Alone and Afraid (closed)

Sitting alone on the edge of the area in which the clan warrior's slept, Sunflower should have been tired but couldn't keep his eyes closed for more than a few moments. He hated this place; the cave. It was so closed in, so damp and cold, and he couldn't imagine living here all his life. His short pelt plus the colder weather caused a constant discomfort to the tom and his stomach hurt, most likely from homesickness, and all he wanted was to return back home; to the forest. He wanted to see his family and can again... Mintwhisker, Amberdawn, Leafpaw... every night he prayed that they were alright and not washed up dead somewhere, but being the pessimist he was, he had a difficult time being optimistic. Well, even if they were dead, they were most likely up in StarClan, which was probably a better place to be now than displaced from their home, fighting for their lives.

A new cold had set in over the mountains, whisking away any hint of newleaf that could be seen. Daisy of Silver Fields was well used to the chill, but even she could not deny that it had been a long leafbare. Her tribemates seemed to think the same. Even the sturdy noble caveguards that patrolled the barren rock were chilled to their bones. But there were new inhabitants as well, lanky cats who apparently arrived from further down the mountain. They smelled of leafy greens and sun. The first group to arrive was struggling, but determined. Stoneteller had offered them shelter, and for the time being, the clan cats stayed. Daisy found herself shamefully interested in their stories and territory, she wondered perhaps if the forest would be more fruitful than these dreadful mountains they lived on. One cat stood out more than the others, a large, silvery gray tom with scars that laced his pelt. Jaystar... A strange name for a strange cat. But recently, Daisy wondered what her life might have been like if she hadn't betrothed herself to Thunder of Crashing Falls. What if, she had waited for this enchanting tom, would her life have been more rewarding then?

The silvery-cream she-cat shook the thought away, sighing. Don't be silly Daisy... the clan cats are lawless savages... Her thoughts fell to the second group of clan cats who had arrived much later. These cats were bloody and broken, they smelled of beast, and carried themselves with less dignity than a mouse. The leaders of this group seemed to be a ginger and white tom, and a very small cat whom Daisy had mistaken for a to-be. Needless to say, she was not impressed when they bloodied up the Tribe's cave with their savagery.

Frustrated, the silver and cream tabby began padding towards the sunlight, hoping to get a break from these clan cats, when she noticed a lanky white shape sitting alone, looking quite pitiful. His features seemed to resemble that of the small leader to-be that arrived not but days ago. But this cat was much taller, and not very scary. "Dear..." Daisy mewed gently, padding over to the skinny tom. "You look quite lonely all alone. Would you like to accompany me on a hunt? I could do for some conversation..." She rested her striped tail over the white tom's shoulders, feeling very much superior. Unlike a bulky cave guard, this tom didn't seem to hold an intimidation factor. Daisy decided he would be a good cat to talk to, to learn more about these intriguing clans.

Having been lost in thought, Sunflower had failed to hear the she-cat approaching, even with his abnormally large ears. Practically jumping out of his pelt from her suddenly placing her tail on his shoulder, the tom's head snapped back to see a tribe cat. Not expecting for someone to talk to him, his nervousness grew and he quickly turned his gaze to the ground, his large ears growing hot and pinned against his head.

"U-uh, sure," he mumbled in reply and immediately shut his eyes, wanting to kick himself. Great StarClan, why had he agreed to going on a patrol with her? If he wasn't such a nervous wreck he couldn't thought more about an answer, but heart beating faster and faster with her standing next to him, he'd been a fool and blurted something out. Now, he would have to occupy the she-cat with his awkwardness, something that she would most likely quickly grow to dislike and regret her decision to try and patrol with him.

Daisy of Silver Fields gave the white tom a sunny smile, flicking her tail towards the cave. "Let's get going, it will be wonderful!" The thought of leaving this stuffy cave danced with Daisy's mind. She would be free from the moans and groans of the wounded cats that resided here. The tom she had chosen to accompany her seemed free of the gashes that his tribemates shared, the silvery cream she-cat was glad it wouldn't slow him down. "You can call me Daisy, young one." She mewed as they emerged into the sunlight. It lit her fur like the very stars in the sky, dancing off her stripes and twinkling over her pelt. "My full name is Daisy of Silver Fields, oh isn't it just darling?" Smiling, the she-cat began to pad down the rocky slope, blue eyes focused on the tall peaks that resided in the distance. Scrubby bushes and trees grew between the crevices, roots exposed against the cold mountain rock. "So tell me, tom. Who are you? What is clan life like?" Daisy's blue eyes were twinkling as she toyed with the poor white cat. She could observe his sheepish manner, but liked seeing him stutter. It was cute, in a way. The two padded together between the cliffs and drops, Daisy kept her eye out for any birds or rabbits that might appear, relishing this stroll out of the cave.

Walking alongside the she-cat, with his head low and tail tucked under his legs, he was right in guessing that she would be most curious about clan life. Holding back a stifled sigh that he wanted to let out, Sunflower gathered his thoughts before replying, not wanting to say something stupid or uncalled for, unlike his nervous wreck of a mind wanted him to blurt out.

"I-I am Sunflower of SkyClan," the tall, meek voiced tom began. "Clans are much like the tribe. W-we have roles and care for each other," he spoke simply, not daring to meet her gaze and instead kept it to the ground below, partially worried about falling off a cliff or stepping on the wrong rock. He thought there were dangers even just in the forest, but how did tribe cats live in such constant fear and worry about such strange things? It truly baffled him.

Daisy listened carefully as the white tom spoke. Her whiskers twitched with amusement as he revealed his name, Sunflower. It was a strange name, very short, she thought. But it was endearing nonetheless, and seemed to speak of his interesting personality. Sunflower didn't have much to reveal about the clans, and Daisy found herself at a loss for information. "Oh surely there's more you can tell me, dear?" She paused as a gust of wind flew over the rock. "What kind of prey do you hunt? Is it really true that some cats swim in a river?" The silvery cream she-cat thought of Jaystar, and found herself blushing as the image of his wide muscles graced her mind. These clan cats seemed to be strong, and competent. It made her yearn for more knowledge of what was out there. Daisy would hate to stay on the mountains if more possibilities resided elsewhere. The very idea of it set her fur on end.

Of course his simple answer didn't satisfy the tribe cat's curiosity. Letting out a somewhat muffled sigh, the two walked onward to who knows where. Gathering his thoughts together, he took a moment to think about what to say before speaking up again. "SkyClan cats hunt birds, squirrels, and sometimes rodents," the lengthy, meek warrior mewed, his tail still tucked under his rump and his ears still pinned back in their usual, socially nervous way. "A-and yes, RiverClan cats can swim. Though if you ask me, cats of the other clans can swim, we just don't prefer to do so," Sunflower spoke, keeping his gaze to the ground as he spoke.

While he wasn't one to blab on, something deep down inside told him to keep speaking; to elaborate a little more, however best he could. "The cl-clans can be complicated at times, 'cause there are five separate clans and alliances, unlike you m-mountain cats," he mumbled, his heart racing faster and faster as he continued. Looking up to the sky above, a cool breeze ruffled his short pelt, which sent a shiver up his spine. "RiverClan and ShadowClan are allies, WindClan and ThunderClan are allies, and S-SkyClan... we a-are neutral. All cl-clans share borders that s-separate the five territories and each clan marks t-their borders as if their life depends on it. We have gatherings e-each full moon where we gather in peace, though l-lately it seems as though each clan is d-dealing with their own lot of drama," he concluded and snapped his gaze back to the ground, his heart practically leaping out of his chest as he returned to his usual cowardly state. What in StarClan's name... he's never spoken that much in his life. Maybe it was his pride for being a clan cat that oozed out of him? Whatever had fallen over him, he didn't care, but whatever it was, he prayed to Silverpelt that he never spoke that much ever again, for it was truly terrifying.