Christmas at Four Trees

[Yoko]

Twistedclaw was annoyed, more by his own behavior than hers. Why was it that she always caught him in situations like these?

"Yeah, yeah, I'm just dandy," he huffed, using his paw to whipe the snow from his face, which hid the warm blush that washed over his face when she said he was one of the best warriors of the Clan. She wasn't so bad, for a she-cat that is.

Lizardeye returned to camp with a mouth full of rabbit and squirrel. Rare delicacies this deep in leaf-bare. He saw Feathercloud circling him.

"What's happened to you now, Twistedclaw?"

Before Twistedclaw could make a rather unpleasant remark in response, Specklestar mewed.

"Feasting time! Everyone grab a piece of fresh-kill and get in a circle! Remember, you must share your piece with at least one cat outside your Clan!"

Lizardeye hated to think of the germs they would be sharing in this event. But it amused him to think of Bluethorn choosing another Clan cat to share with.

"Bet you can't guess who I'm sharing with," Rabbitheart teased Littlestream. Of course it would be her. "Who are you sharing with, Ravenkit?"

The little black tom looked around at the other kits. He didn't like RiverClan much. ShadowClan was even ickier. WindClan maybe? He padded over to the fresh-kill pile and chose a sparrow about half his size. The first WindClan cat he spotted was a small brown one. Wasn't she one of Rivermist's kits? He hobbled over, half-buried in snow and nearly tripping over the dragging wings.

[Kitty]

Smallnose smiled. Great! She went and retrieved a rabbit - yum, her favorite! - from the humongous fresh-kill pile. She looked around for a cat to share it with.

*Icepelt, Dapplepaw, Scorchclaw, Snowfoot, Ripplefur, Crowstripe, Sootpelt, Volepelt, Mudpelt, and any other cats of mine all retrieve a piece of fresh-kill*

[Ki]

Duskkit bounded through the snow towards the fresh-kill pile, ducking through legs to get to the pile. She grabbed a lizard and slipped off, looking for someone to share it with. Specklestar said someone that isn't from your Clan...who could she share it with? Then she remembered Otterkit and his brother and bounded over to them, the lizard jiggling limply in her jaws as she carried it over to them. "Hi! Which one of you wants to share this with me?"

Leopardfang padded over and grabbed a vole, then looked around for someone to share it with. He wasn't all that fond of ShadowClan, so maybe WindClan or ThunderClan?

Nala stood by, feeling awkward. She didn't belong to a 'Clan.' (Were those the same as the Prides her grandfather mentioned?) So who was she supposed to share with?

((All of my other chars grab fresh-kill.))

[Yoko]

Rabbitheart grabbed a rather large thrush from the pile and bounded back over to Littlestream.

Snaketail approached the charming exotic loner and asked, "Would you mind sharing with me?" He was rather curious of where she had come from and why she was here.

Specklestar considered sharing with another leader, but she wanted to get to know other cats too. She approached Snowfoot instead, carrying two small mice to split between them.

Lizardeye carefully chose Tanglefang to dine with. He knew that as long as he was as quiet as possible he'd leave with his ears and whiskers in tact.

Pebblepaw sat beside Dapplepaw, offering a large fish to her.

Puddlepelt desperately sought out any cat to sit beside!

Shellclaw calmly strode over to Bluethorn and looked evenly at the cat. He mewed steadily, "Mind sharing?"

[hedgie]

Otterkit grinned and latched onto the tail of a fish that lay in the pile. It was bigger than him, but he somehow managed to pull it over to Rabbitkit and Skunkkit.
Patchclaw, who had been sitting there in a happy silence, also grabbed a fish and walked past Rabbitkit and Otterkit, her tail brushing across the tops of their heads. She curled up to eat alone, knowing that she'd be surrounded soon enough.

Smokeheart pruposefuly bumped into Icepelt. "You gonna share with poor old me?" She purred, eyes closed in a smile.

Reedpaw and Heronpaw bounced over, Heronpaw still constantly looking for Honeypaw. They ate together, color-swirled pelts pressed together for warmth.

Flintpaw smiled at Eclipsepaw and grabbed his lizard from the bottom. "I hate to make things akward...but do you want to share this with me?"

[Kitty]

Snowfoot's mouth almost dropped open in surprise when Specklestar approached her, carrying two mice. There wasn't any other cats around her, so she had to be coming for her. "Hello, Specklestar," she meowed, dipping her head courteously. "Would you like to share with me?" she asked, gesturing with her tail to the two mice. That was something you said to a leader, right? Or was that a little too rude?

~~~

Dapplepaw smiled. "Thanks!" she purred to Pebblepaw. They'd only talked once or twice at Gatherings, but Pebblepaw seemed like an okay cat. "Shall we share?"

~~~

Icepelt smiled. "Of course, Smokeheart!"

"Would you like to share with me and Smokeheart?" Icepelt asked, approaching Puddlepelt with Smokeheart and carrying a frog and a shrew. Only ShadowClan would have caught the frog - most other Clans foudn them very unappetizing, but they were actually quite good. The shrew was in case whoever he chose to sit by was repulsed by the frog. He and Smokeheart could share the frog.

~~~

Smallnose searched for someone to sit by. She was starving, and she couldn't eat without finding another cat form a different Clan to share with!

~~~

Ripplefur made her way back over to Volepelt and Mudpelt. Two elders from other Clans - her arrangements were already planned out for the feast. "Come on, Bluewhisker! You can share with Volepelt," she called from her seat next to Mudpelt, where they were sharing a rabbit.

~~~

Scorchclaw casually looked around for a cat to sit with. It didn't really matter whether he ate to not - he wasn't too hungry, after all.

~~~

Why did it have to be with a cat from another Clan? Darkfoot would have liked to share with Mistflower, but apparently that wasn't going to happen. Instead, he looked around for a ThunderClan or WindClan cat to sit by - hopefully. ShadowClan smelled too icky.

[spike]

Littlestream bowed to her and curled her tail up instantly. "I am honored, Rabbitheart," she mewed. She licked her whiskers to see the thrush he returned with. "You have a great pick in prey too," she purred.

Badgerclaw wandered slightly but then saw Snowfoot with Specklestar. He slithered through the crowd to her side and gave a dip of his head to the ShadowClan leader. "Snowfoot," he mewed. "Do you mind if I join you?"

Mousepaw decided that finding another apprentice would help. Her eyes landed on Dapplepaw, a ShadowClan apprentice. Wandering over to grab a small mouse, she walked towards her and Pebblepaw, a familiar face from... ThunderClan? Mousepaw wasn't sure. "Hi," she meowed. "Mind if I share with you two?"

[Kitty]

Snowfoot smiled. "Sure. Specklestar brought fresh-kill," she purred.

~~~

"Certainly, join the club!" Dapplepaw exclaimed, gesturing with her tail for Mousepaw to sit with them.

[spike]

"Oh, I'm not terribly hungry," Badgerclaw said. "I'll just socialize. But besides that, it's nice to meet you, Specklestar." Bowing to her, the burly tom settled beside his close friend in a protective way. He still disliked the large gathering of the cats.

Beaming, Mousepaw settled down and placed her mouse on the ground. "So, Dapplepaw, how's training been? I know my mentor, Smallnose, has been getting me ready to become a warrior. I'm only a moon or two away. She says if I work hard, I can be a warrior early. Then next Christmas, I can see Sandy Claws and say that I'm a warrior, not an apprentice."

[Ki]

Duskkit looked at Otterkit and his huge fish. Her eyes grew wide and she nudged his flank, trying to get his attention. He and Rabbitkit were the only kits she'd really talked to, other than Tawnykit.

Nala let out a surprised meow. "But...I'm a kittypet." Her eyes were locked on the fresh-kill though, a strange urge rising up in her belly. Nala blinked, trying to repress the...wild feeling. "Are you sure?"

[hedgie]

Otterkit jumped into the air a bit, his fish holding him down.
"Oh! I didn't even see you. So sorry. Do you want to share this fish with me? We can go sit over there." e gestured to a spot not far off from his other friends.

"If you could help me move this fish...it's really heavy."

Smokeheart smiled kindly. She could sort of stand on her own, but she was grateful to finally lie down and eat.

[Yoko]

Specklestar nodded with a smile to Snowfoot, sitting down and watching the clearing. Some cats were honoring the traditions, some clung to their clanmates for dear life. Oh well, not every cat could bear sitting with another Clan for a while. "Hellow Badgerclaw, of course you can join!"

Twistedclaw slowly padded towards the ThunderClan Deputy, Shadowstorm. He was a good fighter and worth eating with.

Rabbitheart grinned and pushed the thrush to Littlestream for the first bite.

Snaketail's whiskers twitched in amusement, "Of course I'm sure. Let's eat!" he padded quickly towards the fresh-kill pile and returned with two voles.

Pebblepaw looked at the WindClan apprentice. Now Riverclan, ShadowClan, and WindClan could all eat together, she thought happily. "Sit down with us."

Eclipsepaw looked shyly around for her sisters. "Well, we're supposed to eat with a different Clan but...since ShadowClan is biggest we're bound to be the odd numbers out so....yeah, I'd like to eat with you Flintpaw.

[hedgie]

"Hooray for being the odd ones out." Flintpaw joked, finding a spot away from the hustle, but still close by.

He shivered. "Don't you think it's a little cold? I mean, this is the most fun I've had in a while...but it's freezing." He sat down and waited for Eclipsepaw, placing the lizard on the ground. That darn thing was quite heavy.

[Ki]

Duskkit nodded and set her tiny little lizard on top of the fish, then grabbed one of its tail fins. It tasted...different. Not bad, just not what she was used to. She began to help Otterkit pull it back over to their spot, surprisingly strong for a kit.

Nala let out a purr and dug into one of the voles, her tail twitching merrily at the taste of fresh-kill. Mmm! She looked at this Clan cat, deciding to make conversation. "So, you live in Clans? Sort of like the lions, right?" A kittypet that knew about LionClan? Le gasp!

Smokepaw smiled and motioned toward where Mousepaw was eating with the other Clan apprentices. He grabbed a rabbit, winked at Maplepaw, and then padded over to the group. He set it down in front of Dapplepaw, Pebblepaw, and the others. "May I join as well?" Smokepaw glanced at Mousepaw. The two weren't the best of friends, but he hoped they could be friends. At least until Christmas was over.

[Kitty]

"We've got plenty," Dapplepaw added enthusiastically, nudging the mouse she'd chosen towards Mousepaw. She watched as several other apprentices came over. "As long as you brought more prey! We had some, but not this much!" she laughed.

~~~

It was a little awkward eating with the ShadowClan leader, but Snowfoot kinda liked it. It was something different. Something to tell her Clanmates. 'You'll never guess wha I did oday! I ate with Specklestar! And she cose to sit with, me of all cats!' She rook a piece of prey and offered Specklestar the first bite.

~~~

Icepelt nudged the frog over towards Smokeheart. "First bite?" he offered.