Thunderstorm
Finally having received his warrior name and rights, Thunderstorm was out hunting on his first solo hunt. Well, he'd had a solo hunt to prove himself to gain his warrior name but this was his first hunt as a warrior of Treeclan. Having managed to catch one decent sized bird already, he was feeling pretty good about himself. The bird was buried a ways back and he was nearing their boarder in pursuit of a squirrel when a sudden storm had rolled up on him. A loud crack of thunder sent him down his current tree to the ground below. The prey he'd been hunting fled and he cursed his luck. He let out a disappointed sigh.
Then the smells hit him. Freshly marked lightening clan territory seemed all around him. He had been hunting close to the boarder lines of the two clans; he must have jumped into an overlapping part while in the trees without realizing it. Ears flat, he cursed his luck again. Maybe if this spot had been recently marked it meant that the patrol had already moved on.. right?
The forest grew darker and another roll of thunder cracked overhead. Flattening himself down to the ground, he caught the fear scent of another cat nearby. Probably a lightening clan cat from the patrol. Guess they hadn't moved on after all. The smart thing to do would be run back to his clan, he knew this, but there was something vaguely familiar about the scent. A feeling stirred inside him, almost nostalgic. Creeping slowly, he moved through the bushes towards the other cat.
Stormsong
The patrol had just marking their boarders and decided to go back to camp. Stormsong excused herself, saying she needed to make dirt and that she'd be along soon but really, she needed some time away from the over crowded Lightening clan camp. How long had it been since she abandoned the ways of being a kittypet? It felt like ages to her. Would it ever matter how long with these other cats? Though she had received her warrior name, many in her clan still treated her like an outsider; just a kittypet.
A few moons ago their clan had split and many had left, including many of the other ex-kittypets. Stormy had stayed because she wanted to prove her loyalty to Lighteningclan, wanted to prove she could be trusted. But no one seemed to care. Some had wanted her to leave with the others, they had made it clear, and it left her feeling very lonely. It was hard to be alone in a camp over run with so many cats though. Thus she found herself sitting next to the boarder, as far away from the camp as possible, contemplating her place in the clan when the thunderstorm rolled up.
The first crack of thunder sent her under a nearby bramble bush, the thorns tugging at her thick coat. She was just starting to regain some of her composure when the second roar of thunder blasted overhead. Stormsong knew, or at least hoped, that her clanmates where probably back at the main camp and no one would be around to hear her. With that knowledge, she let out a loud cry, releasing her terror of the coming storm, her feelings of unworthiness, all of her frustration, and her loneliness.
Thunderstorm
His mouth open, he scented the air around him for the lightening clan patrol. There didn't seem to be a full patrol anywhere near him though. Just the one vaguely familiar scent was all he could detect. It was nagging at him now, his mind working rapidly trying to place the smell of the she-cat. He knew her, but from where? Thunderstorm thought about turning back and running along the ground (ugh) back to camp but there was no way he could let it go now.
Curiosity got the better of him and he began to follow the scent, which was very easy to do as the fear was so strong in the air, he almost felt the need to wash his coat. He had to know. Who was it? He stopped a ways from the bush he was certain the she-cat was under. Just when the had lifted a paw to approach, the other cat cried out. It was such a loud sorrowful yowl that it pulled at Thunderstorms' heart. There was no way he could leave a cat that hurt alone out here in the forest during a storm.
As he though about the coming storm, the rain began to fall, light at first but quickly became heavier.
"Hello? Hey, you there! Hi, I'm, uh, I'm here to help you." He called out loudly and awkwardly towards the brambles in front of him. Though his voice was loud, his confidence wavered and his words failed him. Embarrassment colored his cheeks as he bumbled through the greeting.
Stormsong
The sound of another voice, one she didn't recognize, startled her just as much as the thunder and she flinched back into the thorns of her hiding spot. She let out a soft yowl of pain as one of the thorns found it's way through her thick fur and pricked into her skin. Oh, how embarrassing! Whoever was out there had heard her and was probably thinking that she was just a weak kittypet!
The rain was picking up and her bush was not well positioned to provide much cover. It didn't take long for the rain water to saturate her fluffy coat. Wanting to get out of this now downpour and back to camp, Stormsong crept out of the bush. As she looked around, she expected to see a clan mate that she simply didn’t recognize.
"H-hi?" She called out to the unfamiliar voice. There were so many cats in her clan that she didn't know, it was easy for her to assume this cat was one of her clan mates on hunting duty. They were still in Lightening clan territory after all.
The moment she caught sight of him, her heart stopped. Was she seeing this right? It couldn't be... Could it? A flash of lighting lit up the forest around her and she saw his eyes. There was no mistaking those eyes. It was him. The tom she had seen several times at different places with her twolegs. He was here. In front of her. With no boxes in their way.
"Princeton!" Stromsong ran to him, coming up short right in front of his nose. "Princeton! Is it really you?! What are you doing here? How are you here?" She assaulted him with her questions.
Thunderstorm
Hearing a cry of pain come from the bush he felt instantly guilty for startling the other cat. He had thought it safe to call out, surely the she-cat had smelled him approaching? He's scent should be hard to miss with the current gale from the sudden storm. Well, he was on the ground in Lightening clans territory, maybe she thought he was here to attack her?
Just as he was about to continue that he was nice and apologize for scaring her, the cat emerged from the bush. It was her. He recognized her instantly. How could he ever forget those eyes, that coat, that smile. She was the cat of his dreams, the one that made countless hours in the monster and sitting in boxes bearable. Once again they'd found each other. Only this time, nothing was in his way.
"Duchess!" He echoed her call as she ran to him. A loud purr rumbled through him, challenging the sound of the thunder overhead. "It's really me! I can't believe it's really you!" With a smile and his purr still rumbling, he leaned in and rubbed his cheek against hers. "I live here now. Well, not here exactly. I shouldn't be here, you see, but the squirrel, and then I smelled you, then heard your cry and--" Thunderstorm broke off and buried his face in her soaked fur. "It's so good to see you. I've missed you. Come on, let’s find better cover."
He quickly darted under a slightly drier bush and made room for the she-cat to join him.
Stormsong
It was almost too good to be true. For the first time ever she could touch him, feel his warmth through the cold rain. A nearly delirious laugh bubbled up out of her as she followed him under the nearby bush, a much better hiding spot than her own. “It’s really you.” The words escaped her like a sigh. “I’ve missed you too.” She leaned into him, lost now in the storm of her emotions.
“You live here now? Wait! Princeton! Are you a loner?” Stormy wasn’t going to stand for that. Surely Lightening clan would welcome Princeton into the clan like they did with her… Her ears dropped. Did she really want that? Wasn’t it her yowl of unhappiness that drew the tom to her in the first place? No, she didn’t want such a sweet tom to be bullied in Lightening clan. Or sought after as a mate for that matter. Oh no, he was hers, whether he knew it yet or not.
Curiously, she looked him over. Soaked to the bone, he was still big. His figure was full, his muscles bulging, strong… It took a moment for her to realize she was staring. She shook her head and laughed at herself. Princeton looked way to healthy to be a loner. If he was this strong… maybe she should just go with him? Disappear in the storm and never go back to Lightening clan.
Thunderstorm
A large smile spread across his maw as Duchess laughed. At her question, it was his turn to laugh. She had always been a bit more beauty than brains and she was no different now. It was somehow comforting to him.
“No, silly, this is your clan’s boarder along Tree clan. I’m a warrior of Tree clan now, I live with them. Robinstar named me Thunderstorm.” He smiled and glanced upward towards the sky. “Like I said, I’m not supposed to be here, they are going to be so mad at me when I get back...” A guilty look crossed his face. His first solo hunt out and he runs straight into Lightening clan territory. With merely a glance at the she-cat before him and his conscious was clean. The clan could be mad all they wanted, this was his girl and he would do anything for her.
A thought hit him.
“Come with me.” He said to the drenched she-cat. “Tree clan is still small, we need more warriors. I’m sure Robinstar would take you in. Her mate has a way of convincing her and she’s got a soft spot for romance. We're finally here with no unbreakable sticks in our way! We can be together.” With a tender look at her he whispered, “Are you happy here?”
Stormsong
Oh, right, that made more sense. She was on the boarder of Tree clan wasn’t she? So he had also found a clan to take him in and teach him the way of the warriors. He looked like he had taken to it much better than she had. Her clan was also going to be disappointed in her when she got back. Dread crept up inside her. The large she-cat really didn’t want to face a disappointed clan and the snide remarks that would come of it as a result.
Wait, what did he just say?
“Go with you? To Tree clan?” She gasped at him. That was crazy! She was loyal to Lightening clan! … Wasn’t she? But wasn't she just thinking about disappearing into the woods with him? And why should she be loyal to Lightening clan? Because they did the bare minimum to take her in when she was lost with the others? Some of the other ex-kittypets had left Lightening clan for Tree clan so she would know others there besides just Princeton, er, Thunderstorm.
It was the concern in his voice broke her. No one had spoken to her like that here. A sob escaped her and she let it happen as another roll of thunder sounded. After a minute or so she composed herself and shook her head.
“No, I’m not. They took me in, Lightening clan. I was lost and afraid with the others and they saved us. But they’re mean, they don’t trust me, and no matter what I do, it’s just not good enough. Brightstar named me Stormsong and I thought as an official warrior things would change, but they didn’t.” She leaned into him. “I.. I don’t know what to do.”
((Continued in "Runaway"))