peach leaves (closed)

As much as she enjoyed the rush exploring gave her, Peaches decided it was best to return to Twolegplace to cool down for a few days. Even though home had its fair share of mean strays and weird toms that followed her for a good block, she still grew up there, and learned to appreciate Twolegplace for what it was. Besides, there was no way she was staying inside with the upwalker. It was safe and cozy, but once she got in it was super hard to get back out. "Besides," she reminded herself, "going inside the upwalker nest is for emergencies only. Emergencies like thunderstorms and dogs." With the heart of the town and her upwalker's den out of question, the only place she could safely relax were the very outskirts. So, here she was, loafing casually on the fence like she had done when she encountered Night, the wanderer that doesn't wander too far, and Otterpaw, the best apprentice in Riverclan.

Memories of the encounter brought a smile to the tortoiseshell she-cat's face. It wasn't every day that she found civil cats that wanted to chat instead of fight over a chicken bone; even one friendly cat was rare! Sure, Otterpaw was a bit feisty at first, but she was young and small and alone (practically a death wish if she resided in the alleys), so Peaches couldn't blame her. Night, on the other hand...her chest felt fuzzy as she thought about him. They had only met once and yet, here she was practically swooning over him. Could she really blame herself? "If he was a forest cat, I bet all of the forest she-cats would do the same. I wouldn't even stand a chance. He probably forgot all about me by now.." The ginger and black loner sighed wistfully. If she imagined hard enough, she could still see his green eyes, shining like two beautiful emeralds. She practically melted as his gaze fixated itself onto her, heat rising to her pelt and an awkward smile dawning on her face. She had only felt this magical once before, and the last time hadn't worked out. This time probably wouldn't work out, either, but it was nice to hope. Peaches could even see his shimmering green irises, looking in her direction from the distance. Wait a second..her honey-colored eyes narrowed as she stared at the eyes in the distance. Could it..could it really be that Night had come to look for her? So far from where they met?! 

Peaches had never jumped off a fence and raced towards a pair of eyes that fast ever. Beaming, she ran to meet what she thought was her acquaintance, her lips turning up into a grin. "Night! Night, is that really you?! You came all this way just to-" The figure seemed to morph before her very eyes. Sleek, short black fur transformed into a long tabby brown. His green eyes now had more of a yellow color to them. The loner skidded to a halt, dumbfounded as she stared at this newcomer. This..this certainly wasn't Night, or anyone she knew for that matter. What if they were unfriendly and wanted to hurt her? Too terrified to move, she continued watching the stranger, fur standing and eyes wide as she realized the trap she basically launched herself into.

With the sun high in the sky, most of SkyClan's warriors were already out on patrol, leaving at random intervals during the day, marking the borders or bringing down a few birds. Leaftwirl had found herself in a weird space, alone in camp with all her friends out hunting. It was unfortunate, as the new warrior would have jumped at a chance to spend time with Amberdawn or Sunflower, but perhaps today she would spend some time by herself. Flicking her tail to the cat on guard duty, the brown tabby she-cat padded out into the forest, dapples of light shining off her long coat. Where should I hunt today? Leaftwirl thought to herself, weaving around rocky outcrops and fallen trees. Yesterday she had caught three mice at the moonlight creek. And the day before that, a blackbird. But perhaps it was time to extend her reaches, and go on a new adventure. Smiling with excitement, Leaftwirl stretched out her legs and began to bound through the forest, skirting toward the backwoods, near the Twolegplace.

She sighed as she caught sight of a tall fence, stopping for just a moment to catch her breath. Exerting herself felt good, and it went to further convince the warrior that she was doing the very best for her clan. After sniffing the air for a few moments, she caught scent of a squirrel, and began to track it through the leaf much, keeping her tail still and haunches low. Got you... Leaftwirl purred quietly as a russet figure appeared, sitting on the roots of a large tree. Its bushy tail flicked back and forth, beady eyes darting about in fear. Bunching her hind legs, Leaftwirl prepared herself to leap, when a large rustling sounded from near the fence. The squirrel scampered away, but Leaftwirl was now on alert mode, her long pelt sticking up in alarm. A strange tortishell cat emerged from the undergrowth, and Leaftwirl almost jumped from her skin. "Raaaoow!" She gasped in shock, falling backwards over herself, and landing awkwardly in the dirt.

Finding her paws quickly, the she-cat winced as she tried to conjure up all the battle training Tinystar had taught her. But she wasn't an air-headed apprentice anymore, there wasn't a need to fight unless this cat intended to wrong her clan. "Who... who are you? Great StarClan you scared me!" Leaftwirl gasped, her panting adrenaline finally settling down. After a few moments, the brown tabby managed to gather some clues about the black and orange she-cat, deducing she definitely wasn't from the clans. "Are you a loner? Or maybe a kittypet? What are you doing in SkyClan territory?"

Instead of being intimidated, this loner cat seemed -if anything- to be intrigued with Leaftwirl, or at least her lifestyle. The new warrior had never put much thought into whether or not she was scary or someone to be feared. There were other cats in SkyClan who were good at that, and Leaftwirl imagined she'd be terrified to ever meet them in battle. But the brown and white tabby herself had never gotten such a reaction. On one paw, it could be viewed as a good thing, she certainly didn't want to spook her friends, but on the other paw, maybe it was a set back. Leaftwirl's new, defiance driven mission called for her to be the best warrior she had the capacity to be, and yet this loner seemed to be anything but scared.

"You didn't answer my-" Leaftwirl started, still at a loss for who this mysterious cat was and why in the world she was here. But the curiosity in her eyes seemed to be the least threatening thing the warrior could imagine, and perhaps fulfilling her questions first would lead to finding her own answers as well. Besides, it would be good to help a loner learn about the forest. "Oh alright." She squeaked, finally caving in. "There's five clans in the forest, and there always has been for as long as anyone can remember. I'm from SkyClan, probably the best clan! But ThunderClan is next to us, and RiverClan is that way. There's also WindClan and ShadowClan too, but we hardly see them!" Leaftwirl stifled a smile a she thought of all the things this loner could learn. As she listed each clan, the pride for her own flared in her heart, and she almost wanted to continue. But Leaftwirl had an agenda, and good warriors didn't have conversations with trespassers, right? "Alright I answered your question, now tell me who you are! I won't hurt you or anything... but... Wait a minute, how did you know about the first clan?" The loner's shock at hearing about SkyClan had hidden from Leaftwirls realization at first, but it occurred to her that this shecat could possibly be more versed then she thought. The new warrior hated herself for assuring the mystery cat no harm would come to her... It was a nice gesture, but she was a warrior, and sometimes claws needed to be used. Leaftwirl hoped that no blood would be shed this time though... a good warrior also had sound judgement as well.

Peaches watched as the cat thought about telling her anything. She shifted awkwardly on her paws, trying to conceal her disappointment. If she was in her shoes..she'd probably hesitate too. Tell a complete stranger about your home? A death wish in Twolegplace; it was probably the same for the clans, too. But when the she-cat squeaked out an, "oh alright," she was beaming again. She listened intently as she spoke, eyes filling with wonder as she imagined the clans and their different terrains. A purr left the tortoiseshell's maw as the Skyclan cat listed them, and even pointed her in the direction to each one! What a treat! Peaches made a silent vow that she would visit and explore each one of them, even if her paws ached. Hopefully, they were just as friendly as Ospreypaw and..and whoever this cat was. She opened her mouth to ask for more information, but was interrupted before she could speak. "Alright I answered your question! Now tell me who you are! I won't hurt you or anything..but..wait..how did you know about the first clan?" 

This was expected. A question for a question; it was a fair trade. "I'm Peaches! It's a pleasure to meet you..err..Skyclan cat!" The black and ginger cat flicked her feathery tail over her paws. "I knew about the first clan because I was just over at the barn!" her heart skipped a beat as she thought of Otterpaw and..and Night. How foolish she was to think he'd come all this way, just for little old her. She wasn't special. She'd probably never even see him again..A sigh passed through her lips, and her honey-colored eyes looked wistful for a moment. She shouldn't trouble the brown tabby with such trivial matters. She was only speaking to her to satisfy her burning curiosity, not hear about her tragic love story! Could you even call it a love story? Otterpaw had referred to them as love birds...had they really appeared so? Heat rose to her pelt as she was swept back into reality. She was having a conversation, for heaven's sake! "S-Sorry! I..I was thinking about stuff. I met a Riverclan cat over there. She wasn't as friendly, but she didn't attack me! I wish the the toms in Twolegplace were more like you.." a grim expression twisted its way onto her face, and she shuddered at whatever thing she was recalling, but her smile quickly returned. That was in the far, distant past. She mustn't think about that, or Night, right now.. "Anyways, what's your name, Skyclan cat? The other cat I met had a 'paw' suffix. Do you have one as well?"

Peaches. Leaftwirl had no idea what a Peaches was, but the name certainly seemed to fit the strange loner cat. Her emotions seemed to spin in her mind and the warrior watched, almost curious. Never had she meant a cat like this one before, and if she wasn't actively trespassing, or trying to steal prey, then perhaps the she-cat could let her stay for a little longer. The black and ginger cat went on to explain how she had just left the barn, and then commented on RiverClan. Peaches' voice drifted off as she mentioned the Twolegplace toms and Leaftwirl narrowed her eyes, feeling a strange breath of concern for the loner in front of her. But she wasn't quite done, and asked Leaftwirl's name as well, inquiring on whether she carried an apprentice's name. A smile couldn't help but slide across the warrior's maw at the question. It would only be right to answer.

"Oh me? I'm Leaftwirl! And no... no "paw" for me! Only apprentices have paws at the end of their names, and when they become warriors, then their name gets completed!" The excitement in the brown tabby's voice was evident, and she found herself shocked at the lack of knowledge Peaches held of the clans. It wasn't a bad thing, but it made for a good teaching moment. Perhaps teaching the loner of the forest would prevent her from running into any other clan cats; ones that might rip at her pelt and drive her out of the territory. But Leaftwirl would never be that vicious, thank StarClan. "I used to be Leafpaw though, but then I journeyed to the moonstone, and spoke with..." She trailed off as she recalled the past moon, getting scathed and insulted by that starry cat Wolffang. And her mother hadn't even been there to see her. "Well, nevermind." Leaftwirl squeaked, shifting the conversation away from that topic. "Afterwards, Tinystar gave me my warrior name! Oh! And the leaders of the clans have "-star" names! That's really important to know. Now you'll know who to talk to if you ever need to see some authority!" Leaftwirl gave Peaches a smile, giggling to herself and at the world she lived it. It was strange, to see it from a loner's eyes, and to truly take note of their rigorous and strict system. There really were a lot of rules. But their system was necessary for survival. The clans had lived this way since the dawn of time, at least, that's what the elders had told her. It was Leaftwirl's duty to follow the same code. But Peaches wasn't bound by such rules. It would be interesting to hear about where she had been. "What is a "Peaches" anyway? I mean... it's a pretty name! But... what does it mean?"

What a pretty name that was: Leaftwirl. Definitely better than Leafpaw; Peaches liked the new name the long-haired tabby acquired. It was much better than Leafpaw..and it almost made her want to change her own name! If she had a forest cat name, what would it be? Her mind whirled with the possibilities until she decided. She wanted to keep a part of her old name, since it meant so much to her, but at the same time...she wanted a part of it dedicated to the Skyclan she-cat she had just met. "Peachleaf. After my new friend," the tortoiseshell thought with a smile, nodding her approval of the name. It was short, sweet, held the familiarity of her old name, but also had something new. Perhaps, when she stumbled upon Night again, she would tell him, and he'd hopefully he would approve of the name. "If I ever see him again, that is."

Then Leaftwirl asked her what exactly..a Peaches was. The ginger and black she-cat appeared dumbfounded for a moment, tilting her head in confusion. How could she not know what a peach was? Then again, she didn't know about the clans, so how could she judge her? Her pelt warmed with shame, but she covered it with a shy grin. "Peaches are...it's an upwalker..er- twoleg thing. It's round and fuzzy and...and it smells kinda weird. They eat it. My twoleg let me have a teensy tiny little nibble, but it made my stomach hurt, so I've never tried it again. If you ever, see it, steer clear. They don't taste good at all," Peaches shuddered at the memory of the taste, tail twitching nervously. Hopefully, giving Leaftwirl insight on what that horrid upwalker trash was would prevent her from tasting it as well. She couldn't help it! It was so much fun to bat around and play with on the porch that she couldn't help but give it a chance. Quickly changing the subject, the tortie turned her attention to what the Skyclan warrior had been addressing. "Anyways..why is your leader's name 'Tinystar'? I know that they're the authority over the clan but how do they earn the -star suffix? And why is his prefix tiny?! I'd be really offended if someone named me Tinystar. Is he...like..short?"

"Peaches..." Leaftwirl repeated to herself after the loner had explained it. It was strange to think there was more beyond the forest, more than just being a warrior, having kits, growing old. For so long Leaftwirl thought that that was it. That she'd find a tom, raise a family, fight and die for her clan. But what Peaches spoke of now was exciting almost, though the warrior felt almost guilty for thinking it. "The twolegplace seems interesting..." The brown tabby mewed, choosing her words carefully. As much as she wanted to ask many more questions, there was a fear that perhaps her ancestors were watching. Would they see her as a disgrace if she found interest in life outside the forest?

Swallowing her apprehension, Leaftwirl was glad for a subject change, talking about her own clan would sit better with StarClan. She was sure of it. "They earn the '-star' in their name because StarClan has granted them with nine lives! The leaders need them so they can be fearless, that way they can be at the front of battle patrols, and risk their lives for their clan! Tinystar has lost a life before... I wouldn't be surprised if he's lost others as well. Amberdawn tells me he's been leader for a long time... Oh! They call him tiny because well..." Leaftwirl stifled a giggle as she thought of her mentor. "He is tiny! He has short legs... and can't climb trees as well as the rest of us. But he's been kind to me, I suppose that's why they made him leader!" Leaftwirl found herself smiling freely, catching Peaches' eye and then smiling even bigger. It was strange that an encounter with a loner like this should provide such joy. The warrior certainly wasn't expecting to hear about the Twolegplace today, but it was nice. "Should we be friends?" Leaftwirl blurted suddenly, blocking out the roaring of blood in her ears. "I'm not allowed to be bestfriends with anyone outside my own clan. But maybe we'll see each other sometime?" Even Wolffang must of had friends outside her own clan at some point. There's no harm in that. The regret could come later, for now, Leaftwirl would block it out until it became too much. She was allowed happiness.