Look who decided to come! (Rabbit)

SUNEYES
Shining like the sun.
Suneyes took a seat near her leader. Heat rose to her face as Hazelstar praised her, she hadn't known that. But then the older she-cat asked a question. Suneyes slowly nodded. She could just feel it in her bones, watching the unusual twoleg activity by the boarders and the patrols she had seen who where skinny even for this time of years. Perhaps it was just a shortage of prey, but the deputy knew something was up.

Hearing Hazelstar's last question, Suneyes finally spoke. "I heard stories, but most where ment to scare kits into behaving."

HAZELSTAR
I've been broken more than once.

"These stories were true." Hazelstar meowed, she herself only heard the tales. But she had experienced them told by someone who actually made the journey. "My mother's father was just a mere kit when they made the great journey." Hazelstar began, her golden-colored eyes were brimmed with soft memories of her grandfather. The tom had been ancient when Hazelstar was a kit, but he could still remember the moors back 'home'. To everyone who made the journey that was their home. And some strange instinct deep within drove her to agree with them.

"But even so, he remembered the way the moors gently rose and fell. He told me about the moonstone--" Pausing she could only imagine the old cave, the she-cat herself wasn't sure if her grandfather had actually experienced them or if he himself were told stories. But he knew it was a real place, he had been there, even if it were for just a small amount of time.

Gradually Hazelstar lost herself in these memories of her mother's father telling these amazing stories. The old land sounded much better than the grounds they tread on now, everything seemed perfect. Maybe that was a strange thing, to have a perfect world. But it was something the old queen yearned for.

"Sometimes I wonder if we really belong here..." She absently murmured, just loud enough for Suneyes to hear.

The tabby queen's ears perked up as Hazelstar spoke. Suneyes had figured they were true, since the Clans all had a very similar story, but she would have never had thought her leader would have known one of the journeying cats.

A solemn look had fallen across the she-cats face. Hazelstar was a wise, noble, but still an old, leader. Many nights Suneyes laid awake wondering if she would ever be able to take her leaders place. But before Suneyes could think any further, Hazelstar spoke and her words caught the deputy off guard. What did the brown cat mean by that?

Suneyes stayed silent for a moment or two, reflecting on the words her leader had spoken. Finally, she said something; "Sometimes, it is difficult to tell if you are in the right place. It can be even harder to tell if where you think home is at, is really where your home should be. When I was with my mother, we were always traveling with no true home."

Looking into her leaders eyes, Suneyes continued "But after I came to WindClan, even after witnessing the death of my mother and brother, I knew I was home; and wherever WindClan goes I will go. Because WindClan is my home. Not where we might live at the moment or for the rest of time, but the clan. As long as I'm here among cats I care for and who care back, I'm home."

{ooc// Please, forgive me if I have no place here and I'm intruding, but I decided I better jump in somewhere if I want to one day be considered an active member. ^-^ If I am out of place, I'll easily remove this. It seems you all put a little thingy at the top for the cat your roleplaying? I'll try to follow that. =D}

---

Rootpaw
_{"Change your opinions, keep to your principles;
change your leaves, keep intact your roots."}

What's that thing, a kittypet? The scruffy tabby she-cat mused. This new comer certainly did look kittypet-ish, breaking down like that. Or maybe she was a rogue, Moon had brought her in, and she was begging for mercy. The thought made Rootpaw grin slightly. Outsiders. They just don't know they're place, do they? Half-clans, kittypets, rogues; Windclan doesn't accept the sort.

But, in order to be fair to this furball, she would have to really know the situation. The apprentice casually strolled towards the center of camp, like she was taking a walk; a very, very short walk. Her blue eyes flickered towards the new she-cat often, and without hearing so much as a word decided that she did not like this cat. Another mouth to feed, woohoo. Rootpaw's nose scrunched up in contempt, she had a cold gaze fixed upon the outsider. She shouldn't have been bothered really; she was only an apprentice, and was not taken into consideration when decisions involving older cats came about. Warrior shmarrior, I'm smarter than the lot of them,

ooc: Naaww your fine, I intrude all the time xD

HAZELSTAR
I've been broken more than once.

Hazelstar smiled, it was a small genuine smile. But it clearly fit the mood, "I'm glad that you care so deeply for a clan that you weren't born to. It takes a true warrior to know such love for their clan." she murmured. The older queen wasn't known for spilling such praise to just anyone, she knew when someone was genuinely deserving.

But the smile slowly drained away until only a distant look remained. Hazelstar cast her eyes to the roof of her den, as if she could see the sky, as if she could see Starclan itself. "It's crazy--" she murmured, "But sometimes I feel as if we're meant to go back." Shaking her head from side to side she mumbled,

"But we moved here for a reason, something went wrong--" Her voice gradually withered away into a whisper. "It's as if Starclan's telling me we need to go back."

Sighing she shook her head once more, "I'm sorry for pushing all of my worries on you, you may go." Flicking her tail she motioned for her deputy to leave. It was times like these that she wished she were a mere apprentice again, with no worries. To be free again.

TANGLEPAW
Live, Love & Never forget to Laugh.

The ginger tom had been watching from afar. He decided he wasn't going to rip on the she-cat for being an outsider, he had better morals than that. But when Rootpaw strode over there like she owned the world it was time he stepped in. Of course his assumptions were over-exaggerated, and of course he had no right to do so, but Tanglepaw did it. Without a thought in the world he rightly accused her of what she 'did', "Picking on the weak again?" he taunted.

Smirking he muttered, "Don't you have anything better to do?" Being Tanglepaw his insults weren't very well thought off, nor were they correct. In fact he was just a unbalanced-hormonal tom cat who thought he could boss whoever and whatever he wanted around.

Grinning he hobbled a tad bit closer, shoving his face rudely in front of hers he teased,
"Or is a weak kitty-pet the only kind of cat you can battle against?" Making sure that Rootpaw couldn't rip his face off he quickly maneuvered himself a couple mouse-lengths back. But being that he wasn't too smart he squatted down right in that spot and didn't even think twice about wiping that stupid grin off his face.

Paws of the Running Rabbit
Swift as the Rabbit

Rabbit slowly ate on her food Moon had gotten for her and watched what was going on around the camp. She saw what was apparently the deputy go into the leaders den and a few to-bes were wandering around. She kept eating trying not to pay attention to anyone.
Movement near her made her ears perk slightly and look up at the she-cat heading her way. It had to be a to-be saying it wasn't much bigger than her kits probably. And soon another one, a tom this time, joined in and started taunting the little one. Her eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of kitty-pet and she flicked her tail slightly sitting up.
"I wish you'd get your titles correct, To-bes. I'm a tribe cat. Not some weak kitty-pet, nor am i a mangy flea bitten rouge." she snapped at the two younger cats. "If you pick fun new comer and each other, then you will never grow up to be good fighters. True warriors as you call them try to get alone with everyone, their clan mates and outsiders. If the clans have stopped teaching that, then there is no hope for your age."
She hated being so snappy toward kits, but these were starting to get old enough that they should understand what to do when someone new came into the camp.

Rootpaw
_{You can change your leaves, but keep to your roots.}

<sup>"Taunting the weak?" Rootpaw murmured, sitting on her hunches. "Excellent idea. You're always fun to taunt." She narrowed her eyes in a sort of amused manner. It was awfully funny to her that this arrogant tom was attempting to be tough or clever. She could just as easily rebuttal. But the strange she-cat to the side kept her from raising her voice. The thing might start talking to her or something.

She ignored Tanglepaw's second comment however, though her composition gave no side of weakness. Did she have anything better to do? Nothing. Being bound by rules was very troublesome, and authority shouldn't be of existence, so she usually didn't do much out of love. But his last remark brought Rootpaw to her paws.

"Listen here, fur ball," she spat, the volume she spoke in no longer of her concern, "I could claw your eyes out before you could blink, but I guess that isn't saying much, now is it? After all, you are pretty close to a kitty-pet yourself." Serves him right. Her last words made her confident again, and her posture had turned from bristling anger to that of taunting. Rootpaw's triumphant comeback was soon met by the voice of the new she-cat, who the young tabby apprentice had almost forgotten was there.

A new fire burned in Rootpaw now, this time directed toward the lecture giving cat. She can't tell me how to think! "True warriors," she pipped up defiantly, "have to watch their backs and not be so naive. True warriors can't just go befriended enemies left and right; there's not room for that sort of foolish trust unless you're a kitty-pet with not a single concern for your own life."</sup>

[/sup]

TANGLEPAW
Live, Love & Never forget to Laugh.

Tanglepaw snorted, "Ha, Ha, Ha very funny." he meowed, rolling his eyes he added dryly, "Like you could beat me." It was a tad bit amusing when she didn't reply to his second remark, in fact he found himself glowing with pride. He had found something that not even she, Rootpaw an arrogant little she-cat, couldn't even disagree with. Unfortunately all of those happy feelings vanished when she started chewing him out over a mouse-brained joke.

He was going to just back off and insist it was nothing but a joke, but of course, she had to push his buttons. What really ticked him off was that she called him a kitty-pet. He was Tanglepaw the son of Windclan's deputy, of course he wasn't a weak house-cat trained to be a two-leg's toy. Being called a kitty-pet was the equivalent of getting green-cough. It sucked, and the only thing you could do about was stand up and fight.

"At least other cats like me." he seethed, his golden-orange fur bristled with fury, "They actually want to be my friend, Starclan! They even want to talk to me!" Narrowing his eyes he advanced forward, his claws poised to strike, "Unlike you, I actually have a mother and a father." As soon as his claws were about to rake themselves across her pretty little face, someone had to interrupt. Irritated he whipped around to face Rabbit, he didn't have the time nor the need to listen to some petty little lecture. He had a she-cat to fry! Fortunately Rootpaw already designated herself to tell Rabbit the difference between tribe and clan cats. Adding to her information Tanglepaw decided to throw in his own two cents.

"Just for your information tribe cat, us clan cats don't welcome unknown cats with open arms. We were taught to defend our clan with our lives against those who intrude." Narrowing his gaze he growled, "And your intruding."

Suneyes

Suneyes listened to her leader. There was so much she wished she could do, so much she knew she could do but didn't know how to. Suneyes could tell Hazelstar was troubled, she just didn't know how to help her.

With her mouth opening in objection to Hazelstar's words, she quickly closed it when she requested the queen to leave. Nodding a farewell, she started to exit the den. But just before she made it out, Suneyes stopped and turned to look at her leader. "You know, Hazelstar, the clan looks up to you. You have probably heard it a thousand times, but you are a great leader." And with that she left.

Moon_{that lights the sky}

Moon had finally returned to Rabbits side, and just in time to hear Tanglepaw's words. Glaring at the young tom Moon meowed harshly. "You must remembered, the clans were once intruders on tribe territory. It does not matter that you were not yet born at the time, you were still growing inside your mother and it is all the same."

Realizing how harsh she had acted only after the words had made it out of her mouth. Moon quickly turned back to her friend and began to help clean her pelt. Turning to the two apprentices she meowed "If you all wish to do something useful, then you should go get more bedding for the nursery."

Rootpaw
_{You can change your leaves, but keep to your roots.}

<sup>Rootpaw had to take a very deep breath to stop herself from screaming, "YOU WANNA TUSSLE?!?!"

Luckily, she held that little outburst in, but she would never shut up completely. Now it was he who was pushing all the wrong buttons. It was a rare occasion when Rootpaw remembered other cats had feelings. This happened to be one of those occasions; she was put into the paws of a cat she would criticize, and it made her involuntarily sensitive. Her mind willed her not to make a big deal about it, but she was hurt easily against her own will. "Tha-that's because," her first words were a little hoarse, but she willed herself to holler, "they're jealous!" That was the farthest from the truth, but she had to make herself to believe it so Tanglepaw would as well. "Maybe cause I have a brain, and I'm not afraid to use it!"

She heard a warrior voice from somewhere a little ways off addressing her, but that wasn't important. She could care less right now, she was fired up. She made herself as large as she could by puffing out her chest and rising on her toes, though she was still smaller than the younger tom. "And I hear neither of your parents are clan born!" she shrieked defiantly, her claws unsheathed and dug deep into the earth. "Don't point your paw if it's dirty..." she muttered in disgust under her breath. At this point, her brain was starting to catch up to her mouth. She'd be in huge trouble with all these warriors watching this scuffle. But by now, what did she have to lose?

Wrenching her claws from the ground, she leapt at the stupid tom with all her might with a high pitched shriek.</sup>

[/sup]

It seemed like a mothers work was never done. It was quiet unfortunate for the two apprentices that Suneyes came out just as their fight began. It was even more unfortunate when she heard what the apprentice Rootpaw had to say to her son; and to her.

Even when to yowled for the two to stop, Rootpaw ignored her. It wasn't but a moment later the she-cat jumped onto Tanglepaw, and Suneyes came barreling over to the two. Pushing her way between them, Suneyes separated the two with only a scratch.

Glaring not only at Rootpaw, but at her son, she growled to them both "This is no way to act! You two should know better than speak against fellow clan mates!" Turning fully to Rootpaw "And I'm very disappointed in you. You should know much better than to attack a fellow apprentice. Or to say such things about warriors."

Taking a deep breath to help calm herself she glared at Tanglepaw "And I thought by now you would behave much better than a kit. It seems like I was wrong though. Perhaps you need to return to the nursery?" Of course, the queen wasn't serious about it. But she was most certainly going to punish both of the apprentices.

TANGLEPAW
Live, Love & Never forget to Laugh.

Tanglepaw shot his mother a haughty gaze, he didn't even have the chance to rebuttal before Suneyes intervened. "But Mom--" The orange tom whined, his voice reaching a very annoying note as he continued on with his complaining. "She started it with her mouse-brained--brain!"

Throwing Rootpaw the most disgusted look he could think of he went back to begging his mother for forgiveness--or whatever he was trying to do. "And I'm not a kit, I'm the best apprentice even ask Riverspirit she'll agree with you!" I bet I could beat Rootpaw in a fight. He still remembered 'The Hunter's' glowing gaze as he promised the apprentice that he would teach him how to fight. Tanglepaw himself hadn't seen the rouge since, but he knew he wasn't lying.

Between Riverspirit and 'The Hunter' he knew he would become the strongest tom in Windclan, and when that happens, Rootpaw will be in for a real surprise. Casting Rootpaw one more glance he stuck out his tongue and shook his head defiantly, oh yes she'd be surprised all right!

Rootpaw
_{You can change your leaves, but keep to your roots.}

<sup>'Oh, perfect timing on the oh-so-superior deputy's part,' Rootpaw thought in disgust. After being tossed like a speck of dirt away from Tanglepaw, the she-cat's temper had fully exceeded the boiling point. She went into an all out rant, but this time decided to keep her voice below a yell; we didn't need the whole clan out here. Turning to Suneyes, she began;

"I don't really think a scuffle between two apprentices should receive so much attention," she stated cooly, sitting up straight and taking a moment to fix her ruffled fur. "I mean, such felonies such as the killing of clanmates by their fellow warriors go on without knowing the culprit, yet two cats speaking their honest opinions never seems to get by. What, did you think I was going to kill your precious son?" Rootpaw mused over that last thought for a moment with satisfaction.

She wanted to add, 'And maybe, if you didn't have so many darn kits, you'd have time to teach this one some manners.' But knew a little better than that. "I resulted to physical actions against him because of biased conclusions he made about myself, which I did not see very fair." There. That last part was strategically placed at the end, so it would be fresh in Suneye's mind. Not once did she direct her attention to Tanglepaw, who was only hurting himself with all the frantic "she did it, not me," type of remarks.</sup>

Paws of the Running Rabbit
Swift as the Rabbit

Rabbit slowly closed her eyes as moon started helping her clean her pelt. These two apprentices, as they called them, were starting to get on her last nerve. She wasn't used to the rivalry bitterness in the clans. In the tribe, if this happened both cats would be exiled for a bit. To-bes there learned quickly not to fight with each other unless it was totally necessary.
The she-cat slowly opened her eyes and watched as the deputy of the place ran over and started scolding the cats. If her kits had acted like that they'd get more than a chewing out, but she respected the other she-cat for keeping her cool. Those two would have probably already been dead if that had been her.
Her ears perked as the tom tried to turn the blame on the smaller she-cat then as the one called rootpaw turned it back on the tom, but not being so obvious. She slowly sat up and licked her paw bringing it over her ears. Really she wouldn't mind seeing these two fight it out. They both wouldn't give up so they'd just worn themselves out. She slowly closed her eyes to slits before addressing her long lost friend beside her.
"Moon, would it be too harsh to put these two through a method we use at the camp? We do this to our to-bes who fight a lot and it tends to get the point around." she mewed to her friend. She flexed her claws into the ground, wanting to try her idea but not wanting to put a bad name on the tribe or on herself. She knew there were cats here that were wary of her being here and she didn't want to push herself into someplace she didn't need to be in.

"No 'buts', Tanglepaw. You're just proving my point even more with your whining." The queen turned to Rootpaw, glaring at her like only a mother could. "If apprentices got away with 'scuffling' between each other, honest opinion, biased conclusions or not, then the clans would be a weak system of no discipline. Apprentices should behave and know much better than to attack a fellow clan mate because they made some wrong conclusions. And one should know better than to speak against a fellow warrior, deputy or not."

Hearing Rabbit speak, Suneyes turned to her and replied. "I would be very interested in this method, Rabbit. Perhaps some tribe discipline will do these two some good."