Wandering Mess known as Swamp

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Swamp wanders hopelessly. His tail drags behind him and he doesn't care where he is going. In fact, he seems to be going in circles. Mud, leaves and twigs are stuck to his fur and his lifeless eyes scan the surrounding area without even noticing details.

She nods. "It is hard. I've been holding that in for moons now. I'm happy I got it out." She looked up at him. "But, he was just a kit when he ran away. There's no way he could have..." She cut off her words and shook her head. "I mustn't think like that." "I wanted to apologize but, he wouldn't accept it." Her face looked slightly glum, but not depressed. Thousands of things were swirling in her mind, including the fact that she had no friends whatsoever. But she already trusted this cat a bit, and even found great things in him. Now that we're here, I don't believe I told you my name. She said, sniffling. "I'm Snow."

Swamp casts a sidelong glance at her unsure of what to do next. "So... Snow, I guess maybe I'll end up staying round here for a while so do you know any good dens? An abandoned hole or something will work..." He glaces around hoping she knows a good place. His other option is regrettably not waterproof. Sleeping in a tree.

She nods. "Yes, I do have one, fortunately." She padded across the empty land and came to a bush of undergrowth. "I'm not sure this is big enough." She reached out a paw and pulled it back. "How's that?" It was a hole, slightly smaller than her cave. "I've already stored some moss and a few pieces of prey in it, just in case there were visitors. I uuhh, can be tidy." She blushes and looks away.

Swamp smiles a little. "Thank you, you're really quite nice. Very few cats I've met would care so much about a stranger. It was nice to meet you and you have clearly done wonders for my personal hygiene... So thanks," he says. When he stops he's a little embarrassed to have thanked her for all that and scurries into the hole quickly. "Bye"

She nods. "T-Thanks." She blushes heavily and runs hurriedly back to her cave. She's extremely happy that she helped him, but feeling something more. What was this feeling? She asked herself. She's never felt it in her life before... hmmm... Could it be...? No. She buries her face into a piece of fluffy moss in her cave and tries to fight the engulfing feeling.

Swamp nudged the moss with a paw and formed a very nice nest. He curled up in it and thought over the days event. For some reason he couldn't get Snow out of his mind. After Storm's death, he had promised himself he wouldn't get attached to another cat. It hadn't been hard. Most cats steered clear of him and his disgusting stench. "Why'd she stay?" he wondered aloud. More importantly, why hadn't he left as soon as he ate?

Snow tossed in her fresh moss nest, thinking about Swamp just next door. He didn't seem like a bad cat... Why did he think so little of himself? Despite his mistake? She couldn't sleep, and she was still thinking of all the reasons she helped him. "If all the other cats didn't then why... why did I?" She buried her face once more into the moss.

When Swamp finally fell asleep, memories of Storm and Snow danced through his dreams. As per usual, he was met with the familiar nightmare of Storm's death. His own yowls woke him up in the middle of the night and he looked around in terror before realizing where he was.

OOC: Next Morning! :3

Snow woke up and her warm face slowly lifted out of the moss. But then, only one thing flashed through her mind. Swamp! She lifted off her bed and shot out of the cave. Trying her best to be calm, she padded over to the cave she knew Swamp was in, hoping he was still there. "Hello, Swamp? Are you still there?" She called out from outside of the den.

Swamp pokes his head out of the cave. "Yeah I'm still here." he says. "Thanks for letting me stay here." Don't get attached, he silently tells himself. "I might end up moving on later today or something. Not that it isn't a good place, I just like to move around." he tells her. As he says it he knows it will be hard to leave.

Snow nods slowly. "Okay... Um, so I uh, Yeah just, I hope you enjoyed your stay here, S-Swamp." She looks at him then turns around and pads back into her cave. Her tail is drooping slightly, but it's barely noticeable. She slowly lays down and once again buries her face into the moss. This day was horrible. I should have never woke up. Before long, she was crying into the moss, but the sounds were unnoticeable.

He watches her walk away and then goes back into the cave. "How could you do that? She helped you and you're just going to walk away? You're an idiot Swamp," he mutters. He glances at a dead squirrel Snow had left in the cave and takes a few bites. "Go talk to her," he tells himself. Slowly getting up he walks to her den but stops outside the door. He'd never leave if he saw her again. Did he really want to stay?

Snow was still in the den, until she heard footsteps outside her cave. She lifted her head out the moss and crept out. "Who's there?" It might be Swamp... I can't let him see I was crying. When she saw Swamp contemplating outside the cave, she gasped slightly. "Swamp? Um, what'e you doing here?" The white Bengal she cat watched him as he stood outside the cave. She forgot to wipe one small tear however, that was tinkling just below her eye.

He saw the tear and guessed what it meant. Saying he was leaving had hurt her. She cared too. "I guess I got attached... I came to say I'm not leaving.. And well... I ate that squirrel so I thought I'd go hunting and wondered if you maybe wanted to come?" The last words were rushed and he felt nervous, although he couldn't quite understand why. Maybe it was because he hadn't hunted in a long time. His meals were mainly crow food after all.

The words quickly shaped her response into a question. Was he staying just for her? "Look, Swamp, If- If you want to leave, that's your decision..." She glanced down t the ground. I hope I'm not being too... pushy for you to stay." She sighed, even if the words hurt to say, it was the truth. She did care for him, but he had a opinion. He was old enough to think for himself. "Are you sure you want you stay?"

"I'll just go back to being a pathetic mess if I left. You.. You remind me so much of Storm and... Well I'd never be able to get you off my mind if I left so I'm staying. The only reason I was gong to leave was to not get attached and I think I've already gotten a bit attached to a certain ball of fur I know." The words were weird for him. Why did he care so much?

She smiled slightly at the words. "Well I just wanted to say that I- I care too, and I really do want the best for you." She felt eased inside, and actually a little weird, knowing that a tom cared for her. No tom has ever said that to her in her life but Ripplepaw.

He startled himself by purring. She cared too. That felt wonderful. "Uhm so, will you join me on a hunt or should I go on my own?" he asks. He glances at the ground nervously and tries to keep calm.

She nods. "I'll come. I could use fresher squirrel in the cave. She purred deeply and padded over to the edge of a bush. "This is the way into hunting ground." She smiled and flicked her tail back and forth.

He smiles and happiness wells up inside him. "Then lead the way," he tells her. "But I warn you, it's been a long time since I went hunting... Crow food holds a certain appeal to the lazy cats..." Immediately afterwards, he wishes he can shove his words back into his mouth. No cat liked crow food. It is vile and disgusting. "Not that I enjoyed it... I just never cared," he added quickly.

She nods. "Trust me, it's not new. That was all we had to eat when we first came here! I didn't enjoy it either, but sometimes you have no choice." She sighs as the disgusting thought lingers in her mind. "Not to mention it smelled... she added." "Hmm, I'm sure your moves are not completely gone yet. I bet you can even show me some thing." She smiled, then bent her head and prepared to cross the undergrowth.

He chuckles a little. "I doubt it... I'm sure you're a fantastic hunter." he told her. He shifts his position and his fur brushes against hers. He jumps away, a little surprised. "Uhm... Let's get to that hunt I guess..."

She gasps when his fur touches her then flinches slightly. "Uh, yeah. That'd be good." She widens her eyes and pushes her body through the undergrowth. She emerges on the other side and look back. "Well, this is it."

Swamp pushes his way through behind her and quickly surveys his new surroundings. "Marvelous," he comments. He starts regretting his choice to invite Snow on this hunt, feeling afraid he'll make a fool of himself. "So where do the fattest, juiciest squirrels hide?" he asks.

She nodded and glanced around. "Just about over there. She pointed to a thick piece of land underneath a pair of three trees with her tail. She padded over to the spot and looked back at him, smiling. "Ha, The first attempt at hunting here I was almost killed." She told him. "This place is full of snakes, so be please careful."