. She blinked and wished it would rain, wished it was cold. She disliked the heat--it made her feel uncomfortable.

[l.ast of the [wild]s]

Spikeshard gave a yawn as he stood back onto his paws. The silver tom then turned around and flung himself into the refreshing waters. He stayed there until his pelt was soaked through. Then, shivering and shaking he padded back onto the earth ground. Spikeshard promptly shook himself like a wet canine.

"What's with you Cloudystar?" The RiverClan tom asked, noticing once more the look of disdain and discontent on the leader's face. His heart dropped a little at seeing that his distraction hadn't lasted long.

[the day the world went away]

The leader jumped at the sound of his voice. He couldn't have found out, could he?! Her heart pounded loudly and she took a few deep breaths to calm herself. Calm down. Calm. Control.

She turned around slowly, licking a raised paw with pensive eyes. "Nothing, Spikeshard. Don't worry about me." She cracked an unconvincing half-smile, then stretched her legs and yawned again. "So. What have you been doing today, besides playing in the water like a kit?" she teased, tail flicking. It was so much easier to feign happiness these days...

[l.ast of the [wild]s]

Spikeshard sapphire irises flickered in surprise. The silver tom stared at his leader with stretched eyes. For a moment he almost believed that Cloudystar was better. Almost. Then he noticed the forced happiness underneath her visage.

It's sad to see that you have to force yourself to lie through your teeth in front of your own warriors. The RiverClan warrior thought with an air of grief. Nevertheless, Spikeshard forced himself to respond with just as much enthusiasm.

"Well earlier I was fishing on the river bend. Although, I noticed how hot it was today and the water just looked so inviting." The pale tom said with a sheepish grin.

[the day the world went away]

"Ah, okay," the leader mewed in a politely disinterested tone, directing her attention to her paw once more, suddenly intrigued in how each fur color seemed to melt into the other. Her silver eyes flicked up to Spikeshard's sapphire eyes, a plea to be forgiven hidden in her achromatic silver eyes. I can't help it...

She couldn't reveal to her Clan how bad off she was. Only Grayfur knew a little bit of it, and he didn't even know all of it...of why she was this way....

[l.ast of the [wild]s]

The pools of deep and swirling sapphire softened with sadness. Spikeshard's darkly tipped ears lowered and the tom gazed at his silver leader with a gaze full of despair. The RiverClan warrior rose to his paws and padded over to Cloudystar. He nudged her shoulder and spoke softly, so as not to cause anymore heartache.

"Even if you don't think it, it always is better when you talk about it." Spikeshard whispered, orbs of swimming ocean blue gazing into Cloudystar's steels of silver. The tom gave his leader a semi-aplogetic look as if to soften his words.