{Dark}ness {F}alls

[>>[S]ilver]

His dark tabby figure moves swiftly though the dark underground, a mouse hanging limply from his strong jaws. His eyes were narrowed slyly and were emmiting an eerie green glow. He stoped in his tracks, the small mist that always seemed to be swirling around EarthClan's grounds encasing his paws in a star-like shimmer. He growled. Something was wrong. He droped the mouse, it's form hitting the hard earth with a dull thud, and crouched. His eyes searced the shrubs and roots for signs of cats, but he didn't smell any cat. He crouched lower, a nervous creeping sensation filling his body. His eyes flickered as the tiny subble of grass moved; something was slithering closer to him. He growled and pricked his ears, listening to it. It moved again, and then became still. The tom pinpointed the thing, and crept forward, his paws almost floating. Hissing, he jumped on the thing. It thrashed and hissed, it's fangs skimmed against the long dark fur of his leg. He bit down hard, it's neck made a snapping noise, and it fell limp.

Darkpaw gazed down at his prey, panting from the battle. It was a bright yellow snake, it's black beedy eyes peeled open and the fire in them only just now dieing. He looked at it with wonder. Cats hardly ever found snakes such as this, and when they did they hardly ever lived. He smiled with pride in himself and padded back to Camp, wondering if he could eat it.

When he got back, Camp was almost empty, but for a queen and her kit's laying out on the Warming Rock and two elders sharing a vole outside their den. An ant was making it's way across the ground, and Darkpaw looked down, stepping on it with one black-padded paw. He smiled and droped his mouse into the Fresh-kill pile, and walking back to sit on a root next to his den. He frowned down at the thing, as if he expected it to spring back to life.

[Hawkfeather]

"Ugh, that...thing reeks!" The gray tabby commented, padding out of the apprentice's den. Her eyes were narrowed as she wrinkled her nose. With a twitch of her whiskers, Tranquilpaw went to sit next to the other apprentice. Her clear blue-green eyes glowed with mischief.

She prodded the snake with a claw. "Hey, is this really a snake? Like the ones the elders always speak of? That's supposed to kill us if we ever wander too far from camp?" Tranquilpaw asked curiously, her ears flicking.

"Good catch, by the way." She added, with a grin.

[>>[S]ilver]

Darkpaw looked up from the odd smellinng snake to see a gray pelted apprentice called Tranquilpaw padding towards him. She was far from being tranquil, but she was nice enough. I don't know. I think it is ... He meowed, looking from it to her with something like a mixture of pride and confusion. The elders did always tell kits and apprentices not to wander too far or a great yellow snake would come to eat them. He smiled widely, brimming with pride. Thanks! He paused, lifting one paw slightly, head c.ocked to one side. Think I can eat it?

[Hawkfeather]

Tranquilpaw blinked. She stared at Darkpaw, then at the snake. Then she blinked again. "I...ah....wouldn't suggest it." She meowed delicately, her nose twitching.

"You know, for a giant whompin' great snake that's supposed to be able to devour one of those sun-pelted lion, it isn't....really all that big. Think the elders exaggarated?" She blinked owlishly, then prodded the snake with a claw again.

"Either way, it stinks." She let out a quiet mrrraow of amusement.

[>>[S]ilver]

He chuckles deeply and prodded the thing. Yep, I think they might have ... only a tad ... He meowed, narrowing one eye. You wanna eat it? He meowed, looking at her with raised eyebrows. He smiled at Tranqilpaw, wondering if she would. I dare you to!

[[- Sorry ... no muse -]]

[Hawkfeather]

Tranquilpaw's ears pinned back against her skull. She hissed loudly, exposing her fangs. The fur at the back of her neck prickled, and her blue-green eyes narrowed to slits. Her black-tipped tail swished slowly from side to side. "I've never been able to resist a dare yet...." She growled thoughtfully. Her tail continued swishing.

An almost pleading expression was in her eyes as she glanced at Darkpaw. "You sure? I mean, we could hang it in our den...."

[>>[S]ilver]

Darkpaw thought for a moment, eyes clouded. After a second, a grin spread over his handsome face and his eyes became clear, the though steaming in his mind. Ok! Great idea, Tranquilpaw! He meowed, bouncing to his paws. He smiled down at the thing, and bent to pick it up. Once he came in about two inches of the thing, he wrinkled his nose and pulled back, lifting one paw as if to shield himself from it. Shall we guve it a bath first? He asked, looking to her and pawing at his nose as if to rid himself of it's stink.

[Hawkfeather]

Tranquilpaw bit back a sigh of relief, and instead wrinkled her nose, pretending to look mortified. "Of course! I'm not having something that stinks so much inside my den!" She yelped, pawing at her nose in mock distress. With a laugh, she rolled on her back, all four paws batting at the air.

"You sound funny!" She told him, a teasing purr in her voice. Tranquilpaw suddenly rolled back up to stand on all four paws. "C'mon, let's go!"

[>>[S]ilver]

Hey! I don't want to carry this thing! He meowed after her. He bent and, holding his breath, picked it up and flung it at her. It landed without a noise on her back, it's dead head slithering up to the back of her neck. He bounded after her and ahead of her, in the direction of the Crystal Falls. He started laughing so hard tears welded up in his mysteriously colored green eyes, wondering what her reaction would be. He stopped running and looked back...