Evening's Approach

[Yoko]

His paws hardly made a sound as the cold tabby tom entered the Medicine Cat Den. The scents surrounded him immediately. The strong and sweet herbs berating his nose. And to think, my brother's thought that I could be a Medicine Cat. Though, he had to admit, some of the herbs would be useful to know. An idea struck him, and he tucked it away for later use.

As green gaze roamed over the many pelts in the Den, landing finally on the grey and cream tortoise-shel-cat. Standing a tail length away from Brindlepelt, Lizardeye laid before her paws a glossy thrush, the only indication of its death being an indent on its neck. He had caught it himself.

"I apologize for the delay," he mewed, toneless as an echo, though he honestly felt a fraction of regret for having shone up so late. "Has any cat brought you a meal yet?"

[. s p o r e l e t t ♪]

Brindlepelt lay quietly in her nest, feeling rather bored. Usually the dappled she-cat was one to enjoy spending quiet time alone with her own thoughts, but after spending a whole day without moving in the medicine cat's den, she would have been glad for a change of pace. Occasionally she moved her shoulder a fraction, wincing when pain radiated from the torn muscles and skin. The wound had long-since scabbed over, but she was still far from completely healed. And she knew that if she tried to do anything active with that forepaw, her shoulder wound would only open up again. She was resigned to being confined to Feathercloud's den for the next few days, at least.

Detecting the sound of pawsteps, Brindlepelt looked up and saw Lizardeye entering the den with a thrush nestled carefully in his jaws. She blinked with surprise as his eyes fell on her and he made his way over. This was the third time that he had visited her since she had been injured. He had, in fact, spent more time in the den than her own sister, and the slender tortoiseshell knew that Lightfeather spent as much time with her as she could. Warrior duties kept the lively she-cat busy, however, and she hadn't visited since the previous night. Brindlepelt knew there was a reason, and didn't hold it against her.

"Ah... no," she blinked, resisting the urge to twitch her ears with discomfort as she glanced down at the bird. She hadn't eaten all day, but it wasn't like she was using very much energy, so she hadn't actually been thinking of it. It was unusual to have her prey brought to her by Lizardeye, however. During the day, she had been given a lot of time to think, and she had written off her past two visits as caused by simple Clan loyalty, or possibly boredom. She wondered if there was something else, though, for she could really think of no reason for the private brother of Snaketail and Twistedclaw to spend so much of his own time with her.

"There's no need to apologize," she said quietly. "You didn't have to bring me anything. I'm sure one of the apprentices would have gotten to it eventually." She blinked up at him, her dark blue gaze thoughtful. What was this reserved tom's motivation? Perhaps he felt some guilt about the battle that had caused her injury? He had gone back to camp to warn Specklestar, when perhaps the four of them together might have been able to defeat the fox more easily. But that seemed like a foolish thought to have, and she didn't think Lizardeye was a foolish tom. He would know that it had been the right thing to return to camp, and there was no reason for regret.

"Thank you for the thought, though," she offered. She was no good as a conversationalist; all the thoughts that went on in her head couldn't be shared in words. She wasn't like Lightfeather, wanting to make friends with everyone and chat about everything that they had done recently. She didn't have Lightningclaw's cocky self-assurance or easygoing nature. She was just Brindlepelt, the black rabbit of the family, the one who didn't really fit in. Her sisters loved her just the same, but she knew that she walked a different path from them.

Returning her thoughts to the present, the injured warrior considered the body of the thrush lying perfect and whole in front of her. She knew she should eat it, and could probably use the strength to heal her wounded shoulder, but it didn't change the fact that she had spent much of the day lying in the quiet without moving, and as a result she was tired of silence, and wasn't as hungry as she might have been. She blinked slowly and looked briefly down at her paws. Did she really want to go in this direction? Prey-sharing was something that normal Clanmates did, but she wasn't like them. She had made the decision never to be like them. But... a thrush was just a thrush, wasn't it? It was just food, and for once she would have liked some company, just for a little while. "Have you eaten yet?" she ventured, feeling her stomach clench with nervousness. She just wasn't cut out for being social. "You're welcome to share if you'd like."

OoC// I need to post with Brindlepelt more often. x3 The muse just builds up, and then I'm left with these monster posts. Gah, it's like a first date! >w< Should I hold their hand? Would they mind? Except of course it isn't a date, and neither cat wants it to be. How confusing is that?

[Yoko]

Lizardeye nodded at Brindlepelt's gratitude. At least something had been accomplished this disasterous day. Though, admittedly, an apprentice could have brought her a meal as well. There was no shortage on apprentices these days.

He sat with his tail wrapped around his paws, indicating that he did not intend to leave immediately. His brothers were busy with menial tasks, and though he could just as easily find such a job to accomplish, he would much rather be in the company of Brindlepelt. Contrary to popular belief, Lizardeye did not enjoy isolation. He hardly ever left his brothers' side. They were his eternal company from birth till death. During their separation as apprentices, Lizardeye was forced to find another companion and luckily he had his kin Toadpelt to rely on. Toadpelt understood the cold tabby's need for silent companionship. Now there was Brindlepelt too, though she seemed a bit less chatty than his brown furred kin. This was probably for the better, and made him all the more curious of her.

Lizardeye blinked at her offer. It was unexpected but not unpleasantly so. "Thank you," he mewed cooly, moving closer. "Today has been rather eventful, and I've not had much time to eat."

He waited politely for her to take the first bite. Snaketail's lectures on etiquette had been more for Twistedclaw's sake than his own, but at times like this it came in handy, didn't it?

[. s p o r e l e t t ♪]

Brindlepelt gazed soberly at Lizardeye, wondering if she should have extended her invitation on such a note of whimsy. There was much to do, and she didn't want to hold any of her Clanmates back from their jobs, although it was sunset, and most of the Clan would probably be settling down for the evening. But her budding concerns were alleviated when the tabby tom thanked her for the offer and moved closer. She was surprised that he had said yes; she had thought that he wasn't interested in spending time with cats other than his kin. Perhaps she had been mistaken. The recovering warrior suspected that there was much she did not know about this particular Clanmate.

Noticing Lizardeye's pause so that she could have the first bite, Brindlepelt blinked gratefully and took a small bite of the thrush, discarding the feathers neatly to the side. This was a good catch; she was used to frogs and lizards, but it was nice to have birds every once in a while. They had a very unique taste. Licking her jaws, she gave Lizardeye room to join her and studied him quietly. After a moment, she spoke. "How are Emberpaw and her sisters?" she asked politely. "Is their training going well? I would expect them to be made warriors soon, although I suppose Honeypaw will take longer if her memories don't return." Cut off from the rest of the Clan as she was, she didn't know as much as usual about what was going on. She would have liked to hear some news about Clan life.

And she did wonder how Lizardeye's apprentice was doing. She herself had received her first apprentice only a couple days ago, but though the other warrior was nearly two seasons younger than herself, she suspected that he had been an excellent mentor to Emberpaw. Why else would Specklestar have given him and his brothers apprentices at such a young age?

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[Yoko]

Lizardeye looked down at at the thrush, deciding which bit of it he wanted. When it came to birds, he usually liked the feathers off the wings, as they could be used for bedding, but that seemed a tedious task and might annoy his dining companion. Instead he quiet bite out of its neck and listened to Brindlepelt speak.

Lifting his head, he replied, "All three are doing quite well. Emberpaw's already proving an apt hunter. Her battle techniques could do with some work, but she has such a bright mind for strategy. Eclipsepaw is," he paused here, never wanting to criticize either of his brothers' mentoring skills, "gifted. In battle that is. She has good instincts and an excellent memory for battle techniques. As for Honeypaw, I doubt that her training will have to be delayed. She's quite brilliant herself, though she seems too shy to show it. I can only hope that shyness does not hinder her too much."

Lizardeye paused to take another bite, wondering if he had spoken too much and bored Brindlepelt, who doubtless, had heard plenty of cats speaking all day. The Medicine Cat Den was rather crowded.

"Have you made arrangements for your own apprentice?" he asked casually, recalling that they had first spoken at Thornpaw's apprentice ceremony.

[. s p o r e l e t t ♪]

Brindlepelt listened attentively to Lizardeye's description of the progress of Emberpaw and her two sisters. Despite the fact that his taller, more charismatic brother was known widely as the more verbose and socially apt of the three, the dappled she-cat found the warrior's descriptions both detailed and concise, and found herself being drawn in by his cool manner of speaking. She took another piece of the thrush as she listened, and wondered why she had not heard him speak more often. Brindlepelt realized that it was likely because she spent so much time alone or with only her sisters for company. It was rare for her to speak overmuch with her other Clanmates, although she did recall having a short conversation with Lizardeye only a couple days previous, when Thornpaw had become her apprentice.

"Icepelt said he would take Thornpaw out with Reedpaw to practice some hunting tomorrow," she pondered in response to his question, "but other than that I haven't planned anything for him. I suppose I should ask Specklestar about finding him a temporary mentor for a few days until I can train him myself. She'll be wanting to start his training right away, what with the preparations for battle. She hasn't come in here to visit yet, though, and I can't really go ask her myself."

Brindlepely found herself thinking out loud, her thoughts pouring out into the still air of the den as she considered what to do about her apprentice. She didn't know what it was, but something about Lizardeye made him very easy to talk to. He was cold, yes, and unfamiliar, and he wasn't the most friendly cat in the Clan, but perhaps that was the reason. He wasn't pushy, and he wasn't overwhelming, and he wasn't out to become her friend; he was just there, which made a nice change from a lot of the other, more extroverted cats that shared the warriors' den.

[Yoko]

Lizardeye glanced over to Icepelt, who was still in the den, visiting Smokeheart. He hardly paid Reedpaw any attention as it was, and now he would be charged with the new apprentice's training. He made note to remind Specklestar to find the young apprentice a temporary replacement quickyl. For the moment, he took another bite of the thrush, which was much more satisfying a meal than that small mouse he had eaten shortly before.

"Specklestar is preoccupied these days," Lizardeye mused aloud. He had been thinking that for quite some time. "I doubt she'll pay a visit here anytime soon, but I will remind her of Thornpaw. I'm sure you'll want him as ready as possible when you are prepared to train him."

The Clan had become quite hectic this last moon, andLizardeye felt his leader losing sight of a few of her goals. Goals that she had clearly stated as a young ambitious she-cat. No cat could blame her, of course. She could not forsee the turmoil Foxfur's kits had caused, or the various wild life attacks, or the sudden doubling of her Clan's size. That was precisely the reason that she needed...help. Or so he saw it. Not to undermine her authority, but merely a gently nudge to keep her, and ShadowClan moving forward. He was lost for a moment in thinking over his latest plan. It must have shone as a slight spark flashing beneath the icy green surface of his eyes.

[. s p o r e l e t t ♪]

Brindlepelt followed Lizardeye's eyes as they slid over to the other side of the den, where Icepelt was visiting with Smokeheart. The senior warrior had been there for much of the day, speaking in a low voice with the grey she-cat about things which Brindlepelt, for the most part, could not hear. Only the occasional snatch had reached her ears, and that was only before Lizardeye had come in with his thrush. After that she had been paying more attention to their own conversation than to that of the other two warriors.

"Yes..." she agreed, realizing that Icepelt was thinking a little less often of his apprentice than he probably should have recently. She felt sure that he would keep his promise and take Thornpaw out hunting, but after that he certainly couldn't be relied upon to pick up the young apprentice's training. "I would appreciate it if you would bring it up with Specklestar," she continued, bringing her midnight gaze back to Lizardeye's green one. "He'll need some cat to oversee his training for the next quarter moon, in all likeliness."

The dappled she-cat breathed a short sigh of discontentment. She wasn't unhappy to the point of frustration, but it bothered her that she couldn't serve her Clan as well as she would like to. "I wish I could get back on my paws and start his training myself," she murmured with mild regret, "but leaving Feathercloud's den now would only result in me being in here for longer." She blinked slowly, and breathed her next words quietly, as if to herself, with a small, wry expression that could have passed for a smile. "At least patience is a virtue that I seem to have inherited, unlike my sisters." Shaking her head slightly, she blinked more quickly, her gaze sharpening once more on the cat in front of her. It wouldn't do do float off into her own musings when she was in another cat's company.

Brindlepelt took another nibble of the bird, feeling more comfortable and at ease than she could remember feeling for the past few days. She realized that she hadn't had quiet, casual conversation for a long time. It was nice to talk a little bit with another warrior who wouldn't press her to tell them about herself. Studying Lizardeye's musing face with interest, she detected a slight... twinkle... behind his eyes, and wondered what secrets were hidden there. What was he thinking of, that put that spark of fire in his chill green eyes? Lizardeye was a constant mystery, a cat who said so little, but - she was sure - thought so much. She doubted that she would ever know what lay behind those flat, dispassionate eyes. But it didn't stop her from wondering.

OoC// Sorry Yoko. x3 I couldn't resist. Heh heh... twinkle.

[Yoko]

Lizardeye nodded. Brindlepelt seemed a patient enough cat and he could not see her risking further injury but leaving the Medicine Cat Den too soon. She seemed unlike her siblings. But then, he seemed unlike his own brothers also. Kin did not always mean similarity.

"I'm sure Feathercloud will do all she can to have you on your paws soon," he mewed, glancing around, "Afterall, she probably doesn't want the Medicine Cat Den to be expanded for her next patients."

Pawsteps. Lizardeye shifted his gaze to the den entranceto see his smaller, much angrier brother. By the fierce expression on his face, something must have ticked him off, very recently. The small tabby paused and looked confused by Lizardeye's presence.

"Ah, Twistedclaw, Feathercloud kept you busy I see," Lizardeye mewed calmly.

Twstedclaw looked about ready to explode in outrage at the comment. Lizardeye paid no mind and turned back to Brindlepelt.

"I should be going, I did not mean to keep you up so late, Brindlepelt," he mewed, rising slowly to his paws. "Here, I'll dispose of that for you."

He gestured to the remains of the thrush, taking it up in his jaws and padding past his brother. Twistedclaw glared, but went ahead and placed the herbs down for Feathercloud to sort. Then he padded out, suddenly deciding that the Medicine Cat den was too full. The two brothers went off to join Snaketail, who was worriedly searching for his apprentice.

End?