Posts by Illuminus

((That's what I thought, but I couldn't remember for sure.))

Russetoak frowned slightly. "We should be able to find enough without us risking our own safety for a bit of bigger prey." Carefully, the tom dragged his bird closer to a bush and dug up some of the dusty earth to store it until he could return. "We may be able to find a good lizard fight, though, if we search hard enough." He grinned mischievously and flicked the she-cat with his tail before ducking through the grass, eager to find more prey.

Russetoak's head reemerges from the thick grass and smiles, softly instead of his usual smirk.
"Another time? I would just prefer to have larger numbers than just us. It wouldn't be very good if either or both of us were injured." He flicks an ear and tips his head with another smile. "I hear some more movement." Again, he disappears, almost blending in with the foliage. A quick scrabble and a few heartbeats later, the brown tom prances out with a decent-sized mouse and happily buries it alongside his earlier catch.
"Now come on, Brackenmoon! I'm beating you!" He teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Russetoak grinned from where he sat a few lengths away.
"Tie breaker?" He looked up to the sky quickly and saw the sun approaching the center of the sky. "Uh, oh. We're supposed to meet Scarletfeather and Mongoosepaw soon." A cheeky grin widened his smile even more. "And she's already mad at me. Wouldn't want to anger her anymore." He meowed with a wink. With a flick of the tail, he started to trot back to where he hid his kills.

Russetoak smile and tipped his head, puzzled by Brackenmoon's curious look. He shook his head to clear his head and quickly gathered up his catches, easily keeping up with the amber-eyed she-cat. He playfully took the lead, waving his tail in Brackenmoon's face with a steady chuckle deep in his chest. Soon enough, he stopped and laid his prey down in the meeting spot.

Russetoak thumped his tail against the ground impatiently, checking the sun every few moments with a sigh and roll of the eyes accompanying the motion.
"Well, now they are late." His sullen face lit up at the thought. "And now I have something to nag Scarletfeather with!" He grinned once again, happy in his own thoughts.

Russetoak yawned his own yawn and unhappily curled his tail over his paws, bored once again. A dramatic sigh released itself from the brown tom. His yellow eyes wandered about until they met the sky. Not one cloud was present in the endless expanse of blue. He shifted, slightly uncomfortable under the glare of the burning sun. His pelt was slowly growing warmer, attracting the rays with its dark color. A steady panting soon overtook the tom.

Russetoak blinked at the question, caught off guard by its deepness.
"Join our ancestors." He said quickly. His head tipped off to the side as he thought about it more. "Well, that's what I had always learned. That after we die, we go to live in a new place with those who came before us."

A grin returned to the tom's face as he heard the two returning. "Finally! Geez, I'm burning up!" Russetoak quickly picks up his kills and stands, waiting for the others to go.

Russetoak cast a concerned and confused look to Brackenmoon, but shook his head.
Of course they aren't lying.. He thought confidently to himself, but a small voice nagged at the back of his mind...Or are they... The tom shook his head, ridding himself of the sacrilegious thoughts and tuned in to the ongoing conversation, still panting lightly.
He rolled his eyes at the she-cat's words and picked his prey up without retorting. He padded quickly, just wanting out of the sun.

Russetoak sighed in relief as they entered camp. Quickly, he laid his kills on the meager freshkill pile and ducked in to the little shade he could find. The temperature difference was amazing and felt blissful to the overheated tom.

Russetoak stretched from his shade and plopped on to his side, watching the camp through a lopsided view. Pale orbs roamed the camp until they landed on Brackenmoon.
She looks like she's seen a ghost. The tom noted at her unusual appearance. He waved his tail slightly at the she-cat, trying to attract her attention.

Froreclaw's hazel green eyes widened in response as he came closer and looked over the ominous cliff side.
"I imagine that is all DesertClan territory down there..." He started slowly, mulling over the different possibilities. "I do not know how they will receive lost warriors..." The tom's voice dropped with uncertainty and thought. "We may have to find them ourselves if they are to make it back." Hesitantly, the large cat stepped away from the ledge to face the others.

The dark tom tipped his head with a kind smile, trying to come off as a good tom. "Is everything okay? You look...scared?" He mewed almost questioningly. Pale yellow watched the darker amber, invading and attempting to understand whatever could be bothering the young she-cat.

Russetoak frowned and rose from his spot to pad closer to the she-cat. Gently, he nudged Brackenmoon with his nose, a small smile still present.
"Do you want to talk...?" He asked hesitantly. "I don't like it when others are upset."

Tinyowl tipped her head to the side as she watched Flameheart return to the camp. She took a few small steps toward the camp entrance and stopped when the other she-cat was close.
"There are intruders?" She asked in confusion. Rarely were there ever any outsiders, especially from the other clan.

Russetoak pinned his ears back, feeling uncertain and disappointed that she wouldn't speak to him, two emotions he was never used to having.
"Okay.." He meows softly to himself before padding away, no longer wanting to be in camp. The sun scorched his dark pelt, but he found indifference towards the annoyance and continued to pad out of the camp and in to seclusion.
I wonder what is wrong with Brackenmoon... He thought to himself. The lithe tom stopped dead in his tracks and shook his head in frustration.
"No." He muttered out loud and moved again, this time faster than before. "Do not think of her. Not any she-cat." The hiss left in between his fresh panting as he trotted through the yellow grass.

The tortoiseshell tom nodded as he looked out over the cliff once again.
Hopefully, they are safe.. He thinks to himself before returning his attention to the others. Silently, Froreclaw watched Snowstar and waited for her response.

Tinyowl chuckled at Flameheart's words now that she was more aware and comfortable with the occurance. Good-natured, the small she-cat rolled her eyes.
"You're not too childish." She tipped her head to the side, resembling the owl of her namesake. "IF that were such a thing, I don't think either of us would be warriors right now." She gently teased, trying to lighten Flameheart's mood.
"I'm sure Stormstar had his reasons for returning you to camp." The reddish brown she-cat reassured.

Russetoak panted heavily in the glare of the Serengeti sun, his eyes almost closed against its blinding light as he struggled to continue forward. Long ago he had lost his troubles to the sweltering heat and now just continued to move because of the familiarity with the action.

The tom glanced around, his mind less clouded now and his awareness returning. As he began to realize just how far away from the camp he was, other feelings of thirst and weariness reappeared, too. Without realizing it, Russetoak stepped directly in to a nearly evaporated pool that must have once been a large watering hole in the rainy season. Quickly, he lapped at the warm water and sighed as he pulled back.

"I'm far enough away." He muttered to himself. "Better head before I run in to something I can't take." The tom sighed again before turning around and retreating to the coolness of camp.

Froreclaw flicked an ear and studied the portal with a cool, thoughtful expression.
"I have never seen the portal before, I did not actually believe it existed." He stated as he approached the disk of light. He padded fearlessly in to the light, his large form easily following that of his leader's.

Russetoak jumped slightly at the unexpected yowl coming from nearby.
"Brackenmoon!" He heard in the familiar voice of Scarletfeather. The dark brown tom quickly changed his course and headed back in to the brush, towards the sound of the cats.

He came up behind Scarletfeather and saw apprentice, Shatteredpaw, between himself and the attack-ready deputy. He slowed his pace and came up beside the she-cat, wondering what was going on when he saw Brackenmoon before them, looking unnatural and crazed.

"What is going on here?" He meowed, a tinge of fear and panic mixed in the harshness of his voice.