help (o)

[Deleted]

Jude had been hiding in his den all day. He was overcome with guilt and didn't know what to do. He'd hurt Patch. He wished for her to be dead. And now he regretted all of that. 'How was I so blind? She didn't mean any harm. And I hurt her.' Thoughts were spinning in his head all day. He'd forgotten to eat, and after rolling around in his nest and wrestling his thoughts, his fur was all tangled and matted, too. 'I'll fix it later.'

His gaze moved to the entrance of his den. He didn't want to go outside. He was too afraid. He feared that he'd assume more wrong things about cats and end up hurting them, like Patch. 'But I guess I can't stay in here forever now, can I?'

Heaving a breath, he crept closer to the exit and hesitantly left his den. He gazed around, slightly dazed by the sudden sunlight, and wondered if anyone was around.

[Sky]

Sky wandered the territory aimlessly, her tail swaying boredly. It was easier for her to walk around now without the fear of slamming into a tree, as she had mapped most of the territory in her brain. She wondered how long she would stay in Deathclan, she had lately had a lot of time to think about these things, and it made her nervous. Did she really fit in here?

She pushed these thoughts to the back of her mind at the familiar scent, easily putting a name to it. She had a killer memory, although memories didn't get you very far.

" Hey Jude." She greeted, trotted forward. It wasn't hard to sense the swirl of emotions radiating off his pelt, although she made no comment. It wasn't her business, after all.

[Deleted]

"Hey Jude."

The tabby flinched back and looked around, sighing when he spotted Sky. 'Thank goodness she can't see me. I look like an utter mess.' He didn't smell the greatest either, after having been rolling in old moss and soil, but he could easily make up an excuse for that. Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down, he sat up straighter and forced a smile. It was easy to see that it was fake, but Sky couldn't do that so he thought he was in the clear. 'I'm sure she can sense emotions, though. Maybe if I pretend to be fine, then she'll think I'm fine.'

"Hi Sky. What are you up to?" He asked, trying to sound as casual as possible. Hopefully his calico friend could help him get his mind off things.

[Sky]

Sky's smile tightened at the strong scent coming off him, her ears flicking back slightly. He had obviously been in his nest awhile, and curiosity was killing her. Although she couldn't pinpoint his exact emotions, she knew they were all negative. His voice sounded too fake, and if she could see she would probably be met with a tired, sunken in face. Although she didn't say any of these things.

" I'm not going to ask you what's wrong, but you really suck at lying." Sky stated bluntly, sitting down casually on her haunches before continuing like she hadn't mentioned anything. " I was bored, thought it'd be nice to talk to someone." She shrugged.

[Deleted]

Jude looked down, watching his tail-tip flick back and forth. "I'm not lying." He said carefully, trying to make sure that his tone of voice sounded nothing other than normal. He wasn't too sure if it worked. It probably didn't.

He looked back up at her when she gave her answer. He twitched his whiskers in interest. "Oh. That's nice of you to stop by." He blinked, shaking his head to himself before focusing back on her. It helped clear his mind a little. "Is DeathClan treating you okay and everything?"

[Sky]

" And I'm not blind." She retorted sarcastically, although her tone didn't suggest any annoyance. She had learned to read other cats a month after her incident, so by now it came naturally. She knew how far she could push without getting in trouble, and when to just not say anything.

She didn't answer his first statement, knowing that their meeting hadn't been on purpose. Although he didn't need to know that. 'Is Deathclan treating you okay and everything?'. She smiled, shaking her head lightly. " As well as a clan with 'Death' in its name can, I suppose."

[Deleted]

"You're funny." He said dryly, rolling his eyes. That did manage to make him smile, though. He gave his fur a shake and did a poor attempt to smooth it down as he waited for her answer.

"I take it you've been doing fine, then?" She didn't look injured or anything since the last time he'd seen her. That was a good sign. 'And Natalia said she spoke with her, too. I wonder who else Sky's met.' He had a feeling she'd become a popular cat in DeathClan.

[Sky]

Sky huffed, although she could help let a small smile tug at the end of her lips. Hearing his fur shake only confirmed her original guess of its messiness, and she stood a little straighter.

" Yeah, I guess so." She shrugged nonchalantly. She hadn't gotten into any fights yet, so that was good enough for her. "..What about you?" She questioned, hoping to get a straight answer. He was obviously doing better now that he had a distraction, but she was almost positive the negative feelings would come back the moment she mentioned it.

[Deleted]

Jude's smile grew just a bit. He was happy to hear that she was settling in well. 'I hope she sticks around. She's a nice cat to hang out with.' His smile soon faded away into a frail, forced one when she asked the same thing back. His thoughts flew back to Patch and how injured she was the first time he attacked her, and the fact that he saw her again and went for the kill. His smile had completely vanished now, and he had begun to grind his teeth.

"I've been okay."

[Sky]

Sky flattened her ears to her head, knowing she should stop trying to ask. He obviously wouldn't talk about it and she didn't want to turn Jude against her. Although she would probably never truly trust him, and vice versa, he was a good ally. If he could even be called that.

" Sorry, I didn't mean to push." Although that was exactly what she had wanted to do, to see how far he could be pushed. She lowered her head slightly, trying to show her sincerity. It wasn't her intention to annoy him. " So.... How's hunting been now that leaf-bare is just around the corner?" She changed the subject, returning to her friendly stance, ears up.

[Deleted]

Jude sighed when she flattened her ears. He shook his head at her apology. "Don't worry about it. I'm sorry about my stupid answer." He didn't want Sky to think she was bothering him in any way, because she really wasn't.

He smiled gently when she changed the subject. "It's been better than expected. The prey's just scrawnier, but I can get by with that." He tipped his head. "What about you?"

[Sky]

Sky nodded, glad he wasn't having a hard time with prey. " I guess its alright, its kind of hard to be quiet with all the leaves though." She shrugged nonchalantly, her nose twitching absentmindedly. " I just feel bad for all the new kits that have been joining, most probably wont last through leaf-bare." Her tone suggested she didn't really care, but she knew it was more serious then that.

[Deleted]

"That's true. At least they'll be gone soon." He said optimistically, though it wasn't like the snow was any better. Sure, the leaves scared prey, but the snow felt like it'd freeze your paws off.

Jude frowned when she went on. "Yeah. A lot of them don't even know how to hunt. I doubt they'll survive."

[Sky]

" I hope so." She grumbled, much less optimistic about the situation. She preferred snow over leaves by far, and with her thick coat she would at least keep in some warmth.

" I just hope they die from the cold, not hunger." She murmured, knowing that the pain of hunger was worse then frostbite. At least when you froze to death it was quick, hunger stretched out for days, maybe even weeks if you managed to get your paws on some scraps in between.

[Deleted]

Jude looked down, dragging his tail back and forth in the dirt. "Yeah. Those poor kits." He trailed off, shaking his head. "I hope we don't end up stumbling upon dead bodies everywhere."