the lion's den~ (tag: nightbreeze)

[LEAFY]

Friendship. The little blue tabby turned the word over in her head, approaching it with more dismay than usual. It was something that meant more to Jaymist than it did to many cats, and usually that was a good thing. She was more apt to make friends than enemies, even in the middle of war, but having a dozen other friends didn't make up for the loss of one. And when she lost a friend as dear to her as Nightbreeze, suddenly her love of friendship seemed terribly inconvenient.

She had been told a thousand times to just move on. Let it go, they had said. But she couldn't. He had been her friend before he was injured. Now, she missed him enough that she was willing to risk her own thin skin to make amends. At least, she hoped she could. There was no telling what the tom would say to her, and his words could be sharper than claws. She remembered that from the last time they spoke.

He doesn't mean it, Jaymist, she told herself firmly. You would be bitter too if you were confined to the elder's den at your age... And she had been the one to just abandon him. So thoroughly scared off, she had never worked up the courage to approach him again. It felt like moons since she had talked to him last. In honesty, she couldn't remember exactly how long it had been.

She stood frozen outside of the entrance to the elder's den, staring blankly ahead of her. How long had it been? Would he even acknowledge her? The thought of talking to him made her feel sick. He would probably just bully her...

Maybe the others were right. Maybe she should let it go. She looked behind her at the other places she could go instead of the elder's den. The fresh-kill pile, the warrior's den, out of camp. All of those options sounded better, and safer, than the lair of the beast. Who knew what waited for her on the inside?

But, if she didn't go, she knew she would regret it. For friendship! she declared, prepping herself.

"Nightbreeze?" she called out. Nope. No going back now. She closed her eyes and plunged forward, into the lion's den.

[willow]

[atrb=width,455,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, padding: 10px; background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/Hlcpz.png);] WORD COUNT: ---- TAGGED: Jaymist NOTES: Getting his sulk on...once again...you go Nightbreeze XD ;Listening to Hard to Love by Lee Brice; LYRICS: GHOST OF ME, DAUGHTRY DON'T LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULDER, 'CAUSE THAT'S JUST THE GHOST OF ME YOU'RE SEEING IN YOUR DREAMS Nightbreeze was spending his day like he spent every other: sitting in the elder's den and wallowing in his despair and disappointment of life. Curled up like a half moon, he stared at the woven walls of the den in deep thought with piercing golden eyes. Thinking of the days before his debilitating injury, when he was able to race into battles and swim the river, train, hunt, play...when he could do everything he can't do now. It was frustrating and embarrassing to realize just to what extend he had been disabled, all thanks to a battle for Sunningrocks. Which reminded him...of a certain cat... Jaymist. Nightbreeze sighed and curled up as tightly as he could before his lower back stabbed with pain, shutting his eyes tight in regret. The she-cat had been on the patrol to the battle for Sunningrocks, she was among the first to know first hand of his disability, to suffer through the loss of his family and her clan-mates. They weren't that far apart in age, so they had grown up together training and it wasn't hard to imagine that the two had become friends, dear friends. But since the day he found out he wouldn't be able to carry out his warrior life anymore, things had been...different. In all honesty, he had tried to stay away from her as much as he could but for some reason he didn't even really know. Maybe the shame of the realization of what had become of him. It was terrible what he had done to her when she tried to reach out to him. All she had suggested was that he should try to...apply himself a bit more. But Nightbreeze, in all his spite and pain, lashed out hard at the kind-hearted cat. "It's easy for you to say, your not the one who has to live the rest of their life as a cripple!" he hissed with contempt. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to--"

[/color]

"Of course you didn't, Jaymist. You don't mean to do anything, oh favored one of Crookedstar."[/s] The tabby she-cat seemed stunned and confused, like she had been stricken. Nightbreeze curled his lips in a snarl and lashed his tail.

"Don't play mouse-brained, Jaymist, don't act you don't know. After I had been sentenced to life in the elder's den, Crookestar turned all his attention on you, discarding me like crowfood. He made you his favorite little warrior and you played right into his paws. Your only the warrior you are today because Crookedstar gave you special treatment."[/s]

"Nightbreeze? A soft voice close by startled the black persian, his body giving a shake and head raising to look to the entrance of the den. His heart leapt into his throat and he swallowed hard, staring in disbelief at the cat silhouetted by the light outside, her scent unmistakeable.

"Jaymist?...Um...What brings you here?" he murmured as controlled as he could, trying not to show just how nervous and awkward he actually felt. Sitting up and turning towards the doorway, he breathed deeply to try and settle his nerves, though his fur was prickling irritatingly from the tension.[/div]

CODED BY ACRYLIK ON BTN!

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