.. Patrol (Whitewind, Open)

[hi]

The large dark grey sat just outside of camp, his striped pelt fluffed out. The sun was just starting to peak over the horizen, sending it's dull rays into the sky and covering the marshy land that was the Shadowclan territory. The tom gave a little shiver. It was getting cold. So cold that the ground was covered in early morning frost, and his breath turned into a white fog as it left his nose and mouth. He looked around, watching as the sun started to glunt of the ground frost. It was cold, but he really did love this land.

The tom looked around, wondering where Whitewind was. They were supposed to go on patrol together today.

[Deleted]

"I'm really sorry I'm late!"

A white she-cat came bounding across the clearing towards where Pinefrost sat near the entrance. Her pale gray paws worked furiously across the ground, theough her pawsteps were clumsy with tiredness.

"I didn't sleep much last night," Whitewind said as she came near the dark gray-brown tom, letting out a loud yawn. "So I'm kinda tired."

She stared at him for a bit before asking, "You ready to go?"

[hi]

Pinefrost watched as the white she-cat ran up to him. she seemed utterly uneffected by the cold. Stupid long haired cat. The dark grey ticked tom gave one last small shiver and then stood. His geen eyes watched the she-cat as she yawned and explained her lateness. She was quite a beauty... No. He could not think about that at the moment. It was time to patorl. They had to protect the clan's territory. The loners seemed to be forgetting lately that they had no place on clan territories. Nothing we can do about you being late now. the tom said curtly. She had made him wait, freezing his tail off. She-cats could be so inconsiderate.

He nodded at Whitewind. Let's go. I'll lead. With that, the large tom took off at a easy jog, heading towards the closest border. His nose alert, he gazed over the marshes and pines. A cold wind blew, making the pines whisper and sway. He loved that sound, the sound of wind through the pine needles. It was so relaxing.

[Deleted]

Whitewind stared at her paws, emarassed. Pinefrost seemed... somewhat mean. She bet that if he opened up to her more, then he might not be so frosty.

"Well, you can lead..." she meowed, a glint of mischief in her eyes, "if you can keep up!"

With that, she raced forward, easily passing and getting ahead of the tabby tom. As she ran ahead, she looked over her soulder and stuck out her tongue at him. But when she turned around, she came face to face with a tree...

"Ow..." the white and gray she-cat moaned, now laying on the ground. With a great effort, she rose to her paws, but her paws collapsed underneath her and she found herself sprawled out across the ground once more.

[hi]

Pinefrost watched as the she-cat took off, racing in front of him. He wasn't about to chase her. She could be kittish if she wanted, but you would not see him making such a fool of himself. That was, until she stuck her tongue out at him. He race after her, his long legs carrying him easily over the ground. He was gaining quickly on her. He then saw what was about to happen. He opened his mouth to shout warning, but it was too late. He heard the impact of the she-cat and the pine, the pine obviously winning. He booked it over to her, watching with concern as he ran at her failed attempt to get up.

Here, let me help. He told her softly as he made it to her side. He reached down and gently clasped her scruff in his jaws. He then pulled her up to at least a sitting position. he stood back and examined her. Are you ok? You really should watch where you're going. That was pretty stupid to run into a tree. Sure, he was acting kind now, a fellow warrior had just run into a tree. But if she proved alright, then the teasing would commence.

[Deleted]

"Thanks..." she murmered as Pinefrost helped her up. Whitewind guessed that her legs could support her weight now, but she didn't want to try and find out. She stared at him, he dark blue eyes still filled with mischief. Ah, a tree wasn't going to stop her fun!

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit... light-headed." She scowled at the tom. "I do watch!" she snapped. "I make one mistake and I have someone treating me like an apprentice. I ran into a tree, okay? It was an accident! We all make mistakes-we're not perfect."

She smacked him lightly with her tail tip and looked away. He called me stupid! she thought angrily.

((I know that he called her actions stupid, but Whitewind thinks that he called her stupid.))

[hi]

Pinefrost recoiled at the she-cat's sudden outburst. His ears went flat, and he just stared at her. What the heck? He had helped her up, been nice, and this was how he was repaid?She-cats were so strange. On one minute, off the next. His green eyes showed disbalief. He flinched as her fluffy tail smacked him, even though it wasn't hard.

Geez. Someone woke up on the wrong side of her bedding this morning. His voice was good natured, though it did have a slight sour tone to it.

[Deleted]

"Hmph! Yes, I'm the bad guy here," Whitewind said. "Your the one who called me stupid. Sure, people don't run into trees very often, but that doesn't give you to right to insult me."

She got to her paws. She was a bit... unstable, but she figured that she could manage. "Come on," the white and pale gray she-cat meowed. "Let's get this patrol over with."

With that, she stalked away, not bothering to see if her compainion was follwing.

((Sorry about here outburst... It just kinda... happened... ^^'))

[hi]

The dark grey tabby ticked tom stared in disbelief at the she-cat. What was this nonsense she was spouting? I never said you were stupid. I just said that you did something stupid. That's a big difference. the tom said hotly. He glared at her, even though he regretted his snapping at her. Oh well. It was said in done.

He watched her stalk off, and followed her, his bad mood and steeming anger hanging over him like a cloud. This was going to be miserable.

[Deleted]

"Whatever. Believe what you want, but I heard you with my own ears."

Truthfully, she felt embarrased. She believed Pinefrost, really, but she didn't want to admit it. How could she tell him she was sorry for snapping at him now?

She keeped looking over her shoulder at him-making sure, of course, that there were no trees that she could run into. The large tom was interesting. Handsom.

Wait, what? Handsom? She shook the thought away. Why was she thinking thoughts like that? So far, he hadn't been very kind to her, so she wouldn't think kind thoughts about him.

But as they continued walking, the white she-cat felt more and mare bad about what she'd spat at him. She slowed her pace until she was walking beside him.

"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that. It's just when I get insulted," her tail flicked before she corrected herself, "or think I'm insulted, I can kinda get like that. It's not you, it's just..."

She sighed and drooped her head. "How about we just forget that happened and start ovre again, 'kay?"

[hi]

Sure, Pinefrost had noticed the white she-cat looking back at him. He could tell she felt bad for snapping and being wrong. However, he also knew that she had too much pride to ever apologize. Or so he thought.

Her turning surprised him, and he half way expected another verbal attack from the she-cat. His shock rose even more when apologetic words spilled from her maw. Well, as close to apologetic as he figured he'd ever get from this she-cat. But what shoukd he do? He rarely ever gave second chances to cats, but couldn't he just do it once for a strong, pretty she-cat warrior? He sighed, then nodded. Sure. Clean slate. He reached out to bump noses with her. I'm Pinefrost. Nice to meet you. This is what she wanted, right? A total new beginning. Because that's what she's getting.

[Deleted]

Whitewind smirked a bit and lightly cuffed his ear. "You don't have to tell me your name, furball," she said jokingly, laughing a bit. "Whitewind. A pleasure to meet you too."

The white she-cat began to quicken her pace. "Well, what are you waiting for? It'll take moons before we reach the border at this rate!"

[hi]

Pinefrost ducked at the she-cat's paw went over his head. He twiched is nose in annoyance at her. She seemed very... playful. He let out a small grin at her introducing herself. Sure, she critizices him for it, then she does it... figures. She-cats. They were so strange.

He had to jog after her as she sped up, his long legs helping him catch up to her quickly. He nodded at her words. We need to keep an eye out for loners. They seem to have forgotten that they are not welcome on clan lands. His voice had some growl in it, echoing his dislike of loners. They were not part of a clan, so they should just stay off! They had no place here or in the clan at all.

[Deleted]

Whitewind shrugged. "I suppose," she mewed. "You don't like rouges and loners much, do you? I can understand that. I don't care for them much myself. If any of 'em step inside our borders, they've got another thing coming!"

Suddenly, a blast of cat scent flooded over her. Loner scent.

"Speak of the Dark Forest..." she muttered, a soft growl beginning to rumble in her throat. "Stay here for a sec," she ordered with a flick of her tail before she padded forward.

"Who's there? Show yourself!"

*~*

Simba had been taking a walk through Shadowclan... again. Taking walks, napping, and occasinally catching a mouse or two was all the tom ever really did any more. He'd wanted to join Rachel's gang, but something he couldn't place his paws on didn't appeal to him and he winded up turning the offer of joining down in the end.

The clans seemed... interesting. The names seemed funny to him, yet everything else sounded worth while. Maybe, if he could actually get some of the rude patrols to listen to him, he'd give clan life a go. Maybe.

The scent of cats-two, he guessed-hit his nostrals and in moments, he was crushing through the territory, hurrying to meet the two newcomers.

Sure enough, there they were. A she-cat and a tom.

"I'm Simba!" he chirped happliy. "What are your names?"

[hi]

The large dark tebby tom nodded at his patrol mate's observation. It was true, he didn't like loners very much. They had no claim to the clan lands. The clan cats were the ones who worked hard for it. Plus, loners didn't have any clue of the warrior code! The basis of all clan life! Of all civilized life! The loners and rouges were just good for nothing dead beats who had no reason to live. The thieving scoundrals. His nose twiched in annoyance, and then a scent hit it. His hackles raised, and his upper lip twiched, a gleaming fang showing. Whitewind must have noticed it too, because she told him to stay there. Like heck he was going to let her do that! No, I'm coming with you. the tom growled, not so much at her as at the loner's scent. He followed her, keeping beside her, ready to protect her should the need arise.

The underbrush, dry and crunchy from the cold air, gave away the loner's position easily. He must have a death wish. Pinefrost thought. There was no way a cat would come so blazenly toward two clan cats. Not one with any sense anyway. Hackles raised, a growl split from the large tom's throat as the loner came into view. It was a tabby tom. He seemed to have no inhibitations in aproaching the two warriors. Big mistake. Pinefrost lowered himself, his strong muscles tensing, ready to pounce and drive away this loner at any moment. You don't belong here. If you want your pelt in one piece, you will leave, loner. The warrior spat out the words, a mizture of a hiss and a growl. This cat would leave Shadowclan territory, weather it be under his own power or if Pinefrost dragged his body out.