A chance meeting (Cedarflame)

[Cream]

Maybe this wasn't a good idea? Cream walked along careful, her paws not used to the grassy ground bellow her. Sure her backyard had grass but not as thick nor had she been allowed to walk outside. It was too dirty for a purebred though she didn't really care about her status. Never had it really mattered to her and really she grew to dislike it when it was due to that, her kittens were taken away. IT wasn't right! Why did the Two-legs do that to her little ones? She wanted to spend so much time with them. A sigh left her as her ears slanted and she took a seat on the ground. What was she to do? She couldn't really leave her Two-legs, they at least didn't put a collar on her since she was suppose to be inside all the time. Her long dark brown tail wrapped around her as she sat there, laying against her dark brown paws.

It was rather lovely out here thought. The trees and such, how the sunlight bounced off of everything, lovely really. Much better than that dull colored place that was the nest of a Two-legs. Sure the grass and dirt wasn't all that comfortable as her bed was but it would do fine to sit on. However she heard the bushes rustle and it caused her to stand up quickly, large ears perked.

"Hello?" Cream questioned.

[Cedarflame]

Cedarflame had left his deputy in charge of the Dark Hearts, deciding to go out with the recruiters this moon to collect kits from the newest Clan litters. They had left early this time, and ended up with an extra day or two to hunt and stalk the Clans' territories before it was time to collect kits from each Clan. Cedarflame had taken to hunting fairly close to the Clan territories, where the loners and rogues wandered about, doing whatever they pleased. The tom spent a little while hunting, and was heading out to eat in a clearing when he brushed by a bush and apparently alerted some cat.

By her scent, this feline was female. She didn't have the scars or the aggressive look of a rogue, nor did she have one of those weird neck-wrap things that kittypets wore. Setting down his mouth, Cedarflame greeted the cat, who he suspected was a bored loner, "Hello, there. Has any cat ever told you that you're quite pretty?" The tom settled down and dug into his mouse. He had actually eaten not too long before, and was only hunting out of boredom (he got some twisted joy out of taking food from Clan territories and the lands around them, mostly because it amused him that they would not have the fresh-kill if he took it), and as a result, Cedarflame was unable to finish the whole mouse. He picked it up and flung it toward the she-cat as a silent offer for her to eat it. "I'm not sure if you like mouse, but we should always take and appreciate whatever food we can get, right? Not every cat can be a kittypet with a warm home and constant food supply, right? Ah, but if they choose to stay stuffed up in twoleg homes all day, then that's their choice."

[Cream]

Her ears twitched as she stood there and if cats could blush she would've due to the tom's words. Her ears slanted a bit as she stood there. The tom was rather large but at least she wasn't small in terms of height though she was rather skinny.

"Oh....why...thank you." Cream replied. "No not really."

The tom she was with that one time wasn't one to count, after all he didn't even matter. It was just a one time thing. While she wasn't very hungry at the moment she could eat. She never had a mouse before and she'd never seen one up close. So when it was tossed to her, her ears twitched. Surprised by it really.

"Thank you and yes you're right, though it's not a very fun life." Cream answered as she lowered herself down and started to eat, though she paused. "I'm Cream, and you are?"

[Cedarflame]

"Hm, well, they should," Cedarflame commented again on the she-cat's appearance. He began washing his pelt, but stopped when she spoke again, noting that "it's not a very fun life". The tom's ears perked at this, as he had thought she couldn't possibly be a kittypet.

"I wasn't going to ask questions. I'm not a fan of questions. My name is Cedarflame, though, I'll tell you that, and now that you've asked me a question, you owe me the answer to a question as well." Cedarflame responded, standing up and stretching his back. "If you're a kittypet, why do you not have a bright-colored twoleg thing wrapped around your neck to mark you as a twoleg kitty?" He spoke with slight disdain, never having been a fan of kittypets, mostly due to their ignorance and snootiness, but this one didn't seem that bad.

[Cream]

"Oh, my apologize. I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable." Cream apologized, her ears slanting.

She hadn't meant to anger him or offend him really, her tail wrapped around her paws as she sat there. Cedarflame? That was a interesting name. It kind of fit in her mind.

"My Two-leg's don't let me outside due to my parents being just what I am, a preserved lineage I guess." Cream said disheartened. "I'm not a fan of it, but there's nowhere else to go and really life with Two-legs isn't that great. They took my kits when they no longer needed my milk, just like what they did when I was their age and they took me in."

[Cedarflame]

Cedarflame purred, whiskers twitching in slight amusement. He was glad she made the choice to apologize, as he had indeed felt that Cream wasn't in the right position to be asking him questions. Kittypets and kittens were a lot alike in that manner - they were innocent, having little to no experience with cats outside of their little groups.

"Your kittens were taken... hm, that's a very unfortunate circumstance. Living with twolegs does not sound like an optimal lifestyle. You say you're not allowed outside, yet here you are, in the open, breathing the fresh air. Perhaps you should stay outside permanently? A Clan might take you in, or maybe a loner will offer to help you. Hunting is instinctual, so you might be able to survive on your own without too much skill, though you'd need to learn at some point. If the twolegs took your kits away once, they'll do it again. If you want a family, you can't stay with the twolegs." Should he offer that she join the Dark Hearts? Outsiders were usually easier to mold than Clan kits were in some ways. Most of them hadn't heard of StarClan, so convincing them that StarClan was bad was easy, but being they were older, training them was harder. Then again, Cream was outside for what might've been the first time in her life, and she was still calling herself a kittypet, so fat chance that she'd actually agree to leave her twolegs' home. "It's your life. Make your own choices."

[Cream]

"They left a opening without realizing it, I managed to squeeze through when they left the nest." Cream answered.

A window to be exact, it was opened enough for her to get out without hurting herself. Her large ears twitched as she listened to his words. Stay outside for good? Well it was rather nice here though she hadn't really experienced the world. A family was what she wanted, it hadn't bothered her that she lost her parents till her own kits were taken away. She knew how they felt and then it bothered her.

"Yes....I do fear it won't be possible there." Cream said, sadden by it. "A clan? Isn't that what some cats whisper about as stories? I'm unsure of what to do, it is lovely out here but...I haven't figured it out.

[Cedarflame]

"It is what it is, I suppose. Just remember that you can change it whenever you want. If you're sick of living with those disgusting twolegs, you could go to a Clan or simply never return, or maybe you could - hmm, no..." Cedarflame trailed off, muttering to himself more than anything. After several moments, the large tom cleared his throat, and said, "Cream, I have an offer to make, and your answer doesn't have to be given to me today. I will be returning within the next few moons to recruit new Clan cats, and you can let me know then. Would you care to join my group, the Dark Hearts? I or one of my warriors can share more information with you. However, there is one condition that you must abide by," Cedarflame paused for a moment, narrowing his eyes for the stronger dramatic effect. Cedarflame wanted to make sure Cream realized how serious this was before he continued, and when he was ready, Cedarflame spoke again, "If you join, you must realize that you are bound to us for life. Should you leave without permission, should you run away, you will be hunted and killed. Our secrets cannot be spilled to the Clans, nor any other cat that isn't interested in our ways. What do you think so far? Might you be interested, or would you like more time to think?"

[Cream]

A clan? THe things that were fairy tales were rule? This cat seemed to believe it and really what reason was their to doubt him? He was a tom who clearly didn't live with the Two-legs, so he no doubt traveled around. Perhaps he had found them before. However he seemed about to suggest something when he halted himself and paused. Her large ears perked forward kind of curious at what he'd say on this matter.

"An offer?" Cream muttered, clearly unsure of what he was gonna suggest. "Your group? Don't you mean clan?"

WHen he narrowed his eyes, she pondered for a moment if her questions were once more out of line. Again she was about to apologize but kept quiet. A good thing too. FOr he soon started up once more. Bound to them for life? That kind of felt like what living with the Two-legs was right now though she knew it would be different.

"I...I'm not sure. It's a interesting offer, makes full sense on your terms." Cream answered with her ears slanting a bit. "But....I'd like some more time, I don't quite know what I'd do."