The Path from the Stars (mating)

[Yoko]

(This thread involves mating. Don't like. Don't read. Setting: Night, after the queens meet and say they have their mates)

The moor was washed with starlight, no imposing trees to keep the light to themselves. The moon, not full or half, floated above them with its cold, judging light. Birchnose moved across the moor. Just moved. No fancy strides, no timid paddles, no sneaky skulking. Birchnose was not the type of tom to be shy of anything, even being wrong. He strong male in mind and body, though his thick spiky pelt did not reveal any actual shape. He walked upright and with the same authority and dignity that he always had...Despite the fact that his companion for the night was an attractive and bubbly she-cat that would likely get him stripped of his rank as Medicine Cat. Yes, he had considered that already. What tom wouldn't?

As they moved across the moor, bare of cover from the watchful moon, they made casual conversation. Birchnose was always pleased by the trills and dips of Thrushtail's voice, the open rawness of her emotions. How she seemed to hide little, but continued to be a mystery unraveling. Although his gaze was trained mostly ahead, he would glance at her and nod firmly sometimes, doing his best not to gape at her beauty. He was a tom who liked to be in control of himself, and he was getting better at doing that while she was near. He knew, even now, that if he were to move forward on this path and mate with her that it would be wholly and entirely his own decision to do so. So with this in mind he studied her, weighing the decision, hoping to come to a conclusion tonight or very soon at least.

It's time to cut the small talk... he thought with a bitter edge. But Great StarClan! Will I miss that voice, this closeness, those eyes...Focus!

"Thrushtail," he mewed in that smooth, deep voice, "What exactly brings your attention to me? Surely there are other toms who have an interest in you. Ones you would get in less trouble for seeing."

He said all of this without ever breaking stride. His confidence was unshaken by the idea, but he waited, eyes set on hers. If he was going to risk anything at all, it had better be for someone committed.

[Ki]

Thrushtail was over the moon.

Ok, well, not literally. But she was happy. Really happy. She was walking along the moors with Birchnose right beside her. Birchnose! Obviously he liked her. Obviously he really liked her. Why else would he agree to come out with her on the most romantic walk through the moors ever? The land was bathed in starlight and the best tom in the world was walking beside her. Listening to her talk. Thrushtail was a blunt cat, and at times could be brash. And while most cats reviled that part about her, Birchnose seemed to adore it. Suddenly he spoke, interrupting her ramblings on the border patrol that had taken place that morning. She listened to him speak, almost relishing it. He had such a smooth voice. It was deep, but not too deep, and consoling. It was the voice of a medicine cat.

"Oh, that's easy." Thrushtail mewed. "I don't have to hide anything with you. You don't get mad at me if I say something weird or mouse-brained. I have to watch what I say around other toms because they'll get mad if I don't. You always think what I say is important, and you're always so nice even if you think I'm wrong." She kept chattering away, completely at ease around him. She moved a bit closer to let their pelts brush against each other. There was an evil glimmer in her eye. it was shameless flirting. Something that shouldn't ever be conducted with a medicine cat. Especially not when she could feel the stars looking down at her. Warning her. Telling her how wrong it is.

Well, I don't care. Thrushtail told them smugly as she looked up at them. I love him, and there isn't anything you can do about it, you bunch of stuffy old pieces of crowfood!

[Yoko]

There was a pleasant swelling in Birchnose's chest. Her answer was simple and honest. Two qualities that he could put high values on. Still, as he gazed at her for a few seconds more, he felt that this had not settled it. He went on for a while more, listening to the cheerful lilts of her voice and replying with calm certainty. This felt natural, this flow of conversation, the closeness of their steps. Their pelts had begun to brush a while back, and now he was purposely pressing against her as they walked. This sort of resistance was not going to last long. His mind raced, searching for things that he needed to know before he sank in too deep. He could feel her defiance, sensed it, in the burning way that she looked up at their ancestors in the sky. But feeling was nothing without the words to anchor it.


She had put herself out there, in answering his earlier more serious query. It was his turn now. He paused for the first time since their walk had begun, gazed openly upon her face but he fought very hard to keep his expression cool. His eyes were giving his admiration of her beauty and heart away, he knew, but that was part of putting himself on the line he supposed.

"Thrushtail, I'm fairly sure that by now its rather transparent to you how I feel. And, I am currently under the impression that you feel much the same. However, as we both know, a relationship such as this one is bound to be opposed by StarClan themselves. So what I ask you is...would you be willing to stand by my side? Even in opposing them?"

Before she could answer, he wound his tail around hers, never shifting his gaze from her eyes. "I would for you. Would you do the same?"

[Ki]

Thrushtail stopped walking and sat down. She, as primly as she could manage, wrapped her tail around herself and looked at Birchnose. He looked handsome, even in starlight. Well...actually he was always handsome. Especially bathed in the light from the stars. She smiled slightly, but it faded when he spoke. Did he really even have to ask?

"What do I care about StarClan? They're a bunch of dead cats that live in the sky." Thrushtail mewed in response. "I know they, like, love us and all. And that's nice. But some of their rules are seriously stupid." Her eyes turned towards the sky. Somewhere up there her ancestors were looking down on her. Probably scolding her. But why did she care? They couldn't touch her from up there. "They can't touch me when they're up there and I'm down here. They can just hiss and disapprove all they like. But they can't control me. Even if they try, they can't. They can't control you either. I mean...how could they punish me? Or you?" She shook her head. "I'll defy StarClan. They don't scare me."

[Yoko]

A purr of great pleasure rumbled from deep in Birchnose's chest. He pressed his muzzle against her forhead and licked her ear. How could he stand to resist having her now was beyond him! There were no more loose ends to tie up, her response left no question in mind. He looked up at the stars with the same hard edge of defiance. He thought of them as more than just dead ancestors, of course (he was a medicine cat after all), but he too sensed that StarClan was powerless in controlling his will or hers.

So with fresh waves of confidence that this was the right she-cat for him, he uncoiled his tail and gave an alluring half-smile. "Then we truly have no one to answer to! Let's find a place more comfortable than here." He leaned forward again and licked her cheek. Then he jerked back turned and started to run. Calling over his shoulder he mewed, "While the night is still young!"

He was not built as slender and short furred as the rest of WindClan, but his energy made him feel just as fast. The night breeze tore at his thick fur, as if StarClan meant to use the airy claws to stop him. But he was bound and determined that he be with her tonight. The ground beneath his paws was soft, but he could not imagine lying there with her. She deserved better than a random patch of the moor. The run didn't last long, mostly because they had found a soft dip in the land, but also because he wasn't quite built or used to it. He pressed against Thrushtail's fur breathing in her scent, "Do you want to build a nest first?" It was hard to wait as it was, but he wanted nothing less than perfection for their first night.

[Ki]

Thrushtail purred and rubbed her cheek against his after he licked her ear. It felt good to be so close to him. To feel his fur against hers, to breathe in his scent. He smelled strongly of herbs, but that was ok. The herbs smelled nice. And it set his scent apart from every other tom in WindClan. Suddenly he licked her cheek and took off in a run. Thrushtail sat there for a moment, trying to process everything. His words. Her words. Then, she sprung to life and took off after him. A laugh came out of her mouth, though she wasn't sure where it came from. Her tail was high in the air, and she couldn't remember a moment when she was just so freaking happy. Being a WindClan cat in build, she caught up to him easily. She ran beside him, a bright smile on her face. Everything felt perfect. The warm air. The clear skies. The breeze rustling across the moors.

Birchnose stopped in a soft dip in the moor. It was nice and comfortable. The soil and grass under her paws was soft and light to her. He pressed against her and spoke, asking about a nest. Thrushtail nuzzled into his neck. She was purring loudly when she spoke. "Nest? Who needs a nest? This ground is nice and soft." It was her turn to flash an alluring smile.

[Yoko]

The cool calm exterior had fallen a while ago, now there was pure excitement and unbridled desire. He looked at her fully, his eyes devouring every beautiful detail. The sound of her purr sent sparks like lightning along his pelt. He pressed against her as if he expected the fur and skin between them to simply dissolve. He pressed his muzzle against hers for a while, but unable to stay still, turned and licked her cheeks. There was so much he could have said, but he felt that it would be pointless when he could just show her. He circled her once in an almost predatory way, eyes burning, before he slowly, firmly, reached his forelimbs around her waist.

For a moment he just breathed, his nose buried in her middle-back. She smelled of everything that WindClan was, the strong wind, the soft grass, the fragrant flowers, the open night sky...She smelled of everything right with the moor, and within all that her own scent was buried and within even that was the fragrance of love. While inhaling all of her as deeply as he could, he felt that soft fur beneath his chest. What made it so soft? So warm? His forelimbs shifted a little to get a firmer grip. He rubbed is muzzle along her back.

Neither of us will ever forget tonight, I'll make sure of it. He wondered if she was tired of waiting. His own body was compelling him to hurry, as if she might change her mind. But he knew she would not, and that made the first slow moments of intimacy all the better.

[Ki]

For once, Thrushtail was able to keep her mouth closed. She didn't want to speak. It seemed that if she shattered the warm silence that existed between them, this would all disappear. Vanish into a puff of smoke. She'd wake up in her nest in the warriors' den, dismaying because it had all been a dream. So she didn't speak. Her purr, however, continued like a steady heartbeat. She nuzzled against him, licked his fur. Then he pulled away and circled around her.

At first she dismayed. She wanted him close again. But he quickly slid his front paws around her. Thrushtail's purr went up in volume. For a moment she wanted to say something to him. But she couldn't think of what. So she remained silent. Birchnose ran his muzzle along her back and produced an involuntary shiver. The first slow movements of intimacy began and she closed her eyes so she could drink in his scent and the feel of his fur brushing against hers. It was all perfect. Very perfect. The warm greenleaf night air. The breeze whispering through the grass. The stars twinkingly. Birchnose. With her.

This is what I've always wanted. she thought happily. Birchnose. Everything I've always wanted.

[Yoko]

Still in the fog of deep and powerful emotion, the long-furred tom moved more naturally, swifter, firmer. He realized his grip on her had tightened, but it was out of desire to draw her nearer, not to harm her. Occasionally a passionate purr would roll from his lower half and resound in his chest. He loved her. He was not a cat easily swayed by passions, but he felt certain he had never desired anything more than this. To be unified with a cat of such fierce spirit and fine body.

His senses were still there. The smells of her pelt, once easily separated, were all mingled and meshed into one great aphrodisiac. His eyes shifted quite loosely from open to close, but whenever they were open he saw her pelt shining in the moon and starlight, glowing beautifully and vivaciously, not at all like the dull glow of StarClan ancestors. Ha! She put them to shame. And she was his! He went on, so forceful now, worrying from time to time if it might hurt her but enjoying it so much he was almost certain she must feel the same. The fur, the soft pliant fur beneath him...If he were to die at this very moment he would be a happy cat.

[Ki]

Thrushtail, not unlike Birchnose, was lost in a fog. She didn't know much. She didn't know where she was. What Clan she belonged to. What Clans were. What her name was. All she was really aware of was Birchnose. His scent. His fur. His movements. And that was fine with her. She didn't care what she had or didn't have. What she knew or what she didn't know. So long as she had him she'd be alright. As long as Birchnose stayed with her, things would be ok. Better than ok. As long as Birchnose was with her, things were downright perfect.

Thrushtail was vaguely aware that her front paws were kneading at the soft grass and earth beneath them. Her purrs now rose and fell, as if she didn't have the concentration to make them continuous anymore. There were small, brief moments of pain that quickly fell away. They didn't last long enough to be a discomfort. Or for her to really even remember them. A yowl rose up in her throat, though it wasn't exactly one of pain or of displeasure. She wasn't sure what it was, honestly. But she wasn't going to concern herself with it.

[Yoko]

Breathing. At some point he realized that he was still breathing, rather heavily in fact. The sound of his own breath against her back would have drowned out everything else if every purr and yowl she made didn't seem to flow through him.

The simplicity of those last few moments astounded him. There were no lofty philosophical thoughts, or trivial practical ones flitting through his mind. The weight of his honor and dignity had lifted. He was weightless and she was all that kept him anchored to the ground. He was momentarily aware of a purr so fierce it was nearly a growl coming not from her but from himself. But this awareness fainted quickly because just a moment later all sensory awareness came to a grinding halt, leaving nothing but blind pleasure and weary limbs behind.

His tight grip of Thrushtail was unwound and he slid like rain off of her soft fur. His steps were light and uncertain due to the cloudy feeling in his head, so without making an actual decision to, he simply laid on his belly a little way away from his Star-given lover. She looked so beautiful and ethereal at this moment that he wondered if she might not float off into the stars herself. He would have been too disoriented to chase her.

[Ki]

In the same moment he moved away, Thrushtail let out a low purr and flopped over on to her side in the most unlady-like way imaginable. Not that she cared. The fog was still deep in her mind. She flipped over on to her other side. Thrushtail repeated this motion a few times, rolling from side to side. She wasn't sure exactly why. Maybe it was her own way of lifting the haze that was over everything. It was in her mind, in her eyes. Clouding everything she saw. With each flip it seemed to fade a bit. Finally, it was gone. She remembered where she was. Who she was. What she was. Thrushtail lay on one of her sides for a moment or two and looked up at the stars. They seemed to be silently scolding her. Yelling at her. Thrushtail simply made a face at the sky before sitting up. She licked her belly, her legs, and her front paws before padding over to Birchnose.

Another purr rose from her throat and she curled up next to him. She nuzzled against him and licked the fur on his cheek. "I love you. Ya know?"

[Yoko]

As the euphoria lifted, Birchnose once more became aware of their surroundings. The soft grass and earth, cool beneath his belly but warming quickly. The night breeze whistled in his ears, causing them to flick. His nose was rapidly sorting out the senses around him. His eyes took in only Thrushtail and her strange rolling motion. Why was she doing that? It seemed so natural and graceful, rolling around like that. Meanwhile, he lay still on his belly, his head on his paws. He wasn't exhausted, but he certainly had no desire to leave this place.

As she looked at him with those wide gorgeous eyes and confessed her love once more, he smiled and mewed in that deep steady voice, Yes, I know. And I love you as well. So very much."

The night was no longer young, they had done quite a bit of walking before this celebration of love, but there was not a trace of dawn in the sky. So rather than stand and attempt to walk to camp and crawl in separate nests, Birchnose moved closer to her, wanting to spend the night together.

[Ki]

Thrushtail smiled when he spoke. It felt good to hear it. It wasn't her imagination. This wasn't a dream. This wasn't some one-sided she-cat fantasy. No, this was real. Very real. He moved closer to her and she licked his fur again. Not that it was dirty, but she felt like touching it up for him. He had such odd fur. It almost looked spiked. She groomed a patch of his fur to her liking before setting her head on his back. It was comforting to actually be able to lay with him there. Breathe in his scent.

"Hey Birchnose," she said, "StarClan exists, right? You'd tell me if you and the other medicine cats just went out and had fun every half-moon, right?" It was easy to doubt StarClan. They only manifested themselves in storms and droughts when they were angry. And sometimes that wasn't even them. It was chance. And regular warriors never spoke to them. Or, really, were never spoken to. They were just supposed to live by their laws...but never get a 'well done' or even a glimpse. No. That was for special cats. Birchnose was special. But was Ravenstar that special? Specklestar? Willowstar? Ashstar? Or those other medicine cats? "It's so easy to doubt them." she mewed sleepily. "We're supposed to live by their rules. But we never see them. We never know they're there. Or if they're even listening. Only you guys know that for sure. The rest of us just have to go on faith." She raised her head now and looked up at the stars. "I don't mind defying them. Even if they are there. Even if they do watch. Cause I never see them. I don't know them like you do."

[Yoko]

Birchnose smiled as Thrushtail groomed a spot to lay her head. He couldn't say he blamed her, and it felt nice. Her question startled him a bit and he let out a mrrow of laughter, shaking a little from it. He pulled himself together quickly though, lest she should think he was laughing at her.

"No Thrushtail, I assure you, Medicine Cats do not have a feast at Moonstone and joke around about how every cat takes StarClan so seriously," he mewed, a chuckle edging its way back into his deep voice. He straightened up a little, more serious and reserved now. "StarClan exists. They certainly do. And although I doubt they watch us every waking moment, I am sure that they do watch sometimes. I'm not sure how I'd feel...being a warrior and not having firm proof of them. But you have me. And you trust me," he smiled at her. "They are as real as you and I are."

He paused, trying to reason out certain things. Why didn't StarClan just come down and show themselves to every cat? Wouldn't that make it much easier for warriors to follow the Warrior Code? "I think...that they don't want to dictate our lives step by step. The fact is that we're alive, and their time has passed. So perhaps they just want us to live. Most of what they say at Half-Moons are because they mean well. They want to protect us from disasters. They mean well...it doesn't mean they are always right. I certainly have no fear of them. But for the most part, I know they mean well..."

He stared off onto the moor. He didn't regret being with her. And in fact he was looking forward to moons to come. Life seemed to stretch out before him, knowing that she was on his side. No, he decided, he felt no shame for it and he never would.