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Conan really needed to pay more attention to where he walked. Somehow his little trip to 'clear his mind' had ended up with him walking all the way to Moonfish Lake. 'Fantastic. Really fantastic.' He thought sarcastically, gazing out across the deep, mirror-surfaced looking water in front of him. The Green-Earth couldn't help but remember the last time he had come this far, how he'd run into Bandit and the conversation they'd had. He briefly wondered how the she-cat was doing and made a mental note to try and see her again; though he wasn't sure when he'd be able to do so with their Tribe's having territories so far apart.

Conan simply stood at the edge of the lake for some time, lost in thought before he finally 'came back' so to speak. He glanced around and sighed softly when he saw no one around. Great, he'd walked all this way and there wasn't even anything for him to do. He'd already worked on his abilities earlier and wasn't exactly in the mood to try again, nor did he feel like going for a swim. 'Well, I guess I can sit and watch the water for a bit' He thought to himself, his lips flickering downwards in the hints of a frown. It wasn't much but it was something at least.

Dry leaves crinkled beneath cream paws as a small figure moved quietly amongst tall dark trunks. Her pale striped fur appeared to mimic the patterns of the bark, which she now stood beside. Glancing skyward, she could see patches of blue past the sparse canopy of branches; ahead lay the serene view of the lake. Cadence smiled as she observed the horizon, enjoying the visual beauty the season offered. As a warm breeze displaced her fur, the pink-orange water licked it back into place, suddenly realizing the comfortable temperature as the wind subsided.

A light giggle escaped her as she watched a leaf fall into the water, disrupting the once placid surface with concentric ripples. She couldn’t have asked for a day that excelled the beauty the moment. Or, she thought, could I? . The sight, the temperature, and even the smell were delightful. The only thing it lacked, perhaps, were the songs that the birds always sang in the spring and summer. A slightly troubled expression evolved into joy at her sudden revelation that she could amend this problem. A hum in the back of her throat rose to a warm, heartfelt melody that echoed around the surrounding area. Cadence flicked her ears as memories from her childhood flooded back. Orange spiraled tattoos on the shoulder of every queen in the nursery, each humming the song she now sang, comforting the tattoo-less kits of the earth tribe. One of them, nestled close to her mother, branded the notes into her brain as the music echoed around the walls. Oh, what she would give to have the tattoo of her birth tribe, earth was the element she always had wanted, but the essence of the water spirit had consumed her that night, giving her the ability to walk over the ocean or control the liquid at her will. She wished she could have stayed there, even as she grew up, there would always be kits to sing to, queens to hum the notes that came from her mouth now.

The adolescent closed her eyes as she focused on the song, performing each note in flawless repetition of the melody of her childhood.

The Green-Earth had lost himself in the beauty of the lack and the reflections of the trees, and thus, the orange, yellow and red's of the leaves they held in the deep water before him. White speckled paws padded into the water until the fluffy blue-grey green-earth stood chest deep, his head dipped down low to lap at the water before he lifted his head and curiously glanced around. 'Hm. I could've sworn I heard...' Conan's dark eyes closed briefly and the tattoo that graced his right shoulder flared to life in a vibrant green explosion as vines an flowers erupted and spread down his right leg and went over crept over his right eye to turn the normally dark blue hue into a vibrant green.

Suddenly the Green-Earth's sense of hearing was increased and he could hear someone humming a song which sounded so ... familiar. Why did it sound familiar? Conan's mind raced as he tried to place the connection and his eyes closed when he finally recognized the melody. It was the melody his father used to hum to he and his brothers to try and get them to sleep; it was the melody he heard the few queens that lived in Earth-tribe hum to their restless kits.

Curiosity overwhelming the tom, Conan padded out of the lake, dark eyes searching the horizon for the source of the music. A few moments later the source appeared in the form of a she-cat. Curiously, or at least to him, she didn't appear to be from his tribe. Conan lifted his head fractionally, ear-tips flicking backwards. He realized that half of his fur was dripping wet but there wasn't much he could really do about it. Clearing his throat the tom offered the she-cat a smile, hoping to come off as friendly. "Hello there."

Cadence continued to sing, her voice dwindling in volume as she continued; the spell the lullaby cast beginning to take effect on the listener (who also happened to be the singer). The pink-orange water switched from the clear crisp melody to a more mumbled tune. Finding herself to be extremely tired, the adolescent allowed her head to fall to her shoulder as she blinked slowly. The song grew disconnected as it became less audible, disjointed hums replacing the whispered notes. The lullaby continued in her head as it disappeared from reality; sleep finally claiming its victim.

With a piercing high note that may or may not have been a scream, Cadence snapped awake at the sudden voice of a tom. She swiveled on her haunches to face a stranger, shocked at his presence. Leaning sideways, she examined the green mark on his shoulder instinctively. It was always good to know if you were speaking to dangerous rouge or not.

“Earth!” She blurted out loudly, verbally placing the cat to a tribe. “I-mean… I-” Cadence stammered awkwardly, a red hue brightening on her face. “I was… I am… um… well…”

Conan blinked curiously as the she-cat screamed out the element of his tribe. His dark eyes flickered to her face, his head tilting to the side slightly. "Sorry to have startled you. And yes, I'm from earth-tribe. My name's Art, nice to meet you." As he did with majority of the cats he met, Conan hoped to come off as friendly and not scare others with his size. He really was quite the gentle giant, so to speak.

Conan shuffled his paws as the pair stood in silence for a few moments. The green-earth fumbled for something to say, finally coming up with, "You're birth-tribe was Earth-Tribe, correct? I recognize the song you were singing as the ones the few queens we have hum to their kits. Do you miss it?"

“I was from Earth…” Cadence whispered quietly, slightly frightened by the stranger’s superior size. She swayed slightly on her toes, turning her tattooed shoulder away from the cat to hide her identity as a water-triber. Has he already seen it though? Water and Earth were enemies in the war…

The pink-orange water’s shriving stalled as she studied the green-earth’s face. He looked so…sincere…”…I miss them…but I have a new family in Water…”
the pale tabby shuffled sideways to reveal her tattoo as she spoke, thinking about all the cats she had met in her true tribe. ...Lully

Conan watched the she-cat curiously as she spoke, noticing how she turned slightly to hide her tattoo from him. Why? He asked himself silently, his head tilting as he observed the pale tabby she-cat.

"It's good that you've made close bonds in your new tribe. I was born in exile so I don't know what it's like having to leave your birth Tribe." The green-earth's dark eyes briefly flickered to the she-cat's tattoo. Hm, a Pink-Orange-Water. "You're the first water-tribe cat that I've met who isn't a healer. What are your abilities like?" There was a new excitement in the tom-cat's voice, one akin to the excitement in a kits' voice after seeing something new and interesting.

Cadence backpedaled slightly, shying away from the enthusiastic stranger.“My-my abilities?” The adolescent hadn’t used her powers successfully without the aid or encouragement of another water-triber before. She glanced to her paws looking for some confidence, “I-I suppose I could try…” the pale tabby stammered nervously, approaching the lake as she spoke.

With a nervous squeak, the small wave at her shoulder splashed up to her eye in a colorful burst of pink and orange. The she-cat extended one paw toward the lake, sending ripples along the placid surface with a shift in her weight. A relived sigh escaped her mouth as the second paw joined the first on top of the water.

Cadence took a few steps, leaving the shallows as she did so, revealing her abilities to the earth-triber as she stood on top of the liquid.

Again with nervous cats - Conan briefly frowned. Was he that intimidating? He tried not to be; sure he was big but ... he didn't think he gave off the 'fear me' vibe. Ah. To each his own. The green-earth thought, turning his attention back to the water-triber as she spoke.

The tomcat watched in fascination as Cadence carefully stepped on top of the water. His eyes as big as saucers, Conan struggled to speak and when he was finally able to say something it was only, "That's awesome!" with much more enthusiasm than a supposed to be adult guard probably should've had.

What was intended as a question came out more like an excited squeak ” You…You really think so?” Cadence rarely found success when using her powers and with such enthusiasm displayed by the tom she couldn’t help but pride herself with this victory. A break in concentration made it easy for the wave of pink and orange to flicker before rapidly shrinking to the smaller mark on the adolescent’s shoulder.

With a gasp, Cadence willed the mark to flash to life again and keep her paws on the surface, but with one final strobe of light the surface tension on the liquid broke and gravity escorted its victim down into the water.

“AHH!” The pale tabby squealed as the cold lake rushed up past her legs to her belly before the cold mud at the bottom of the shallows squished into her toes. The sudden shock of the fall had stunned her to silence as she stared thorough the brackish liquid to her paws in attempt to make sense of the past few moments where something had went wrong.

Conan's jaws had been parted as he got ready to say something a bit more constructive when the Pink-Orange-Water went into the water with a loud splash. The tom was instantly by her side, leaping into the water, not caring if his fur got wet. "Hey, you ok?" He inquired softly, concern flickering in his dark blue eyes as he waited for the she-cat, who appeared to be both confused and in shock, to answer.

The tom’s voice broke the trance the she-cat had fallen into as Cadence tore her gaze from the water to Art’s face with a sharp twist of her head. Her voice rose with panic and her tone was unstable as she tried to turn toward the tom “I-I-I….I can’t move my paws!” She struggled with the mud as she lashed her tail from side to side rapidly. “I can’t move my paws! she repeated louder than the previous time, the panic apparent in her voice. She began to shake with fear, sending ripples out in every direction as she fought the muck, far too occupied to wonder if the heavier cat beside her might sink into the mud too.

At first Conan was confused as to what she she-cat meant but soon understood as he found his paws refusing to move from the thick mud and for a brief moment the guard panicked, but he brushed the feeling aside and focused on trying to get the Pink-Orange-Water to calm down. "It's going to be ok. I just need you to stop thrashing, you're only making things worse." His voice was soothing as he tugged his paws upward, his superior strength allowing him to move albeit with more effort.

Conan slowly made his way to Cadence, having to forcefully pull each of his paws up as the mud created something similar to a vacuum force. Finally the Green-Earth reached Cadence's side. "We're gonna get you out of here, ok? I just need you to stay calm."

A plea for help was caught in her throat as Cadence let out a panicked squeak; this was the most terrifying moment of her life. Her trembling slowed until it became paralysis. The world was muted around her instantly as she froze, eyes locked on the brackish water that blotted out the view of her paws. The pink-orange water was nearly in tears by the time the green earth arrived at her side, his reassuring words bringing her back to reality.

“all-all right” Cadence stammered, her voice barely audible as she tried to force herself to calm down. Art’s words echoed in her head as she bit her lip uneasily, what was he going to do to get her out?

Conan's brow furrowed as he thought of what to do. There was an option but .... Conan shook his head. He didn't have time to think about consequences. He had to get the she-cat out of the water before she began to panic once more. He also knew that were he to explain what it was he had in mind that the she-cat would begin to panic more.

So, without saying a word Conan activated his tattoo, his muscles practically humming with power and shoved Cadence. It wasn't particularly gentle but it had the desired effect - it sent the she-cat sprawling out of the thick mud and back onto shore. She did land a bit heavily and Conan winced slightly, ears flicking back. "Sorry about that." He apologized as his tattoo faded back to its usual rich green, the vines and flowers fading away. A soft grunt of exertion fell from the tomcat's lips as he began to trudge back to shore, muscles burning and body tired.

“What?-wait!” Cadence managed to squeak as she watched the tom’s tattoo spark to life quickly. She searched frantically for a memory from her child hood to remind her of the powers earth tribe cats possessed. Her mother, a primary, always grew flowers for her kit; that wouldn’t be useful in this situation, would it? What powers did secondary cats have?

The adolescent soon found her answer as the adult thrust his body at hers, not only dislodging her paws from the mud, but also sending her ashore. Her legs scrambled wildly as she tried to prevent from crashing face-first into the bank. Momentum easily won the battle with balance as Cadence fell forward with a grunt.

She flicked her ears with a tail twitch, acknowledging his apology, as she lay awkwardly sprawled out on the ground.
If he hadn’t been here, I could have been stuck forever! Cadence noted, forgetting why she had been out on the water in the first place. Shuffling into a more comfortable position on the ground, she turned in his direction “You saved me.”

Conan gratefully collapsed on the relatively solid surface of the bank. His muscles burned and he felt beyond fatigued - it was obvious he hadn't practiced his abilities in a while and the result was a larger tax on his energy than normal.

A slight blush formed across the darkly furred tom's cheeks at the young she-cat's words. "You wouldn't have been in that situation if i hadn't asked you to show me your powers." He pointed out softly, feeling terrible for having put the she-cat at risk. "I'm sorry about that." Conan's ears flicked back slightly as he looked at Cadence, regret flickering in his dark blue gaze.

”Oh.” Cadence shuffled into a sitting position ”I guess you’re right.”The adolescent flicked her ears back and bit her lip, ”It’s alright, I’m fine now and you’re okay too, right?” The she-cat observed the tom, he seemed content to lay on the ground, despite the dirt on the bank that would certainly end up covering him should he lay there. ”Right?” She echoed, taking a step toward the tom who seemed to be unusually tired.

Ew, Cadence grimaced as she noticed the mud that covered Art’s paws and legs before looking down at her own paws. ”Ah!” She gasped as she discovered not just mud from the lake, but the dirt and sand that had adhered to the muck as well; It covered the entire lower half of her body that had been in contact with the water.

The she-cat froze in shock, cringing as she stared down at the mess her fur had become.

Conan smiled at the brown she-cat's concerned tone. "I'm fine, don't worry about me." He meowed with yet another smile. A soft groan fell from his maw as he pushed himself up to his paws and slowly got up, half-heartedly shaking the dirt and muck from his fur.

A lazy smile formed across Conan's maw at the Water-Triber's expression. "Hey, no worries. You can always wash it off when you head back to camp, right?" He inquired, a kind expression in his eyes. "I don't believe I ever got your name." He meowed with a teasing smile, muscles rippling under his thick pelt as he leaned forward and stretched, claws briefly sinking into the soft ground.

Cadence cringed as the tom shook his pelt to remove the loose mud and dirt from his fur. She almost wanted to venture back into the lake to try and wash her paws, but she knew it would only result in getting stuck again.

“Ah” The she cat mumbled, “Yes, I suppose I can wash it in the ocean when I get back…” She hated to wait that long, the mud would be dry by then and would make her fur stick out weird even when she washed it off.

“Oh!” the tabby gasped, realizing how rude she had been to not give the tom her name after he had given his. ”My name…” she stalled briefly as she remembered that it was usually considered unwise to tell a stranger your real name. The pink-orange water’s eyes fell onto the tom’s tattoo again, finding it difficult not to imagine him as a tribe mate. ”…is Cadence” she finished, nodding to affirm her choice.

Conan's eyes were kind and gentle as he watched the brown tabby. He liked her, he decided. She was kind, sweet and had a decidedly delicate air about her - something the tom found refreshing and interesting. Or perhaps the tom was just tied and feeling a bit sentimental. Yeah, that was probably it. Get a hold of yourself Conan, next thing you know you'll be thinking like an elder. He scolded himself, briefly rolling his eyes before he returned his attention back to his companion.

"Cadence." Conan tested the name out and pondered thoughtfully before nodding. "It suits you." He finished with a smile that was quickly parted by a yawn. Again the fatigue of the pairs previous
endeavors hit him once again. "What do you say to us walking back towards your camp? Call it a day after so much excitement." Warmth and amusement glowed in the tom's dark blue eyes as a friendly but weary smile flickered across his maw.

The tabby grimaced down at her fur one last time before she took a slow step toward the tom. ”Alright.” Examining the tom’s face, she was surprised to find some warmth in his dark blue eyes. ” I think it’s this way.” Cadence turned away from Art and took a few unsure paces in the direction she thought she had come. With a sudden, indecisive twist, she turned left, right, and then left again, in attempt to identify the direction she had come in relation to the lake. The adolescent searched her surroundings until she was spinning in an awkward, broken circle. ”Uh…”

The pink-orange water slowed to turn back to the green-earth, hoping he had a better idea of their location, “Our territory almost touches the part of the lake near the half forest place…the side…without trees…”

Conan followed after Cadence and it only took him a few minutes to realize that the young she-cat didn't know her way back to camp. Guess it's a good thing I'm here. He thought with a brief smile, amusement flickering in his dark eyes at the thought.

The Green-Earth's brow furrowed slightly as he mentally ran through the description the brown tabby gave him. Slowly he nodded, having a good idea of where the territory was. "Alright Miss. Cadence, let's get you home." He mewed with a kind smile, inclining his head slightly as he began to pad off in the direction of Water-Tribe.

It didn't take too long for the pair to reach the beginning of Water-Triber's territory and Conan slowed his pace, not particularly feeling like having to deal with moody Water-Tribers. The tom cast a glance down at his brown companion, smiling slightly. "Well, it has certainly been an interesting day but now it's time for me to go home. Be safe, Cadence." Conan offered the Pink-Orange-Water yet another smile before he turned and padded away, back towards his own camp.

The adolescent fell in behind the adult as he led, her shorter legs forcing her to take two steps for every one of his. Cadence traced her surroundings lightly with her eyes as she slowly began to recognize the area. She risked another glance at her legs, horrified when she saw the mud had dried her fur into a spiky mess. She stifled a groan as she thought of how long it would take to wash it out before returning her attention to Art as he halted.

”Thank you...” The tabby returned the bigger cat’s smile, thankful that he hadn’t left her to find her way home alone. She knew it would have taken her longer to get back to her own camp without his help. She held her smile, only letting it fade when the tom turned away.

“Art.”

She found her way to his side in an instant before he could disappear into the brush, pressing her head into his chest with a light purr, “Thanks”

Her retreat was quicker than her approach as she turned and dashed away, almost embarrassed when she noticed a streak of mud that had worked its way from his leg to her face. She only glanced back once as she continued in the direction of the water tribe camp.

Description

Conan really needed to pay more attention to where he walked. Somehow his little trip to 'clear his mind' had ended up with him walking all the way to Moonfish Lake. 'Fantastic. Really fantastic.' He thought sarcastically, gazing out across the deep, mirror-surfaced looking water in front of him. The Green-Earth couldn't help but remember the last time he had come this far, how he'd run into Bandit and the conversation they'd had. He briefly wondered how the she-cat was doing and made a mental note to try and see her again; though he wasn't sure when he'd be able to do so with their Tribe's having territories so far apart.

Conan simply stood at the edge of the lake for some time, lost in thought before he finally 'came back' so to speak. He glanced around and sighed softly when he saw no one around. Great, he'd walked all this way and there wasn't even anything for him to do. He'd already worked on his abilities earlier and wasn't exactly in the mood to try again, nor did he feel like going for a swim. 'Well, I guess I can sit and watch the water for a bit' He thought to himself, his lips flickering downwards in the hints of a frown. It wasn't much but it was something at least.

Dry leaves crinkled beneath cream paws as a small figure moved quietly amongst tall dark trunks. Her pale striped fur appeared to mimic the patterns of the bark, which she now stood beside. Glancing skyward, she could see patches of blue past the sparse canopy of branches; ahead lay the serene view of the lake. Cadence smiled as she observed the horizon, enjoying the visual beauty the season offered. As a warm breeze displaced her fur, the pink-orange water licked it back into place, suddenly realizing the comfortable temperature as the wind subsided.

A light giggle escaped her as she watched a leaf fall into the water, disrupting the once placid surface with concentric ripples. She couldn’t have asked for a day that excelled the beauty the moment. Or, she thought, could I? . The sight, the temperature, and even the smell were delightful. The only thing it lacked, perhaps, were the songs that the birds always sang in the spring and summer. A slightly troubled expression evolved into joy at her sudden revelation that she could amend this problem. A hum in the back of her throat rose to a warm, heartfelt melody that echoed around the surrounding area. Cadence flicked her ears as memories from her childhood flooded back. Orange spiraled tattoos on the shoulder of every queen in the nursery, each humming the song she now sang, comforting the tattoo-less kits of the earth tribe. One of them, nestled close to her mother, branded the notes into her brain as the music echoed around the walls. Oh, what she would give to have the tattoo of her birth tribe, earth was the element she always had wanted, but the essence of the water spirit had consumed her that night, giving her the ability to walk over the ocean or control the liquid at her will. She wished she could have stayed there, even as she grew up, there would always be kits to sing to, queens to hum the notes that came from her mouth now.

The adolescent closed her eyes as she focused on the song, performing each note in flawless repetition of the melody of her childhood.

The Green-Earth had lost himself in the beauty of the lack and the reflections of the trees, and thus, the orange, yellow and red's of the leaves they held in the deep water before him. White speckled paws padded into the water until the fluffy blue-grey green-earth stood chest deep, his head dipped down low to lap at the water before he lifted his head and curiously glanced around. 'Hm. I could've sworn I heard...' Conan's dark eyes closed briefly and the tattoo that graced his right shoulder flared to life in a vibrant green explosion as vines an flowers erupted and spread down his right leg and went over crept over his right eye to turn the normally dark blue hue into a vibrant green.

Suddenly the Green-Earth's sense of hearing was increased and he could hear someone humming a song which sounded so ... familiar. Why did it sound familiar? Conan's mind raced as he tried to place the connection and his eyes closed when he finally recognized the melody. It was the melody his father used to hum to he and his brothers to try and get them to sleep; it was the melody he heard the few queens that lived in Earth-tribe hum to their restless kits.

Curiosity overwhelming the tom, Conan padded out of the lake, dark eyes searching the horizon for the source of the music. A few moments later the source appeared in the form of a she-cat. Curiously, or at least to him, she didn't appear to be from his tribe. Conan lifted his head fractionally, ear-tips flicking backwards. He realized that half of his fur was dripping wet but there wasn't much he could really do about it. Clearing his throat the tom offered the she-cat a smile, hoping to come off as friendly. "Hello there."

Cadence continued to sing, her voice dwindling in volume as she continued; the spell the lullaby cast beginning to take effect on the listener (who also happened to be the singer). The pink-orange water switched from the clear crisp melody to a more mumbled tune. Finding herself to be extremely tired, the adolescent allowed her head to fall to her shoulder as she blinked slowly. The song grew disconnected as it became less audible, disjointed hums replacing the whispered notes. The lullaby continued in her head as it disappeared from reality; sleep finally claiming its victim.

With a piercing high note that may or may not have been a scream, Cadence snapped awake at the sudden voice of a tom. She swiveled on her haunches to face a stranger, shocked at his presence. Leaning sideways, she examined the green mark on his shoulder instinctively. It was always good to know if you were speaking to dangerous rouge or not.

“Earth!” She blurted out loudly, verbally placing the cat to a tribe. “I-mean… I-” Cadence stammered awkwardly, a red hue brightening on her face. “I was… I am… um… well…”

Conan blinked curiously as the she-cat screamed out the element of his tribe. His dark eyes flickered to her face, his head tilting to the side slightly. "Sorry to have startled you. And yes, I'm from earth-tribe. My name's Art, nice to meet you." As he did with majority of the cats he met, Conan hoped to come off as friendly and not scare others with his size. He really was quite the gentle giant, so to speak.

Conan shuffled his paws as the pair stood in silence for a few moments. The green-earth fumbled for something to say, finally coming up with, "You're birth-tribe was Earth-Tribe, correct? I recognize the song you were singing as the ones the few queens we have hum to their kits. Do you miss it?"

“I was from Earth…” Cadence whispered quietly, slightly frightened by the stranger’s superior size. She swayed slightly on her toes, turning her tattooed shoulder away from the cat to hide her identity as a water-triber. Has he already seen it though? Water and Earth were enemies in the war…

The pink-orange water’s shriving stalled as she studied the green-earth’s face. He looked so…sincere…”…I miss them…but I have a new family in Water…”
the pale tabby shuffled sideways to reveal her tattoo as she spoke, thinking about all the cats she had met in her true tribe. ...Lully

Conan watched the she-cat curiously as she spoke, noticing how she turned slightly to hide her tattoo from him. Why? He asked himself silently, his head tilting as he observed the pale tabby she-cat.

"It's good that you've made close bonds in your new tribe. I was born in exile so I don't know what it's like having to leave your birth Tribe." The green-earth's dark eyes briefly flickered to the she-cat's tattoo. Hm, a Pink-Orange-Water. "You're the first water-tribe cat that I've met who isn't a healer. What are your abilities like?" There was a new excitement in the tom-cat's voice, one akin to the excitement in a kits' voice after seeing something new and interesting.

Cadence backpedaled slightly, shying away from the enthusiastic stranger.“My-my abilities?” The adolescent hadn’t used her powers successfully without the aid or encouragement of another water-triber before. She glanced to her paws looking for some confidence, “I-I suppose I could try…” the pale tabby stammered nervously, approaching the lake as she spoke.

With a nervous squeak, the small wave at her shoulder splashed up to her eye in a colorful burst of pink and orange. The she-cat extended one paw toward the lake, sending ripples along the placid surface with a shift in her weight. A relived sigh escaped her mouth as the second paw joined the first on top of the water.

Cadence took a few steps, leaving the shallows as she did so, revealing her abilities to the earth-triber as she stood on top of the liquid.

Again with nervous cats - Conan briefly frowned. Was he that intimidating? He tried not to be; sure he was big but ... he didn't think he gave off the 'fear me' vibe. Ah. To each his own. The green-earth thought, turning his attention back to the water-triber as she spoke.

The tomcat watched in fascination as Cadence carefully stepped on top of the water. His eyes as big as saucers, Conan struggled to speak and when he was finally able to say something it was only, "That's awesome!" with much more enthusiasm than a supposed to be adult guard probably should've had.

What was intended as a question came out more like an excited squeak ” You…You really think so?” Cadence rarely found success when using her powers and with such enthusiasm displayed by the tom she couldn’t help but pride herself with this victory. A break in concentration made it easy for the wave of pink and orange to flicker before rapidly shrinking to the smaller mark on the adolescent’s shoulder.

With a gasp, Cadence willed the mark to flash to life again and keep her paws on the surface, but with one final strobe of light the surface tension on the liquid broke and gravity escorted its victim down into the water.

“AHH!” The pale tabby squealed as the cold lake rushed up past her legs to her belly before the cold mud at the bottom of the shallows squished into her toes. The sudden shock of the fall had stunned her to silence as she stared thorough the brackish liquid to her paws in attempt to make sense of the past few moments where something had went wrong.

Conan's jaws had been parted as he got ready to say something a bit more constructive when the Pink-Orange-Water went into the water with a loud splash. The tom was instantly by her side, leaping into the water, not caring if his fur got wet. "Hey, you ok?" He inquired softly, concern flickering in his dark blue eyes as he waited for the she-cat, who appeared to be both confused and in shock, to answer.

The tom’s voice broke the trance the she-cat had fallen into as Cadence tore her gaze from the water to Art’s face with a sharp twist of her head. Her voice rose with panic and her tone was unstable as she tried to turn toward the tom “I-I-I….I can’t move my paws!” She struggled with the mud as she lashed her tail from side to side rapidly. “I can’t move my paws! she repeated louder than the previous time, the panic apparent in her voice. She began to shake with fear, sending ripples out in every direction as she fought the muck, far too occupied to wonder if the heavier cat beside her might sink into the mud too.

At first Conan was confused as to what she she-cat meant but soon understood as he found his paws refusing to move from the thick mud and for a brief moment the guard panicked, but he brushed the feeling aside and focused on trying to get the Pink-Orange-Water to calm down. "It's going to be ok. I just need you to stop thrashing, you're only making things worse." His voice was soothing as he tugged his paws upward, his superior strength allowing him to move albeit with more effort.

Conan slowly made his way to Cadence, having to forcefully pull each of his paws up as the mud created something similar to a vacuum force. Finally the Green-Earth reached Cadence's side. "We're gonna get you out of here, ok? I just need you to stay calm."

A plea for help was caught in her throat as Cadence let out a panicked squeak; this was the most terrifying moment of her life. Her trembling slowed until it became paralysis. The world was muted around her instantly as she froze, eyes locked on the brackish water that blotted out the view of her paws. The pink-orange water was nearly in tears by the time the green earth arrived at her side, his reassuring words bringing her back to reality.

“all-all right” Cadence stammered, her voice barely audible as she tried to force herself to calm down. Art’s words echoed in her head as she bit her lip uneasily, what was he going to do to get her out?

Conan's brow furrowed as he thought of what to do. There was an option but .... Conan shook his head. He didn't have time to think about consequences. He had to get the she-cat out of the water before she began to panic once more. He also knew that were he to explain what it was he had in mind that the she-cat would begin to panic more.

So, without saying a word Conan activated his tattoo, his muscles practically humming with power and shoved Cadence. It wasn't particularly gentle but it had the desired effect - it sent the she-cat sprawling out of the thick mud and back onto shore. She did land a bit heavily and Conan winced slightly, ears flicking back. "Sorry about that." He apologized as his tattoo faded back to its usual rich green, the vines and flowers fading away. A soft grunt of exertion fell from the tomcat's lips as he began to trudge back to shore, muscles burning and body tired.

“What?-wait!” Cadence managed to squeak as she watched the tom’s tattoo spark to life quickly. She searched frantically for a memory from her child hood to remind her of the powers earth tribe cats possessed. Her mother, a primary, always grew flowers for her kit; that wouldn’t be useful in this situation, would it? What powers did secondary cats have?

The adolescent soon found her answer as the adult thrust his body at hers, not only dislodging her paws from the mud, but also sending her ashore. Her legs scrambled wildly as she tried to prevent from crashing face-first into the bank. Momentum easily won the battle with balance as Cadence fell forward with a grunt.

She flicked her ears with a tail twitch, acknowledging his apology, as she lay awkwardly sprawled out on the ground.
If he hadn’t been here, I could have been stuck forever! Cadence noted, forgetting why she had been out on the water in the first place. Shuffling into a more comfortable position on the ground, she turned in his direction “You saved me.”

Conan gratefully collapsed on the relatively solid surface of the bank. His muscles burned and he felt beyond fatigued - it was obvious he hadn't practiced his abilities in a while and the result was a larger tax on his energy than normal.

A slight blush formed across the darkly furred tom's cheeks at the young she-cat's words. "You wouldn't have been in that situation if i hadn't asked you to show me your powers." He pointed out softly, feeling terrible for having put the she-cat at risk. "I'm sorry about that." Conan's ears flicked back slightly as he looked at Cadence, regret flickering in his dark blue gaze.

”Oh.” Cadence shuffled into a sitting position ”I guess you’re right.”The adolescent flicked her ears back and bit her lip, ”It’s alright, I’m fine now and you’re okay too, right?” The she-cat observed the tom, he seemed content to lay on the ground, despite the dirt on the bank that would certainly end up covering him should he lay there. ”Right?” She echoed, taking a step toward the tom who seemed to be unusually tired.

Ew, Cadence grimaced as she noticed the mud that covered Art’s paws and legs before looking down at her own paws. ”Ah!” She gasped as she discovered not just mud from the lake, but the dirt and sand that had adhered to the muck as well; It covered the entire lower half of her body that had been in contact with the water.

The she-cat froze in shock, cringing as she stared down at the mess her fur had become.

Conan smiled at the brown she-cat's concerned tone. "I'm fine, don't worry about me." He meowed with yet another smile. A soft groan fell from his maw as he pushed himself up to his paws and slowly got up, half-heartedly shaking the dirt and muck from his fur.

A lazy smile formed across Conan's maw at the Water-Triber's expression. "Hey, no worries. You can always wash it off when you head back to camp, right?" He inquired, a kind expression in his eyes. "I don't believe I ever got your name." He meowed with a teasing smile, muscles rippling under his thick pelt as he leaned forward and stretched, claws briefly sinking into the soft ground.

Cadence cringed as the tom shook his pelt to remove the loose mud and dirt from his fur. She almost wanted to venture back into the lake to try and wash her paws, but she knew it would only result in getting stuck again.

“Ah” The she cat mumbled, “Yes, I suppose I can wash it in the ocean when I get back…” She hated to wait that long, the mud would be dry by then and would make her fur stick out weird even when she washed it off.

“Oh!” the tabby gasped, realizing how rude she had been to not give the tom her name after he had given his. ”My name…” she stalled briefly as she remembered that it was usually considered unwise to tell a stranger your real name. The pink-orange water’s eyes fell onto the tom’s tattoo again, finding it difficult not to imagine him as a tribe mate. ”…is Cadence” she finished, nodding to affirm her choice.

Conan's eyes were kind and gentle as he watched the brown tabby. He liked her, he decided. She was kind, sweet and had a decidedly delicate air about her - something the tom found refreshing and interesting. Or perhaps the tom was just tied and feeling a bit sentimental. Yeah, that was probably it. Get a hold of yourself Conan, next thing you know you'll be thinking like an elder. He scolded himself, briefly rolling his eyes before he returned his attention back to his companion.

"Cadence." Conan tested the name out and pondered thoughtfully before nodding. "It suits you." He finished with a smile that was quickly parted by a yawn. Again the fatigue of the pairs previous
endeavors hit him once again. "What do you say to us walking back towards your camp? Call it a day after so much excitement." Warmth and amusement glowed in the tom's dark blue eyes as a friendly but weary smile flickered across his maw.

The tabby grimaced down at her fur one last time before she took a slow step toward the tom. ”Alright.” Examining the tom’s face, she was surprised to find some warmth in his dark blue eyes. ” I think it’s this way.” Cadence turned away from Art and took a few unsure paces in the direction she thought she had come. With a sudden, indecisive twist, she turned left, right, and then left again, in attempt to identify the direction she had come in relation to the lake. The adolescent searched her surroundings until she was spinning in an awkward, broken circle. ”Uh…”

The pink-orange water slowed to turn back to the green-earth, hoping he had a better idea of their location, “Our territory almost touches the part of the lake near the half forest place…the side…without trees…”

Conan followed after Cadence and it only took him a few minutes to realize that the young she-cat didn't know her way back to camp. Guess it's a good thing I'm here. He thought with a brief smile, amusement flickering in his dark eyes at the thought.

The Green-Earth's brow furrowed slightly as he mentally ran through the description the brown tabby gave him. Slowly he nodded, having a good idea of where the territory was. "Alright Miss. Cadence, let's get you home." He mewed with a kind smile, inclining his head slightly as he began to pad off in the direction of Water-Tribe.

It didn't take too long for the pair to reach the beginning of Water-Triber's territory and Conan slowed his pace, not particularly feeling like having to deal with moody Water-Tribers. The tom cast a glance down at his brown companion, smiling slightly. "Well, it has certainly been an interesting day but now it's time for me to go home. Be safe, Cadence." Conan offered the Pink-Orange-Water yet another smile before he turned and padded away, back towards his own camp.

The adolescent fell in behind the adult as he led, her shorter legs forcing her to take two steps for every one of his. Cadence traced her surroundings lightly with her eyes as she slowly began to recognize the area. She risked another glance at her legs, horrified when she saw the mud had dried her fur into a spiky mess. She stifled a groan as she thought of how long it would take to wash it out before returning her attention to Art as he halted.

”Thank you...” The tabby returned the bigger cat’s smile, thankful that he hadn’t left her to find her way home alone. She knew it would have taken her longer to get back to her own camp without his help. She held her smile, only letting it fade when the tom turned away.

“Art.”

She found her way to his side in an instant before he could disappear into the brush, pressing her head into his chest with a light purr, “Thanks”

Her retreat was quicker than her approach as she turned and dashed away, almost embarrassed when she noticed a streak of mud that had worked its way from his leg to her face. She only glanced back once as she continued in the direction of the water tribe camp.