Grog padded with a heavy scowl, his paw-falls even heavier than that. His fun with the dogs had run out when they got confused and then wandered off towards other scents. He later found them retching sick and smelling foul so he decided to leave them be.For his troubles he had been awarded another scar, several close calls but a very fine dog tooth he had managed to shove onto the end of a stick.... after breaking several other sticks first trying to do this. He didn't know what he'd call it but it made him happy and he ever so wanted to show Pike!
If only he could find Pike....that is.
"Why she always got to be runnin' off to help other cats..." he sighed heavily as he sat down with a thlop, staring hard at his paws and completely oblivious to his surroundings.
rev:
Barkfang was heading back to her clan when she heard mumbling then a heavy thud. She moved cautiously but clearly not cautiously enough as she peeked through a bush to see who had been mumbling, and slammed her face into the flank of THE biggest tomcat she had ever seen, oops.
Luna:
Grog shot up like lightning, making the loudest and strangest yowl and growl mix any cat had ever heard, turning around in an instant, his short fur completely fuzzed out. "WHOSE THERE I'LL KILLYOUARAERAGAG." he hissed and spat, eyes wide and crazed until he realized it was a small brown she cat who smelled kind of like those other cats but also dog and also....something else.
"Oh....uh...." he blinked, mentally adding 'Not Pike' in his mind. "Can.... I help.... you?" he looked around confused as to why a cat would have run into him out here. Or if eh could even help.
Rev:
Barkfang stood still her head poking out of the bush when the tom startled, she would have laughed if he hadn't been so large and intimidating.
Then he paused, ok he wasn't going to outright attack her, good, She thought herself a good fighter but knew she'd never win against this tom. "Help?" she mewed, then beamed... maybe he could, she was still... receptive and he looked big and strong. "Perhaps a big strong tom like you could escort a lady home?" she purred, emerging from the bushes, letting the colours of her Blessing shimmer in the sudden sunlight.
Luna:
Grog blinked as she came fully out, the strange colors on her fur causing his head to tilt and his facial expression to twist. "I...uh.. don't mean to alarm you..... lady but..."he paused and leaned in to kind of whisper only it really wasn't with his deep voice. "You have something on your fur." he pulled back, his face still twisted as he raised a paw and pointed. "Just there." he added with a very wide eyed nod as if he were trying to keep his nod a secret.... from the bright colors?
It was only then did his mind process her request. "Escort a lady home....?" he blinked and looked around then pointed at her. "You?"
Rev:
Barkfang smiled, she forgot how strange her Blessing was to most cats that weren't her clan. "Oh this? The spirits decided to honor me for some deeds i did" she said vaguely, "They don't rub off, would you like to touch?" she purred, turning to the side.
She covered the insulted feeling at his last comment with a fake sneeze. before moving to twirl round him, her scent heavy in the air, "Yes, lady, i'm certainly not a tom am i?" she said, slightly pouting.
Luna:
The entire thing only confused him.
"Someone spit on your fur and it doesn't come off?" he blinked again, wrinkling his nose as she spoke about touching it. At least until she got closer and began to twine around him. Yup, most definitely a lady and NOT a tom.
Lifting a paw, he waited until she came around again and darted out to touch the colors as if it were going to bite him. When it didn't, he reached out again, pulling his paw away expectantly to look for colors on his own. "IT STAYED!" he laughed, reaching out again and again to paw-poke her like it was some kind of game. "What did you do to get some cat to spit colors on you?" he blinked, kinda curious if he could get some too....
Rev:
Barkfang tried not to laugh, Forestclan this tom was stupid. Strong though, she felt it as he touched her blessed marks. "There was a great battle between spirits of the old cats gone before us" she said, trying to keep her words simple. "They honored me for my efforts in the fight and gave me these colours to show that they think i am worthy" She did chuckle, not unkindly actually, at his wonder, it was a long while since she'd seen precious innocent reaction to her colours, the Clan was used to them by now so much they barely even saw it, she felt. It was nice to have them noticed and the fascination was adorable. The other cat had been interested but in a completely different way.
Luna:
As she tried to explain more, he only seemed to frown more and put his paw down momentarily. "Spirits.... old cats... gone.." he repeated, his mind slowly putting things together. Pike had mentioned something about spirit cats before, though he never quite understood it because he never had seen or spoke to dead cats, let alone be spit on by them.
Battles though? Oh he knew those.
"I LOVE BATTLES!" he suddenly burst out laughing, eyeing her now with much more of a different look than before. "I never got any colors for fighting though... OH BUT I GOT SCARS!" he beamed proudly, turning around to show them off, grinning. "Got that one just recently from some stupid dogs." he beamed again. "Is that why you're out here? I can smell them on you." he furrowed a bit, watching her. If she was so strong, why did she want help home?
Or.... or was that just a distraction....?? The last thought made him grin even more stupidly than before. Oh he liked strong ladies.....very very much...
Rev:
Barkfang decided not to try and explain what she meant by the spiritual clans. A good thing because he yelled about battles and her ears flattened. "Me too" she said, "though the colours hide them a little" She smirked.
"I made the dogs sick.... i tried to make them dead but it seems like it wasn't strong enough" she said, looking dejected a little, not having to fake the disappointment she'd felt at only making them sick.
Luna:
A loud gasp escaped him as he looked her up and down, grin about spreading from ear to ear. "YOU? WERE THE ONE TO MAKE THEM SICK?" he shouted, leaping up on his hind paws a moment before crashing back down. "They were soooo sick when I found them last!" he laughed. "Just spewing everywhere! Tails between their legs! Stench so ripe.. oohh it was glorious!" he purred fiercely, a little bit jealous.
Zooming over, he pressed his massive head into hers. "You gotta tell me your secrets!" he about demanded.... before stepping back a bit.
"I mean...uh...." his tone lowered, trying to sound a bit more nice and formal instead of a big lug. "While I .... " he coughed "escort... you home...... ?" he tilted again, looking like that one single fancy word about took all the brain power he had.
Rev:
Barkfang laughed, genuinely, oh this sweet dumb brute, What a shame he wasn't Clan. "A few herbs in some fresh kills" she said, "I'm afraid i can't tell you more than that... it's a secret" she said lowering to a whisper, she was sure this tom wouldn't remember what she'd used if she told him but her mother had told her to keep her talents a secret unless she became medcat .... she hadn't so she kept things to herself a lot.
She leant her head back against him in genuine affection, wishing again he was a clan cat, she rather enojoyed his innocent excitement over things, his glee in her results with the dogs. "I would be glad of such a strong tom to help me get home, there's foxes and anything in these woods" she said, rubbing against him "I'm not as strong as you, i mean, you got a tooth from those dogs even though they hurt you" she said, licking his shoulder as she sidled up to him. "So brave" her tone purred.
Luna:
For a moment he was fallen, the wind knocked out of his sails. But something inside him also kind of understood. "Secrets. Got it!" he smiled, before leaning in again to whisper. "I wouldn't tell anyone though.. if uh... you wanted to tell me. Tight lip, this one." he did his best to try to give her that sweet talking pity kitty face to get her to slip.
The contact made his fur stand on end however, and he glanced down at her. Her compliments however caused him to shift again as he stood tall and proud, his chest fluffed out to its maximum potential. Which wasn't much fluff wise given how short his fur was, but his size and muscle were well apparent. "That I am, very brave! No fox or dog would harm a fur on your pelt!" he said confidently, he nodded, his obvious I'm big bad cat face plastered over him. "Just lead the way, yup!"
Rev:
Barkfang mused, maybe she could tell him SOME things... "Well.... i can't tell you how i made the dogs sick, and looking at you, you don't need that to win your battles." she said, "But .... Some things that heal... can be bad if you give someone too much" she said, winking "but you promise not to tell another living cat swear on your dog tooth?"
Oh she could swoon, he was so.... very much a tom, big, strong, dumb as a frog ... She could enjoy his company VERY much. "Perhaps we can hunt first, i bet you can catch the BIGGEST rats" her voice flirtatious. "It's been a long journey, I'd love to eat first" she was hungry, perhaps he would show her how good at hunting he was, perhaps not, that was his choice, but she really waned to watch that muscled body at work.
Luna:
Grog looked ridiculously excited, like a kitten given permission to go outside. His eyes were so large and his smile couldn't possibly get any wider. He hunkered down to the grass to be more level to her face and nodded. "Swear on muh dog tooth!!!"
He'd have to ask Pike about that later, she knew how to heal with leafy things.
When she mentioned hunting though, it threw him off a minute. "Oh! ... Uh, sure!" he said, sniffing at the air. Rat's weren't much of a fun challenge but they'd probably fill her up good so he wasn't going to deny her that. "I will find you the biggest rat you've ever seen! Just you wait!" he grinned, latching onto a scent and suddenly exploding off into the bushes.
It was a good chunk of time until he came back but it was easy to tell he wasn't that far away, all she had to do was have ears and a brain.
When he finally came crashing back through the bushes, he had not only a rat, but a couple mice, a scraggly looking bird and half a bunny. Plopping it all down messily at her paws he grinned at her, fresh blood stained in his white fur as he licked a paw. "I uh... I got hungry on the way back... I'm soaree..." he blinked before pawing at the other half of the rabbit innocently, as if he were trying to sneak it from her pile without her noticing. He was glancing suspiciously around everywhere, not being very good at being sneaky.
Rev:
Barkfang smiled, a true honest smile as he got excited then bounded off. "oh he's just adorable" she sighed to herself, slightly dozing off until he crashed back in.
"Oh don't be sorry ah...." she paused "oh my goodness, where ARE my manners, i made you do all that without telling you my name, i'm Barkfang" she said, all sweetness and purring "I think you deserve that rabbit, you're such a GOOD hunter" she added, she'd noticed him pawing it. "the rat and the mice will be plenty to fill my belly, i'm not as big as you after all" she said sweetly.
Luna:
Grog laughed and quickly scooted the rabbit to him, already digging in when she offered her name. "That's a funny name!" he laugh-snorted through the rabbit, going back to eating before a tiny Pike voice in his head made him stop.
Give her your name Grog it said.
"I'm Grog Strongjaw!" he nodded, smiling at her, a very messy and very red dripping smile. "I am the best hunter! Let me tell you. I once hunted a moose right out of its pelt!" he exaggerated. None of that had ever happened, but he HAD come across an already dead one and rolled in it a bit. That counted, right?
"So... you don't mind if I take the bird either?" he asked, claws already snagged in a feather as he gently pulled it back towards him, however he couldn't quite keep his eyes off her, or her pretty spit on fur. "I mean uh... " he coughed again. "Gotta keep my strength up to keep you safe on the way home, Dart Pang!"
Rev:
Barkfang chuckled "Yes i suppose it is a strange name if you're not born in the Clan" she said quietly, eating the rat first, since that's what she'd asked him to get, pulling the mice to her too
"Grog Strongjaw is strange to me but it certainly tells me a lot about you" she said smiling. Enjoying this company "A Moose? REALLY?" not believing him but pretending to, humoriing him.
"Go for it" she said, gesturing to the bird he was already grabbing "Of course you do" she said, finishing her rat and starting on the mice "Don't be ashamed to eat, i know a cat that could probably eat something your size or bigger" she chuckled "He even has 'jaw' in his name too" (totally thinking about Bearjaw)
Luna:
Grog was hardly listening, focused too much on stuffing his own face, at least until he heard something along the lines of another cat, eating and jaw. "Wut..." he blinked, staring at her, a few feathers now stuck to his face and he paused to sort of hiss, spit, paw them off his face, only to have them stuck to his paws.
He spun in a circle, flicking the feathers off before finally managing to do it, sitting down pleased with himself, not realizing they were just now stuck to his tail.
"Right,, so....uh... whenever you are ready... Dart Pang..... course... you don't have to leave right now right? We can totally talk more about you and cat spit and dogs, yeah?!" he added excitedly, slinking over to stand close beside her.
Rev:
Barkfang laughed, genuine sweet laughter "Yes, a cat named Bearjaw that i know back home, i bet he could eat a whole moose" she said playfully, holding back another laugh at his prediacment with the feathers.
Dart..pang? .. "Barkfang" she corrected, realising the first time he'd said it was an attempt at her name. "I'd love to talk more about the dogs and hear about how you earned your trinkets" she purred, finishing her mice and licking her paws as she started to clean herself, a ritual after eating for a lot of cats she knew.
Luna:
Grog almost looked hurt and offended at the statement of some Bear Jaw eating more than him. "Ohy, ain't no cat could eat more than me!" he fluffed up again, sort of looking like a pissed of kitten. A really really really big pissed off kitten. He about darted into the trees to go hunt more just to come back and prove his point when she spoke again.
"That's wut I said, Dart Pang." he blinked before getting excited and flopping down next to her, almost engulfing her really. "Tell me everything, from he beginning!" he said before reaching out to sneak a few more pokes at her colored fur, slightly falling sideways to do it. As he did, he caught sight of her grooming and for a moment he continued to fall over, laying on his side, just watching her transfixed.
For those few seconds, he sort of forgot about Pike...
Rev:
Barkfang laughed again, she hoped he took it in good graces, he just made her laugh, "Perhaps you two can have an eating competition sometime" she said, watching as he moved to try and poke the colours on her fur "you can touch" she said huskily, pausing in her grooming, "it doesn't even come off with grooming, look" She licked her side a few times to prove it before looking at him, laying on his side,
Luna:
"HAH! I'd win, paws down." he scoffed, until she groomed her side.
Grog still stared at her with kitten-eyed wonder. "Nooo...." he said, not believing her, she had to have tricked him and not really licked her fur. Sitting up he about smashed his face into her side and gave her a big long, probably slightly drooly lick before closely studying her fur, how a few colorful strands stuck out at odd angles but were still very much...colorful.
"WUT!!" he gasped again, giving another experimental slurp before sort of pouting. "I want pretty spit colors....If I get you home safe, do you think I'll get spit on?!" he gasped excitedly, now torn. He flipped himself over but then paused and stared at her.
She was fun, and she smelled really good and she was colorful. He didn't want her to leave but now he wanted to go get colors of his own...
Rev:
Barkfang wriggled under his tongue "I don't ever lie" she said to him, giggling again as he flipped over "I don't know Grog, i think you have to do something special to get it, i know i did" she said, hoping he did manage to get some "spit" someday. She didn't want to leave either but life as a loner wasn't in her goals. "Shall we get walking towards my home?" she said, moving to lean against him with a purr
Luna:
"But I'm already amazing...." he sighed. His brows furrowed now, trying to think about what he could do that was special that he wasn't already doing.
Shaking himself free of this thoughts, he got to his paws and nodded. "Right! Lead the way and I'll fight off all the nasties that try to lay a claw on your pretty spitty fur!" he promised, glancing at her as she moved to his side. It took all he had not to reach down and lick at her colors again to see if he could get them off.
He did however, try to sneak a peak at his tongue to see if it was now pretty, though that wasn't actually working out like how he had imagined it too...
Rev:
Barkfang gave him a small smile "yes you are but so am i ... i think you have to something extra special more than normal" she said, not really sure anymore, she'd lost her fights but the celestial cats of forestclan had given her the colours anyway, perhaps for her determination to KEEP fighting despite her losses?
She beamed a lovely smile when he said her 'spitty' fur was pretty. "I'm sure you'll get some.... someday" she said, walking side by side with him as the made their way towards Riverclan territory and so what if her pace was slower than normal, she wanted to prolong the time spent with Grog.
Luna:
Grog walked by her side, though lost in thought about what he could do that would earn him some colors. He'd have to try everything now.
In fact, he already had.
As they walked, he eyed a fly on a bark and charged it, spitting at it impressively and giving it a good smack as it buzzed off wobbily. Immediately he turned and stared at his coat from all angles, including trying to shove his head under his belly to see if any color had sprung up down there.
But nothing.
Sighing, he fell back instep with Barkfang. "You live far?" he asked, somewhat hoping the answer was no. If he couldn't get colors today, then he'd sure as heck get em tomorrow! With her help... of course... because she was also amazing.
Rev:
Barkfang startled a little a** he suddenly charged a fly, she smiled broadly, which dropped when he asked if she lived far "Oh not too far, but far enough, maybe half a day's travel" she said, "I don't suppose you want to join a group of cats that live together would you?" she asked, she was sure she knew what his answer would be but .. she had to ask anyway.
Luna:
He had to sort of bit back a sigh, that was a lot of walking. But that also meant a little more time with her...
"Join a group of cats?" he blinked and glanced down at her. That was probably her clan thing wasn't it? "Would I get spit on if i joined?" he asked her then paused again. What about Pike? Would she know to look for him there? Could he still go look for her?
"I don't know... do I have to do anything.....weird?" he glanced at her, though his gut was already telling him no.
Rev:
Barkfang hung her head sadly "No, no there are many cats where i live that don't have the ...spit.. on them" she said
"Weird?" she said, "no, not weird, though you might have to go by a new name" she sighed. "but no, i really don't know what's considered worthy enough to get these colours, no new cats have had them since the big spirit battle" she said, pausing in her walking for a moment.
Luna:
Grog made a funny face. "Change my name? But I'm Grog...." he shook his head and sighed. Lots of cats, lots without the fun spit colors. Nothing really sounded fun about this group anyways, except maybe beating the jaw off some bear for some food. "Spit battles? That sounds weird too... and sticky..." he shook his head again.
Something inside him hurt, like if he had eaten some bad food. He didn't understand it and he didn't like it either.
"Sorry Dart Pang... I don't think I could... sides I still gotta find Pike." he frowned a bit, stopping to shoulder a thorny bush out of the way for her before an idea struck him. "Why don't you leave?! And come with me and Pike! ... Once we find her that is... WE COULD GO KILL SOME DOGS AND GET SPIT ON MORE!" his eyes about sparkled at the idea.
Rev:
Barkfang shook her head sadly, she'd known before asking he probably wouldn't join a clan but she feigned a smile "It's ok, the Spirit battle WAS strange" she admitted, feeling bad that she'd made him feel bad, when he talked about finding pike she tilted her head "Pike? Is that your mate?" she asked, curious.
"No....sorry i can't leave my clan, my leader is an idiot, she needs me" She chuckled though "I'd be happy to hunt dogs with you any time Grog" she said with a purrr and a nuzzle. If only she had met him a long time ago, she'd have been tempted to have joined him. Now though, she had too much responsibility on her shoulders to her Clan, to her apprentice, for the first time she felt BAD about how she'd twisted poor Foxcry, not that she could change it now and after all, she HAD only told the younger cat the truth.
Luna:
"Pike is me best buddy!!!" he said estactic, almost like a kitten. "We do almost everything together." he nodded, with a big 'Yup' at the end. "Well.... mostly... sometimes she has to go help other cats and is gone for a really long time.... and I miss her so." he said as his face seemed to turn into a brief pout, his voice sounding a bit shakey.
At least until Barkfang nuzzled him and he froze a moment before letting out a rough purr. "That would make me sooo happy too. Hunting dogs with the amazing Dart pang! I can see us now..." he said wistfully as he continued to lead her back towards home. "Ya know... I uh...wish you could stay longer..." he added softly as he walked, keeping his tail twined with hers.
Rev:
Barkfang purred, sad but enjoying the huge tom's company "well we don't HAVE" to get back as soon as possible, i could stay an extra night or two" she smiled, twining her tail with his.
Luna:
Grog let out a goofy laugh sort of mrrow. "They wont miss you if you stayed another day or two. I'm suuuure if you told them you was out killin dogs they'd see you as a hero." he purred, slowing his steps a bit as he smelled the scent of a bunch of other cats drawing closer. "I know a great spot 'round here... perfect for us..... trainin'."
Rev:
Barkfang couldn't help but really like the big lug, he made her genuinely laugh, his reactions so pure as in there was no other meaning behind them, simple but not stupid, she was sure this guy wasn't THAT dumb. "I did tell them i'd be gone several days, an extra couple couldn't hurt" She watched him move, muscle rippling under his short fur.
"training.. right" she said with a wink and an amused smirk.
Luna:
Grog laughed again, a kind of drawn out breathy mrrow of a laugh now. "Trainin' ... lots 'n lots o trainin'!" he grinned, suddenly taking a detour in his path and pushing aside a few bushes. "Its this way, if you uh, think you can handle it." he purred, a sort of flicker in his dark eyes.
Rev:
Barkfang chuckled huskily "Oh i'm sure i can absolutely handle it, and such a gentletom" she purred, swishing her tail in his face where he held the bushes aside for her, curling it under his chin