and silence gives you strength;; CLOSED

The cold chilled the land. It swept over everything, making the inhabitants of the land dreaming and wishing for greenleaf to come back with all it's glorious heat and warmth. If there was a cloud in the sky, t would have been snowing. Most if not all the leaves were gone off the trees now, leaving the sun's rays beating down upon the earth. But they did nothing to help the cold. It was too bitter, too strong. And the sun just wasn't cutting it. It wasn't working hard enough. All the prey was hiding in dens scattered about the territory, and it would be hard to find anything moving out in the forest on this cold day.

She certainly didn't know why she was out here moving. Well, she did. It kept her warm if she was moving around instead of just sitting at camp. But she wasn't here to hunt, or to train her newly given apprentice. She was much bigger than the average she-cat, but she had nothing on most toms. Her fur wasn't necessarily fluffy, but her bones were big and the muscle on them even bigger. She was certainly some one you wouldn't want to mess with, but she was also above such trivial things as fighting and hunting. She was a goddess, after all. At least, she thought she was. Who else could be so beautiful, so amazing?

Her burnt orange coat, though gorgeous and stunning, was just that. In the leaf bare forest, she stuck out like a wildflower. As she made her way silently across the damp ground, she spotted another cat. It was a tom, she could see that. And his orange tabby coat - though much lighter than her coat - stuck out between the trees also. He was coming straight for her, and as her got closer she realized who it was. Emberstrike, the younger deputy of Shadowclan. She would never turn down a cat to talk to, so she continued padding toward him. She was a few tail lengths away when she stopped and smiled at the tom. She looked him over, wondering what made him tick. He was much bigger than her, much more muscular, but she was wiser. She could guaranteed it.

With a small tsk, the she-cat nodded a small hello to the tom. My my what do we have here? A deputy roaming about his territory not doing anything? It's hard to get cats to do your bidding if you don't do it yourself. A snide smirk rested on her maw, and her big blue eyes gazed at him with a fiery passion that would make snow melt. There was telling where this would go, but she hoped it would go somewhere in her favor.

The tabby she-cat let out a small chuckle at the tom's words. What she assumed he thought would sting barely reached her paws. She was not the kind to be sensitive. She was hardly the kind to care about cats. They were all vermin compared to her anyway. All of them. Though Emberstrike might be on the higher end of the vermin scale, he was still leagues below her. In her mind, at least. She shifted her weight to her other side, and let her tail twitch back and forth like a pendulum. There was no telling what the tom was up to, though she assumed he was just playing with her. Why, she didn't know. But she wanted to know. She wanted to know so bad.

The fire in her eyes grew in intensity as she thought about why he would want her to stay and talk with him. And with a blink of her eye it was gone. Just like that, her eyes were just simple orbs that shined in the sunlight. She but a smile back on her face and touched the tom's shoulder with her tail. She is out training on how to fight with her brother, dear. She put a certain sarcasm in the word he used to define her. After a brief pause, she continued, So it looks like I'm all yours for the day. Though her tone was no longer sarcastic, it was extremely playful. Her honey sweet voice drifted through the air like a feather, and she meant for it to be alluring to the tom. She turned the way he had been coming from and motioned for him to walk with her with her tail. Come, and tell me what a deputy is thinking about all alone out here.

As they began walking, Cherrysong noticed that Emberstrike was letting her lead. Yes, letting her. She knew that a tom as egotistical as him would never allow her to lead unless he wanted something from her. She carefully watched his movements, and listened to his tone and what he was really after. He started off simple enough, with just thinking about the clans and their structure. She thought it was a bit radical for the tom, borderline revolutionary. She didn't take him for the rebellious type, but she supposed anything was possible. She didn't know him very well, after all, and this was the first real interaction she had had with him.

When he mentioned the clans coming together and their leaders being gods on earth, she stopped walking. She looked at him, her fiery blue eyes full of questions. She squinted them a little, wondering if he was being serious of joking around with her. Upon realizing that he wasn't joking, she sat down, curling her tail around her paws. She wasn't sure how to take this. What did he want from her? Why was he telling her all of this? She was staring intently at her paws, trying to grasp all of this in. He sure was blunt and straight to the point, wasn't he. Then again, there wasn't really any other way to say that. But how would he know she would be okay with it? How did he knew she wouldn't go running and tell the clan what he was thinking. She could probably make it. Maybe.

Not that she wanted to go. Gods on earth, now that was the sort of thing she loved. She would love to be worshiped like she deserved to be. She was the savior of this clan, didn't they know that? She kept them from falling into disarray! She would have let out a huff of irritation, but she didn't dare let Emberstrike know what she was thinking. She wanted to play with the tom, make him squirm. Perhaps even use flirtation to get an answer to the questions she had. She looked up to the orange tabby tom with innocent eyes, but no smile would be found on her maw at this moment. Oh no. That would let him know that she was satisfied. She wouldn't dare let that out yet.

She stood up, putting her tail under his chin. Gods on earth, huh? Starclan wouldn't be too happy about that, would they? She flicked her tail out from underneath his chin and then took a couple steps so she was beside him. And how is it exactly I play into this plan? You wouldn't be telling me anything if I wasn't somehow involved. And I'm not quite sure I'm ready to defy Starclan for a tom I barely know. They make formidable foes. She let her tail drag along his body as she came up on the other side of him. She was standing so close that their fur was mixing together. She could feel the heat from his body and feel his breathing. It actually kind of made her want to be closer. But she wouldn't dare admit to that.

The dark orange she-cat listened carefully to Emberstrike's words. He was suggesting she be the brains behind all of his actions, suggesting that they work together in order to make a more wonderful clan. She envisioned the two of them together, side by side, ruling a clan with strict and enforced rules. It would be a massive clan, one that would need alot of territory as well as leadership. The she-cat loved the idea of being such a leader, and loved the idea of being worshiped. Either out of fear or out of love, it didn't matter to her. She just loved being the goddess of justice. And would it be the right thing to do, to ban the clans together in order to be more peaceful? All the wars, they would end under her leadership. Everyone would live a more peaceful life. The very idea made her want to take action right away.

But she had to patient. She couldn't seem to eager. She knew better. Good things came to those who waited. She needed time to think all the possibilities over. She needed time to think about all the consequences. There would be some, of course, that refused their idea at a peaceful life, thinking that separate clans were the best. She decided that she would let Emberstrike ponder or whether or not he had her in the bag or not. She shrugged his tail off of her shoulders, and moved forward, turning slightly so that her flank was exposed to him. Let me think on it dear. Her sultry voice, combined with a seductive purr, hung in the air like feathers. She began to move forward with every intention of leaving the tom to ponder his thoughts of a great clan. She paused, however, just before she reached the edge of the small clearing. Care for a hunt, Emberstrike? Her honey sweet voice was playful and light, which was not normal for the she-cat. Catch me if you can. The she-cat let out another sultry purr and took off, wondering if the tom would accept her challenge.

She glided through the forest. Though she was a rather large she-cat, her pawsteps were more like leaps. All her paws were off the ground at the same time, and then she would touch the ground for maybe a second only to be off the ground once more. She was fast, but she had no idea if she was faster than Emberstrike. She skidded to a halt behind a tree, flattening her body against the trunk. When she looked around, she found a small hole at the base of a nearby tree. The perfect place to hide. She quickly darted into the hole, covering the opening with some leaves and her paw that blended in perfectly. Would he be smart enough to notice? The tom would never know that her game was a way of telling if he was a capable leader of all the clans together.

The she-cat, upon noticing that she had been discovered, removed her paw from the hole. She stuck her head out, looking rather ridiculous as she attempted to get her whole body out. She was rather big boned, however, and it was a miracle she had made into the hole to begin with. She didn't want the tom to see that she was struggling to get out, but it seemed inevitable. She inhaled sharply and pushed her paws off the ground hard, expelling her from the hole with so much force she tumbled over herself. She quickly managed to get back onto her feet, and smoothed out her fur. If you laugh, dear, I will not hesitate to use my claws to rip out your tongue. She didn't even look at the tom, but she knew that he would find this sort of thing of funny. She just couldn't let him win. Not like this.

While smoothing her fur down, she noticed she had cut her front leg on the way out or into the hole. It was bleeding, but not enough to be too worried about it. She had just ripped off the top layer of skin and fur. She figured it would a perfect way to get him close to her. The closer he was, the closer she was to knowing just what was really going on in his brain. The way he read her like an open book, despite her hiding everything so carefully, it made her worry. She needed to know him better. She needed to see him in action. She needed to see his most primitive instincts and thoughts. That would give her a better reading on the tom. It seems that I am bleeding, Emberstrike. I can't quite see the cut, is it bad? She wasn't lying. The cut was on the back side of her leg, and she couldn't quite see it. Well, she could if she stretched a really weird way and tucked her head between her legs. He honey sweet voice was filled with what seemed to be worry. She was never worried, truly, but he would not know that.

If she listened carefully, Cherrysong could hear the tom trying to hide his concern in his smooth words. He suggested going back to camp, but that was not what she wanted to do. She still had to see what this tom was all about. She still had to see what made his brain tick. And because she was so sure that he had asked her to stand by his side when he took control of the clan because he thought she was intelligent, beautiful, and wanted her, she would do anything to prove it. She suspected that not even he knew what was going on in his mind. He really does need someone to tell him what to do. She shrugged her shoulders lightly, letting his suggestion slide off them. You said it wasn't deep. No need to rush me back to camp love. Her sultry voice soothed even her wound. It was so soft, so seductive. She loved it. She loved herself, and there was no room for anyone else. But Emberstrike need not know that. She enjoyed the attention the tom showed her. She enjoyed the feeling he gave her. The feeling of power. She moved toward him, her fluffy tail tracing his chest softly. She flicked it underneath his chin and let out a soft purr.

Tell me, Emberstrike. She paused, letting her honey sweet voice soak into his mind, as she double back around let her flank brush against his chest. She fit just underneath his chin, if she ducked her head a little. She arched her back slightly so that her fur slid along the bottom of his jaw and where his neck met his shoulders. What do you plan on doing with Ravenstar? She hissed out the name with noticeable disgust. She hated the old croak. Ravenstar was weak and petty. Emberstrike would make a much better leader. She leaned up to his ear, letting her hot breath blow across his fur. Kill her, perhaps? She whispered the words with such darkness, such noticeable hate that she didn't even know she had. I suppose I am much darker than I thought. Perhaps Emberstrike is good for me to be around. She let out a purr at the thought, her chest vibrating against his.

She padded away slightly, sitting down right next to the tom. Her tail curled around her dark orange paws, and her bright blue eyes looked to the tom expectantly. She knew the answer. Ravenstar was old and about to retire. But Emberstrike needed her done for ever. Cherrysong would never get her claws dirty, but Emberstrike would. She knew he would. Especially if the idea was planted in his head.

The she-cat listened to his words. The tom obviously needed help. The poor thing. She decided right then and there that she would stand by his side. She would be behind the scenes, and she would gladly control him and all his little puppets. A smile formed on her maw just thinking about all the power the tom could give her. But she had to find a way to bind him to the contract. There had to be a way to keep him to her, even if everything fell apart. She would come up with something, she was sure. The smile on her lips was a sinister one. It showed just how much she enjoyed power. She loved it more than she loved herself, and that was a feat to achieve. There was nothing more satisfying than being the most revered and feared cat in the forest. And though she would never be associated with that title, she certainly would be behind that cat. She looked at Emberstrike through the corner of her eye, casting her gaze down quickly as she continued thinking.

Silence had stretched between them for a while before she finally decided to speak. You want to band all the clans together, right? It was a question, but the way she said it was more of a statement. She knew the answer. In order to do that, you need to band together against something. You need a reason to preach revolution, my love. She still wasn't looking the tom in the eye. She played in the dirt with her claw, watching the swirling grains dance underneath her. They danced like the clans soon would. If Thunderclan kills Ravenstar, they would be the enemy. You could being speaking of revenge, telling the clan that Thunderclan was out of control. Thunderclan, not wanting to seem weak, will of course defend themselves. Her death would be all we needed to start a war. She paused, taking in a slow breath, and then continued with the utmost darkness in her voice. And cats like you and me always profit from war.

She looked back to the tom, her eyes alight with ambition. But if I am to be with you in this, Emberstrike, you have to understand one thing. She stood up, her claws still unsheathed. By accepting my help, you are entering a contract. One that you can only leave by death, understand? She stepped closer to the tom, her blue eyes dark and sultry. She couldn't help but want to play with the tom, toy with his emotions and see why he was who he was. There will be plenty of time for that. To the clan, I will be your mate. Between me and you, we are bonded, but only by the ties of darkness. Do you accept my terms? The she-cat would have raised an eyebrow if she had them at the end of her question. Se was curious to see what the tom would say. She was curious to see how he reacted.