Arise! The Sun! [Open]

[Zeporah]

Milk-honey eyes squinted in comfort, yet reproach, to the bright warm rays of the early morning sun. Her kits were eating leftovers from last night's freshkill pile. They had grown fit and strong under Sunsetfire's leadership and stealthclan's hard work. Despite clan life being a new concept for the wise ol'queen, she had seen the benefits over time, and had, a lil grudgingly, accepted it. Ever still a bit of a grump when it came to most members of the clan, Zeporah had resolved most of her undependency on any other creature since her parting with the two-legs.

Now, as she lay watching, tail curled around her frame, she was quite content... And proud. They'll be apprentices any day now... She thought, digging one set of claws in the soft turf of the hallow. That ol' coot, Sunsetfire, better get his act together soon... Or I'll be old before I'll see them as fitting warriors... Thus, as always, was Zeporah's way...

[Chainrust]

<sub>Chainrust had fallen asleep. Not to say that was a bad thing, for he had worked long and hard for Stealthclan since his battered return. Part of him was so nobody could question his judgement of loyalty, but he knew nobody would question it anyways. Sunsetfire's trust in him was far too great for any to stand up to the wounded cat's return.

He didn't know what quite woke him up; the early sun's bright rays rising up, the loud kits that bounded about in youthful spirit, or the irritation and grumpyness that practically radiated off another cat in the vicinity. Almost grudgingly, he opened his sage eyes to stare at a sideways view of the main camp where he lay on his side in his favorite spot right underneath the rock. He rolled to his belly, surveying about him.

He noted the mother Zeporah watching over her kits, and located the source of irritation. He could only assume it had to do with the kits she guarded over so fiercely.. Was it they had done some trouble? No, they were eating away so contentedly. Getting so big...

So big.. It had to be they had not been apprenticed yet.

Some cats may have been intimidated by the local grouch of a deputy making his lazy way over to them, his emotionless gaze as apparent as ever. He certainly had a reputation, from his silence to the massive scar that stretched across his forehead to his attitude. Yet, he merely sat down beside the grouchy female silently, watching her kits curiously.

They are getting so big, and so tough. My belief is they will grow into strong adults. I assume they are ready for apprenticeship soon He assured the worrying mother with a gruff voice, eyes shining with guarded emotions in the sunrise.</sub>

[Zeporah]

Zeporah's eyes flitted over to the movement that had caught her attention. It was one of the tom's of the clan, waking up to the new day. She watched as he looked over to her and her kit's direction, and paid silent attention as his masculine bulk strode over to her perimeter. The tip of her tail tucked tightly to her foreleg was the only sign that she was agitated with his proximity, but other than that, the queen wasn't at all intimidated by his attitude.

...Chainrust... I believe his name is... She thought, her eyes narrowing. As he spoke, she only exchanged this narrowed gaze from her kits to the deputy.

"If Sunsetfire could ever get off his duff... They should have already been apprenticed..." Responded the queen. If Chainrust knew anything about Zeporah at all, he would know that she meant no disrespect. It was just the older queen's way of being gruff and a lil rough around the edges to keep other cats away from her

[Chainrust]

<sub>Chainrust's ears flicked irritably at her tone. Afterall, the gruff tom was never one to randomly strike up conversation, he had merely wanted to assure the queen that her kits had not been forgotten. Strangely enough, the deputy could hardly tolerate many of the cats that lived in this clan, despite having such a high rank at Sunsetfire's side.

He tail lashed back and forth at the tip, and he narrowed his sage eyes. You would do well to understand, Miss Zeporah, that Sunsetfire is also busy. Yet I assure you he has not forgotten He growled curtly, in defense for his leader and best friend. Rough around the edges she may be, it was customary to show some respect to the Leader; plus respect to the deputy wasn't entirely unheard of.

With an agitated air, he glanced away from her kits to survey the clan, having half a mind to just leave her in her grim little bubble.</sub>

[Onyxdart]

It was at that moment that Ivoryshard came bounding back from some exploration of the Stealthclan territory. Seeing Chainrust, he loped across the clearing, tongue lolling out the side of his muzzle, and flopped right next to the two cats. He wasn't sure Zeporah liked him much, but she didn't like much of anyone, and anyway Ivory had never cared two pins whether or not anyone liked him. He wanted to say hi to Chainrust- who was looking almost as cranky as the she-cat- and so that was what he was going to do!

He looked over at the kits and thumped his tail on the ground, panting happily.

"'Lo Mister Deputy Sir! Hi Zeporah," he said by way of greeting to the pair. You could tell by the grin on his fool-dog face and the glint in his eye that he was being very silly.

"What are we all doing this lovely morning?" he asked enthusiastically.

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[Zeporah]

Zeporah flicked her tail dismissively. The tom's words and minor reprimand didn't phase her. Her sharp wit and sharper claws wanted to flex in a more tangible way, but she would rather be apart than mixed in... So often had she been ignored... There were only a slim few to whom she tolerated with more amiable personality... And Chainrust wasn't one of them.

Loud thumps of heavy paws caught the queen's attention a little too late, for she jumped, hissing, at the massive coyote that slumped right where he was... Perfectly content in the clan.

Downright unnatural... Zeporah growled, her hair standing on end as she hovered over her two daughters protectively.

"What do you want, dog breath?" Hissed Zeporah, her milky-honey-yellow eyes flashing.

[Onyxdart]

Time was, the she-cat's reaction would have had Ivory slinking off to hide under some rock, until someone came after him to soothe his hurt feelings. He'd barely been out of puppyhood then, very unsure of himself, and definitely more submissive than any coyote had right to be with a bunch of cats.

Nowadays, he didn't really care. Much. Some people just couldn't accept that he didn't eat cats. He'd never hurt a cat. During the war, he stayed behind in the camp to guard, although he wasn't sure if that was because Sunsetfire didn't want to be accused of taking unfair advantage by the other leaders or if he'd been so concerned about an attack that he'd left at home the largest and strongest, if not the most fight-savvy.

"Technically, I'm not a dog. I'm a coyote. So that's coyote-breath, to you," he said, laying down so he was short enough to converse on eye level with the two cats. Then he rested his chin on the ground between his paws, looking up at the other two as if waiting for something. Who ever knew what Ivory was waiting for when he did that? He wasn't sure he even knew, most days.

His tail wagged softly once or twice, just at the tip, stirring up a puff of dust, apparently at some happy thought he had not shared with the others, and he half closed his eyes, his ears flopped back, looking utterly relaxed and cool. He practically screamed Look, look how unthreatening I am! and with any other coyote, it would have been cause for suspicion. With Ivory, it was a way of winning brownie points with the less enthusiastic members of his clan, or simple laziness. He liked dozing in the sun with the voices and smells of his clanmates around him.

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