x.just [you] and .i. ((ice)(sky))

[SHADE. :D]

[skytomb]

<sub>The sun smiled lazil down upon her creation, her earth. Oh, and what a beautiful sight to behold. Stately oak trees standing beside the slender trunks of young alders like protective parents, the deep green of the leaves reflecting in the brilliance of the afternoon. It was late - the sky was smeared with the very palest rose-pink - and yet, the forest was alive. Inquisitive bluebirds, squeaking curiously as they hopped from bush to bush. A crow, a single black streak against the sky.

The undergrowth bowed beneath his paws as he took another step. Two sand-yellow eyes peered from Skytomb's aged, though still handsome face as he peered at the scenery. His home, the warm, pretty territory of CloudClan. He and his mate Icelily had chosen to patrol alone, leaving their small kits in the care of Lemonzest, a former queen and close friend of the couple's. The tom shook his broad, muscular shoulders, the the bone rippling beneath his smooth, blue coat. The tom cheerfully followed the course of a little butterfly through the air as he waited patiently for his mate to catch up with his long stride.</sub>

[FIREH!!]

Ice is forming unto the Lily.

Icelily trotted after her mate. Her aged pelt was still gleaming as the sun shone upon the white colour. She trotted up to him and caught up to him. "Skytomb, it's so beautiful today." She mewed, rubbing her head against his chest and purring. "I love you." She mumbled.

[SHADE. :D]

Skytomb rubbed his brow against his mate's, a short purr sounding in his throat. "Not quite as beautiful you, though," he mewed softly. Yellow eyes gentle, he added; "I love you too." The tom licked her cheek. "Where should we start?" he asked Icelily, gaze sweeping over the white she-cat again.

[FIREH!!]

Icelily giggled. "I think we should start over there." Icelily flicked her tail at sometrees that had a prey scent wafting over to them. She bounded over there and immedizately caught a vole. "See? Lots of prey!" She called to him.

[SHADE. :D]

Skytomb nodded. "Okay." The tom dropped into a crouch, padding silently towards the bushes. He drew the scents in through his mouth, tasting the air and casting around with his eyes for signs of life. He heard a faint rustle to his left, and turned, mouth open. He caught the scent of a squirrel, and twitched his ears. Locating the squirrel by scent and sound, the warrior began to stalk the prey. He could see it now, its dark red plume of a tail waving as it dug up a store of walnuts. Skytomb leapt, swiping a paw in the sqirrel's direction. It hit the little creature's back, and it squealed in pain and shock. It had no time to escape before Skytomb pinned it ith one forepaw, dispatching it quickly. The tom licked the blood from his whiskers and buried the squirrel under some dry leaves.

[FIREH!!]

"Good catch!" Icelily called as she had just finished off a mouse. She buried it under some leaves and continued on. Soon, she found a rabbit. She thouight it was unusual for rabbits to be out at this time of year, but she didn't care. Icelily snuck up behind it and leaped, narrowly missing it. She quickly killed it and buried it, too. "Dragonflydance'll like the rabbit I just caught!" She called to SKytomb.

[SHADE. :D]

Skytomb purred at Icelily's mention of their oldest daughter, Dragonflydance, who was the CloudClan medicine cat. Skytomb was fiercely proud of her. "She would," he agreed, lifting his yellow eyes high as he caught the scent of a nightjar between his jaws. He watched as the dark shape glided to the grassy floor and began to peck at the earth. Skytomb crept forward, lithe body low, before pouncing. The warrior killed the bird with a couple of violent jabs of his forepaw. He then carried it back to Icelily and buried it with his squirrel. It was a hile since he had hunted with Icelily, due to his near-drowning, and then the birth of their third litter.

[FIREH!!]

Icelily purred. "It's been a while since we've hunted together, eh?" She asked Skytomb. SHe turned and hunted in a bush behind her and trotted out with a starling clamped in her jaws. "This field is prey rich!" She called to him as she buried her rabbit and starling.

[SHADE. :D]

Skytomb nodded. The warrior sat down beside his buried prey, his ears pricked up. Thoughts were drifting through his mind, thoughts he had often had. Thoughts he knew he could not ignore, but hated not to. The warrior sighed. "Icelily," he mewed. "Do you remember when we were young?" Skytomb recalled an event in theirapprenticeship with a smile.

The forest was swathed in sunshine; greenleaf ruled over the forest. Skypaw's fur was dripping wet from his swim across the river, and his yellow yes shone like the sun overhead. He had been an apprentice for nearly a moon, and now his mentor, Stormbird, was teaching him how to climb trees. CloudClanners had to be careful climbing trees; most of the trees in their territory were willows and not particularly stable. His friend, Icepaw, trotted beside him, her snowy fur neatly groomed, and her own deep blue eyes sparkling with excitement. Stormhawk trotted briskly up ahead beside a lean brown cat; Muddyspire, Icepaw's mentor.
"This'll be so fun!" Icepaw mewed. Skypaw nodded in agreement; so it would. He had a slight crush on Icepaw, and was trying to act as grown up as possible in front of her.
Icepaw just purred with amusement. "Look at you, all tough!" Skypaw flushed.
They had reached the tree. It was an old willow, the oldest in CloudClan territory. Its silvery bark was peeling and the roots jutted from the earth. Muddyspire stepped forward. "You have to find decent pawholds in the bark," he told the apprentices. Stormbird nodded. "You have to use the strength in your forelegs to pull yourself up," she added. "Try it."
Eager to please Icepaw, Skypaw went first. Leaping at the tree, he dug in his claws and hitched himself up. He made his way steadily up to a high branch. Clinging to it with his foreclaws, his hind legs dangling in the air, he found he could not pull himself up. He was stuck. The others waited below. Skypaw felt heat rise in his face. "I, um, I think my fur ight've snagged..."
Icepaw gave a clear, ringing giggle and Skypaw's heart jolted. As Muddyspire climbed up to rescue him, he wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole...

[FIREH!!]

"Oh yeah! You were so embarassed! I remember when I was wandering the forest, not knowing where I was because I was a rogue, and you came and found me! I was so excited to join Cloudclan. Do you remember coming back after you were stuck in that tree and Dragonpaw told you you looked like his mentor, Branchtail's tail!" Icelily gave that clear, loud giggle again. She rubbed up against Skyromb, glad he was here. "I wonder where Dragonwhistler is, anyway..." She remarked.

[SHADE. :D]

Skytomb shrugged, licking her ears. "D'you remember when Bluewhisker had a go at you for fetching him yarrow instead of nettle? It's not like you could've known! Remember his face when I called him a bossy old mushroom?" He purred with amusement.

[FIREH!!]

"My Grandfather. Always telling me off. He made the best face at you when you called him that!" She imitated Bluewhisker telling her off, with the face on. She laughed. "Good times... Good times..." She purred.

[SHADE. :D]

Skytomb smiled at his mate, but as they spoke of Bluewhisker, several bad memories returned. Riddlepaw, her eyes mad and her fur bristling as she murdered Bluewhisker... Shoalpaw's torn and brokn body... Rushpaw and Flightpaw, both lying dead of Greencough... There were too many things to think about. Though Riddlepaw had gone, run away, he still thought of what she had done with flashes of anger. It was greenleaf, and there was no risk of Greencough, but he still worried...

[FIREH!!]

Icelily could sense Skytomb's anxiety and pressed close to him. "We better head back soon," She mewed, rasping her tongue over his ear.

[SHADE. :D]

Skytomb nodded. "Yes," he mewed softly. He too wanted to check on his children. He hoped that Stripedkit and Indigokit hadn't been getting into mischeif together; they tended to do so whilst Hailkit was a bit more reserved. But only a little. Suddenly smiling, Skytomb got to his paws. "Let's go," he mewed, recovering his prey and clasping it tight in jis strong jaws.

[FIREH!!]

Icelily collected her prey. A challenging gleam shone in her eyes. Then, she took off towards camp, yowling over her shoulder," Betcha can't catch me!!!" She took off.

[SHADE. :D]

Skytomb smirked and raced after his mate. "Bet I can!" The blue-grey tom watched the white shape of Icelily grow smaller and smaller and put on a burst of speed in an attempt to catch her up. Finally streaking along beside her, prey in his muzzle, his yellow eyes gleaming, he smiled. No matter how old or young they were, their love had never faltered. Not once.

[FIREH!!]

ooc:// That last statement is a lie. Their love faltered as Butterscotch showed his face.

bic;;

Icelily threw her head up in the air and laughed. "You won't beat me crowfood!" She meowed, joking. As they reached camp, Icelily leaped into the air, only to trip over a root and fall straight onto her face, prey scattering everywhere. She sat up, blood trickling down her nose. She looked cross-eyed at it, before licking the blood away. "Oops," She muttered, embarassed. She picked up her prey and trotted along, her ears flattened in embarassment.

[SHADE. :D]

// True. But Skytomb probably forgot about him. What happened to Butter, anyway? oo;

Skytomb laughed, until he noticed the blood on his mate's face. Trotting closer to her, he nudged her side. "You okay?" He asked, his voice anxious. The tom couldn't bear to think of Icelily being hurt. The blue-grey tom looked up at the sky, his mind drifting once more to his kits... They were four moons old... Not too long and they'd be apprentices... Skytomb felt the familiar sense of loss for a short moment, before realising that he had no apprentice of his own and free to take on one of his kits.

[FIREH!!]

ooc;; Razor acted him... He died let's just say.

bic;;

"Oh me? Yeah, I'm okay. Just a bloody nose." Icelily laughed. "Hey, I wonder if you'll get to mentor Stripedkit," She pondered, putting down her prey.

[SHADE. :D]

Skytomb shrugged. He'd like to mentor his daughter. So far he had mentored two apprentices; his eldest son, Midnightsky, and then Shoalpaw. But Shoalpaw had been killed before he was made a warrior. Skytomb sncerely hoped that all three of his youngest children would live to warriorhood. He had lost Pixieheart and Littleshine, and then Rushpaw, Flightpaw and Shoalpaw. It had been devestating for Skytomb and Icelily. Skytomb hoped that Stripedkit would be given to him to mentor - he had only ever mentored his sons.

[FIREH!!]

Icelily nudged him. "Come on, let's get to camp." She trotted forward, only to stop again. "Skytomb... Dragonwhistler.... Skytomb..." Icelily stammered. She managed to reach the prey pile and drop her prey, but then collapsed. She could not take it. She began to cry.

[SHADE. :D]

Skytomb trotted along companionably, a few paces behind Icelily. He halted as she let out a strangled mew. The blue-grey warrior bounded forward to stand by her side, dropping his own fresh kill on the pile. "What-?" He didn't have time to finish his question. He too noticed Dragonwhistler's body. Limp. Sodden.
He was dead.

[FIREH!!]

Icelily looked up and noticed her mate standing behind her slumped body. She struggled to stand up and let out a choked mew. "Cloakedclaw?" She called, her voice strangled. The young tom raced out of the nursery. "Yes mother?" Icelily just pointed with her paw and Cloakedclaw nodded. "He saved Tansykit's life..." He whispered, pressing against his mother for comfort. A pale shape glowed in the distance, watching Tansykit in the nursery. Dragonwhistler had to make sure she was alright. He floated over the the she-cat and toms and whispered quietly, "I am always watching over her." Before he drifted away.

[SHADE. :D]

Tansykit tottered from the nursery, paws feeling their way along the earth. Suddenly a wave of sorrow and shock hit her, almost her knocking her backward. Eventually she seperated the tangled scents, recognizing her grandparents Icelily and Skytomb, and her father. She also smelt Dragonwhistler, and gasped. She knew he had been a friend of her grandparents'. Head bowed in deep shame, the kitten padded slowly over to the gaggle of cats, mouth open to scent her way towards them. "I'm sorry," she mewed in a tiny voice.

[FIREH!!]

Icelily looked at the little kitten and she almost choked with pity. She felt so bad for the kitten. Not because the kitten was blind, but because she apoligized. Icelily scooped up the kitten and purred to her. "Oh Tansykit, it'sn ot your fault. No one would ever blame a little kitten." She purred comfortingly, her motherly instinct taking over.

[SHADE. :D]

Tansykit buried her nose in her grandmother's chest, breathing in the warm scent of her fur. The kitten couldn't help shedding a few tears - she still felt immensely guilty that Dragonwhistler had died to save her life. He had been so much more important than her. He may have been old, but he was strong and able. And he could see. Tansykit curled up, pressed against Icelily's stomach, and was overwhelmed by sadness. It was just so unfair.

Skytomb watched Icelily with his grand daughter and sighed. Tansykit was only a kitten; she could not be blamed for what had happened to his old friend. In truth, it had been Dragonwhistler's own fault for saving Tansykit; he had drowned because of his own nobility. Skytomb looked up at the azure, cloud filled sky, and wondered whether Dragonwhistler was walking among those clouds now.

[FIREH!!]

Icelily licked the little kit and smiled at her. "It was never your fault." She meowed to the kit, purring. "He died because he knew it was his time. Don't worry."

[SHADE. :D]

Tansykit stared up at Icelily with those wide, leaf-green eyes; Sunjinx's eyes. The kitten still looked peaky and tearful, but her little voice was defiant as she spoke. "I should be dead, too," she mewed. "I'm no use to CloudClan anyway. I'm just a stupid blind kitten. I can't be an apprentice, can I? I'm no use." The kitten sniffed and rubbed her nose on her paws, averting her eyes from her grandmother's.

[FIREH!!]

Icelily looked shocked. She licked the kitten between the ears, trying to soothe her. "No. You aren't dead. Dragonwhistler did a noble thing and he knew he couldn't let a kit die. It was because of his loyalty to the warrior code and his friendship with your father, mother and us, that he died. He loved you Tansykit. He was hoping Stormstar would let him mentor you. And you never know, he could be your guardian, looking down at you and purring. And of course you'll become an apprentice! Look at Shardpaw in Moonclan! He's blind, but that doesn't stop him. Wovenknot, also from Moonclan, she's missing a leg! She's a perfectly keen warrior, one I would hate to meet in battle." Icelily smiled at the kit. "So be happy."