Quoth the raven: "Nevermore"

[spike]

The morning had come and gone which left the mice in their cozy dens to snack on the gathered seeds. The birds high in the loft were silent but only because of the dark-feathered raven that had taken the best place for a nest. Its overflowing mass of hay and twigs made it seem more like a thorn bush rather than a crafted masterpiece. The bird's beady eyes steadied on the cat below that watched it with curiosity. One for sorrow... two for joy...

She could not guess how many were in that nest. Maybe the raven's young did not exist yet or the eggs were still unhatched. But she did know that this raven proved no help to her. It rarely hunted the mice in this barn. It just didn't want to be that close to the feline hunters below. So it hunted elsewhere which gave no hints as to where the prey might actually be hiding. The ash-colored tabby smiled up at the bird only for it to caw and fluff its already ruffled feathers into a hefty mess of darkness. She shook her head at the crazy bird's actions before turning tail for the half-deflated haybale she called her nest.

These days had come and gone as if life was unwilling to slow down, or unable to at that. She pondered whether WindClan even knew that cats that lived in the nearby barn were rogues. Not all were kittypets, right? Not all were loners either. Why, this place was hardly inhabited at all! They all went to the less touched barn, the one that Twolegs never came near. It was here that Twolegs still worked like they always did. There was no sign that they disliked the cats. Leave their large, four-legged creatures be and hunt the mice. That was all the cats had to do to earn enough respect and a place in their hearts. Wild had already done so long ago when she first arrived here. The only problem was kits. They seemed to find the kits somehow and take them all away.

Wait, why would she even bother thinking of kits? Wow, it was much too early for that! She had only just met Riley! Wild, the cinder hued she-cat that was now back on her haybale, had befriended the former ShadowClan warrior and took a liking to him enough to bring him to her home. That was really something. He had wandered off but had yet to return. The former RiverClan cat flicked her ears irritably as the raven that cawed deeply, tempting her to attack its mysterious nest. "Nevermore," it seemed to bay. "Nevermore, nevermore."

Nevermore what? What was it talking about? "One for sorrow," she told herself as the raven dug its dark talons into the side of the nest tauntingly. "Two for joy." She hoped only one of those eggs survived.

[hedgie]

You're not alone

He'd slipped away in the early reaches of the morning, avoiding the Twoleg hands that he knew would reach out to stroke him. He was unfamiliar with the barn and it's make-up, confused by how it all fit together. They came in and left the cats alone, except for the occasional pat when one was calm enough to let them. He, for one, would not allow their strange appendages to touch him. The large golden tabby had roamed around the territories from late night until early dawn, determined to catch something other than mice for his new companion.

He remembered her mentioning her time in Riverclan, so he'd taken a shot at catching fish. He'd done that when it was late, almost too dark to see, so that no one would be out to catch them. He'd caught too very small silvery things, which he'd carried back to Wild's sleeping form before shooting off again. Soon he'd caught a few squirrels, frogs, lizards and an finch or two. He'd been taking trips back and forth the rest of the night, escaping into the barn with a huge, hulking rabbit hanging from his jaws. He padded in, added it to the growing pile behind the hay bale he and Wild had been sleeping on. Well, she'd been sleeping. He'd tossed and turned until the hunting idea had come to him.


There is more to this I know

"Good morning, sleepyhead." he chirped, slinking out from behind the pile of prey to stand in front of her. His green eyes were warm as she spoke, but confusion crossed them. She hadn't noticed him yet. That stupid raven had caught her attention, and he shook his head, wishing he could knock that nest and that darn bird to the ground, but the rafters and beams he would have to cross to complete the task daunted him, a maze too large to cross alone.

He sat down, tail flickering back and forth as he too watched the bird, meeting it's beady black gaze with his own jade-colored eyes. It almost as if he was daring the bird to interrupt them again.


You can make it out

"I caught us a bunch of prey during the night. I didn't know if you still liked fish or not, but I caught you a couple. " He mewed, pulling the one out of the pile. "I figured we could eat this today and maybe tomorrow and finish off some mice if you wanted." It wasn't a very big pile, but there was a high possibility that the two of them could not finish it all alone. He didn't really want any other company, though. he'd grown used to minimal interaction between himself and others, and he was content to just chill with his new friend.


"What do you mean?" He questioned. "Whatever you mean, I'm sure that darn bird isn't going to answer. Do you want me to catch it?" He stretched out in front of her, his pelt almost blending into the hay scattered around their little spot. Gold upon gold.

You will live to tell


Lyrics are from "You're Not Alone" by Saosin.

[spike]

Orindary no, really don't think so

She perked up the moment he stepped into her view and spoke. "Oh, sorry," she said with a nervous sound to her voice. "I didn't realize..." Wild trailed off and looked towards the prey he had caught. She smiled brightly at him before climbing down from the haybale. He had fished? He had honestly fished? She bent and pushed his shoulder in a playful manner, leaping over him with grace. "You're so sweet," she joked while jumping into the pile for the few fish he had caught. It had been far too long since she had eaten proper food. As a RiverClan cat, she was weak with hunting the mice here, even if they were weak animals. She dug out the small fish and reutrned to her tom companion with it stuck in her teeth.

Not a love this true

She settled down and instantly went to work on tearing the scales and flesh off of its narrow bones. It had been way too long since she'd eaten fish! She worked on her first bite, chewing slowly because of hte fresh meat, before swallowing and grinning at Riley. "You didn't do too bad," she complimented while taking another bite. She looked up at him and admired the blend of a gold pelt with the dark golden hay. How handsome! She tilted her head slightly and realized he had overheard her little talk abut the raven.

We were meant to be

"Sorry about that earlier," she mewed. "I was just remembering a little poem my mother told me about. Something about ravens. I couldn't remember all of it. But..." Her face contorted a little then she gave a hum of concentration. "She said it was... one for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl... four for a boy." Wild glanced up at the raven again for a second before it hit her again. She whirled to Riley and beamed as the lyrics fit into her memory. "Oh, yes! Five for a silver pelt, six for a gold, seven is a secret never to be told, eight is a wish, and nine is bliss, and ten is a bird you must not miss! That's why I was looking at the raven." Wild took another bite of her fish and allowed hte pause to settle in. Then she swallowed and breathed in the scent of fresh hay. "She said it used to be magpies but then ravens began following it. I think it's ravens too. They're such beautiful birds!"

Me and you

Lyrics: Me and You[/u] by Kenny Chesney

[hedgie]

These scars we wear remind us

He placed his fish back on the pile, choosing to eat a frog instead. His Shadowclan roots shown through once again as he delicately picked it apart, eating only the best parts and pushing the rest away to dispose of later. Patiently gnawing on a leg, just for something to do, he watched her. A slow smile spread across his muzzle, just listening to her. He'd known the fish would've made her happy, even if he'd nearly risked drowning to do that for her. That thought made him chuckle.

The more we change

"Sweet?" He mewed. "Well, you're probably the first one to ever call me that, and the privilege might just be yours to own." He rested his head on his paws, finished with his morning meal. For now, he was content to just lie there and chatter, as long as the Twolegs didn't come around. The large golden tabby tom yawned, feeling more content than he had in quite a long time. This barn felt safe. No patrols to hide from, no worries of being discovered by old friends and enemies. It was so free, this place.


The more we're all the same
Swept up in this emotion

Resting now, he continued to listen to Wild, her words filling in the silence he created. Soon enough he'd speak, but right now she held the stage. His ear flickered as a fly buzzed past it, one of the only movements he was making right then, along with a twitching tail tip. A soft purr rumbled in his chest, his eyes half-closed. They, at this moment, were a picture of contentment.

We fumble through and make the same mistakes

"That's very pretty, Wild. It sounds like your mother knew quite a lot of things. All my mother ever told me was to be a good son and to keep an eye on my sister and brother, even though I'm the youngest. I'm not doing very good on keeping that promise. My brothers a re both dead, though one passed before me, and though my sister doesn't know it, our other brother is also dead. It's the only time I've lied to her, but I'd rather she thinks that he ran away. It would break her in two if she even knew." He sighed. "But enough of my moping. We had enough sob stories earlier. You're so right. They're really pretty, but they can be such tricksters, ravens."


Cause' we are led
To the edge [/color]

Lyrics belong to "Avalanche" by David Cook[/size]

[spike]

It's my declaration
to anyone whose listening[/i]

A soft smile landed on her face, a sad one at that. She shrugged and stared at the thin bones, the remains of her meal. Was her mother still alive? Did she blame her for the death of her brother? Did she even want to look at her rogue daughter again? The ash-hued she-cat was dragged away from these depressing questions when Riley stated the tricky nature of the ravens. Really now, a beautiful bird that was not so beautiful on the inside? How predictable. "Yes, you have that much right, if anything. Ravens can be pretty nasty if they want to be."

You're my inspiration
as I stand alone against the world[/i]

"But keep in mind that all creatures have the choice of good or evil," she pointed out. Wild picked up the remains of her fish and walked to the edge of the loft. She quickly left down and dashed over to hte pile of horse dung that sat nearby, dropping the remains there, before darting back into the loft. Even if she was not a total prissy cat, she still tried to clean her paws to make sure there was no stench on them. Horse dung was the worst!

Cause you love
and you bleed[/i]

"So, what do you think we should do today?" she asked with a small giggle. "We have the whole day of nothing so far. Let's make plans. I wanna do something! What do you think, Riley? How about a little play fight?" She was up on her paws and grinning at him with a full shine to her face. Her tail lashed back and forth then her left fore paw batted the floor of the loft, tempting him to attack her. "Come on!" she laughed.

And you stole my soul
to set me free[/i]

It's my declaration

Lyrics: Declaration[/u] by David Cook

[hedgie]

So tonight, tonight, let's fade away, let's fade away

He picked at his frog, getting at every reachable bit of meat. Oh, he was so very hungry, and he hadn't eaten since the morning before this and hunting had sparked his appetite. The frog, however, was enough for now. Riley didn't want to seem greedy, and they could always stop for a meal later. Wild's smile was sad, and he sighed.Maybe he shouldn't have brought up family. It seemed to be a touchy subject on both of their parts.

So it was probably best to leave it be, and not let the moment sour.

Forget it all for just one day
Tonight, tonight, oh baby we'll fade away

"Very clever, nasty birds. If you're not careful, trouble will come when they're around. I've seen it." He replied, picking up what was left of his frog and placing it where Wild had, nose wrinkling at the stench. He made sure his paws were cleaning, hating the smell of the dung on his paws, disliking it's rank stench.

"I never forget that. It seems like such an easy choice to make, but when you sit down and really think about it, there are so many twists and turns that make each path sound like a good one to go down. It just matters on how strong you are, how much control you have on yourself." Feeling clean, well-rested and full of energy, he brightened at her suggestion.


This is our time, oh yeah

"I don't know. What do you want to do? "He purred, raising himself to his paws. "I like nothing, sometimes. It leaves you so much room to do something." She bowed down, inviting him to play and he ran at her, playfully tumbling into her side. This was nice. They could be like kits here, no worries about duties or the opinions of others. "you want to play? Well, I'll give you a game!"

So baby it's time to go

Lyrics belong to "Time to go" by The Maine

[spike]

Every time I look at you, baby, I see something new

[/i][/center]

Oh, he surely was a daring tom. He didn't know that she had always won in the games between her and her brother. How could he win? Sure, he had size on her but she had the wits, right? He probably had that too... oh well! This was going to be fully for fun. She didn't get the first attack, sadly, because he tackled her first, She was barreled over by him and yet it was still okay. If she had been a warrior, she surely would've tried to flip it around so she was in a better position but claws were sheathed here. It was their war, a war of games.

That takes me higher than before and makes me want you more

[/i][/center]

"You? Show me a game? Please, I'll beat you before you can even say 'Great StarClan!'" Wild reached out and batted his whiskers before using her small size to slide under him. Instantly able to stand, she whirled around and threw her weight onto his back, front paws on one side of his body and the other half leaning into him to throw him over. She put all her weight and force into it just to make sure he fell.[/b]

I don't wanna sleep tonight, dreamin's just a waste of time

[/i][/center]

But she must've done it too suddenly and with too much power because she only managed to toss herself over his body. She squeaked as she landed on her back beside him. She bashed her yellow eyes and tried to think about what just happened only to realize she was looking at Riley. "Oops," she chuckled nervously, "It's been a while since I've honestly fought so I'm a little rusty."

When I look at what my life's been comin' to
I'm all about lovin' you

[/i]

Lyrics: All About Loving You[/u] by Bon Jovi

[hedgie]

This is my life
Its not what it was before

He didn't remember the last time he'd had this kind of care-free, kick-back-and-relax sort of fun. He knocked Wild over, a skilled play-fighter. He'd had Cedarfur and his brother to play with, and neither of them had gown very easy on him, even if he'd been the youngest. Riley's purrs rumbled in the barn as the rolled, acting like two young kits. "Ha!' He crowed, victorious for that moment. He had her beaten when it came to size, but he didn't know how well she could fight back. "I'll show you a game alright! I was the best play-fighter in the ShadowClan nursery, you know!"



All these feelings I’ve shared
And these are my dreams



"C'mon, Wild! you're not gonna give up that easy, are you? "He mewed, right before she slipped out from under him. Confused, he was taken off-guard by Wild once again. She'd come around and barreled into him this time. Payback, he guessed. She must have been trying to knock him over but all it did was send her flying over him. His body shook with laughter. Facing her, he pawed at her tail. "Nice try, Wild. But a trick like that isn't going to knock over a big guy like me." He padded, over standing beside her.

That I’d never lived before

"Get up and try again. You certainly are rusty. That's okay, though. You haven't had to know how for a long time." He nudged her shoulder playfully. "Silly kitten. you've got to try, try and try again. I promise I won't let you win. Then again, I won't go easy on you."



Somebody shake me

He backed away, dipping into a bow. "I'm nowhere near done playing yet, Love. Now let's have some fun, okay? We've got all day to do nothing but everything!" The golden tabby tom batted at her tail again, whiskers twitching in laughter.


Cause I, I must be sleeping

Lyrics belong to "So Far Away" by Staind

[spike]

Tell my mother, tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize

[/i]

Wild laughed at the humiliation she had pulled on herself. This was just total embarrassment but at the same time it had been fun. Her little mess up was causing him to laugh too so it had to be okay to chuckle at it. She rolled over so she was on her paws again once he batted at her tail. He wasn't going to let her win? Oh, that wasn't necessary. She'd win on her own! The ashy she-cat turned back to him and grinned warmly when he called her "love." That was something she hadn't heard before but it was sweet. She liked what he had said and, despite the little time they had actually been together, found it touching to her heart. It must've been a sign of friendship to him.

This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying
Sometimes goodbye is a second chance

[/center][/i]

"You don't need to go easy on me," she mewed. "I can take you down still! I was just warming up is all. Come on, let's see what you have." Wild seemed concentrated as she tried, again, to launch herself at Riley. This time, she didn't press her paws to his back. She wasn't going to slip again. She threw them at his shoulder and caught him square but her light weight hardly budged him. She stalled and blinked at where her paws were. She shoved him again but it still didn't move him. "Okay, this isn't fair," she laughed while trying yet again to throw him over.

Please don't cry one tear for me
I'm not afraid of what I have to say
This is my one and only voice
So listen close, it's only for today

[/center][/i]

Lyrics: Second Chance[/u] by Shinedown

[hedgie]

It’s not everything it seems - the world and its dreams
Slipping like water through my hands tonight
All the things I thought would fill me up inside
Left me empty here - and now I know why

Riley chuckled, still smiling. Wild was trying so hard to knock him down, and she didn't want any help, so he wouldn't give it out. The larger golden tabby laughed freely. She soon rolled over, and he watched his opponent and friend with glowing eyes, patiently waiting for her next move. He'd have to keep this even just a little fair, so no surprise attacks...yet. Wild just seemed so happy, and eager. Riley just couldn't help but feel like his problems had ran way away because of her. His tail flickered lazily, paws placed squarely on the ground. It would take quite a lot of force to make him budge, and he knew that Wild would give it all she had to send him sprawling.

"Hit me with your best shot, Wild. Don't keep me waiting now."


All along I was looking for something else
You’re something else
All along I was looking for something more
You’re so much more


"You want to see what I've got? Well, I am so very sure you have yet to show me everything you know. This may only be a game, but we're old enough to have skills to show." He purred, watching as she ran at him again. Obviously trying a different strategy, she hit him at his shoulder. again, it didn't do much, just causing him to take one small step to the side. Wild shoved him again and again, rocking him but not making any progress in making him fall.

"I'll admit that. Maybe we should try something else...Or do you want to keep trying to push me around?" He grinned.

I finally found what I could never see before
You’ve always been the one that I was looking for


Lyrics belong to "All Along" by Remedy Drive

[spike]

Oohhh, when I'm around you I'm predictable

[/i][/CENTER]

Wild gave another fullhearted shove but, yet again, she failed in pushing her larger companion aside. He was way too much larger to ever think of throwing over. SHe'd need wit and that wasn't exactly something many cats had. She grunted in response to his laughter and pulled back on her rounds of shoving and pushing. What would work? Diving under him wouldn't. Neither would a new place to attack. He was just a wall of stone! Giving up, she held her stance and smirked right back at him. "Alright, your turn. Hit me with your best shot."

Cause I believe in loving you with first sight
I know it's crazy but I'm hoping to...

[/i][/CENTER]

She had to admit. The large golden tom was something of an idol to her. He was young and he was wild at heart. Maybe he deserved her name more than she did. She should've been the Riley and he should've been the Wild. But that'd be just weird. She was certainly not a Riley looking cat. No, leave that part to the tom. She prepared herself for whatever he had to throw at her. Wild was a RiverClan cat, not a powerful ShadowClan cat like he was. She knew she'd lose but if she was to lose, let it be to her golden boy, her tom; Riley.

To take a hold of you

[/i]

Lyrics: So Contagious[/i] by Acceptance[/CENTER]

[hedgie]

Maybe I'm down low.
Maybe I'm up high.
Maybe I'm losing my own mind.

She was trying so very hard. He had to complement her on that. If Wild had one thing he didn't it was that persistence, that bite-down-and-never-let-go mentality. Then again, he'd never needed it. He was big enough and just strong enough to get something done without having to try too much. Not that he was some monster. No, Riley just happened to be a pretty big guy, despite the smaller sizes of his siblings. Sooner or later, he'd get his turn, and she'd see he was more than just a baracade.

'My best shot?" He purred. "Are you sure that's what you really want?" Having too much fun made him too impatient to wait for an answer and soon the golden tom had paws aimed at Wild's side.

You know that there are no other two hearts closer than ours.
Well maybe you'll follow.
Maye you'll stay.

He had to admit it. He wasn't being fair. She hadn't been given time to process, and he'd just taken the plunge. His paws made contact with her side, and there was no doubt in his mind that she'd topple over. Laughter echoed off the walls, light dappling his pelt. "Having fun, Wild? "He mewed, looking down on her with glowing eyes.


I'm praying that you won't give yourself away.
You know that you are the only one
I'd promise the stars.
You are.