(Tangle/Ice) Just Another Little Cat

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Featherpaw shrugged, padding closer and sitting beside him even before he had finished speaking. She had been curious to where he had wandered off to, but she had just thought he was being Icepaw and doing his own thing. Now that she realized this is what happened....poor Icepaw. "No, it's no big deal. They're cats like us, just with a different scent. And it's probably equally as boring in our own camp." She replied calmly before licking his ear gently. It was slightly affectionate, but more that she just wanted to look out for the tom. He had gone through a lot after all. She glanced up to the leaders. "I'm gunna stay with Icepaw....then Tanglestar won't have to worry about a warrior in her camp and someone can watch over Icepaw. That will work right Firestar?"

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Icepaw blinked in surprise when the white she-cat licked his ear, and found himself almost staring up at her like an idiot. What had that been for? It had felt weird, but almost in a good way. It reminded him of when Moonlight had taken care of him as a kit- a tender kind of concern. The pale tabby tom felt his face grow hot with embarresment, but he didn't utter a protest in response. Instead, he tried to ignore it and looked up to Firestar, wondering what she would say. He was almost certain of Tanglestar's response, without a doubt. But would his own leader allow another of her apprentices to stay behind?

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Firestar sighed, she closed her eyes for a moment. After a while she mewed, "If Tanglestar agrees, then okay." She doubted Tanglestar would agree. She sat down and gently touched her paw to Icepaws. "Promise me, as soon as you can walk again, that you will come home to RiverClan?" she asked, her gaze comforting as she blinked slowly and calmly into Icepaw's gaze.

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Icepaw perked up at her agreement. If Firestar would agree, it seemed more likely that Tanglestar would, as well. Having a fellow Clanmate and friend with him could make time speed by quicker, with any luck. "Thank you, Firestar," he mewed, though he knew that one disapproving word from Tanglestar would set the bar. And then as she reached out for his paw with her own and spoke again, his face returned back to his serious complexion. If all that she had said was true, then he couldn't imagine anything stopping him from returning back. The pale tabby tom could only hope that it was. But their coming here to find him had to mean something, right? "I promise," he reassured her, giving a hint of a smile. "As soon as I can make it there on my own paws."

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Firestar smiled softly, she nodded. "Alright then. You two can talk on you own for a while then. I will just go see Tanglestar." she bowed her head slightly and trotted out of the den, looking at Tanglestar. Her anxious gaze startling her. Her voice was calm and soft, "I trust your medicine cat can treat Icepaw, then. But out of respect Featherpaw wishes to stay and comfort the tom until he is able to come home. I told them that if you agree then I agree." She met Tanglestar's gaze with soft confidence and a kind peace.

[Tanglekit]

Tanglestar's eyes did not meet the Riverclan leader's at first, she just kept staring at the entrance to the medicine cats den. But when they did she gave a soft nod. "She can visit but she can not sleep or eat here.", she mewed. Leaf-bare was approaching and Thunderclan could not afford to shelter and an enemy clans cat. Even if she was an apprentice.

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"What if, perhaps, she hunted for the clan? Catch for herself and Icepaw and even your own clan. Can you really say no to another paw to lend?" she offered, an ice cold thought entered her mind but it was pushed away before she could dwell on it. "She is an innocent apprentice but she can hunt in the woods, as most RiverClan cats do in Leaf-bare when the ice is hardest."

[Tanglekit]

Tanglestar snickered at her suggestion seeing all of the faults in her idea. If the apprentice hunted in their territory she was still eating food vital for Thunderclan in this cruel season. Even if she hunted for Thunderclan a Riverclan cat would be eating their food. "We need all that we have and have nothing to spare. She will not eat or hunt in our territory.", she said standing firm in her words. Thunderclans generosity had run out and Tanglestar had to do what was best for their clan, no one else just her clan.

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Firestar dipped her head, "Very well Tanglestar. I will send Featherpaw over tomorrow." she mewed, "We will leave now." she turned away without a word and stepped into the medicine den. "Come along now Featherpaw, we are leaving." she then waited by the camp entrance to leave.

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Featherpaw's ears drooped when Firestar came back and told her it was time to go. She had really gotten some hope up about staying here with Icepaw. She frowned and let out a slight sigh when she responded. "Yes Firestar...." She said, nodding and looking to Icepaw. "Well...it was worth a shot. Bye Icepaw...see you later." She said with a shrug before nuzzling his cheek in a good-bye way. She smiled softly before padding after Firestar.

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Icepaw had kept his ears strained after Firestar had exited the medicine cat's den, trying hard to hear the words exchanged between the ThunderClan leader and his own. The pale tabby had a bit of trouble making out all of their words, but the tones were clear enough. Before Firestar had reached the den, his ears were drooped in disappointment just as Featherpaw's had. So things weren't going to work out the way he'd been foolish enough to hope for. The apprentice had guessed that it was a pointless though from the beginning, true, but it still would have been nice to still have an actual Clanmate with him for the rest of the time in the ThunderClan camp.

He glanced back to the white apprentice with a small, diluted smile. "So much for that," he sighed with a grumble. Then when the she-cat nuzzled his cheek, his eyes flared open as they had when she had licked his ear. The affectionate little gestures were beyond foreign to Icepaw, and again he felt his ears go hot. She sure was a strange cat. But without many cats to actually call 'friend', he wasn't going to complain. "Bye," he called back, his voice a bit hesitant and tinged with puzzlement.

He waited until they had left before curling back up in his nest in a ball, feeling more alone than he had before their arrival. They had both come and gone again so quickly, it was like they hadn't ever been there. But at the same time he knew that they had in fact been in the den with him, and his legs itched to follow.