The Eyes of Morning and Night

[Cloudsplash]

[black]Darkness- anywhere else, it would've been filled with a starry sky that glowed like lamps up above. They would light the sky in a shower of sparks. The tom faintly remembered laying beneath a night sky that was starry- one that swirled in a mixture of navy and milky swirls. Beside him, there had been a warmer presence, and he had felt safe, secure. What this presence was now, he could not recall. Nor could he fully remember how it had felt beneath the starry sky. All the small cat was aware of was the acrid stench of extinguished motors and the sound of a stray dog rooting through some two-leg device.

Shivering in the cold, Cloudsplash wrapped himself into a tight ball. Silver and white fur blending into the many different colored objects that had been discarded, he fell silent as the dog caught onto a scent and raced past him. Relaxing the tension in his shoulders, the fragile tom raised his head as emerald and sapphire orbs peered out from the darkness.
The forest seems so much nicer... Maybe I should go back there? Not deep in where the clans are, but just to the outskirts. It might be nicer over there.

The tom felt a soft breeze run through his fur, and with it was carried the scent of leaves and grass bright and sweet in the air. Within a second, the brief memory had passed. It happened often; glimpses of pasts he could not recall would light a match to his senses before cruelly fading away before he could pinpoint anything important. It was cold here at the edge of the Twoleg-Place. The air was damp and heavy with spite and despair, and he wondered if any cats were happy on these streets. The ground was littered with murky puddles, and he didn't dare drink from them and their obscured contents. Sighing as he shook free of his cover and leapt out of his hiding spot nimbly, Cloudsplash flicked one white ear and glanced around. He couldn't smell any other felines at the moment, but maybe it was because of the overpowering stench of monsters and a million unidentifiable objects that he was unable to find any specific creature in the night. It was noisy here, with little space to stop and rest before some territorial rouge, dog, or a moody twoleg chased you off. The hardest part was the sweet tom's size. Sure, it was easy for escaping, but also made him quite vulnerable to ill-natured street cats and giant twoleg paws that could easily step on him. For Cloudsplash, the scenery was no safer than the brief escape sleep provided. In fact, the tom was afraid to sleep for the presence of nightmares was already around the corner, and when his nights were not filled with fear, he was left with heart-aching memories that ran through his dozing mind until he awoke and found himself once again in this unfamiliar hell.

He knew which way the woods were, but it was out of his fear for the strange group of cats who smelled of fish that he'd kept his distance. He'd already been terrified by the thought of not knowing his own identity, but being chased by cats he didn't recognized was even more frightening. Innocent eyes angled upwards at the sky whose stars had been vanquished by the light of the strange metal trees that lines the Thunderpaths. There was no return to the world of freedom unless he overcame that fear, and with a deep breath, the tom crouched and leaped up to wrap his claws over the top of the chain-link fence that separated him from the tree-line.
If I don't move forward, I'll keep looking back for answers I'll never find. Maybe they're right in front of me, and I just need to keep searching.

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[Silentfang]

Silentfang slipped through the underbrush, his jaws parted to take in all the scents around him. The tom couldn't help but wrinkle his nose at the foul stench coming from his right. When he had first caught that almost burning smell, one he had never scented before in his long life, he naturally went to investigate. He was disgusted to find that putrid smell was a result of twolegs. Silentfang had seen these odd solid rivers of gray from a distance when he lived in the mountains, but because their territory was so isolated, they had no fear of twolegs. But that didn't mean he liked being so close to them now. They were queer animals and generally unpredictable.

The gray-black tom continued on his way, staying just inside the tree line on the outskirts of the forest. Being new to the area, Silentfang was getting himself familiar with the surroundings. He'd already met another loner she-cat and a clan cat. Though he was very large and fully capable of handling himself in a battle, he wouldn't be mouse-brained enough to take on a whole clan.

His only desire to was see if this place was safe enough for Ebonykit and if there was room for them. If not, he and wary little kit would have to move on.

((Hope you don't mind me joining it. If you do, feel free to ignore. ^-^))

[Cloudsplash]

[Of course not! The more the merrier. ^^]

[black]The tom held his breath as his paws hit the ground. It wasn't the impact that had startled him, but the foreign softness of the grass underpaw. He couldn't remember the last time his paws hadn't been walking on hard asphalt and sun-crisp concrete. Every time he tired to find soft bedding amidst the bristly nests that lay at the entrances to the two-leg dens, he was chased away by their dogs or the large mammals themselves. Most often he'd spend the nights awake in the cold darkness. It almost felt unreal to be standing on such soft soil, and he allowed the night-time dew to cool his hardened paw pads. And it was then, in the midst of the shadows, that the tom thought he faintly scented the forest. His sense of smell had been clouded by the heavy smog that hung over the two-leg place like a storm cloud, but now the breeze was bringing him the taste of fresh leaves and the call of New-leaf. And there was another vaguely familiar smell; forest cat.

So far, he'd only been surrounded by rouges whose pelts stank of decay and hostility. Not once in the carrion-like area had he smelt a real forest cat. Now, the scent was almost overwhelming, and the small tom had to keep from racing over with relief. Just because it was a cat from the forest didn't mean it wasn't one of those Streamclan warriors. Who was to say this wasn't part of their territory too? The small loner held his breath before setting one white paw forward and following it with the other gray one. Before long, he was trotting down the slope and towards the tree-line. He wasn't sure exactly where the new-comer was. In fact, maybe he himself was the stranger. Who was to say this wasn't some other cat's land? Sure, he hadn't found any scent markers on his way, but that was because he'd been fleeing so desperately from the clan cats that he hadn't stopped until he could no longer smell the forest. And that had brought him to a place even worse.

Now though, as his gaze focused on the trees ahead of him, he began to identify the shape of a cedar and then a cypress beside it, and far below, at the base of the trunk, stood a dark figure shadowed by the branches.
"Hello?"
He meowed, the sound of his voice strange and unfamiliar to himself. It didn't even feel right coming from his own maw. Perhaps it was because he hadn't talked to any other cat in a long time. Either they'd driven off the fragile cat without a second glance, or he'd been ignored by those who didn't bothered with such a small figure trying to survive on a street full of dogs, two-legs, and mangy rouges.

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[Silentfang]

Silentfang stopped in his movements when he heard some soft noises coming from the direction of the city stench, but couldn't not pick up the scent since he was upwind. He paused under a tree, the shadow of its branches making the cat almost disappear. With ears perked for the sound and jaw still parted, he shifted his gold gaze slowly around the area. His eyes found a small shape in the grass just out of the trees at the same time the figure spoke.

Silentfang raised his massive head and stood up from his crouch. The mew was not aggressive; merely questioning, but he wanted to make it clear that messing with him was not a good idea. The huge tom moved silently from the shadows of the trees. The harsh unnatural lights revealed his coat to be very dark gray melting into black. He bowed his head in greeting.

Now that he was closer he could easily pick up the strange tom's scent even though he was still downwind. He reeked of the Solid-river and it's beasts. After his silent greeting he turned back to the trees, glancing back over his shoulder and gesturing with his tail for Cloudsplash to follow.

Once back into the concealment of the forest Silentfang faced the younger tom. [/size]"Better to stay out of sight."[/color]

[Cloudsplash]

[black]Tensing as the cat rose, the tom's eyes gradually widened as he took in the full size of the feline. Sure, Cloudsplash was used to finding cats larger than himself, but this tom was ridiculously large. Perhaps he'd been one of those warriors whose bodies was built up with muscle from hunting and fighting. Suddenly feeling self-conscious about his own delicate frame, he blinked as blue and green orbs flashed upwards. Before he could speak though, the stranger was beckoning towards him, and he glanced over his shoulder to see if perhaps they were being watched. When he was greeted by the silence of night and the chilling emptiness that spread between himself and the Two-leg Place, he hurried after the loner; small paws barely audible across the forest-floor.

Cloudsplash had thought it unnaturally dark with the artificial lights in the Two-leg Place blocking out that of the stars, but now, he found that before was morning compared to now. As soon as he set paw beneath the cover of the trees, he was swathed in shadows. Strangely, his eyes adjusted almost immediately. He wasn't sure why, but it had always seemed since the last time he could remember, that he was faster to adapt to night vision then most other cats he'd come across. It was a strange yet useful trait.
"Umm... I'm sorry if I'm troubling you, but would you happen to know where we are? I-In comparison to the clan cats who live by the river."

He meowed hurriedly, catching his own general words as he realized just how unspecific and useless such a question was when he stated it so vaguely. Glancing down at the ground, he noted that as he'd gone further and further from the Two-leg Place, the grass had become more and more healthy, and the soil felt cleaner.
I wonder if the Two-legs even know how they're affecting the forest. Probably not, or they wouldn't still be doing whatever it is they do.

Glancing up, the tom felt a jolt of intimidation and quickly looked back down. For some reason, that moment felt strangely nostalgic, and brought up a faint recollection that told him he was only feeling awkward because he was more accustomed to standing next to someone smaller then himself. Did that mean he had a kit somewhere? No, not possible; he was far too young. Then where had he met a cat whose size was slighter than his? All he could think was that perhaps it was a littermate and the small size was genetic, but if so, then why had his kin not been there when he awoke? It was all a confusion to the tom, and he had to cut off his thoughts mid-way before they gave him a headache.

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[Silentfang]

Silentfang listened to the younger tom's questions, his expression rather unreadable to anyone who didn't really know him. He could tell the gray and white cat was nervous, or perhaps just uncertain. The huge tom was use to being nervously addressed by unseasoned warriors or young loners, but he had the feeling that his presence was not the only thing causing the tone in his mew. He cocked his head slightly to the left, his gold eyes narrowing as he mentally tried to place the stranger's odd mood. He seemed...shaken?

Well...if he's worried about clan cats he probably got a good scare off of them if he wandering into their territory. He thought to himself as he sat, wrapping his black tail around his large paws.

"I'm not from around here, but I have met a few clans cats. Not too far in here," he turned his gold eyes in the direction of deeper into the trees,"is one of the clan's territories." Silentfang turned his gaze back to Cloudsplash."I have seen no river yet."

A part of Silentfang felt sorry for this lost, confused tom. He knew the fierceness in which clans guarded their territories and was certain whatever clan cats found him in their land left him the promise of promptly removing his pelt should he return.

"I can show you the border...and a decent place to rest."

[Cloudsplash]

[black]Cloudsplash was doing his best to hide the fear he felt inside, and it was all he could do to keep his mind off of Streamclan as he listened to the other loner's words.
So there is a clan in there. No river? There were 3 other clans. Maybe I can look, but what if they're no different from Streamclan?
Blinking, he forced away the memories of fleeing in terror from his eyes and instead smiled as he allowed his worry to be washed away by hope.
"Really? That would be great! Thank you very much!"

He meowed in obvious relief, dipping his head graciously before looking up again. Now, the weary anxiety was replaced with bright eagerness and a firmer determination. Blue shown with the desire to search for the memories lost in the back of his mind, while his emerald orb burned with the knowledge that somewhere out there lay the answers to his mystery. So what if he ran into a clan cat? If he wanted to find what he had lost, he would have to take several steps forward and back, no matter what fears it meant facing.

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[Silentfang]

The sharp tang of fear, just barely detectable, confirmed Silentfang's thoughts. He found himself wandering what this young tom's story was. He didn't act like a normal loner or rogue. He actually wouldn't be surprised if he turned out to be some lost kittypet.

The large tom nodded, confirming he was serious about his offer. Without saying another word he turned and once again gestured with his tail for Cloudsplash to follow. Silentfang went back into a lower crouch as he made his way through the brush, his jaws parted once again to take in all the scents around him. On their way around the outskirts of the forest he picked up the scent of an earlier bird. He stopped, flicking his tail out in front of his guest to halt him as well. Creeping a little further, he suddenly leaped forward and silenced the thrush before it could call out in alarm.

Silentfang scooped up the bird in his jaws and proceeded on their course. A few more fox-lengths on he turned suddenly at a birch tree with a berry bush under it and trotted deeper into the forest. It wasn't too much longer before they came to a very large oak whose roots peeked in and out of the ground, creating some nice little hiding holes and dens.

There was another cat's scent as they got closer to the tree, but recognizing it as Ebonykit's, Silentfang paid it no mind.[/i][/size]

[Cloudsplash]

[black]Wondering vaguely to himself about the other loner's relatively quiet nature, the small tom decided not to comment, and instead he let his mind wander as he followed the strange cat. It was such a beautiful night. Now that he'd been led away from the lights of the Twoleg Place that created darkness, all he could feel was the forest around him. He heard the faint hum of crickets that caused him to glance curiously at the waning moon. The grass underpaw was lime green beneath the lunar glow, and the air was calm with a refreshing chill to it. Only when Silentfang halted did the tom pull himself from his stupor. Tilting his head, he watched curiously before his gaze turned to that of awe as the large cat brought down the bird.
"Wow! How did you do that?"

He purred in admiration, tail flicking with good-natured envy. Though something told the silver and white tom that he held some close connection the the clans, he wasn't sure why, along with his memory, his knowledge of hunting and fighting techniques had left him. It had been a while since he'd lost his memory, and yet he was still struggling to remember the bits and pieces of survival skills he'd learned long ago. But how was he supposed to recall them when they were like the torn out pages of an ancient book? Alright, he wasn't ancient, in fact, he was still extremely young, but the fact remained standing that there were still only the bases of the paper attached to the spine, and the tiny imprints of scattered text did not help at all. Fragments of information and techniques floated about the tom's mind, and the truth was he barely remembered anything about how to hunt or fight for himself. He'd managed to last this long thanks to one or two generous loners he came across or the pickings left behind in the Twoleg Place. But now, seeing this tom hunting on his own in the dead of night brought up a sad, nostalgic feeling, and Cloudsplash felt as if he had lost something unattainable and that he could never get it back.
"Good catch."

He meowed in a softer voice, eyes clouding slightly as he thought of the memories he did not have. What about Silentfang? Was there any particular reason for his quiet? The small tom wondered if perhaps the loner had been named after his personality, and then with a sudden jolt, Cloudsplash realized how similar the larger cat's name was to the titles given in the clans.
And hey... Cloudsplash has two parts to it also. Does that mean I might've been from a clan once? And that Silentfang too...?

The cat's eyes widened and his gaze snapped up as he stared at the potential former warrior's back. Was it really possible? Maybe Silentfang knew something then! Maybe there was something the loner had on mind that might help him regain his memory. However, just as he opened his mouth to get the tom's attention, he instead let out a gasp of wonder as his gaze fell on the tree in front of him. It was like an entire nest all in itself. There were hollows big enough for a cat Silentfang's size to fit in, and if the burly cat could squeeze through, then it would be no problem for Cloudsplash too. It really was a magnificent shelter. The roots provided numerous places of coverage, and the branches stretched low and wide, forming forks and shadows to nestle in without fear of falling out in the midsts of dreaming. And then, all at once, the little cat felt extremely out of place. He could smell the scent of another cat other than himself and Silentfang, and he realized that perhaps he shouldn't be barging in. If there was another cat around, then it really wasn't the tom's place to act like he'd lived there his whole life. After all, this was a one time favor, and Silentfang was already going out of his way to show Cloudsplash the border.

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[Ebonykit]

Ebonykit laid stretched out on her belly in her nest made of heather and moss. She was dozing lightly, not ever able to truly get to sleep when Silentfang wasn't with her. The tom had sneaked off shortly after she had fallen asleep, but when she shifted her position and found the nest empty next to her she was wide awake. The black and white kit slipped out of the den and peeked around the large tree, but when she found him no where in sight she returned to her nest.

A few hours later her ears perked up suddenly as she heard some rustling outside of the den which was soon followed by the scent of Silentfang and of another cat. The kit scrambled to her paws and dashed out of the den with her tail straight up in the air. Ebonykit ran up to greet Silentfang by rubbing against his shoulder and purring. Her excitement doubled when she noticed the bird, but the little kit ignored her hunger for the moment. She turned her deep blue eyes on Cloudsplash. "Hello! I'm Ebonykit! What's your name?" She asked enthusiastically.

[Cloudsplash]

[black]Forgetting the feeling of discomfort, the tom cocked his head in curiosity at the appearance of yet another cat, and when he saw the tiny shadow bounding over, a sudden image appeared in his head. There was a kit with fur as golden and beautiful as the sun trotting over with a carefree smile that could have leapt across hillsides. When he stared at the image, he felt an overwhelming warmth overflow inside his heart, and then with a blink, the cat vanished and he was looking instead at a black kitten. For a minute, he was confused about how the pelt he'd imagined contrasted so greatly to the one in front of him, and what really sent a shudder down his spine was that this kit had the same serene blue eyes as the one in his memory.
"Ah- hello Ebonkit. I'm Cloudsplash. It's a pleasure to meet you."

He purred, gaze softening as he felt an unexplainable warmth towards the sight of the kit. Somehow, he felt like he should be recognizing something important in this event, yet the brief albeit vivid connection from before had been lost as quickly as it had come. Still, it was nice to see how close the kit seemed to Silentfang, and he the small cat couldn't help but purr in amusement at the enormous size difference between the two. As serious and intimidating a figure Silentfang was, it was rather heart-warming to see he had a soft-spot for Ebonykit.

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[Silentfang]

((I moved our thread to the Outskirts))