||behind bars||

[keestaa..]

throw away

It was actually a nice morning in ShadowClan camp. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and there was a slight breeze just enough to rustle the leaves. If you could see the sky, since it was hard through the think pine trees that surrounded camp, it was so blue and there were no clouds that it was almost breath taking. Camp was empty. Most cats were either hunting or patrolling or even still sleeping. But there was one cat that was still in camp. It was Mythstar

the key

The leaders creamy pelt ruffled as a breeze blew past him. He lay in the grass near his den and was washing his fur. His pink tongue ran gently over his fur with quick stokes. The grass where he lay was soft and very green. It was a bit damp from the morning dew and it was chilly with the wind. Mythstar longed to get out of camp but someone had to stay here while everyone else was out. That someone was him and how he longed for company.

((sucks))

[l.ast of the [wild]s]

The undergrowth ruffled and the brush part as muscled limbs padded from the ShadowClan entrance. A thick tail leisurely swayed from side to side as the dark sorrel coat glimmered with a sheen of healthy strength, a sure sign that ShadowClan was growing strong again. Liquid silver stripes danced along the she-cat legs and tail, coating strangely against the earthen pelt. Paws thudded to the fresh-kill pile and a three mice fell neatly onto the growing heap. A bright pink tongue licked the warrior's maw, chocolate blue-speckled eyes glinting in satisfaction at the size.

Wildstorm flicked her ears and turned her head around, eyes quickly finding the newly named Mythstar. The she-cat flicked her right ear once more, pondering how many leaders ShadowClan had had in the past few moons. Dark orbs watched the new leader groom his cream-colored pelt, a gleam of slight hostility featured in the narrowed slits. First Silentstar, then Asterstar, and now Mythstar. Why does StarClan change ShadowClan's leader so many times? And why one so young? The she-cat pushed her thoughts away and instead padded over to Mythstar, shoulders bunched up as she neared the creamy tom.

"Greetings, Mythstar." Wildstorm mewed gruffly as she sat down a foxtail length away from the ShadowClan leader. "How are this sunrise?' The dark, sorrel warrior asked as her earthen, blue-flecked eyes took in the tom's healthy appearance. Another sign that ShadowClan was finally getting back on their paws. However, the guarded expression and bunched shoulders never left the gruff warrior's body.

| You | never | felt | you | had | to | live | your | life | so | guarded. |

[untilthis.echo]

[s.h.a.d.o.w.p.a.w.]

[T.h.e.y'.r.e. a.l.l. w.a.i.t.i.n.g. f.o.r. t.h.e. c.r.a.s.h.]

The sun peeked in through the thin canopied leaves of the pine trees into Shadowclan camp this morning, strangely warm. It had woken him, stirred the dark smoky fur along his back with dull heat. Shifting in his sleep slightly, the tom shut his eyes tighter in protest, still trying to grapple with the faint strings of sleep. When at last it seemed as if he couldn't be going back into unconsciousness, the shadowed tom sighed and allowed himself to wake. A pair of yellow eyes, perfectly widened and round, stared in a mixture of surprise and alarm when he saw that he was the only cat in the den. Molten yellow glanced about in the darkness, turning to the white morning that leaked from the entrance. Shuffling about in the shadows, the apprentice squeaked when his head collided with the brambles of the nest, wincing when small stings registered atop his cranium. Shaking his head, he scrambled out of the den in a flurry of gangly limbs and pulled himself into the morning. Bright white light greeted him and he shut his eyes at the sudden brisk light.

[Y.o.u. s.t.i.l.l. w.o.n.d.e.r. i.f. w.e. m.a.d.e. a. b.i.g. m.i.s.t.a.k.e.]

Shaking his head to rid himself of the pain that gripped his skull from the morning, the tom gazed around the clearing. Empty, almost completely empty; save for two cats that stood near each other. The tom's nose twitched, recognizing the ripple and sorrel pelt of Wildstorm, one of the more gruff and blunt she-cat warriors. His eyes raked over her powerful form. There was tension in each slender muscle, and a dark doubtful gleam in her ocean-flecked earth eyes. She cast the other cat cautious glance, keeping her voice polite and unbetraying. Turning his yellow gaze to the other cat, the apprentice recoiled in surprise. Mythstar lay grooming himself, seeming to be enjoying the bright morning. The cat seemed to pose no threat, lying in a content pose. Why was Wildstorm so cautious about him then? He was their leader after all. Still, his pelt prickled uneasily as well. Shadowclan had had many a leader these past moons. What more change was there to come? Shadowpaw could only wait and watch, faith in his Clan disrupted by anxiety and fear from change.

[W.h.e.n. f.a.i.t.h. a.n.d. f.e.a.r. c.o.l.l.i.d.e.]

[keestaa..]

/fear/stands/

Mythstar hadn`t felt fully accepted by his strong Clan yet but they had to understand that he would lead their Clan to a better day. He had to show that in the way he acted. He wasn`t afraid to get in other Clans faces or fight with other cats and he really wanted to show that to everyone but still they didn`t seem to think he was a good Leader yet. And the other thing that worried him was that he was the youngest Leader that there has ever been in ShadowClan. Before, all the Leaders were over forty moons. He was only thirty moons. It made him feel almost like a kit. He was afraid that the older cats wouldn`t listen to him since he was that young but he was Leader. He was their Leader and if they didn`t listen to him that was a punishment.

/in/my/way/

Suddenly, he heard the bramble around the entrance of camp stir and out of it appeared Wildstorm, a trusted and noble warrior, fit for Deputy position any day, carrying three mice by their tails. The leader almost felt proud that his warriors were coming back with full mouths of mouth-watering prey. He looked up from his grooming as she walked over him. The exotic colored she-cat had been polite to him over the past few days as him being a Leader but he wasn`t sure about it now by the look on her face. Does she not think I’m worthy for a Leader position? He smirked. No. If she didn`t think he was worthy, she wouldn`t have been so polite to him for the past days. Mythstar flicked his ear as he listened to what she said. It had been so long since he had heard a cat`s voice.

/of/leading/my/clan/

His sea green eyes blinked a few times and he nodded his head politely to the new cat. “Ah yes. Good morning Wildstorm,” he meowed in his exotic tone and then licked his lips a few times. “Looks lika good looking catch you got.” His eyes shown with pride as he gazed at the pile. It wasn`t even sunhigh but the pile was full of prey already. Seeing it made his stomach rumble but he had to hunt first before he ate. He would feed his Clan first, for they were more important than he. It was then that he spotted, out of the corner of his eye, Shadowpaw. He was watching them with an intent gaze and Mythstar wondered how long he had been standing there watching him. Did Shadowpaw think that he was no good as ShadowClan Leader?

/to/better/days/

[l.ast of the [wild]s]

The tension lessened from Wildstorm's stiff muscles. The warrior flicked back her ear and a warmer gleam twinkled in her dark brown orbs. The she-cat twitched her tail tip and relaxed her straight form. Her shoulders dropped by a bit and her claws retracted comfortably back into her paws. "Yes indeed I had a good catch this sunrise. The prey is running well despite leafbare's hardship. Something I'm sure the Clan is quite glad for." Wildstorm grunted. A guarded expression was still in her blue-flecked eyes, but that was expected from her nowadays.

The good prey is a good sign.After all, ShadowClan has suffered more than enough, especially concerning the changing of leaders. Wildstorm thought with a trace of bitterness in her. A prickle in her spine caused the sorrel warrior to turn her head around. Earthen orbs spotted a familiar pelt of smoky black. A welcoming glint in her eyes, Wildstorm swished her tail to her foster brother. "Shadowpaw! Come! Join us! You've been sleeping in the Apprentice's Den for far too long!" The ShadowClan warrior yowled.

Wildstorm then swiveled her head to gaze back as intensely as before to the new, creamy ShadowClan leader. "By the way Mythstar, do you plan on doing anything besides laying her all day?" The she-cat asked, blue flecks in her eyes twinkling as well as a glint of amusement.

[keestaa..]

o c c ; Should we wait for Mossy?

[untilthis.echo]

ooc: Sorry for the wait guys. Been having no muse.

bic: [s.h.a.d.o.w.p.a.w.]

Yellow eyes widened in surprise as the young tom was caught off guard. His ears flicked back as he jerked back a bit. He hadn't been meant to be caught red-handed staring at the two and the embarrassment burned his pelt. Ducking his head in abashment, the gangly cat bounded forward. His long limbs stumbled on dewy ground as he trotted to the two cats.

When he was in front of him, the apprentice nervously swiveled his ears this way and that. His yellow eyes ducked to his paws, shuffling one gray foot on the ground as the two cats stared at him. Stuttering, he grappled for words until he managed to gasp out, "G-Good m-morning Wildstorm, Mythstar."

His yellow eyes flashed quickly up to the two cats. They were much older, more experienced, and larger than he was. He was still a young clumsy apprentice that was always falling paws over head in anxiety and eagerness. He sucked in his breath, he wouldn't make a fool of himself this time. However, hearing the his foster sister's words, the tom blurted out before he could stop himself, "Why are you just sitting here Mythstar? Shouldn't you be doing anything leader-like?"

He cringed on the inside, jaws clamping shut as he realized what he'd done. Questioned his leader. Still, a prickle in his belly churned at this act. In the back of his mind, he did wonder why Mythstar just lay there, and looked about the camp in unease and wary expectancy, as if he was questioning the questions of his own Clan.

[keestaa..]

o o c; Just so you know, Mythstar has a short temper. ^^

Sea green orbs traced the line of the fresh-kill pile. It was large and plentiful. Asterstar had always told him to make sure the pile was large enough to feed the feed the whole Clan or at least most. He had been out hunting a lot lately, usually by himself, if not it would be with his Deputy, talking Clan business. Mythstar liked to get out and have meetings privately far away from other cats. It`s just the way that the Leader was.

Suddenly, the orbs flicked to where his warrior was looking. She was looking at the entrance of the den. A smoky young tom sat at the entrance. He recognized the cat immediately. Shadowpaw. He watched the tom make his way over to the older cats. He seemed almost nervous around the talking cats. He wanted to reassure him that there was no need to be afraid but instead these words came out. "Mornin` Shadowpaw." That exotic tone again. Many cats couldn't describe it but they knew how to pick him out of a talking mob of cats.

Wildstorm`s words before Shadowpaw came were ringing in his ears. He was not quite sure what to do. He was Leader without a job. He was going to go hunting later, after a patrol or two came back. Wildstorm had never given the Leader a chance to answer. Those sea green orbs stared at her for a long time before he turned to look at Shadowpaw. It was then that the words that the young tom said sent him over the edge.

The had not been a leader for an extreme amount of time and young apprentices were telling him that he should do something more leader-like? Anger flashed through his once calm orbs and left him staring at Shadowpaw like he was some badger that entered camp. "I am doing something Leader-like. I am protecting camp from any intruders," he spat. He didn't want the young cat to be mad or afraid of him but to question his own leader made Mythstar mad. He was trying and to some, he was failing.

[l.ast of the [wild]s]

:Wildstorm

Mahogany orbs dappled with sapphire flecks flashed. Anger burned deeply in the she-cat's skull. Her long, sharp claws dug into the soft ground beneath her. Sorrel fur rippled as the muscles underneath the dark coat tensed. Acute ears pinned back as the gruff warrior felt a tremor rise in her throat and split the air in a heated growl. The tip of Wildstorm's tail twitched, the silver stripes mingling with earthen fur as the she-cat gave the new ShadowClan leader a dark and furious look. A fierce wave of protectiveness washed over her body, coating it with anger.

"Warriors do that by guarding the entrance Mythstar." Wildstorm all, but spat out the words, her mahogany, blue-flecked eyes flashing at the scolding tongue the creamy tom had sent her foster brother. The whole of ShadowClan knew how she felt about the way others treated her and her kin! She never tolerated their ill-placed words. "What's an apprentice suppose to think after all this?!" The earthen warrior asked as she rose to all four of her paws. Her thick tail lashed about as she gave Mythstar an irritated look.

All this meant all of the events that had happened to ShadowClan in the past few moons. The harsh sickness, Silentstar's death, Asterstar's disappearance, and suddenly Mythstar's new position in ShadowClan were certainly a questionable thing for some cats. Why is StarClan testing us this way? Have we not been loyal to them? Wildstorm wondered bitterly.

The sorrel warrior moved her body and placed it protectively in front f Shadowpaw's smoky pelt, her mahogany orbs staring challengingly and intensely into Mythstar's sea green irises. I won't tolerate anything that harms my kin. Wildstorm thought with an aching bitterness and determination. The tension was back in her shoulders as well

[keestaa..]

o o c; Umm, I kinda thought we were taking turns with this so now it's Mossy's turn. Are you going to post?

[untilthis.echo]

ooc: Sorry guys. I've had like literally no muse for this rp. Not much motivation to rp lately. Still don't have muse but I'll try.

bic: [s.h.a.d.o.w.p.a.w.]

[T.h.e. b.l.o.o.d. c.o.l.l.e.c.t.s. a.n.d. f.l.u.s.h.e.s. o.u.t. y.o.u.r. c.h.e.e.k. b.o.n.e.s.]

Shadowpaw ducked his head at the angry yell of his leader, feeling the embarrassment and shame scald his skin in a revolting swathe of pumping blood. His fur burned with it, making his bones rattle. The smoke-toned tom gazed at his gangly limbs as a hot flush rippled through his pelt. He shouldn't have questioned the leader. Of course Mythstar was going something leader-like, all leaders always did. Leaders don't sit around on their rumps eating all day, a mischievous voice pricked in his head. His ear twitched nervously.

[H.a.t.e. i.s. a. s.t.r.o.n.g. w.o.r.d.]

His whiskers twitched. His ears perked up. Glancing up at the two older cats whom stared at each other heatedly, the smoky apprentice suddenly an angry lump forcing its way up, suffocating him. The gangly tom flushed and burned with embarrassment, this time not out of his own blunder. He was embarrassed at Wildstorm. The older she-cat was acting like she always had when it came to him and Mossstorm, a snappy mother hen. He grumbled. He didn't want to be treated like a kit anymore. He was an apprentice now, on his way to be a warrior. He glared at the two cats as he hissed slightly.

[B.u.t. I. r.e.a.l.l.y. r.e.a.l.l.y. r.e.a.l.l.y. d.o.n'.t. l.i.k.e. y.o.u.]

"W-Wildstorm, y-you don't have to be so protective of me. I-I can stand up for myself," he stuttered, words falling like clumsy stones of his tongue in a blabbering idiotic display. The embarrassment grew, his flush darkened. But his eyes were fixated on Mythstar instead of Wildstorm. He regarded the tom as a fine warrior before, but the swift changes in the Clan had left him feeling weak, unsure of his faith. And he was young, didn't know where to place his blame other than what seemed obvious to him. His paws shook as he gazed at Mythstar.

[keestaa..]

The green orbs glared straight through Wildstorm's eyes. He could feel her anger burning off of her and on him. He couldn't believe how rude Wildstorm was being to him and Shadowpaw. Why would he ever had hurt the apprentice? He wasn't that kind of cat. All he wanted to go was guard the camp since no one was in the clearing and a warrior yelled at him for it. He had been through a lot and no one was protecting him? Oh no. No one cared about little old Mythstar, Leader of ShadowClan.

The cream colored tom looked around at Shadowpaw. In a instant, he saw that the smoky tom was embarrassed at Wildstorm. Mythstar sighed and shook his head. "Two things. Number one, no warriors were here to protect the camp until you showed up. Number two, since you are here now, I will leave and do something more Leaderlike," he meowed calmly. His orbs were not full of anger anymore. They weren't really full of any emotion. He gave Wildstorm and slight little smile before he passed her. The Leader stood in front of the apprentice and he smiled. "How about afterwords, I give you your mentor?" he asked a smile filled his face. It soon faded and he passed the other cats.

Mythstar then left camp. He was on his way to spend some private time by himself. Hopefully, no apprentices or warriors would bother him there...

[l.ast of the [wild]s]

:Wildstorm

Anger burned furiously through her, scorching her dark autumn fur. The she-cat bit back a hiss and a snarl. Dark nears pinned back as the ShadowClan warrior's body bristled, muscles constricting together. Despite her tryings, a growl escaped Wildstorm's throat. Her tail lashed about as she watched the creamy leader pad away. The gruff warrior turned to her foster kin and snarled under her breath. Her mahogany eyes flickered with just a hint of hurt.

"I'm going to guard the camp." The she-cat snapped, her body still tensed. With a flurry of dark autumn fur and silver stripes, Wildstorm was headed to the ShadowClan entrance. A cold wind suddenly swept over the sorrel warrior as she walked. The she-cat snuffed back a sneeze, her whiskers twitching in annoyance. She suddenly wondered if the legend of the cold winds freezing ShadowClan hearts was true. It's not. It can't be. Rubbish.

Shivering slightly, Wildstorm plopped herself at the thorn entrance, her paws scrapping the dirt. Her sorrel eyes glared thoughtfully at the at as she laid down, tail tip swishing lightly back and forth. Guilt began to gnaw at her insides, causing irritation to seep into her blood. Maybe I should apologize. Wildstorm hissed and placed her head on the ground, eyes burning with emotion. She hated admitting weakness, hated admitting that she felt bad was even worse.

ooc: No muse. Bleh. =P