On the Edge {Open}

A long clump of dead moss hung from a tree. It swayed in the wind, until it was yanked back up by some creature. In fact, that creature was Maplepaw, and that clump of moss had been his tail. The brown tuxedo had been sitting on a wide, lichen-covered tree branch somewhere in Skyclan territory. It was midday, with the sun glaring down at the tree tops. A crow lay beside him, freshly caught and killed. Honey-colored eyes stared off, unseeing, in a daydream of thoughts. He was worried. Worried about this war. Standing up, he placed the dead bird in the crook of the tree, and began pacing slowly. 'Someone died in the last battle. When this war ends, how many others will be killed because of us?' He whimpered at his own thoughts. 'Why do I worry about my enemies health?' His long claws sunk into the bark, scarring the wood. He answered his own question, snarling to himself. 'Because I am not heartless.' A loud rustle from below stopped his pacing, and the train of thought left him. He stared down curiously, forgetfully letting his tail dangle again.

Morningbreeze was sitting on the forest floor, looking above her at a piece of moss hung from a tree, annoying her. She reached up with an unsheathed claw and tried pulling it down, but it wouldn't budge, and she thought that something yowled above her. She soon noticed that the price of "moss" was someone's tail. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she said as she climbed up the tree, finally seeing who it was.

He studied the cat below him, trying to figure out who it was. That was, until he felt his tail being yanked. He quickly pulled it close to his side, letting out a mixed hiss of annoyance and pain. The young tom sat up straight on his branch, frowning slightly at the calico, who turned out to be Morningbreeze. "It's fine," went his tired sigh. He wiped his face with a paw, clearing away his slight annoyance.

Morningbreeze crawled onto the branch that Maplepaw was on. "Is something wrong?" She asked as she groomed her fur.

The tom laid back down, curling his paws under him. Hearing her question, Maplepaw felt uneasy about answering. Planning his words carefully, he spoke. "I know that I'm supposed to be loyal to Skyclan; and I am, but I just can't shake off the feeling that what we're doing is causing more harm than good." His ears were flat against his head. "I'm worried that more cats will die," the apprentice added quietly.

"Listen, Maplepaw, you know what I think? I think that as long as they give me food and a place to stay, I will do what ever they want me to do so that I can live here. I also think that because I didn't kill anyone in that battle, I don't need to feel guilty or ashamed. And also, If Riverclan supports us, then I don't see what is wrong," Morningbreeze said as she looked up at the cloudless blue sky above them.

He shook his head slowly. "I don't think Riverclan will be our ally now, after what Elea did. Didn't you see? Near the end, she killed their leader! Sure, he came back, but he won't forget." His claws once again dug into the branch, and a snarl distorted his muzzle. "My loyalty to Skyclan won't be my excuse to hurt unnecessarily, he hissed under his breath. The fur on his scruff stood tall, then relaxed, with the snarl quickly disappearing. He glanced toward the she-cat as if his emotional episode hadn't happened at all. He then spoke again, with a completely straight face. "When I was a rouge, I stayed far away from other cats, afraid to get caught up in their disagreements. I still helped those in need, however. Sometimes I think that the only thing other cats know how to do is fight among themselves."

"Maplepaw, If you help cats in need, then help us! If we get kicked out of the forest, then we wont have a home or any source of food! This is how you survive, you have to fight for your life or else you will die. Now, if you want to stop moping around, then I am going to go hunting and you should come with me, or at least go on a border patrol or something." She stood up and leaped down the tree, waiting at the bottom to see if the apprentice would follow her.

Giving a short huff, he stood confidently on the branch. Retrieving his previous catch, Maplepaw dropped straight down on to the forest floor. The layer of damp, dead leaves softened the ground under his paws. The sudden blow of air as he fell fluffed up his fur, which quickly flattened again, giving a wave-like effect. He felt slightly frustrated with everything right now, and took the best breath he could around his fresh-kill. 'I won't follow their orders blindly. I'll just pretend, to keep everyone safe.' Putting on a cheery facade, he followed the warrior further into the forest.

Morningbreeze found her favorite hunting spot and sniffed the air for signs of prey. She smelled a bird eating some berries behind a bush. She climbed up a tree that was next to the bush, and pounced on the bird, killing it easily. She picked it up and set it down by a tree stump, then searched for more prey.