Rake
Kittypets/Loners/Rouges 
Rogue
Posts: 13 
User: Scorch
|
Post by Rake on Jun 25, 2013 2:18:29 GMT
Scrap's words were still ringing in Rake's ears when he set off to the forest. Maybe the clan cats could be useful to them, even if they were awfully boring and honorable. Rake would have to find out for himself before Scrap set a paw into the forest of the clans. There was no point risking her cover and reputation when Rake had nothing to lose. Besides, he had more faith in his own fighting abilities then hers. If the clan cats got nasty, then they'd get hurt. Simple, really.
Surely the forest wasn't that different from the streets. Cats were all the same, really. Greedy, mean and looking for a way to get ahead. Even kittypets weren't immune to it.
The clans were just one more set of cats that wanted to get ahead, even if they wouldn't admit it. Luckily, he wasn't a clan cat.
He couldn't help but feel strange as he set off through the maze of trees. He felt unnatural among the forest, a shadow in a place that was bright and almost innocent compared to the place he had grown up in. At least this part of the forest bore the same scars from the uprights that he did, albeit on its flesh instead of its soul. He leaped over a stump, snorting as he glanced back at the corpses of the trees.
He paced farther into Thunderclan territory, ignoring the scent markers. What was that supposed to do? "Oh, there are cats here!" He laughed. "I'm shaking." Maybe he could find a higher ranking cat here. Or someone that wanted to be a higher ranking cat. Anything, really. The streets were too slow, and hopefully the forest would have more opportunities.
|
|
|
|
Post by Starlingfeather on Jun 25, 2013 3:32:12 GMT
Starlingfeather wasn't quite sure why she had wondered off to the Tallpines. After a nice, lone hunt through the territory, the young deputy really didn't have much else to do and she had already asigned the patrols earlier that morning. A small walk wouldn't hurt, she thought. Though, of all places, her paws had to wonder to the Tallpines. The sight of the destructions the Two-legs made in that area made the she-cat's heart squeeze in her chest and the thick air had the same effect on her lungs. She hated this sight. It reminded her of nothing but death and endings. If only the Clans had the power to stop it.
The feline was on the edge of the forest that peered towards the dead Evergreens that lay on the torn earth, shriveled and lifeless with their crumpled leaves. Before allowing her mossy hued eyes to take in the sight, she ran and swiftly, silently leapt up into a tree and found a place that overlooked the sight. Already the polluted air thickened and made it hard to breathe, the stench of the tree-eater's path of destruction stung her nose and for once she wished she was near the Thunderpath. The monsters had a better smell than this!
Starlingfeather's narrowed eyes overlooked the scene and spotted movement among the area. Her body tensed and her claws unsheathed, digging into the bark under her paws. She didn't move though, her impulse was to wait and watch for anything bad. It was a shame on the stench of the area, it rendered her ability to clarify who or what was in the area and her eyes failed to get a clear vision. Though, after a little while of observing, she made out the figure to be a cat, sleek and black. Quickly, she leapt down from her perch, landing quietly and remaining low, her ears pinned back. Starlingfeather moved swiftly through the dead forest to get a closer look, her movements careful not to make too much sound, though it was inevitable to tread across crisp leaves and stir to grass.
Her ears perked at the slightest to the sound of the black tom’s cackles and her body went on high alert. Starlingfeather’s first instinct was to remain hidden and get enough info of this cat’s motives before using any force. Now that the deputy was close enough, she could smell no Clan from this cat and he didn’t smell too much of two-legs. “Maybe be a loner?” The she-cat wondered aloud in a soft tone. She hoped he wasn’t a rogue. What motives would a rogue have to intrude on ThunderClan? Then again, did a rogue need a motive? Either way, Starlingfeather kept her mind open and she waited for any new movements.
|
|
Rake
Kittypets/Loners/Rouges
Rogue
Posts: 13
User: Scorch
|
Post by Rake on Jun 25, 2013 4:20:50 GMT
Rake paused, his yellow gaze sweeping the area. The stench of the monsters of the uprights was no stranger to the tom, even if this particular monster happened to stink much more then the smaller ones. He was familiar enough to sort through the greasy smell of uprights and the ash of monsters to find the scent of cats. Cats came here. Good, that meant he was getting closer to his goal. He continued on his quest, unwittingly trudging closer and closer to the as yet undiscovered Starlingfeather.
Life on the streets meant that his nose was often useless. There were many smells in the town, whether the conflicting scents of the upright gardens or the old markings of kittypets that foolishly thought they owned those gardens. His ears, however, could be the different between life and death. Naturally, he was much better at using his ears.
It was a combination of luck and his own skills that he detected Starlingfeather. He happened to pass by just close enough to pick up on her voice, even if he didn't understand her words. A less cautious cat might have passed it off as his imagination. Rake lifted his head, ears perked. "I heard you." He called, not bothering to hide his interest. "Are you one of those clan cats? I want to talk to you."
Play the nice guy. He was just here to help, after all. He didn't want to join, but that wasn't an issue, right? What was so bad about getting a loner to help out in exchange for a few mice?
"It's important." He added. Hopefully the clan cat wouldn't start the whole 'grr I am a savage warrior' thing.
|
|
|
|
Post by Starlingfeather on Jun 25, 2013 4:46:24 GMT
Starlingfeather was impressed, admittedly. She was one of the best of her Clan at stealth, and it seemed it didn't take long for Rake to find her. Then again, there wasn't much of a place she could hide except behind the dead branches of the pines on the ground. From her hiding place behind a stump, she rose to her paws, her body was tense, but she didn't threaten the tom infront of her. The deputy had good control with her mind and allowed it to be open to all things, and this sounded important.
With a curious tilt of her head, and looked at the black tom with a quizzical stare. "Yes, I would be of the Clans. Starlingfeather, deputy of ThunderClan." She meowed, her voice calm and a bit curious. Her young traits got the best of her curiosity. It wasn't always she got to meet a loner. Green orbs overlooked the tom infront of her, taking in his appearance and smell. Just in case, she also made assumptions on this cat's capabilities. It was never a bad thing to be too careful.
Starlingfeather's feathery tail swayed this way and that in a steady motion, one ear rose from her head. Despite being calm, her body was ready for an attack and her claws were unsheathed. "If it is important, do you mind telling me your name first? I can't help but be a little curious," She said a bit teasingly and gave Rake a slight smirk.
|
|
Rake
Kittypets/Loners/Rouges
Rogue
Posts: 13
User: Scorch
|
Post by Rake on Jun 25, 2013 5:17:09 GMT
"Starlingfeather?" He asked, tilting his head to one side. "Never heard a name like that before. It's pretty, though. I guess the clans are big on giving pretty names to pretty cats, huh?" He just couldn't resist a bit of flirting. It was fun! Unfortunately, he couldn't just sit and flirt with the pretty she-cat all day. "You're good. I think you'd give my sister a challenge, and that's saying something. I wouldn't have found you if I wasn't heading in this direction." A bit of flattery never hurt, especially when he wanted to get on someones good side. Deputy sounded important, and that meant he was going to behave himself. At least until he knew whether or not he could get something out of Thunderclan.
If not, well. Their loss and his fun.
"Curious is good." He said, sitting and curling his tail around his own sheathed paws. There was no need to act aggressive. Not now. "I'm from the streets. I think you know it as where the uprights live." He looked over his shoulder, pointing with his nose. "Usually, I don't come out here. I've got to go through the outskirts to get here, and the kittypets get weird about a stray like me going through their gardens." He couldn't help but chuckle about that. "They think we're dirty. Same things they say about you guys, really, but less legends about us eating the bones of cats."
"But this time, I want to talk to your leader." He told her. "My sister and I have got an offer for them." He didn't want to go blabbering to some random cat. That only increased his chance of being rejected. "No offense. I don't know how you cats do things, and I'm not about to step on your boss' paws by blabbering to you." He apologized.
He didn't really want to ally with a clan like this, but it would give them a foothold in the forest that was undeniably useful and tempting. He could learn more about his obsession, and Scrap could gather information without being pestered by the cats. Hopefully, they wouldn't do something stupid like demand he join. That would be a pain.
|
|
|
|
Post by Starlingfeather on Jun 25, 2013 5:37:44 GMT
Starlingfeather's voice caught in her throat at Rake's first comment, but her composure didn't falter, excluding the slightly appalled look on her face. Then she reminded herself not to look like an idiot, and she quickly reclaimed a calm, yet still curious expression. The she-cat sat and curled her tail over her own paws. She listened intently, and got the impression that Rake was...smooth with his words, if she were to put it without sounding weird. She murmured a sheepish "thank you" to his comments and continued listening to his explanations.
"So you're a loner?" The deputy inquired with a tilt of her head again. It didn't help that she wasn't quite with the same dialect as the tom. Though, she didn't get any bad vibes from the tom, so maybe, hopefully, he wasn't a rogue. She wasn't aware that the kittypets told stories about the Clans. Starling, though, wasn't surprised by them knowing, but...legends? That was something.
"Well, I'm not quite sure if Littlestar- my leader- is available at the time." The she-cat spoke with reason in her voice. She was honestly not sure exactly if Littlestar was busy or not. Also, she'd have her tail bitten off if she brought some strange tom into the camp. "Besides, how can I be sure you're not here to attack my Clan? Sorry for being paranoid, but I just can't bring you to my camp." Despite her paranoia, Starlingfeather chuckled lightly.
Mossy green eyes glinted in a kind, playful way, though her tone was still serious. "And you haven't even told me your name," She pestered, though she knew if what he was trying to tell the Clan was important, it wouldn't be wise to prolong the information. Starlingfeather just couldn't help but be the way she was. "How rude," The deputy huffed sarcastically and put up a fake pout.
|
|
Rake
Kittypets/Loners/Rouges
Rogue
Posts: 13
User: Scorch
|
Post by Rake on Jun 25, 2013 5:50:13 GMT
Rake winked at the she-cat. "You're welcome." He purred. Nothing wrong with having a little fun.
"I guess that's what you guys call it." Rake said with a flick of his ear. "The kittypets call me a stray. Either works for me." He didn't really know the difference between all of these names. "I'm not really alone. I stay with my sister. We meet up at night." So far, his meeting with the thunderclanner was going well. He could only hope that the rest of the clan was this welcoming. Pretty, too. If he had know clan cats weren't all the ugly savages the kittypets claimed they were, he would have come and said hello far more often. He had seen clan cats before and even spoken to cats that had met them personally, but Starlingfeather was the first one he had actually spoken to without being chased out. It was a bizarre experience.
"Not the most flattering name." Rake muttered. Littlestar? Weren't leaders supposed to have awesome names, like Fang or Ripper? "One cat against an entire clan? I'm flattered you think I'm that tough, but I don't think I'd be able to take a paw step into your camp before I got slaughtered. Besides, I didn't ask to come into your camp." He smirked. "It's safer for both of us if we agree to a meeting place outside of the camp."
Oh. Right. The name thing. "You clan cats give out your names easily." He sighed. "They call me Rake. It's not as pretty as your name, but I think it suits me just fine." He laughed. "Sorry. The rat pack that raised me forgot to teach me my manners."
|
|
|
|
Post by Starlingfeather on Jun 25, 2013 6:03:44 GMT
Starlingfeather nodded in her agreement. "Yes," She muttered and looked at the ground. "It would be better if I could negotiate with my leader about a meeting with you, if you claim that you've information that would be of significance to us," The deputy's mind was already planning out a good time and place to meet, sorting out any small events that wouldn't affect the run of the Clan. For a moment, she spaced out into her thoughts as she moved around patrols and their places to give an oppritunity to meet Rake again.
"Rake..." Starlingfeather thought over the name, and her maw tilted upward slightly. "Not bad, in my opinion. Strange. But not the worst. It's nothing mouse-brained like..." She had to think for a strange name that she may or may not have heard from the old elders' stories. "Blood." That was terrible. The she-cat had to roll her eyes at herself for thinking of such a ridiculous name. Could she have thought of anything better than BLOOD?
She shook her head at herself and quickly returned a smile at the tom. "Nothing wrong with your manners. I assume you're not quite used to meeting a Clan cat." Starlingfeather shrugged her shoulders sheepishly. "I have to admit, this is the first time I've met another cat that's not from a Clan,"
|
|
Rake
Kittypets/Loners/Rouges
Rogue
Posts: 13
User: Scorch
|
Post by Rake on Jun 26, 2013 2:21:59 GMT
"I've got more then information." Rake said smugly. He just couldn't resist bragging a bit. "Is there anywhere in particular? I don't know the forest well." He'd been visiting for six moons, but only when he could get breaks between jobs and struggling to survive. Besides, venturing too far into the forest meant getting chased around by angry clan cats and that was fun but dangerous. "Any landmarks?"
"Blood? Where did you hear that?" Rake asked, giving her a strange look. "Some cats give themselves pretty odd names because it sounds tough. I just stuck to what my mother called me. Not the most flattering thing in the world, but it's better then my sisters name." He laughed. "One time, I met a cat that called himself Killer. Couldn't have been more then six moons old, the poor little runt. He'll probably be embarrassed about that in a few more seasons."
"I've met a few clan cats." He said coolly, his eyes narrowed in thought. "They weren't really up for a bit of friendly conversation. You clans don't like trespassers much, do you?" He tilted his head. "Really? There are a few of us that live out here, last time I checked. Mostly cats that don't get on well with the gangs. I guess they try to stay away from the clans. It seems like you guys own the entire forest, sometimes."
There was that jealousy seeping through. That wasn't good.
"So. I'm free tomorrow night, but I don't know after that." He told her.
|
|
|
|
Post by Starlingfeather on Jun 26, 2013 2:45:22 GMT
Starlingfeather thought to herself for a little while about a place that they could meet. There weren't that many places that'd be safe, and if she were to keep his presence unknown to keep down any panic in the Clan, she'd have to find a scent heavy place. "Well, the best place I can think of is here, really, since you don't know much of the forest. Unless my leader says otherwise, do you think here would be a good place?" She asked calming, already sorting out a good time to meet. The deputy also wanted to be careful, not places that'd give this tom a fighting advantage, should he betray his words and attack. Though, she doubted Rake had a malicious intent, but it could be her silly mind just being too trusting.
"It's good that you stick with the name your mother gave you. In my opinion, names are sentimental things that should be kept," Starling meowed and then scolded herself for sounding so sappy. Her expression twisted into that of a strange look. "Killer? The poor baby, wonder what gave him that motive?" She giggled, her tail twitching a bit in delight of the thought.
"Some of us don't, but I try to keep an open mind. I don't exactly like attacking innocent, even if it is protocol to chase intruders off," The she-cat admitted her one flaw as a deputy. Guess she was just too trusting. It could get her killed, but she couldn't really help it. Starlingfeather gave the black tom a sad look. "Not really, I mean..." She shrugged. "We can't stop the Two-legs from destroying the forest, and we're always in fights about the territories, not to mention any rogue groups or staying badgers and foxes. Right now we're in a moment of peace, but...it's like the deep breath before the plunge, I guess." The deputy spoke the thoughts that have been knocking her mind for a long time. It wasn't usual for her to speak her mind like this, but...it's not like the tom was going to hold her words against her.
Starlingfeather quickly thought of the time and nodded. "Alright, I can try to convince my leader to come, but I wouldn't guarantee. You should still come though, and I'll meet you if Littlestar decides to either not come at all or have a different meeting in mind so I can let you know,"
The young deputy then cast a very curious and teasing glance. "Just what do you have to offer my Clan, anyway?"
|
|
Rake
Kittypets/Loners/Rouges
Rogue
Posts: 13
User: Scorch
|
Post by Rake on Jun 26, 2013 4:11:09 GMT
"Works for me. It shouldn't be too hard for me to find my way back here." It was really, really hard to miss all this destruction. Besides, he could smell this monster from the suburbs. Which was saying something, with how bad he was at using his nose. "It's a date, Starlingfeather. Don't stand me up, now." He purred, unable to resist a bit of teasing.
"I'm lucky enough to have one. Most she-cats just don't bother, now. You never know what kits will get picked up by an upright." No use giving a kit a name if it'll just get replaced. He didn't bring up the kits that died. He was sure she could fill in that blank herself. Maybe the clans had better luck with kits? Rake knew that his own litter had been impossibly lucky with three of them surviving, even if one of them had become a kittypet. He couldn't imagine how many cats the forest must hold if they had more kits then that. "Some cats don't get names until their mothers are sure they'll make it. He picked his so he'd sound tough."
"Attacking everyone they meet sounds like a good way to make enemies." Rake said, sounding surprised. "I thought I must have said the wrong thing or they only recruited young cats. How do the clans recruit if they chase off every cat that comes onto their territories?" Even the gangs recruited when they had enough extra food to go around. He listened to her words, but he didn't say anything. He just sort of stared at her.
All he could think was that the forest had prey, and a place that was safe from the uprights. Why did the clans chase out every cat that entered it when they could share and so many more cats would live? He sighed, ducking his head. "On the streets, the gangs split up the territory between themselves. Strays are allowed to pass through, but if they don't respect the gangs they're in trouble."
"Try to get him to come. My sister will want to talk to him, and I don't want her meeting anyone I don't know is safe." Rake said. He hesitated a bit, not sure if he wanted to tell her what he did. She could turn on him. But if she knew, she could tell her leader and get him to come. "My sister is the one you want for information. She knows everything about the streets and has ways of finding out everything she doesn't know. Including things about the forest."
"I'm sort of the go between if you want to meet with my sister." He said, holding up a paw and unsheathing his claws. "I protect her. I also protect anyone that'll give me food. So, I'll help out your clan when you need an extra cat that knows how to fight. I don't want to join, but i'll do my part if you let my sister and I hunt on your territory when I can't find anything in the city." He swept his ears back. "I also bet I know some tricks you clan cats don't, for all sorts of things. I'll teach a few to some of you. I'll even point loners and kittypets that are looking for a new life to your clan."
|
|
|
|
Post by Starlingfeather on Jun 26, 2013 4:37:12 GMT
Starlingfeather's eyes glinted playfully. "Oh, I don't plan to, Rake," She purred, trying to match his charm. Wait...was she flirting? The young feline really didn't have much of a hold on her mouth. She listened intently on with his words and shrugged her shoulders. She understood the fact that is was a risk of having your kit picked up by Two-legs. It's happened before when she was young, though she couldn't quite remember it.
"I dunno. We don't really recruit loners or kittypets that often unless we really need to, like if we're at war or in a famine and we need more paws. I've actually never thought on why we did that, it was always just...orders and orders, I guess," She muttered and shrugged her shoulders. Now that the deputy thought on it, what harm could it be to have a few loners hunt? The prey was plentiful! No- she shouldn't be thinking like that. The territory was hard earned by the Clans. It's either stick together or every cat for himself. That's what she was taught and trained to know.
Starlingfeather thought on the system of the gangs that Rake described to her. "I don't think it can be that easy out here," She muttered quietly and kept the rest of her thoughts to herself. She didn't know about all this. Maybe there was a way that the Clans and non-Clan cats could coexist. No- that was something to be decided by the leaders and... The deputy shut off her thoughts. Why was she such a darned scatterbrain?
"I'll try, but...like I said, no guarantee. I didn't know your sister was coming?" She tilted her head. "Interesting. She sounds like a valuable source. Then again, it's up to the leader to decide that,"
"Ah, I see." Starlingfeather nodded her understanding. Guess it was like how she was to her leader. Just a small link between him, the Clans, and every other small, little detail. The young cat's ears suddenly perked up at his mention of learning new things. Starling was always the little curious learner. "Really?" She asked a bit too excitedly. The feline quickly calmed herself before continuing. "I-I mean, really?" Her tone was a bit more serious and calm, still coated by curiosity, though. "That'd be great to learn some new things. Let's just hope you’re a good teacher," She teased.
|
|
