♣ [No] Turning Back;;

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Aurora

Aurora's delicate steps pushed aside the paw-high soft grass that belied their warfare from before. Scars had given way to wounds, accompanied with stiffness and ache. The black and white had not given up on the kits yet, and her determined eyes of ochre glittering in the sun told everyone that.

"We're training today. Hard. No exceptions," she said gruffly, turning around. Her claws unsheathed, petting at the loam sagging up her pads that had led the way so far. The veteran she-cat gave stern looks to the kits. "We're running hard. We're fighting hard. We're hunting hard. From dawn to dusk, I'm pushing you to the edge. You give up now, and you can tell that to your families when you trudge home to find them gone. We're fighting and we're not taking no for an answer. Any questions?"</sub>

[KURI. (happy birfday to me :D)]

^{Amung the five kits, there sat one silver one. A she-kit, and a small one at that - she was a moon younger than the others. Her frame was lithe and thrembling as she foresaw the danger for her and the others that loomed in the future.
Crystalkit almost flinched at Aurora's words, but she knew she had to be strong. She hadn't been harmed in the battle with the foxes, so she had to work twice as hard. "I-I'm ready."}[/color] she mewed, forcing herself not to let her voice crack. Sh wanted to go home, but that wasn't happening. So she had to make the best of what she could. Right?[/sup]

[SHADE. :D]

The stubborn one came, limping defiantly after Crystalkit and Aurora. Her injured shoulder ensured that she would lag behind, but that had not stopped her from wanting to train. The little tabby kit's dream had only made her feel more determined, after she had thought deeply about it. Pecankit had been hurt and surprised after her family's rejection, but it was, after all, just a dream and nothing more. She had had plenty of dreams in her short life; and only one had been from StarClan. Pecankit limped across to stand beside Crystalkit, one paw raised awkwardly. She did not want to put her weight on the injured shouldr. "Me too," Pecankit forced her voice to sound strong, though inside she shivered with responsibility.

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

A silver kit stepped out of the badger set and into the field behind Aurora, Crystalkit, and Pecankit. The only tom-kit. It was the only characteristic other than his Clan that separated him from the rest of the chosen kits. He listened to Aurora. She was right, this training had to be hardcore if they were to fight a mass source of evil. This first words since he left the den fell from Moonkit's mouth.

"I'm ready."

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[sorrowfrost]

Selenekit padded up to the slowly forming group. Only a slight nod gave any indication that she had heard Aurora. She held no doubt that Aurora would push them to their limits, they were fighting no easy battle and such would require training, and the best they could get while on the run. Oh course on a general basis, should she still be with MoonClan, Selenekit would start training within a few moons, but under the circumstances she was forced into beginning her training earlier, but her experience would prove worthwhile. She was prepared for this, or whatever would come their way, she trusted Aurora, she knew the loner wouldn't mislead them, of course this was on a whim but she had proved trustworthy so far.

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Aurora nodded sternly to the kits around her and gestured to the near trees. "All right, start out. If you're ever lost or you're marking your spot, you can claw out some bark on a tree or make your scent known," the tuxedo she-cat said, lunging up onto two legs towards a near rowan. She unsheathed her claws and dug into the back, shredding even lines down the bark. She nodded them towards the tree.

"You try and then we'll do some sprints."</sub>

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

Moonkit was suprised to scent Selenekt. She'd not spoken back in the badger set, but he was happy to see her here. He took a quick glance at her, then stepped up to the tree. Unsheathing tiny claws, he dug them into the bark, but failed in making a fine line. Instead it came out jagged and thin, and a small piece of his middle claw chipped. He quickly dipped his head slightly in embarrassment and took it out of the bark. Of course he couldn't do perfect on his first try, but Moonkit had always been the highly intelligent one of his siblings.

He dug his claws in again, this time the line coming out better than before, but not as good as Aurora's. It was a tad bit deeper, and a bit thicker, but not perfect. Moonkit stepped back with the rest of the group, watching as they all went.

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[KURI. (happy birfday to me :D)]

^{Crystalkit made her mark next to Moonkit's; but unfortunately not doing much better than him. Her claw marks were completely uneven, the lines turned this way and that. Taking a deep breath, the she-kit went over the lines again and again until her claws hurt. They weren't as bad, but they weren't very much better.}

[SHADE. :D]

Pecankit limped towards the tree after Moonkit and Crystalkit, her teeth set. The tabby kitten reared up, pressing her forepaws against the trunk. She winced slightly as psin flared in her shoulder, but did her best to ignore it. The she-cat unsheathed her claw, clawing at the bark. It was tough, and did not bend beneath her claws. Pecankit tried again, this time suceeded in scoring a small scratch in the bark. After a long while, she had made a small slash in the bark. Pecankit stepped back. She was sweating and shaking and her shoulder sang with pain.

[sorrowfrost]

Selenekit cast Moonkit a glance and watched intently as each took turn to tear the bark. That was really good she implied to Moonkit quietly. Following the actions of each she moved forth, claws unsheathing as she moved, an upward motion was cast and claw were dragged downward, the marks were obviously jagged but after a few attempts she gained a slight bit of control though not much difference could be distinguished. She moved back and sat down quietly, she hadn't expected to ace it anyways, they were kits and it was their first time. Everyone had done quite well, or so she figured. Sure they weren't as neat as Auroras but the elder loner had much more experience.

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

"Thanks," Moonkit mewed as Selenekit proceeded after the other cats. He smiled at her as she padded back, signalling she did well.

ooc://Sorry, mental block.

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[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>"Good job for a first try," the loner said approvingly. Her majestic black and white head turned upward and then to the large field beyond her. She turned to the kits, slinking through them to rub her pelt across their noses.

"You all have a good wiff of my scent, so I want you to follow my trail. I'll call you when I'm ready. This here"--she pointed to the even claw marks on the rowan--"is my signature. Animals like wolves and deer also make marks on trees so if you lose sight of me, remember my marking and my scent." The tuxedo loner stood at the beginning of the field next to another rowan. She clawed it and turned to the kits once more.

"Follow the trail. Follow the scent. Follow your instincts. Follow your senses. The first one to reach me gets to tag along when I go hunting tonight, for practice," she called, smiling encouragingly before disappearing into the deer paths that criss-crossed Sky Field. When she had been gone for half a minute, she yowled, "Go ahead!"</sub>

[SHADE. :D]

Pecankit watched Aurora disappear into the distance. The light brown tabby took a deep breath, breathing in Aurora's scent. Pecankit began to limp off in the direction she thought it led. Her paws staggered over the long grass, as she held one paw off of the ground. Her shoulder throbbed as the slash on her shoulder seared with every stepped. Pecankit stopped beside a tall birch tree and sniffed the air. She looked around. She could not see Moonkit, Selenekit or Crystalkit. She could not smell Aurora's scent, either. Pecankit sat down, feeling hopeless. Panic began to infect her, and she fought hard not to cry. She was just a kit; nothing more. Who was she kidding? She was already injured. She would never make it home. Pecankit curled up, paws over her ears, and began to sob. "Help, help me!"

[sorrowfrost]

Selenekit listened quietly and padded off without another word, quite intent on Auroras mission. Upon hearing Pecankit she strayed from the scent she was following to find the other kit. She stepped up beside the birch tree and looked over to see an upset Pecankit. She moved up to the other and sat beside her quietly. Whats troubles you Pecankit? she asked quietly. Maybe she wouldn't be first back but she hated to see anyone depressed and she felt the need to help Pecankit. She knew they had received severe injuries, and it could be what bothered Pecankit, but she wanted to know and if she had to she would support the other kit and they could get back together, but she couldn't leave her here in such a state.

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[KURI. (happy birfday to me :D)]

^{Crystalkit sniffed well, trying to remember Aurora's scent. She set off, trailing behind Pecankit and Selenekit. The trail seemed to wind this way and that - Aurora had been trying to confuse them, to throw them off track. And it was working.
When Crystalkit reached the other two who had began tracking Aurora - Pecankit and Selenekit - she was surprised to see them together. Pecankit was wailing, and Crystalkit felt a stab of anger at herself. Why had she selfishly supposed that she, because the smallest, was the most frightened? The others could easily be just as scared.
"P-Pecankit? Selenekit?"}[/color] she mewed, raising a paw to them. The scent trail was fainter now, and Crystalkit had to strain to smell it, but even then she couldn't tell which way it lead.[/sup]

[SHADE. :D]

Pecankit looked over her paws, sapphire eyes damp. She recognized Selenekit and left a ripple of surprise. Not unpleasent surprise, she was just a little confused. As far as she remembered, she had never spoken to Selenekit before. The tabby pulled herself upright, looking at her paws. She was embarrased to be caught wailing like a newborn. "I.." she sniffed, wiping at her eyes with a snowy paw. "I just got lost. I.. I'm okay." Pecankit felt nother unpleasent surge of shame as Crystalkit appeared. The pale kitten was younger than her and she wasn't crying.

[KURI. (happy birfday to me :D)]

^{"It's kinda scary, isn't it?"}[/color] Crystalkit whispered. She may not be crying, but she was trembling. 'W-we're just going to have to accept that we're not going home."[/color] a gentle wind tumbled from the direction they had came, the direction of home. Home, the once place she wanted to be right now. Smiling in an attempt to lift the now-dreary mood, she mewed, "Hey, I'll bet Moonkit's way ahead of us by now. C'mon, we can't get beaten by a tomkit!"[/color][/sup]

[sorrowfrost]

A sorrowful look was cast to the direction of home, for all she knew MoonClan may not have noticed. A slight nod was given to Crystalkit's words. Dint be ashamed Pecankit, we're all scared she said softly. Sometimes the strangest things could bring others together. Selenekit looked around for a moment, unsure of which way to go. Three heads was better then one. They were, after all, only kits and this was alot of pressure to put on their shoulders especially without much notice. She felt as though they were forced into growing up much to quickly, it angered her but such was StarClan's wish and she would accept their choice of fate and destiny for herself.

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

"Actually, I'm not," Moonkit mewed, approaching the group of she-kits. He'd overheard their comment about him being way ahead of them, but they were wrong. He didn't care if he was last, he just liked being trained for once. At home he would've been apprenticed by now. But at least he had friends here. Or a friend.

The medium-furred silver tomkit was still nervous around all of the kits except for Selenekit. He still felt like he didn't fit in. Perhaps because of the way he was acting at first around them. He made himslef look like a mouse-brain, and now he thought they'd never forget it. They would always think he was a mouse-brained kit who couldn't think before he said something.

Selenekit, on the other hand, had not experienced any of his sudden outburst due to mixed excitement and nervousness. Would they ever return to their Clans, or would they die here, fighting for them?

[/color]

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>"What are you doing?"

The stern voice cracked overhead like a thunderbolt. Clouds of white and black swirled together, forming the straight-backed frame of Aurora. The long grasses rustled and parted as the she-cat narrowed her eyes, now from atop the tall rock the size of a termite mound. Her tail curled around the rock, flickering with the faintest hint of anger. "Don't tell me you lost the scent that quickly...and are you crying, Pecankit?" Her irritable tone mingled with incredulity as the loner's ochre eyes lifted.</sub>

[SHADE. :D]

Pecankit raised her head as harsh words split the air. She looked up, blue eyes wide, before she recognized Aurora. The little tabby kitten got to her paws, fur bristling, anger suddenly burning in her veins. "Yeah, maybe I am!" Her quiet voice was suddenly loud, full of fury. "And I bet the rest of us are, too! All you seem to care about is our mission, or StarClan! It doesn't matter about us, our feelings, whether we're actually gonna get home or not! All we are to you are tools, stupid little kits that tagged along!" Pecankit slumped down, turning her cheek away from Aurora.

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Her snarl accompanied the thunder that belied her presence as she lunged from the rock, slamming down on heavy paws beside Pecankit. "Well when you give me a reason to care about your feelings, maybe I shall do such that," Aurora growled, dangerous slitted orbs boring directly into Pecankit's eyes as the loner stared her down.

"You care nothing about anyone else. You just cry and whine about how you can't do this or that. Maybe if you get stronger, you will feel better. Maybe if you get stronger, you can care about them--your family, your friends!. Maybe if you get stronger, we can be equals! But for now, my goal is to make you the best. Feelings don't count right now unless you feel yourself. You must be your best. Be proud. Be strong. Be the best... When that day comes, we will stand as equals and we can feel the bond we forged when we left Jay's Hollow..." The she-cat's tail twitched.

"But for now, nothing will change until you show yourself worthy..."</sub>

[SHADE. :D]

Pecankit did not flinch, even when Aurora's paws slammed down either side of her. "I care!" she spat. "I care so much, you don't know! Why did I help Mottledkit? D'you think I'm only doing this for myself?" Pecankit was truly living up to her name; stubborn one. "Your the one that cares only for herself! You think your so high-and-mighty, you can command us and control like we're your slaves! As soon as we show our feelings we're no good! Too weak, because we cry. Unworthy, because we feel lonely!" Pecankit's blue eyes burnt with anger. "All you care about is your stupid mission!"

[sorrowfrost]

She looked to Moonkit silently though said nothing. Selenekit looked at Aurora as the loner approached to argue with Pecankit, and a flicker of anger passed through. We didn't choose this! We never asked for this, its easy for you but we have family members back there! We're only kits! she said her tones finally raising which was quite unusual for her. Tail remained folded over her paws though twitched every few moments in frustration. Selenekit had kept her mouth closed for the most part, but she would tell Aurora now. They had been dragged into this, it wasn't like Selenekit begged StarClan to send her on a perilous journey.

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Aurora's sable and ivory fur bristled for a moment, and then the she-cat sighed. "Well then...," she said quietly and then the thunder broke yet again.

"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT I CARE ONLY FOR MYSELF!?!" she exploded. "I was the one who led you this far! I was the one who finished off the foxes! I was the one who has cared for you at this point on this completely fox-brained mission who involves no one I care about!!! Don't you dare tell me that I didn't leave my family. Sage is dead, Hollow is alone, and I am here with five kits who believe that because they think they are weak kits, they can't do anything. Why don't you want to make a difference? Why don't you stand up for what's right. Why don't you show me that I don't need to lead and control you like slaves! DO! THAT! YOURSELF!"

Aurora's anger brimmed like a meteor spinning wildly towards the earth. She turned from Pecankit and Selenekit. "If you're so worried about your bloody family, go home. Leave me, the slave driver, on my stupid mission. See if I flaming care. I'm not changing. I'm becoming stronger. I'm going to save the family I do have left from this Tribe of Nightmares."

She tilted her head, cracking her neck as she turned, stretching her claws as she turned away. She didn't understand why they thought they had it so good back home when she had sacrificed everything for her master. Jonathan had depended on her, but she was pushed aside like some dog-toy. She was tired of not being strong enough to protect.</sub>

[SHADE. :D]

Pecankit suddenly found herself laughing. The bitter sound welled up in her snowy chest, until it burst from between her lips. "You hypocrite," she mewed, sounding older than she truly was. "You yell at us for feeling self pity, and look at you! I can see it in your eyes! Oh, you fought the foxes, did you? We all helped! All of us! Not just you!" The tabby kitten hissed. "We've all sacrificed things, people, not just you. I'm not turning back, but not because I care about you or this mission. It's because I care about them." She gestured with her tail at Moonkit, Selenekit and Crystalkit. "And maybe you should start considering our feelings, not passing them over just because we're younger than you." Pecankit took a deep breath and strode on, following the scent now. "I'll show you I'm not useless," she growled under her breath.

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>"Well I'm glad to see you're not whining anymore," Aurora commented dryly, turning around.

"Now, if you please, you still have your mission of finding me..."

The black and white she-cat smirked a bit and disappeared into the field without a backwards look. Laughter sifted through the waves of grain and flowers.

Well at least she's determined now, Aurora smiled at her successive test.</sub>

[KURI. (happy birfday to me :D)]

^{Crystalkit wanted to sob and wail all the time Pecankit and Aurora were argueing. She hated being yelled at. When Aurora yowled at them, she flattened her ears submissively. She didn't like this. Not one bit. She just wanted to press up against something warm - but she found no one to comfort her. Nothing. She was alone.
No... Wait. She wasn't alone. Not at all - she had Pecankit and Selenekit and Moonkit and Mottledkit and... Aurora. She could see it, Aurora cared. But what if she only cared for them because they were chosen? She never asked for this! She didn't want to be chosen!
When Aurora left, Crystalkit pressed herself against the ground. "She was really angry,"}[/color] she murmured, her eyes brimming with tears.[/sup]

[SHADE. :D]

The tabby kitten strode on, her fur still bristling angrily. She had a right mind to turn around and walk back home to BrightClan. Why should she help Aurora with this mission when she wasn't even appreciated? Pecankit blinked, her sapphire eyes filled with rage at the unfairness of Aurora's attitude. The she-cat gave the air a last sniff, before sitting beside a large rock. This was where she thought she was supposed to wait. Pecankit thought of her mother and father and siblings, just then blinked and shook away their faces. No. If Aurora thought that thinking of her family made her weak, then she'd better stop. Pecankit snarled under her breath, sinking her claws into the grass. She couldn't help wishing that, instead of crunchy green stems beneath her paws, it were the black and white fur of the loner.

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

Moonkit shrunk down as Aurora yowled at them. He'd never felt so embarrassed in his life. The tomkit was one of those cats who could feel like he had totally failed someone just if they took a stern tone. But in this case, it wasn't a stern tone. I was a yowl of anger that split the air like lightning. And they almost were totally failing. He carried on, his eyes narrowed and showing a sense of anger. He passed Pecankit, focusing on nothing else but the road ahead. "C'mon guys," He mumbled angrily.

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