Dilapidated Warrior ||

[whitewhisker]

Wisps of pearly cloud soared overhead, the strong wind that was raging pushed them from here to there in a matter of seconds. It was a bright, clear afternoon which unfortunately held no spring-like warmth.
Warmth was what Whitewhisker needed most right now. The dilapidated black cat had stumbled around the valley for over a moon, his coat had fallen into even more disrepair since the day by the stream, where he had scented another cat. He'd gotten used to the smell now, but his mind was still faraway, uninterested.. lost in the past.
His weary pawsteps had taken him to the very end of the valley, where he could here the rumbling crash of a waterfall. Padding out from beneath a small bunch of trees, his weakened legs collapsed beneath him and he found he had not the energy to get up again.
Whitewhisker had eaten several times throughout his tour of the valley, but not enough to sustain a kit, let alone a full grown cat. His stomach growled irritably as he lay resting and he acknowledged it with a feeble flick of his tail. He made a mental note to hunt as soon as his legs could take his weight, but for now, he welcomed the relief of not having to walk or think, and he lay back with small sigh, letting the rough wind cover him with leaves and debris.

[Shadow Spirit]

The wind was fierce today, as Newleaf had only just begun. Cold still clung to the valley like a disease, making the otherwise lovely day miserable. The sun was high in the sky, but it did little to warm the pelt of MistClan's leader. She stepped over the smooth rocks briskly, keeping up a pace that forced her muscles to work. Stretching and contacting her flesh kept it comfortably warm. Within a few moments she reached the stream that flowed out into the larger river. Her clan's camp was well-hidden, tucked into an expansive cave behind a rushing waterfall. Fast and cold, the waterfall crashed into a deep pool in front of their cave, then flowed into a stream of crystal clear liquid before picking up speed to join the river that snaked through the whole valley.

Squinting against the glare of the sun on the water, Lillystar bent to drink quietly from the chilly stream. When she lifted her head she noticed that an unfamiliar cat was lying nearby. A tom who looked like he hadn't eaten properly in some time. Tensing slightly, she spoke.

"You there, tom, what brings you to my clan's boundaries?" she asked, hoping not to startle him too much, but needing to establish his purpose for being here.

[whitewhisker]

Exhausted though he was, Whitewhisker struggled to his paws. The leaves and dirt still clung to him and another tuft of black fell to the floor. Collectively - he was about a third bald.

He wobbled as he stood, eyes half closed. In his mind he could see his brother talking to him, something about Clan boundaries? Lifeless yellow eyes lit up and he rushed, well, more of a slow stagger, towards his 'brother'. He got about two tail-lengths away before his vision abandoned him. This was not his brother. His brother was dead.. long gone. Instead he was faced with a very pretty she-cat, though he barely noted her good looks, only her tense posture.
'I.. I'm sorry..' he mumbled, ragged sides heaving with the effort of movement, 'I just want.. just need..'

He sank down to the floor and rested his mangy looking black head on the floor with a shiver. One strand of saliva pooled on the rocks beneath him as he gazed at the powerful cat ahead. Would he seriously be considered a threat in his skeletal state?

'Help me..' he whispered..

[Shadow Spirit]

Clearly, this tom was in even worse shape than Lillystar thought. As he collapsed at her paws, a small sliver of drool dribbled down his chin. Any disgust she might have felt was over ridden by concern for this half-dead cat. Crouching down beside him, she shouldered him to his paws.

"Come on now, take a drink from the stream and regain yourself..." she advised, pushing him along until he slumped at its banks.

[whitewhisker]

The dilapidated tom poked his tongue into the cold, refreshing water, his empty belly still grizzling at him in the same irritable fashion. He managed to lap a few mouthfuls and wiped his chin of dribble. His breathing steadied slightly but the dull, hopeless look remained in his eyes. After another small drink, Whitewhisker tucked his paws under his chest to be more comfortable. The strong winds were still ruffling his patched rusty black fur and he shivered again.
'Thank you' He meowed quietly to the she-cat next to him, 'I lost myself..' he added unnecessarily.

Bending his head slightly to take a third drink he suddenly caught sight of his reflection. At least - he thought it was him.. this cat was skeletal, unhealthy, disgusting even. Whitewhisker turned his head away in shame. He hadn't realised what he'd let himself turn in to. The black tom took a deep breath and sighed heavily, as though steeling himself.
'I need help' He whispered, only just audible over the trickling of the stream, 'I want to change. To be like I used to. I want a home.. somewhere I can be.. normal again. Would you help me?'
He turned his hollow yellow gaze upon the she-cat, waiting for her response to this rather out of the blue statement..

[Shadow Spirit]

The mottled leader was worried. Her clan was large and they needed every strong body they could come by, but this tom was clearly close to death. Could she live with herself if she left him here...?

"I am the leader of one of the clans that lives here in the valley, MistClan...I am Lillystar," she said, introducing herself. "My clan lives in a protected cave, behind that waterfall."

The tall she-cat turned and motioned with her tail, pointing to the rushing crystalline water, then turned back to her ward.

"Can you walk tom?" she queried. "I can at least give you a safe place to rest and eat for now."

[whitewhisker]

A small spark of hope burst into Whitewhisker's yellow eyes as this stranger offered him a home. Temporary it may be, but at the end of the day a home is a home and Whitewhisker wasn't complaining one jot. He stared across the landscape to the waterfall Lillystar had indicated, picturing in his mind what the inside of the cave might look like. A strange gurgling noise ventured out of his throat and after a second or two, he recognised it as a purr.. It had been a long, long time since the black tomcat had purred and the rumbling feeling was quite alien to him now. He sensed the she-cat's hesitation and knew she probably had many doubts about him, but he did not stop the strangled little noise. Instead, he looked up at her with new warmth in his eyes and attempted a small smile.

'Thank you' he croaked, sounding ever so much like a frog, 'Not many would be so kind'

He blinked up at her gratefully and gave an enormous heave, lifting his head from the ground and managing a commando style crouch, wincing all the while he did so. It seemed to cost an abnormal amount of energy for him to even reach this height, so he didn't bother trying to straighten up fully. The patchy, frayed cat tottered to the side a bit before gaining his balance and holding his body steady enough to look around again at Lillystar.

'I'll try and manage' he told her, though he still looked as though one good puff of wind would knock him back down again.

[Shadow Spirit]

The tom was clearly putting forth all the effort he could muster, and MistClan's leader was hopeful that he would make it.

"You need some real food and a few days rest...at least," she mewed, giving him her shoulder to lean on.

Leading him slowly, she made her way to the rocky precipice that skirted the huge waterfall.

[whitewhisker]

Whitewhisker dragged his paws as he allowed himself to be lead towards the waterfall. He could hear its clear rumbling voice as the icy water flowed freely off the edge above them and crashed down into the pool by their paws. In truth, it scared him slightly, but he gritted his teeth as the pair walked past, his lips drawn back in a wary grimace. He was grateful to Lillystar for her guidance over the smooth, slippery rocks as he stumbled many times.

'My name is Whitewhisker' he muttered, trying to raise his voice above the noise of the falls, and probably failing. He didn't try to speak again, prefering to save his strength for movement.


(OoC: Apologies for the silly short post, I can't write lately =( Shall we continue with this thread or move to the MistClan medicine den? ^^)

[Shadow Spirit]

OOC: You can post him in the camp now.