not supposed to be [linden]

[Solo]

B L O S S O M

She was not supposed to be here.

How many times had her mother and uncle told her about the dangers here? Well, told her more adventurous brother Buzzard, anyway. But she had heard all the tales about adders killing young cats and swallowing them whole. Whether not the snakes were as dangerous as the adults made them out to be, she knew that Snakerocks was forbidden for a reason.

Blossom flattened her ears and crouched, sniffing the air. She hoped that her distinctly dappled tawny pelt wouldn’t stand out too much among the rocks, but that was probably pressing it. What she couldn’t mask was her scent or her warmth, which would draw the snakes to her. Quickly, she surveyed the rocks and the dusty ground; no adders to speak of. It was pretty early in the morning, and so the reptiles hadn’t warmed up enough to head out to hunt, but she didn’t know that.

Why did I even come here? the she-cat thought anxiously. She was normally level-headed and observant, but as she scampered after a mouse, she was too thrilled to look at her surroundings. She leaped up onto a big rock and looked around. This was the trouble her brother was supposed to get into, not her! It was frustrating, but she had to remember the way home.

Any chances of calmly retracing her steps was thrown out the window when she heard a noise among the rocks. Blossom froze in terror.

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ooc; I'm so sorry about the long wait and the bad post with a weak argument as to why she'd be there. And for the ugly post header. And stuff. So here. xD

header image made using *neikoish's game on deviantart

[hedgie]

If there was one benefit to living on your own, it was this.

No one to tell you what to do,or where you couldn't go. These rocks were just as dangerous as any road or river, but Linden couldn't care less. She was fast on her feet, and those stupid adders stood little chance against her claws and teeth. The ginger-and-white tabby was crouched on a smooth, flat stone, the sun-warmed gray making her pelt stand out like a flame. The thought hadn't dawned on her that it wasn't the right time for the legless reptiles to come out, so she lay stretched out, a paw dangling off the edge in wait, with claws extended.

"Well, this is boring. I'm not getting anything. The stupid little buggers must know I'm hanging around." She grumbled, rising to her paws. Her eyes, pale green like new plant life, scanned the rocks as she leapt along them, claws raking across them as she bounced from stone to stone, tail held out behind her like a white-tipped streamer. Noises caught her, taking the eleven-moon old she-cat completely by surprise. Cats rarely came around her. Some didn't like how open it felt, and some were to afraid of dying to get a good piece of prey. But Linden was far from afraid of snakes. Now, if she was afraid of anything, it was a fight and running into a strange cat normally meant trouble. Trouble meant fights. Fights meant injuries, and injuries had killed her brother.

She wasn't going to die like that, and especially not at the same age Falcon had been when he'd passed on. "No way, no how." She hissed to herself, trying to come to a stop before she skidded out into the view of her stranger. Sadly, it was too late to stop now, and her claws scraped rock as she struggled to stay hidden, paws flailing, her body a mass of wriggling limbs and wide eyes. Soon, she was visible, and luckily on all four paws.

To her surprise, her stranger was another she-cat. The mottled tabby couldn't be very old, probably younger than Linden. This was pleasant, and it was best to look composed, as if she knew the forest and the snake-filled rocks like she knew her own paws. She raised her head high, padded slowly towards the she-cat, and sat down, wrapping her tail around her paws.


"You're lost." She mewed, a sly grin spreading across her face, which slowly turned into a playful smile. "I am so glad you finally came! I have been waiting for you for so long! you'll be my friend right? I've been ever so lonely!" She ended the sentence, it's tone cheery and energetic, on a sadder note. "Oh, how lonely I have been. I'll help you get home if you want. Just as long as you help me in return. Want to play a game?"

She paused, head still held high.


"Oh yeah...The name's Linden, by the way. What's your moniker?" Then the thought occurred to her..this cat probably didn't know what in the world a "moniker' was. "A moniker is a name, I think. That's what Pa said anyway."

Header comes from Neikoish's Cat Maker Schamncy, isn't it?

[Solo]

BLOSSOM
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The young dappled she-cat, back arched and fur bristling, perched on the rock and listened to the scrape of claws against rock. Out of nowhere, a ginger and white shape skidded into view, looking stunned. It took a heartbeat for Blossom to notice, but the newcomer was most definitely not a snake, fox, or a threatening member of her own kind. Well, you don’t know that yet, she reminded herself, eyeing the other feline warily. She looked young, not quite as young as herself, with long legs tipped in white paws. Her eyes, wide, were light green.

Blossom relaxed.

The other female pointed out that she was lost, and the young tawny cat bristled slightly at the sight of the odd grin on her face. Would this stranger take advantage of that fact? All of her old fears came back; she knew that she could never trust strangers, no matter how young and neat they were. She stared back blankly when the other loner continued, paws prickling.

I’m her friend?

Blossom stammered something unintelligible, watching with cautious amber eyes. She looked as if she was only being shy, though really she was wary of this stranger. “What… What kind of game?” she pressed, trying to keep the suspicious note out of her voice. Watch it be “Catch the Snake” or something like that. I should leave now, but could she catch me? The thought of being chased was worse than sitting here, surrounded by potential snake nests. Where would she run?

The she-cat introduced herself as Linden and asked in turn for her moniker—name. The tawny cat’s eyes had darkened in confusion, and they remained narrow as she took a seat on her rock.

“Blossom,” the kitten mewed at last. A name wouldn’t hurt, right? It wasn’t as if the whole forest knew who her family was.

[hedgie]

Linden continued smiling, her head tilted to the side in an obvious gesture of curiosity. At first this new friend was scared, but she soon calmed down. How strange....she hadn't done anything to frighten the little she-cat, other than popping out of the bushes like a stalking maniac. She wasn't, though. They had just happened to be at the same place at the same time. Her white tipped tail, still wrapped around her paws,, flicked from side to side. She didn't really move much as the stranger talked, occasionally flicking her ears or twitching her little pink nose.

Why did everyone bristle and stiffen up when she pointed out was was obvious about them. So many cats just let either emotions play across their face, and she did too...but hers were more theatrical in appearance. It seemed like her chipper disposition was all an act, when it was really true. whoever said cats have the perfect poker face must have never known a cat, for they were just as easy to read as any children's novel. "Oh the game..just a chasing game, a running game. A race, such fun. Don't you agree?" Linden purred, eyes squinting as she looked Blossom up and down. "You don't look very fast, so I might win. I haven't been beaten before, but there's always a chance that could change. Then again..i haven't met very many cats yet since I set out on my own."

She paused,dragging a tiny pink tongue over her paws, extending her toes and showing off her claws she she cleaned in between each. "Blossom is a very pretty name. I like it. It suits you." The tabby-and-white cat shrugged, slightly bony shoulders rolling around.

"No one ever wants to play a game with me. Please don't run away, Blossom. I won't bite."With that, she put her paw down, for it had been left hanging by her chest, toes still spread. "You do like to run, yes? If not..I can always think of another game for us to play." Her sister had never liked running, and all Linden wanted was someone who would run with her. She rose to her paws, stretching her body out. Even if Blossom wanted to run or not, she would and it was best to be stretched out and limbered up before shooting off. The rocks were like a track under her feet, urging her to go. "Plus, if we run..we can get you back home faster. We just have to go in the right direction. You are lost, right?

Header was made in Neikoish's Cat Maker

[Solo]

BLOSSOM
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The tawny kitten warily watched the stranger. She didn’t want to seem afraid, but it was in her nature to be distrustful, and her eyes were searching for the tiniest signs of a threat. An outside observer would note that Blossom was prone to twisting things into threats, but she was simply acting as she was created, and that was very cautiously. Most of the movements the pretty ginger cat made were nonthreatening, just a flicker here and a twitch there.

“A racing game?” the dappled she-cat echoed. She bristled again, a faint fear-scent rising from her slender body as she looked around. “I like running, al-all right, but… not where there are adders we might step on!” She tucked her tail closer to her and shifted to occupy as little space on the rock as possible, leaving a distance between the edges and her beige paws. And, when the stranger unintentionally flashed her claws while washing a paw, Blossom flinched away before mumbling something gracious when she heard the compliment.

She felt bad for the lonely Linden, but why did this older she-cat have to have such a dangerous idea? She hesitantly relaxed and mewed, “We can run if it’s away from here.” She then pricked her black-tipped ears when the bicolor cat suggested they go home.

Immediately, her demeanor shifted, and Blossom began to look more hopeful and trusting. “Really? We can race home?” She looked around despairingly, and the rest of her words came out in a rush. “I live in the swamp but I was chasing a mouse, and I should’ve known I was far from home, but I got turned around, and I don’t know which way to go.” She stepped off the rock but didn’t make another move, hesitant.

[hedgie]

L*I*N*D*E*N
___***___

That wary stare was so distrusting. It made Linden feel almost...sad, but it wasn't a feeling the she-cat didn't want to recognize. Sadness hurt too much, and she didn't want to feel pain. Most cats born wild had a hellish way of taking things as threats, of looking three or four times before crossing a road. Paranoia and fear...well, Linden didn't need them. They were her enemies, and she was well aware to avoid them.

"Yeah. Racing is fun, 'specially when you were built to run for the hills." She danced from paw to paw, energy coursing through her body. "Oh, you're so silly, Blossom! It's too early for adders, or else I'd have caught myself a meal by now. They are rather tasty little beasts. not a lot of meat on them, though. So you gotta catch at least three or four to fill your belly. But anyways..back to the game!" She ran a small pink tongue around her jaws at the thought of food, and dipped her head down, unable to stand still.

"We can go in any direction. forget those silly old bullies who think they own the world. I see no markers, nor do I smell them. We just run, we go. Yes?" Bowing down, she was looking right into Blossom's eyes, her pale greens staring her down. "We can go to your home, yes. My home...my home isn't anywhere as of yet. I sleep when I'm tired, up in the tall parts of the trees. I like the sky, day or night. It's so pretty, isn't it? Full of stars and everything. They help me sleep at night." She shrugged, walking around in slow circles. Oh, how she wanted to move, to play. Games were fun, and what she did best. Dainty white paws, toes outstretched, clawed the stone.

"Mice are fun to chase. Pretty tasty too. I've always wanted to eat some rabbit, but I haven't been able to get my claws in one. I will one day. Now..I'm done with talking, for now. We run!" And she leapt past her new companion, pushing and pulling at the ground to keep her going. She hoped blossom would be able to keep up. It just wasn't a game if you were playing it by yourself. And, to Linden, if you felt alone...whether you had company or not, you were alone.

And she hated being alone.

[Solo]

BLOSSOM
_________________________________________________________________

Too early for adders? If cats could blush, Blossom would have, and indeed her paws prickled with embarrassment. Well, how was she expected to know that? She didn’t play around Snakerocks all the time, mostly because it was forbidden and far from home. She cautiously loosened her grip on the rock and set paw on the sandy ground; the earth was still cool in the early morning. However, her relaxed posture switched into that of horror when Linden pointed out that adders were tasty. How many snakes had she killed? Thinking of the vicious scaly creatures with long, venomous fangs was enough to make Blossom tremble. How could the other she-cat do it?

“A-are you sure about the markers?” the tawny cat pressed. She decided to abandon the question and looked away, obviously not waiting for the answer. The adventurous Linden would just continue to assure her that markers didn’t matter anyway, or something.

Looking up, unsure amber eyes met pale green, and the dappled kitten leaned away. She gasped. “You don’t have a home? What about your family?” She knew some cats wandered alone, sleeping in new nests every night, but usually they were old cats, scarred and weathered by experience, strong enough to fight and quick enough to flee. This she-cat couldn’t be older than four seasons—almost grown, but still young, and still inexperienced.

“I do like the stars,” Blossom mewed. She found it hard to concentrate on the conversation when Linden changed the subject every couple of moments, but when the ginger and white she-cat kept talking, Blossom found that she liked this loner’s voice. The constant pacing made her uneasy, but if reminded herself that they were friends now, it made it a little easier to sit and listen and enjoy the company. She often didn’t stick with strangers long enough to learn anything about them, but now she was lost, so what choice did she have?

And suddenly the rambling ended with a declaration as Linden sprinted past her. The smaller cat squealed in surprise but spun around and chased after her, her small muscles working to catch up. She was able to keep pace with the white-tipped tail.

“How long are we gonna run?” Blossom called. She wasn’t tired yet—actually, she could feel a burst of energy in her chest, streaming through her legs. An adrenaline rush. Her cautious instincts had erupted into flight, but rather than running away, she was just running. And soon she found herself not caring how long they ran or what her mother might be thinking.

This was fun!