A Calm Arrival

[illumination]

Storm ran a short distance from the road when the noise from the thing that brought him here scared him. He wasn't particularly worried about being outside in these new surroundings, though he was sad that he had to leave Amy and James. It was about noon when Storm came into these new surroundings. It was hot and humid outside, so he sat to think for a minute. He wasn't sure what a cat would go around doing in a place like this, so he decided to walk around a little, find someplace where he could sit down and see what was going on.
He wound up on a sunny rock looking down on where he was dropped off. His housecat ambitions told him he should probably be asleep, and the sun on his back wasn't helping keep him awake. His blinks started to become more of short naps before he opened them again.

[osprey]

The sun burned down, determined to give all the cats of Nenbrook a severe case of sunburn. Nevertheless, some cats really enjoyed the warmth and would bask in the sunlight for hours. But some were almost the opposite. Those felines were more suited to hiding in the shade when the sun was too powerful for their liking. A black feline walked slowly over the horizon, blinking the harshly bright rays from his eyes. Three guesses of what Osprey Coldenwing thought of the sun? If you guessed he thought it was an annoying bright thing pointlessly hanging in the sky all day you were spot on. Well, his attitude to everything did differ according to his mood. The ebony tom progressed down the old road, his legs moving slowly. His mood was quite damp at the moment. A few relatively bad things had happened recently. He had almost been killed by a revenge-crazed dog, for one thing. As if that wasn't bad enough.

A pair of identical amber eyes picked out a solitary figure on the old road. It was a cat, an adult. He seemed older than Osprey, but he still wasn't very old for a cat. Shrugging neutrally, the charcoal cat made his way down the old road. Despite everything, he was seriously considering carrying on. And on. And on. Until he was passed the Nenbrook borders, and out of the town for good. Back to his life as a loner. A single cat against the world. Striding right past the napping tom, he padded further and further away from the only place he had known as home for the last month or so he had been there. Determined, he progressed for a few minutes, his paws felt tough and used to this. He couldn't help remembering the incredible mistakes he had made when he was with Twilight in the Pumpkin Patch. Why on Venus did he waste all his energy so quickly? Osprey could walk for miles without any problem, but if he ever dared to brake into a run he wouldn't be able to last ten minutes. Pretty pathetic.

The inky black shadow of a cat stood at what seemed like the end of the old road, staring out into the surroundings before him. Osprey Coldenwing felt like he was standing on the edge of the world. It was almost as if his toes were poking over the border, but he needed to decide which path he should take. He needed to choose his own destiny, he couldn't stay here forever. His eyelids flicked slowly down, and his mind drifted for a moment. He thought of Lilly, Twilight, even that Indigo he had met recently. He thought of Kite, Twix and all his kittenhood friends he missed so much. Sitting down, his mind whirring, he made up his mind. Bravely, he stepped forwards a few long paces. Out into the wilderness. He had left Nenbrook. Osprey stopped dead. Slowly, he dropped his head down, into a small bow. He wondered whether he'd ever go back to his previous life. But for now, it was goodbye.

Turning on his tail, he spun around and strode rapidly back towards Nenbrook. Back towards this other cat. Back towards his home. Osprey's face looked plain and unemotional, he showed no regrets for his decision as he glanced up at the cat napping on the sunny rock.

"Welcome to Nenbrook. My home."

[illumination]

Images of his previously lost home passed in front of his eyes as Storm finally drifted into sleeps imbrace. They were memories of a warm, happy place. Or, at least they were until he heard the voice of another cat, his eyes snapped open, and in his mind all he saw was that other cat, the one that had ruined his life at his home.

What if this cat is like him? He instantly thought No, he might be alright, give him a first chance, he's only said one sentence to me.

Storms mind raced with possibilities and responses. He was standing now. he was leaning on his back two feet more, being as far from this cat without actually moving. He couldn't remember what the other cat had said, all he could remember was the fact that it had said something, and that is was his turn now. He stammered for a moment before finally uttering,

Er, Hi

[osprey]

There are several possible outcomes when a cat meets another cat. The first possibility is that, obviously, they get along quite well and have a cheerful conversation. Another, slightly less obvious is the fact that they may have a short conversation, but one with a little less feeling and more 'I'm only talking to you because I have nothing better to do' attitude than anything else. Moreover, they could get along exceedingly well, more than anticipated and become good friends. Or, it could take a turn for the worse and result and in an arguement, or fight. A fight was the last thing Osprey needed after what he had recently been through. The charcoal cat was still aching slightly after the raging battle with a local canine. Although, he felt in a good enough condition to speed walk if things descended from this point onwards.

The inky black tom's amber eyes subtly studied the older feline. About 2 1/2, 3 years old? That was his estimate anyhow. He continued to show no emotion as he waited for a response. Although Osprey's mind was flicking randomly to a few other subjects. he didn't fail to notice the stranger lean away. He didn't do it subtly either, Osprey acknowledged. It was easy to see that this gold tom wasn't a very sociable cat. Whether it was his personality from birth or the result of an incident in his past, the black cat couldn't determine the exact cause. His ears slid casually around his cranium to pick up the vocals of the cat. His greeting wasn't exactly the most sofisticated, nonetheless impressive. But it'd do. This cat was obviously new, and it was good for him to speak up. It was still generally was Osprey expected really.

"Hey. I'm Osprey, Osprey Coldenwing," his tone was smooth and cool, sounding much more confident and soothing than he felt. Maybe, just maybe this cat could help him. Or spell doom for his entire future. D O O M. There was a chance of either possibility. The charcoal feline shook his semi-long fur slightly, before realizing he didn't really look presentable. A scruffy, mud cloaked, ordinary black tom wasn't a good first impression on this new cat. He bent his large head down slightly, and began to groom his chest. Osprey's pink tongue slowly brushed against his fur. He quickly sped through his rapid grooming session; taking care not to take too long. It might put this new cat off replying soon...

[illumination]

Storm relaxed a little after he spoke for the first time. This cat didn't seem to have the malicious intent that the other cat he had met diplayed. This cat seemed to care who he was, sort of.

The cat he was looking at was definatly a few years his junior. It looked like it had been out here for a while. Storm couldn't tell anything from the expression on Osprey's face. He thought about how he was looking from Ospreys point of view, and didn't like the look of it. He sat up straight and tried to wipe the nervousness from his face. No matter what he was thinking in his head, all he could manage to sat was,

My name is, uh, Storm.

OOC: Sorry about the short posts, give me a little while to get back into practice and they'll be up to par =)

[osprey]

The road seeming to stretch on forever, winding and twisting at irregular intervals. The path was dotted with several cats. Some were talking like old friends, some were old friends, some were alone, some were playing in groups. All were different. Yet not all the cats believed that. Not all believed the truth. Two cats in particular were sat, talking near a large rock. One, large black tom, and the other was also a tom, yet a lot lighter. Their names are not important at this stage. The darker of the two cats thought silently between his chances to speak. He didn't believe he was anything special, to the cat, he was certain he wasn't at all unusual, never mind different or unique. Just a plain, ordinary black cat with matching amber eyes. Nothing at all interesting. He was way to average. Too boring, plain and tedious. Especially tedious.

Osprey Coldenwing wasn't a cat with much confidence, if he was going to be truthful with himself. He really couldn't blame this stranger for not being the most sociable, or outgoing cat in the world. He wasn't that amazing either. He knew plenty of cats who were, but not himself. He wasn't the king of anything. Well, king of boring. Maybe. His amber eyes picked up the traces of doubt in the other cat's expression without struggle. He'd be pretty nervous if he'd just arrived, and a plain, strange-looking weirdo of a black cat just strode up and started a conversation. What had he been thinking? Inwardly, he cursed his own stupidity, before turning back to the newcomer.

Osprey listened to the other feline introduce himself before scanning his mind for a suitable thing to say next. There was always the classic, 'What brings you here?' or, 'Where do you come from?' but they would both make him look incredibly dumb because there was a high chance that this cat wouldn't be able to provide a reasonable answer for the question. Well, obviously he hadn't come here by choice, so that ruled out the first idea, and how would he be able to describe where he used to live in a way that the other, ebony black tom could understand? As soon as it was seeming impossible to bring up a decent, legnthy conversation with Storm, he made his decision. "So, I guess you're new here? Are you hungry or something, because there's plenty of places to go. Or, what about a quick tour? I know what it's like to be lost," This time, Osprey believed he had almost perfected the act of sounding much more confident then he was or even felt. After giving his shoulder a couple more swift licks, he began to wait for Storm's response.

[illumination]

This was a scary place to be when you've lived in a house all your life. No regular food sources, and the weather definatly had a more direct impact on what you were doing. Storm was definatly nervous at this point, but much less so as he talked to Osprey. He began to calm down internally, this cat seemed to know what he was doing here, and it definatly didn't include any bad intentions towards him.

"So, I guess you're new here? Are you hungry or something, because there's plenty of places to go. Or, what about a quick tour? I know what it's like to be lost. Osprey said to him. Storm finally fell into a sense of security. He was happy that he had found another cat that would be his friend, even if they had met by him just walking up on a sleeping Storm.

Storm didn't even have to think about the answer to Ospreys question. Yes. Yes to both, food would be great, and I really don't know anything around here. He said with a smile as he completely accepted this new cat.

[osprey]

The forest was a much more exciting place that this. With the wind whistling in his ears, one large black tom remembered this previous trip, and he wonderer whether he'd ever go back there. That 'day out' with Lilly had been one of the best days of his life. So far, anyway. Sad. Pathetic. He was just an excuse for a cat. Osprey understood that, and took it as the complete truth. But, unlike a time not that long ago, at least he was trying to make the best of his life. Really, he was welcoming a new cat to the wild world of Nenbrook. Nothing that depressing. He was helping someone, and that cheered him up slightly. The ebony tom was still sitting next to the fluffy goldish tom he'd just met. But, now, a small smile twitched on his face, he was glad to be welcoming a new cat into Nenbrook. Hopefully, he'd have a good start. Maybe make a couple of new friends... Well, Osprey hoped he could assist him with at least that.

As a pair of long silky black ears directed themselves automatically to the other cat, the darker of the duo realized that Storm had heard his words and was obviously thinking up a reply. The black shadow of a cat was almost completely calm with the situation now. Storm hadn't showed any subtle signs of hostility since they had met, and Osprey Coldenwing kept his body language to a minimal, sending out the signal that he didn't want a fight at the moment and he was trying to keep this conversation as peaceful as possible, with no agression what-so-ever. A fight was the opposite of what Osprey needed at the moment. He was still aching slightly from his recent battle with this giant canine. But, he had survived it and that was pretty much all that mattered. Oh, and Twix seemed fine of course. That was obviously important too.

Once again, the larger tom turned his attention towards the lighter-coloured cat as he began to speak again. Osprey listened, still smiling slightly, and nodding occasionally as he waited for Storm to finish. So, he was willing to go along with him! That was a good sign, this cat was probably interesting in getting to know the area better, and although Osprey hadn't been living in Nenbrook an amazingly long time, he still had a general idea of where everything was. After thinking for a few moments, he spoke again. "Shall we start with a snack then? Shall we hunt, or would you rather try the town, or the market?" The black feline decided to let this new cat make the decisions, it was an important skill if he meaned to survive in this cat-filled town of Nenbrook. He got to his paws, and slowly flexed each limb in turn, before stretching and preparing to set off, once he knew where Storm wanted to go of course. After one last stroke of his tongue against his semi-long black pelt, he smiled more fully, and waited. There was no reason to hurry. For now, all he could do was once again try and make himself somewhat presentable. Osprey really disliked being too shiny-clean, but he was very against having his fur coated with a thick layer of mud and grime. Also, he tended to despise having too many ugly tangles in his pelt. Just ew.

[illumination]

Storm was happy that another cat had already come to accept him. He felt as if this new life would be easier to adjust to then he thought it would. He was watching Osprey clean himself between every sentence, and wondered how long he had been out here, he would remember to ask later. He looked at the black Tom in front of him and became a little depressed inside when he considered how much more experience this cat had than him. He probably looked like a kitten in this cats eyes, even though he had a few years on him.

Shall we start with a snack then? Shall we hunt, or would you rather try the town, or the market? Storm was a little suprised when this sentence told him that these wild cats would take food from people, and he wondered how many of them had once been housecats like him.

He figured he should probably learn some skills for living outside, so hunting was his best choice. But his inexperience would probably prevent them from catching anything, so he wavered between hunting and the town before finally saying, Let's go hunting. but be warned, I have'nt done it before so I might be horrible. He stood, stretched and yawned, ready for Osprey to tell him which way they should head.

[osprey]

There was a small breeze in the air, which annoyed Osprey as it zoomed through his semi-long ebony black fur. The old road was very open, maybe the breeze would be less effective if the area was a bit more enclosed. The forest did seem a good idea at the moment. The pair of cats stood out against the grey texture of the path. Obviously, the cat named Storm was more noticeable thanks to his gold pelt, so the darker of the duo did seem incredibly plain. The feline twitched slightly as he began to think. Well, he had turned up in this strange town because he had chosen to live here. Unlike some of the inhabitants. He almost felt sorry for some of them. They wouldn't be able to leave, even if they wanted to. Physically they'd be able to, yes, but really, was it possible for them to survive in the wild once they'd known the soft, comfortable life of a house cat? And after that, they'd have turned up in this place. Although they were officially a stray, this place wasn't exactly hard to make do with. For Osprey, obviously it was incredibly simple.

His mind swiftly flew back to the old times. When he was in that cramped, enclosed cell with the freezing metal pressing against his ebony black pelt. He mentally shivered at the thought of it. He remembered his siblings, his mother? Osprey Coldenwing's amber eyes looked quite dull as he recounted the events that haad took place in that cold prison. That place was dark, too dark even for Osprey. But he was incredibly glad to leave. The early days had been especially hard, even with his siblings at his side. In contrast, now he'd easily be able to survive in the wilderness. If he decided to leave Nenbrook of course. But really, he was certain now he didn't want to leave just yet. He remembered Lilly, and Twilight, and everyone else he'd met. Osprey was sure that he didn't want to give up that life. He'd miss the company.

A pair of identical deep orange eyes glanced over at his new found companion, he realized the tom must be considering his options. Taking his time, he waited and scuffed a rock slowly across the ground with a forepaw. After the tom had spoken, he decided to tell him his thoughts on the subject. "Hunting doesn't sound bad right about now. It's alright, it's really not that difficult. I'm not an expert either, but I guess I can give you some tips." There was no sound of humor in his tone as he spoke. Afterwards, he twisted his body around slightly, as he faced the direction he had headed when he had met Lilly before. He was pretty certain he knew the way by now. Slowly, he took a couple of nervous paw-steps forwards, and he slowly opened his mouth to welcome in any interesting scents that might be hanging in the air. Nothing stood out, so he turned his head back towards Storm.

"Come on Storm. The forest's this way. It won't take long to get there. Do you feel like running?" Osprey nodded and began to progress rapidly away.

ooc:; Do you want to start a post somewhere in the woods?

[illumination]

OOC: sure, I'll go and see what I can do.