westwind : bird : night

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Drip. Drip. Plop!

Sepia-hued harks twitched and bent backwards in annoyance at the advent of rain. Her striped tail flickered and laid over them, but to no avail. Blue-green eyes opened irritably as the middle-aged she-cat switched places so that her ears faced the den and the prey-pile instead of the outside. Just as she was about to fall back asleep, in came the clatter of footsteps.

"Do you not know how to be quiet?" Zephyr hissed, lifting up her head to confront Quetzal.

The silver tabby continued to smile behind her mouthful of black and white fur. She dropped the bundle onto the ground.

"And what the hell is that?" Zephyr demanded, gesturing with her paw towards the kit. "What the hell are we, Quetzal? Assassins or an adoption agency?" The light-brown female stood up.

Quetzal held up a paw. "Hold on, Zephyr. Look, can it just be for a little while? She needs a--"

"No."

"Zephyr, come on..."

"No."

"I'll give her to the Clan cats."

"You better not! I'd kill it myself!" Zephyr snapped, unsheathing a claw and pointing it at Quetzal, who smirked at having won the argument. Zephyr narrowed her eyes, the smaller of the two staring at the kit with some disdain.

"What's the thing's name?"

"Um...I hadn't thought of one," Quetzal commented sheepishly, pulling a piece of prey from the pile and throwing it at the she-kit idly. "How about...Xander?"

"That's a boy's name, you idiot," Zephyr said, frowning at Quetzal's rather-indifferent behavior at the fact that she had just brought a kit home from no-man's land and expected her to help take care of the thing as if it was some walk in the park. "How about Nyx? It's easy to remember and a girl's name."

Quetzal rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. Nyx then." She looked down at the she-cat. "You're Nyx, little dear!"</sub>

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

She was frightened. Horribly frightened. The two she-cats quarreled on and on, but the kit couldn't understand much at her young age. She simply gazed at the two, horrified, until the yelling and fighting calmed some. The one that had carried her here came over to her with some sort of happiness in her tone. The little one tilted her head in confusion, but accepted the voice warmly. These cats seemed to accept her...if you could consider it accepting. She stared blankly at the smaller tan one, who didn't seem to want her at all. Nyx was afraid of this one, but would cope for now, still unsure if she was truly welcome here.

[/blockquote]

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>"Zephyr, you'll have to take care of Nyx while I go out," Quetzal said, nosing the prey towards the she-kit. When she didn't eat, the beautiful female sighed and ripped the mouse into smaller pieces so that they were easier to consume.

"Quetzal, are you kidding me?" Zephyr grunted, flopping down onto the moss bed that was hers. "I don't approve of kits. They get in the way. How the hell are we supposed to work with...Nyx...on our paws? She'll reveal our position."

"We won't take her on missions unless they're easy ones. We'll teach her the tools of the trade," Quetzal said carelessly, prodding through the depleting food pile. She sighed heavily. "I met some tom earlier and forgot to get food since I ran into Nyx."

"Some tom?" Zephyr barked. "Did he pawn her on you?"

"No, he was some idiot tripod kittypet that'll be crowfood by tomorrow morning. I'm going hunting. Take care of the bloody kit!" With that, Quetzal walked out the door.

Zephyr sighed heavily and pulled herself to tan paws. She padded over to the black and white she-cat, figuring that she should be mature about the situation and raise the kid. Her eyes faced Nyx.

"Alright, since...Quetzal brought you here, I suppose you can make yourself at home until we find out what the hell to do with you," the matriarch said. "Rules are: pay attention, don't leave the denland unless an emergency comes up, no wasteful eating, and don't speak unless spoken to, understood? I'm Zephyr, and the one who brought you in is Quetzal. Someday you'll understand who we really are..."</sub>

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

Again, the older she-cats were engaged in a raging conversation, though not as rough as before. She cowered as Quetzal left the cave and Zephyr stood before her. She didn't understand much, but began to struggle out a reply. Nyx was unsure what to say, though, and how to say it. She was only two moons old, but a good handful of kits usually knew the basics by now. She thought for a while longer, until a word came to her. What she'd been wondering all along. "Fa...fam...famyewy? Famyewy?" She squeaked the word over and over, knowing it didn't sound right. She wanted to prove she was worth keeping. Again, she tried. "Famyewy? Famwy? Famewy?" She came closer but it wasn't right. Finally, she was silent, staring up at Zephyr with pleading eyes. She hoped that the she-cat would understand.

[/blockquote]

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Zephyr frowned down at the she-kit disapprovingly but sighed heavily. "Sure...I suppose you can call us that...or whatever. Family, yes, we're a family," she said, flopping down onto the ground with a grunt. The tan female curled up in front of Nyx and hesitantly leaned forward. Her tongue stuck out and ran across the young female in an act that Zephyr had never done before.

She meowed and glanced over at the she-cat. "You'll need to grow some more before you're ready to be taught to. I'll probably get some milk for you later if you're not weaned yet. Are you going to eat or just look at me?"</sub>

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

Nyx had hardly noticed the prey right beneath her nose for her fear of the rogues, but she was now becoming more comfortable. With a grateful glance at Zephyr, the she-kit took a large whiff of the scrumptious prey. She'd never smelled nor tasted meat before. An enticing lick was all it took to convince her. The kitten gobbled it up ravenously, tearing at the flesh. After her meal, she curled up, letting out a purr of content. Again, she began to peep out a small word, or a phrase. "Takuu...tah-tahn-tankuu. Tankuu."

[/blockquote][/color]

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Zephyr wrinkled her nose at the 'thank you'. "Just eat and get some rest. I've got a long day tomorrow and I don't like to be bothered. Quetzal just doesn't seem to get that," she grumped irritably. The she-cat yawned and made her way back to her bed. She fluffed up the patchy areas and nestled down, curling her tail around her paws.

Offlimitswhenoncampus:// Can the next thread be them training? We'll have this thread for a while as she 'grows up' though but I want to get her into the groove and all so that she can become like her mentors</sub>

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

[ooc]:// Yep, sounds good. ^^

[(aurora) of the problematique]

_{OoC: I can make a new thread if you want...}

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

[ooc]://Okees. So, is she just gonna be a few moons older in the next thread?

[/blockquote]

[(aurora) of the problematique]

_{ooc:// Yeah, about an apprentice's age}

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

[ooc]:// 'Kay.

[(aurora) of the problematique]

Several moons later...

<sub>Zephyr yawned, flopping down onto the slate-colored rock. The sepia-colored she-cat glanced around boredly, her tail flickering left to right. The task at hand was a training session: one of stealth. Quetzal had gone off again for another bounty, predictably leaving behind her older companion to deal with the child. Nyx had grown--Zephyr couldn't complain there--but there was still the abysmal training Nyx had had before Quetzal had rescued her. Given, Zephyr had been trained since near-birth by her esteemed grandfather so she had high expectations. Nyx, in her eyes, had been spoiled. She'd run that streak to the ground if it came to such a thing.

Zephyr's eyes glinted in the heat of the sun overhead. Just because it was spring in the rest of the forest didn't mean that Sabertooth Rock was any exception. In fact, it was worse. The Rock was a hot spot, especially since the heat stoked tempers and egos.

She waited for Nyx to pounce upon her, for that was the drill that she had been repeating today. Watch the wind. Use your advantages and make some when you don't see anyway. Don't get caught. Getting caught usually meant a cuff across the ears, claws unsheathed now that Nyx was old enough to kill.</sub>

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

Nyx

When ^you have no one,
You reach for the _corrupted[/center]

It had been many moons since the adoption of Nyx by Quetzal and Zephyr. Well, more of Quetzal. Zephyr had still not taken too well to the youngster yet, but it wasn't as bad as before.

Currently, the child was about five or six moons. She had recently started daily training sessions. Right now was a lesson in stealth. Nyx didn't fully understand the word yet, but it was obviously important. Despite her gruff nature, the she-kit truly admired Zephyr, perhaps more than Quetzal. She was still deciding about that. But she wanted to be just like her caretaker - strong, intelligent, and powerful in rank. She couldn't remember the days of being without the two older ones, so she didn't know the meaning of murder, what it truly was. It would become natural, regular for her as she became older.

Focusing back on the task at hand, Nyx closed her eyes, which were currently mint-green, testing for the direction of the wind. To her left. So she moved downwind, a technique she'd forgotten many times today, causing her to receive many of the minor punishment, but enough to scar her ear a bit. She bunched her haunches ready to spring. Her black-and white form lifted into the air and landed upon the other femme. She battered the she-cat's face a bit with sheathed claws a bit, before emitting a wide grin. "Zephyr, Zephyr! Did I do good? Did I? Did I? Did you know that I was coming? Did ya? Did ya? Did I do good?"[/size][/blockquote]

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Zephyr scowled and swatted Nyx across the ears. "Do not lose your concentration! Keep your focus on your enemy, and, if you must celebrate, make sure that your foe is defeated," the tan-skinned female reminded her student briskly. She sat up, stretching and shaking herself up to relieve a crick in her shoulder.

"You're noiser than a magpie," she commented, "and you wear your emotions on your body. If you really wish to catch a foe off-guard, you need to keep yourself perfectly composed. Never show the slightest effect that they are getting to you, for that is a weakness." Zephyr's tail twitched, brushing across Nyx's nose in a half-affectionate manner.

As much as she disliked this adoption business, this child had grown on her in an odd way. She had woken up more than once in a hectic state to make sure everyone was okay, and the rogues knew better than to bully the youngest she-cat around. Zephyr had given a few scars to the eyes and muzzle.

The older female leapt from her rock, body swaying as she circled Nyx. "Come on. I'll take you for a hunt," she said. Zephyr passed her apprentice, dirt and dust gliding upward as the beige-colored femme passed.</sub>

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

Nyx

When ^you have no one,
You reach for the _corrupted[/center]

Disheartened by her scolding, Nyx stared at her paws and flattened her ears, her long ebony tail drooping. "Sorry," she mewed before looking up. "B-but I promise I'll do better next time!" And she meant it. The young one was determined. She wanted to be just like the oldest she-cat. She flinched at her punishment. It really did hurt after enough times. A small trickle of blood had managed to escape, but it wasn't much. It still stung, nonetheless, but Nyx made an effort to show her strength.

The offer to hunt caused the youngster to brighten a it. "Hunting? Cool!" She'd not been hunting many times before, and she wasn't good at it either, but she was willing. She stood up straight and grinned. Nyx wanted to show her worth.[/blockquote][/size]

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Zephyr wondered if Nyx got her enthusiasm from Quetzal, who required a quota of bloodshed for as much as she breathed and became excited at a prospect such as murder. That was no mind, however, for the child would need it once they started getting into serious missions. Half the reason Zephyr was so against having an apprentice was that, along with the fact that she disliked younger cats, she had had a cocky tom that Quetzal had brought in as a temporary hostage. Her pretty companion had wanted Zephyr to manage to get the male on their side, and long story short, Zephyr broke him in a few pieces.

Zephyr continued on her way. "You need to be paying attention to your surroundings," she remarked, keeping her tail and body low as she sniffed around for bobwhites. Quetzal was more of a birdcatcher than Zephyr, but the older femme still enjoyed trying her paw at catching feathered creatures. However, she didn't spy anything except for some snakes sliding around lazily. The she-cat narrowed her eyes and crouched down upon the ground, eyeing the reptile.

"You have to make sure that the snakes that you hunt aren't poisonous. Red touches yellow kills a fellow, among other tricks that you learn once you study different snakes. When you hunt, snatch them up by the head or neck and bite down hard. That'll ensure that you can get your kill," Zephyr instructed. She lunged forward onto the king snake, pinning it down with her outstretched claws and clamping her jaws down onto the scales. The snake flailed for a moment but soon stilled as Zephyr brought her prize over for Nyx to see.

"It's a male, by the scent. I bet his mate and eggs are near," she said softly. "Go get them."</sub>

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

Nyx

When ^you have no one,
You reach for the _corrupted[/center]

The young femme trailed behind Zephyr, taking in the sights of the barren land. Not much to see. Nyx shuddered a bit, with all of the dead plants and the occasional decaying corpse of forgotten prey here and there. She looked ahead, making an effort to ignore the wasteland. She nearly bumped into her mentor when they came to a halt.

Nyx watched in awe as Zephyr made a quick lunch out of the snake. She nodded to her instructor, and took a quick whiff of the snake, trying to learn it's scent to not only distinguish male from female, but also to help find to others. Soon, she was off on her own, maw wide, ears alert. The moment the stench hit her glands, she heard a slight rustle from a yellowed shrub. Silently padding forward, using her weight to an advantage, the she-cat peered through the tiny openings. There was the mother and eggs, just as her mentor had predicted. She slunk around the side and pounced, piercing it's throat with her tiny, sharp teeth. It struggled to wriggle away, but fell limp after she slammed it upon the ground and choked it with a puny paw.

"Victory," she murmured to herself, chuckling a bit at her intense usage of the word. Making use of a large leaf, she bundled up the eggs and carried the sack in her mouth with the mother draped around her neck like a boa. She returned to Zephyr, beaming with pride at her catch as she laid it upon the ground. Nyx had never really been a great hunter. She hadn't been very great at anything. But now she had made a remarkable feat, especially for her small skill.[/blockquote][/size]

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Zephyr nodded curtly in approval of Nyx's work. "Take it back to the den," she said, "and watch out for thieves." The tan-hued she-cat snarled at a duo of rogues starting to accost them, expecting to mug Nyx for her kill. Zephyr's hair rose and her claws unsheathed, grinding into the ground dangerously. The two rogues blinked in surprise, but turned tail and hastily ran off with skittish meows.

Zephyr flanked Nyx with her own kill, padding after them until they reached the den. "I expect you to start hunting more and more without me," she told her protege gruffly. "There's no need to baby you." She dumped the snake off of her and began devouring the creature hungrily.

"Save the eggs for Quetzal. If you ever have a companion and they're working when you're hunting, don't forget to get some food for them. However, if you meet up with some lazy bum, don't even bother. They can get their own food." She made a quick meal of the male snake and sat by the den.

"We'll be working with herbs next so hurry up with your food."</sub>

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

Nyx

When ^you have no one,
You reach for the _corrupted[/center]

Nyx nodded to her instructor as she told her that she would have to hunt alone more. She felt more confident after this catch, and she could really have used that boost. She would have replied verbally, but her mouth was full with the bundle of eggs. When they reached home, she lay the sack on the ground and began to devour her food, speeding up at request, all the while listening to Zephyr's words. Catch food for hard-working companions. No lazy bums. Okay. Right.

She stood up to join her mentor for the next lesson. Her gaze drifted to the eggs. "What if something comes and eats the eggs before Quetzal gets here?" she inquired. She wouldn't be surprised if Zephyr didn't care, with her gruff nature, but she wasn't about to get in trouble because she didn't ask.[/size][/blockquote]

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>"Cover your kill in your scent and keep an observant eye on how much there is," Zephyr told Nyx. "Thievery can get you killed if you don't know what you're doing, and I suggest that you kill any thieves that try to pull a stunt like what those two rogues were going to do earlier." The she-cat let out a loud growl and slashed at a piece of wood, decimating the fibers. "If they know some kill is for Quetzal, they shouldn't touch it. Her reputation has gotten her that...fear, if you wish to call it that."

"I'll be teaching you how to find and/or make your dens for the future, in case you're away from us or alone for some period. Come on." Zephyr cocked her head and began walking off to one the greenest areas of the rogue lands. Mind, it wasn't like the Clan lands but hell, it had a few herbs, onions and catnip and other things.

"Tell me what you smell..."</sub>

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

Nyx

When ^you have no one,
You reach for the _corrupted[/center]

She nodded at at her instructor and nudged the eggs to put her scent on them. She placed them near the rock and marked the jutting stone above it with saliva. As a finishing touch, she rolled around in the surrounding ground. Finally, she padded on after Zephyr.

The came to a halted in a mildly grassy yet somewhat barren field. There were a few herbs and such, not much. Nyx rose her snout into the air. "Onions...wild garlic...and something else weird. Kind of sweet smelling."[/blockquote][/size]

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Zephyr nodded. "That's called catnip," she said. The sepia-colored female bent down and yanked up some of the sweet plant, chewing on it for a moment before spitting it out. "It's an occasional treat, not something you abuse. It also helps with injuries, like this comfrey over here or that goldenrod that's by that rock." She gestured with her tail.

The cat lifted herself up and glided elegantly towards the rock with the goldenrod near it. She started digging until she had a nice little hole and slipped inside. "See, now you have a makeshift area to rest in until you continue on your way the next day. Never keep a den for too long or it'll attract predators. Dogs, cannibal rogues, other things." Zephyr shrugged and turned her muzzle to Nyx.

"You should work on tracking. I'll be watching you...and hunting you, so keep your guard up."</sub>

[[xoxo] shard. :)]

Nyx

When ^you have no one,
You reach for the _corrupted[/center]

The little she-cat tilted her head. "Catnip?" she mewed. Nyx padded forth to the sweet plant, taking another sniff, then a nibble, curious as to why Zephyr considered it an indulgence. It was delicious. But her mentor said not to gorge on it, so she would obey. After, consequences for disobedience weren't forgiving.

Her eyes were intent on her teacher, perked ears taking in each and every word. "Tracking what?" the apprentice inquired somewhat timidly, figuring she was supposed to know.

[ooc]:// I'm really sorry that this took so long, and that it turned out crappy. I give myself a day or two when I can't think of something right away, and then sometimes I forget about it in its whole. Sorreh. ;-;[/size][/blockquote]

[(aurora) of the problematique]

ooc// It's fine. Don't worry about it. Mine won't be much better
bic//

YOU SHOT HIM, YOU SHOT HIM.

I KNOW I BLOODY DID.

Zephyr___
//_{Zephyr frowned and flicked her tail at her apprentice. "Track some food or something. Just be productive," she ordered, shrugging. The she-cat disappeared behind a rock and seemed to vanish altogether. The sepia-hued she-cat blended excellently with the rugged terrain that held a few shoots and roots. She also hunted along the way, killing a shrew or two as they scuttled around like imbeciles.}

YOU SHOT HIM. YOU SHOT HIM.

MOVE, I'VE GOT TO GET THIS HID.