A different kind of company~Robin~

[Asterheart]

The young warrior's paws dragged slightly across the leaf littered paths as she trekked through the dawn lit forest. The initial excitement of becoming a warrior, as well as earning an apprentice, had begun to wear thin. The memories had gotten worse, even to the stage of which she had a real fight with her apprentice within battle training. She'd been wanting support from Spruceclaw, but she was afraid she wouldn't receive any. After all, last time she saw him, he'd noticed the possibility of her having kits, and she'd told him there was no doubt they were his. Her head weighted heavily upon her shoulders and she sighed. She'd already thought things were turning sour, but it seemed as though the sunset had only just begun in paradise, and it wasn't going to be pretty.

Now her paws tracked a familiar path, but she veered away from Rockclan in a different direction. She couldn't bare facing Spruce right now. He had his mate and kits. She was just an accident waiting to happen. Fortunately, she knew her way across the territory and home again very well. To be honest, right now she didn't care if her paws took her all the way to the plains. Not really fazed by where she was headed, her mind buzzing like a swarm of angry wasps, she allowed her white paws to carry her steadily onward, blue gaze trained upon the ground.

Soon enough she came across a familiar scent. One she had been doing her best to avoid, due to, personal reasons. Now she lifted her head, halting as she allowed her gaze to travel warily over the mountains. A sudden chilly breeze caused the new warrior to fluff up her fur. This was where it had all began. Long ago, when she'd just been named an apprentice. Another scent caused her tail to flick, eyes darting in search of the source. Uneasiness prickled her pelt. Her last meeting with this cat hadn't gone down as well as she'd hoped. Yet that strange familiarity still caused turmoil and confusion within the tabby she-cat. With grace she'd earned over the moons, Aster prowled over the rocks and sat neatly upon her side of the riverbank. Hoping to possibly start over from scratch with the Tom, she bowed her head in a respectful greeting. "Good morning, Robinstar ."

[Robinstar]

Robinstar prowled along the banks of the river, careful to keep his shadow from casting over the tumbling waters. This was one of the few places of IceClan's river that wasn't frozen over, and the leader had decided to take advantage and to fish the small expanse of river. However, so far, he hadn't had any luck. Did fish hibernate? He thought they did, but he wasn't completely sure. Either way, he was getting frustrated. Finally, with an annoyed grunt, he sat angrily down on the snowy bank, trying his best to ignore the harsh cold that sliced through his body.

He stared down at the river, as if waiting for a fish, but his mind wandered. The cold cleared his mind, despite how it made him shiver. Eventually he relaxed, and the shivers slowly fell away. Ever since he had met that TreeClanner—Asterpaw, he recalled, was her name—he had gotten that feeling as if something was at the tip of his tongue. He recognized her, and, what annoyed him most, was that he couldn't place why. She was considerably younger than him, so, when he was a loner, she must have been almost a newborn. There was no way he had met her before. But then why was she so familiar?

Good morning, Robinstar. The voice snapped the leader from his thoughts, and he looked up. Speak of the devil. CloudClan, even her voice is familiar. Who is she? He dipped his head, betraying none of his thoughts on his face. "Good morning, Asterpaw." Of course, he had no idea that she was a warrior by then. "Good to see you aren't tresspassing this time." Again, that strange familiarity. He frowned slightly, studying her face. Did she recognize him, by any chance?

[Asterheart]

(Sorry, couldn't get on. 14 days! Argh!)

Aster's mind had begun to drift to the mysterious leader's strange familiarity as she awaited his reply. Though one ear remained trained on him, her eyes fell upon the torrent before her. Strangely inviting despite her Treeclan upbringing. Was it due to her past, her roots as a loner? She was interrupted in her train of thought as Robinstar spoke to her. Referring to her by her former alias. At first she was surprised, before she realised he wouldn't know of her new name. "It's Asterheart now" she informed the other politely, meeting his gaze as he frowned, eyeing her up. She wondered now what could possibly be on her mind. However, she knew that it was not of her concern. He was a leader, his thoughts and troubles were his own, they had nothing to do with warrior from a rival clan.

As the silence dragged on slightly, Aster began to wonder if she was as achingly familiar to him as he was for her. She just had this niggling thought that she knew the tom, but for all the warrior was worth, she always failed to place it. As he mentioned their former meeting, she flinched slightly as if the memory had stung her, but she held his gaze bravely. She wasn't the hollow shell of a cat she used to be. Upon the day of their first meeting, she had been little more than a kit. Or at least in confidence to face the Iceclanner's accusations. Now she simply gazed upon him calmly, puzzling over who he possibly could have been, other than an Iceclan warrior that is. Had he ever been a loner? For until her latest memory, she had never met a clan cat in her life. And if she met him anytime after the gaping hole in her life, she'd be able to place who he was. As she allowed herself to delve into the emotions she could currently sense, sort of as a drilled in habit. She began to realise he too seemed to have a puzzle look. Did he recognise her? Should she ask him? Flickering her ears, she opened her mouth to speak, yet closed it again as she realised she'd only seem crazy. What sort of cat asked someone she barely knew a series of personal questions, let alone asking for her own identity. He'd think she'd gone mad. And more so than their previous interaction. And so, she kept silent and merely waited for him to speak.

(Lack of muse, sorry)

[Robinstar]

Robinstar's ears perked. "Ah, my apologies," he corrected himself, eyes flicking up towards the she-cat across the bank. She did look bigger since he'd last seen her—and he felt slightly guilty about their last meeting. She had just fallen into the river, and it wasn't her fault. Even if the river was IceClan territory, he'd been the one to drag her onto IceClan land. He was just being overprotective, with the smaller amounts of prey in their territory. And what they could find was scrawny and thin. "Congratulations, then." He knew becoming a warrior was a big achievement for the Clanners, though he hadn't had such a pleasure as going from an apprentice to warrior. Robinpaw hadn't existed—he'd gone straight from Robbie to Robinfrost. Perhaps Wildstar hadn't thought he needed extra training, after moons of fending for himself.

Sounds of rushing water filled the long silence as the two pondered over this very strange familiarity that resonated from each. The leader noticed her flinch, and once again felt a bit guilty—though, of course, didn't show this on his face. He dismissed the thought, once again returning to puzzle over from where he'd known her. And he was getting frustrated with how little he was progressing. You could ask her... No, that's a terrible idea. There's a very, very slim chance of having any good outcome. So, he began to lay it out. She obviously hadnt ever lived in IceClan—though her build was ever so slightly on the mountainous side, when she'd fallen in the river she had been practically helpless. Besides, he joined IceClan as a warrior, when she would've been a kit, and he'd never seen her in the Nursery. 

So so she definitely wasn't from IceClan. But that meant that he'd known her from his loner days, and he could count the number of cats he'd met on one paw—almost. He was fairly certain one of those cats wasn't Asterheart, and she was quite a bit younger. She would've been a kitten for most of his loner life. And besides, he wasn't even sure she was a loner. It wasn't like he could ask. Was it possible he didn't actually recognize her? He doubted it. Maybe I saw her at a gathering. But still, there was this nagging feeling at the back of his mind that he'd known her from somewhere important, and that they had a connection. But, the silence had dragged on long enough, and, though Asterheart had opened her mouth a couple of times, she hadn't said anything. "I apologize for our last meeting." 

( got just a little carried away. whoops! and don't worry about it :3 )

[Asterheart]

The young Treeclan warrior sat in silence, dipping her head gratefully at his congratulations. He really seemed like he wanted to make this work. Whatever this was. It was clear they were very familiar to each other, but neither could manage to place it. Flickering her ears awkwardly, Aster scanned his mask for any break, any hint of emotion, and caught the slightest flicker of guilt. The leader must be feeling sorry for their first meeting, and he proved this to be fact as her apologised. Clearly he was getting tired of how slow this was progressing. The she-cat almost decided to give up and leaver when something hit her like a rock. She had seen this tom before, and surely so had her family. But where? Was he a friend of her mother's? Had she taken her and the others to meet this Iceclan warrior? No, she would have know what the clans were if that were so. Even having forgot almost everything, she'd still find the clan slightly familiar. Maybe she'd met him, elsewhere?

Aster was sick of beating around the bush. She had to know why he was so familiar. She could swear on her life she'd me him somewhere else, under a different name. It was like torture, trying to delve into memories she no longer had any grasp on. He must've been very important in the past if he'd started to help her remember,no matter how frightening some of those memories were. Not being able to hold her tongue any longer, she sucked in a sharp breath and dove for the deep end. Metaphorically speaking, she wasn't going through that again. "Have you always been in Iceclan?" she asked carefully, refusing to meet his gaze. If she was wrong, she might have just highly offended the leader of another clan. She just hoped to Cloudclan she hadn't made him angry. She really needed to know who he was, and not just by status or alliance.

(Tagging now, Robinstar)

[Robinstar]

The two once again fell into an awkward silence, each trying to pick out from where they'd known the other. He was ready to punch a wall—metaphorically speaking—when she said something. Have you always been in IceClan? Robinstar tensed, his pelt prickling. There was only one cat he'd ever told his life story to (the other two who knew about it had been there with him) and that was only after Sunfish had gained his full and complete trust. He'd only spoken to Asterheart once before, and in no case trusted her. Yet, he felt like he should. The tom didn't respond, watching her, expressionless, from across the border. What was he supposed to do?

The leader decided to take a leap of faith for once. He sighed, then took a deep breath. "No." That was his response, and he didn't care to explain it further. He remained calm outside, but on the inside he was growing slightly worried. Had that been a mistake? He had just told a warrior from another clan, whom he barely knew, that the IceClan leader wasn't from his Clan. She had major dirt on him now. But he felt that, if he hadn't told her, he'd never find out how he knew her. Hopefully they hadn't been enemies before. "And you? Have you always been from TreeClan?" He was almost certain her answer would be the same as his had been.

[Asterheart]

(Yup, gotta love them weekends XD)

Aster was almost ready to give up, afraid that she had upset him somehow. She could sense this, turmoil inside him. Had she caused that? She knew they both felt similarly towards each other. There's no trust there, but both feel there should be. She could also tell he was hesitant. Even just that told her her guesses were right. This Tom was an outsider just as much as herself, and she knew it. Most leaders that had been born to the clan, or even brought in as a kit and didn't know, would instantly flare up and and point out that of course they had been clan born. Yet, Robinstar didn't do that. Why? Because it wouldn't be true. And his verbal response just made it all the more easy to know that she wasn't just confusing him for someone else.

Most cats in her situation, would be shocked if another clan's leader informed them that they were not clan born. In fact, very many would use it against them. Aster however, just bowed her head respectfully. It had taken him much to share this with her, and knew he was clearly worried if she'd misuse this information, or what her motive was for knowing. Therefore, his own question didn't surprise her. He too was still seeking. She hoped that there history, whatever there was for it, hadn't been a clash. She knew for certain it hadn't been a pleasant pass by moment. She shook her head gently, holding his gaze once more. He already knew what she was about to say, before she'd even said it. "No, I have not. Yet you already knew that, didn't you?" she responded lightly, her blue eyes sparking briefly with, something... No, not even she knew what her emotions and mind were telling her. There was this turmoil, this battle, going on inside, and she was completely unsure as to what, and why. Everything was screaming different things at her. Yet one similarity, was that they all said she knew him. He was part of her, but how?

[Robinstar]

He knew the answer before he asked the question, before she opened her mouth, and before she spoke, and her response deemed him correct. Of course she hadn't. He nodded in response, keeping his face utterly expressionless. She was so familiar it hurt—not just her appearance, either, but her personality—and the fact that she had once been a loner, just like he had, proved that they had known each other somewhere in the past. But he couldn't make the connection. He didn't even consider the possibility, because he was so certain it couldn't be true. So, it didn't even appear in his thought process. Instead, all he could think of was how much she reminded him of himself.

Asterheart seemed to be incredibly observant, as he liked to think himself as. He nodded once more. "I did," he responded, raising his voice slightly of the sounds of the river. Where did he know her from? The urge to scratch that itch was getting stronger by the second, but he just didn't know how. He turned his mind over and over for questions to ask that might lead in that certain direction without being too obvious, but nothing came to mind. "And you knew what my answer would be as well."

[Asterheart]

The warrior held his gaze surprisingly easily, whole body relaxed as she waited for any sort of verbal response. It was almost as though they were having a conversation through their shared sensitivity to emotions. They could almost feel each other's thoughts. Her whiskers twitched at this thought, and she blinked slowly to try and re-order her thoughts. Almost tempted to shake her head as though she'd just dragged herself from the river just pawsteps away. As he justified that he did know the answer, she momentarily wondered why he'd asked the question, but then again, she'd known what his answer would be. She just didn't quite expect him to be so willing to admit it. This means he's trying to figure this whole thing out just as hard as I am she confirmed mentally to herself, still maintaining their gaze. Though there was so little there, yet so much. She was still partially tempted to just dip her head to him and disappear, though the urge wa shallower than before. Especially now that they were get somewhere. Are we? Are we really getting anywhere in this? What is this even...

Her ears flickered back to attention as he spoke once more, calm and relaxed. The tone was almost recognizability, and the voice, and the pelt. That's it, she knew him, and they had to figure out how and why. Where from? Sucking in a hidden breath, she calmed herself and inclined her head in confirmation. "Correct" she responded calmly, still practically stalling. "Because I knew you from somewhere before I came to this clan, and I had never heard of Iceclan, or any clan for that matter. And you knew of my answer?" she continued calmly and easily, peering into his eyes like a soul seeker. Robinstar. She knew him well from somewhere, yet she couldn't understand where, or why. Or even, how.

[Robinstar]

Ah, so it had come out. They knew each other from somewhere, and now that the words were out in the open he felt even more need to find the answer. He nodded to show his agreement, then said, "Yes," in response to her question. Maybe now it would go somewhere. Once more, he studied her face. He recognized the shape of her face and eyes, but her coloring was almost completely foreign. "How old are you?" He asked after a moment.

(sorry! it's a bit short)

[Asterheart]

(No problem. I have no idea how old she is, or supposed to be! Agh...random number...)
Aster nodded. She was glad to know that they both recognised each other, but where from? His coat, his build, even his eyes were familiar. His scent, must have long since changed, as it was only known to her as Robinstar. She struggled briefly with who on earth he could possibly be, and how they ever managed to meet without remembering each other, before he asked a question. She blinked, confused. She didn't keep track of her age, the countless moons were lost to her. "All I know of my age is that I am a warrior. Twelve moons I'd assume, as my memory is of little use now." she'd joined the clan as a kit, trained as and apprentice, and become a warrior last moon maybe. Now she knew of almost nothing. Most of those memories had been swept away in the churning swarm of darkness that was her past, and she never knew what happened. She just knew this cat was part of it, and if she had her memories, then she'd know exactly who he was and why she was so desperate to remember him. "I joined at the age of an apprentice, but I don't ever remember doing so, and I can't remember a single thing from before. Not even a name." She shuddered at the thought, that even her mother's name was now lost to her. She didn't even know if she had siblings. She placed her mask, and almost matched him in the little emotion they both showed.

[Robinstar]

(No worries! That sounds about right, anyway xD)

For a minute, she seemed confused. How could one be confused about their age? He didn't know the exact number, but he knew he was around two years or so. When she responded, he nodded, thinking. That meant she would have been just a kitten when he was a loner. Did that mean....? Could it? He had met quite a few cats along the way, and it was definitely a possibility, now that he thought about it. He opened his mouth, about to ask her mother's name, when she told him she remembered nothing. Did she suffer from amnesia? That could make this a whole lot harder to figure out. "Not even your own?" He asked quietly, raising one, fictional eyebrow. He wondered, if he told her his loner name, if she'd recognize his name.

[Asterheart]

The young warrior tilted her head slightly to one side. Struggling with her thoughts was almost as exhausting as running from what little she could remember. She noticed her was about to ask her something, though by her words, he seemed to assume she wouldn't know the answer. She was about to insist her ask the question anyway, before realising truly enough that he was right. The answer would be very well lost to her. Instead, he asked of her own name. She blinked slowly and mulled over the question. "I believe Aster has always been my name. That just added onto it when the clan found me." she shrugged, not really sure. It seemed about right. Though she knew she hadn't told them her name, which must have meant someone brought her to the clan. She closed her eyes, and suddenly seemed to see another cat. They were a mere shadow of almost nothingness, no face, no name. Yet achingly familiar. 'Aster my child...I must go now. But you will see me again when I return.' Little her had nodded in response and sat down, curling her tail obediently over her paws. "I won't move from here until you get back mama..." Asterheart opened her eyes and nodded her confirmation. "Yes, my name was always Aster. But I didn't tell my saviour that, or they who stole me from my home for that matter. So someone must have told them." She sighed and shook her head, confusion evident in her eyes. Her mask was fading, it was taking too much strength to resist the urge to let it down, but she managed well enough. Her gaze swayed away from Robinstar 's and she blinked slowly at her paws.

[Robinstar]

Her name didn't sound familiar, which he found strange. He must've not known her name when he'd met her. He frowned ever so slightly. Aster, Aster, Aster, Aster. "And you... don't remember anyone else's name?" He asked, wondering for a moment if there was a treatment for such things. He didn't think so—at least not within the bounds of medicine cat treatments. He doubted she'd ever get her memory back. She seemed to be thinking hard—he could almost see it happening from across the river, and it seemed to have a great mental strain. He hoped he wasn't making things worse.

[Asterheart]

Well clearly her name was of no use them, if it even was her real name. Her ears flickered slightly and she shook her head the instant he spoke. She did not remember another name. Yet, as it was, she found she might as well try to remember. Sighing slightly, her eyes fell close and she forced her tense frame to relax into an almost dream like state. She scanned around in her mind almost desperately. Flickers of everything and nothing at the same time burst out of the darkness at her for some strange reason. Voices speaking words she couldn't understand, or couldn't make out for that matter. Her outside form was completely still part from her breathing as she sat upon the bank. She'd almost given up, the mental strain baring to much for her, when she brushed past the surface of things she could remember to bother scene that suddenly played in her mind.

The young feline sat, tail curled over tiny white paws, and ribs poking out. Her stomach had given up yowling for food, and her mind had given up on sleep. She only ever left to drink, as hunting meant she might take too long and miss her mother's return. Now, her eyes began to drift closed, and she repeatitivly forced them open again with a forceful blink. Yet the next time the went to close, she could do nothing other than let them. It seemed like only seconds had passed when she was aware of another's presence. Her eyes flew open and she got to her paws, tail waving in excitement, before it fell and she frowned. "I'm sorry..." Said the other. The young she-cat unsheathed her claws and blinks irritably at the other. "For what? What is it that you want of me?" She spat, narrowing her eyes in challange. The other shook his head as though trying to rid himslelf of every thought imaginable. The cat seemed to have no face or coat color, nothing, but his voice and words were clear. "Aster. Storm is gone." The youngling glared irritably at him. "What of Storm? I know she is gone, where is she?!" The Tom shook his head and sighed. "I'm sorry young one, your mother..,she's...she's dead..." The little tabby had lashed her tail, blinking back tears, and flashed her claws at him. "Leave me! I never wish to see you again! I've had enough of your lies!" And then she disappeared, and so did the memory.

Aster opened her eyes with a slight gasp and stared at Robinstar as though she could see right through him, to see and picture someone else. The whole memory and scene had faded now to nothing, but one thing lingered. One name... "Storm..." she murmured gently before shaking herself and closing her mouth, forcing her mask back again before meeting his gaze seriously. "My mother's name was Storm."

(And he knows this name, correct?)