the dawn is breaking [ tiger ]

the gentle whispering of the leaves were heard above the tree tops; a silent song of awakening, toying with the sun to rise and bring a new day -  a new life - to the forest floor below. where the sky was still cast in the starry out look, where twinkling spots lined the black pelt of the giant feline. a tale to many young felines who had been born roamers and free folk knew of the tale of the giant feline known simply as death, where he came down onto the ground each night to guide the lost souls into his pelt - using those souls as assets that would show the cats below that they were being watched - but come day, he would turn so that his eye was upon the cats, a hot yellow amber surrounded by blue instead of white. those were the thoughts of his felines before he had come to this cluster of cats; those were the rights and hopes of his felines. 'not today.' would be a whisper echoed around him and his brother as they struggled thorough the night airs. but he knew, the young male feline knew, that death's eye wandered to him enough times and that one day it would cast it's eye fully on him and strip him of his mortal body.

the sun, harsh and cold this morning inched slowly up past the shade of trees, but from the tall one here within the depth of the forest the head of a cat peeked from among it's leaves, face washed in cool sunlight and the morning chill that came with the transition from night to day. a feline of a cluster of cats, simply known as a clan, this male had snuck out early enough to see the dawning, early enough for once to see his mentor still sound asleep; but not early enough to see the milky-dawn rise above the horizon - his favourite part. where the night sky would slowly inch it's way from the view of the felines below only to be awoken by the eye of the cat whose pelt shifted. 'fear not him, but do not look him in the eye!' would be the whisper of a mother within the young male's ears, a cat who had told him of these tales and had cautioned him against such things. 'do not look death in the eye, he will strip you of your sight.' and after seeing the cluster of his cat's leader, tree, parish from an eye infection, the young male knew not to test this golden amber above.

from where he stood; paws pressing onto branches and head peeking from the leaves, he could see across the vast trees and dips but his eye sight did not detect anything other then the rustling of the wind brushing brushes and ferns, keeping things in their check. but as the wind whispered it's tune above the ground - living free and nomadic as he had once been, he watched as it sprang to life and died with in moments, and with the giant amber known simply as sun, brushed his gentle rays across his turned face, the young male ducked below the surface of the leaves, watching with little interest as the sun edged closer and closer, absorbing the leaves and making them strive for more then what they had already given. you are a fool to think you can survive this, now return to the ground and get home. the voice of reason whispered within his ears, taunting him as his eyes peered from the branch he had settled on - below him at least fifty feet was the ground, looming like a death trap.

get it together you weak freak, it's not like you'll break your forepaw. a portion of his mind whispered again but he chose to ignore that fact; he had never in this life time broke his paw, though in the past there had been times when he had thought he had, awoken from a to real life where below him laid a ugly twisted paw scarred and tattered, but beyond the paw was what he had been interested in - herbs and holly berries, night shade and black pulp. he remembers the voice so filled with hatred telling him how to create such a thing and from there he had slept and dreamt of how to make these things. and with each night came a new lesson of his memory and he tried to ask his brother if they had known where he had gained such knowledge but not even his clever brother could tell him and the feline was left to wonder. shaking his head, he realized with mild wonder that he had already begun his descend, each paw step careful and quiet as he dragged himself down the brown bark.

suddenly a flash of white stirred his eyes from where he had been climbing as he froze. claws on the trunk of the tree where has hind legs rested on the branch he had gotten to. what was that? his mind whispered before his paws began to quicken the descend to the ground. as the green ground swallowed his tabby brown pelt, his eyes - those that matched the great yellow in the sky, shown brightly from green ferns and brushes. it's coming this way! his mind screeched and a part of his wished for it to change it's course, but as it came, charging thorough the undergrowth from the direction of the nomadic lands, the tom yowled in a silent protest; the tabby tom launched himself from the brush knocking into the white blur. a tumble would follow, and with the young tom looked up his eyes would widen in annoyance. it was only sootspots of treeclan.

"you okay?" he grumbled thoughtlessly, pushing himself up onto all fours with a slight wince. it would seem he had down something to his paw afterall.

he had grumpily asked her if she was alright, to which he had heard a softer; I've definitely been better. to which the young tom offered only a roll of his amber eyes. he was almost about to question her once more when the young she-cat lifted herself up and sat before him. he himself now raised to his own sitting position was trying to help with his unleveled fur. you all right? she would meow and tiger would look away for a moment eyes casting their own observant of the forest they now rested in. he was testing his fore-paw gently when she had asked and his wince must of gone noticed but with a look towards her, he simply meowed in a tone as grumpy and graveled as any; "i'm fine." to which he watched as the little spotted cat began to clean her pelt. tigerpaw's own pelt was ruffled and dirty, but he made no move to clean his own - instead turning to watch as the white and grey she-cat clean hers.

he wasn't staring, no, he wasn't that weird truly.

when her eyes had turned back to him he had shifted his eyes away from her, ears erect and alert to any sound she may make.  what are you doing out so early, tigerpaw? shouldn't you be sleeping or something? his eyes snapped back to the young female then. brows cocked up in confusion he simply looked away again, trying to wonder why he had fled the camp so early. had left and wished nothing more then to run, but he had come to that tree where he had showed his friend and he had remembered why he stayed and looking back at the other female he shrugged his shoulders, eyes fluttering anywhere but the she-cat's face. "shouldn't you?" he asked and where she had been curious and compassionate, he had been anything but. his voice was distrusting, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"i don't need some cat butting into my business." he snapped slightly, before his own eyes widen slightly, and he lowered his head to look away, only feeling the slightest of shame. where has he had only met the young she-cat he had taken a shinning to her.  she was a sweet thing, something that reminded him of skypaw - and when he looked at it; she had also lost someone and for that tigerpaw felt the shame of his words. "watching the great eye rise." he meowed simply, pointing up to what would soon hold the sun, "you call it the sun." he added as an after thought before looking at her with a look of curious stubbornness. "i have told you my reason - what's yours. he knew he had no right to demand such a thing; an apprentice he was and she a warrior. in all truth she had more rights to be out in the forest, and he - well he was an apprentice.

and he wasn't about to tell her he was training before the great eye rose.

his nose flared annoyance. if only pinewhisker would give him his warrior evaluation. let him prove he could best his mentor in a fight. he had almost done it before - in private and not when those pretty green eyes or those soft blue ones had been on his pelt. they distracted him, sadly and with each movement he made he knew he was un able to fight for ever. his breath had improved shortly; his ability to run a little further shown, but he was not a cat to live on now. he would die in this world if he didn't make it from apprentice to warriorhood. a failure. were two words that echoed in his head and yet, he knew he would get it one day. looking over the she-cat with a face that demanded answers. "no use not telling me, i'll hound yah until you do." he meowed for confirmation.

because in truth, he would.