The Hidden Star wanders...

[wolfwarrior4jesus]

Starpaw listened quietly as Sunset spoke. She had a plan? That was obvious, she hadn't needed to say that for that fact to become clear. Her eyes, the line she set her mouth into and her whole movement spoke of her determination and planning to get her kits back. A mother who has lost her kits is a very dangerous cat to mess with, Starpaw thought to herself. "That shouldn't be too hard." she said after Sunset finished. "I say shouldn't and not isn't because with Foxcloud nothing is certain. But I can certainly try to do this, and I won't come back unless I suceed." She said, determined....

Burning opened his mouth. Hiddenpaw was going to help?? He wanted to also! He didn't want to be left behind- he desperately wanted help, but not for glory, simpyl because thats who he was. That, and he really wanted to see Darksky soon..

Starpaw looked back at Hiddenpaw, not surprised by her statement at all. And yes, it had been a statement, no question had underlined her words. Starpaw could tell she wasn't giving her mother an option. She would help, no matter what Sunset thought, said, or did. She dipped her head, a very slight movement. any kind of help was welcome. If they were going to suceed, everyone had to work together...

[lakeripple]

Sunset gazed at Hiddenpaw, fear showing in every line on her face. What did Hiddenpaw think she needed to prove? There was nothing more she could do to make Sunset proud of her! And did she not like the life Sunset had given her? A life free from the constant worries of the hills, safe from Foxcloud. The deputy hadn't found out about Hiddenpaw... not yet anyway. Her breaths felt constricted.

"I don't know what you could do Hiddenpaw," Sunset spoke slowly, choosing each word carefully. "Perhaps you could help best by taking messages from Starpaw and giving them to me." She glanced at Burning and willed him to keep his mouth shut. She had a job for him. Whether he deserved it was a matter she hadn't decided on quite yet.

Hiddenpaw's blue eyes narrowed. Her mother was trying to give her the easiest job! A hiss threatened to break from the back of her throat, but she held it back. "No, I don't think that is the best way I could help," she mewed coldly. "But I'm sure you can think of something better." Hiddenpaw stared at her mother, but her mind was elsewhere. What were the hills like? Surely they were more interesting then EarthClan territory! In face, someday she would like to find everything out by herself.

[wolfwarrior4jesus]

Burning started to speak, but a look from Sunset closed his mouth, and he sat down silently, wincing at this battle of wills between his sister and his mother. They were both too alike- both leaders who had wisdom that surpassed thier ages, both stubborn cats who refused to back down for anything. Burning's tail flicked on the ground ,disturbing the leaves that had fallen earlier. He wondered if Sunset had anything in mind for him to do...he hoped so. His blue eyes flicked back and forth between Sunset and Hiddenpaw, thier eyes seeming to shoot daggers at one another...Burning could understand Hiddenpaw's indignation, but he could also empathize with Sunset..She'd already lost one of her kits, thier brother, and she did not want to lose another. But Hiddenpaw had the right to help, the right to prove herself...

Starpaw was silent throughout the whole conversation. She had no ideas as to how Hiddenpaw could help, and thus she stayed silent. She wrapped her tail aroudn her white paws, and wondered how this fight would end...No wonder Hiddenpaw was so fired up about her mother- Sunset didn't give Hiddenpaw a chance to shine- yes, every mother wants to protect her kits, but there comes a time when every kit must leave the nursery and start to prove themselves, and no longer have the safety of thier mother....Starpaw sighed mentally.

[lakeripple]

Sunset stared at her daughter silently, the wheels in her head turning. How could she make the hotheaded apprentice understand? It was so difficult, Moonrise, her mother, had never mentioned how difficult it was! But then again, Moonrise had died before Susnet had grown to this age...

"Humor me Hiddenpaw," she murmured. "I will find something more for you. I know you want a challenge, why wouldn't you? We are more alike then you want to acknoledge. And just like me, I want you to start out slow. For now you are our secret weapon. Foxcloud knows nothing of your heritage. Let's keep it this way."

Hiddenpaw growled. "Secret weapon indeed! I'm almost a warrior! Mom, I'm old enough to make my own descisions. I want an acive part! I want to meet my brother, and I want to really help get him back! If you can't give me that, then I figure something out on my own."

[wolfwarrior4jesus]

Starpaw watched the fight between mother and daughter slowly heat up. She couldn't let them ruin thier relationship with each other.. Hiddenpaw had already told her about what Sunset was like..She stepped forward. "Sunset, why not let Hiddenpaw have a more active role? I mean, the more cats who are in on this, the better of a chance we'll have of rescuing the others..." She meowed, in a calm, honest manner. Her blue and silver eyes looked into Sunset's blue ones, trying to tell her that she couldn't be too over protective of her daughter...Children grow up, and Hiddenpaw had. The time of Sunset's gentle control over her kits was over- they had grown into independant apprentices, soon to be adults, who had minds of thier own...They were capable of protecting themselves, and of contrubuting to thier clans and tribes....

[lakeripple]

Sunset flicked her tail in annoyance, yet amusement. Her daughter truly was like her, it was almost like looking in a puddle. She dipped her head to hide her laughter, but looked at Starpaw and Hiddenpaw.

"You earn your rewards Hiddenpaw," she chastised quietly. "In the band I don't take well to disrespect. But, as we are all free cats where I am concerned... You may help Burning. I have something for him to do that might just as well take two cats." She blinked slowly. "Hopefully you are as good in tracking as he."

Grinning at Burning, Hiddenpaw laughed. "Guess we'll be seeing more of each other, eh brother? I'm feeling that I'll be able to take you on a lot more..."

[wolfwarrior4jesus]

Starpaw relaxed, her ears returning to a less rigid posture and she licked a snowy white paw as Hiddenpaw, happy to finally be included, turned to her brother, who gave her a roguish grin.

"Oh, haha, you'll be seeing more of me," He meowed, his eyes dancing, "But I'm not gonna let you trounce me like that again!" He purred, his tail curling over his back in pleasure. He'd wanted to spend more time with the sister he'd never known, and now, he could. Whats more, he was going to work with her to rescue thier brother. The thought of that made him purr even more. "Better hope you can follow some tracks, cuz I'm leaving you in my dust!" He teased...

"What are you planning for them?" Starpaw meowed quietly. She needed to know what would happen- it was crucial that she didn't overstep or do something in her part of the mission that would jeopardize thiers. A hard task lay ahead, hard enough without any trivial mistakes on her part..

[lakeripple]

Sunset's eyes glazed over in worry, wondering if she had chosen right. "It will only work if they are fast... I will be drilling Burning in laps and hope that Treestar will see that Hiddenpaw does some running too. If she cannot keep up, it will all be for nothing. Because their legs are so much shorter than hers..." A snarl curled around Sunset's lips. "But even so, this job is one of the most important. They will need to track Foxcloud, dog her until they find her alone and out of the camp. All that time they will disguise their scents. Then they will have to reveal themselves and send her on a chase. That will give me enough time to get my son, and Bird's daughter." Shivering, Sunset stared at Burning. "He's fast, but is he fast enough? How long will it take for him to learn to climb trees and jump from tree to tree?"

Hiddenpaw snarled and leaped on Burning, intending on pinning him to the ground. "Oh yeah? Think you can actually take me?" Her blue eyes were warm with the joke.

[wolfwarrior4jesus]

Burning grinned as Hiddenpaw pinned him to the ground. "Oh, I can take you sissy." He meowed, giving her a mischevious look. "Like I said...." He grunted and pushed up with all four paws, trying to dislodge Hiddenpaw and get to his feet. He couldn't remember ever having so much fun before. He suddenly wished Hiddenpaw lived with them in the band.....

Starpaw listened intently. "They can do this." She meowed, absolute belief in the two cats that were play fighting each other rising up in her chest. "How could they not suceed when they've got a teacher and mother like you?" She said simply. "Not only that, but the drive to rescue family will certainly fire them up- they'll do their best. In fact, I'm not sure you could find better cats to do this job." Starpaw meowed as she turned her gaze to brother and sister. She couldn't explain why she felt so strongly about the fact that Sunset had chosen the right cats, and that they would perform probably beyond expectation...She just knew they'd do thier best. "Foxcloud will find it hard to resist such a prize." She meowed as she thought of the plan. "Maybe you should start teaching them the manuver's they'll need to do this part of thier task..." She meowed. "I can help with the running a bit, I'm fairly fast myself..."

(blah post. is blah....sorry lakey..)

[lakeripple]

Sunset stared into space. "Will she have Moonlitice with her? I know no one as fast as her. Would it be possible for any cat to outrun her? Could that ever happen? Has anyone ever tried?" She winced. "I have heard that she has gotten more of a conscience, but would she go after kits at Foxcloud's bidding?"

Burning's paws connected with Hiddenpaw's belly and she squeled in surprised. Leaping off, she turned to her brother with a smile. "You really shouldn't have done that."

[wolfwarrior4jesus]

"She might..." starpaw meowed, giving the fiery she cat a grimace. "And I think there's yet to be a cat to outrun Moonlitice...But...a surefire way of stopping her would be to attack, and if it comes to that, Burning and Hiddenpaw should be trained how to fight against Moonlitice and Foxcloud's particular style...Tell them what to look out for, and what moves to expect, so that they know to what to anticipate." She meowed. "I can always follow up with them later after I get you into the camp, and try to distract them. I'm not a bad fighter." The white apprentice meowed calmly.

Burning laughed, a gentle tenor sound, filled with exuberance. "I shouldn't have....but I did!" He said mischeviously, his tail flicking playfully over his arched back. His blue eyes, like a clear cloudless sky, shone and he pranced forward, pretending to be nonchalant..