[S]omething [C]rashes [F]rom [A]bove

[*Meteor*]

Asteroid looked around the territory he often stayed these days. The water close by sounded in his ears and he surrendered the soft sound. He looked to eat, his ears flattened and he took a couple steps toward it. He was a bit...anxious today and also jumpy. Why he was unusually alert today he wasn't sure, timer seemed to do that to him. I need to calm down, there isn't anything out there I can't handle. Maybe one factor that caused it all was the fresh scents of those Clancats that "owned" this area. He sighed and laid down by the river and smoothed out his dark gray fur. The black fur along his spine seemed to stick out with anticipation at every little sound and movement that lurked nearby. He looked into the depths of the now, the water was lower than usually and was starting to freeze over with the season of Leaf-bare approaching. He put his right paw in it and the chill of the water sent a tingle through his body, but it seemed to relax him at the same moment. His ears flicked as he thought a scent on the breeze came towards him.

[phoenixlilly]

Thornclaw had previously been at the Clan meeting. It had been a quiet one, but an apprentice had been given a mentor. Thornclaw had felt tired during the meeting, and therefore wasn't in the mood to talk - even though Thornclaw was normally the most talkative one.

Once the meeting had ended, Thornclaw had crept into her bed for a rest. She hadn't been feeling very well, and wanted to give her stomach a break from laughing. But Thornclaw had woken up twenty minutes later, belly cured, and heart high.

Thornclaw had come outside, and padded to the Shadowed River for some fresh air, water, and possibly a bit of hunting for the clan. Seeming as it was Leaf-Bare, the clan needed food. And Thornclaw was in exactly the mood to help out.

Thornclaw arrived at the edge of the river, and dipped her head. She lapped up the icy water, and quenched her thirst. The chilly, night-time water had stung her tongue a bit, but other than that, the river's water was quite refreshing.

After drinking, Thornclaw raised her head, and back away from the river. She cleared her mind and sinuses, parted her mouth, and drank in the night scent. Everything smelt normal. She could smell the Willows, and the River. She could smell herself, the ground, and the Nightclan scent.

All was well, so Thornclaw decided to hunt a bit. She turned to her right, where a small Willow Tree was growing. The wind was flowing downstream, therefore the prey would be an easy catch - if there was any prey at all.

Luckily for Thornclaw, as she breathed in the scent, the spotted rabbit among the natural smells. She squatted down, glad the rabbit wouldn't be able to smell her. She rocked on her haunches, ready to spring at any moment - but she was too far away.

Thornclaw crept forward a little, about a fox length, and waited, her haunches continuing to rock, her belly touching the ground. The rabbit darted out of the roots of the Willow, straight in front of Thornclaw.

Thornclaw seized this chance, and sprung for wards, landing on the rabbit. She clamped her jaws around its neck, and snap! The rabbit died painlessly, and quickly.

Thornclaw happily dug a hole, placed the rabbit gently in it, and resealed. Patting down the removed, then replaced dirt with her hind paws, Thornclaw started purring. She was proud with her catch.

But then Thornclaw suddenly grew tense, her fur stood on end. She smelt something. Something unfamiliar. Baring her teeth, Thornclaw crept forward, and saw a stranger cat. She was watching through the reeds.

[*Meteor*]

Asteroid open his jaw to try to get a better smell of the scent and noticed that it was just a NightClan warrior. He grinned and turned back to the water, his smooth gray eyes watched the clear, but seemingly black, at the moment, water. His eyes watched her ripple the water made and tried to find a pattern in the shapes the ripples seemed to make. He could see pictures start to form in it and it all seemed to familiar. He swatted the water with his paw, his short temper problem acting up. He took a deep breath to calm himself, he did not want to lose his temper with that filthy Clan cat so nearby, but knowing she was there was starting to bug him, it felt like he was a piece of prey and she was waiting for him to loosen his guard so she could pounce. He stood up and faced her, calmer now. He mewed, "Why are you staring at me?"

[phoenixlilly]

"Isn't it obvious? You are an unfamiliar cat." Said Thornclaw, stepping out of the reeds. She hadn't expected to stay hidden for long. After all, this cat could obviously smell her, plus the reeds were thin. Thornclaw narrowed her eyes, as she started walking around the cat, sniffing him. He didn't seem a threat, but Thornclaw stayed cautious all the same.
"Don't you have some two-leg to go scare?" Asked Thornclaw suspiciously.

[*Meteor*]

Asteroid started to chuckle under his breath and mewed, "Two-legs, filthy creatures. There is no reason to scare them, not even a challenge, all you need to do is let out a hiss and they start running for the hills." He sighed and looked up into the night sky, the many stars of silverpelt glitter above his head. It was a nice sight, but he didn't stare at it for long, he didn't like having company when he was trying to rest and let his anger die. A wind with a chill passed past his body. He looked back at the cat and mewed, "Oh, and as for your first comment, I do not believe I'm unfamiliar, maybe new to you, but I know who I am, so I'm not unfamiliar." He rolled his eyes and laid back down by the river, he seemed to be getting more peaceful every moment rather than angry. He wondered silently why, but just shook his head.

[phoenixlilly]

Thornclaw chuckled, as this cat had too.
"For once I agree with a- a rogue? Loner?" Asked Thornclaw, replying to his statement about twolegs.
She listened to him speak about unfamiliarity.
"ah, but as the words came from my snout, it would mean unfamiliar to me." Thornclaw unnarowed her eyes, and sat next to the cat. She felt relaxed around him, not threatened or scared.
"So what be your name?"

[*Meteor*]

Asteroid mewed, "Loner, never have been part of a Clan, never will. Well, next time you tell a cat their unfamiliar, making it a bit more clear," he stopped and sighed for a moment. The next thing he was going to say, was not his favorite thing in the word. Speaking your name gives a cat the ability to remember who you are, easier which is something I'm not fond of...but maybe it wouldn't hurt this once. He clarified, "As for my name, its Asteroid." He looked back into the sky, not looking at the stars as warriors of StarClan, but wandering what is past them in the deep dark depth of the unknown sky.

[phoenixlilly]

Thornclaw raised her eyebrows.
"Loner, eh?" She continued, "I'm Thornclaw. Reluctantly a member of Nightclan. I've always wondered what it'd be like to be a loner...being in a clan isn't suiting me." Said Thornclaw. Then her eyes cleared, as they were misty before. Why was she telling him this? Why was she trusting him? he seemed to have a sort of power over her. Not a power as in bossing power, or leader power. More like a power that let Thownclaw trust him.

[*Meteor*]

Asteroid looked at her at the mention of loner life. He sighed and looked at the river again, his eyes searching the water, as if it held the words he needed and watching them flow by was the only way to speak them. "I could never live a life as a Clan cat, there is to much trust involved. Its not that I couldn't be trusted...I have a hard time trusting others. I feel like if I do finally trust somneone, they'll just stab me in the back." He looked at Thornclaw and murmured, "Loner life is different for everyone, I spent most of mine traveling."

[phoenixlilly]

Thornclaw edged closer, and bowedher head, her eyes still on Asteroid.
"Don't become a clancat. You will be stabbed in the back. i already have been. And to make sure it won't happen again, I'll quit the clan." Explained Thornclaw, her eyes full of flaming advnture. She had been mistreated for too long. She couldn't handle it. From now on, she was her own cat, no-one elses.

[*Meteor*]

Asteroid didn't look at her, just stared into the water in front of him. Every ripple in the clear water had a meaning to it, they all had a purpose, even if they couldn't choose it. We as cats have been given the most important thing any could ever ask for, free will. The ability to choose where our purpose is. He looked at Thornclaw now and mewed, "That is your decision and especially since I'm not part of your Clan, or any Clan for that matter, I am not going to stop you from making that decision. However, I will warn you, other loners, including myself on other days, can be quite....defensive if you will. they'll fight without any warning. Life as a loner is quite different because you don't have the help of others."

[phoenixlilly]

Thorn looked to the river. No longer her clan's river. Just a river.
"Asteroid, in a clan, I didn't get support of help anyway." She said simply, throwing him a glance. She didn't know what to do, what to say. In her clan she wouldn't have been able to be talking to Asteroid. But now she could do...whatever she wanted.

{{Sorry I haven't been posting, it's just, I just had five sleepovers in a row. }}

[*Meteor*]

((Its ok, I should be saying sorry to, been as busy as crap with school. ))

Asteroid nodded and mewed, "One thing I like about being a loner, is you don't have to feel guilty about decisions you make. In the Clans I believe there is that stupid code that basically tells you how to die. Its pathetic. They're whole life is based on trust. Trust one another and trust there is such a thing as StarClan. To much for me." He wasn't afraid to talk about this around her now, she had given up the way of the Clans and he wasn't going to hid it.

[phoenixlilly]

Thorn laughed at Asteroid's words. About the stupid rules that tell you how to die.
"The Warrior Code. They're not just rules. They're like...instructions. Of how you live in a clan. Respect, and tada, you'll be respected. Do what your leader says. They're your boss. Respect elders. They're senile. Feed your clan before yourself. don't go out of camp without telling someone. No going into other territories. No speaking to strangers - meaning rogues, kittypets, and loners." Explained Thorn, grinning and shrugging.
"'Tis a bit weird at times. Oh well, I don't live that life anymore, so I shouldn't need to worry."