After a hard days work (open)

[ḞḶIṆṪ]

A red glow turned the water to blood and tinted Lemonpaws bright yellowish fur. The sun was setting somewhere in the distance and the land and rivers were falling into twilight. Below her dark shapes moved the water. The fish were big at the end of the year now and could hardly hid themselves anymore. Her frosty wishers flicked, this apprentice had no liking of fish., there flabby white mean wasn’t for her. There rather fun to catch though. Go around flapping and all. She thought and leaped up upon the bridges wide wood railing. For a second it looked like she might fall but Lemonpaw was far to proud to go toppling into the water.

She smirked and plopped down. Back paws hung over the edge of her spot while her front ones rested on the backs of her feet. Every muscle relaxed and she looked very at ease. Only her clear gray eyes remained open and sharp though it had been a long day. The newly made mentor of Lemonpaw, that is Jetfur, had taken her out hunting and discovered she lacked any real skill. Irritation itched at her pelt like mites. Usually she tended to be a quite grumpy cat and this trail of thought failed to improve her mood. With her inner grumbling still going on, her eyes closed.

[Sheer]

Vaguepaw shot through the undergrowth with ease grasses sliding easily past his pelt as he went zipping like a WindClan cat on the moors. He swerved in a sharp turn almost slamming against a tree, he spotted Lemonpaw standing on the edge of the river. He went over a few feet behind her. Cats get what's coming to them. he thought and as abruptly as he came he kicked one of her hind legs out from under her aiming to knock her into the river

[ḞḶIṆṪ]

So distracted by her thoughts and the various aches and pains of the day, Lemonpaw had not noticed Vaugepaw as he slid up behind her. She had been contemplating mouse catching. Jetfur didn't like her technique much and yet she had, after much struggle, got the mouse. And isn't that all that matters. She grumbled, tail whacking the railing aggressively. Sucking in a deep breath of the emerging night air a hard kick prodded her back side.

Fur and limbs flailing, Lemonpaw screeched like murder as she teetered over the edge. Her pelt has fluffed to twice it's size and her eyes were wide. She hated getting wet. With thick fur it would take forever to dry! The old worn wood was smooth though, short deadly curved claws couldn't even penetrate it's smooth surface.

With a curse she had no choice but to slide backwards and down. The waters greedy red eyes glittered as the apprentice collapsed into the pool. Water got into her ears and mouth, a fish came up and examined one of her toes. Kicking hard, Lemonpaw paddled up and broke the surface thrashing and totally ticked off. I hope whoever did that isn't part of Riverclan cause I’m going to Rip. there. fur. off! She hissed and felt the twisted murk under her paws again. Struggling past the mud her dripping and very amusing looking self made it back to shore.

[Sheer]

"I hope you won't hold that against me Lemonpaw but I had to see how another yellow cat like me would fare in the water." Vaguepaw meowed. He didn't like water either, he's never put one paw into the river before and didn't intend to. "Try rolling on the ground, it get's the water out faster. I just do it so I don't freeze into a furry ice cube since my fur is better on the moors." he suggested. He said it rather stiffly as his mind had already thought up five sarcastic sayings that he didn't feel was safe to stay. Too bad for him, Vaguepaw loved to play games of wits and words.

[ḞḶIṆṪ]

A skinny looking head whipped around, face full of malice at Vaugepaw. Her eyes narrowed. Oh well thanks for the advice. She mewed sounding surprisingly casual. She whisked about and shook her fur harshly, water droplets flew through the air. She ceased only to realize this was even worse, her appearance now resembled a bright yellow porky pine. All her previous dirt was gone and the full on glow of her pelt shown in the shadows.

Severely pissed off, Leomonpaw let herself slid into one of her favored postures. She moved twords Vaugepaw with a easy stride and a straight back. Her face looked calm, even partly amused. Would I have needed it though if you hadn't pushed be to begin with? For the first part her words sounded playful, a bit teasing.

The end of the sentence was something else. A vicious hard look swept over her face and smothered her eyes. She hissed the last 'with' and in the same word lunged, claws sheathed, at Vaugepaw. Her paws hooked his shoulders and with all the strength of her back legs, tried to drag him over to the water. Lets see how well it works for you!

[Sheer]

Using his natural agility Vaguepaw jumped away like a flying fish. "That is true, you wouldn't haven needed it if I didn't push you in the first place. But if you keep threatening me I'll just keep moving further away." he tensed his legs ready to dodge again. If he went for a swim he'd surely drown, no swimming talent, no bouancy. He wasn't in the mood to die but if he did today, he probably wont' mind it so much. Lemonpaw would get her revenge and he wouldn't have to worry about life's annoyances

[ḞḶIṆṪ]

Lemonpaw winced as her paws came together again over air. Over her shoulder Vaguepaw was talking. Apparently he rather agreed with her. Gray orbs narrowed. No way could she catch the tom, something else wag going to be needed. Instead of turning back to face him she watched the water, still rippling form her unneeded spill. About her her fur was wet and heavy, it was going to be moons before the whole thing was nice and dry again! Undaunted she searched for some way to get Vaguepaw back, Lemonpaw had never been one to bide her time.

The reeds drifted in a low wind. The air was growing cool and the flys had begun to buzz about, the fish would dart up and get a mouthful now and again with loud clapping splashes. Head between her shoulders Lemonpaw stalked down to the water and hooked a ugly bit of wet roots and dirt. A very evil smile crept up her maw. She had positioned herself so Vaguepaw shouldn’t be able to see it, her senses told where his position was. In a whirl she turned and let her paw and the hooked mass fly. Her aim was pretty good to, it pelted for it’s target.

[Sheer]

Vaguepaw was sniffing the reeds by the tree he had nearly slammed to. He was pondering how on this world or beyond did his clanmates stand that constant wet feeling even if the reeds where dry. Then out of no where he was pelted with a pawful of mud. "Gahhhh!" he screamed unintentionally turning into a snarl. He immeditely started wildly shaking spraying the mud everywhere. The vast majority was off but it still left a large stain on his light yellow fur. He started at it for a while, "Well, I suppose I had that coming to me. Good one, I never even heard you coming!" he complimented rubbing his fur against the damp reeds.

[ḞḶIṆṪ]

Smirking in a very satisfied manor, Lemonpaw again shook her fur fiercely. It held water like a starving cat with a mouse and refused to let go, this no flurry of movement still sent large wet droplets flying. I so did not want to go for a swim. The pail yellow she cat groaned and sat while nosing her chest fur back into place. If it had to be clean, it might as well look good to. In rhythmic motions her sand paper tongue got to work straining each jutting clump back down. I must be really tired. Normally that Vaguepaw’d be covered in mud instead of just splotched with it. Back and forth her tail tip flicked, she actually did feel better after getting some revenge.

His image reflected in her water gray pools, rubbing a colorful side against the reeds. Silently she noticed Vaguepaw had the same kind of pelt as her, light and bright and very annoying. Well not him that is, somehow his fur looked great even with the dark mud stain. She on the other paw wasn’t so lucky, the color was more stand outish on her pelt and it was such a pain she was surprised onlookers didn’t go blind. The fur was lying back down easily but each thought made her more and more irritated again, she only half heard Vaguepaw words. Darn right you had that coming!

Cool patches of air were slinking over the ground, like shadowy warriors creeping from the forest as night emerged. It’s going to be cold. She mumbled and looked up at Vaguepaw. It’s your fault I’m going to be freezing tonight. The slightly noticeable growl in her voice was quite emphasizing to her state of mind. Pushing to her paws, the frosty white and yellow Lemonpaw flung herself to the side and simply rubbed over the ground a few times. Though grass bits came up with her, the desired effect was there and her fur all laid flat now in a satisfactory manor.

So. Vaguepaw. Why in starclans name are you out here shoving innocent cats into the water? Both eyes narrowed as she mewed this, very suspiciously but not really mean. Lemonpaw aired to the said of grumpy and on bad days irritable, but not honestly mean. Well, at least not at heart. Today after working hard she really was tired and not in the mood to carry on a meaningful grudge like usual. A paw rubbed over her nose but here eyes didn’t leave the tom. She defiantly wanted an answer.

[Sheer]

Vaguepaw looked away, "I don't know, I was wondering about something that's all." he murmured. To be honest he was wondering about StarClan. None of it made any logical sense to him. StarClan just watches you without influencing any events in anyone living one's life. Do they ever get tired of just staring down on the living wishing they were back? When he died he wanted it just to end. One life was enough for him. He didn't want to live again, after all if we all had an eternal after life surely nothing would be of value to us anymore. When a loved one died they just come to join us and we would never worry about anything because there will always be a tomorrow. When he dies he just wanted to disappear and if no one remembered him that was okay too. There's no point dwelling on the dead because they're gone and will never come back, perhaps it's a pity but that's just how life is and nothing will ever change that. You live for the day you die but why you die...probably to make the world more interesting. If the same cats stayed in this world forever it must be awfully dull speaking to the same people and everyone would be eternally happy and strive for nothing. Vaguepaw twitched his ears, Maybe I'm just being too much of a philosopher....

[ḞḶIṆṪ]

A linear strand of fur all down the sides of her back bone pricked up slightly. Trying her absolute hardest to be patent, Lemonpaw waited for the tom to continue. His face had a very thoughtful expression over it and the look in his orbs was deep. She could only wonder at what might be going on in his head, what strange things toms thought when they got quiet. Or not. Actually a nasty feeling was building in her stomach and with it grew a strong urge to rake her claws over something. Talons biting into the grass she absently wondered if Vaguepaw would escape again should she chose to remedy the feeling.

Abruptly she could no longer stand to sit and sprang up, tail lashing and muscles burning for action. Lemonpaw wasn’t the cat to just sit around indecisive conversation when answers were needed. In fact, indecisiveness was her biggest pet peeve. Nothing was ever accomplished that way, things were changed with action! Like usual energy zapped beneath her fur at the thought. It felt like she could just run now from this getting-no-where conversation. And what kind of answer is that? She growled now for real, no way did the apprentice plan on letting Vaguepaw get off that easily.

It’s not even a real answer! You were thinking? What for the first time ever? And let me guess, you got so exited by it you just had to celebrate by shoving me in to the water. Is that it? Now she could hear her heart beat thudding beneath her ears. Much like it always did when Lemonpaw got riled up, luckily the outburst used up enough of her former energy not to send the she cat over the edge. Her stance looked close to it though, shoulders facing the tom, tail whipping the air behind her aggressively.

[Sheer]

"No, that's not it...it's just I was wondering about how the clans work. Why they put such strange boundries up. I understand that it's been working well for a long time but really. I mean take someone like me, my parents were both pure blooded RiverClan warriors but for some reason I look just like a WindClan cat and act like one. Why if there are others like that? No offense but you're almost like me, you're fur's not waterproof and my fur...just isn't for water at all. If what we look like and how we adapt doesn't always stick to what clan we are in that must mean that we have to migrate to go to an ideal location. That's just basic survival. But then there's this thing about loyalty to the clan, a loyalty to something that might happen, a good you can't understand. And this thing about StarClan, if we go to StarClan when we die and watch over the living it'll just be like having an eternal life. The very reason things die is to keep this world from being over populated but having StarClan just doesn't follow that rule. Everything the warrior code is about defies logic." he murmured, by now Vaguepaw was deeply infused with his inner philosopher

[ḞḶIṆṪ]

Ok wow. Lemonpaw had no idea where that mouthful had come from. Even worse, she didn’t know if there was one answer for all that. Why’d she have to answer Vaguepaw anyway? It wasn’t like he’d answered her question for the second time! Just like his last response it was like he’d be carrying on in his own world regardless of what she said. Was she even needed for this conversation? Vaguepaw was thinking up enough to say for both of them. Lemonpaw was suddenly glad she’d never wondered at toms thought, they were long winded! And apparently experts at avoiding atonement for there crimes.

She only had that well – planted mud stain on his fur for soloist. That was getting pretty dry though. One bit she’d managed to catch was that ‘No offence’ part. What did that mean, ‘no offence but you look like me.’ Her tongue got bit as she tried, actually tried, not to point out Vaguepaws apparent self image issues. What else could it be if it was an offence to look like him? This was made easier though by his speech back to her. It was hard to keep a fight going when one party of it talked your ears off. Wait. ‘good you can’t understand.’ And just what did that mean?

So you think you know all fur brain! An aggressive step pulled her towards him. Well just so you know, we have no reason to migrate. Were not birds, birds get eaten! Were clan cats and everyone else can make up for whatever your problems are. It’s survival to stick with those who will help protect you. Surprised, Lemonpaw growled silent. Ugh. She’d gotten sucked into an intelligent argument. That was dangerous ground, elders doing just that were known to pass out from air loss. To much going out and not enough in Lemonpaw figured. well you can just keep pondering. She stated flatly and with that turned tail and strode over to the bridge.

[Sheer]

Vaguepaw ginned broadly, "Don't worry Lemonpaw, I doubt all tom cats think about these ideas, it's just me. I'm just weird like that but one thing is true. You do look like me, we didn't quite end up like RiverClan cats should be." He mewed, he felt a bit winded inside just like he always did when this 'philosopher's fit' came on, it always did in the most random times where he'd had to stop and think even if it was in a battle field, starclan forbid that ever happens.

[ḞḶIṆṪ]

Stepping on the bridge, Lemonpaw huffed and leaped back up the railing. Taking easy well-planted steps she slipped half way across it then turned around and lay down again, this time taking care to face Vaguepaw. Like a horse sweeping away flies, her tail randomly leaped up and patted back down. With the side of her back hips beneath her and the bottoms of her fore legs supporting her front, Lemonpaw’s face was on her apparent ‘twin’. It was impossible to miss the similarities, with all the fight right out of the whole situation, Lemonpaw was thinking clearly now. And personally, she didn’t particularly like looking like him. This bight pelt was the biggest pain in her life! She was never able to sneak up on anything, its burst like quality in the forest always gave her position away.

Lemonpaw hated her fur! Their were many cats in her clan that envied her pelt, mostly the vain she cats. They could never understand why she moved around like a dust bowl. Well they didn’t half to! It was her prerogative what she did in and with her own fur! Focusing back on Vaguepaw her grin was toothy. Sure hope they don’t all think like you. That was a real mouthful Vaguepaw. Licking a paw and exposing her nails, Lemonpaw dug between her teeth. Don’t worry, when you finally get a mentor they wont give you enough time to do all that thinking.