blue is for n i g h t m a r e s.

[kee :]]

"Skip, skip, skippity skip. Oooohh!! Dead cat! Skip, skippity skip, skip, skippy, skip. Humdedum.. Lala! etc."

It was a pleasant day for a stroll around Acid Stream and the small pile in the bracken den was getting low. Jai was sound asleep so Carli took this as a perfecto time to hunt. She wasn't very good, taught herself a moon ago when Jai was sick of drinking bad water and sucking on dry moss. So thats when she decided that for their health, she would learn to hunt. It was tough, she missed a lot of prey and scared a lot off too but eventually she got the hang of it and now hunts whenever she gets the chance. And since today, it wasn't raining and the stream wasn't filled with bones and dead fish, only a few here and there, Carli decided to make herself a nice day and make Jai's day good too.

So she just pranced around the pond and sang softly to herself, only being distracted once by a dead cat floating in the water down stream. She was used to this and wasn't really surprised. Since she didn't know who it was, she just kept singing. Finally, she got tired and plopped herself by the stream. It really was a nice day. The sun wasn't shining. The birds weren't singing, but hey, at least it wasn't raining and there weren't any cats fighting or ones lying around, dead. Jai hated when she traveled away from the water fall to this dreadful place but Carli got bored. A lot. And some action never hurt.

Suddenly, something caught her attention. There was movement in the bracken only a few foxlengths away and Carli stood. She was stealth with her movements, more clumsy. But when the mouse made it's appearance, Carli was too quick and he never had a chance. She didn't kill it on the first blow but she managed to scare it into a coma and the bit down hard on its neck before returning to the stream to have a snack. She ate in peace, her long tan and brown fur waving in the wind, though it was matted. She didn't really care much about how she looked. Most of the loners around here looked worse. She flicked the bones into the water when she was done and began walking again, but not singing. She was getting closer to where the rogues lived and she didn't want to disturb them...

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>She made her way from Quetzal and the other female that her friend had addressed as Chaosfire. Her foxy companion would be able to handle herself. Zephyr was not concerned on that front. She decided that she would let Quetzal do her thing while she hunted. She wasn't bothered by the rogues and loners who occasionally crossed her path. They either ran in the opposite direction or kept walking with a rather scathing look on their face.

Singing caught her attention and Zephyr's beige ears bent back. She snorted and turned her head, nosing through the stunted grasses only to see a she-kit. The other female's singing soon stopped. Zephyr supposed that the other had realized where she was. If she was a Clancat.... Zephyr's claws unsheathed, clawing impatiently at the rocks below. However, the fae's scent slapped at her impertinently, making Zephyr blink. No, she was a loner.

"At least you have the sense to stop singing."

The voice was sharp enough to reap wheat with. The little sepia-hued she-cat leapt upward in a flurry of beige and tan-spotted fur, composing itself onto a large, twisted-V-shaped rock. Zephyr trained her gray-green depths onto the smaller fae. "Who are you, youngling, and why are you here?" Her claws remained sheathed. She tilted her head curiously. Wanting to get a closer look, Zephyr leapt onto the ground. She landed nimbly, the middle-aged femme making her way over to the kit. She caught the wiff of mouse upon the kit's person and raised her brows. A kit who knows how to hunt?</sub>

[kee :]]

And thats when she heard it. Carli was almost at the riverbend, where she decided that it would be a good place to turn back and begin her actual hunting since Jai would probably be getting up and feeling lonely and hungry. She was thinking about if she ever had a mother, well of course she did... But what was really wondering about was if she was like her mother in any way and if she was, what traits did she share with her mother. Was she as motherly as he mother was? If she would have still lived with her mother, would she care for Jai as much as Carli did? Carli was sort of like the mother since she was bigger and braver... What about her father? But her train of thought was interrupted by the sound of another cat, which made her jump out of her skin.

With large, slate-blue eyes, Carli stared at the she-cat, standing on top of the large rock. She had to be at least thirty moons, but no where near her age. Her muscles were developed and she was pretty big. Well, most loners were big compared to Carli. She was so shocked by the arrival, that she didn't even remember what the older she-cat had said to her, but she just went on staring for a few more seconds before clearing her throat and remembering to stay brave. So she raised her head a little and puffed out her chest, keeping her eyes on the new loner. She knew well that this cat was a loner because of the scruffy look that all loners had. Well most did. When she spoke again and jumped off the rock, Carli felt a rush of courage run through her and she looked at the she-cat with a cool calm gaze.

"M'names Carli and I'm hunting for my brother, Jai," Carli answered, tilting her head to one side and got a better look at the tan she-cat with a spotted coat. She was pretty and looked dangerous. She decided not to get on her bad side, so she looked at the woods and meadow beyond. "So who are you?" she asked, plopping down in the grass and grooming her ears like she was in no danger at all.

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Zephyr was pleased to see the she-cat stand her ground, not run away screaming and crying like some idiot. The parchment-colored female lifted her jaw imperiously. "I am called Zephyr. I would introduce you to my friend, Quetzal, but she is dealing with business at the moment," the she-cat said professionally. She looked down, doing a double-take as the fae started grooming herself. Zephyr nearly slapped her paw against her forehead but caught herself in time to simply perform a flick of her tail.

Zephyr came forward curiously. "You're hunting for your brother? How old are you?" she inquired. She wondered if this Carli had parents. Probably not since she was the one hunting for her brother unless Carli was like her when she was a young'un and her grandfather Boreas was still alive.

Zephyr lifted up her paw, a mouse squeaking and wriggling around to try and release its tail from her claws. She flicked it on the neck and gave it to Carli. "Here...for your brother..."</sub>

[SHADE. :D]

The birds were singing, and it was like heaven to Jai's ears. The blue-grey splotched kitten trotted along beside the stream, fur rising slightly in the breeze. It was surprisingly hot, and the sun beat a steady tattoo on his back. The young tom halted, stretching his mouth wide in a yawn. The heat was making him weary. Jai could smell his sister, and wanted to catch up with her. He'd been exploring, only to return and find her fone. He had been more than a little peeved, actually. Jai gave himself a shake, blinking his pale blue eyes in the sunlight. He was thankful that the day was clear. He hated rain, and shuddered at the thought of it.

Jai stopped at a band of trees, his coat bristling. His ears angled forward; he was sure he could hear voices. The kit swallowed a nervous lump in his throat. He hated company, other than his sister Carli. He hated the sympathy that others felt they had to give. Jai shook himself, letting his soft fur fluff out lightly. The young tom then stopped still, quietening even his breathing, and listened to the voices. Jai could definately hear, and smell Carli. Her soft, sweet voice was unmistakable to his ears. But there was another, somebody he did not recognize. Jai's skin prickled with fear. What if Carli was in danger? He couldn't just leave her alone with a stranger. The tom padded as boldly as he could manage through the ash trees to his sister's side. He eyed the strange cat, before looking at Carli.

"Carli...?"

[kee :]]

"Oh! Well it's a pleasure to meet you Zephyr."

It really was a pleasure. It was the first time in a few moons that Carli met a rogue that didn't want to rip her fur off and eat her alive. She was, actually, pleasant. Smiling, the fluffy she-cat stopped grooming her tan-gray masked face as she mentioned her friend. Quetzal. She sounded so professional that Carli had to wonder what sort of business it could possibly be but she decided that it would be rude to pry and just responded with a grin and a, "I hope I get to meet her soon." Though really, she didn't want to meet her...

But surprisingly, Zephyr was the one to be curious, though in Carli's eyes that wasn't really prying. She didn't really care about telling everyone her age. She didn't really know that she was younger than most of the cats out here, and knew how to hunt pretty well. "Yeah... We don't have a mother or father. So I hunt," she mewed, on the proud side but not like a show off. She just tilted her head to one side and flicked her tail at the odd question of her age. "I'm five moons, but six soon," she sighed, curling her tail around her paws. She really was young...

Carli couldn't help but grin when the older she-cat held out a mouse in front of her, for her. Well, for her brother. She grinned and took it slowly, just encase it was a trick and set it down at her paws. "Thanks. How do you do it so easily?" Carli asked, her eyes going wide. How much she wanted to learn! Then, suddenly, Jai appeared and Carli couldn't be more happy. "Jai! This is Zephyr and this is breakfast. Now eat up!" she said, quickly shoving the mouse over to him and smiling real wide. Her steel-blue eyes then turned back to Zephyr. "And I guess you kinda figured out that this is my brother, Jai."

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Zephyr nodded towards Carli as the she-cat spoke. So, just barely coming out of kithood, the fae thought. The spotted one looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, I suppose I could give you a few pointers. I told Quetzal that I was going off to hunt," the small she-cat said, smiling congenially. She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by another voice.

Her ear twitched at being interrupted but she sighed and turned her head to the tom that had now appeared. Zephyr had assumed that this was Carli's brother and the other female had simply read her thoughts. Zephyr nodded and smiled kindly at the young tomcat. "Welcome, Jai," she said formally, flicking her tail to him in greeting. She quickly observed how protective and pushy Carli was to her brother. She supposed that it was a good trait to have since they were orphans and all. She would ask them if they would like to travel with her and Quetzal, but Zephyr doubted Quetzal's patience could hold, and if they--she, especially--could tolerate the young cats' playfulness.

Zephyr turned her small smile to Carli once more. "So, what do you say? Want some pointers before I take my leave?"</sub>

[SHADE. :D]

Jai narrowed his azure eyes at Zephyr. He was nowhere near as trusting as his sister, and there was something about this cat he didn't like. He hated strangers. They scared him. They didn't always do what they said they would, and they could be terrible, horrible, murderous cats. Jai padded to his sister's side, long fur blowing in a light breeze. He did not touch the mouse, his nose slightly wrinkled, though he did look up at Zephyr. Zephyr... Weird name. Jai frowned again as the cat suggested helping them. He felt the lingering terror of a hidden agenda, and it made him uneasy. The blue-grey and white kitten looked sideways at Carli, trying to signal to her how he felt with his eyes. But inside, he knew what would happen. They always had to do what Carli wanted, because Carli always got her way.

[kee :]]

Carli knew that Jai wouldn't like Zephyr. She knew her brother very well since they spent most moment of their live together and she knew by experience that he absolutely hated strangers. All loners were strangers and Carli wanted to meet knew cats. She was tired of always being alone, even though she loved spending time with her brother. Thats just how she was. She just always thinks she has to be on the move. Carli saw his sideways glance and she rolled her eyes at him. She cared about Jai more than any other cat and most of the time she trusted him, he trusted her. That was always the situation. She knew if the situation got bad, they could escape. They always have.

Sighing, Carli just shoved the mouse even closer to her brother and nudged him gently. "Oh Jai... Just be polite and eat your mouse, please. Zephyr went to all that trouble to catch it for you," she mewed, smiling softly, yet she was able to keep her tone soft and serious. But she hoped that he would get the picture that those words didn't just mean that he had to eat his mouse, but that he also had to be nice to Zephyr since she had just caught him some food and was being quite nice to them, offering some hunting tips and all. Carli found that quite kind since she hadn't meant a kind loner or rogue for a few moons.

"If you wouldn't mind, a couple pointers could make things smoother."

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Zephyr smiled and nodded. The small female lowered herself to the ground. "Alright, first you lower yourself to the ground and scent out everything. When you get older, your nose'll be trained to different smells." The sepia she-cat looked ahead. "When you find your scent, become extremely quiet and track your prey. When you have located it, crouch with claws unsheathed and lunge." Her muscles tightened in her powerful legs, sending up upward as she lunged onto a feeding mouse. Her fangs pierced its neck and she lifted it up, carrying it over. She dropped it over by Carli and smiled gently.

"If you keep practicing, I'm sure you'll get better and find your way of perfecting your technique," the tan one said, nodding her head. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"</sub>

[SHADE. :D]

Jai didn't even notice he was glaring at the she-cat, though it was true. The little blue-grey and white could sense his sister's unease, and felt her eyes flicker onto him. He replied with a venomous shoot of the eyes, his mouth a set line. The young tom still refused to touch the mouse, though he gave it a cautionary sniff. Jai refused to watch or copy what Zephyr was doing, a wary look smothering his face. The kitten licked his paws, diverting his eyes. The scent of the mouse was making his stomach rumble. It was so tempting, but he wouldn't touch it. He had common sense. Jai looked up at Zephyr's final words. He so badly wanted to refuse outright, but he knew Carli would create. He loved his sister - she was his world - but she frequently irritated him. Jai sighed loudly, trying to get his point across to Carli.

[kee :]]

Carli did what Zephyr instructed her to do. She lowered herself to the ground, something she never tried to do but she realized that lowering would make a better spring, therefore going farther and not having to get so close to the prey that it would run away. She sprang on a mere leaf when Zephyr sprang on a mouse, killing it instantly. Carli grinned widely and padded back to stand beside Jai. When the mouse was given to her, she thanked her new friend graciously. But when Zephyr asked if there was anything else that they needed, Carli looked over at Jai. Sighing, she noticed that he was getting really irritated. But she just had one more important question that even Jai should know the answer to.

"Actually, yes I do have one more question, Zephyr. Where shouldn't we go out here? We both don't want to have a bad run in."

[(aurora) of the problematique]

<sub>Zephyr's ear twitched irritably at Jai's disapproval of her; the feelings were quite mutual by the way the bratty tom was acting. Zephyr decided to distract herself by looking over at Carli. She smiled when the femme 'killed' a leaf. "Nice lunge," Zephyr said cordially, nodding her head. Her tail flicked when Carli asked her question.

"Ah, yes, well, Quetzal and I are nomadic so we really don't stay in one place for very long because of Quetzal's job. However, I would suggest that you keep away from the Blood Cave as it's called. When you get older, perhaps you can start venturing towards the Sabertooth Rock, challenging the other cats for food. It's a battle royale out there; every cat for themselves. Be--"

"Zephyr?" Quetzal's impertinent voice cut through what Zephyr had been saying. The beautiful silver she-cat slipped through the yellowing plantlife around the area, her smile as misleading as an amphisbaena. "Oh, there you are." She flashed her friend a questioning glance as to why the she-cat was hanging around young cats when Quetzal definately knew that Zephyr did not like immature cats. "Who are these cats?"

Zephyr turned to Carli and Jai in turn. "This is Carli and her brother Jai. I was hunting and decided to give them some pointers," the sepia-hued femme said. "Oh, well, we should be departing soon. I'm finished with my meeting," Quetzal said, twitching her lengthy tail. The taller but younger female turned away from the three, keeping her never-fading smile. "Nice to meet you, Carli, Jai." She slipped away again.

Zephyr nodded and turned back to the little ones. "That was Quetzal that I was talking about earlier," she said softly. "Anyway, be safe and happy hunting." The tan-colored fae came to her paws and soon followed Quetzal.</sub>

[kee :]]

Carli nodded, looking over at the large rock that sat a ways into the forest and past some large bushes into a field. But she could see it through the trees being all rockish and stuff. She nodded and tilted her head as she spoke of not to go there and Carli nodded. She had heard rumors of a band of rogues there from passing nomads so she would stay away... But he train of thought was broken by the entrance of Quetzal. She was a pretty tabby she-cat that was much bigger than her companion and she smiled a lot. Not a big happy smile, more like a sly smile that told Carli that this she-cat knew more than she would ever know so she just smiled and bowed her head to the older cat. And for once she stayed silent through most of what they had to say and when it was time for them to go she did speak. She told them to have a happy journey, where ever it was that they were going and said good bye before facing Jai.

"Oh Jai... That was rude. Zephyr didn't seem like a danger."

[SHADE. :D]

Jai watched the two cats leave, relief in his eyes. The young tom immediatly sniffed, stepping away from the mouse, nose wrinkled in distaste. The kitten glanced upward at Carli as she spoke, voice weary and annoyed. Jai rolled his azure eyes, tail stiff and straight. "She'd could've been anyone!" he mewed angrily, claws scratching at the grass. Jai snorted and turned away from her, facing in the direction the two loners had disappeared in. He felt no guilt, but he knew he would never hear the end of this. Yet he still would not apologize. Carli was so gullible - one of these days she was bound to get them into a mess they couldn't get out of.

[kee :]]

"Oh please. I have rogue instincts. I know when I see a dangerous cat. Now that Quetzal..." her voice trailed off and she glared at her smaller brother for a second but he looked away and turned his back on her. She hated when he did this to her. He was all he had but he just didn't believe a word that she ever said. "Quetzal's smug grin I didn't like. I knew she was... Hiding something," I murmured, ignoring his silent treatment. Rolling her eyes, Carli knew that Jai would get over this soon so ignored his anger and grabbed the mouse he refused. She also grabbed the other mouse that Zephyr had caught during her demonstration and began to trudge the other direction toward home.