Iceclaw's Journey

Getting lost in the Big City was nothing she wanted. Every corned she turned seemed to lead her to somewhere else. She trailed on relentlessly, dodging the twolegs in the streets. She turned into an alleyway which at first glance seemed deserted and slumped against the corner, utterly exhausted.

This is a roleplay! Only cats without Clans may roleplay in this!

~Oh, Iceclaw... Haha.. ~

Whiteout had been hunting when he saw the unfamiliar she-cat skulking along the streets, desperately avoiding Twolegs and monsters. He watched as her tailtip vanished into an alley and flicked his ears, interested. Whiteout picked up the squirrel he'd caught earlier and padded after the cat. He weaved through the busy street with practiced ease and padded to the mouth of the alley. "Who are you?"

Iceclaw blinked, unsure whether she had heard a voice. She looked up warily, her claws already unsheathed. Narrowing her eyes, she spotted a white figure before her that resembled like a cat. Still slightly drowsy, she got to her paw unsteadily.

"Who are you?" She shot back, licking a forepaw.

"I'm Whiteout," he replied calmly. "I live around here and the woods beside it. I know about every other cat here, but I've never seen you before. And you've obviously never been here before either." Stryekr hesitated, then padded forward and gave her the squirrel. "You look like you need it more than I do."

"Are you from the Clans?" Iceclaw couldn't help asking as she eyed the squirrel in his jaws. She made no move towards it though it looked rather tasty. Fighting the urge in herself, she took a step backwards wearily.

"I'm..." she paused as she was about to say her own name. "I'm...." she looked at the ground mournfully, her voice trailing off.

You're not Clan born! You don't deserve a Clan name! Memories flooded of her kithood flooded through her. She closed her eyes. She needed a new name.

"I'm Phantom."

( LOL. You're Whiteout? Or Stryker? )

~I could be Stryker as my real name, and Whiteout as my nickname... lol~

"Well Phantom," Whiteout mewed, "you'd better stay here for the night, at least You're in no shape to go back to wherever you came from. And I'm not from the Clans. This alley is where I usually sleep, but you can use it for now. See that pile of moss in the corner? That's the nest you can use. I'll go now... and see you tomorrow or later, if you want to go back." He left the squirrel and padded out of the alley.

Iceclaw dipped her head gratefully at Whiteout, her previous hostility seemed to cease. Before he turn to leave, she brushed her tail tip against his fur lightly and mewed softly," Thanks." She held his gaze for a moment before picking up the squirrel and padding deeper into the alley.

Whiteout flicked his ears and called after her, "Good night!" He slipped out of the alley and hunted by the woods, coming back to the city triumphant with two mice. After he ate, Whiteout trotted back to the alley and climbed the hollow tree beside it. He dragged up a clump of moss and settled down for a nap. Raising his head as he yawned, Whiteout checked the entrance of the alley for other cats before curling up to sleep.

~Fast forward to morning?~

~ Sure comrad ~

Iceclaw had a peaceful sleep that night. When she woke up, there was no sign of Whitout. Feeling an empty feeling in her heart, she glanced around. But there was no one.

"I'm all alone... once more," she mewed to herself.

Whiteout heard a meow as he was washing himself and looked down. He slithered through the branches and landed neatly on the ground. "Up so early? You're obviously not a kittypet; they sleep much later." He stretched and flicked his ears at her. "Wan't to go hunting?" he asked. Since the sun was up, he could see Phantom (Iceclaw? ) much more clearly.

Oceclaw could sense pawsteps and turned to face Whiteout, feeling surprised. "Some kittypets get up really early too," she mewed thoughtfully, remembering one of her encounters with a kittypet. "Sure!" she added, in reply to his question. "Just show me the best places with prey in the City and I'll hunt!"

Whiteout smiled. [Do cats smile?] "This way," he meowed. "Twolegs are up and going to different nests now, so you have to be careful. We're going to the woods today, since it's morning, and all the Twoleg's activity scare away all the prey in the City." Whiteout padded forward confidently and took a sharp turn to the left. They were in another alley, and it spun in a confusing maze. "There's shortcuts," he told Phantom, "but if you don't know them well, don't take them. You could end up here lost for days on end."

Iceclaw nodded, paying attention to Whiteout's words. She sniffed the air curiously. There was a strange scent of another cat. "Do you smell it too?" she asked softly, looking slightly terrified and cautious.

Whiteout tasted the air and nodded. "An idiot who lives around," he muttered under his breath before raising his voice to a yowl. "Adder! Come out, I know you're there!" A dark brown tabby tom leaped out from another street and pranced up to them, a lofty smile on his face. "Who's that with you, Stryker? She smells new." Whiteout's eyes narrowed dangerously and a low growl rumbled in his throat.

Iceclaw let out a hiss. "Stryker? I thought your name was Whiteout?" She narrowed her eyes in confusion. With her claws unsheathed, she leaped for Adder, clawing him fiercely.

Whiteout bounded forward and snapped at Adder's ear, sending him yelping away. "That's mean!" Adder protested. "Get away, you idiot!" Whiteout muttered under his breath as the other cat limped over the fence and scrambled over it. "My real name's Stryker," he explained to Iceclaw with a sigh. "But almost everyone, except a few others like him, call me Whiteout."

Iceclaw nodded slowly in understanding. "I... see..." she mewed, narrowing her eyes at Adder.

"Let's go," Whiteout meowed, shooting Adder hostile looks before the other cat finally scooted off the fence and vanished over the top. "We'll miss the morning hunt if this keeps up." He set off through the alley with a new brisk pace. "Morning dew covers the plants in the morning, and most of the prey come out now..." Pricking his ears, he heard distant barking, steadly growing louder. "Fox dung!" Whiteout spat and shoved Iceclaw with his shoulder. "Run! Dogs constantly roam this place, also especially in the morning, when the Twoleg kits come out to play in the park." He stopped by a fence that was almost two times taller than it was supposed to be. "Climb up," he meowed. "I don't want you to get hurt..."

Iceclaw felt a slight pang of emotions when she heard his words. Her eyes softened as she leaped up easily. Jumping was not much of a chore for her. At least I have someone who cares for me... she thought to herself, smiling slightly.

Whiteout leaped up after her. He balanced on the top and gazed out into the junkyard inside. He scowled and meowed, "I don't like this place, but can't help that right now. Come on..." He leaped down to the junkyard and landed on a battered truck wheel as the first dog appeared.

Iceclaw followed gingerly, her fur ruffling in the gentle breeze as she padded through the junkyard. "Where are we going now?" she asked.

"Hiding, I suppose," Whiteout replied with a heavy sigh. "We could hunt in here, but it'll be much harder with all this junk. And most of the prey are rats." He wrinkled his nose and clambered on top of an old monster, his paws sending down a shower of metal scraps. "Still hungry?"