[smokeleaf]

Lately, Smokewhisker had been feeling as though he was a terrible father to his kittens. Though all three of them were now warriors, he still felt as though they needed him as much as they had ever done. They didn't have their mother, they didn't even know the kind female that he had once loved. He often wondered why Tansycloud had made the decision she did and how she was doing now. He still loved her, even if he was angry that she had abandoned them the way she did. Nothing would ever stop him feeling the way he did about her. He had decided to move out of his nest and into her old one, in the hope that every so often he would catch her scent and be able to image her lying by his side, just how she should be.

The warrior had decided to go out of camp to try and clear his mind. Maybe the scents of prey would take his mind off of her and the rustling of the remainder of leaves that had fallen in leaf-bare as the wind carried them away to new destinations and stirred from their places. She had probably long since found a new mate and a new home where she felt happier. Obviously she hadn't been happy with him. Had he not made her feel loved enough? Were their kits not a sign of their love but just a burden to her?  Perhaps it was necessary for her to leave. Smokewhisker had only ever treated her with adoration and that couldn't have been enough to drive her away.

He finally stopped at Carrionplace, sitting down the mountain of litter and sighing. This place was not safe to be around, the constant squeaking of rats made that clear. He couldn't care less though, he just wanted to be alone and he doubted that anyone was going to come here. They would not want to be around such a horrible smell and neither would he, usually. 

lear , 336 words

[lear]

Lear

The junkyard was safer for Lear than it was for the Clan cats--of this the elderly tom was certain. Rats were big and possibly dangerous, but the junkyard dogs were a wary sort. Almost cat-like, that way. Lear was known to them, and spoke to them on occasion. He was safer here than he was in many other places, and there was plenty to scavenge. He and MaoMao often spent time here. It was strange to find refuge among refuse, but very little surprised Lear anymore. 

The brown and white tabby ambled along, following his nose. ShadowClan scents were common here as well, though he didn't often see those cats. ShadowClan--shadowy. It was self explanatory. They were good at not being seen if they didn't want to be. He paused at a pile of junk, watching for any ailing mice he might be able to catch, twoleg food that was discarded but perhaps yet edible, or shinies. He was partial to shinies, but so was MaoMao. You're too old to be in love, he teased himself, and MaoMao wouldn't believe it. Who said she had to know he was? He could just give her a gift: after all, she did some hunting for him, he could just be being nice for all she knew. 

He rocked back onto his hind limbs and jumped onto a box, then began a slow climb. If he were one hundred moons younger, literally, the climb would have been much faster, but sensing no danger, Lear decided he'd not push himself to go fast today. Near the top of the mound, Lear caught scent of ShadowClan. It was not stale, it was near, and his first instinct was to flee, but curiosity overcame him. He climbed to the top of his mound, and caught sight of a singe, troubled-looking tom atop a pile a short leap away. Lear's first instinct was to play-bow, before he remembered that was Dog. He ought to run, but this tom was alone, looking...upset. The question was, would he be hostile if Lear said something? 

You won't know unless you try, Lear thought. He readied himself to flee, perhaps towards where the dogs often were, and then spoke. "Hello there!" he said, voice crackling, "You seem troubled--I'm not here to take your prey, ShadowClanner. I'm just a curious old tom wondering what brings you to such a smelly place." It was forwards, and perhaps too much so, the Clans and their worlds were the last questions Lear still had. 

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 420 words | smokeleaf

[smokeleaf]

The tom was starting to feel so relaxed and a little happier when he heard the voice of the older cat and panicked. Not so much because he felt that the other was going to hurt him but because he had not been expecting to have any company. Smokewhisker jumped to his paws and unsheathed his claws in case this was an enemy. When he noticed that he was many a moon older than him, he calmed down a little though decided to keep up his guard in case there were others and this was a trick. "Yes, I am troubled! You startled me then and I thought you were going to attack. There is still every chance you might but it would be rather foolish of you I reckon. All I have to do is shout for my clanmates and there would be someone around to come and help, I'm sure of it." He glared at him for a few moments before shrugging and eventually flattening his fur. "Anyway, if you want to know, I came here for some time alone." Smokewhisker went silent again and looked away from Lear. He thought for a few moments and forget about the company he had when his eyes fell upon him again. "What about you? Did you have a reason for coming here? You're quite brave, if it was any other ShadowClanner who had caught you then I'm sure they would not have been so kind as I have." lear