Hollow (p)

[Artemis]

How long had it been since Artemis had last set foot in DeathClan territory? It had to have been more than a few moons. Everything looked strangely off: the set of the trees against the landscape, the sporadic rocks and marshes, the rivers, even the sloping of the grounds. They didn't seem to have changed drastically, but Artemis still felt as if she was a stranger stepping into someone else's home.

She had been adrift for quite some time now, moving back and forth between the Twolegplace and rogue territory more and more often until she'd just stayed in the Twolegplace for a while. She could never truly shake the mark of the place from herself, the scents and the sounds. The places she crawled through there were ratty and grimy, laden with the Twolegs' trash, but they were safe. Familiar. She had been born in such a place, in that cramped corner with the stenches of Twolegs and of ill, dying cats. Now, she understood why her mother had lost herself, had worked herself into such a frenzy that she'd taken it out on her to render her deaf. Thinking in that kind of place was impossible when there was nothing but confined space and Twolegs.

But DeathClan had always been her true home. It had taken her in when she had been lost and vulnerable, and thus she could never truly leave it behind. Artemis had made connections here. Friends, she could call them, but did anyone in DeathClan really have friends? And most of them were gone. She remembered Blaze, her mentor and both a mother and an older sister figure, with a surprisingly painful ache in her chest. If there was anyone she most owed her ideals to, it was her. But Blaze was long gone. There was nothing she could do about that.

There had been others, too. Badger. Snow. Foxy. Darkning. Scourge. Thicket. Strike. Drought. But now they were only names, memories. That was the thing about DeathClan; anyone could stay or move on as they pleased...although that had not been the case for Drought. She closed her eyes briefly, ignoring the sharper ache from the thought of Drought that still had not quite faded completely. In the end, life simply went on.

Her den had still been empty, thankfully, save for a spider that she'd immediately swatted out. She'd saved the webs it'd left behind, though--she knew well enough about how useful they were, thanks to Blaze. Now, in a small clearing, she had settled for a blackbird she'd been able to take down earlier and had dragged to a spot on the grass to eat it on. As she tore silently into it, careful to claw off all the feathers, Artemis looked around. Unusually, for the first time in a long time, she found herself actually searching for any sign of company. It'd been far too long since she'd actually spoken to someone.

[Deleted]

Ember was curious about the cat she'd been watching from afar, who seemed to share something in common with the dark furred she-cat. This stranger seemed to be intimately familiar with Deathclan, yet had been absent for a long time. How... Interesting. She was spotted fairly easily as the cat was scanning around. Probably checking for any cats who might try to swipe her prey. She gathered that sort of thing didn't happen around here so much anymore... But, if she was right... This cat perhaps came from a time where a younger, more inexperienced cat may be forced to steal from a competent hunter for survival.

She remembered her own days when she'd be young and practically incapable of hunting, just barely scraping by as a struggling kitten. 

"Yo." She called out, since there was no point in attempting to conceal her presence.

[Deluge]

Sniff. Sniff, sniff.

Two pricked ears poked out from behind some nearby thicket- hesitant, at first, though growing in certainty.

Foooooood.

It had been a long while since Deluge had first set out from her kittypet home in search of her only known relative, and though her search had proved to be unsuccessful, she had remained. Maybe it was hope, but more than likely, lack of direction. After a few quarrels with DeathClanners she had encountered, on top of what little training she had with Drought as a kitten, she could fight decently.

But hunt? That was a whole other ballgame.

Timidly, Deluge stepped out from behind her hiding place, to see two felines, and, and..

Prey!

Her stomach growled, and she stepped forward once more, but Deluge was no idiot. She could take on one cat, maybe, but two? Not a chance. Settling down where she was- a reasonable distance from the other two but not so far away as to be out of earshot- the former kittypet waited.

This was so much easier in the good old days. What a foreign concept it was- to have your meal run away from you, that is.

[Artemis]

After a few long moments of nothing but silence, Artemis shrugged her shoulders in resignation and went back to munching away at the meat of the bird. Thankfully, with the days getting gradually warmer, the prey was getting fatter. However, she hadn't swallowed more than another mouthful when her good ear pricked up at a sound. Specifically, the sound of a voice.

She turned her head until she saw the source of the voice in question: a dark cat, female from the looks and smell of it. At the greeting, Artemis hesitated. Years of wariness and experience had honed her instincts, and she was ready to take the bird and run should the stranger attempt to attack her or steal her food. She hadn't forgotten how DeathClan worked, after all. But there was no sign yet that she had any reason to be paranoid other than the fact this cat was a stranger. Maybe the cat was only a newcomer.

"Hello," she ventured, keeping her voice mild but neutral. She took another bite of her blackbird and swallowed. "What's your name?"

However, as soon as she'd finished the question, another cat's scent soon met her nose and she whipped around abruptly. She could have sworn she'd seen that bush moving. There was definitely a cat there, though Artemis couldn't quite make out who it was. She moved around carefully so that she was in a position to be facing the bush, ensuring there was no way that said cat could sneak up on her from behind if that was their plan, and continued to eat.

[Deleted]

Ember wasn't sure what that cat who was approaching from afar was about, seeming almost crestfallen about Ember's presence coupled with the cat with the bird. She decided they weren't important, and promptly ignored them.

She'd interrupted bird-cat's meal, having caught them mid-bite. There was a moment of hesitation. Likely trying to decide if Ember would turn out to be a threat or not to her meal. Thankfully for the bird-cat... This was not to be. Ember was not hungry. Mostly bored, if she was being honest.

The dark-furred she-cat sat down with a pleasant smile. Of course, she didn't really feel... Pleasant, but it usually put cats at ease. Right? She might be mixing up her social cues though... That was kind of hard sometimes. It was easier to hurt someone than it was to make peace and be friendly. Eugh, that wasn't really her forte... But she tried. That was something, right?

"Ember." She replied in response. "And... If I might ask of your name...?"

Then the bird-cat, who frustratingly enough still hadn't given her name, took notice of the weirdo that joined them last. Who.. Probably was far more likely to swipe bird-cat's meal. She seemed hungry. 

Of course, if such a thing came to pass... Ember had no intentions of being even remotely helpful.

[Deluge]

This was it. This was her moment of opportunity.

They were conversing, now, the two of them.

Wait for it.... wait for it....

Deluge crouched down, wiggling her hindquarters in anticipation.

Just a little more...

GO!!

Deluge made a mad dash for the blackbird, not in the least bit stealthy. Paws flailed, tails were stepped on, she ran frantically.

Just a little further, almost there...

No, wait, no.

In just a few brief moments, Deluge had realized her mistake.

No, no, no, no, no, no, nooo!

It was too late. Missing horribly and failing pathetically, Deluge tripped and tumbled, crashing (very conveniently, and not to mention very, very stealthily) straight into Artemis.

Well, it was definitely too late now. But it was near sun-high, and she was hungry. She had to commit to this. Grinning sheepishly at Artemis, and with a heh-heh, sorry sort of mumble noise (it's quite difficult to enunciate with a full sized blackbird in your mouth, you see), she now stepped back- er, fell back, crouching low to the ground and glancing about frantically to find the closest possible escape.

[Artemis]

Something about the other cat's smile was off-putting, although Artemis couldn't quite name what it was. She continued to keep her face and voice perfectly neutral as she spoke. "Artemis," she said simply, biting off a smaller piece of her bird and gulping it down. "A pleasure to meet you, Ember."

...if company is all you came for, that is. But she couldn't dwell on that. She was being too paranoid. If this cat--this Ember=-wanted her food, she would've surely done something about it by now. If anything, the other cat just looked bored.

Artemis tried to cast about for some kind of conversation topic that wasn't mere small talk, if only to break the continually awkward silence between them. Unfortunately, she'd never been a very social type and she'd always been used to others initiating conversation. For lack of anything to say, she turned back towards her bird--

--only to be met instead with a slam right into her front, knocking the wind out of her as she hit the ground. Dazed, she scrambled around on the ground--what's going on?--aimlessly until she realized what had just happened and saw it for herself. Some cat, with that same scent she'd detected earlier, was holding the blackbird in her mouth. Artemis's blackbird.

For an uncharacteristic moment, Artemis wanted to laugh. The cat hadn't even thought of speaking to her or making nice with her in hopes of obtaining the food without exerting herself. No, she'd chosen to do it the hard way.

"Excuse me," Artemis said softly, "but I believe that is mine."

Without another word, she lunged at the unfamiliar black-and-white cat with the aim to slam hard enough into her side to force her to drop the bird in her shock.

[Deleted]

Ember's pleasant smile stayed. "Artemis. Lovely name." She purred. Though, she imagined that Artemis was simply being formal. It had yet to be seen if this meeting would turn out to be of good fortune or a terrible stroke of bad luck. You never really knew at the first meeting. 

The silver and white cat seemed to search for something to say, before deciding to return to her blackbird. 

Of course, Ember noticed that while this was happening... The weirdo who probably didn't get out much was bumbling towards them. She didn't say a thing since while she was interested in possible gaining any ally...

She didn't really feel like helping.

Though, really... This cat was an embarrassment to wild cats everywhere. Eugh, the moron didn't even seem to make an adequate thief, much less a competent hunter. Her smile faded away to make way for a bored, unimpressed expression. She looked past Artemis at the thief with terrible coordination, raising a fictional eyebrow.

The thief was mumbling something, probably some feeble apologies. Ew. What business did this cat have being in the wild, really? The mysterious black and white she-cat seemed like she was beginning to try and make escape. Hah. Artemis appeared at least competent, would likely easily retrieve her prey.

Ember yawned, watching the exchange with barely attentive interest. She'd see how this could go. Artemis had immediately attacked the thief, predictably. 

"You really don't even pass as a competent thief." She remarked, continuing to be exactly zero help at all.