Life of Nomads [One on One: Renea and DustyPants]

"your on Aspen.." She grinned and ran inside. "Come on Artic..." She giggled She liked Artic for some reason he was more better than his sister in some ways. Maybe it was his listening skilles. She sat on her corn and waited . "Okay I teach you how to do the back kick and roll side.." she mewed at Artic . she gave him a playful wink.

"Wee.. gooing to see mommy?" The words made Shadow close his eyes and let a tear fall he stopped. "You two go I can't go any further I don't think I can stand to look." His yellow eyes looked sad. "I find some food to eat and bring back. If thats okay with you.. or would you like me to stay her and watch the kitten?" Shadow sat down his eyes looked clouded with wet ness he knew teh mother of teh kitten wouldn't last long.

Artic watched Rock with big eyes."Teach me!" he said, jumping up and down.He caught sight of Estera walking upstairs and he watched her go, slowing his jumping to a stop.His eyes seemed to sparkle more as he watched the female walk back down the stairs.She was small and beautiful, graceful.She walked out the door and padded off.Artic just watched her until she was gone.Even then, he sat there watching where she had been.

Plaine and Aspen sat a good distance from Rock and Artic."We'll be learning how to play dead and how to stalk prey," said Aspen.He figured those were easy enough to learn.Aspen demenstrated how to play dead a few times, explaining some key points before allowing Plaine to try.

Sage held the kitten in her mouth."We'll go on ahead then.You can go ahead and hunt something if you want.Just don't go too far," she told Shadow."He needs to see his mother."Sage padded on towards where Ivy was.Her heartbeat quickened as she padded on.The first thing to hit her was the scent of blood.

Rock stood up "Okay .." He voice stopped as she watch estera walk . Her eyes never left teh female cat. "I wonder if Sage and Shadow are okay?" She hissed under her breath. "Okay let have some fun." She tapped his head with her tail. "Watch this. She ran forward and twisted her-forepaws sideways making a 360 turn and kicking up with air, with hind legs proudly. She did it with such grace it was unbelivably fast too. "You run and trick the opposite." She twicthed her tail. " You put more force in te hfrount and twist teh rest up with your upper body.." She winked.

Shadow nodded and ran off. "Call me and I shall hear you." He mewed and went to find food for his friends.

Sunflower wagged his tail. "Mommy I smell mommy!" He mewed He didn't say anything about teh blood. His mother laided with cye closed with her fur surround in blood she seemed to be barely breathing.

Sage set the kitten down and approached Ivy."We, Shadow and I, found your son," she said softly."Shadow told me you wanted to see him."Sage used her tail to guide the kitten forward.She didn't let her eyes betray the fact that she was so hurt by the way the mother looked.She was so thin and ill, it tore Sage's heart in two.Sage could smell the scent of death slowly coming and Sage knew the kitten didn't understand.

"Like this?" asked Artic, trying to mimic what Rock had done.However, he fell on his face.Leaping up, he shook himself out, feeling his face burn with embarrassment.He felt ashamed that he failed."Oops!" he said, laughing it off."Can I try again?"Artic looked up at Rock with his big silver eyes.He knew what to do, but he had just messed up on the turn and lost his balance.

Plaine got the hang of playing dead.She and Aspen played around for a little bit as he showed her the situations it could be used in.Plaine purred and was glad she learned a new trick."Now can we learn to stalk prey?" asked the kitten happily.Aspen purred and stretched out."Aren't you tired yet?" he asked, laughing.Plaine shook her head."Not at all!" she told him.Aspen sighed, not that he was upset.He stood up straight again."Okay," he said before crouching down.He began to show her the hunter's crouch.

Ivy opened her mouth with her eyes closed. "Oh thank goodness....." She coffed. Her one opened slowly and she saw her son. "Aww sunflower ... " Her tone was more softer. "Will you take care of him?" Her eye looked at Sage. "Mommy will dad come to get me? Will Mommy get up..." Sunflower started towards her but she hissed. "Please don't.. I love you sunflower.. so does.. your father... but he not coming to get you......not any more..never.. but you look just like him.." Sunflower tilted his head.. "Mommy don't say that.. he come back." He ran up to her ignoring her hiss. "You look just.. like him... I at least for filled my part .... you live.... take ....care..." Her eyes closed. "I love ........you.." her last breath and then she stopped brathing. Sunflower pawed her face. "Mommy? Mommy wake up? MOMMY!!" He screemed his paws rubbed his mothers face. "Mommy...." Tears ran down his tail. He just ketp on trying to wake her up.

Rock giggled. "Sure you can." she gave him a lick on the head. "You know I never learned it on my first try ether.. you want to see how bad I was...?" She backed and did it again and landed in a belly flop and grinned. "That was me when i was a kit. " she winked at him.

Shadow found a mouse and killed it fast he started to walk back to where sage was..

Sage watched the kitten before walking over to him."Sunflower," she said gently."Your mother isn't going to wake up."Sage knew he didn't understand death and she hoped Estera would take Ivy in her care for the rest of the world's existance.

"So I actually did alright?" asked Artic.He tried again and failed once more."That turn is hard," he said softly.On the third time, Estera appeared and helped him finish the turn.She smiled at him and disappeared on the spot.The fourth time, Artic succeeded.

[I got nothing for Aspen and Plaine xD]

Sunflower turned to her and frowned. "Bring mommy back?" HE tilted then mewed. "Maybe daddy?" He wobbled over to sage very week . His tummy gave little grumble sound and he looked down at his paws. He felt alone and scared a bit.

Rock smiled when Estera helped him. "Good job Artic want to see what your sister is learning?" She looked over to see what Aspen was teaching.

Shadow walked up to sage. "I got a mouse but dark is falling we must go.." He mewed to her and looked at teh dead mother. He bowed his head sadly.

"Take Sunflower back to the base," said Sage, looking at Shadow."Make sure he has something to eat.I'm going to bury her at the Spiritual Grounds.I'll put some white sage and lavander on the grave before I come back."Sage's eyes sparkled and she looked so young, alot younger than most realized."Tell Plaine and Artic something came up," she added.Sage began to put Ivy's body on her back, the blood streaked her fur slightly but she ignored it.

"Yes, please," said Artic, excitedly.He ran over to see Aspen napping and Plaine practicing her crouches.Aspen stirred and opened his eyes as the white kitten came over.He looked up at Rock, eyes twinkling with amusement as the kittens practiced their moves on one another.Artic pounced on Plaine and she played dead.Artic hesitated and she sprung up, pinning him down.The two kittens tumbled around.

Shadow looked at her. "Indeed it be done." Sunflower had tears in his eyes as he wobbles over to his mother ass sage took her away. "mo...wooaahh" Shadow grabbed him swinging him swinging him . Around and running off. He wined calling for his mother but shadow moved fast to take him away. Sunflower didn't like Shadow's grip on his neck it was hard and painful as he swung in his jaws. His green eyes seeing the forest fly by and in no ttime there at the cabin. Shadow came in and set him down with his eyes looking around. Sunflower shivers scared a bit. He looked around as he noticed more cats.

Rock purrred at the kittens till her eyes looked at Shadow. "Hey brother where is Sage.. Shadow walked past her and and grabbed a two mice and ran past her setting it down in frount of Sunflower. "Eat.." Sunflower looked down at eh food and nibbled on it fast. Rock watched "Aspen you see what I see?" Her eyes looked at teh tiny male kitten.

Sage finished burying the mother.She put the lavander and sage on the grave before going to a pool of water and rinsing out the blood.She padded back to the base.The faint scent of mint surrounded her and she knew it was Estera's way of praising her."You're welcome Estera," said Sage.Sage was the leader of the ritutals, almost like a priestess.She knew them all by heart.Sage padded into the base, glad to see the kitten eating.

Shadow looked at Sage and winked. "Good to see your back." He said and winked at her. Rock walked up. "Sage your kittens where well and who is this..." Her eyes looked at the tiny kitten. Sunflower looked back at her and they stared a bit. His jade eyes looked scared at her. "Hey Aspen come meet the new kitten!" Rock purred and bent down to touch noses with sunflower. Her face smiling Sunflower smiled back a tiny bit. Shadow crawled back towards his shadow corner.