>>Shimmer and Shake {P} Shinno. Scythe.

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    It took awhile to get away from prying eyes, but Sharven needed to get these two alone. The grey tom looked around werily, making certain there were no ears tilted in their direction as they passed just beyond the sight of the caves. Being out in the open would be unwise, but he didn't know where else to go to be private enough to speak openly.


    "Please. Take a seat." He offered, nodding to the mossy patches nearby. "Can you possibly catch me up as to what has brought you here?"


    He felt strange talking to them so formally, but he needed to make sure this wasn't some strange dream.

    Shinno followed after Sharven in silence, still bothered by how he was spoken to by the she-cat that thought she was above him. This was not how Skulls used to be. From what he remembered, toms were greeted and open paws and treated greatly upon arrival. First of all, that was not what he was receiving, except from a certain few that remembered him. Second, she-cats. They were to bow down to all the toms and willingly do whatever they were told, since that was the only thing they were good for. Oh yes, Shinno hadn't changed as far as his ways of thinking.


    His ears twitched when the tom spoke, offering them a seat on the moss. He simply strolled onto one and sat down, wrapping his tail around himself and the tip near his forepaws, still unable to take off the annoyed look that plastered on his features. As he waited for Scythe to do the same, he started talking, ignoring the question that was thrown to him and giving one out himself.


    "Do any of you toms teach she-cats their places anymore?"

    Sharven was not enjoying this in the slightest. It was as if his work was being critiqued by the inventor right in front of him. Holding in his anger, reserving his tongue lashing for the appropriate moments only, he gave a slight glare to Shinno.


    "Things have changed since BoneClan took the old territory," he replied. "The Skull is much different than before. Now. Answer my question."

    Scythe was nonplussed by the things he saw around him. It wasn't like he hadn't been here when they'd first started coming around (or hadn't he? Chuman is not sure and is therefore nervous about putting any definite answer on that statement). His eyes followed Sharven, breaking away now and then to drift around the landscape. It seemed like they'd collected a menagerie of animals recently. Scythe wouldn't be surprised to see squirrels sauntering past at this rate.


    "I just followed the scent of a lost Leader."


    He plopped down next to Shinno, giving a slight roll of his shoulders to indicate indifference at the tom's obvious discomfort with them both. Shinno was right, this was not the Skullclan he had made, but neither was it the clan either of them Lead.

    Sharven tested Scythe. He was still very uncertain as to whether this was truly his former best friend and mentor.


    "Certainly you remember creating the new ranks when we moved here, Scythe. You were the one that insisted that she-cats be given the chance to become True Skulls. I am sorry to doubt you and Shinno, but this is very peculiar. We found where you were... dead."


    We didn't find a body, he thought, but that doesn't mean...

    "It shouldn't matter now." Shinno spoke up with a hiss, his fur fluffing up in irritation at the miniature quiz Sharven had thrown to Scythe. This wasn't funny, not funny at all. "As for your question on how I ended back here and my journey up to this point, that too, shouldn't matter to you either."


    The clear mark around his neck showed the obvious signs of him used to wear a collar, but he was not in the mood to have to go back and explain everything to this cat who obviously didn't know a thing about respect to him and Scythe. "Just tell me one thing... Is Skull going to change back to its old ways anytime soon?"

    Sharven's eyes narrowed. "It would seem to me that you don't have a say in that matter, do you?"


    It wasn't actually a question, more a statement. The co-leader of the Skull wasn't entirely on board with the ways of the clan lightening up, but this had been a ruling that Scythe and Pluxiria had made, before Scythe was found dead. Well, before the blood and fur was found. As far as he was concerned, it was Pluxiria's call as to how to turn the clan around.


    "Why does this bother you so much? You were not here. BoneClan drove us out of our home... and now you show up and you demand for things to go back your way? Clearly you have overstepped your lot."

    Scythe stood quietly for a moment, an itch-- one that had gained growing familiarity in the last few weeks-- flickered and pecked at the back of his mind. He had agreed to all this, hadn't he? He gave a sideways glance at Shinno, suddenly feeling shameful of himself. Something in him wanted to make it up to the Leader who'd given him a real chance.


    "I doubt it's worth it anyway Shinno. I haven't come back this long for a reason you know. This is nothing like the magnificent clan you started."