[let]theFLAMES-->begin [[Patchy, Riss/Open]]

[.&&. Snowsong.]

Though the pallid she-cat clearly heard the overweight leader's snapped words, she calmly ignored them, figuring that he was merely complaining. And complaining was immature, especially if it was the leader whom was doing so. It would only cause others to believe that the Clan was weak, led by a leader of irrationality.

And that, she despised.

But, she felt that weakness wouldn't be shown by the warriors. Even the kits.

Snowsong swiftly snapped out of that topic as a familiar voice drifted into her eardrums. There, she knew Risingdawn had returned, with the medicine cat. She allowed her figure to relax.

"Just hang on a little longer, Snow. The medicine cat's here."

She gaze him a faint, weak nod, wincing as the movement caused her pain. Then, she allowed her entire body to go limp, to allow the medicine cat to tend to her wounds. Boy, did she feel really messed up.

[♫.Starredmyst]

Risingdawn was relieved to see Snowsong respond to his words, though his ears flattened in sympathy as she winced. He lay where he was a moment, but still felt too wired up to relax like the other two; after a moment he sprang to his paws, circling around Snowsong to where the medicine cat was putting cobwebs over her wounds.

"Can I help?"

"You can go lie down," the medicine cat growled around a mouthful of herbs, glancing pointedly at the bite he'd gotten. Risingdawn backed off, surprised to realize that he was still bleeding, and reluctantly began to rasp his tongue over his chest, cleaning the wound. Next to and slightly behind him, Patchstar was grumbling.

"I should be getting taken care of first," he whined at the medicine cat, who ignored him. Risingdawn stifled an amused snort.

[.&&. Snowsong.]

Feeling cobwebs being placed onto her wounds, she felt somewhat better, now that her blood wasn't swiftly trickling from her injuries. Though, she was aware of her pelt being stained a pinkish-red color; it wasn't a surprise, considering she was so white.

Despite her being wounded and tended to, Snowsong managed to allow a faint smile to play upon her lips as Patchstar complained to the medicine cat. Her right moonstone cracked open barely halfway, glancing at Risingdawn with a humorous gleam into her eye, before closing it again.

The faintest hint of a sigh escaped her as she felt the last cobweb be placed upon her. She cracked her orbs open and glanced at her love, slightly flicking her lobes as a signal that she desired for him to be closer.

After all, the medicine cat was beginning to just gnaw the herbs into pulps; the patching was already completed. Now, she just hoped she'd be able to slip stealthily out of Camp tomorrow, to continue serving her Clan.

[♫.Starredmyst]

[next day]

Risingdawn decided that he was an idiot about midnight, when he finally went to bed and his chest was killing him. He also decided that he would rather die than get up in the morning, between moon-set and dawn when he woke up and was still hurting.

So naturally, he had no choice but to get up shortly after dawn for another hunting patrol.

The tom was in a foul mood as he took a few queasy mouthfuls of thrush, forcing them down so that he wouldn't be hungry while he was hunting for the Clan. Kittypets might lack something on the honorable side of life, he thought irritably, but at least they had some sense. Kittypets and loners both. They weren't stupid enough to live under a leader then fight with the idiot. The silly pets didn't even have to get their own food, especially not the day after getting themselves mauled by their nonexistent leader.

Well, the day wasn't getting any easier as he stood there, and Risingdawn should have known better than to think he'd get a reprieve. At least Snowsong wouldn't have to do anything today, or Patchstar would be facing the medicine cat's wrath. Yawning and limping slightly, Risingdawn followed the rest of the patrol out of the entrance and towards the forest. He broke off from the others shortly after they left, not wanting to stray far from camp, and began to scent around for some prey.

[.&&. Snowsong.]

Ugh, just her luck. Though she was allowed to stay in the warriors' den, she was forced to remain in there and rest. Well, at least dawn was only approaching. She still had a chance to slip away and be of use to the Clan, despite being injured. Being a useless lump of wounded fur trapped in Camp was one of the last things she wanted to be; actually, to be more exact, it was one of the things she would always hate and never want to be.

So, naturally, she stealthily slipped out from the warriors' den. While everyone was asleep and the dawn patrol had left, she found a secret exit, and managed to sneak through it without being noticed. Then, she began to speed-pad to an area somewhat far; not too far from Camp, but far enough that they wouldn't find her before she would realize it.

Despite the damage she was ordered to allow to disappear, she managed to remain quite skilled, though it did slow down her skills somewhat. But, she ignored that, as she began to sniff around for prey. It was soon that she caught a trace of a mouse, and she slipped, unnoticed, after it. Maneuvering skillfully through the undergrowth, she soon found it in a clearing -- with Risingdawn searching for prey.

Her breath hitched in her throat, and she took several steps backward, only watching the tom through the gaps of the undergrowth. She could only hope that he didn't detect her.

[♫.Starredmyst]

Risingdawn sniffed the air, trying to focus on his job; he had a good nose and it was easy enough to catch the scent of a mouse, not too far away. Harder was the prospect of actually catching it: Risingdawn had enough trouble with prey on an ordinary hunt, let alone off-balance and exhausted as he already was.

Still, he couldn't very well go home without anything to show for it. Doing his best to ignore the ache that woke in his chest every time he moved his right leg, Risingdawn dropped into a hunting crouch and began to stalk forward.

Even with his best efforts, a twig crackled underneath his paws; the mouse froze, dropping the seed it was eating, and Risingdawn froze as well. He was so close --

After a long moment the little rodent relaxed, dropping onto all fours, and Risingdawn crept forward again. He tensed to leap.

The wind shifted, and the mouse froze. Cursing mentally, Risingdawn jumped before it could flee -- in a hurry, he misjudged the leap -- he landed on his bad leg and it folded underneath him, and the mouse skittered off from between his paws as he stifled a yowl.

Risingdawn gave his stream of curses voice. Softly, to keep from scaring anything else, but very vehemently. He made several suggestions relating to the mouse he'd missed and its parents, went on to mice in general, moved to the whole idea of trying to hunt on a stupid hurt leg, being up this early in the morning, trees, sand, water, and a few Patchstar insults to keep in practice. Finally he felt he could stand up without hurting himself or losing his temper, and did so.

That was when he noticed the shift in wind direction had brought another scent towards him. A very familiar one. For the first time in quite a while, Risingdawn hoped he was hallucinating, and begged StarClan for patience if he wasn't.

Slowly, he turned around, eyes hunting for patches of white among the trees. "I know I'm dreaming," he told the clearing in a low, but carrying voice. "I do not smell who I think I'm smelling."

[.&&. Snowsong.]

Though her breath stubbornly remained within her throat as the ginger tom spoke up, the pallid she-cat rushed stealthily to the undergrowth behind the tom. There, she coiled her muscles, prepared to propel herself at him.

It was her only hope, pretty much. Despite the pain she felt, it was her plan to stun him for a bit. Then again, Risingdawn would still catch her. Snowsong figured that she would have to blame her wounds and injuries for that. But, no matter. This was not the time to dwell upon such things. After all, the breeze seemed to be betraying her.

It had blown her upwind of her mate, then, as she slipped away, downwind. And now, she was upwind again. But only for a second.

With well coiled muscles, she lunged out. Her figure launched out with amazing speed, considering the damage that was still supposed to be healed by rest. She aimed for his shoulders and top of his back. If she could just force him to the ground and stun him, maybe she could change her plan of attempting to escape and show that she was strong, despite the damage.

[♫.Starredmyst]

Risingdawn had been expecting Snowsong to freeze, or reveal herself -- maybe run away. He was completely off-guard when she lunged at him; her attack bowled him down onto the ground, knocking his head against the ground. The tom's vision went dark for a brief moment, giving time for Snowsong to flee -- he struggled to his paws, cursing his wounded shoulder and wondering how Snow could be so fast.

"Snowsong -- " he called out, trying to get his balance and chase after her. What was she thinking? "What are you doing -- come back here!"

OOc;{Muse killed by too many threads to follow. xD}

[.&&. Snowsong.]

[[ Lol, I have no muse 'cause of school. And I can't get over how Riss resembles my crush so much! I mean, he's so clumsy and upset with himself. xD ]]

Her plan worked! Well, for a few seconds at least. As she bowled her mate over, she launched herself into the undergrowth, dashing several feet away, before whipping around at the sound of her mate's voice. She slightly flicked her lobes, listening, but then took a couple of steps back.

Snowsong hesitated to return to Risingdawn, but then, she realized that if they were both alone, they would most likely be unworthy opponents to anyone. Heaving the faintest hint of a faint sigh, she dashed back to him.

As her figure emerged swiftly from the undergrowth, she leaped to the side, barely dodging him as she skidded to a halt. Then she whisked around to face him. "You wanted me back here..?" she asked in a mutter, her tone reflecting her emotionless expression.

[♫.Starredmyst]

OOc;{Aww.}

Risingdawn was very relieved to see Snowsong return, however reluctantly; he wasn't sure either of them were up to a chase. He hid it with an impatient sigh.

"Snowsong, I don't know how you could..."

She had that look on again, the one she used with most cats, or when she was upset. The blank face. Risingdawn felt a twinge of guilt.

"Snowsong," he tried again, "you're hurt. You might...I don't want you to...I mean...please. You don't have to be out here, I'll worry about you. Go back to camp and rest. We have enough warriors -- you don't have to strain yourself like this..."

[.&&. Snowsong.]

[[ Lol, Risingdawn does it again. I swear, Snowsong must be struggling to keep blank. xD ]]

The pallid female only listened as her mate spoke, stumbling over his own words occasionally. Her right ear somewhat twitched as her moonstones stared into his emeralds, and a faint sigh eventually escaped her lips.

"Don't worry," she murmured, her expression somewhat lifting. "I'm not straining myself. And, if you're so worried, we could go hunt or patrol together."

Snowsong took a few steps forward, so that her pelt could somewhat graze against Risingdawn's. She then nuzzled his cheek, her tail swaying somewhat every few seconds. A soft purr rumbled in her throat.

[♫.Starredmyst]

OOc;{Lol xD Toldja he'd do that.}

Riss hesitated a moment, struggling with himself. He was straining himself, so Snowsong must certainly be hurting too; but he also knew that unless he dogged her every step, Snowsong would go right back on hunting without him. Finally he sighed.

"Fine," he muttered, glancing down, away from Snowsong's eyes. "We can hunt together. But we're both going in early afterwards, okay? We really aren't all that necessary right now."

[.&&. Snowsong.]

A faint huff escaped her lips, but the faintest hint of a purr began to rumble, almost inaudibly, within her throat. Her moonstones began to gleam somewhat, but her expression was still mostly blank of any emotion.

With a flick of her lobes, Snowsong padded to beside her love, her apex in line with his neck. "Shall we be off...?" Her murmur was gentle this time, warmth beginning to seep into her seemingly once frozen heart.

[ I hate my muse. ]