Stay Back (OPEN)

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Cedarclaw stood atop a ridge. The constant wind blew towards her, streaming through her short tortoiseshell fur, forcing her wide orange eyes to narrow into slits. She was on lookout, a position she took rather seriously. It was her job to keep her senses alert for approaching enemies. If she didn't, the Clan would be threatened.

Her fur stood on end as she spotted a dark shape coming closer. The wind brought with it the scent of cat. But was it a tom or she-cat? Warrior or loner? From where she stood it was impossible to tell.

Cedarclaw hesitated. Should she call the Clan, or take care of it alone with her claws? It's just one cat. Best not to get the whole of WindClan involved. Her claws unsheathed, and the warrior braced herself as the shape approached.

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The she-cat came into veiw, her blue-ish gaze looking at CedarClaw. The she-cat was quite slender, her body color mostly reddish-orange, paws black. Her tail wasn't slender like her shape, it was fluffy, reddish-brown and a white tail tip.

It was just the WindClan deputy, soon to be Leader, if she could decide when to go to HighStones.

"Hi there, CedarClaw. Don't need to get edgy, It's just me."

Her voice was soft, although it shown tension. She wasn't ready to become leader, at least she didn't really think so.

She smiled warmly to her, her tail flicking side to side.

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Once realizing that the newcomer was her deputy, soon to be leader, Cedarclaw sheathed her claws and managed to relax. A little. She dipped her head in respect. "Greetings, Foxfire. Sorry I didn't notice it was you. I do get edgy on guard duty." Her tone was polite but flat. Her wide orange eyes were slightly narrowed as she looked the she-cat up and down. Her whiskers twitched.

It had never made sense to Cedarclaw as to why Silentstar had made Foxfire deputy. Surely WindClan needed a stronger leader than this. Being a warrior, of course Cedarclaw was obligated to respect and follow the orange she-cat, but it had never been without a twinge. Was she even ready to become Foxstar?

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Her left ear flicked slightly, her tail swishing side to side.

"I can understand that."

She sat down, her fluffy tail wrapped around her black paws. She didn't like the fact she was deputy, since she didn't think she should be deputy, or leader, or in any high posistion. It might be true, she could run rather fast, fight well, but that doesn't mean she is ready to take that position.

She wasn't that strong, she wasn't that wise, all she was was.. FoxFire.

Her ears flickered again, and let out a sigh, suddenly mumbling.

"I -- think -- ready."

At least, that was all that was heard, even though she really said 'I don't think I'm ready.'

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Cedarclaw tilted her head, confused. Did Foxfire mean that she was ready, or not ready? The look of doubt and fear in the deputy's eyes told her what he words had not managed. Cedarclaw wanted to just sigh and shake her head, but she held it back. How could this cat be leader? Her she was, confessing fear and not even able to speak properly?

The tortoiseshell blinked. "That's your, call, Foxfire. I'm not going to say everything will be alright, or that you have nothing to worry about, or any other false sympathy stuff like that. What I am going to say is that Wavestar chose you to be his deputy because he knew that you were up for the job. He wouldn't just throw a name out for something so important. What you need to do now is tell yourself that you can do this, and believe it, or let fear rule your thoughts."

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She merely nodded, and sighed. She looked up at her, and paw'd at the ground infront of her slightly. She was starting to feel uneasy.

"I know.. but I'm not exactly.. fit, am I?"

Her eyes scrolled from her paw, up to CedarClaw, her head slightly tilted. She wanted the truth, and not a lie, not a lie to make her feel better.

Her fur on her shoulders were starting to prickle, prickle with fear or tension. She could be strong, she knew she could, but she needed to say something to some cat, not just keep it all inside.

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Cedarclaw looked her in the eye. "No. No, I don't think you are fit for the job. But you know why? It's because you keep telling yourself that you're not." She let her claws slide in and out. "It's time to stop. Be a real she-cat. Don't let yourself feel weak. That's what I just cannot stand. You know that you could be Foxstar, though. You know that you're more than what you're giving yourself credit for."

She let her claws remain in the marshy earth under her paws. Her tail lashed out behind her, as if to get her point across.

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She looked at her, and nodded. She was glad that she admitted it, but was it really the truth? She shrugged, and shook her head.

"I'll try my best."

She smiled, even though it was weak. Her tail tip flickered slightly, glad that she spilled out that she wasn't really ready to someone.

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Cedarclaw blinked, then twitched her ear. "So. Are you going to go for it, or not?" she asked plainly. There was only so much she could say for the she-cat, and the tortoiseshell didn't feel like encouraging the deputy more if it was a mute point.

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Her ears twitched a bit.

"I'll go for it, but not right now. A few things needs to happen before I offically become 'FoxStar.'"

She smiled weakly at the she-cat.

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Cedarclaw nodded. "Very well. I'll get back to guard duty, then," she mewed, turning her attentions to the hills beyond Foxfire.

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FoxStar nodded to CedarClaw, her ears flicking back and forth. She walked past her, her tail disappearing in the bushes.

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(OOC;; I'm just going to start playing SootClaw, if that's okay..)

SootClaw walked on over to CedarClaw, and smiled at her.

"What do we have here, CedarClaw? You know, a pretty she-cat like you shouldn't be out here, a tom could come along and snatch you up."

He slid that out of his mouth, teasingly, even though he meant every word.

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Her orange eyes flared with fury at the tom's words. "What?" She hissed, her short tortoiseshell fur bristling with rage. "I'll have you know I'm not just some prissy little she-cat who needs a tom to protect her!" Cedarclaw spat the words out with venom, and, forgetting that she was supposed to be watching for intruders, she rose to her paws. Facing Sootclaw, she unsheathed her claws. Clanmate or not, no cat was allowed to speak to her like that.

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SootClaw let out a chuckle, his eyes soft. He paced around her, and chuckled again.

"My, My, all she-cats are. Don't you see?"

He smiled at her, his tail tip flicking back and forth. He wasn't afraid of her, for she was just some she-cat.

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Cedarclaw hissed in frustration. "That's just what I hate about you toms! You always think lies like those are true! So I'm going to prove them wrong!" Yowling, forgetting that Sootclaw was a Clanmate, she launched herself at the warrior, claws extended.