i'm loving every step i take [dawn]

[ocena]

When Stormfang wasn't on patrols, he often found himself out here. It was a place that he and Frostnose had visited often when they were apprentices together, sparring and practicing their fighting skills. Of course, now Frostnose was a warrior and they didn't share the closeness that they'd had as kits. It was too bad, really, but it was a part of life. Cats grew up and separated, and that wasn't anything that Stormfang could change. Besides, he had to admit that he appreciated the silence. It was nice to have some peace and quiet.

Of course, Stormfang required more piece and quiet than most cats. But it was something that he often found out here. The Tall Peaks were a good place to sit quietly, especially as the day began to wind down to wind down to a close and most apprentices and their mentors found their way to their dens for the night. This place was often deserted as it grew later in the day, as it was dangerous to navigate one's way back down int he dark. And with the days getting shorter, cats often cleared out before too long, leaving it quiet and peaceful. So it was often Stormfang's favorite place to go when he'd spent enough time with his clanmates. It wasn't that they were annoying or anything, no, that couldn't get any further from the truth. He just couldn't really deal with them constantly. Which wasn't something other cats really understood, or something that he really tried to explain.

The gray tom snorted, shaking his head irritably as he leaped upwards, his powerful limbs carrying him along swiftly. The rocks were familiar, and he could probably get up there in his sleep. How many times had he climbed up here? Too many times to count. It was a good place to retreat to, and a good place to keep an eye on the Clan that he loved. You could see practically everything from up here. And the fact that there were rarely any cats around was a definite bonus.

Tail twitching idly, Stormfang reached the spot where the apprentices sparred with a final leap. The area was, as he had expected, deserted, and the tom padded towards the edge, sitting down carefully, tail curling around his paws. The day was ending, but he had some time before he would have to head back towards the PeakClan camp. There was enough daylight that he could for a little while, something that Stormfang had planned carefully.

After all, everyone needed a breather every once in a while. Stormfang just happened to need them more than most cats.

[Dawn]

Leaving the camp was a welcome break. Cedarstone had found today even more waring than normal, and could almost feel his usually controlled shell beginning to crack. He wandered without even really thinking about where he was going, just allowing his desire to move, to burn off his weariness, fuel his progress.

He had begun today as usual, waking up for a dawn patrol that he may or may not be included on. He had started waking up for it a while back, in an attempt to impress his sister, Willownose, with his willingness to serve their Clan. But to no avail thus far. He had been denied the patrol again, not that it was unusual. He had then proceeded to hang out for a while, waiting for someone else to wake up, until Lynxstar had caught him and demanded why he wasn't doing anything.

Cedarstone could see the worry behind the leader's intelligent eyes, and so didn't care that she had been so rude. He had just dipped his head and headed out to hunt by himself. He had come across Birdpaw while he was out, the little apprentice had been bouncing around like a baby bird, excited about a large rabbit she had caught.

He had stuck around long enough to congratulate her, but had left quickly, in case Willownose came to find her apprentice. He didn't want her to be angry at Birdpaw for speaking with him, especially not when the happy little thing had been so excited. The mental strain he put on himself when he was around his sister or thought he was around her, was enough to make him go mad.

He let out a sigh, feeling a slope meet his paws. It was then he realized that he was climbing towards the top of Tall Peaks, but he didn't bother changing his course. He reasoned that no one would be up here, not with everyone heading back to camp before dark. That's why he was surprised to reach the top and see another form sitting atop the peaks, a form covered in dark gray fur.

He sniffed at the air and recognized Stormfang, one of the more quiet warriors in PeakClan. He hesitated a moment, wondering if a) Stormfang would be angry at being interrupted in whatever he was doing, and b) whether he wanted to talk to someone else. But after a moment, he decided just to make his presence known. He supposed Stormfang would scent him soon, if he hadn't already anyway.

"Hey Stormfang, you're out late."

[/color] He meowed, padding towards the tom, and glancing up at the slowly sinking sun. "You alright?"[/color] He asked, sitting down a little ways away from the other tom.
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[ocena]

When the evening peace was broken by the sound of pawsteps, Stormfang's ears twitched slightly in the direction of the sound, but other than that, the tom didn't stir. Instead, he sniffed the air curiously, whiskers twitching idly in the cool air. Cedarstone. The deputy's brother, if he remembered correctly, though they weren't exactly close. Somewhat like himself and Frostnose, Stormfang supposed.

His quiet reflections were interrupted by a soft mew. The gray tom turned towards his companion as the other PeakClan cat wandered closer. "Cedarstone," Stormfang replied, dipping his head slightly in greeting. Well, if there had to be another cat out here, there were few better than this warrior. He wasn't one to chatter heedlessly, from what Stormfang knew of him. They were far from close, but Stormfang liked the other tom well enough. He was respectable. "I'm fine." The tom shook himself slightly when Cedarstone continued.

After a moment, Stormfang spoke again, tail twitching slightly against the chilly rock beneath him. "And you?" Stormfang asked, glancing towards Cedarstone. A hint of curiosity was in his gaze as he eyed the other warrior consideringly. What brought Cedarstone to this sanctuary? Few cats would risk coming out here so late, something Cedarstone seemed very aware of. It would be very near impossible to get down once the sun had set, and this late in the year, the sun set early enough that it was rarely worth it, in the eyes of his Clanmates, to come out here.

There was a reason Stormfang often retreated to this place when his clan got to be a bit much to deal with. Still, he wasn't too upset about there being another cat out and about. As long as Cedarstone didn't try to talk his ear off, Stormfang would be all right with having some company. However, that didn't mean he was going to be starting any conversations any time soon.

Ears still pricked in Cedarstone's direction, Stormfang glanced out across PeakClan's territory once more. It was a rather awe inspiring sight, if Stormfang did say so himself. Of course, he was a little biased there, but he loved the view. It was nice to be able to see his entire home from one place, to keep an eye on everything while still getting away.

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