shadow walking [closed]

His paws had guided him back to the first, leading along misplaced Skyclan kin. Once they had been safely back where they belonged, Iniko was resigned to slip back into the shadows, lurking at the edges of territories. For a moment, he pondered finding Tanglerose and biding his time with her. But it was these selfish desires that had kept him so supremely distracted. For a few moments, it seemed the calico tom would need to sink back into the driven and devoted roots of his personality. There was no denying that he needed to merely continue on in the pursuit of his endeavors. He had hoped to meet another cat shortly, paws flitting between Thunderclan and Riverclan territories. That desire was soon sated as he scent another cat on the breeze. Quickly, he figured out it was a she-cat. The clan scent was faint.

Twin pools of pale green light stared after the frame of Rainstrike. He didn't hesitate to reveal himself from the sparse foliage near the smooth stones. Iniko settled down in his usual manner, prepared for an attack, should it come. He also hardly held his tongue for more than a moment before addressing her, "My name is Iniko. Who might you be?" The usual inquisitive tone of his speech didn't portray the many thoughts that ran through his mind. Another flick of his ear and he pushed aside the face of Tanglerose from his mind. Later. Now he needed to find out more about this she-cat.

Patrolling was a habit that Rainstrike had never quite lost, even after her banishment from ThunderClan. Though she now resided in Twolegplace rather than a clan territory, knowing the ins and outs of her new home, and knowing who came and went, could never be seen as a bad thing in her eyes. It was on one such patrol that she found herself confronted by a voice from the shadows, and she turned, watching as Iniko materialized from the foliage. The ex-warrior had long since grown past the urges to attack every stranger she met, though her claws did slide out against the harsh stone beneath her paws. This cat didn't carry the scent of any clan that she recognized, and the name Iniko certainly was not a clan name.

"I don't believe I've seen you around here before," she said, deflecting his question, and not rude but also not entirely welcoming.

The lack of an answer was not surprising in the least. He was used to cats deflecting questions, dodging answers, and being sly in their responses. This was the way of life both both loners and cats of wisdom, a practiced defensive strategy. Perhaps it made her feel comfortable or like she had the upper paw withholding a name, perhaps she simply didn't care. The mildly defensive nature of her tone spoke a bit to each premise. His tail flickered for a moment before he answered, "I don't believe you have. I supposed you could say I'm a foreigner to these lands, however, I'm very interested in learning what I can." Iniko tilted his head, eyes burning into Rainstrike with curiosity. He was interested in her reply, her reaction. The unsheathed claws had already been noticed. His own claws were tucked safely away for now but he was always prepare, always ready for an attack. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that, he merely wanted a conversation.