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Conan snarled as his muscles bunched beneath his pelt. The green-earth's tattoo blazed fiercely as Conan practiced his second to last gained ability. If sweat could have dripped down from the tom's face it would have but as it were to tom's muscles rippled and bunched underneath his thick fur as he took several steady steps and moved the boulder further and further until he finally couldn't move it anymore. With a sigh of mixed relief and disappointment the tom let his powers fade, the vines and flowers that had erupted across his fur from his tattoo fading, the green fading from his right eye to become its usual dark blue.

The green-earth took a few steps back to observe his progress. He'd made it three steps farther today than he had the day before. Progress. It was small, but progress never the less. Conan took a moment and sat on his haunches until his breathing was more even and not the gasping it was previously. He'd practice more tomorrow. For now he was done for the day, already having done his patrol and briefly taking his apprentice out to train. The little she-cat was so hardheaded but Conan found himself beginning to enjoy the time they spent together.

After a few more minutes of silent breathing and thought Conan stood, swaying slightly as fatigue hit him. How he wished he'd had the ability to numb pain. But that was a while away, and he still had much to learn. For now though, Conan decided he was going to go on a walk, and like the last time the tom had gone for a walk he let his paws lead him wherever they wanted while his mind wandered.

Lightly dipping her paw in the warm water, the young tortoiseshell frowned a bit and sighed. Was there no cool water around Air-Tribe? Even the ocean was kinda warm nowadays… then again, this river did spawn from the ocean, so it only made sense for it to be warm, too. But what waters didn't spring from it? She'd heard something about a waterfall in Earth-Tribe's territory, but, obviously, she couldn't go there without a real reason, and she was pretty sure trying to cool down her mostly-black fur in cold water didn't fall under that list. Getting back to her paws, the Pink-Orange-Light started walking east again, following the river as far as she could.

Soon enough it ended just a little bit into the neutral territory, trailing off into a little creek that looked like it would end somewhere in the forest. That might be cool, but Ameena doubted it, and she didn't really want to go into the forest, anyway. Pausing once more, the she-cat huffed and sat down, looking at her paws and quietly licking her chest fur. What was she supposed to do now? Going back to camp would be boring, Kiara was out for the day, and she was getting tired of exploring on her own… so now what?

Conan had travelled for a while and after returning from his journey into his memories the Tom was surprised by how fatigued he felt. When was the last time he'd slept for a good three or four hours? Better yet, when was the last time he'd slept or done anything that wasn't training Caru, training himself or patrolling the territory.

The green-earth's stomach grumbled irritably as if to remind him that he hadn't eaten recently either. Conan sighed softly, knowing that he was bound to literally work himself to death yet also knowing that there wasn't anything he could do to change that.

The tom had gotten so lost in his mental evaluations of himself and his faults that he barely registered the cat he walked by and only when he caught a whiff of her scent did he pause. Confusion written across his face Conan turned and blinked a couple of times when he looked at the she-cat he'd walked by. "Hullo." He meowed somewhat awkwardly, ear's flicking back momentarily.

Ameena quickly looked up from her paws when the sounds of approaching pawsteps rung in her ears. She looked around, ocean-colored eyes searching for the cat who appeared to be growing closer to her position. Finally she saw him- a dark-colored blue-grey tom, with pretty fluffy fur and some odd white spots here and there. He seemed mentally preoccupied, not even acknowledging her presence as he continued walking without looking her way once. Even as he passed her he didn't look at the tortoiseshell. He just simply kept going without a glance or a word, making his way on his designated path. What a weirdo.

'Wait.. what if he's blind, like Kenieen? I guess it's possible, but he didn't look blind. And he would've noticed me by scent or something if he was blind.' Shaking her head, Ameena turned and began to open her jaws to speak when the tom also turned and looked straight at her. His awkward greeting made her stumble mentally, putting the young cat at a rare loss for words. Was he really that oblivious? Shaking herself, the Pink-Orange-Light blinked again and stared blankly at the tom. "Er—hey," she replied, twitching her own ears back a bit.

Conan flicked his ears back once again after the she-cat spoke, a sheepish expression flickering across his face. He really needed to start more attention. But for now he had to focus on this young she-cat in front of him.

"Sorry. I uh, tend to not pay attention. Bad habit. Sorry. Anyway, my name's Art. Nice to meet you." Conan glanced back to the she-cat, noticing the healer tattoo for the first time. "Oh, what tribe are you a healer for?" He inquired, his tone curious.

Ameena tilted her head a bit in slight curiosity. This tom was very… odd. Art? What kind of name is that? Remaining quiet for a few moments, she debated between giving up her real name or offering the fake name she'd given that Water-Tribe healer. There really wasn't a benefit or penalty to either, was there? This tom seemed rather unfocused, and had even stated such, so he might not even pay attention to her name either way. With a shrug to herself, the tortoiseshell sat down and licked her chest fur a few times. "I'm Yvara," she meowed simply, deciding to play it safe. His seemingly carefree persona could just be a façade, after all, and while she wasn't quite sure what he could do with a name, Ameena didn't want to risk anything at that moment.

Looking down at the duel-colored tattoo on her chest, the young she-cat blinked her eyes and then looked back at the bluish-grey tom. "I was put in Air-Tribe," she returned, then nodded to the green tattoo on his shoulder. "Earth-Tribe, eh? That's where my sister would've gone had she joined the Tribes with me." The Pink-Orange-Light paused and continued to stare at his tattoo before meeting Art's navy-colored eyes. "Did you come in with the exiles, too?"

Yvara? What the heck kind of name is Yvara?' The green-earth thought to himself, the tips of his ears twitching. Then Conan lightly berated himself, who was he to judge others based on the names the spirits gave others, assuming the names they gave him were in fact their real names. While Conan was silently talking to himself he took the time to really look at .... Yvara. Her fur coloration was interesting, he was curious to see her parents, to see where she got each trait. But that was probably considered weird.

"Exile, then?" Conan inquired after the she-cat mentioned her sister. James had been given a shadow-tribe tattoo while his other brother Luc had been given an earth-tribe tattoo like him. They'd never believed in their father's stories as much as Conan had. Conan was silent for a few moments after Yvara met his eyes and the tom found himself searching her rather pretty emerald ones for something, what he didn't know, before he glanced away. "Yeah. I travelled with my family here but my parents both passed. My older brother would've been a shadow-triber and my other brother would've been in earth-tribe with me. Do you miss her?" Conan missed his brothers. It'd been moons, probably years since he seen them, but he still missed them. He wondered how they were doing, if they had mates, if they were still alive.

Ameena eyed the blue-grey tom, and then turned her eyes to her paws, picking one up and lightly batting at the pendant that hung from her necklace. She figured most cats wouldn't believe her when she gave them that name. Yvara. She thought on the story of her necklace, and frowned a bit. Sometimes she heard about how it looked like it was made just for her, and she honestly wished it had been sometimes. But it was also sort of honorary, in a way, not being the first wearer of it. Yvara had been the name of her father's first mate. A Light-Tribe she-cat who Noshi had only ever described as amazing and beautiful, sometimes he'd never even stop talking about her. It was slightly disappointing, knowing the memory of that she-cat was the reason her father had never loved Ameena's mother—maybe he had physically, but he never looked at Suraa as a mate. Ameena and Amala were mistakes. But Ameena had lived up to her father's expectations. In a way, the necklace was almost made for her… just indirectly.

It is an odd name, she mused quietly, turning her gaze back to Art as the tom began speaking again. She nodded at his first question, blinking her sea-green eyes as he continued to talk. Two brothers? The tortoiseshell had always been curious as to what it would be like to have a brother. She didn't think she would have the same kind of relationship with him as she did with Amala… but then again, if she'd had a brother, maybe he would've been Noshi's default favorite. Everything would be different. Mentally shaking herself, Ameena smiled a bit sorrowfully and looked north, in the direction of her old home. "Yeah, I miss her a lot," she meowed, letting out a small sigh. "Amala was like my best friend. Even though we had different views on the world, we still got along great. I really wish she'd come here with me, but I understand her reasoning for not doing so. It hurts though." With a shrug, the she-cat turned back to the Earth-Triber, studying the tattoo so similar to her sister's. "Are you a guard, or a warrior?" she inquired, lifting her gaze back to his.

Conan was silent as he watched the pink-orange-light she-cat messing with the necklace that hung from across her neck. His head tilted slightly as he watched emotions and stories flickering too fast for him to attempt to decipher across her green eyes. When the she-cat came back from her mental musing it wasn't hard to see the wistfulness that reflected in her expression as she looked to the north, the direction she'd originally come from the tom assumed.

At Ameena's words about her sister Conan couldn't help but nod slightly, a sad smile curling across his lips. "Your relationship with her sounds a lot like my relationship with my brothers. We always had different views on things, mine usually being, how they put it 'soft'. But I loved them regardless. They were my role models. I miss them, but like you said, I respect their decision and reasons for choosing not to join the Tribes."

An expresion of pride flicker across the green-earth's face at Ameena's question about his profession. "Guard. My Dad always said I was meant to be a guard; guess he was right." The words were light-hearted with just a touch of sadness in Conan's blue eyes. His father had been a Guard too and the tom was all to happy to be following in his father's paw-steps, so to speak. "Do you ever wish you weren't a healer?" The tom asked, his expression turning from prideful to curious as he curled his tail around his paws, his exhaustion all but completely forgotten as he talked to Ameena.

Gaze flickering from his eyes to the sky, and finally back when the tom decided to speak again, the she-cat couldn't help but grin a bit. She seemed to have met quite a number of cats who had been rather family-oriented lately, and that was… nice. Not being the only Tribe-cat who missed her parents and siblings made her feel a little more at home. Shaking the thoughts, she smirked at the blue-grey tom, giving him a slightly teasing look. "So you're a softy, eh?" she mused, winking. "Nah, that's fine. Probably means you're nicer, anyway."

Getting back to her paws, the young tortoiseshell stretched as he talked, extending her forelegs to quite an extent and parting her jaws in a yawn. "Guard? That's pretty cool. I seem to meet a lot of guards—not all from Earth-Tribe, of course. Actually, you're the first one I've met." Blinking her sea-green eyes at the tom, she mulled his question over, thinking on it for just a few seconds before she shook her head. "No, not really. I mean, sure, it'd be cool to be like the rest of my Tribe... I can only imagine how awesome having Air-Tribe powers would be. But I really like being a healer, and not only because my father loved them. It's pretty rewarding, you know?" Stopping her rambling, the Pink-Orange-Light flicked her tail, trying to remind herself to keep quiet every once in a while.

Conan smirked slightly at Ameena's teasing words, "'Fraid so. Sorry if you were expecting to meet some fearsome earth-triber." Conan couldn't help the smile that broke across his lips. "So, Yv, how many cats have you met, exactly? You seem like a pretty friendly she-cat, I'd imagine you've made lots of friends within the tribes."

Unconsciously, Conan began to replicate Ameena's posture and he felt himself yawning with her, feeling all of the exhaustion from earlier begin to seep back. He really needed to find a way to take away the pain that always lingered in his muscles after a good session of training. But, he could do that later. The green-earth blinked as he refocused on Ameena, ears pricking up as he listened to what she was saying. "Probably because guards are the ones who are near the boarders most often."The tom rationalized.

Interest showed in Conan's face when Ameena said he was the first earth-triber she'd met. "Well, I guess Air-tribe is decently far away from Earth-tribe. That probably explains that." The grey-blue tom fell silent when Ameena began speaking once more. The tom smiled slightly once the she-cat finished talking, "I wouldn't know personally but I've seen the healers in my tribe heal others and they always seem so happy with their work. Hey, speaking of healing, do you know if there is to do about sore muscles after training?" Conan met Ameena's green eyes momentarily before he glanced away, ears flicking back once more.

"Fearsome? I think I've met enough fearsome cats in my lifetime… and my tattoo is still bi-colored." Flicking her tail in amusement, the tortoiseshell shrugged at her blue-colored companion's question, silently mulling over the names of the cats she'd met. Otter, Kenieen, Bandit, Maika, Sylvester… "A lot more than I can remember," she answered, laughing a bit. "Mainly Air-Tribers and healers, actually. I once met a Blue-Green-Shadow, but I don't like to count him because we never actually spoke to one another."

The Pink-Orange-Light took a brief glance towards the forest before returning her sea-green gaze back to Art, subtly nodding at his words. "I suppose that makes sense—not that I'm ever really near any borders. I don't think, anyway." Shaking her head, Ameena tilted it as the tom spoke again. Were Earth-Tribe and Air-Tribe really so far apart? She didn't think so—Fire-Tribe was much further, and it hadn't taken the young cat too long to get where she was. Heck, she was barely outside her own territory. He must be tired if he's judging the distance so poorly, she concluded silently, offering the older cat a small smile.
Shaking the thoughts, the apprentice quickly replaced them with new ones, sorting through herbs and remedies as the tom mentioned sore muscles. Her mind settled briefly on witch-hazel, but she threw the idea away upon remembering the leaves helped only with bruising. Another option was nettle, the leaves of which were often used on older cats to sooth joint pain. Sounds about right. "Rubbing nettle leaves on the sore spots should help at least a little bit. They do burn quite a bit when they come into contact with skin, though." Satisfied with her answer, Ameena rapidly flicked her tongue over one of her forepaws a couple of times before swiping it over an ear, eyeing the Green-Earth as she awaited his answer.

Conan's ears flicked back as he somewhat shyly looked down at his paws. Compared to the pink-orange light he'd met very few cats. Which was something Conan made a mental note to fix as soon as possible - he wanted to get to know other cats, hear their stories. Conan offered Ameena a slight smile, "Wow, you put me to shame. I've only met a pawful of cats. Most of them healers."

Conan shrugged slightly, "Well, perhaps those guards are just relaxing or something. I know I enjoy exploring the territory when I'm not on guard duty or training my apprentice." The fluffy tom could feel the corners of his eyes prickle slightly as exhaustion began to take a toll on him. He needed to get back to camp soon or he risked passing out right here.

The green-earth's attention suddenly sharpened when his pink-orange-light companion spoke of how to ease sore muscles. "Nettle leaves - ok, I'll be sure to ask the healers in my camp for some. As for it getting on my skin ..." Here Conan chuckled a bit, shaking himself to show just how fluffy his fur was, "It shouldn't be a problem. I'm fluffy, not fat." The tom joked, humor briefly flickering in his dark blue eyes as he met Ameena's vibrant green.

Oblivious to her companion's embarrassment and false humor, Ameena offered the tom a cute smile and shrugged. "I can't help that cats like me," she mused, winking at the older cat before shaking her head. "No, I'm kidding. I guess I just explore too much. My father always told me I had a problem staying in one place for too long. Guess I got that from my mother." Chilled to the bone by her own icy remark, the tortoiseshell shook her head once more, then looked away, twitching her patched ears as the other feline continued to speak.

Art's words having brought some interest back to the conversation, Ameena turned her head back towards the blue-grey tom, blinking her sea-green eyes as she thought on his words. "You have an apprentice?" she inquired curiously. She honestly felt as if the tom had mentioned it before, but that wasn't important, really. What was the cat's name? How old were they? Would they make a good friend? Were they trustworthy? Did they like exploring? All these questions ran through the healer's mind, daring to pass through her parted jaws but never actually doing so.
Wiping the thoughts from her cluttered mind, the Pink-Orange-Light studied Art's features, taking in the obvious signs of exhaustion and frowning a bit. She held his gaze for a few silent moments, studying the emotions in his deep blue orbs before breaking the connection and looking up at the sky. "Just get your fur wet," she finally meowed calmly, twitching one of her ears back. "It'll make the fur easier to part and stay flat so you can get the herbs on."

Conan's ears twitched slightly at the sudden coolness of his companion's voice. His dark blue eyes briefly searched her green - did she and her mother not get along? There was something under the surface there and Conan was interested to know what it was but he also had enough common sense not to ask.

The green-earth inclined his head at Ameena's question, a wry smile pulling across his lips as he thought of Caru. "Yup. She's got some fire in her, for sure. The first time I took her out for training she bartered with me on how I should train her. She's young but has a lot of potential. I hope I'm able to teach her to become something great." The sincerity in the ash and blue hued tom's voice was clear. Though he and Caru were drastically different in terms of personality, their passion was the same and Conan truly wanted to see the young she-cat succeed and become something great. It was merely the how that stumped him.

Conan stood quite still as Ameena suddenly turned and met his gaze, her green eyes searching; for what, the tom didn't know. The tom's ears flicked back and flattened against his head for a second and then Ameena broke the connection, turning her eyes to the sky. The green-earth let out a breath he hadn't been aware of holding. "Alright. I'll be sure to talk to my healer and get some of the herbs." Conan paused for a little bit, a question on the tip of his tongue. He wanted to ask but was afraid that his new companion would think him a fool. Finally, the tom simply shrugged and asked anyway. "Do you ... Is there anything I can do to help me go to sleep? I've been ... restless lately, which is unusual. I normally work from dawn to dusk and fall asleep as soon as I get into my nest." Conan briefly met Ameena's green eyes before glancing away, his tail tip twitching - the only sign, apart from his hesitant start, of his insecurity on this.

The description Art gave his aforementioned apprentice peaked Ameena's curiosity. What did Kiara think about her? Did she see potential in her own apprentice? Ameena had yet to really argue with her mentor, but maybe that was what was keeping them from being as close as Art and his apprentice. Maybe they needed to fight a little, to spark that fire in their teacher-and-student relationship. I don't want to purposely argue with Kiara, though. The thought of not getting along with the stump-tailed she-cat made Ameena frown a bit, but after some consideration, she decided to shrug it off. Arguing wasn't the solution to everything- she probably just needed to spend more time learning than wandering off, even if she was nearly an adult now.
Coming back down to earth, the adolescent female turned her sea-green gaze back to the grey-blue tom, twitching her ears as he spoke. His initial statement made her respond with a simple nod, but his question seemed to have stumped her. Sleeping? Most herbs that provided drowsiness came with some sort of side-effect…

Weighing the options, the young healer decided to voice her thoughts, giving the tom a skeptical look. "If you think your lack of sleep may be stress-related, then chewing on the stems of borage plants every once in a while should help. But if that fails, the only other suggestion I have is a water-and-lordleaf mixture, which can cause mild drowsiness…" Ameena trailed off once more, lost in thought as she tried to remember everything about the herbs she'd mentioned. "Honestly you'd be better off asking your own healers, because they're aware of what they do and don't have in store, and they can keep an eye on you while you're sleeping. But those are my only two recommendations."

With a slight shrug, the tortoiseshell shook her semi-fluffy pelt out, eyeing her sleepy companion. "On the other paw, your sleep problems could be caused by your relocation. Maybe you're just still not used to living with the Tribes. Sleeping on your own out here in the neutral territory for a night or two could potentially calm your nerves, revive your energy, and save you from getting addicted to whatever herbs you're provided."

Conan chuckled softly when Ameena grew quiet. Lightly, he tapped the she-cat's forehead with his tail-tip. "I can practically see smoke coming from your ears. What are you thinking about, if you don't mind me asking." Conan offered his friend (and he used the word tentatively) a lopsided smile, humor briefly reflecting in his dark eyes.

The green-earth blinked owlishly as Ameena began to mention herbs and what he should do with them. What the hell is borage? Conan silently nodded along with everything that Ameena said, grasping at what he thought he could understand. His ears perked up when she mentioned sleeping out in neutral land. He hadn't thought of doing so but now that it was an option it seemed awfully enticing. "I think I'll try the second option - the prospect of potentially getting addicted to herbs isn't overly appealing to me. That and I love it when I can have peace and quiet. I mean, I'm happy with living in the Tribes." Here Conan smiled slightly, a hint of sadness returning to his face. "When my father used to tell me stories about the Tribes I would look at my then grey tattoo and long for it so badly. I've wanted to be here since I was little and now that I'm here ... I just feel out of place, ya know? These cats all have connections with each other already. They have fought together, made friendships, and who knows what else. I just ... I feel alone, sometimes."

Conan stopped talking after he realized that one, he had just opened up to a complete stranger and two, she probably didn't care. The tom lifted his head slightly and cleared his throat, looking everywhere but at Ameena. "Sorry. Uh ..." The tom floundered for something to say but came up short. What else could he say that wouldn't make him seem like an overemotional sop that couldn't handle being on his own?

Pulled out of her thoughts by the light tap on her forehead, Ameena looked around, then up at the tom before her, who had quite a bemused grin on his maw. Were my thoughts so obvious? "I was just envying the relationship you have with your apprentice," she laughed softly, flicking a single ear back as she spoke, realizing how ridiculous she sounded. "My mentor and I aren't too close, but that's probably my fault." With a slight shrug, the tortoiseshell bent her head and licked her chest fur a few times in embarrassment.

The Green-Earth's words made her laugh a bit more genuinely this time, and she turned a playful sea-green gaze to the fluffy tom. "Yeah, addiction isn't too fun. Then your body can hardly function without being drugged up." Pausing as the other continued to speak, Ameena blinked at the blue-grey feline, tilting her head a bit. He sounded really… well, sad and lonely, as he had said. Where her smile had been grew a frown in a matter of mere seconds, and the tortoiseshell found herself at a loss for words. She thought of the times when she was younger, before she'd joined the Tribes. Back then she just had a boring old black tattoo, like the rest of her family, and any other cat she'd ever seen. But one day she saw a cat with a bright silver Air-Tribe tattoo, and she'd remembered the times when her father had told her that maybe one day her own tattoo would shine like her pretty eyes.
I know just what he's talking about, she decided solemnly, blankly staring at the tom as emotions swam through her eyes. Without much thinking, Ameena got up and padded over to Art, pushing her nose against his and purring. "I know exactly what you mean," she meowed softly, lightly brushing his cheek with her muzzle before taking a small step back and meeting his steel-blue gaze. "But isn't the exciting part of exploring making new friends, memories, and who knows what else? It's so… thrilling, and rewarding. It's why we all came here in the first place- for a second chance. Right?"

Conan blinked in surprise when Ameena pushed her nose against his but pushed the surprise away. A wave of innocent, sibling-like affection washed over the tom and he nuzzled Ameena for a moment before pulling away and meeting her bright green eyes as she spoke. "You make a good point, Yv. Thank you ... I just, I need to get out more I think. Try and meet more cats make more friends." Conan wanted to add more but lacked the words too, instead he settled for closing the distance between them and brushing his muzzle against hers, a happy purr rumbling in his chest.

When Conan pulled away his eyes prickled again with exhaustion and for a moment the tom swayed on his feet, his vision blurring. "Alright. I should probably be heading back to camp before I pass out right here. I'll remember everything you told me. Thank you Yvara. I came out here with the intention of doing nothing really, and instead I've made a friend and to be honest you're already more than that to me. You're kinda like a sister to me. Thank you, again." Sincerity filled the tom's voice as he looked into Ameena's green eyes, love and affection glittering in their dark depths. The tom once again brushed his muzzle against Ameena's and offered a smile before he began walking back towards Earth-Tribe.

Description

Conan snarled as his muscles bunched beneath his pelt. The green-earth's tattoo blazed fiercely as Conan practiced his second to last gained ability. If sweat could have dripped down from the tom's face it would have but as it were to tom's muscles rippled and bunched underneath his thick fur as he took several steady steps and moved the boulder further and further until he finally couldn't move it anymore. With a sigh of mixed relief and disappointment the tom let his powers fade, the vines and flowers that had erupted across his fur from his tattoo fading, the green fading from his right eye to become its usual dark blue.

The green-earth took a few steps back to observe his progress. He'd made it three steps farther today than he had the day before. Progress. It was small, but progress never the less. Conan took a moment and sat on his haunches until his breathing was more even and not the gasping it was previously. He'd practice more tomorrow. For now he was done for the day, already having done his patrol and briefly taking his apprentice out to train. The little she-cat was so hardheaded but Conan found himself beginning to enjoy the time they spent together.

After a few more minutes of silent breathing and thought Conan stood, swaying slightly as fatigue hit him. How he wished he'd had the ability to numb pain. But that was a while away, and he still had much to learn. For now though, Conan decided he was going to go on a walk, and like the last time the tom had gone for a walk he let his paws lead him wherever they wanted while his mind wandered.

Lightly dipping her paw in the warm water, the young tortoiseshell frowned a bit and sighed. Was there no cool water around Air-Tribe? Even the ocean was kinda warm nowadays… then again, this river did spawn from the ocean, so it only made sense for it to be warm, too. But what waters didn't spring from it? She'd heard something about a waterfall in Earth-Tribe's territory, but, obviously, she couldn't go there without a real reason, and she was pretty sure trying to cool down her mostly-black fur in cold water didn't fall under that list. Getting back to her paws, the Pink-Orange-Light started walking east again, following the river as far as she could.

Soon enough it ended just a little bit into the neutral territory, trailing off into a little creek that looked like it would end somewhere in the forest. That might be cool, but Ameena doubted it, and she didn't really want to go into the forest, anyway. Pausing once more, the she-cat huffed and sat down, looking at her paws and quietly licking her chest fur. What was she supposed to do now? Going back to camp would be boring, Kiara was out for the day, and she was getting tired of exploring on her own… so now what?

Conan had travelled for a while and after returning from his journey into his memories the Tom was surprised by how fatigued he felt. When was the last time he'd slept for a good three or four hours? Better yet, when was the last time he'd slept or done anything that wasn't training Caru, training himself or patrolling the territory.

The green-earth's stomach grumbled irritably as if to remind him that he hadn't eaten recently either. Conan sighed softly, knowing that he was bound to literally work himself to death yet also knowing that there wasn't anything he could do to change that.

The tom had gotten so lost in his mental evaluations of himself and his faults that he barely registered the cat he walked by and only when he caught a whiff of her scent did he pause. Confusion written across his face Conan turned and blinked a couple of times when he looked at the she-cat he'd walked by. "Hullo." He meowed somewhat awkwardly, ear's flicking back momentarily.

Ameena quickly looked up from her paws when the sounds of approaching pawsteps rung in her ears. She looked around, ocean-colored eyes searching for the cat who appeared to be growing closer to her position. Finally she saw him- a dark-colored blue-grey tom, with pretty fluffy fur and some odd white spots here and there. He seemed mentally preoccupied, not even acknowledging her presence as he continued walking without looking her way once. Even as he passed her he didn't look at the tortoiseshell. He just simply kept going without a glance or a word, making his way on his designated path. What a weirdo.

'Wait.. what if he's blind, like Kenieen? I guess it's possible, but he didn't look blind. And he would've noticed me by scent or something if he was blind.' Shaking her head, Ameena turned and began to open her jaws to speak when the tom also turned and looked straight at her. His awkward greeting made her stumble mentally, putting the young cat at a rare loss for words. Was he really that oblivious? Shaking herself, the Pink-Orange-Light blinked again and stared blankly at the tom. "Er—hey," she replied, twitching her own ears back a bit.

Conan flicked his ears back once again after the she-cat spoke, a sheepish expression flickering across his face. He really needed to start more attention. But for now he had to focus on this young she-cat in front of him.

"Sorry. I uh, tend to not pay attention. Bad habit. Sorry. Anyway, my name's Art. Nice to meet you." Conan glanced back to the she-cat, noticing the healer tattoo for the first time. "Oh, what tribe are you a healer for?" He inquired, his tone curious.

Ameena tilted her head a bit in slight curiosity. This tom was very… odd. Art? What kind of name is that? Remaining quiet for a few moments, she debated between giving up her real name or offering the fake name she'd given that Water-Tribe healer. There really wasn't a benefit or penalty to either, was there? This tom seemed rather unfocused, and had even stated such, so he might not even pay attention to her name either way. With a shrug to herself, the tortoiseshell sat down and licked her chest fur a few times. "I'm Yvara," she meowed simply, deciding to play it safe. His seemingly carefree persona could just be a façade, after all, and while she wasn't quite sure what he could do with a name, Ameena didn't want to risk anything at that moment.

Looking down at the duel-colored tattoo on her chest, the young she-cat blinked her eyes and then looked back at the bluish-grey tom. "I was put in Air-Tribe," she returned, then nodded to the green tattoo on his shoulder. "Earth-Tribe, eh? That's where my sister would've gone had she joined the Tribes with me." The Pink-Orange-Light paused and continued to stare at his tattoo before meeting Art's navy-colored eyes. "Did you come in with the exiles, too?"

Yvara? What the heck kind of name is Yvara?' The green-earth thought to himself, the tips of his ears twitching. Then Conan lightly berated himself, who was he to judge others based on the names the spirits gave others, assuming the names they gave him were in fact their real names. While Conan was silently talking to himself he took the time to really look at .... Yvara. Her fur coloration was interesting, he was curious to see her parents, to see where she got each trait. But that was probably considered weird.

"Exile, then?" Conan inquired after the she-cat mentioned her sister. James had been given a shadow-tribe tattoo while his other brother Luc had been given an earth-tribe tattoo like him. They'd never believed in their father's stories as much as Conan had. Conan was silent for a few moments after Yvara met his eyes and the tom found himself searching her rather pretty emerald ones for something, what he didn't know, before he glanced away. "Yeah. I travelled with my family here but my parents both passed. My older brother would've been a shadow-triber and my other brother would've been in earth-tribe with me. Do you miss her?" Conan missed his brothers. It'd been moons, probably years since he seen them, but he still missed them. He wondered how they were doing, if they had mates, if they were still alive.

Ameena eyed the blue-grey tom, and then turned her eyes to her paws, picking one up and lightly batting at the pendant that hung from her necklace. She figured most cats wouldn't believe her when she gave them that name. Yvara. She thought on the story of her necklace, and frowned a bit. Sometimes she heard about how it looked like it was made just for her, and she honestly wished it had been sometimes. But it was also sort of honorary, in a way, not being the first wearer of it. Yvara had been the name of her father's first mate. A Light-Tribe she-cat who Noshi had only ever described as amazing and beautiful, sometimes he'd never even stop talking about her. It was slightly disappointing, knowing the memory of that she-cat was the reason her father had never loved Ameena's mother—maybe he had physically, but he never looked at Suraa as a mate. Ameena and Amala were mistakes. But Ameena had lived up to her father's expectations. In a way, the necklace was almost made for her… just indirectly.

It is an odd name, she mused quietly, turning her gaze back to Art as the tom began speaking again. She nodded at his first question, blinking her sea-green eyes as he continued to talk. Two brothers? The tortoiseshell had always been curious as to what it would be like to have a brother. She didn't think she would have the same kind of relationship with him as she did with Amala… but then again, if she'd had a brother, maybe he would've been Noshi's default favorite. Everything would be different. Mentally shaking herself, Ameena smiled a bit sorrowfully and looked north, in the direction of her old home. "Yeah, I miss her a lot," she meowed, letting out a small sigh. "Amala was like my best friend. Even though we had different views on the world, we still got along great. I really wish she'd come here with me, but I understand her reasoning for not doing so. It hurts though." With a shrug, the she-cat turned back to the Earth-Triber, studying the tattoo so similar to her sister's. "Are you a guard, or a warrior?" she inquired, lifting her gaze back to his.

Conan was silent as he watched the pink-orange-light she-cat messing with the necklace that hung from across her neck. His head tilted slightly as he watched emotions and stories flickering too fast for him to attempt to decipher across her green eyes. When the she-cat came back from her mental musing it wasn't hard to see the wistfulness that reflected in her expression as she looked to the north, the direction she'd originally come from the tom assumed.

At Ameena's words about her sister Conan couldn't help but nod slightly, a sad smile curling across his lips. "Your relationship with her sounds a lot like my relationship with my brothers. We always had different views on things, mine usually being, how they put it 'soft'. But I loved them regardless. They were my role models. I miss them, but like you said, I respect their decision and reasons for choosing not to join the Tribes."

An expresion of pride flicker across the green-earth's face at Ameena's question about his profession. "Guard. My Dad always said I was meant to be a guard; guess he was right." The words were light-hearted with just a touch of sadness in Conan's blue eyes. His father had been a Guard too and the tom was all to happy to be following in his father's paw-steps, so to speak. "Do you ever wish you weren't a healer?" The tom asked, his expression turning from prideful to curious as he curled his tail around his paws, his exhaustion all but completely forgotten as he talked to Ameena.

Gaze flickering from his eyes to the sky, and finally back when the tom decided to speak again, the she-cat couldn't help but grin a bit. She seemed to have met quite a number of cats who had been rather family-oriented lately, and that was… nice. Not being the only Tribe-cat who missed her parents and siblings made her feel a little more at home. Shaking the thoughts, she smirked at the blue-grey tom, giving him a slightly teasing look. "So you're a softy, eh?" she mused, winking. "Nah, that's fine. Probably means you're nicer, anyway."

Getting back to her paws, the young tortoiseshell stretched as he talked, extending her forelegs to quite an extent and parting her jaws in a yawn. "Guard? That's pretty cool. I seem to meet a lot of guards—not all from Earth-Tribe, of course. Actually, you're the first one I've met." Blinking her sea-green eyes at the tom, she mulled his question over, thinking on it for just a few seconds before she shook her head. "No, not really. I mean, sure, it'd be cool to be like the rest of my Tribe... I can only imagine how awesome having Air-Tribe powers would be. But I really like being a healer, and not only because my father loved them. It's pretty rewarding, you know?" Stopping her rambling, the Pink-Orange-Light flicked her tail, trying to remind herself to keep quiet every once in a while.

Conan smirked slightly at Ameena's teasing words, "'Fraid so. Sorry if you were expecting to meet some fearsome earth-triber." Conan couldn't help the smile that broke across his lips. "So, Yv, how many cats have you met, exactly? You seem like a pretty friendly she-cat, I'd imagine you've made lots of friends within the tribes."

Unconsciously, Conan began to replicate Ameena's posture and he felt himself yawning with her, feeling all of the exhaustion from earlier begin to seep back. He really needed to find a way to take away the pain that always lingered in his muscles after a good session of training. But, he could do that later. The green-earth blinked as he refocused on Ameena, ears pricking up as he listened to what she was saying. "Probably because guards are the ones who are near the boarders most often."The tom rationalized.

Interest showed in Conan's face when Ameena said he was the first earth-triber she'd met. "Well, I guess Air-tribe is decently far away from Earth-tribe. That probably explains that." The grey-blue tom fell silent when Ameena began speaking once more. The tom smiled slightly once the she-cat finished talking, "I wouldn't know personally but I've seen the healers in my tribe heal others and they always seem so happy with their work. Hey, speaking of healing, do you know if there is to do about sore muscles after training?" Conan met Ameena's green eyes momentarily before he glanced away, ears flicking back once more.

"Fearsome? I think I've met enough fearsome cats in my lifetime… and my tattoo is still bi-colored." Flicking her tail in amusement, the tortoiseshell shrugged at her blue-colored companion's question, silently mulling over the names of the cats she'd met. Otter, Kenieen, Bandit, Maika, Sylvester… "A lot more than I can remember," she answered, laughing a bit. "Mainly Air-Tribers and healers, actually. I once met a Blue-Green-Shadow, but I don't like to count him because we never actually spoke to one another."

The Pink-Orange-Light took a brief glance towards the forest before returning her sea-green gaze back to Art, subtly nodding at his words. "I suppose that makes sense—not that I'm ever really near any borders. I don't think, anyway." Shaking her head, Ameena tilted it as the tom spoke again. Were Earth-Tribe and Air-Tribe really so far apart? She didn't think so—Fire-Tribe was much further, and it hadn't taken the young cat too long to get where she was. Heck, she was barely outside her own territory. He must be tired if he's judging the distance so poorly, she concluded silently, offering the older cat a small smile.
Shaking the thoughts, the apprentice quickly replaced them with new ones, sorting through herbs and remedies as the tom mentioned sore muscles. Her mind settled briefly on witch-hazel, but she threw the idea away upon remembering the leaves helped only with bruising. Another option was nettle, the leaves of which were often used on older cats to sooth joint pain. Sounds about right. "Rubbing nettle leaves on the sore spots should help at least a little bit. They do burn quite a bit when they come into contact with skin, though." Satisfied with her answer, Ameena rapidly flicked her tongue over one of her forepaws a couple of times before swiping it over an ear, eyeing the Green-Earth as she awaited his answer.

Conan's ears flicked back as he somewhat shyly looked down at his paws. Compared to the pink-orange light he'd met very few cats. Which was something Conan made a mental note to fix as soon as possible - he wanted to get to know other cats, hear their stories. Conan offered Ameena a slight smile, "Wow, you put me to shame. I've only met a pawful of cats. Most of them healers."

Conan shrugged slightly, "Well, perhaps those guards are just relaxing or something. I know I enjoy exploring the territory when I'm not on guard duty or training my apprentice." The fluffy tom could feel the corners of his eyes prickle slightly as exhaustion began to take a toll on him. He needed to get back to camp soon or he risked passing out right here.

The green-earth's attention suddenly sharpened when his pink-orange-light companion spoke of how to ease sore muscles. "Nettle leaves - ok, I'll be sure to ask the healers in my camp for some. As for it getting on my skin ..." Here Conan chuckled a bit, shaking himself to show just how fluffy his fur was, "It shouldn't be a problem. I'm fluffy, not fat." The tom joked, humor briefly flickering in his dark blue eyes as he met Ameena's vibrant green.

Oblivious to her companion's embarrassment and false humor, Ameena offered the tom a cute smile and shrugged. "I can't help that cats like me," she mused, winking at the older cat before shaking her head. "No, I'm kidding. I guess I just explore too much. My father always told me I had a problem staying in one place for too long. Guess I got that from my mother." Chilled to the bone by her own icy remark, the tortoiseshell shook her head once more, then looked away, twitching her patched ears as the other feline continued to speak.

Art's words having brought some interest back to the conversation, Ameena turned her head back towards the blue-grey tom, blinking her sea-green eyes as she thought on his words. "You have an apprentice?" she inquired curiously. She honestly felt as if the tom had mentioned it before, but that wasn't important, really. What was the cat's name? How old were they? Would they make a good friend? Were they trustworthy? Did they like exploring? All these questions ran through the healer's mind, daring to pass through her parted jaws but never actually doing so.
Wiping the thoughts from her cluttered mind, the Pink-Orange-Light studied Art's features, taking in the obvious signs of exhaustion and frowning a bit. She held his gaze for a few silent moments, studying the emotions in his deep blue orbs before breaking the connection and looking up at the sky. "Just get your fur wet," she finally meowed calmly, twitching one of her ears back. "It'll make the fur easier to part and stay flat so you can get the herbs on."

Conan's ears twitched slightly at the sudden coolness of his companion's voice. His dark blue eyes briefly searched her green - did she and her mother not get along? There was something under the surface there and Conan was interested to know what it was but he also had enough common sense not to ask.

The green-earth inclined his head at Ameena's question, a wry smile pulling across his lips as he thought of Caru. "Yup. She's got some fire in her, for sure. The first time I took her out for training she bartered with me on how I should train her. She's young but has a lot of potential. I hope I'm able to teach her to become something great." The sincerity in the ash and blue hued tom's voice was clear. Though he and Caru were drastically different in terms of personality, their passion was the same and Conan truly wanted to see the young she-cat succeed and become something great. It was merely the how that stumped him.

Conan stood quite still as Ameena suddenly turned and met his gaze, her green eyes searching; for what, the tom didn't know. The tom's ears flicked back and flattened against his head for a second and then Ameena broke the connection, turning her eyes to the sky. The green-earth let out a breath he hadn't been aware of holding. "Alright. I'll be sure to talk to my healer and get some of the herbs." Conan paused for a little bit, a question on the tip of his tongue. He wanted to ask but was afraid that his new companion would think him a fool. Finally, the tom simply shrugged and asked anyway. "Do you ... Is there anything I can do to help me go to sleep? I've been ... restless lately, which is unusual. I normally work from dawn to dusk and fall asleep as soon as I get into my nest." Conan briefly met Ameena's green eyes before glancing away, his tail tip twitching - the only sign, apart from his hesitant start, of his insecurity on this.

The description Art gave his aforementioned apprentice peaked Ameena's curiosity. What did Kiara think about her? Did she see potential in her own apprentice? Ameena had yet to really argue with her mentor, but maybe that was what was keeping them from being as close as Art and his apprentice. Maybe they needed to fight a little, to spark that fire in their teacher-and-student relationship. I don't want to purposely argue with Kiara, though. The thought of not getting along with the stump-tailed she-cat made Ameena frown a bit, but after some consideration, she decided to shrug it off. Arguing wasn't the solution to everything- she probably just needed to spend more time learning than wandering off, even if she was nearly an adult now.
Coming back down to earth, the adolescent female turned her sea-green gaze back to the grey-blue tom, twitching her ears as he spoke. His initial statement made her respond with a simple nod, but his question seemed to have stumped her. Sleeping? Most herbs that provided drowsiness came with some sort of side-effect…

Weighing the options, the young healer decided to voice her thoughts, giving the tom a skeptical look. "If you think your lack of sleep may be stress-related, then chewing on the stems of borage plants every once in a while should help. But if that fails, the only other suggestion I have is a water-and-lordleaf mixture, which can cause mild drowsiness…" Ameena trailed off once more, lost in thought as she tried to remember everything about the herbs she'd mentioned. "Honestly you'd be better off asking your own healers, because they're aware of what they do and don't have in store, and they can keep an eye on you while you're sleeping. But those are my only two recommendations."

With a slight shrug, the tortoiseshell shook her semi-fluffy pelt out, eyeing her sleepy companion. "On the other paw, your sleep problems could be caused by your relocation. Maybe you're just still not used to living with the Tribes. Sleeping on your own out here in the neutral territory for a night or two could potentially calm your nerves, revive your energy, and save you from getting addicted to whatever herbs you're provided."

Conan chuckled softly when Ameena grew quiet. Lightly, he tapped the she-cat's forehead with his tail-tip. "I can practically see smoke coming from your ears. What are you thinking about, if you don't mind me asking." Conan offered his friend (and he used the word tentatively) a lopsided smile, humor briefly reflecting in his dark eyes.

The green-earth blinked owlishly as Ameena began to mention herbs and what he should do with them. What the hell is borage? Conan silently nodded along with everything that Ameena said, grasping at what he thought he could understand. His ears perked up when she mentioned sleeping out in neutral land. He hadn't thought of doing so but now that it was an option it seemed awfully enticing. "I think I'll try the second option - the prospect of potentially getting addicted to herbs isn't overly appealing to me. That and I love it when I can have peace and quiet. I mean, I'm happy with living in the Tribes." Here Conan smiled slightly, a hint of sadness returning to his face. "When my father used to tell me stories about the Tribes I would look at my then grey tattoo and long for it so badly. I've wanted to be here since I was little and now that I'm here ... I just feel out of place, ya know? These cats all have connections with each other already. They have fought together, made friendships, and who knows what else. I just ... I feel alone, sometimes."

Conan stopped talking after he realized that one, he had just opened up to a complete stranger and two, she probably didn't care. The tom lifted his head slightly and cleared his throat, looking everywhere but at Ameena. "Sorry. Uh ..." The tom floundered for something to say but came up short. What else could he say that wouldn't make him seem like an overemotional sop that couldn't handle being on his own?

Pulled out of her thoughts by the light tap on her forehead, Ameena looked around, then up at the tom before her, who had quite a bemused grin on his maw. Were my thoughts so obvious? "I was just envying the relationship you have with your apprentice," she laughed softly, flicking a single ear back as she spoke, realizing how ridiculous she sounded. "My mentor and I aren't too close, but that's probably my fault." With a slight shrug, the tortoiseshell bent her head and licked her chest fur a few times in embarrassment.

The Green-Earth's words made her laugh a bit more genuinely this time, and she turned a playful sea-green gaze to the fluffy tom. "Yeah, addiction isn't too fun. Then your body can hardly function without being drugged up." Pausing as the other continued to speak, Ameena blinked at the blue-grey feline, tilting her head a bit. He sounded really… well, sad and lonely, as he had said. Where her smile had been grew a frown in a matter of mere seconds, and the tortoiseshell found herself at a loss for words. She thought of the times when she was younger, before she'd joined the Tribes. Back then she just had a boring old black tattoo, like the rest of her family, and any other cat she'd ever seen. But one day she saw a cat with a bright silver Air-Tribe tattoo, and she'd remembered the times when her father had told her that maybe one day her own tattoo would shine like her pretty eyes.
I know just what he's talking about, she decided solemnly, blankly staring at the tom as emotions swam through her eyes. Without much thinking, Ameena got up and padded over to Art, pushing her nose against his and purring. "I know exactly what you mean," she meowed softly, lightly brushing his cheek with her muzzle before taking a small step back and meeting his steel-blue gaze. "But isn't the exciting part of exploring making new friends, memories, and who knows what else? It's so… thrilling, and rewarding. It's why we all came here in the first place- for a second chance. Right?"

Conan blinked in surprise when Ameena pushed her nose against his but pushed the surprise away. A wave of innocent, sibling-like affection washed over the tom and he nuzzled Ameena for a moment before pulling away and meeting her bright green eyes as she spoke. "You make a good point, Yv. Thank you ... I just, I need to get out more I think. Try and meet more cats make more friends." Conan wanted to add more but lacked the words too, instead he settled for closing the distance between them and brushing his muzzle against hers, a happy purr rumbling in his chest.

When Conan pulled away his eyes prickled again with exhaustion and for a moment the tom swayed on his feet, his vision blurring. "Alright. I should probably be heading back to camp before I pass out right here. I'll remember everything you told me. Thank you Yvara. I came out here with the intention of doing nothing really, and instead I've made a friend and to be honest you're already more than that to me. You're kinda like a sister to me. Thank you, again." Sincerity filled the tom's voice as he looked into Ameena's green eyes, love and affection glittering in their dark depths. The tom once again brushed his muzzle against Ameena's and offered a smile before he began walking back towards Earth-Tribe.