A Silver Tabby Walked Along...

[Runic (Rogue)]

...a sparkling river. Runic, the silver tabby, asked himself what he was thinking, wandering around the borders of a clan, thinking he would be accepted by them. He knew he wouldn't be accepted, he was much too scrawny. Still, he traversed the paths, trying to 'accidentaly' run into a cat. He knew he couldn't go back to the Rogue Meadow, after all he had been put through.

He sniffed the air. All he could smell was the mist coming from the waterfalls and rivers. Suddenly, he smelt something... something familiar... and he then realized it was the smell of a cat. He looked around and remained silent, waiting for the cat to make itself known.

[Runner]

Runner walked through the MistClan territory, fur standing on end. The rushing water nearby made her whiskers quiver with fright. Catching the scent of cat, she began to pad towards it. She recognized as a tom, her heart began to pound with hope that it might be her brother. Then she realized the scent was unfamiliar, she continued towards it, silent and wary, eyes narrowed with apprehension. If this was another cat's territory, she was doomed. She was part of no Clan, and no longer part of a Tribe. She shivered at the thought of the possibility of her demise.

[Runic (Rogue)]

"Who are you," Runic called. He tried to mask his fear, but his quivering voice gave it away, "Sh... show yourself!"

He sniffed the air around him, trying to find the scent.

"Are you of the Mist Clan?" he asked again, hoping for an answer.

[Runner]

Runner looked at the tom, quaking. She shook her head silently. What on earth was a MistClan?
"I... I'm She who runs with the Night of Flying Snow. You can call me Runner..." As she surveyed the tom, her fear drained away a little. He was much too small to do her harm. She stepped closer, so that she was fully visible. She winced as she felt water from the ground upon her white toes, her black pelt standing on end. She lifted a wet, bloodied pad and bowed her head in greeting.

[Runic (Rogue)]

Runic had a look of dissapointment on his face. He desperately wanted to find a Mist Clan Cat...

"Oh... I see... I am Runic. I am searching for a member of the Mist Clan. I wish to join their clan, though I don't know if I have what it takes..." Runic said this in a hushed, quivering tone. He was obviously very shy. "Do you... are you looking for a clan?"

[Runner]

Runner let out the air that had been trapped inside her chest. She relaxed, and sat, her tail neatly wrapped about her paws.

"What's a 'Clan'?" she asked, her head tilted to one side. Everything about this cat was gibberish, his name, his inquiries, even his voice sounded like gibberish to Runner. She supressed the urge to purr in amusement.

I wouldn't be suprised if he's mad. He didn't even return my greeting. What a funny cat. Poor thing. He's so small, and so strange, too. No wonder he's not sure if this 'MistClan' thing won't except him, she thought.

[Runic (Rogue)]

"You... don't know what a clan is?" His voice was full of surprise. He had never met a cat who didn't know about the clans. "The clans are... large groups of cats under a leader. I guess... that's the best way I can explain it. I was not born into a clan..." He did not seem to know any manners.

"The cats in the Rogue Meadow... they always used to make fun of me because of my size..." Sorrow filled his voice as he recalled his past.

[Runner]

"There are more cats here?" asked Runner. "Besides, why would you want to join one of these 'clans'? It sounds like these 'clan cats' make fun of you. 'Sides, who wants to be bossed around by some big dumb leader anyway?"
My goodness. He's stranger than I thought! Maybe he's very mad, and is making all this up. Poor fellow. I'll play along. I won't believe such gibberish until I see it.

[Runic (Rogue)]

"My reason? I guess," Runic paused and though for a moment, "I guess I just want to be accepted. Feel a sense of belonging. I have a feeling these clans will help me with this. I... never had parents, really. I mean... they died while I was still young..." Again, Runic's voice was melancholy. "All the cats at the meadow made fun of me, but I hear stories of the clans; how everyone their supports eachother. Maybe they are just tall tales, but I want to find out for myself. Yknow... you certainly are odd. What are you doing here along the borders if you're not looking for a clan?"

[Runner]

"I'm looking for my brother. My tribe was attacked by another tribe... completely destroyed except for me and my brother. We were only kits. We escaped. We traveled for a long time, into the season of Freed-Water. A... a frozen waterfall burst and swept my brother and I apart. I don't know where he is. I'm trying to find him," mewed Runner sadly. Suddenly, her ears perked and she looked agitated and alert.
"Oh, I hate that waterfall! It makes me so jittery! Why would any cat want to live here with the constant fear of being swept away? And don't believe those stories about cats supporting each other in clans! It didn't happen in my tribe, so why should it happen here? My parents were told to live my brother and I when the other tribe attacked! Cats were running in craven selfishness! They got what they deserved, they all were slaughtered." Runner's voice had grown hard, bitter and angry, her words rushing forth like the waterfall had so many moons ago. Her tail lashed in distress and fury.

[Runic (Rogue)]

"Oh... that's... a terrible story. I'm sure... not all clans are like that, though. Tribes, though... what are these 'tribes' you speak off? I've never heard of them." Runic said this with confusion in his voice.

[Runner]

"There alot like clans, I guess. Except we don'r have leaders. We have healers, instead. I don't remember all that much. My most vivid memory of the clan is of everyone screaming and yowling. The to-bes trapped and unaided, being slaughtered. The caveguards were all dead at the entrance. The preyhunters had run away, but were ambushed. The healer was the only fighting, but only to save his own hide. My father left my mother, and when my mother tried to get away, she slipped in the caveguards' blood and was killed as well. My brother and I stumbled through the bodies, slipping in blood and climbing over what was left of the caveguards and to-bes until we were completely red. We ran away, even though we didn't know where we were going, all we cared about was being together. You don't need acceptance from a clan or tribe to be supported and loved. You just need another cat."

[Runic (Rogue)]

"Another cat... yes... I guess that makes sense, but," Runic said, still with a sad disposition, "I never had... another cat. My parents were dead... the rogues all shunned and hated me... I never had any siblings... I always thought that maybe I'd find a cat to accept me in a clan."

[Runner]

Runner smiled. "Are you blind or mad? There's a cat willing to accpt you right in front of you, mousebrain!" she meowed with amusement.

[Runic (Rogue)]

"Wha?" He suddenly realized she was talking about herself. "You... you'd be my friend?" He had hope in his voice for a change.

[Runner]

"Of course!" mewed Runner, headbutting his shoulder affectionately. "Why would I say I would if I wouldn't?"

[Runic (Rogue)]

"Thank... thank you so much." Runic suddenly seemed very happy. "Should we wander together, then?"

[Bristleclaw]

[Just so you guys don't get impatient and wonder why Lillystar's 'ignoring' you, there is indeed a war going on, so your acceptance into MistClan may be postponed (:]

[Runic (Rogue)]

[its cool]

[Runner]

Runner smiled. "Of course. I think we should get away from the waterfull, it's making me uneasy." It was an understatement, of course. She muffled an immense purr rising from her chest. She had someone to travel with.