Out for a Swim [Time]

[-Flash]

Snow drifted down onto the lonely landscape. It was about 20 degrees outside, but the windchill made it seem as if the air was ice. Miraculously the pond hadn't frozen yet, and a figure could be seen swimming near the edge. Every pawstroke was a struggle, and her fur was ladden with water and chill. Despite the miserable conditions, there was determination in the white cat's eyes, and she continued on, pawstroke after pawstroke, her tail streaming behind her.

But she could only take so much. After only three minutes, Echo clambered into the shallows, chilled to the very bone but otherwise satisfied with the swim. Padding onto dry land (or at least drier than the pond), she shook her fur out, ridding as much water as she could. Her mouth parted slightly, breath freezing in the air as she smelled her surroundings. No cats. No males. Good.

The chill was already starting to set in, the one where anything wet or formerly wet begins to feel as if it were freezing alive. She was familiar with it, having experienced all too many times, but that didn't make it any less serious. Echo glanced around in search of some kind of shelter from the snow. Those bushes over there, though not perfect, seemed to be the best choice.

Squeezing herself in between the tightly woven branches and the leaves, she sat down and began to lick her fur backwards. It was a trick she'd noted felines doing to keep their kits warm, and it worked well enough for her. She knew the moisture from her mouth would be detrimental, but this was much more helpful for staying warm than leaving her fur the way it was.

[}xx.£eaƒm∞n , ,]

In all my days of dreaming,
Never once did I know
That my dreams were leading me
Somewhere I shouldn't go.

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There was a definite bite to the breeze as Time made his way through an early morning patrol - late night for him. It was the last patrol he'd take of the territory before he went off to one of his dens to sleep. The den in the roots of an old tree near the pond seemed suitable for "tonight", which would be the coming day.

As the blue patched tom made his way to the clearing where the pond laid, the wind stirred up an odd scent. Cautiously, he stopped and took in the smell, analyzing it and finding it to be of his own kind. Wariness rose in him; though it was the smell of a female, why was she here? This was the worst weather to bring kits into, and the scent was normal and not tinted with lust. Time edged quietly towards the pond banks, his paws like mist across the familiar ground.

Pawprints!

[/i] It was apparent that in the unfrozen part of the pond, the cat had calmly entered the water and then exited, leaving a trail to under a bush. Time froze, confused greatly. Swimming in freezing water was a death wish for all but the fish. The fact that some cat, any cat, had done so made him wonder if the feline was even sane. Must be a radical Swimmer of sorts... though they live beyond the river, far east. Dark blue tail flicked in thought before he rose from his observant crouch, padding softly to follow the pawprints to where they ended.

"Hello there, are you alright? I could not help noticing you went into the water,"[/b] the tuxedo cat called towards the bush, standing warily two to three feet away. His tone was concerned, if not friendly, but wary all the same. Who knows what is under there... but it does not hurt to be polite.

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In all my days of wandering,
Never once did I deny
That my dreams had led me here,
And from my dreams I'll die.

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[-Flash]

Echo's fur rose on end as a scent hit her nose. Rather, it was already on end to try and warm herself up from the cold, but if it hadn't been it would have risen. Tom. Hatred entered her eyes, and her lips curled. Her hatred was not its strongest (the numbing cold prevented that), but she was all too aware that the same cold made her more vulnerable. Stopping her licking, she carefully began picking her way out the back of the bush, hoping she wouldn't be noticed. He'd be a lot luckier if he just went away.

One bush branch shook ever so slightly, dropping a dollop of snow off the bush, but it wasn't likely to be noticeable. Snow was starting to fall here and there anyways, what with branches not strong enough for it. The prowler exited the bush, disappointed in losing her shelter, right as a voice called out behind her.

Echo's tail flicked with annoyance and anger. Alright, pah. That tom didn't care if she was alright, she knew that well enough with their ignorance that she'd experienced as a kit. There was only one thing he cared about. Her eyes narrowed and, keeping herself hidden by the bush, turned around and stalked to the end. Her paws and legs were aching with the pain that freezing brings, but she knew that she couldn't pause to take care of them. Once she rid this fleabrain she could warm herself up at camp, and she pushed that out of her mind as hatred boiled up.

The white figure pounced, claws extended as she headed straight for the blue Time on the other side. Her eyes were narrowed, filled with hate and determination. Time to battle.

[}xx.£eaƒm∞n , ,]

In all my days of dreaming,
Never once did I know
That my dreams were leading me
Somewhere I shouldn't go.

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All that the blue toned tom noticed for a reply was some branches shifting, some snow becoming disturbed and falling to the needle bed. Ears pricked at the sound of paws crunching on unfamiliar snow and ground, Time taking a wary step backwards. Perhaps they want to speak in person? The thought was proved quite wrong as a white shape flew towards the cat, causing him to reflexive jump out of the way and raise a paw in defense, his fur rising from being startled.

This feline looked deranged, and half drowned, and again Time wondered if they were even sane. "I just want to talk. You are on my territory and I'd like to know why," he spoke calmly, though he didn't wane from his defensive stance. He had fought off a handful of intruders before, though they were all male, and young ones at that. What was a mature female doing swimming in this weather, or fighting a tom when she purposely trekked onto his land? Confusedness still rang in Time, as he lowered his defensive paw slightly, though not relaxing his braced muscles. "I won't harm you if you don't harm me," he stated matter-of-factly, wondering how the female would take it.

In all my days of wandering,
Never once did I deny
That my dreams had led me here,
And from my dreams I'll die.

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[-Flash]

She missed. Echo landed hard on her front paws, sliding on the icey ground. Her tail and bottom dragged in the muddy slush as she stopped herself, making her look like an utter fool. Her claws gripped the ground tightly, to make sure she didn't go anywhere.

The snow was falling heavier now, and faster. There were more snowflakes than there could have been raindrops, and it was starting to pile up fast. It was a powdery type snow, the kind that didn't clump together well. That would be useful.

The she- cat righted herself quickly, her eyes alertly trained on the blue tom. She watched as his fur lowered slightly, though he was still wary as he spoke. I just want to talk... won't harm you if you don't harm me. Echo lowered herself closer to the ground, baring her teeth and hissing lowly in a sort of sneer. Yeah, right, foxdung. She knew better than to trust that. Although the temperature seemed to be rising slightly, the cold pain filled her entire body. And despite her hostile appearance, it was impossible to keep herself from shivering.

What had appeared to be lowering herself had actually been bunching up her muscles, and she sprang again, making sure to calculate better this time. A paw swung out, aiming towards the face/neck/shoulder reigon. The sooner she could get rid of this maggot, the sooner she could get back to camp - her only hope of not getting sick.

[}xx.£eaƒm∞n , ,]

In all my days of dreaming,
Never once did I know
That my dreams were leading me
Somewhere I shouldn't go.

[/font][/size][/color]

His ears pointed sideways at the unexpected displays of aggression from the female, a resounding hiss from between her teeth causing him to give her a strange look. His face said, "What in the world is your problem?", but Time remained silent and focused on whatever the lunatic cat would do next. She was shivering from the cold and covered in snow and slush, yet refused to leave him alone and instead seek shelter. The blue male was seriously doubting her coherency.

Finally, the white female looked like she was settling down to the ground, and Time relaxed his pose slightly, wondering if she was going to explain herself. Instead, he was caught off-guard by her lunge towards him, a wet paw knocking into his neck and forcing him backwards onto his side. The male scrabbled to both try to kick her off with his thick back legs and to regain his footing, realizing he may be forced to fight for his life today. "You're going to get sick, stop this foolishness!" he said with urgency to the stranger, starting to be able to get his footing back and aiming to push her off of him. The snowy ground where he had crashed had made his fur a bit damp, the cold feeling that much more biting to his skin.

In all my days of wandering,
Never once did I deny
That my dreams had led me here,
And from my dreams I'll die.

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[-Flash]

She hit. The impact was barely felt through her numbness, but she knew she had hit, as the tom fell to the ground, and she barely stopped herself from falling on top of him. Yet in Echo's haste, she hadn't gotten her claws out in time for the hit. She cursed herself in her head. That would have been a perfect damaging blow. All she was accomplishing was bowling the tom this way and that.

The white-and-blue cat didn't have much time to dwell on this, though, as the tom started pummeling her, pushing her away. Once again, her numbness was clear; she barely felt the impact or the damage. Rather, it was just the motion she sensed - her being thrown off. Her claw had been raised, and she stumbled sideways, attempting not to fall down. As a result, her blow became a very poor one, lacking any aim. If it even did hit, it wouldn't be a damaging one of the sort she was looking for. A deep leg wound would be the best she could get.

She hissed in annoyance. The tom's words were eating into her as well. Pretending he cares, thinking I'm foolish... She knew better than that. They were rotten, every one of them. Oh, they could act sweet, they could act caring, but in reality they weren't good. They weren't nice, or thoughtful. No, there was not a single good quality in them. She knew from her life. She hadn't been blind when she was a kit. They were pure monsters. Others looked over the bad, others were fooled by the charades... but Echo knew. And she wasn't going to let this tom get away alive.

Echo struck out with her jaws, aiming for a leg, a tail-tip, anything she could get ahold of. The blast of cool air that entered in her mouth made her body want to give up, to drop then and there and curl up in a ball, to shield itself from the cold. But her self-motivation kept her going. Her will had overided her senses many times during her swims, and it was easy for her to do so now.