x. [we can't be] FAR OFF &

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

Night was falling, but still the six cats were traveling, following the not-so-well-marked trail that was said to lead them to Harmony's Fingers. All cats were cold, all cats were tired, but they all felt the urgency that weighed upon them.

Crystalkit, although one of the younger cats, was well past warrior age by now. And still, she had not recieved even an apprentice name. This bothered her as much as she was sure it bothered the others, but still she shook it off. The one thing that bothered her most was the uselessness she felt, the strive to do something to help her friends. So far, she had been nothing but useless. Cold wind buffeted her face, blowing snow up into her fur. Her lithe paws sunk into the snow, making her pause every few minuted to shake off the powdery white stuff.


How long can we go on?

ooc; Sorry for the horrible post. x.x

[kee :]]

A long haired black she-cat padded behind Crystalkit, fighting the cold and the wind which whipped against her face. Tears, frozen dried tears matted the fur under her eyes and on her cheeks. She had cried, all night long. First of all, because of the way she acted that day, earlier that day. She had been rude and a show off and she knew that. Once Pecankit had disappeared, she knew that she had hurt her friend's feelings and the sadness was too much for her to handle when Pecankit came back unconscious. She wasn't even able to confront Pecankit when she woke up because of how mad she was at herself.

So for the past hours, Selenekit didn't speak, not even to Moonkit. She stayed silent, staring at the snowy ground and off into the distance. She gazed at the stars, often tripping herself and she fell into a deep thought about what life would be like when she returned to MoonClan, if she returned to MoonClan. She would be a hero. Hopefully have a warrior name and Pearlblade would be proud of her. They would be so happy to see her back, wouldn't they? Did they miss her. She shook the thought away, of course they missed her.

Sighing, Selenekit thought of how she would have to leave her friends when this was over. She would have to say good bye to Moonkit and Crystalkit. Mottledkit and Pecankit. Aurora, her mentor. She would have to say good bye to them all and go to a place where she wasn't cared for. Fresh tears filled her eyes at the brim but she shook them away. She tried to turn her head to see Pecankit, try to meet eyes with her and tell her that she was sorry, but whenever Selenekit would turn her head, the pain stung her back and she faced forward. She wanted to go home but she couldn't leave her friends, her only family.

How?

[Spice..xx]

Mottledkit padded solidly beside Crystalkit, her teeth chattering, her nose running, her eyes streaming. This cold was painful, piercing into her skin, into her very soul. She had frozen all night, feeling alone and sad so not sleeping as near to the others as she should have. She had paid for this now, the cold seeming to run in her veins insted of blood. Her mottled pelt was stuck out as far as it wouild go for more heat, but this made no difference. She shook her head every once in a while, as her amber orbs kept blurring. Not that this made any difference, as the snow falling made it difficult to see anyway. Worried she would lose Crystalkit in the snow as white as the she-cats pelt she stuck close to her, sharing body heat.

Becoming aware of another cat behind them Mottledkit stiffly turned her head to see the black form of Selenekit. At first she turned her head away indifferently, Selenekit had been an annoying brat the day before and she didnt see why she should have to talk to her. But feeling guilty she knew she should speak to her, she could see the long haired cat was upset. She tapped Crystalkit with her tail and tipped her head back to show she was going to slow down before drawing up beside Selenekit. In silence they walked before Mottledkit finally plucked up the courage to say something. Gulping, she opened her mouth. "Errr.....are...are you okay Selenekit?" she asked hesitantly, looking anxiously at the black femme with searching amber eyes.

[/blockquote][/sub]

[SHADE. :D]

Each movement hurt. It felt like her bones would splinter if she moved another inch. But still Pecankit trudged on. She looked terrible. Her fur was matted with frost, as she had not cared to groom it. Her eyes seemed hollow, and expressionless. And still her paws quivered with cold, uncontrollably, unstoppably. The tabby padded behind Selenekit and Mottledkit, trying to move faster. She knew she was slower than the others, and she hated it,. Pecankit shook herself and padded on, her tail down and her teeth bared. The wind was like knives against her cheeks, so she kept her head down. At least that way nobody could see her eyes. Anguished, guilty, shameful pools of deep sapphire. She had deserved what she'd got. She was a spoilt brat, and she knew it. But her epiphany was breaking her heart.

[(aurora) of the problematique]

_{"Pecankit, here...,"} came a gentle voice. Aurora's lithe frame loped behind the she-cat; the black and white femme turned to the high, frosty snowbanks. "We'll go through here toward the glacier. The blinding sun and nasty wind isn't bad through the dips in the snowbanks." Aurora smiled gently and encouragingly, continued, calling out to the others. "Stay together, all of you!" Her stark black stuck out against the snow but her white mildly blended in. She looked like a floating blob of black going though the snow, almost like a weird spirit.

The glacier was up ahead with three minarets spiking into the blue-gray sky. Aurora looked up at the mosque of ice, eyes saddening slightly. She wondered if her monastery was in good shape even with Jonathan being gone. She wondered about her son...[/sub][/color]

[kee :]]

[ooc] ohh thats me!! -huggles lastie- <3

[ic]

By now, the snow had numbed her paws and her belly so she probably looked like a wobbly kitten trying to walk in the snow. Selenekit had tried her best to stay directly behind Crystalkit so she could try to step in the paw prints that were already made but the icy cold wind made is so her eyes blurred and she could barely see where she was going. When she was younger, snow was fun. To play in it was one kitten's dream but now and forever Selenekit would hate snow. Had the cold bitterness of it sticking to a rarely groomed pelt that was coated with frost.

Since Selenekit had told herself just to keep her eyes on the ground and not look ahead, for may that was better for her eyes, she just stared at the snowy ground as it passed beneath her frozen paws. She didn't see Mottledkit tell Crystalkit she was hanging back but Selenekit didn't even know if she wanted to talk to anyone now. Even if it was Mottledkit. She just kept her two pale eyes on the snow and stared so much that her eyes started to water even more. She knew it was coming. She knew that she would have to talk soon, so her eyes left the snow and met with Mottledkit's as she spoke.

"I was horrible, wasn't I?" Her whisper was carried away in the wind, but Selenekit didn't feel like repeating herself so she went back to staring at the snow, once again.

[/blockquote]

[Spice..xx]

Mottledkits ears strained to hear Selenekits quite voice through the howling gale but she missed the words. "Sorry, what did you say? The wind was too noisy to hear you" she said, eyes searching Selenekits frame. Not knowing if the black femme would want to speak again so she looked to Aurora, taking the pressure of the she-cat. "Okay" she called over the wind, as she knew a nod would never be seen through the snow. She turned her head, seeing Pecankit and then Moonkit behind the tabby. "Pecankit, Moonkit come walk with us! Aurora said to stay together!" she called, touching Selenekit and Crystalkit with her tail to ask them to wait for the other two. She didnt want anyone to get lost, not after Pecankit.

[/color][/blockquote]

[SHADE. :D]

Pecankit pricked up her ears, but it just made them sting painfully with cold. She caught Aurora's words, and then Mottledkit's shrill yowl. The frail tabby picked her way towards the tortoiseshell and the black kits, until she trudged beside Selenekit. Her sapphire eyes were squeezed shut, and her ears were flat. They still stung as though claws had ripped them to ribbons. How long did they have to go on like this, in this terrible blizzard? Pecankit opened her eyes to slits. She could see nothing. Nothing but endless, swirling, never-ending white.

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

Crystalkit shuffled her way through the cold, forcing herself to keep up with Aurora and the others. Everything hurt, everything ached. She felt as though she had already frozen to death a million times over, and yet, she still had to pad on in this demon of a blizzard. Her paws felt like lead, her eyes felt like glass. The world around her was only white, for even the warmth of Mottledkit beside her seemed to be no help to her now. The only thing she could really feel was the feelings themselves, Pecankit's suffering stubbornness, Selenekit's worried thoughts, Mottledkit's unnerving concern and Aurora's strong drive to continue on. It was as if she had left the real world and now was stranded alone, with nothing to guide her. How were they ever to get home?

[/blockquote]

[(aurora) of the problematique]

_{ooc:// Cue Karasu in whenever, Shadie :]}

[kee :]]

Ah, just as she had thought, Mottledkit didn't hear what she said. Selenekit couldn't blame her, the wind was strong and loud and her voice was a mere whisper. Sighing, she shook her snow covered head and regretted doing so since her neck hurt. It felt like someone sat on it. She forced herself to look down, even though the pain increased. When she saw Pecankit come up beside her, she turned her head a little to fast to look at the tabby that she grumbled softly in pain. When she knew the pain wouldn't leave, she sighed and try to catch Pecankit's eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered a little louder than she had with Mottledkit, "I found something that I could do well... And I just went a little overboard..." Her voice trailed off into the wind and she looked back down at her paws, ignoring the piercing pain as she walked.

[SHADE. :D]

Pecankit turned her head sharply as Selenekit approached her. The tabby kitten raised an eyebrow, sapphire eyes still half-closed. "We all go a bit overboard sometimes," she mewed, her voice unusually solemn, but loud enough to be heard over the yowling of the wind. Pecankit hobbled closer to Crystalkit, and pressed herself against the smaller cat. She wanted to make at least one good friend; otherwise she'd just drive herself further and further away from the others.

His paws ached. His muzzle ached. His ears ached. Everything ached. It was so cold, though he was used to it. He flicked his sore ears forward a little. They wern't. Karasu had been watching the intruders for a long while, following them through the blizzard. The little arctic fox had trotted after them, paws soundless, fairly well protected from the chill. The little fox was tired, but still curious. Why where they here? Karasu felt the wind tear at him from behind, and held his breath, hoping they wouldn't scent him. Then again, they seemed pretty stupid. They's nearly run into a grizzly earlier... Idiots... he thought, shivering.

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Aurora plodded on and entered the canopied ice tunnels that headed towards the glacier. The ice was smoothed down, almost like a kit's glossy fur. She slipped and landed on her belly. She chuckled and pulled herself up, nearly landing splay-legged again. The tunnels weren't nearly as cold as the outside, with no wind and all. Aurora was glad for a reprieve.

She turned and waved her tail to the cats. "Everyone, this way...," she called, voice echoing loudly in the smooth-walled tunnels. Her hair tingled. She felt as if she was being watched. The she-cat shivered and waited for the others. She began humming her song under her breath, skating along the ice as her warped image cascaded across the frozen depths.</sub>

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

<sup>How long could they take it? How long could they survive such fierce weather? It was tough to get your bearing around here, all the snow whipping your face.

The SerenityClanner was quite obviously no longer a kit, but his name, Moonkit, did not change. He was larger, more muscular now, a warrior's age nearly, but he was still classed a kit in a way. Not that he cared. More than anything, he just wanted to live, to see his family back at home. He figured his sisters had already received warrior names by now. He wondered if they missed him, if they cared he was gone. And what about Cherrysmoke? Was she worried sick? Or did she simply assume he was dead and move on? He shook the thoughts from his head and caught up with Selenekit, still speaking nothing. He was almost afraid to open his mouth for he may be choked by snow.</sup>

[Spice..xx]

Mottledkit moved to be beside Crystalkit again as Pecankit spoke to Selenekit, she didnt want to get in the way, and besides Pecankit and Selenekit hardly liked her anyway. She smiled to Crystalkit, the white femme was always nice to her. Following Aurora through the ice tunnels she skidded fowards on the ice, her legs splayed as she tried desperately to stop, her eyes picking now to blur so she couldnt even see where she was going. Finally stopping she gave a shaky breath and called over to Aurora. "Um....Aurora? How long does these tunnels go on for? Cos they're real slippy" she said with a shiver. She was scared, she didnt want anyone to get hurt by falling over.

[/color][/blockquote]

[(aurora) of the problematique]

_{Aurora turned to Mottledkit, trying not to wobble. "Well, they continue until we get to the end of the plains," the white and black female said, smiling at the mottled tortie. "Don't worry. It's actually kind of fun." She swung around on her belly, feeling like a kit. She paddled towards them on her belly. "You can tobaggon if you can't walk that much," she suggested.}

[SHADE. :D]

Pecankit raised her eyes, looking at Aurora scornfully. Toboggan? She had a new, grudging respect of the loner she-cat, but she still did not understand some of her ideas. Did she really think Pecankit felt like sliding down some ice tunnel? The tabby shook herself light, paws sliding a little on the ice, her side still brushing Crystalkit's. Pecankit unsheathed her claws, letting them graze the ice so that she did not lose her balance. She wouldn't make a fool of herself again, not in one day.

Karasu followed the little band inquisitively, still shivering in his light, fluffy cub's coat. The arctic fox blinked at them through the driving snow, his tail tip quivering with excitement. They'd entered a cave... Maybe he could trap them! Maybe he could hunt, like all the other's did! Karasu knew it would not happen, but he had given himself hope. Maybe he could not bring down the biggest black and white cat, but the small grey and white looked easy enough. Trotting cautiously to the entrance of the cave, he poked his muzzle inside, sniffing loudly, forgetting to be inconspicuous.

[Spice..xx]

Mottledkit giggled but nodded as Aurora slid towards them on her belly. The tortoiseshell femme choose to sit down, and pulled herself along with her front paws, while wiggling her bum so she still moved. She slid along like this, quite happy though she was starting to get a numb bum from the ice. Suddenly her ears pricked, her hearing sharper than most as she could not always rely on her eyes. She was sure she had heard something. "Aurora? I think I......I think i heard something" she said, looking around warily. She did not want to be caught out in here, it was slippy and there were limited ways out.

[/blockquote]

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sup>Aurora chuckled when Mottledkit giggled, and the black she-cat playfully nudged the EclipseClanner across the ice. "See, it's not so bad, neh?" she grinned. However, the fae straightened when Mottledkit spoke of hearing something.

"I thought it was my imagination but I had the feeling we were being followed earlier. Kits, keep together!" Her voice picked up an octave. They weren't really kits now but it was such a habit since she had practically watched them grow up as if she had been their mother from the time they had left Jay's Hollow. "All of you, keep together." She amended. The largest female stood up tall, claws clinging to the ice. She sniffed the air, smelling nothing until a blast of wind suddenly shrieked into the tunnel.

"Fox...," she snarled. Her ochre eyes flared hauntingly as she leapt over Crystalkit and Moonkit. Her fur stuck out like icicles and she hissed. "I know you're there. I can smell you..."</sup>

[SHADE. :D]

Pecankit found herself sandwiched between the warm furry bodies of Crystalkit and Mottledkit as an intruder was revealed. The slender tabby felt fear prickle in her heart, but unsheathed her long silver claws, just in case she needed them. She'd never really had any fighting training, but she had basic instincts, and the experience of her journey. Pecankit gave a ferocious hiss, blue eyes slits.

Karasu gave a shocked holler as a huge black and white cat, bigger even than him, landed before him. The little cowardly fox stumbled back, paws scrabbling in the snow. The fox felt snow enter his eyes and mouth spluttered, before scrambling upright and cowering against the icy crust. Karasu shut his eyes breifly, then glanced up at Aurora. He immediatly flinched. Her fur was bristling, her eyes burning - why had he ever thought he could take down a cat? He'd never even seen a forest cat before - only the odd arctic cats up north. Karasu decided begging was the best way to escape with his life. "D-D-Don't hurt m-m-me, p-please!" he yelped, not entirely sure this ferocious beast would be able to understand his tongue. "I-I meant n-n-no harm! I'm lost!"

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Aurora had to admit that this fox pulled a cunning act if he was trying to make her lose her guard but she had been attacked by the vulpines enough to know that they were sly enough for any type of dirty trick. The fae's hair bristled as she made herself larger and more intimidating.

Aurora advanced, claws harshly scraping against the eyes. She could understand his speech but it was accented, gruff, and full of mumbled stutters besides. "You should have called out to us if you were lost," the female hissed. Then again, now that she thought about it, she doubted that she would have stopped for a lost fox. The scenario that was happening now would have gone on earlier.

Aurora straightened, eyes narrowing slightly. "Who are you, fox?" she asked. Since he could speak, it was obvious that he would probably have a name. Her tail twitched left to right, showing that she meant business.</sub>

[SHADE. :D]

Karasu whimpered in terror as Aurora's claws brushed his fur. He cowered against the cold crust, a stream of sobs escaping his muzzle in a mournful warble. The young fox sniffed loudly, tears wet on his cheeks. He flattened himself to the snow, tail down, eyes facing his paws, determined to show Aurora he meant no harm. "I-I-I'm Karasu," he mewed under his breath. "I'm lost because I ran away when Mummy tried to kill me. She k-killed the others." Karasu felt a surge of sorrow as he remembered his brothers and sisters, whom his mother had murdered. Karasu's ears drooped. "Let me go, please, I won't tell anyone you're here, I swear!" he moaned, eyes dampening and spilling over again.

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Aurora sighed heavily and sat down, licking her fur back to its down position. "Very well...," she allowed. Karasu... The name was definately foreign. Perhaps it was because of this land.

The black and white fae turned her scarred ochre orbs downward to him from his prostrate position on the snow. "My name is Aurora and these are my friends: Pecankit, Crystalkit, Mottledkit, Selenekit, and Moonkit. We have come to defeat the shadow beyond the ice." Her tail flickered left to right.

"On your paws, Karasu," she told him before turning her head to her companions. "Everyone, this is Karasu, who lives in this land." She approached them, drawing them away so Karasu couldn't hear her whisper.

Aurora wanted to know their opinion on this. "Alright, everyone, here's the deal. We let the fox into the group for a while or we don't. The good thing about letting him in is that he could guide us through this land and show us where to get food and shelter. The bad thing is that we hardly know this fox, and I don't want to let our guard down on something that could kill us all." Her eyes turned to Mottledkit, then Moonkit with some of his tail missing, to Pecankit with her scars, and then dwelling upon Selenekit and Crystalkit.

"I would like to have your views on this..."</sub>

[SHADE. :D]

Karasu nodded frantically as Aurora introduced herself and her companions, desperately to memorize all of their names - he may not know much, but he knew it was polite to address those by their name's. The fox scrabbled upright at Aurora's command, then dipped his head hastily. "Y-yes, Miss Aurora," he mewed, dipping his head slightly in a kind of fearful respect.

Pecankit pricked up her ears, trying to hear what Aurora was saying. A breeze carried the rank scent of fox to her nose, and she recoiled, sinking back into a sitting position. When Aurora turned to face them, she was still running her paws over her nose in an attempt to get rid of the smell. She let her paws drop immediatly as the loner's hushed tones reached her. The young brown tabby she-cat raised an eyebrow at Aurora's proposition. "And share our nests with that stink?" she mewed scornfully - she was no great lover of foxes. She glanced at her scarred shoulder, a painful reminder of a long-ago foxfight. "I say we drive it away. We could. It's just a baby, by the scent of it." Pecankit surprised herself by knowing this, but did not let it show on her defiant, certain face.

[Spice..xx]

Mottledkit looked in terror at Karasu as he appeared before them. She wedged herself between Crystalkit and Pecankit, her eyes round with fear and her breathing coming in quick, shallow gasps. She was terrified of foxes. She had been in a coma for weeks after her last encounter with the beasts and she didnt want that to happen again, to her or any of the others. But then again....Mottledkits expression softened slightly. This fox was different. He was scared. But then foxes were sly. Maybe this was all a trick, a ploy to get them to trust him and then attack. Mottledkit shook her head and looked to Aurora. "He doesnt seem a threat, but he could be. I dont think he is nearly as weak as he makes out to be" she said serenely, still keeping one amber eye on Karasu.

[/color][/blockquote]

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

ooc; I fail. x.x

Crystalkit dipped her head, glancing at Karusu. Her fur, bristled with horror just a moment ago was beginning to lie flat. Her blood was pulsing loudly in her ears, but she managed to hear Mottledkit's opinions. "I-I think he knows this place," she turned her two big, blue eyes on Aurora. "He would, right? So... what if he showed us through?" she shuffled her white paws slightly, glancing again at the small fox. She didn't like this place one bit, and the small chance that she could get away... she'd take it. Besides, she couldn't smell anything anyway. Her nose felt frozen.

[/blockquote]

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Aurora nodded slowly, hearing the she-cats speak. "If he's a baby and so scared like that, I don't think he's that cunning to pull such elaborate stunts. We can keep an eye on him. See what he does. I think, however, that he can be our best bet finding food and shelter," the fae said softly, flicking her tail. She wasn't afraid of the fox; she knew a genuine submissive pose when she saw one.

The tuxedo female turned and lifted her head towards Karasu. "He can be valuable to us in our next training session," she remarked, nodding over to the fox. Aurora turned to the group. "Agreed?"</sub>

[SHADE. :D]

Pecankit could not believe her ears. Though she didn't much like the she-cat anymore, Mottledkit had been seriously hurt by a fox. How could Aurora trust this one, arctic or not, baby or not, after that? The slender ochre tabby stared defiantly up at the black and white loner, shaking her head. "No, I don't agree," she mewed loudly, standing. Her voice rose. "But you'll probably all decide without me, as usual. When one of you wakes up dead don't come crying to me!" Pecankit knew her childish snap made no sense, but she did not care. She marched to the other end of the cave, and sat with her back to the others. She felt utterly alone, swiping her tongue viciously over her snowy paws.

[kee :]]

Pecankit's answer didn't make Selenekit feel any better. She just fell behind the tabby kitten. No not kitten. Pecankit was almost a grown she-cat and one she didn't want to upset. So she fell in step with Moonkit for a while, keeping her eyes on her paws. She ended up slipping and almost falling into Crystalkit but she caught herself and slid down on her rear behind Mottledkit. For once, she was actually enjoying herself and let out a little giggle. But when she stopped suddenly at the force of a new smell, she realized how much her behind burned. She should have slid on her belly. But that was the least of her worries.

When Aurora told them to stay together, she moved closer to Moonkit, but stayed behind the others. She peeked over Mottledkit's shoulder to see Aurora speaking to a russet colored... dog? No. It was a fox. A little baby helpless fox. And she didn't trust it. Not a word that came out of its quivering maw. As the first three she-cat's gave their opinions, for the first time in a while, Selenekit had to agree with Pecankit. We didn't know much about the area or the animals that live here, so why could we trust a fox? Selenekit narrowed her icy eyes at Karasu and then looked at Aurora.

"We don't know this area as much as he does, and yes, he could help us. But can we trust him? He could just be a little messenger from a huge pack of foxes that want to kill us..." Selenekit mewed softly, her eyes troubled.

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Aurora sighed softly, ear twitching at Pecankit's immaturity. "Male foxes stay with their family. Females are the ones that leave. If he's a messenger from a 'huge pack of foxes' then he must be pretty lost. It's six of us versus one of him," the tuxedo fae said. "He isn't aggressive like the other foxes have been. Someone's always on sentry watch whenever we take a break so if what you think, Selenekit, is true, then we'll have amble warning."

To be honest, little Karasu reminded Aurora of her beloved Hollow back at him. She decided to speak up about this. "I trust him, if nothing else. If you don't want him to come, fine. He and I can go talk on our own and I can just find out where the food and ways are by myself. He reminds me of my badger cub back at home, though I doubt he's a cub now. He's around Mottledkit's age, I suppose."</sub>