[{It Can't Hurt}] //xxCan it?x.

[Roxie !]

It was a cool day for New-Leaf, and the sun did not shine. In fact, such weather had been carried on for the past moon, and the remnants of the snow had only just melted away. It worried the Clan, he could sense it. The warriors and elders would huddle together and fret about prey, and when they weren't doing that, they were constantly hunting. The young gray apprentice hadn't gotten a moment's rest out of it, either. It annoyed him. If the Clan needed more warriors, then he should be training instead of fetching moss for those lazy elders! Smokepaw's lip curled to reveal his sharp white teeth, a gesture of displeasure that he had been biting back all day. His dark, furry tail lashed behind him as he stalked past the tall trees that filled most of ThunderClan's territory, green eyes narrowed in frustration. Smokepaw grimaced. They didn't even bother keeping him company! Not that he wanted those warrior flea-bag know-it-alls around anyway, but it would have been nice if he could have at least got help from another apprentice! It would take all day to drag enough moss back for the whole elder's den.

"Well, the elders can go eat mouse-dung! They live like kitty-pets, and feed off the Clan! All they do is slow us down, I don't see why we need them anyway." Smokepaw snarled softly to himself, his shade-grey ears flattening against his furry head. In a small burst of anger, the apprentice quickened his pace, sprinting through the woods with narrowed eyes until he came to the edge of the forest where he stopped and stood, panting. Eyes turned a shade of yellow-green as the warm evening sun hit them, and they fixed on the scene before him: Sunningrocks. It really was one of the glories of ThunderClan territory, for prey was almost always lurking between the warmed rocks, and the scenery was wonderful: a combination of woodland, river, and the stones themselves. And although the rival Clan, RiverClan, who laid right across this very river, had tried to steal the piece of land many a time, ThunderClan had managed to keep what was rightfully theirs. Smokepaw smirked, his mood en-lighted by this bit of pride. He raised his head slightly, and pushed through the ferns and into the clearing.

Within moments, the grey tom had leaped onto one of the rocks. It wasn't really necessary, but Smokepaw had a tendency to show off...even when no one was watching him. His muscles flexed under his coat as he landed, and a purr escaped his throat at the sensation of the warm rock under his pads. He enjoyed this for a moment, before getting back to business. Moss...it had to be somewhere near the riverbank, right? Smokepaw's eyes narrowed as he scanned it, and it didn't take long before the flash of dark green caught his attention. Leaping from rock to rock, Smokepaw darted toward it. When he finally reached it, he arched his neck and leaned to sniff it. The moss was too close to the river, and wet.

"Fox-dung!" Smokepaw swore under his death, his former agitation returning. He remembered the warriors' words well; "Never bring back wet moss for the elders, it'll make their joints ache." At the moment, in his anger, he couldn't really care less. Those lazy mouse-brains deserved a bit of conflict in their miserably easy lives. But he was in no mood to be lectured, and the consequence would probably be being sent out to fetch more. He wasn't going to waste his time doing that, or going on a scavenger hunt throughout the forest looking for dry moss for that matter. With a soft, frustrated 'mrrow', Smokepaw scanned the clearing with narrowed eyes. Most of the moss on this side of the river was wet! Of course, there seemed to be plenty over on RiverClan's side, against the base of a willow tree.

At that moment, a thought occurred to him. It would be breaking the warrior code, but only for a second. Couldn't hurt...RiverClanners were so stupid, they wouldn't even notice if Smokepaw crossed the river, grabbed the moss, and came back! A slow grin spread across the ThunderClan apprentice's face, and he began to eye the path of Stepping Stones that went across the river. Sneaking toward them, Smokepaw put out a wary paw, and dabbed at the stone. It was wet, but he felt confident that he would be able to keep his footing. Warily, he stepped out onto one rock. When it seemed sturdy, Smokepaw seemed to gain confidence, and soon, he was leaping from rock to rock with satisfaction, until he had reached the river's other side.

[squee.]

iflifeaintjustajoke

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Xx. stealing moss from another clan was hardly a crime and if caught in the act, the perpetrator would get off with a mere warning or perhaps a minor bruise from one very annoyed riverclan warrior. but, the answer to the previous question would have to be, yes....it could hurt, it could even be fatal if this apprentice didn't play his cards right. especially since, on this oh so depressing day...at this exact moment, riverclan's borders were being patrolled by one dark cat. though patrolling the borders wouldn't actually be the word to use, he used it anyhow. no, the word would be prowling the borders. for you see, much like this innocent thunderclan apprentice.....he didn't belong to riverclan. he didn't belong to any clan. he was no warrior, no loner, not even a rogue...he was a shadow. his name is no longer spoken among the living, though the dead have mentioned this shadowed feline numerous times....the living have forgotten. his terror and his legacy died along with the elders of the old clans. you see, he was born into a different generation of cats, only to be murdered and reborn into this generation. and apparently, in this generation......angered and lazy apprentices were allowed to steal moss from another clan with out much of a punishment at all or even being caught. had the clan's really become that lazy? or perhaps population was really an issue? he had been watching both thunderclan and riverclan from his perch on a low branch of a willow tree, completely hidden away by the shadows. he was curious to what had changed within the clans, who was now the leader and who was now among the elders. he was curious to see what sort of new tricks the medicine cats have learned in his absence. he was even curious to see if starclan have bothered to warn the leaders and medicine cats of his coming.....whether they could come up with a plot to destroy him before he had the chance to rise to full power or not. the new question of the matter was....could starclan do anything to help the pathetic creatures of today? or would they merely be forced to stand aside and watch their forest fall into chaos and destruction once more?

Xx. the fact of the matter was: he cared not to what starclan was planning. dark gaze, appearing ebony in the shadows, followed the apprentice he made his appearance in sunningrocks. there was no second guessing the apprentice's mood, he was angered and frustrated with something. that something was quickly dubbed 'gathering moss for the elders' as the shadowed figure of the hidden tom watched the apprentice head moss growing naturally by the river's bank. ears, that have been pricked toward the source of the noise since before the apprentice could even be seen, caught the soft swearing of the annoyed apprentice. the foul mood of the apprentice was already beginning to lighten the annoyance of the shadowed tom, though nothing changed on the tom's blank face. he was amused by this apprentice, though like every other cat he was amused with in the past.....he would be even more amused once he had the chance to slaughter this little brat. in utter silence, he watched as the younger tom's gaze swept the shores of the river in vain. this apprentice was either too ignorant or to lazy to fetch the soft moss that grew deeper in the heart of the forest....which again, amused the shadowy figure. what were they teaching these future warriors anyhow? if this was it.....taking the forest for his own once more would be one hundred times easier then it had been ten years ago. steely gaze veered from the apprentice to riverclan's territory and then back to the apprentice, no riverclan patrol had been near these borders in almost three days.....marking trouble for the clan. he and the brat were alone. a grin sliced the shadow's face, flashing white fangs momentarily- the apprentice had gathered every bit of bravery and decided to cross the borders in search for the dry moss just on the other side. this was perhaps...the apprentice's last mistake.

Xx. he waited until the apprentice was fully to the other side of the river before speaking. "stealing another clan's resources is considered a crime" the voice was cracked from years of silence, though the words rolled off his tounge easily. the statement was simple and obvious....something the apprentice could understand. his words, though spoken softly, rang out through the clearing so that he apprentice would clearly hear every word spoken. claws unsheated, silently digging into the bark of the very same willow tree the apprentice was heading for, scarring the tree for years to come. even after speaking this, the tom didn't move a muscle from his place. he was testing this apprentice...testing his ablities. perhaps this wouldn't turn out to be a battle after all....perhaps this apprentice's heart was just twisted enough to consider siding with the tom hidden away in the willow tree. of course, there would be moons of training ahead of this apprentice....hours of hard labor, and he needed to work on his attitude. after all, he was sent back for a reason unknown....and he was looking to rule this forest for his own. and the only way to take this forest by force was an elite army built and trained for over taking forest. could this apprentice really be that dark? the most likely answer was no. he was annoyed, not willing to slaughter everything he ever knew to be good annoyed, just simply annoyed with the chores of being an apprentice. what a shame. kits were easier to steal any way, he could train them better. this apprentice had a short temper and he was already an apprentice...who other then this, would probably stick to the warrior code until his demise. cold gaze remained locked on the appretice, though his other senses were alert for any signs of on coming patrols, worried mentors or clan members and for up coming riverclan members. this young tom had caught the attention of a cat with a muderious desire.....not the best thing to do when you're alone.

Xx. who is this shadowed murder the living can no longer bare to speak of? who is this deadly assassin that lurks in the shadows? he's back for revenge. he's back to finished what he couldn't do years ago. they fear the name malice

...thenwhyarewelaughing?

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[Roxie !]

So this was RiverClan territory.

It wasn't much. A few willows here, a bit of water there, and lots of nice, dry moss. Smokepaw was hardly impressed. Who needed rivers, marshes or moors when you had a forest as grand as ThunderClan's? No wonder this Clan was so desperate to get their soaking paws on Sunningrocks. He smirked. Though the apprentice was a very proud tom, his pride often turned to arrogance when it came to competing with other Clans. Ah well. Every cat had his own way of being loyal to their Clan, so perhaps his pride was his. Smokepaw lowered his head, his dark pelt blending with the shadows of the willow trees as he sniffed along the complex and twisted roots.

Smokepaw had been too preoccupied by getting in and out of RiverClan territory quickly to notice much of his immediate surroundings save for the moss he was picking through right now. Of course, his senses had been kept alert, he wasn't that foolish, but he had been watching and listening in all the wrong places. He failed to see the sinister, shadowed form of the tom that watched his every move. So, when Smokepaw ripped a patch of moss from the ground, his lip curled in disgust at the bitter taste, it was only to nearly drop it when a voice from behind him spoke.

Surprised, he whipped around, silently searching for the speaker with fiercely narrowed yellow eyes. Slowly, his gaze lifted when he failed to see another feline lurking around the base of the tree, and that was when he locked gazes with the unknown cat. Smokepaw glared at him indignantly, unsure of what to do now that he had been caught. His fluffed, raccoon-like tail lashed angrily behind him as he considered for a moment merely ignoring this cat, and escaping over the river again. But if this tom's words were meant as some sort of challenge, Smokepaw wasn't about to run off. So, finally, he put the moss down at his own silver paws so that he would be able to reply.

He held his head high, showing no shame for the act, though he surveyed the other cat warily. He couldn't scent the cat from his position on the ground, so he merely assumed that this was a RiverClan warrior.

"Well, I wasn't born yesterday." He snapped in reply to the comment, his fur bristling. This cat acted as if he didn't even know the warrior code. In a mock-submissive tone, he added, "Forgive me," Though his green eyes sparkled with defiance. "I didn't know RiverClan was so desperate that even a bit moss is held sacred to them."

Though he knew he shouldn't be here, and probably shouldn't have been talking to the older cat in such a tone, Smokepaw couldn't help but retort. Had the other tom meant to be condescending or threatening? Perhaps both, but either way, it was infuriating the ThunderClan apprentice. His dark gray fur bristled as he defensively stood his ground, half-expecting the cat to rebuke him, and half-expecting him to attack.

[squee.]

what a pathetic excuse for an apprentice. would have been one of the very first thoughts running through the shadowed figure's mind many moons ago. yet, it was that very thinking that had him standing here and now, when he was younger, he underestimated many of his enemies...half of the time still walking away the victor- sometimes barely even walking away. if this was what the clans were teaching their apprentices...that stealing from one another was alright if it was simple resources....would over throwing these clans actually be that simple? turn this clan against this and that against that and they'd kill each other off? no, it couldn't just be that simple nothing was ever just that simple. everything had a price....nothing was as easy as it seemed. malice hadn't forgot how easy he had thought things would have...should have been moons ago before he was killed by the only living thing he ever trusted. brilliant blue-green gaze closed in a mixture of annoyance and pain by the memory of the femme. as an apprentice and a kit, malice had believed it impossible for him to fall for any female....or even to trust a living creature; he even trained to avoid any feelings he might develop for a female. the young warrior was even hostile toward his kin, killing his mother in cold blood one night whilst in kit-hood. his siblings and father fell to his bloody paws during apprenticeship. thinking back to that always brought his fathers famous last words to mind. ''you are a monster, malice. you don't belong here.'' his father believed that he was hell-sent though malice doubted it. in fact, his mother was a clan femme...she said she only named him malice because of a dark creature told her to the night he was born. something malice has yet to believe.

back to that female; his training, his mission and every other damn thing he ever believed in...that he ever trained for went out the window, so to speak, when he met this female. the last queen of windclan- which should have hit a red flag and sent off warning signals from the very beginning, perhaps it did...yet the tom ignored every one of them. he should have known the femme would wanted vendetta. he should have known. he had destroyed every single warrior in that clan except for that female and two apprentices, the two apprentices were slaughtered days later by his army.....but that female was left untouched. through stupid, cheesy quotes, long meaningless walks, hours of talking and countless confessions...she had pretended to care. she had pretended to love, though malice was no longer wearing a mask. because of his weakness toward this female, he deserved to die...but even malice didn't deserved to die like that. that female had told him that she was going to have his kits....that he should start figuring names. when he had went to meet up with her to talk of kits, she ambushed him.....she killed him easily almost as if he was some helpless kit himself. he, a great warrior, a great leader was helpless in an attack against a pregnant female. so, tell me...did even one such as malice deserve such an end? he had given the forest to that female and her kits and he was left with nothing. which, again, reminded him that his grand-son....emorystar deserved a long visit.

the apprentice's reply brought a dark chuckle from the tom. something rarely heard amongst the living. "such a naive novice" velvet voice spoke again, this time showing bits of dark amusement. "you believe i am a fighter of this clan." his second reply wasn't a question, but a statement. he hadn't even realized his accent differed from that of the apprentice. after all, this tom had lived in the ancient clans nearly ten years ago....many things have changed since then. such as the word apprentice was used in place of novice. and the clans had new ranks. there was no longer fighters, gatherers, breeders and such...there were warriors and queens. the clans no longer had and oracle and many more. and, during these times...novice's obviously weren't severely punished for misbehaving.

his gaze darted back toward the water clan, then to the wooded clan- neither of which had anything set up for patrols. neither of which had sent a fighter or guardian for this novice. did they really care so little of the clan's future? "tell me novice, where is your tribe?" he questioned. he merely was curious to where the wooded clan would be at this time. and even more curious to see whether the upcoming fight would be interrupted or not.

finally, the dark brute revealed himself. leaping from his branch and silently landing on the soft floor of the river's bank. ears pricked toward the novice in mild curiosity. with so much changed, malice no longer knew the feline's next movements.

[Roxie !]

Smokepaw's fluffed tail never ceased its lashing as he waited with his usual characteristic impatience for the cat's response. His narrowed, almost wolf-like eyes never left the one who he believed to be a RiverClan cat. This was it, then. Smokepaw already saw it: this cat, like any Clanner, would defend his terrain. At any moment, he could leap down from the tree and begin the battle that had been carried out by so many cats so many times before, like some sort of violent tradition. Smokepaw guessed that the stranger's motive now would be to chase him out of RiverClan territory with a few wounds to remember the experience by. Well, he could try. Just let him. Smokepaw tensed at the very thought of battle...it was only a matter of when. Little did he know or even guess of the tom's dark history; who this cat truly was. If Smokepaw even knew half of that story, perhaps he would have thought twice before quipping his cheek remarks to the older cat. But no--a feline of this apprentice's generation knew nothing of cats like Malice. The stories he had heard of such cats were only the darkest of nursery tales, and these were extremely vague. No names were mentioned, they were just general tales of rogues and darker times, most likely softened and dumbed-down for a kit's ears. No doubt, now he only thought of them as foolish tales meant to keep kits in line. Why should he suspect anything darker of this stranger?

Instead of attacking, however, the cat merely gave a soft chuckle that could have formed icicles on the nearby branches. To a cat as stubborn and, well, arrogant as Smokepaw, it was merely infuriating. His lips curled in anger to reveal his ivory fangs, glaring at the shadowed figure with his yellowish eyes still. Why didn't this cat just leave his 'mighty' perch in the tree branches and face him? Then they'd see if the tom was still laughing. Before Smokepaw, in his fury, could voice such a challenge, the cat spoke first. There was something odd about the way he spoke, something dark and twisted and almost foreign. He had used the word 'novice', which was strange. Smokepaw had never heard such a term. His thoughts did not linger on this however, but on the term 'naive'. This stranger was finding the situation amusing, for StarClan's sake!

"'Novice'? You're the naive one! I'll--" The snarl escaped Smokepaw's lips out of pure spite, but before he could manage the last threatening words of the sentence, the last words of the other cat's statement sunk in.

"You believe I am a fighter of this clan."

Smokepaw blinked, considering this. 'Fighter'. Was that like 'warrior', then? Of course he had assumed that the other tom belonged to this Clan. He had, after all, rebuked the apprentice for attempting to steal moss. So now what was he trying to say? That he was an intruder as well? It was, of course, possible...but not probable. The cat could just as easily be trying to trick him for his own unknown motives. Smokepaw's harsh glare did not lessen, though he looked, if only for a moment, unsure.

When the stranger asked of a "tribe", it did nothing to ease the ThunderClan apprentice's wariness. " You mean ThunderClan?" He asked, his voice laced with suspicion. "Patrolling, hunting...doing what a clan does. Why should you care?" Smokepaw demanded, aware that he had not exactly answered the cat's question. All for the better.

It was then that the tom leaped down from the trees, startling Smokepaw so that a sudden, hostile hiss escaped his maw. But the cat had not attacked him, he had merely revealed himself. A low growl sounded in the apprentice's throat, for now that the other tom had come down from the tree, he realized that the scent that the stranger carried was not of RiverClan. Why, then, had he spoke to Smokepaw? Finally, his raccoon-like tail stopped its violent thrashing as he stared at the other tom. His hostility had not missed a beat, but now it was also accompanied by curiosity. "Then...if you aren't of RiverClan, then you're from some other Clan. Or else a rogue. What gives you any more right to be here than me?" Questioned Smokepaw after a moment of silence, still fully aware that now that this cat was on the ground, a fight would be even likelier to break out.

[squee.]

Though Smokepaw's words lacked any form of repsect....of any form of knowledge to whom he was, Malice was not angered by this novice. Instead, he found himself a little bit curious in return. After all, where and when he had grown up, novices feared the elder cats of other clans. They certainly didn't run their mouths off without seriously thinking thru the consequences that would follow first. Hardened crystal gaze bore down on the novice in mild curiosity and even a bit of boredom, finding this young tom a bit repetitive and nothing close to a threat to a tom at Malice's standards. This was a novice, a tough fight yes, but a novice. He listened in silence as the novice made yet another empty threat that made Malice lose his attention even more. He had plans to do, cats to recruit and yet he was here...wasting time talking to a novice that hadn't a clue that he was digging his very own grave. Oblivious to exactly how deep he was burying himself alive. Poor kid. Yet, perhaps it was truly better to know nothing at all rather then knowing it all. Ignorance was truly a bliss and whatever else elder cats would mutter to ignorant novices under their breath while Malice observed in the past.

"Thunderclan." Velvet voice repeated the name of the clan, of what he had come to know as the wooded tribe during his time. So it wasn't only the felines and members of the clan, but the name as well. As the novice listed possible 'clan' tasks, Malice caught a drift of just how much of a outsider he was at the moment. He needed an army that knew these lands.....that knew these clans. Otherwise, he might as well give up here and now. "I was curious to why they would let a novice saunter into bordering tribes. To why they wouldn't be here to back one such as yourself up if the Water Tribe decided they were tired of you." He answered truthfully, his lack of interest showing in his voice once more.

This novice had answered a few of Malice's thousands of questions, yet, he was already growing tired of the tom's mouth. What a shame that he'd have to end up injuring this tom.

However bored he grew with this apprentice, Malice couldn't help but to be amused by the tenseness of this tom. Of the fact that he honestly thought he could defend himself when Malice decides to attack. Once again, Smokepaw had mentioned a 'clan' this time it was Riverclan. This had to have been the Water Tribe, taking mental notes on the new names of clans.....Malice listened on. The tom's question brought a chilling, sinister grin to the older tom's twisted maw. Glistening, hooked fangs flashed momentarily as the tom showed his amusement. "Naive Novice. There is a difference between stealing a tribe's goods and merely observing the tribe's movements." He replied, velvet voice molding to sound like a scolding mentor....amusing himself further. Still, even with amusement glistening in the tom's gaze, there was a darker glow that lay just beneath that. Unusually black claws unsheathed from smoky gray paws, digging deep into the soft grasses and dirt below the tom's pads. Malice's amusement was just beginning to grow genuine.

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[[ Song: If I was your Vampire - Marilyn Manson ]]

[Roxie !]

Smokepaw's unblinking wolfish stare did not relent, his indignance growing as the tom continued to speak in an almost condescending tone. It was enough to make the apprentice's blood boil so that an instinctive low growl rumbled in his throat, lips curling to reveal his fangs in a threatening snarl. Under normal circumstances, Smokepaw would've attacked then and there, despite the fact that the older cat was most likely stronger than he was. But this time, something held him back. Was it...curiousity? Perhaps. Something in the rogue's tone puzzled him; that note that accompanied the utterance 'ThunderClan'. It was almost a question, as the stranger repeated Smokepaw's words. So what was all of this about tribes and novices? Though confident, condescending, and even amused, this cat seemed, if possible, almost slightly...confused? Smokepaw's whiskers twitched inquisitively. Perhaps he had at least, one advantage over the other tom. If he played is cards right, it might be enough to get out of this situation unscathed.

"They...don't exactly know I'm here." Smokepaw admitted carefully. "I know enough about this Clan's territory to know that patrols don't normally come here at this time of day." Eyes narrowing slightly, Smokepaw added out of pure curiosity. "Why do you want to 'observe' them anyway? It'd be easier to go find their training hollow, or follow a patrol." With a twitch of the ear, he motioned in the general direction of RiverClan's deeper territory, as he didn't exactly know where the rival Clan's training area was. Smokepaw scowled slightly as the the older tom grinned, and inexplicably, it sent a slight shiver down the ThunderClan apprentice's spine.

"Or maybe even a Gathering." Caught up in his attempt to gain the other tom's interest, and, unavoidably, show off a bit, Smokepaw's mouth seemed to run away. He clamped it shut suddenly, ears flattening against his head as he surveyed the older tom uncertainly, realizing that the cat hadn't confirmed the fact that he was a rogue. Smokepaw had no way of telling whether this was a friend or a foe, though the continuous sinking in the pit of his stomach was telling him the latter.

[squee.]

IM AS SERIOUS AS A HEARTATTACK.

Xx. although the apprentice was overly confident before this casual conversation started, malice had succeded in bringing this apprentice into the real world....though it seemed as if he was still fighting to hold some sort of advantage over the dark tom. as if he was fighting for an opening in malice's defenses. nonsense! what was this novice saying? that they have a telling? that the clans were getting to big to watch after every one of thier members? that if malice were to rip this apprentice apart piece by piece, carefully taking his time to force the apprentice to survive to the gruesome end....there would be no interruptions? the thought was tempting, and malice was not known for his abilty to hold back on anything. yet, smokepaw's words confused him further- why was he willingly letting that much information slip past without so much as a flinch of regret? this could be a trap worth looking into.

Xx. no. you know enough about this clan to know that there is not enough members in this clan to uphold regular patrollings. malice corrected him, having been there since before the sun had even crept far enough over the horizon to even be noticed and seeing no sign of life on either sign of the borders- he learned that the clan numbers were hitting an all time low. or they had trusted each other to respect each other's borders- something malice seriously doubtted. my motives, novice, are nothing that cocerns you...........yet malice's velvet voice was full of an icy venom that had lay dormant before. the tom sounded as if he was getting colder and darker by the moment- and perhaps he was, having already planned out this apprentice's entire life in the moments of silence the apprentice allowed him. oh yes, there would be suffering. besides, here, i am not limited to a single clan he added,

Xx. yes. your tellings will give me a lot of information on your clans and thier ways. i should tell you, novice, i am surprised at your willingness to doom your clans. malice added, amused at the amount of information this tom was allowing to slip- on purpose or not. with this, malice took a tiny step forward, pausing again to sit down silently..allowing the apprentice to take the first move in this battle or just let more information slip past him.