Pebbles and Stones {BlackxMoose}

[Rachel]

The stones were especially shiny today. The snow had melted on the rocks that had bordered the stream at Silver Falls and the wetness made the stones shimmer in the sunlight. Blackheart purred loudly as he padded along the edge of the water, looking for the prettiest of the stones. He didn't even seem to mind when the icy water made contact with his paws, he was too immersed in his task to even notice.

"You're a pretty one," he mused loudly as he pawed a medium sized stone, "You might just get to come home with me!" His pile of stones had grown larger since the snow had started, much to Blackheart's satisfaction. BrookClan enjoyed it too; he saw cats eying his pile, and why else would they look if they weren't appreciating the beauty? Egretheart had even asked him about it, and told him maybe it would be best if he moved it farther away from camp. At first he had been hurt, but then Littlejaw assured him that the deputy had just wanted to share the beautiful rocks with the cats of PeakClan. Because of that he had resolved to make a second pile near the border, so PeakClan cats could see them too.

"Yep," he mewed, nodding his head slowly "you get to come with me." He picked up the rock in his maw, careful not to chip it with his sharp teeth, and took it over to a small pile of his other prizes. Luckily he was near the PeakClan border, it wouldn't be too hard to move all of his pebbles over. He was sure Egretheart would be pleased when she saw that he had taken her suggestion to heart!

As he searched for his precious pebbles, he completely forgot about the task had been originally been sent out for. He had been sent out to hunt, but Littlejaw had always let him look at stones as long as he did it while hunting. However, being on his own, he had gotten distracted and forgotten about prey all together. All he could think about was how happy cats would be to see his newest pile!

[pretzel]

Even though the sun was at it's peak and made the day the warmest it was going to be, the mountain air was still cold. Moosejaw shivered in the crisp air and was thankful that BrookClan's territory was in the forest and not exposed like PeakClan on the rocky mountain.

The bulky tom came upon the Silver Falls, where he knew his clanmate would be. Egretheart had sent him after Blackheart after she grew worried about the dense tom; he had been sent out to hunt at dawn - it was already sun-high and no one had heard from Blackheart.

Even though Moosejaw wasn't one of BrookClan's best trackers, it was never hard to find Blackheart. He was never where he was supposed to be and he was always near rocks and usually by the river or stream. Blackheart was a predictable and oblivious cat, making it so that even Moosejaw, as bulky as he was, could sneak up on him.

The brown tom watched the other cat as he picked up a rock and added it to a pile of other stones. Moosejaw sighed out of frustration; he had little patience for the large black tom and his stupid pebbles. Blackheart was a burr in almost every BrookClan cat's coat and harmed the Clan more than he helped it. Moosejaw didn't know how he had ever been made an apprentice, much less a warrior. He should've been put in the elder's den and forgotten about a long time ago, he was such a dishonor to the Clan.

Growing tired of the large tom's antics, Moosejaw revealed himself, padding out from the brush. "You know, your rocks are a lot less pretty when they dry off. They don't shimmer anymore." Moosejaw knew he was being cruel, but it seemed that unless someone spoke straightforward and honestly to the dense tom, he wouldn't understand what they were saying. Honesty worked best with the bulky tom. "And don't you have enough rocks anyways?" he asked, cocking his head at the other cat. "I keep tripping over them in the morning. You really need to keep your collection under control."

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[Rachel]

"You know, your rocks are a lot less pretty when they dry off. They don't shimmer anymore."

Blackheart hadn't heard Moosejaw approach, but he wasn't nervous once he heard the tom. "But they're pretty now, and that is all that matters, ain't it?" he replied turning his yellow eyes towards Moosejaw, "Look how they glitter. And they feel so smooth. These are good rocks!" he boasted, smiling broadly. Even though Moosejaw had intended his statement to be mean, Blackheart didn't see it that way. It didn't matter if the rocks weren't pretty later to him, he was not one to think too far into the future.

"And don't you have enough rocks anyways? I keep tripping over them in the morning. You really need to keep your collection under control."


"Aw, I'm sorry...." he mewed, "I don't mean to trip no one. But these aren't going to camp pile. Egretheart said I needed a pile farther away from camp, so PeakClan could see them too!" His voice gained excitement as he told of his new pile.

He picked up one of his rocks in his maw and talked around it, "You could help," he grumbled around it, "just carry the rocks over here!" He bounded towards the PeakClan border, excited at the fact Moosejaw would be helping!

[pretzel]

"But they're pretty now, and that is all that matters, ain't it? Look how they glitter. And they feel so smooth. These are good rocks!"

Moosejaw rolled his eyes, pacing closer to the other tom. "No, Blackheart. They aren't pretty now. They're never pretty. They're just rocks. There's thousands of them. And none of them are pretty." The brown tom stretches, rolling his shoulders.

"Aw, I'm sorry.... I don't mean to trip no one. But these aren't going to camp pile. Egretheart said I needed a pile farther away from camp, so PeakClan could see them too!"

The tom then proceeded to pick up a rock and continue talking, making him even harder to understand. "You could help, just carry the rocks over here!"

Moosejaw shook his head. "No, Blackheart. Egretheart wanted you to move your pile outside of camp, not make a new one. And no, I'm not going to help you get more. I'll help you take the ones you have out of camp though. That's it. Move not collect. You get it?" Dealing with Blackheart was getting harder by the minute and Moosejaw was starting to resent Egretheart for sending him out here.

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[Rachel]

"No, Blackheart. They aren't pretty now. They're never pretty. They're just rocks. There's thousands of them. And none of them are pretty."


Moosejaw's words cut Blackheart and he stopped his rush to the border, turning to look at the other cat. "Maybe, you just aren't looking hard enough..." he mewed sadly, eyes fixed on the ground, "I mean, there are lots of us cats and we can be pretty, can't we?" he looked up, imploring Moosejaw for an answer. He looked over at his rocks, and none of them looked the same to him. They were different sizes, and on some of them mud had dried in an interesting spider web pattern. The cracks made pictures that Blackheart tried to make sense of, and to him each and every one of them was pretty.

"No, Blackheart. Egretheart wanted you to move your pile outside of camp, not make a new one. And no, I'm not going to help you get more. I'll help you take the ones you have out of camp though. That's it. Move not collect. You get it?"

"That isn't what Littlejaw said," Blackheart retorted, hurt. "My rocks are pretty, and cats like them. I bet you'd like em too if you looked at them. They aren't the same, none of em are, even the ones I leave behind. I don't want to move my pile." He was being stubborn, but he just couldn't comprehend why Moosejaw was being so mean about his rocks. It wasn't like they were hurting anyone.

"What if you help me make my new pile Moosejaw, and I can show you how pretty they are? If you helped, you would have to see it." He just wanted Moosejaw to see what he saw, and didn't understand the tom's impatience.

[pretzel]

"Maybe, you just aren't looking hard enough... I mean, there are lots of us cats and we can be pretty, can't we?"

Moosejaw sighed through his nose, his patience wearing thin. He was about to lead the black tom deep into the uncharted territory and leave him there in the hopes that he would never find his way back. "Not what I meant, Blackheart," he muttered under his breath, starting to give up on the tom.


"That isn't what Littlejaw said. My rocks are pretty, and cats like them. I bet you'd like em too if you looked at them. They aren't the same, none of em are, even the ones I leave behind. I don't want to move my pile. "What if you help me make my new pile Moosejaw, and I can show you how pretty they are? If you helped, you would have to see it.""

Moosejaw narrowed his eyes at the tom. "Wow, okay. I'm not going to help you. I will help you get back to camp. But not collect rocks. And Littlejaw lied to you; that's what he does. That's what everyone does. They lie to you, Blackheart, because they don't want to hurt you and they don't treat you like a warrior. But you are a warrior, aren't you? You're a warrior and you deserve to be told the truth like one. Unless you don't think you're a warrior. Are you a warrior, Blackheart?"

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[Rachel]

"Wow, okay. I'm not going to help you. I will help you get back to camp. But not collect rocks. And Littlejaw lied to you; that's what he does. That's what everyone does. They lie to you, Blackheart, because they don't want to hurt you and they don't treat you like a warrior. But you are a warrior, aren't you? You're a warrior and you deserve to be told the truth like one. Unless you don't think you're a warrior. Are you a warrior, Blackheart?"

Blackheart cringed away, finally dropping the rock that he had been holding. His heart sunk, and he blinked his eyes a couple of times, suddenly finding it hard to adjust them. "Why are you being so..." he stuttered out, "so...mean. I didn't do anything to you. And I am a warrior. I have my warrior name, and I didn't have to get it from you. You don't get to decide if I'm a warrior or not. You don't.

He closed his eyes, muttering "I am a warrior. I am a warrior" under his breath as he thought of when he received his warrior name.

Doesn'texiststar stood in front of the pond, and Blackpaw shivered. Darkstone stood near the back of the group, and Blackpaw couldn't help but notice that his father wouldn't even look at him. "I don't wanna be here, Littlejaw. Can I just go?" Blackpaw had had to sit and watch other apprentices get their warrior names, while he remained an apprentice. Even Littlejaw had been made a warrior before him.

"Nah, Blackpaw, lets stay, maybe it'll finally be your turn." The large black tom decided to listen to his friend, and stayed, but he had little hopes that this meeting had anything to do with him. He was wrong.

"Blackpaw," Doesn'texiststar called out, smiling at the black tom, "please come forward." Blackpaw was in heaven, and stood there, staring at Doesn'texiststar. Finally Littlejaw had to nudge him so he would walk forward to the pool.

"I, Doesn'texiststar, leader of BrookClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Blackpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life? "

Blackpaw swallowed, looking over towards Littlejaw and Darkstone, before looking back at Doesn'texiststar, "I do."

Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Blackpaw, from this moment you will be known as Blackheart. StarClan honors your bravery and courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of BrookClan.

"I am a warrior."

[pretzel]

"Why are you being so... so...mean. I didn't do anything to you. And I am a warrior. I have my warrior name, and I didn't have to get it from you. You don't get to decide if I'm a warrior or not. You don't. I am a warrior. I am a warrior. I am a warrior."

Moosejaw moved towards the tom, softening as he looked at the black cat's dejected face. "You're a warrior, right, Blackheart? And that means you deserve to be treated like one. I'm telling you the truth Blackheart, because I think you can handle the truth. I'm not lying to you like Littlejaw or Egretheart. I'm treating you like the warrior you are and let me tell you, I'm the only one who has been doing so."

He turned away from the large, dense tom, standing to head into the forest. "Come on, Blackheart. Let's go back to camp, like the warriors we are, and maybe we can move some of your rocks from there out here. I'll even help you, hm? Only on one condition, though. You can't bring any more rocks into camp. You can keep your favorite ones there and you have to bring a few out here, where the other cats can see them. I'll help you though, okay? What do you say to that, huh, buddy?"

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[Rachel]

"You're a warrior, right, Blackheart? And that means you deserve to be treated like one. I'm telling you the truth Blackheart, because I think you can handle the truth. I'm not lying to you like Littlejaw or Egretheart. I'm treating you like the warrior you are and let me tell you, I'm the only one who has been doing so."

Blackheart looked up at Moosejaw when his voice softened, listening to his words. "Littlejaw doesn't lie to me..." he muttered, but more to himself than to the other tom. He refused to believe that his best friend would lie to him, but something held him back from arguing the point with Moosejaw.

"Come on, Blackheart. Let's go back to camp, like the warriors we are, and maybe we can move some of your rocks from there out here. I'll even help you, hm? Only on one condition, though. You can't bring any more rocks into camp. You can keep your favorite ones there and you have to bring a few out here, where the other cats can see them. I'll help you though, okay? What do you say to that, huh, buddy?"

Blackheart's spirits lifted when Moosejaw finally offered to help. "I guess I could move some of 'em. The pile in the camp is really big, and if I did smaller piles more cats would see them." He met Moosejaw's eyes and nodded, but then another thought struck him.

"But you'll look at them, right?" he mewed, his eyes begging, "Like really look at them, so you see how pretty they are. You have to Moosejaw, you just have to. Cause they are as pretty as I say."

[pretzel]

Moosejaw met Blackheart's gaze evenly as the tom muttered, "Littlejaw doesn't lie to me, but kept his tongue, as he could tell that the black cat wasn't talking to him but to himself. "I guess I could move some of 'em. The pile in the camp is really big, and if I did smaller piles more cats would see them."

Moosejaw beamed with pride at this. He was so happy to hear that Blackheart was at least considering moving his stupid rocks. Moosejaw was sick of them, sick of tripping over them and stubbing his paw on them every morning.

"But you'll look at them, right? Like really look at them, so you see how pretty they are. You have to Moosejaw, you just have to. Cause they are as pretty as I say." Moosejaw met Blackheart's gaze evenly and dipped his large head slightly with a slight sigh, standing to turn and lead Bearheart away from the Silver Falls and back to camp, where they could move the stones and get them out of Moosejaw's life forever.

"Sure, Blackheart, I'll look at them," he mewed, unsheathing his claws to climb up away from the river. "I'm telling you though, I'm not going to like them. I've never liked those rocks,."

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[Rachel]

"Sure, Blackheart, I'll look at them, I'm telling you though, I'm not going to like them. I've never liked those rocks."

Blackheart was oblivious to Moosejaw's statement, sure the tom would change his mind once he closely examined the multitude of rocks. After all, the pile was quite large, so the two cats would probably spend the whole day carrying the stones back and forth. "Moosejaw is gonna look at the rocks, Moosejaw is gonna look at the rocks" he mewed in a sing-song voice as he pushed himself out of the riverbed, his muscles making the steep incline an easy obstacle.

"Moosejaw," he suddenly mewed, a serious tone in his voice,"I'm glad we are friends. I like friends." Blackheart had always had Littlejaw, and other cats were friendly to him, but not too many had ever actually taken the time to indulge him. Most mewed politely and moved on. Blackheart really didn't tell the difference, but he liked having someone to actually hang out with. "We are friends, right?" he asked, wanting to hear Moosejaw say it out loud.

As he waited for a response however he heard a small rustling and saw a mouse scampering along at the bottom of an older tree. At the sight of the small piece of prey Egretheart's orders came back to him. I'm supposed to hunt! he remembered with excitement! "Moosejaw! It is a mouse!" he whispered loudly as he did his best to tiptoe towards the mouse quietly. However the mouse heard his noise (probably because it was rather loud) and froze for a moment before scurrying towards its hole. In an attempt to salvage the hunt Blackheart burst after his target, going as far as to shove his nose down the mouse's hole. However, he was only rewarded with a face full of mud. He turned towards Moosejaw, his eyes looking at the ground piteously, and pieces of mud and dirt hanging off of his face. "I think I messed up..."

ooc: I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO WRITE ANYMORE PRETZEL.

[pretzel]

"Moosejaw is gonna look at the rocks, Moosejaw is gonna look at the rocks!" The warrior rolled his eyes at Blackheart's sing-songing as he padded away from the river and towards camp. As endearing as the tom could be at times, Moosejaw found himself more often annoyed than anything else. He had no idea how Littlejaw could b friends with the buffoon.

"Moosejaw, I'm glad we are friends. I like friends. We are friends, right?" The brown tom was about to answer (sarcastically) when Blackheart excitedly whispered something else. It took Moosejaw a moment to realize that the large black tom was talking about a mouse he had seen and was about to say that he would hunt it (BrookClan was low on food; they needed as much as they could find before Leaf-bare really set in, and Blackheart was sure to screw the hunt up), but before he could say anything, Blackheart was tripping over his feet and slamming into the mud, the mouse long gone.

Moosejaw blinked his green eyes at the tom for a moment as he emerged from the mud, the stuff dripping from his face. "I think I messed up," Blackheart murmured. Moosejaw stared for a moment longer before howling with laughter at the sight of Blackheart's face dripping with mud. Even though the dense warrior was upset, Moosejaw couldn't help himself - he just looked so ridiculous and pathetic! Moosejaw fell over on to his side, a stitch growing in his side from laughing so hard.

"I'm-I'm sorry, Black-Blackheart," he wheezed, struggling to get the words out between laughing. "You just-look hilarious!"

ooc. ME NEITHER. Maybe bring in your plot?

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[frosty]

The excited squeals of two kits could be heard even over the gurgle of the river. A diluted silver and cream tortoiseshell kitten was leading a tiny orange and black she-cat through the woods on the PeakClan side of the border. The smaller kit pushed off with her back legs and pounced on the larger of the pair. A started yelp was cut off by the affectionate purrs coming from both she-kits.

"Firekit! Get off! We have to be quiet, otherwise a patrol might hear us!" Petalkit hissed, batting away her sister with her small paws.

Petalkit felt the weight of her younger sister be lifted as the bright tortoiseshell leaped away. She shook out her pelt and watched through eyes alight with curiosity as Firekit bounded deeper into the territory. With a mew, Petalkit flew after her.

The wind tasted of meltwater, she noticed. Newleaf was on the breeze, evident by the sound of icicles dripping and mud squishing through her unsheathed claws. The sun was bright and warm, but the air still held a prominent chill. Yellow light poured through the branches, dappling the ground. Petalkit noticed how Firekit almost looked like a ray of sunshine with her orange splashed pelt.

Suddenly, Firekit disappeared. A loud screech could be heard as earth fell around her paws. Petalkit launched herself forwards, as fast as her dainty paws could take her. "Firekit? Firekit!" she shrieked, not caring anymore who heard her. "Help! Someone help me! Please!"

Petalkit teetered over the edge of the riverbank. Firekit's head was briefly seen before she went under. Her mouth was agape in a soundless wail, and her piercing yellow eyes were wide and terrified. Petalkit could see where her sister's clawmarks had gouged the ground, and where the ledge had crumbled away.

The river was beyond full. Floods were predicted whenever the river melted. The water was white and flowing viciously beneath her paws. Without a second thought, Petalkit jumped into the current, ready to risk everything for her littermate.

[Rachel]

Blackheart stared down at the ground, unsure on whether he should laugh with Moosejaw or not. His face hurt from plowing into the ground, and mud was dripping into his eyes. He sure didn't feel like laughing, although he was happy he hadn't made the other tom mad again. He made some fake laughing noises, hoping they were convincing. "I'm sorry I lost the-" Blackheart started, stopping when he heard an unexpected sound over Moosejaw's howls of laughter.

Help! Someone help me! Please!

"That sounds like kits..." he mumbled, frozen in place, and then it hit him. "Moosejaw, that sounds like kits!" With that he took off, tearing off through the forest towards the river as fast as his legs could push him. He never played much with the kits of BrookClan, most of them kept their distance from him because of his size, but he wasn't going to ignore calls for help.

When he reached the water he was horrified by what he saw. One kit was standing on the riverbank screeching, and when he looked into the water he saw a tiny face get pulled under. He didn't wait for Moosejaw, didn't even know where the tom was in respect to himself, and just jumped in. The snow had been melting, so the current was a lot more rough than usual. There was no way a kit could hold their own for long.

"Hold on! I'm a comin" he yowled as he plowed through the water. He paddled in place for a moment, unsure of where the kit had went. She had gone under, and he couldn't see her anywhere. Then all of a sudden she surfaced. He lunged towards her, trying to get a hold of her scruff to drag her out by, but she just kept moving. Finally he managed to nab her, and as he did she became extremely still, giving him no resistance whatsoever. He didn't have time to notice though, as he dragged her back to shore. "It is gunna be alright" he mumbled through his teeth as they approached the bank "I gotcha."

Finally his paws met land and he pulled her up, letting her limp form fall down against the damp land. He stared at her, yellow eyes intent. "Why isn't she movin?" he whispered to himself, "Come on now, get up, you're alright." He prodded her with a paw, getting more worried, and then noticed her head was laying at a weird angle. He looked around wildly for Moosejaw, "She isn't getting up! Why isn't she getting up!" He howled, prodding her with his paw again, "Come on now, just get up!"

[frosty]

Petalkit felt the thrashing current rock her body back and forth. She gulped a mouthful of air before being dragged under the surface. Paws flailing, the silver and cream kitten managed to latch onto a root from a tree growing on the bank. Struggling, Petalkit managed to pull her upper body onto the protruding wooden limb. Her eyes were wild as she scanned the surface for any signs of Firekit.

She felt a mixture of hope and terror surge through her veins as she saw a large black tom pelted towards the water. The blood was rushing in her ears, so she couldn't hear his yowl above the running water.

Petalkit pulled herself up onto the root, droplets streaming from her whiskers. Her pelt look almost as dark as the tomcat's, and she looked especially small with her fur plastered to her tiny frame. Her sopping pelt was the least of her worries, though, and she didn't even bother to shake the chilly liquid away. Instead, she curled her claws into the bark and quivered with fear.

She watched as the tom dove under, and quickly resurface with Firekit in his jaws. Petalkit felt a wave of relief that almost knocked her off her paws. Her sister was safe! They could still sneak back into camp, and maybe no cat even noticed they had been missing... Everything would be okay, she thought.

When the black tom dropped Firekit on the ground o the PeakClan side of the border, Petalkit took of with amazing speed. She was going to groom her sister's bright tortoiseshell pelt until it shined, and share her mouse at mealtime with her, and tell her a scary story tonight before they fell asleep...

But then the tom jabbed Firekit with his paw. Petalkit skidded to a halt just in time to hear the cat raise his voice.

"She isn't getting up! Why isn't she getting up! Come on now, just get up!"

Petalkit felt her heart drop to the bottom of the river. She bristled and scraped her claws into the damp earth, hissing, "Hey! Don't prod her! She's tired, just leave her alone!" But, why were her eyes all cloudy? And why was her head turned at that angle? Horrified, Petalkit began to back away. "No, no..."