WHITE RIVER [ loner ]

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    So his pack was gone. They were dust, dandelion seedlings dispersed in the wind; however you spun it, they'd deserted, and they weren't coming back. Curse them. Curse his miserable father, for dying. Curse him, for failing in his life's one task. For failing his birthright. He was meant to be a king; now he carried no meaning at all.


    He hated people with such a vigorous passion, it seemed improbable that he'd ever seek out their company again. But no matter how cold or heartless those rogues had been, they had at least been -- physically close, if in no other way. No matter how sour, bitter, or otherwise unpleasantly flavored Coal was to be cheated out of his crown, no matter how deeply his resent extended to all creatures (related to his loss or not), he could not live in solitude. He did not know how.


    Such was his paradox: he despised as equally as he needed -- a conundrum despicable in itself. He didn't want to need. The word was disgusting, whiny, pathetic. That it could describe him was absolutely nauseating.


    He waited on the border; not out of hope or desire, but out of wretched, loathsome need. His claws dug into the earth, as if trying to tear the flesh from the ground itself in a laughably impotent display of barely constrained rage. The customs of these lands were not unknown to him. He'd heard the stories; of clans and leaders, deputies and warriors, mentors and apprentices. Not so different from the way he'd grown up. Vomit-worthy.


    If only everyone else, worms that they were, would just die already. If only they had the good sense to leave this world to its only inhabitant worthy of walking it blissfully alone. But even that wouldn't be enough, because he'd been born damned -- deplorable enough to need.


    i want your gold

    but you want my life

    *:･ﾟ✧ greed was the one word that could truly describe hotpaw. he was but a man filled with greed, knowing of wants and needs better than anyone. he had lusted for more and more, never satisfied with his owns treasures and turning lives over to fulfill his own needs. the only thing that had landed these two cats in these lands were the simple need of survival. of needing.


    the boy was not a stranger to these lost souls on the border, having met them before and watch them waste away. either that, or they thrive under shadowclan's loving hold. but something had felt wrong about this cat. even if hotpaw was not the smartest in the clan, he could feel the different energies. he could feel the utter disgust that this cat had exhibited without rancor. for once, hotpaw hadn't actually wanted to approach. not wishing to learn of the world outside or to hear of wild tales to fill his mind. he had only wanted to move away and forget about this stranger entirely.


    "hey, lookin' for somethin'?" keeping up the facade of a confident and unrelenting apprentice, the white-backed apprentice had slunk forward. blocking the entrance to his home with his lithe figure to the best of his ability. seriously...he couldn't even fake a smile like the rest of them? just stare...like a creep?




    ; YOU WERE CHOSEN FOR THE DAMNED ;

    "I'm looking for something, all right," he rasped, regarding the youngster with something already approaching disdain. He knew he had to appear a respectable candidate for their ranks -- but this was just some child. Already, being confronted like this by the little weevil, his position conspicuously that of the lesser who had to grovel and please, made his back teeth grind.


    "ShadowClan. Heard of it, kid? I'm here to join." Scripted words were just next on the tip of his tongue, ready for the obvious question: "What are you going to do for us?" Of course, there was no guarantee Hotpaw would even ask. How unfair it all was! He'd envisioned this encounter as between himself and a leader -- why did he have to make his case to this brat, play out this underwhelming substitute for the scene he'd predicted in his head? Cheated again, he thought bitterly. Cheated out of a suitably dramatic introduction to this new chapter of his life. "Why don't you run along and get someone more important for me to talk to?"


    i want your gold

    but you want my life

    *:･ﾟ✧ hotpaw was not known for his patience, but he usually had just enough to not tear off his brothers' heads. but this tom had rubbed him the wrong way, and the more and more he had spoken, the more hotpaw had wanted to just kick him out. on what grounds does he think he has more authority over hotpaw? he's not even in a clan. with a sudden draft of confidence, hot's eyes had fallen as he had steeled himself against the other.


    who cares if this stranger was older and bigger? damn it, hotpaw was not being bossed around by some low-life! "guess you found it then, huh, smart guy?" a careless spit as the apprentice had glared towards the man. seriously...he must have some serious god-complex if he thought that hotpaw would just squirrel away. this was his clan, his territory! "ain't nobody got anything to say to you. you're gettin' me. if that ain't enough, i suggest you turn around and complain to a tree." starclan, the tree would wilt out of boredom. he know he would. this cat thought way too highly of himself, and it was up to hotpaw to knock him down a million pegs.




    ; YOU WERE CHOSEN FOR THE DAMNED ;

    ◆◇◆ He doesn't seem very nice, Larkpaw thought as she padded closer, moving close to Hotpaw for protection in case their newcomer decided to lash out at the apprentice's loud mouth. She wasn't a fighter and would just as soon see the older apprentice get his paws dirty as she would her own, and would probably take off in fear if violence did occur. The thought of dying - of being mauled to death like her mother had been - was the most terrifying thing her mind could conjure. Nightmarish visions of dying horrible deaths often plagued her dreams at night and made it difficult for her to sleep. It was during those moments that she craved the security her old twoleg nest had offered before Bramblelight had swept her away to BloodClan.


    She glanced up at Hotpaw as he backsassed the stranger and flattened her ears against her head. "Be careful, Hotpaw. He could be dangerous," she murmured, as if her whispers would cause some sort of riot between the two of them. Or maybe their anger would be directed at her. Oh StarClan. Regardless, without a warrior present yet with them, Larkpaw didn't want anything happened to herself or the other apprentice. There was no way she could defend herself, and she questioned the young tom's skills against a stranger much older than himself, with a past completely unknown. She turned towards the stranger and stuttered an offer to fetch their leader. "I-I can go find Br-Briarstar if you want..."

    A harsh laugh escaped him at Hotpaw's bold words. Who taught this kid to talk? They should be fired. Before he'd come up with a response, a little girl had joined the would-be border guard's side, and he was forced to consider whether ShadowClan was populated with anybody but babies. "I could be," he agreed emphatically, although the warning had obviously not been meant for him. Would he hurt a child? Probably not. Unless it was really necessary -- there were always extenuating circumstances, like two little brats at the border who wouldn't let him in despite his obvious qualifications.


    "Please do," He beseeched Larkpaw dryly, sitting at the border with a weary thump. If a leader was coming, then maybe this embarrassment of an affair could be salvaged. Unfortunately, it also meant that perhaps he'd have to hold his tongue with the youth, lest the vermin tattle.


    He set his jaw in display of his overgrown fangs, glistening and dangerous, as his icy gaze settled on Hotpaw once again. Upstart, he thought derisively. Prideful little rat. Those words could easily describe himself, too -- a fact he chose to strategically ignore for now. Well, the apprentice would be eating his words once -- Briarstar, was it? -- arrived, and opened the gates of this miserable place for him. His whiskers twitched with anticipated amusement. Oh, his (childish, petty) revenge would be sweet.


    i want your gold

    but you want my life

    The post was edited 1 time, last by COAL. ().


    The fiery warrior, cold and stern, padded forward from the shadows. He had been watching from the sidelines, learning more about this cat. He knew he couldn't welcome this newcomer into the clan, but he didn't trust the other tom. His claws were unsheathed, preparing for this to go south if it did. Emerald orbs locked onto the tuxedo feline. Something about the tom made Valerianfire feel at unease. A protective feeling sat deep within his chest as he moved forward. Crystalline claws were digging into the ground as he walked, the marred feline's ears pinned back. His slender tail was lashing behind him, a hiss unfurling from his lips as he moved closer.


    "ShadowClan is where you're at, friend." The word was like poison as it was said, harsh and unwelcoming. "Briarstar will be here shortly, but for now, you get to talk with me." He wouldn't let the brown tabby queen get hurt, not on his watch. "So, tell me. Despite your wish to join ShadowClan, we know nothing of you. What is your name and why ShadowClan." Valerianfire stopped hissing, but remained vigilante. He wasn't about to let some murderer walk among them, right? They already had one...they didn't need another.

    *:･ﾟ✧ all hotpaw had wanted to do was show where this tom could go. straight into the ground and to never arise again. he hadn't cared. his own lips had curled into a disgusting grimace, with wild furs rising on his itching spine. larkpaw had been patient and kind, but hotpaw had refused to waver. this tom was no good, even the idiotic apprentice could see that. "no! this guy doesn't even deserve to breathe tha' same air as briarstar!" a quick turn to spit at lark's kind offer. he didn't want to, but he couldn't help but turn his frustrations onto her. she was the one closest to him at this very moment, and he couldn't just reach out and take a chunk of fur off that stranger.


    though, as valerianfire had came, a silent breath of relief had washed over the darkly-painted tom. valerian was much calmer, much stronger, and carried more experience on his shoulders. while hotpaw was getting ready to tear at the infuriating loner before him. moving to cover larkpaw from sight, he had tried to remain as close as possible to the situation. "just turn him away, valerian! he's trash...ya can smell it off his pelt!" even if valerianfire didn't have the authority to actually turn him away, hotpaw would keep his protests alive and well. he'll make sure this tom receives no warm welcomes.




    ; YOU WERE CHOSEN FOR THE DAMNED ;

    "D-Don’t say that!" came Oliveslip’s meek voice, addressing Hotpaw. The medicine cat had been collecting thyme when the sound of heated voices reached her oval-shaped ears. Her voice was muffled slightly from the bundle of thyme in her jaws, to be used mostly for herself. Setting it down, she turned her head to stare at the stranger at their border, ears beginning to flatten. He was...quite intimidating. Still, it wasn’t right of them to be rude to him.


    "L-Let’s just wait for Briarstar...    " A quick glance at Valerianfire, then back to the stranger. "...but in the meantime, i-it would be good to know your name." If this tom was going to join, they should at least know his name and why he chose here, though Valerianfire already asked those questions. Oliveslip supposed she would wait with them...she was already here after all, and if things turned ugly, at least there would be a medicine cat to patch them up, right?



    "speech."



    i guess you wonder where i’ve been —— tags.

    ◆◇◆ Hotpaw's sharp voice caused the apprentice to take a step back, ears flattening tight against her head as he pushed off his frustration onto her. She knew he didn't mean it, but the weight his voice carried was enough to send her crawling back into her shell, even with Coal's imploring tone, an attempt to whisk her off and away to grab their leader. She didn't want to leave him alone with a tom who, to even her, seemed dangerous and untrustworthy, so she was glad that at the last moment, Valerianfire appeared, allowing her enough time to slip away. She passed Oliveslip on her way back, giving the medicine cat a polite nod of her head. How lucky she had to be - no fighting, no hunting. She could still contribute to the Clan without being a warrior. Larkpaw only wished their were more jobs like that in the Clan.


    Scurrying off, she made it back to camp in record time. Speed was on her side, and she reached Briarstar's den in only a matter of minutes. "Um... ma'am?" she called inside. "There's a cat on the border who wishes to join."


    / BRIARSTAR.

    "Coal," he answered easily, tipping his head with an obnoxious grin. Why so defensive, border-guard? I've done nothing wrong. Nothing but give off unimaginably unsettling vibes during his whole time at the border.


    But even in his arrogance he sensed that this was all going nowhere, that these uppity little insects would go crying to Briarstar and accuse him of crimes he hadn't committed. His gaze swept like a lighthouse beacon between them, remembering faces, even if he hadn't the chance to learn names.


    "No matter," he hissed dismissively, as if he hadn't been the one to approach the clan in the first place. "I don't require the company of such an unpleasant hive of obedient little wasps," he scoffed. "Serve your queen. There are yet more clans." He stood, a mountain of shaggy white fur. Spite drove his paws marching away from the border and the cats who had gathered there. Hotpaw, Larkpaw, Valerianfire, and Oliveslip -- he'd remember them. And they'd be sorry they turned away the strongest warrior their pitiable clan could have ever seen.


    i want your gold

    but you want my life