Tough Times Bonds All {Open for Bear's Group}

Pepper carefully slipped between sleeping bodies to the barn entrance. A few more foxlengths and she was out, sitting in the slowly growing grass. With a deep sigh, she stared at the starlit sky. Kneading the ground with her soft white paws. She wondered where Arcane was, where cats like her went in that foreboding clan filled sky. Where were her kits who had long forgotten her and the love she had for them. They would curse her as a filthy rouge like the rest now. The thought set in and she felt her heart sink in her chest. It was only a matter of time until Bat found her too much trouble and left wordlessly like her sister had. Or they'd all die at the paws of clan cats because they were 'rude'. Maybe they'd adopt a kit just for that kit to die early again. She slouched and shook her head, why did she always think about that when she was alone? It's not like she knew what real family felt like.

A white and ginger she cat stirred when pepper past. She struggled to her paws despite her still paw. She stood slowly and padded out after the she quietly. She didn't have a use beside being useless so she figured instead of being alone she would go speak to the she figuring she wasn't one of Bear's enforcers. She approached quietly"hi..."Stillpaw mewed quietly her still useless paw dragging over the ground limply as she came over.

Pepper straightened and put on a weak warm smile, she looked at the apprentice and dipped her head in greeting. She couldn't help bet let her gaze waver at the intimidating clan scent. "I didn't mean to wake anyone, sorry if I did. I.. don't really have control over my lower half." she meowed, nodding her head to her useless hind legs. The cripple had refrained from getting out of the barn and wasn't comfortable with others watching her struggle to stay regularly mobile. Bat used to sneak her to ThunderClan to see the changing leaves or on the overhangs of rock on WindClan's moors to look at the valley. Now, she was getting rusty again and would need the eye of the new tyrants in order to leave and see a different landscape again.

"Huh...oh no it's fine you didn't wake me I...can't ever sleep since I was forced here"Stillpaw mewed selttling down beside the she cat her useless paw laid limply on the ground. She took notice of her legs and was quiet for a moment before she mewed."besides I sleep most of the day anyways when the evil cat...lets me...I'm pretty much useless to him anyways"she mewed.

Pepper shook her head. "I'm pretty used to this by now, getting taken over, the clans flush us all out, give it a few moons and start trickling back in normal life again. Bear won't last long if he thinks living directly on the edge of clan territory with is a good idea." she said. "I just hope he doesn't undo my work." she said grimly at the thought of it. "What's your name, by the way?" she said abruptly when she realized she didn't know.

Stillpaw blinked"well that makes since but I'm wondering why no one has started looking for any of us"She mewed before she blinked looking at Pepper"I'm Stillpaw....I can let you take a guess as to why"She mewed glancing to her limp paw.

"I'm Pepper though, I don't remember why.." she said before taking note of the apprentices crippled paw. "I suppose we have something in common, you much less than I. What clan are you from? You have an apprentice name so it only makes sense for you to have come from one."