(Icepaw)The Eyes Are The Window....

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The scent of Riverclan drifted into the Thunderclan camp in the late morning. Normally, the only Riverclan scent till the border was that of young Icepaw's in the medicine cats den. But now a new scent would meet the noses of the Thunderclan cats, the scent matching the young, white apprentice that padded into the camp with her head high. She ignored any looks she might be receiving, actually going on like she owned the place. Some she-cat this was, looking like she had the courage and confidence of a lion when she looked like a fragile snowflake.

Featherpaw padded into the medicine cat's den, straight to where her clanmate was laying. He seemed to still be sleeping. "Icepaw you lazy furball, wake up!" She called to him, sort of scolding but also playful as she almost placed her nose right to his so when he opened his eyes, her different colored ones would be the first he saw.

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Thunderclan's pelt itched as a scent met his nose. He immediatly awoke to figure out what he had smelled. His eyes blinked open in astonishment as he found Riverclan stink traveling through the camp. Hackles raised, he stalked out of the warriors' den. He was sure this was an intruder for he was used to the scent of Icepaw.

Blinking to adjust his eyes to the new light, he looked around and found the source. A Riverclan cat was slipping into the medicene den. Foxflight padded towards the den with light paws and looked in through the moss.

"May I ask, young Riverclan apprentice, what you are doing in Thunderclan's Medicene Den?," said calmly with a hint of a growl.

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Featherpaw's ears pricked at the sound of paws approaching and she picked her head up to look at the warrior. She didn't seemed to be ashamed at all, nor frightened. "I will answer, old Thunderclan warrior, that I have permission to visit my friend Icepaw here. From your leader herself, as long as I don't sleep or eat here, which I don't plan on." She answered calmly, tail flickering from side to side. True, there was an air of confidence around this she-cat almost to the point of arrogance, but her look was nonetheless respectful as she met the gaze of the tome

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Icepaw had, in fact, still been asleep. There wasn't much else to do in a den by oneself, other than watching other cats pass by on the other side of the wall through the opening. So sleeping was how the apprentice spent most of his time in the medicine den. So suddenly, when the tom vaguely felt as if something had just lightly bumped into his nose, his eyes cracked open before almost having his eyeballs pop right out of his skull in alarm. The apprentice did actually almost jump right out of his nest before recognizing the mismatched eyes. "Featherpaw!" he mewed, a wide grin shoving away the earlier shock. He'd almost thought that she wouldn't even bother to come back around.

But before he could say much else in terms of greeting, another cat made his way into the den. Icepaw narrowed his eyes, annoyed. He'd seen this cat around the camp from time to time, so he knew he was a ThunderClan cat easily enough, but he had no right just shoving his face in like this. It wasn't like two foreign apprentices were going to plot to overthrow his precious Clan. Watching Featherpaw respond soundly and confident made him smirk a little, but it soon vanished again. Instead, he just nodded in agreement. "She's telling the truth. Tanglestar gave her permission to make sure I don't go mad in here. No need to start growling at any cat." The pale tabby tom was actually enforcing his own mew with a growl, but that was besides the point. He flicked his tail-tip irritably. "What? Worried two RiverClan apprentices- one with a hurt leg- are going to start killing you all off?" The tom tolled his eyes. But writing himself off as a cripple weren't the words he would have used elsewhere. It was healing, if just exceedingly slow. He was sure that he would have been able to take care of himself if needed to.

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He watched the she-cat respond to him. Her arrogant tone and the way she poked at how he had addressed her was enough for his pelt to get up on end. It would have if he had not seen the respect shining in her eyes. Tanglestar had given permission for another outsider to visit the clan. This apprentice had gone alone into enemy territory just to see her friend and this touched him. She was something to reckon with and he immediately liked her spunk.

Icepaw's face had livened up as soon as he saw the feisty she-cat and he was happy for him. A smile played upon his lips as he listened to Icepaw agreeing. What he said at last almost hit a nerve, almost, but it didn't. Icepaw could be as sharp as...well, ice.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I did not mean to intrude. I didn't even know Tanglestar had given you permission. Glad you are given that Icepaw, or if I were you, I'd go mad as well," he sincerely apologized with a light laugh at the end.

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Featherpaw studied the older warrior for a moment, raising a brow as he spoke. So now he was friendly with them? Thunderclan was sure strange, but she wasn't going to complain. After all, sooner he left them alone, she could talk with Icepaw alone. She grinned as she heard what Icepaw suggested, laughing a little herself. Yeah, her and Icepaw storming Thunderclan...that would be a sight. She moved closer to him as she spoke again to the warrior. "No problem...guess you did have a right to be defensive."

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Icepaw gave an odd frown at the older tom's response. It was something close to a mix of unsureness and disappointment. As of late, he'd been itching for an argument. To get under some cat's pelt. But now this warrior was just laughing both him and Featherpaw off. But Featherpaw seemed fine with it, so the pale tabby tom decided not to push. He instead twitched his whiskers and flicked his tail with a shrug added on at the end. "Not like its much fun being locked up in here by yourself. So I'm pretty glad myself." The apprentice glanced back to Featherpaw, and the corner of his jaw twitched into a quick smile. Having her actually here was such a relief on his part. It made him feel like he was still a RiverClan cat, even if his pelt was starting to stink like ThunderClan.

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Foxflight smiled at the two young cats. Featherpaw was so sweet which seemed to smooth out Icepaw's sharpness.

"Well, I'll leave you both alone. No use making this a big deal when nothing has been done wrong. I'm glad you have a friend like Featherpaw, Icepaw," he meowed. Foxflight got up and nodded to them both. "By the way, nice to meet you Featherpaw," he said and then padded out of the den with light steps.

He was happy for the moment, but a torrential storm was growing inside him. Tanglestar was letting too many outsiders in the clan. His eyes glowered as he padded towards a patch of sunlight.

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Icepaw didn't respond this time, but rather just twitched his whiskers and watched the tom carefully. He wasn't too fond of the tom being here, when he felt as if he was around with ThunderClan cats enough of the time. It would be much better if he could just have some time with a friend from his real home. It was much easier to just close off the ThunderClan camp with just Featherpaw there. With enough ignorance, it could be as if they were rather in Miraclefur's den than Rainwing's.

Once the warrior turned out of the den, the pale tabby tom's face turned back to Featherpaw's. His eyes gleamed just because she was there. "So, anyways, hey! How's RiverClan? Any trouble? I haven't heard much, but I doubt the cats here would bother to tell me anything. Has the river frozen over yet? I guess its not that cold yet, but I guess the water's not warm anymore, is it?" The tom knew he was starting to blabber, to he closed his jaws, embarrassed. It just felt great to have a Clanmate here, and he wanted to know everything that had happened since the last day he'd been there.

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Featherpaw laughed softly, placing a paw on the top of Icepaw's head jokingly. "Slow down mousebrain, I have all day to answer your questions. It's not like Riverclan up and moved while you were away." She replied with a grin before taking her paw off and sitting down. Her tail twitched softly as she answered his questions. "Riverclan is fine, the water hasn't frozen over though it is pretty cold. It's really quiet...Firestar hasn't told us much lately. Don't know why, but that's all you missed really."

Once she finished, she nudged his leg gently withe her bright, curious eyes on his. "So...what happened to you anyway? Firestar never told the whole story and this looks kinda bad."

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Icepaw grinned sheapishly. "Sorry. Can't help it. I feels like I've been away for ever!" The tom raised his foreleg to bat Featherpaw's ear in return, still grinning. "Well, I guess it has been forever," he admitted, his grin then loosing some of its enthusiasm. But he shrugged it off. No point in wasting time over something like that while Featherpaw was here. He turned his attention to the remainder of what she had to say, listening intently.

But when the white she-cat got to the point of talking about his leg, the previous grin fell away completely. He wasn't too fond of admitting what happened. Usually whenever he'd try to think it over himself, he'd always come back to finding himself the guilty party. "Well, I guess I was just being stupid. I crossed the river like an idiot and Riddlehawk say me. We said some things and... Well, I'm here. To cut things short." He kept his eyes down, not looking her in the eyes.

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"YOU got in a fight with RIDDLEHAWK?!" Now the cuff to his head was a little more like a scolding as when she said this, she got right up in his face. Their noses were actually touching as her multi-colored eyes studied his. "What in the world were you thinking? Don't you know better than to come over here and try to get yourself killed?" She pulled back, shaking her head with a sigh. "Can't leave you alone for a minute, can I? We were supposed to go hunting together with our mentors later that day! Guess I'll just have to stick with you like red on a fox from now on."

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Icepaw felt her paw whack his head again, with force this time, and he hissed in irritation. "He was asking for it!" he insisted, wrinkling his nose as he found himself with Featherpaw right up in his face. The tabby lashed his tail out behind him. "It wasn't like I planned on it happening or anything! Riddlehawk was looking for a fight, I know it. He kept jeering at me. What else was I supposed to do? Walk away with my tail between my legs? I don't think so!" But as the apprentice rebuked the she-cat, the intense look in her eyes made his whiskers want to quiver.

"And anyway, you probably dodged a bullet with missing that hunting party. Needleheart wouldn't have made it very enjoyable for you and your mentor, probably." He was looking for a way to divert her attention from that previous matter to the next. "But that doesn't mean you have to watch me all day and night. I didn't go looking for a fight, and I'm not about to try at it again."

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Featherpaw sighed, sitting back as he defended himself to her. She shook her head at his excuse, not looking like she was buying it. "I'm sure you couldn't do that, but still....challenging a cat bigger than both of us combined? That's mousebrained if I ever heard anything like it." She said with a tone of disappointment.

She studied him closely, she knew he was trying to change the subject. But she would let him, the argument wasn't really worth this much time. "It wouldn't really matter, I don't care what Needleheart does as long as I could show you up in hunting." She said coyly, with a grin on her face.

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Icepaw gave an irritated hiss, and scrunched up his face, looking away from Featherpaw. It wasn't like she would understand, anyways. He could say it as many times as he wanted in as many different ways as he could think of, but he knew there would be no way of getting his Clanmate to actually understand where he was coming from, why he'd done it in the first place. What cat would?

But thankfully, there was a silence that hung over them for a moment. It allowed his irritation and anger to cool down, giving him a chance to breathe it out. It wasn't Featherpaw's fault. It wasn't any cat's fault. Well, maybe Riddlehawk, but that was the closest he could get. Icepaw closed his eyes for a minute, just clearing his head, before Featherpaw's voice chirped up again and he looked back towards her. At her little jibe, the pale tabby tom gave a mischievous twitch of his whiskers. "Psh, yeah right! Like I'd ever let you show me up in hunting. I bet I could catch all the fish in the river before you could catch one!" A teasing smile played at his mouth.