Taking a Walk. Join Me?

[Birdsong]

Birdsong snickered and butted Fawnspeckle's side with her head. "No need to flaunt your stomach," she purred in amusement. When Fawnspeckle didn't move, she laughed again and mewed, "All right. Two can play at that game." She rolled onto her back and shifted in the dirt, making herself comfortable. The sun did feel nice, she admitted privately.

[fawn]

Fawnspeckle giggled. It was nice to be able to act like an apprentice every once in awhile. She rolled back onto her feet then jumped on Birdsong, pinning her down. "I bet on stronger than you!" she taunted the growled mischievously, showing her teeth.

[Birdsong]

Birdsong squeaked in surprise when Fawnspeckle leapt on her, but then laughed. "Just because I'm small doesn't mean I'm weak!" she warned. She then preformed one of her signature moves, shimmying down and using all for up her paws to launch the other she-cat off of her. She then sprang up and pounced at her Clamate, planting one paw on the back of her neck. "Beat that!" she taunted smugly, beaming. She hadn't play-fought in ages, and it felt good to be using her muscles productively again.

[fawn]

Fawnspeckle leaped up throwing the she-cat off of her. She smiled and leaped at Birdsong with sheathed claws, but instead of hitting the she-cat she landed in the river with a splash and yiped.

[Birdsong]

Birdsong dashed over to the river's edge and sprang in lightly, her strong paws churning the water easily. "Fawnspeckle!" she mewed worriedly, glancing around for the other she-cat. Finding her, she swam over and pulled her back to the shore. "You okay?" she mewed, shaking her fur out and sending droplets of water in every direction.

[fawn]

Fawnspeckle put a angry look on her face but it didn't last long. She cracked up with laughter. "That was so fun!" she purred and shook her fur sending droplets of water everywhere that shined in the sun.

[Birdsong]

Birdsong joined in Fawnspeckle's laughter. "You look like a drowned rat!" she teased, her eyes glimmering with humor. She then started when she realized that she couldn't look much better, and broke into even more gales of laughter.

[fawn]

Fawnspeckle stopped laughing when she heard a sudden noise in the bush. "What was that?" she muttered quietly perking up her ears and slowly stepping out of the water.

[Birdsong]

Birdsong's ears swivelled towards the sound, and she drank in the air to see if she could scent whatever the mysterious creature was. Her fur prickled in horror as an all too familiar smell washed over her. She remembered when she was a kit, and her mother had been attacked by the same animal; her brother had been killed. "Fox," she hissed, her voice so soft she wasn't sure Fawnspeckle heard her. She unsheathed her claws and lowered her body to the ground, ready to attack if necessary.

[fawn]

Fawnspeckle heard the other she-cats soft hiss, and picked up the same putrid scent immediately after. Now, completely on land, she unsheathed her claws ready to attack when and if necessary. It took all she had to keep from running from the creature, but she wasn't going to leave Birdsong here by herself. She took another slow, slight step forward.

[Birdsong]

A long, lean red body emerged from the leaves, it's lips drawn back in a snarl. Birdsong felt a steely determination wash over her, and her hackles rose furiously. This monster was of the same species of that that had murdered her brother. "You'd better leave now, you worthless lump of fur," she growled at the fox, though she knew it was unlikely it understood her. "If you don't... I'll kill you." Her deathly serious tone frightened her own self, but she didn't let it bother her. She'd worry about it once the fox had breathed its last breath.

[fawn]

Fawnspeckle risked a quick glance at Birdsong and immediately recognized the hatred that filled her eyes. Fawnspeckle stepped back a step. She would let Birdsong handle it this one time and would only step in if need be. She silently cheered her on, and the wondered why this seemingly happy she-cat despised foxes so much.

[Birdsong]

Birdsong and the fox began advancing on one another, their pawsteps measured and purposeful. Birdsong let her instincts take over, her body moving as smoothly and fluidly as the river beside her. Her lethal prowess was pure art, thoughtless and yet full of tiny details. Loathing and determination set her eyes ablaze, and when she sprung forward to attack, she thought she actually saw a flicker of fear spark in the fox's eyes before she clawed it's face and anywhere else she could reach. Within seconds the battle was over, and the fox sprinted away, howling in pain. She was tempted to chase it, but forced herself to stay where she was. She would find no satisfaction in killing it if it wouldn't even fight back.

[fawn]

"Birdsong?" Fawnspeckle murmured quietly, frightened. She wondered what willed the she-cat to go as far as she did. "Birdsong? Are you okay?" she took a step towards the she-cat and saw blood matted on her fur. But, it was the foxes. She winced and stepped back.

[Birdsong]

Birdsong felt her stomach flip. Great, now she seemed completely derranged. Her first real chance at friendship since Spruceburn had rejected her, and she'd managed to screw it up. Just another reason to hate foxes. "Sorry Fawnspeckle," she mewed, her voice shaking slightly. "I didn't mean to scare you. I... a fox killed my brother. He was my best friend, and I had to watch him die. I may have been a kit at the time, but I remember it like it were yesterday." She bowed her head. "I'm not proud of how I feel whenever a fox is around, but I can't deny it either. I'm sorry."