&&_an unexpected obstacle.

[SHADE. :D]

Pecankit leant against Mottledkit breifly, her ears still flat as she glared at Shimo. The light brown tabby she-cat's striped fur rose, bristling along her spine. Her sapphire eyes blazed with a furious challenge. She didn't seem to care that the threat seemed to have passed. She knew first hand that situations could change very swiftly. Pecankit unsheathed her claws, ignoring the cold biting at them. The bold young she-cat lifted her head proudly as the younger creature introduced himself. She blinked stubbornly at the two, before speaking grudgingly. "I'm Pecankit."

Karasu twitched nervously as Aurora introduced him. The fox stared timidly at his paws, his eyes flicking from side to side. He did not lift his head, not wanting to risk offending Shimo. He had seen what the wolverine could do. Karasu felt a pang of loneliness. Why did nobody care for him in that way? Not even his own mother. She'd tried to kill him, for sky's sake! Karasu swallowed tears, tail tip quivering.

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

The tom bit his lip. He glanced towards Selenekit, then back towards the wolverine and the bobcat. "My name is Moonkit," he stated evenly, moving to stand beside his friend.

[ooc]:// Sorry, no muse. X-X

[/blockquote]

[kee :]]

As everyone introduced themselves, Selenekit was distracted by the strange feeling she received when she glanced down at Karasu. He seemed... strangely upset about the bond Shimo and Koji had between each other and Selenekit felt a pang of sympathy for the young fox. "I'm Selenekit," she introduced herself with barely any emotion and the little emotion that was in her voice was a bitterness that she felt for Shimo. She just kept her eyes on Karasu and then at Shimo and Koji and then back at Karasu. She sighed softly and leaned down so that her head and his head were at equal heights. "Are you okay?" she whispered gently.

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

Crystalkit was trembling. They won't hurt us, she told herself. But, alas, she didn't believe that. Not one bit. Koji seemed innocent enough, kind of like Karusu, but what about Shimo? Her eyes were distrusting, perhaps even more so now than they had been back at Jay's hollow with Aurora. But she hadn't known distrust then, just curiosity. Now, she didn't care what a 'wolverine' was. She didn't care to learn more about Shimo, like she had about Aurora. Taking a shuddering breath, the shy she-cat - made even more so by not being properly mentored, and being surrounded by only five other cats instead of many - set her jaw and mewed, "I'm Crystalkit." she stood her ground this time, white pelt blending with the snow but at the same time her black stripes gave away to any passerby that she was there.

[/blockquote]

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Shimo let a growl simmer out of his throat once all of them were introduced. "I enjoy the fact that you expect to be treated with kindness when you are the ones who are rogues here," he said frostily. "The Icelands are untrusting...and so are its inhabitants. We don't get many visitors besides humans. Why are you here, in the Teeth of the Sky, to defeat this darkness that quakes your world?" The wolverine shifted his weight and then laid down on the icy snow, his body still larger than his standing bobkit charge.

Aurora turned to her younger companions before returning her gaze to Shimo. "We were sent by our ancestors to seek out the Icelands, as you call them, to defeat the Tribe of Nightmares. However, is there a way to pass these...Teeth of the Sky?" They weren't call such names when she was with Jonathan but then again, that had been many, many years ago.

The wolverine frowned but lifted his bulky paw to a thin, almost-invisible path. "There is a path there...to Harmony's Fingers," he said gruffly. "Koji and I live--" The male paused and scowled, lifting himself up onto his backlegs like a groundhog. A snarl rippled in his pharynx and he lowered himself to the ground. "Koji...can you lead them...to our den?" He sounded a bit hesitant about letting these newcomers into his home and Koji leading them but there was nothing he could do about it. Wolves were on the hunt, seeking for the weakest one of this congregation. Shimo cursed himself mentally for letting his guard down even the slightest bit.</sub>

[Spice..xx]

Mottledkit pricked her ears at Shimos mention of a pass through what he called the "Teeth of the Sky". Maybe they would really make it now? Her eyes brightened but she shrank back slightly at Shimos snarl. She was still nervous of the wolverine. Amber orbs turned to Aurora as Shimo spoke of leading them to his and Kojis home and she looked to the little bobcat, giving him a small warm smile. A den sounded like such a nice place at the moment, as she was absolutely frozen. But she had to keep going. For her family at home.

[/color][/blockquote]

[fernie. (:]

Koji pricked his ears as Shimo instructed him to take these strange felines to their den. 'I can do that!' he said, eyes bright as he jumped up from the snow. 'Uhmm... please follow me!' he said, looking back and wondering if the cats would follow. He padded through the snow, sometimes so thick it reached three quarters of the way up his tan coloured legs, brushing his belly. He had to lift his paws right up so as not to trip over himself, but this didn't slow him down as he had to walk like this a lot in the snowy terrain. Soon enough, they were at the entrance to an icy cave, hidden in a hollow of rock beneath two mountainous snow dunes. 'Here we are!' he said proudly, and turned around to look at the cats.

[/size]

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

"You... you sleep in here?"

It was, really, the first friendly thing she had said upon meeting the duo. Crystalkit had become defensive. The shy one, so used to relying on others, had turned up invisible walls around herself, tried to shut out the frightening wolverine and bobcat. Now, her curiosity was tearing down those walls. She peered into the cave, it's glistening sides reflecting the sunlight. It was just as she had pictured her namesake; from what she had heard 'crystal' meant a rock of some kind, sparkling and gleaming. Maybe it didn't... it probably didn't. But still, the cave looked as beautiful as it did cold. They slept on snow?

[Spice..xx]

Mottledkit ploughed doggedly through the snow behind the bobcat and Crystalkit, eyes glancing up and wondering how Koji was managing to keep above te snow. She drew up beside Crystalkit, amber eyes openeing wide as she saw the cave in front of them. "Its beautiful!" she whispered, brushing coats with her white-pelted friend as she padded forwads slowly to investigate. She glanced behind her at the others, before looking to Koji. "Is it not really cold? she said softly to the bobcat, her amaber eyes still round with amazement.

[(aurora) of the problematique]

ooc;// epic battle scene.
bic;//

xxShimo
Noli manare, manare in memoria.
Noli manare, manare in memoria.

[/center][/i]
<sub>Loud howls erupted in the distance as the wolves announced their plan. They closed in, circling him slowly as he protected the way leading to Koji and the others. The pack, fledged with five members, snuffled around in the snow, eyeballing the fiesty wolverine as he ruffled up his fur. Shimo lifted his head, lip curled ferociously as the wolves turned their devilish grins upon him. They cackled like a gang of hyenas, knowing that Shimo was the smaller of the two species and that he rarely went out of his way to attack them. They knew him. Shimo rarely attacked larger animals. However, this was different. They weren’t after him directly; they were after Koji and the foreigners. If Shimo fell, then he had failed as a guardian, for Koji surely couldn’t handle a pack of wolves. The wolverine would defend himself against these wolves, a feared predator of the wolverine.

The devil bear scowled, keeping his composure as one wolf stepped forward cockily. It sniffed him. Shimo hissed and curled his paw back, sending his large claws flying across the muzzle of the too-investigative wolf. The creature yelped, and almost instantly, its other members came to its rescue. Shimo reared back, letting his flailing claws do the talking as they nimbly landed on key parts of the wolves’ bodies such as their eyes or muzzles. The wolverine hissed as one wolf snapped its jaws down upon his leg, but he send it barking with a well-placed slap. Shimo turned and charged for a tree. The bulky woods devil clawed his way up a birch tree and leapt from the bark, landing hard on the back of a she-wolf barking at him. He raised his claws, jabbing them viciously into the fae’s scalp, and biting down hard as she writhed under the deadly force of his vice-like jaws.

Ripping his teeth out of the skin just in time to miss the heftiest part of the next wolf’s attack, the wolverine was sent tumbling into a log. The canines raced after him. Shimo’s brown eyes widened as he rolled onto his massive paws and ran into the inside of the log, clawing and biting at any wolf who attempted to scoot themselves or paw at the carcajou. No fear or menace was expressed upon his visage as he did his best to keep total control.

A wolf suddenly grasped his tail, dragging the wolverine out bodily and trying to shake him as hard as it could. Shimo growled and aimed a blunt-clawed kick at the brute’s throat, knocking the breath out of the beast and making it let him go. Shimo toppled to the ground, blood littering the snowy grass. He murmured a curse and hastily did a barrel roll to dodge the next attack. He panted heavily, bloody saliva threading from his gaping maw. The wolves finally decided that the wolverine wasn’t a weak-enough kill and made a run for it.

Shimo swallowed and turned, limping heavily. He slipped and toppled over the top of the small cave, landing heavily in front of it with a thud. He grunted and pulled himself to his paws, turning to face his den.

”Koji…? You okay in there?” he asked huskily, little ears bending back as he sniffed the air.</sub>

Refuse to remain, remain in memory.
Refuse to remain, remain in memory.

[SHADE. :D]

// That was random. xD

Pecankit examined the den critically. The tabby's she-cat sapphire eyes narrowed as they grazed the icy walls. The she-cat licked her white chest, her paws kneading the snow. The brown tabby and white she-cat pricked up her ears as howls echoed behind her. She followed the others into the den, wondering how anybody could find it comfortable. It made her think longingly of the warm, mossy nest she had slept in as a kit, with Leopardflight and her brothers and sisters... Pecankit looked up as Shimo limped back into view. "What happened to you?" she asked, eyes narrowed but anxious.

Karasu whined as Shimo appeared again, bloodied and injured. The fox whimpered loudly, burying his muzzle in his paws. "I can smell them," he yelped. "Wolves!" Terror flooded the young creature, and his tail twitched and shivered with the emotion.

[Spice..xx]

Mottledkit almost jumped out of her skin as the chilling sound of howls could be heard behind her. The tortoiseshell femme scurried deeper into the den until the battled form of Shimo appeared, leaving a scarlet trail of blood in his wake. "Oh my!" she squealed as she saw him, hair sticking up in her anxiety. As Karasu suddenly yelped with fear she scrambled backwards, terror filling her eyes. Wolves! Surely they would be killed, if they managed to do this much damage to Shimo, who she considered very storng and powerful. The sound of the foxes howling back when they were in the glade rang in her ears and whimpering she shook her head fiercly to banish the noise.

[/blockquote][/sub]

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>ooc;// lol, it's the reason Shimo had them go to the den in the first place

bic;// Aurora shied backwards when the massive frame of the wolverine swam into view. "My goodness," she gasped, blinking at the male. "Are you okay?" Her eyes traced the lines of blood along his brown pelt, and her ears perked up as she heard the yips of the wolves that steadily faded away.

"Your fox friend is right. Wolves were on the hunt, and they target the weakest one in the pack, so...either my Koji or that white cat...um...Crystalkit, right?" Shimo toppled onto his rump with a loud sigh. He scooped up a block of snow and pressed it to his fur, exhaling heavily as the steaming crimson blackened the white coldness. At least his wounds were clotting easily. "I'm fine. Don't worry about it. " He lifted up his paw and clawed at his neck, dragging out broken-off wolf fangs and brushing them aside. He grunted in pain and rested for a moment. "Don't be afraid. They're gone now." He laid onto the snow, rolling around to clean himself off before the blood started sticking to him and he'd stink like a piece of carrion, even more than a wolverine already did. Now that would be noxious.</sub>

[kee :]]

ooc// haha Shimo just said Crystalkit was weak. XDDDD

Selenekit followed Koji to where there den was situated. It was a quaint little cave. Very cold but nice. She smiled slightly when she saw it, but didn't step far into it. She hadn't put all of her trust into the wolverine and she wasn't about to endanger her life by walking to far into it. She sat on the cold icy ground alone but stood immediately when she saw Shimo returned bloody and wounded. Her eyes were wide with shock and an odd worry for both Shimo and all of them. Even though he assured that the wolves were gone, Selenekit felt awfully uncomfortable staying any longer. She wanted to get out of here, and as soon as possible.

[(aurora) of the problematique]

_{ooc;// I figured I'd add to her angst >>;;;}

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

__ Yes! Perfect! xD Thank you.

Crystalkit watched with horror as the battle commenced, then closed as quickly as it had began. Her fur was fluffed up in fear and now she stood twice as large as she normally did, and even after the huge wolves had left she still felt fear gripping at her mind. A dizzy, sickening feeling filled her as she heard Shimo's words. She kept hoping she was dreaming, but there she hung, feeling as though she were falling even though her feet were flat on the ground.

Weakest...

She did not realize that the bloodstained wolverine was probably ignorant of the deepness of his words, and with good cause in Shimo's case. Crystalkit stood there for a moment more, remembering all the times she had been the weakest: she didn't catch the rabbit, despite her snowy pelt. She had cowered in fear at the fox attack while Mottledkit knocked herself into a coma saving them. She had not gotten the flower - she had fell into the lake of muddy water. She had jumped at the chance to run from the snowstorm and shelter in a warm cave.
She was useless.

A sudden pulse of anger - no, anger, fear and confusion - caused the usually-timid she-cat to raise her hackles and hiss angrily at Shimo, forgetting the valiant battle he had just won to protect them. She jumped and landed on the brown creatures back, violently spitting in a frenzy of sudden hatred. Scratching him again and again, although she couldn't be sure if she were actaully hurting him or not, the silver tabby jumped off him finally as she realized how stupid she had just been. Her flanks heaving as she came down from her feverish actions, Crystalkit watched both Shimo and Aurora with hard eyes.
She was useless and stupid.

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>ooc;// xD you're welcome

bic:// Shimo let out a pained cry and buckled, toppling onto the bloody snow. The wolverine's usually-bright brown eyes were hazy and weakened. Crystalkit's attacks wouldn't have affected him normally, but her claws had struck the open gashes from the wolves.

Aurora gaped incredulously and then in anger. "Crystalkit, have you gone mad!?!" the she-cat bellowed. "This wolverine nearly sacrificed his life to save us from those wolves and that's how you repay him? By attacking him? He's hurt very badly already! What is the problem?" The black and white she-cat ran to Shimo's side, murmuring apologies to the wolverine.

Shimo swept Aurora's apologies aside as he rose up with a loud snarl. "What the bloody hell was that for, cat?" he snapped. An angry and hurt wolverine was not one to be messing with. "I was only telling it like it is. The weak cat around here is a dead cat around here." He bared his fangs at Crystalkit, wolf blood and saliva splattering the snow. "You can't deny the laws of nature!"</sub>

[SHADE. :D]

Pecankit stared at Crystalkit. She had picked up the anger pulsing through the white cat. It surprised her. Crystalkit was usually very quiet, very... No, no, she wouldn't think it. Pathetic. The tabby shook away the word. Crystalkit was her friend. The she-cat meowed in shock as Crystalkit's tail whipped across her face in her leapt at Shimo. "Crystalkit!" she yowled. "Have you gone mad?" The slender ochre-striped cat watched Aurora remove the small, pale cat from the wolverine. She stood beside Crystalkit, lips drawn back. "Leave her alone!" she snarled at Shimo, pupils slits.

[fernie. (:]

Koji smiled as the cats entered the den, because this was the only place he could call his own and he was proud of it. 'You get used to the cold, and if you make a hollow in the snow and lie in it it can get surprisingly warm.' he said, then spun round as Shimo entered, bloodied and wounded. 'Shimo! What happened to you?' he asked, then was cut off as the one they called Crystalkit attacked his guardian in a fit of rage. Koji felt a sudden rush of something he had never felt before, and his eyes narrowed to slits. He was pinning Crystalkit in an instant, and his face was so close to the cats that she could probably smell his foul breath, breathing hard on her. 'Don't ever touch Shimo again! Never!' he said, then sprang off her and went back over to Shimo. 'Are you alright? Would you like me to help you put snow on your back to stop the bleeding?' he asked, inwardly burning with embarrassment at his own sudden outburst.

[/size]

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

Crystalkit's sides heaved and her ears burned with shame, but she held her posture and, for once, didn't shrink back. Still, tears clouded her eyes and she felt her will bending over backwards - even if she still stood tall - like a slab of heated metal. She didn't even bother trying to look definate as she mumbled a sorry. What Shimo said was right, she was weak. She would never be of any use to this group of brave cats. The silver tabby stalked off a ways away, sitting down and gazing up into the stars witht the slightest contempt.

[/blockquote]

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Shimo let out a bloody, saliva-filled roar at Pecankit. "Leave her alone? What the hell?! She's the one who attacked me! Go tell her to leave me alone? What type of animal backstabs another like that?!" he scoffed coldly. The wolverine stormed into his den with Koji by his side. "I'll be fine. Just don't make sure anyone else attacks me, for the Iceland's sake." He slumped to his stomach with a pained snuff as he retreated to the back end of the den and leftovers from an earlier kill of his.

Aurora sighed at the confrontation among Crystalkit, Koji, Shimo, and Pecankit. The black and white she-cat shook her head and turned it to Pecankit. "Pecankit, go back with Selenekit, Moonkit, and Mottledkit," she said quietly. The scarred eyes of the fae flickered to Crystalkit. "I'll go talk to her..." She turned and began trodding through the snow towards the CloudClanner. "Crystalkit...tell me what the deal is..."</sub>[/color]

[kee :]]

Selenekit stood, horrified, as she watched Crystalkit attack Shimo. She would've done it already if she had the guts to but Crystalkit was least expected to actually attack a wolverine. She was going mad! Shimo wasn't be very comforting either but he was only being truthful, she supposed. Selenekit wanted to stop the fighting. She could just imagine herself stepping out in front of everyone, and screaming to StarClan for them to stop arguing and get along. Instead, she began to pace in a tiny circle when Aurora went to speak with Crystalkit. She kept one eye on Shimo and Koji, and she kept one eye on her friends. The words she was dying to say made her eyes water and her throat hurt. She held back, though. She didn't want to cause more problems. They'd all just be extra baggage.

[SHADE. :D]

Pecankit thrust her face into Koji's, unafraid of Shimo's wrath. "Get off her, you squirt!" she snarled, blue eyes flashing. The tabby faced up to the wolverine, teeth bared. "I'm not afraid of you," she hissed. "Nobody asked you to be here. If you're just going to pick on my friend, well, you're nothing but a coward!" Pecankit lifted her chin proudly. She glared at Aurora as she spoke to her. "Fine," she spat angrily. The tabby swept her savage gaze over Shimo and then back over Kofi, fur bristling.

[fernie. (:]

Koji's eyes turned to slits again as Pecankit snarled at him. 'What the hell are you all on?' he suddenly burst out, then slapped his tail across his mouth, looking guiltily at Shimo as he had always told him to be polite and keep mainly to himself. Koji decided that right now, he couldn't care less. 'You guys think you're so tough, waltzing into our territory and swanning about like you own the place! I'd like to see you kittens last out here like Shimo and I do! You think you can just go around attacking us and then pretend like it's all our fault for defending ourselves! I bet you're also expecting our help getting to wherever the heck you're going! It's...totally stupid!' he said, aware that this was the angriest he had ever been, and his fur was standing on end.

[/size]

[Spice..xx]

Mottledkit looked quietly on as all hell broke loose in front of her, stood next to Moonkit, the only other kit who appeared to not want to do anything, like her. She glanced at the pacing Selenekit for a moment, before looking to Crystalkit worridly, worried the white femme had gone totally insane, attacking a fully grown wolverine for StarClans sake. Finally, she watched Pecankits mad outbursts, to Shimo and then to Koji. Eyeing Shimo warily she stepped forward after Koji had spoken,

"He's right you know. They didnt have to welcome us into their home, protect us from the wolves or anything. I'm not saying they are perfect or everything they do id right," she said, with a glance at Pecankit, not wanting an argument with her friend again, and a glance towards Crystalkit before continuing "I just think we should all maybe stop arguing and be a bit more grateful for what Shimo and Koji have done for us. Anyway, this fighting is getting us nowhere" she finished, stepping back and dropping her gaze, cheeks flushing. She was surprised at her speech and wondered what the outcome of it would be.

[/color][/blockquote]

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>"KOJI!" A loud snap of Shimo's jaws called the bobkit to silence. Shimo's hazy brown eyes flashed to them. "Just...just leave them alone." A growl simmered from his maw, flickering into steam as it hit the air. The wolverine sighed as he turned to the bobkit.

"You've stepped over the line, Koji." The wolverine sighed again and rested his head on his paws. He hurt all over.

His ears twitched as he heard the mottled-furred one speak. The beast smiled slightly, grateful for her words of wisdom.

ooc;// Crappy... Sorry -_-;</sub>

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

Moonkit

Strangers by day
Lovers by night
Knowing _it's so wrong
But feeling ^{so right}[/center]

It was horrid.

Everything happened so quickly. They met the other two and came to their den. Moments later Shimo left and returned horrifyingly bloodied. Then, the least expected of them to do it, Crystalkit showed everything inside her and lashed out. And then Koji had her pinned in a flash, leaping off an instant later. Here he was now, trying to comprehend the mass of events.

His gray-blue optics rested upon Selenekit. He'd felt closer than ever before to her at this moment, from all of the insanity that had just occurred. Heaving a sigh, he padded beside her and sat, his tail curling around his paws. Moonkit's gaze drifted to her form before he spoke. "May the fighting cease?" He was not trying to assume leadership whatsoever. He actually had made himself barely audible, fearing the inquiry would cause accusations against him.

[ooc]://Sorry, crappy post. [/blockquote][/size]

[SHADE. :D]

Pecankit faced up to Kogi, her fur fluffed out and bristling. The tabby she-cat bared her sharp white teeth, sapphire eyes burning like flame. She whipped around and glared at Mottledkit. I can't do anything right! I ignore them, I get slated, I stand up for them, and I get the same thing! Pecankit spat at Moonkit, her tail lashing. Oh, hark at the great and wise Moonkit! The slender she-cat flattened her ears. "I didn't ask to stay here. I didn't ask for any of this," she mewed, voice strangely cold and sad. She pushed past Shimo, almost not caring if he ripped her head off. She decided to hunt. The young she-cat pressed herself against the frozen outside of the cave with a sigh. It felt cooling, and dampened her anger a little.

[fernie. (:]

[Shade, wanna have Pecan and Koji bump into each other?]

Koji's pointed bobkit ears flattened to his head as he shied away from Shimo. He had never been shouted at by the huge Guardian before and a shiver ran down his spine. He backed away and padded swiftly away, into the snow. He turned around and looked at Shimo. 'I'm going for a walk. I'll be back soon. Don't worry about me.' he said, then turned and loped away through the snow. He didn't go far- just to where the rocky terrain that made up their den ended. There was a small hollow and he crawled into the tiny space, just his tail sticking out. He needed some time alone, which was strange for him because he normally hated to be alone.

[/size]

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

Crystalkit let her eyes glance everywhere and everything but Aurora, knowing that even the sight of her would remind her of not-long-off memories that, in turn, would cause her to tell the loner everything. Like that time in the cave. "He called me weak," she meowed with an edge to her voice she had never heard in it before. "I don't need to be reminded." she had known since they started out that her frail frame didn't have the muscle of Moonkit's. She didn't have the stubborn drive that Pecankit possesed, nor did she have the willpower that Mottledkit kept so close to her. She couldn't pass good judgement like Selenekit, as they could all see back there (but then again, Pecankit had made some strange decisions, too). She was just Crystalkit, shy, quiet and not at all helpful.

[/blockquote]