Silent Night (Private)

[Yoko]

Stillness. ShadowClan Territory had never heard of it. Silence. ShadowClan territory had never head of it. Frogs filled the night with their throaty songs. Every now and then there was a splash or a slosh along the marsh grounds. One might swear they heard something slithering, and they may be right. Overhead, the flapping of wings could be heard, owls and bats preying on the living night. No, indeed, the only creatures capable of true silence in the night was the cat. This night, a certain tabby was rather keen on proving this theory true.

With skillful ease, he glided along the soft and sticky marsh, putting other predators to shame. He slipped between the shadowy pine trees like a spirit, his light tabby pelt only occasionally catching the half-light of the moon. His leaf-green eyes flashed watchfully around the area as he swept through the night. His ears swiveled with incredible precision, cataloging each and every sound encountered.

Were it not for the incredible amount of insects squirming in between his jaws, his mouth would be pressed together grimly. His exit from camp had not been as subtle as he would have wanted, but Twistedclaw's following had been a great help in making it more natural. If only Snaketail could have followed. In any case, Twistedclaw had not stayed beside him long. The smaller tabby had wandered off, mumbling about hunting, which could only be rats, as Twistedclaw so enjoyed to torture that particular prey.

Lizardeye was in no hurry to return to camp, nor was he avoiding it. He was simply handling what needed to be done. The Clan needed to come first, and with Snaketail fussing over his kits and Twistedclaw busy aiding Feathercloud with training and herb collecting, Lizardeye was left to his old devices. This displeased him. It felt too similar to their apprentice days, when they had been separated. Only this time, he was without even Toadpelt to keep him company.

Perhaps I've found some cat to replace him...

An image of that dappled-no-brindled-pelt flashed through his mind. She was not bad company, and she seemed to tolerate his presence as well. She was hiding things however. He could not imagine why she had undergone such a dramatic change in personality. Though they seemed alike now, Lizardeye had reason to believe it was not always so. He had been born this way, quiet, observant, distant, but she...she had been made that way by something or someone.

Realizing he had let himself slip out of focus, Lizardeye went back to sensing the area. He was nearing his destination and could take no chances. But something had changed, and he paused quite suddenly, quite certain that he was no longer alone, if he had ever been.

Fox-dung... he thought, feeling frozen inside, his body actually stiffening like water into ice. How long has she been there?

[:c a i:]

What in the name of sanity are you doing?

Darkflower could feel her heart beating faster than usual, and the adrenalin coursing through her, all caused by the risky endeavour she had undertaken. She questioned herself as she went, telling herself she was a fool on a fool's adventure. These three cats were dangerous things to play with. She could not keep playing games with fire and not feel the heat. But though her mind whispered doubts and derisions at her, she kept her silent pawsteps going, slipping through the marsh, making no more noise than a mouse creeping over the hard forest floor. She had to keep going. This could be her chance to find out what she wanted to know...

Unless she got caught. Truth be known, Darkflower was uncertain about the three brothers she was trying to... What was she trying to do? Expose them? No. She wasn't seeking to land them in trouble. Not yet, anyway. All she wanted was to know where they sneaked off to so much. And why on earth did Lizardeye have so much clamped between his jaws? Her chance to find out had been handed to her today, as Lizardeye left camp with Twistedclaw. The latter did not stay long, but the former continued on, apparently deep in thought. His guard was down, and Darkflower took advantage of it, tailing him as inconspicuously as she could. She didn't have a clue what she was expecting to find. The only thing which had looked out of place was Lizardeye's burden. Strange things for a cat to carry. Thus, she had pursued him, and in doing so she embraced the dangers it could present.

And if he noticed her? It had to be said, there was no telling what Lizardeye would do to her if he caught her following him. He was so difficult to read... and yet Darkflower somehow felt he would simply evade her and slip through her net if he caught her, just like he always did. That was what kept the trio so safe. And that was why she had to be careful, so careful. She kept well back, only getting close enough to keep Lizardeye's trail, but never getting close enough to enter his radar. She didn't dare get any closer, lest the tom be made aware of her. From this distance, she was reasonably undetectable, even by Lizardeye. And whatever he was thinking about was working in her favour, because it consumed his attention and allowed Darkflower to go all this way without being noticed.

But then Lizardeye stopped suddenly, and scented the air. Darkflower was closer than she ought to have been and a traitorous breeze brushed her fur, sending her scent wafting over to the very cat she was trying to keep out of sight of. She stopped abruptly, and dipped behind the nearest cover she could find; a sparsely covered pine tree. Her jaw was tight, and her body tense. She waited, not even breathing for fear of being heard.

Had Lizardeye caught her?

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[Yoko]

Was he certain it was her? Of course he was. Who else had reason to follow him so stealthily? And, he thought with a dry sort of humor, he had gotten a very good taste of her scent just a while ago at camp. Had she kept her distance, he might not have honed in on it so well. After all, the breeze that had given her away was quite gentle.

He considered his options now. He could never go where he originally intended now. Going somewhere else would be an obvious decoy, and would lead to her continuing this little game of cat and mouse. So his best option was to call her out, hopefully humiliate her, and send her on her way to be as arrogant and cold-hearted as her sister.

Laying his rather tightly packed bundle of squirming bugs on the ground, he stood stalk still, facing straight forward, "You can come out now, Darkflower. Espionage is apparently not your forte," he mewed in a single, clear, icy tone. His back was to her, that was for sure, but even he did not know which angle she would come from so he simply stayed still. "And to what do I owe this unwelcome company?"

In truth, he found such rudeness distasteful, as Snaketail would. But he was a cat on a mission, and while he was of a cold intelligent mind, he had not his taller brother's cunningly deceptive tongue, nor his smaller brother's ferocity. Where Snaketail lured and entranced in tight situations, Twistedclaw raged and inspired terror or battle, and Lizardeye rejected and blocked out. It was times like these when he wished the three of them had been a single, perfect, entity. But alas, without his brothers he was not whole. And so, he went about the sordid task of informing Darkflower that her clever investigations, her sneaking suspicions, were not wanted and would surely result in a poor end for every cat in ShadowClan.

[:c a i:]

Oh foxdung.

Great, big, stinking foxdung.

She was caught. Darkflower clenched her teeth together and froze where she was, listening to Lizardeye call her out. She wondered what to do now, because getting caught hadn't been in her plans for the evening. Now she would never get to know what he was doing. This had been her best shot and she'd scuppered it. Finally, she decided that there was no point in staying behind a tree any longer since he already knew she was there.

She slunk out silently, her face carefully expressionless. She didn't let on the tendrils of panic uncoiling inside her. Slowly, coolly, Darkflower approached Lizardeye until she came to stand right in front of him, sharp green eyes meeting his defiantly. She had done nothing wrong. And maybe she could force the truth out of him. She almost laughed at that one. Of course she wouldn't get the truth now. This tom and his brothers were master secret-keepers.

"Maybe you can tell me that." Darkflower replied in her low, dangerous voice, tilting her head to look hard at Lizardeye.

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[Yoko]

Lizardeye's ear twitched and he turned to face her and inhaled quite against his will. Her pale fur slinking through this darkness was a beautiful sight. The light becoming a shadow. And for only a moment, her pale green eyes caught a flash of moonlight. Her expression was as emotionless as his own, which Lizardeye felt was a bit disturbing. Did others see him that way all the time?

He cared not for her tone, but it helped his resolve to be a unkind as he could possibly be. "How should I know the reason for your actions? Did I not make it clear that I came out here with the intention of being alone and at peace? Or have you, like Blackfeather, simply become oblivious to the desires of others?"

His green eyes flashed, a dangerous flicker beneath the hard ice. At this moment he was painfully aware that his paws were horribly filthy, mud filling every crevice in them. Also, behind him lay a pile of squirming live insects that had only moment s ago been in his mouth. Even as he said such cruel words, he was working through the reasons for these things. Not that he should have to explain himself to this arrogant she-cat. But he knew how clever she was, especially now. To leave her to her own musings was almost as dangerous as leading her around.

[:c a i:]

Darkflower didn't miss the tom's intake of breath and her eyes narrowed suspiciously. What was he thinking? Probably the best way to force her silence, knowing him. If this situation weren't quite so urgent, Darkflower would probably find it quite amusing. She must really be getting under Lizardeye's fur by now, what with all the sneaking and the sniping she had done. His thoughts must be quite full of curses for her, or so she imagined.

For a long while, two sets of green eyes held contact, neither one blinking and neither one breaking the gaze. Darkflower determinedly held her nerve, firmly preventing herself from feeling threatened by this tom. He didn't scare her. She stared hard at him, and while she did that she managed to get a good look at his features, surprising herself with the fact that she hadn't actually looked at Lizardeye properly before.

Well, there was definitely no smile on that face. In the failing light, his fur looked even darker, but the moon made the little streak of white on his chin even brighter against the dark brown. Irritatingly, perhaps, he was not unhandsome. Her mother would approve, she thought wryly. She listened coolly, and even at the mention of Blackfeather, Darkflower did not falter. Her eyes glinted briefly with unspoken ire, but it faded quickly to an almost weary look which said I've heard it a thousand times before. And she had. Blackfeather's harshness was never unnoticed, and the reaction to it was always passed on to Darkflower. Everybody treated them the same, regardless of whether or not they acted differently, and so she was well-used to jibes about it. Maybe it was justified - Blackfeather was cruel enough for the both of them - she just hadn't expected it from Lizardeye.

"...You seek peace and quiet in a swamp which never sleeps." Darkflower did her best to maintain her icy voice, though there was a hint of emotion in it which slipped out without her control. She swallowed unnoticeably, still carefully keeping an indifferent exterior to make sure Lizardeye never felt that he had her on the run. It had to be the other way round.

"I find that strange, Lizardeye. But not as strange as I find the fact that your company is..." Darkflower glanced past the tom contemptuously, taking in the unpleasant pile of squirming creatures behind Lizardeye. He failed to conceal them from her gaze, and she could even hear their wriggling. "... an assortment of things which no cat would dare to eat. Why is that?" She smiled ever so faintly, her tight expression relaxing just a touch.

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[Yoko]

Lizardeye studied his opponent's reaction carefully, mildly surprised that she did not react at all. He had been aiming for an angry tongue lashing, a swearing for revenge for his words, the she-cat storming off perhaps. Something Blackfeather might do. But then, Blackfeather was not the one investigating his actions, and prying into his plans.

The night had gone on with its almost musical noise. The sound of lizards slinking through sludge. The crickets singing shrilly in desperation to be heard. Toads and frogs croaking lazily as they await the zinging dragonflies and other winged beings. The symphony was uninterrupted by the stone-still cats and their icicle sharp words.

"If I did not find these sounds peaceful, I would have no business living in ShadowClan, now would I?" Lizardeye replied.

"As for these," he mewed, monotone, and nudging the pile of squirming crawlies with a forepaw. "not that they are of any concern to you, I am testing the idea of baiting prey. You see, unlike some cats, my idea of relaxation does not involve lounging on my belly until sunrise. I come out here to think, and to discover...And to get away from rather annoyingly inquisitive cats." Like you. he added wordlessly, looking pointedly at Darkflower.

He thanked Snaketail silently, for surely this lie had somehow been sent between their minds. It had rolled so easily off of his tongue, and without so much as a hint of remorse. He could see why the tall tabby practiced it so often. As far-fetched as it seemed for your typical tabby to be bug-collecting to experiment, Lizardeye knew himself well enough to know that he was far from normal, and this was useful in many ways. The main one being that as an abnormal cat, it was expected for him to do abnormal things.

[:c a i:]

Darkflower's eyebrows rose as she flicked her gaze between the pile of bugs and the tom in front of her, ignoring the barbs Lizardeye sent at her. She wasn't the sort of cat to be wounded by idle insults or indifference. She was, however, annoyed that Lizardeye seemed to have evaded her again. Mousedung, she thought, disappointed to realise that it was a fairly believable excuse. Maybe he really was trying to think up new hunting techniques? Although it was a very weird idea, it wasn't necessarily untrue. Though she had rather been hoping - perhaps expecting - to discover something a lot more sordid than Lizardeye innocently working new ways to catch more frogs. Darkflower frowned at that thought. Lizardeye innocently experimenting... out in the dark... completely alone. Why on earth would he do it now, anyway? Yes, ShadowClan was good in the dark, but if this was a new invention, then surely Lizardeye would want to test it in the day, when many creatures were awake?

"Baiting. I see. How interesting, Lizardeye. Well, in that case, you surely won't mind if I stay and observe this new idea? You won't even know I'm here. Which creatures were you hoping to attract?" Darkflower's cool voice was sweet, but laced with challenge. She smiled a sharp smile that was usually seen on Blackfeather's face, though she could never make it quite as unpleasantly cruel as her sister could. She pretended to be oblivious to the hint about her unwanted presence, quite determined to be one very large thorn in this tom's side until he either told her willingly what he was doing, or until it simply slipped out.

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[Yoko]

Silly she-cat...can't you tell when you are unwanted?

The tabby turned and picked up most of the squirming pile. He gave no hint that he had even heard Darkflower, much less that he gave a rat's tail. If he were able to move his muzzle properly, he might have grimaced. Even he could not pretend that the taste of soft mud and the smooth flesh of insects against his tongue were enjoyable. He saw it only as a task that needed to be accomplished.

After a few moments of walking, he found that this was not very difficult at all. He went on, gliding silent along the soft mush of the swamp, not because he was afraid of more observers but more because it pleased him to move this way. Always there was the noise, but these were far more bearable than the endless chatter of his clanmates.

He came to a halt only on a rather dry patch of earth, somewhere the insects would have to really dig to get underground. The ones with legs scurried quickly around the area, some in circles. Strange little creatures these were. Cats so rarely paid attention to them because they were not a filling enough to be prey. Not for a full-grown cat at least. The cool tabby cleared his mind of it. He was wasting time. Decisively, he turned on his hackles and stole away to a nearby shadow of a tree, large and dark among the sparse foliage of the swamp. He could care less if the so-called "experiment" worked, though it would be rather interesting if it did. What exactly would a pile of bugs in the open bring? He wondered if small predators would even be able to find it, but the crickets in the pile were certainly helping. He crouched with his legs tucked easily beneath him, and his tail laying straight on the ground. His leaf-green eyes were fixed on the pile. He was a patient cat. He felt a tad bit of interest.

How patient are you, Darkflower?

[:c a i:]

I can sit here all night. And then all the next night. I can be your shadow if I have to...

Darkflower had smartly stepped past the insects Lizardeye hadn't managed to pick up, following him closely with a swish of her long fur. They came to a place where Lizardeye stopped and set up his 'bait'. If that was what it was. And then they had sat down to wait.

And wait.

And wait.

The two warriors had said nothing for a good, long while. There was a not-particularly-comfortable silence between them and an all too obvious struggle of wills. Each was now trying to outlast the other. Lizardeye seemed so coolly collected, yet Darkflower was in no hurry to back down or give up. She'd come this far, got herself thoroughly entwined in this situation... No point in saying "You win" now.

Darkflower did not speak, but simply crouched herself a short distance away from Lizardeye, one paw slipped over the other. No words passed between them, yet there was an obvious message coming from each of them. Lizardeye didn't have to make one move or say one word to let Darkflower know he was wishing the ground would open up and erase her from existence. And Darkflower was wordlessly letting him know that he would not shake her off so easily.

The question was, what would Lizardeye do about it next?

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[Yoko]

Being still was not the same as being stiff. Lizardeye could tell a long wait was ahead. His muscles were completely relaxed despite the slight crouch. His breathing was rhythmic and steady, as if keeping time. Although time passed at a slug's crawling pace, his eyes were as round and curious as they had been when he first crouched down. His ears were alert, but not especially perked. Inside the quiet tabby was a fathomless patience, which he felt certain was quite unmatched. Darkflower might very well be able to stay here until dawn, but Lizardeye was going to ensure that she learned nothing from it and would sorely regret treading after him.

He had not cast a single glance in her direction. It was only his peripheral vision that gave proof of presence, and even that he wished to erase. All though he was clearly at the advantage of being the on defense, meaning that so long as he did nothing else for the night there was hardly any chance that his plots would be unveiled, he was also well aware that she was thoroughly wasting his time.

This incident shall never repeat itself, Lizardeye vowed silently. He would never be so clumsy as to be followed if he had not been so distracted.

The long wait wore on. The half-moon did not even seem to shift in the sky. Green-leaf was supposed to bring shorter nights, but now the cold tabby was getting a full demonstration of how "short" these nights could be. As he looked on at the scattering pile of living beings, his mind shifted sharply to the cat waiting, though at a distance, beside him. What purpose did she have to be so determined to discover his secrets? Did she want to glory in the knowledge that she had outsmarted him? Did she want praise from Specklestar?

[:c a i:]

Darkflower imagined she could feel the time passing now, as if it were ticking away before her very eyes. The bugs in front of her squirmed and wriggled blindly, completely lost and bewildered. Darkflower got up, moved slightly, and stayed on her paws, but this time slightly behind Lizardeye so she was out of his periphery and so he would have to turn his head to see her.

Truthfully, the night had gone very badly. Darkflower had intended to follow Lizardeye and catch him doing something suspicious, but once again, the opportunity had slithered through her paws. Now all she had was a very, very boring night to sit through, and probably very little chance to see what the tom was really doing. He would be ridiculously vigilant after this; she was sure he would never let her catch him again. She repressed a sigh, and absentmindedly watched the last of Lizardeye's insects dispersing.

"I would call this experiment a failure, unfortunately." She remarked, still to Lizardeye's left and slightly behind him. Her eyes bored into his dark fur, raising an eyebrow slightly. There had been no prey, and the only thing that had moved at all was the pile of insects. "What a shame. Your hard work-" Darkflower emphasised the words "-appears to have come to nothing this time." Hard work indeed. The prey-baiting hadn't worked. Maybe because it was never supposed to work. Darkflower thought grumpily, disappointed that her plans hadn't fully worked. But what else could a pile of muddy insects be for?

If she could answer that question, she felt sure, she would be able to put all the pieces of the puzzle together and there she would have it: one glaring image of Lizardeye and his brothers' secrets.

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[Yoko]

Lizardeye felt his eye give a shimmer of a twitch. It desired to swivel to his side and see what had moved, but Lizardeye fought this instinct ferociously until his mind processed that it was merely Darkflower shifting possessions. She was out of his view, but Lizardeye knew she would not leave. Even if she did, he would remain still in caution.

She spoke first, as he had anticipated she would. The normal reaction would be to jump, to be startled at the breaking of the silence. Or rather, the shattering of the frivolous noise of lesser creatures. Understandable words required a shifting of focus in the mind, and while some cats needed a hump start to begin comprehending, Lizardeye lay crouched, stone-still on his belly and listened with little interest to the subtle jabs of the disgruntled female.

Suddenly, Lizardeye raised his tail as quickly and stiffly as a turned twig. His eyes widened to absorb the darkness. To be sure of his vision. Something had landed in the pile of bugs. It had swept down quietly from the sky, so small and dark itself that there was hardly difference between the fluttering body and the shadows. But Lizardeye took in a deep sniff. Bat!

[:c a i:]

[[Though I don't think that could actually happen, I'll go along with it. x3]]

Almost as soon as Darkflower had spoken, a little shadow descended upon what was left of the bugs, and she frowned, trying to make sense of what it was. Her keen eyes narrowed as she focused on the shape, allowing her to pick out the form of a small, flying creature, haplessly stumbling to the ground in search of the food which had called it. Acting on instinct, Darkflower got closer, ignoring Lizardeye now that her attention was on this intriguing sight. The creature fed upon the 'bait', foolishly taking it and unwittingly placing itself virtually in their claws. One of them would catch it.

Darkflower was not quite sure why she did it, since it ought to be Lizardeye's catch, but he was not moving. Keen not to let the creature escape, she sprang with silent grace, not hesitating as she pushed herself to become momentarily airborne. She made no sound save for the rustling of her long fur, and she landed squarely upon the winged animal with her claws locked into it before it even had time to emit a squeak. It was a bat, and now it was fresh-kill. Slightly flushed from the hunt, Darkflower turned back to look at Lizardeye, a small, impish smile working its way around the mouthful of bat. She laid the prey before the tom, her eyes, brightened by the exercise, locked on his.

"I hope you didn't mind," she said simply. "No point in risking the one catch we got from this encounter." She said no more, leaving the bat at Lizardeye's feet, but made no move to retreat.

And the next move would be his.

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[Yoko]

((Ooc: Be a good sport Cai. Let me dream. ))

Lizardeye watched the dark creature land and feast on the mountain of crawling small beasts. He was not at all interested in catching it. He was more intrigued by the fact that it had landed in the first place. As he was pondering this, his eye shifted immediately, reacting to the sudden though silent movement of Darkflower into his corner view. She was watching the prey rather intensely as well. Lizardeye looked forward again, not making any move to fetch the gorging bat.

Suddenly, in a rather graceful leap, Darkflower sprang catching the bat unawares. Silently, it was taken down. And the cold tabby had a great appreciation for silence. He rose to his legs rather smoothly, as if his muscles were not sore from the long crouch in wait.

Lizardeye did not even look down at the bat, rather he caught Darkflower's gaze and did not faulter from it. He still had no idea why she was so intent on keeping watch on him. Surely a funny smell on Border Patrol had not started all of this?

"I have come to the conclusion that this bat was a mere coincidence. It happened to land here, not do to the baiting. I would call this trial a failure, prey or not," he mewed coldly. "In any case, I am in no mood to try again. I'll be on my way back to camp now."

Not exactly an invitation to come back with him, but in any case, his time was wasted and now that something interesting had happened it might encourage more of this stalker like behavior of hers.

Perhaps not. She seems like an intelligent she-cat. Surely she knows how hopeless her efforts are.

So he walked away from the beautiful, cunning, persistant she-cat, wishing she would leave him and his plans in peace. After all, what could she hope to discover now?