TGB|Do you gotta Soulbound- or nah?- Ruhn + Tacita

<sub>{Ruhn | Green-Fire | The Fallen Birch }

The sun slowly rose in the horizon as the older tom padded along the river bank. Ever since the awkward swim he took with Zivent he was very cautious of the fallen tree that connected Fire-Tribe to the Light-tribe. Speaking of light-tribe- how were they holding up? Last time he talked to one of their cats is was a couple moons ago and with Kooken. He had heard the news that the tom was kicked out of his own tribe... Where on earth could he be now?

The large grey tom looked up to the sun and scowled that now fully shimmered in the bright sky. His blue eyes shifted around a little bit as he thought about what exactly he should do. There were no cats in sight- so no reason to not re-try to cross the tree- right? Nobody to scare him.. Nobody to push him in. He could finally work on his balance skills!!

He chuckled and leapt onto the tree. His awkwardly large paw stumbled in front of him as he fell upon impact. Slowly he began to slide off the tree- his claws scraped the bark as he struggled to get back up. Kicking his large, rabbit like back legs he lifted him rump out of the waters reach and squirmed back onto the tree. His claws tugged at the bark in fear that he would stumble again.</sub>

( Tacita | Orange-Fire | The Fallen Birch )

The water was cold around Tacita's numb paws as she stared at the rippling surface. She was met by a scarred face and tired, turquoise eyes. After two fights (both with the same she-cat, Piper), she had gained a great deal of scars, and Spirits, she wasn't as pretty as before. Three ugly scars parted the fur across her eye, almost half of her left ear was ripped off. When looking close, she could even make out faint lines on her left cheek, remains of the last fight. Swallowing thickly, she turned away her gaze, and pulled herself up on the riverbank.

She was tired, very much so. Nightmares had tainted her sleep, filling her usually peaceful dreams with images of blood-stained fur and glassy, empty eyes. At first, she had expected them to go away, but they didn't. Somehow, they had gotten worse, even if the contains were the same. The night before, she hadn't even dared to fall asleep.

A sigh slipped past her parted lips. Trying not to think of what had caused the nightmares, she began to walk in the opposite direction as before. The path she had chosen let to the Fallen Birch, a place that hopefully would calm her upset mind. In the distance, the large tree took shape-
So did something else?
Eyes narrowed in a frown, Tacita watched as a grey tomcat awkwardly clung to the fallen tree, his claws buried in the bark. And, as she got closer, she realised that she knew this tom. "Ruhn?" she called out, disbelief mixed with weak amusement. Spirits, what was he doing? Smiling softly, she leapt gracefully onto the birch and sat down with uttermost steadiness. "What are you doing?""

<sub>{Ruhn | Green-Fire | The Fallen Birch }

Ruhn glanced up and turned to the figure to his side. He dipped his head and flushed slightly in embarrassment. Did she see me fall? He shook his head to kill the thought. He suddenly looked closely at her face and stepped back some in fear.

"Who did that to you!!" He demanded his inner protective self breaking out through his soft exterior. He remembered fighting and gained his own scars but the beautiful she-cat- there was no way some cat could possibly do that to her! She was one of the sweetest feline's he knew..

Whoever did this to Tacita would pay..</sub>

( Tacita | Orange-Fire | The Fallen Birch )

Stifling a laugh, Tacita watched Ruhn as he dipped his head in embarrassment. Though, she didn't want to seem rude, so with a less entertained - more understanding - smile, she spoke. "Ah, relax, anyone can slip! This old tree is hard to hold on to anyway.." Upon seeing the Green-Fire's expression, she trailed off. Had she said something wrong? Realisation struck her like a bolt of lightning.

"Doesn't matter," she muttered, turning her head in shame. As if that would help; she had scars on the rest of her body as well. Being a self-confident feline, Tacita hadn't minded the ugly marks too much. Neither did Damon, nor most of the cats she spent time with. But to get such a reaction from Ruhn, it upset her, even if she was reluctant to show it. "It's in the past." Her thorny claws dug into the exterior of the fallen tree. "And, it's what I deserved. I started it." It was the truth; part of it, at least.

<sub>{Ruhn | Green-Fire | The Fallen Birch }

His eyes of anger softened as he stepped forward and laid his large feet on her delicate paw. "Hey- don't say that. Nobody deserves anything of that sort." He was a total hypocrite.. He had attacked many cats in his time including Piper, Mikah and even his own apprentice- Kasai. For this moment though- he needed to pretend none of that existed.

He flushed up and smiled at her softly dipping his muzzle down. "You still are as pretty as always" He gave her an awkward toothy smile. He really hated seeing such a sweet she-cat being all torn up physically and mentally...

After Aeverie had left him- he grew to be softer towards she-cats and knew he had to keep a smile on his face to keep them smiling. She-cat's deserved more then some torn up tom like him. They needed a fighter, a protector and most importantly- somebody to curl up next to after a long day.</sub>

( Tacita | Orange-Fire | The Fallen Birch )

"Thank you," she said, not sounding too thankful (after all, it had been her fault, and Spirits be damned if she didn't deserve the scars), "but really, I put myself in a situation where scars were the only outcome." Ruhn was a nice tom, but he didn't understand, not really. What he said, it made her feel weak, inferior. She didn't want that. Hell, he was a warrior, she could easily tear the throat of another cat, feeling upset or not. To be looked upon like a weak kit, like she needed someone to look after her-
It was infuriating.

Giving a kind smile back, Tacita drew back her paw and jumped off the slippery tree. Her eyes, however, were still fixed on the rugged-looking tom. "Thank you," she repeated, a bit kinder this time. Despite everything, she liked being called pretty. Most cats did, after all. Still, it frustrated her when other cats only saw her appearance pleasing to look at, and not everything else. The way she fought, how she could use her powers. It was like that for many cats - she-cats and toms alike - she had noticed. Many seemed to forget that even dainty paws held dangerously sharp claws.

Shaking her head, Tacita sat down on her haunches and wrapped her tail around her forelegs. "How have you been lately?" Then, with a small laugh, she added, "After all, we haven't seen each other for moons. Something must have happened, yes?" Her turquoise eyes gleamed in the sunlight.

<sub>{Ruhn | Green-Fire | The Fallen Birch }

His light blue eyes sparkled slightly with pride- feeling as if he had finally done something right (which was of course- not true). He watched her walk onto the grass and he slowly followed- attempting to keep his awful balance on the tree.

"I've been doing well- nothing." He glanced up at the sky and tried to remember anything he had done that kinda stood out. "I've been doing a lot of thinking... About- well. stuff." The 'stuff; included mostly personal reflection and his relationship with his family. He father continued to not visit or even care about his existence and his siblings were far too busy to come by. He did however- have his mother; Eva. She was old and was getting more and more duties before she could retire. He looked up to her a lot...Maybe even a little too much?

He turned back to her and licked his paw; running it through his thick bangs a bit. "What about you? How have you been?"</sub>

( Tacita | Orange-Fire | The Fallen Birch )

"Nothing at all?" Her eyes narrowed in disbelief. But, as he continued, her features smoothed out in understanding. "Ah," she breathed, not pushing the subject further. "Well, as you probably can tell, I've been in a couple of fights." Her gaze shifted to the ground, were her still wet paws were placed. Some dirt had stuck to them, making them appear brown instead of slate grey. "Things have been a bit difficult." Licking her lips, Tacita returned her attention to the tomcat. Nowadays, she was used to the lingering tang of her own blood clinging to her roof of her mouth. It was a bad habit of hers, to bite her lower lip, or chew on the soft flesh of her tongue. Somehow, it distracted her from the thoughts she tried to repress, and the feelings that burned hot in her chest.

"I suppose," she said, after a moment of thought, "that I have been better." Tacita exhaled with a flick of her torn ear. For her, it had always been hard to show her weaknesses. But Ruhn was trustworthy and understanding; it felt safe to tell him.

<sub>{Ruhn | Green-Fire | The Fallen Birch }

His eyes softened for the she-cat. He felt himself almost melt in frount of her feeling half admired at her straight forward attitude and then her honesty to him. It did take alot of guts.

"Is there anything I can do- to help you out?" He thought for a moment then looked at her and smiled; "Here, how about we go for a little hunting trip? Maybe practice some with our powers together." He giggled and raised his eyebrows encouragingly.</sub>

( Tacita | Orange-Fire | The Fallen Birch )

Tacita considered the tomcat's offer for a moment, before giving a shrug. "Sure," she said, her turquoise eyes meeting icy blue. "I'd love to practice my powers. Though, I don't really feel like hunting. Couldn't we just, uh, spar?" It would be good, Tacita thought, for her to let out some of the excess power that had been setting fire on her veins. The last days, the warmth had been near unbearable, constantly making her fur prickle and her tattoo itch. Still, she hadn't had a chance to activate her tattoo and use them. This was a perfect opportunity. Also, she had never fought a secondary Fire-Triber.

With a tiny smile, she rose from the ground, her tail twitching restlessly in the air. Then, sighing softly, she activated her tattoo. The fiery shapes unfolded quickly, glowing with a tangerine light. Tacita's smile widened. "I'm ready whenever you are."

<sub>{Ruhn | Green-Fire | The Fallen Birch }

His eyes sparkled and he lept off the fallen tree- his icy blue eyes watching her carefully. He breathed in- then out. Slowly and carefully to focus his attention on her silky pelt. Suddenly the green light sparkled and mildly flared in his eyes- surging a wave of power in his paws.

He took one final breath- as his paws covered in the soft light- and he charged at her- leaping up at the last moment hoping to knock her down.</sub>

( Tacita | Orange-Fire | The Fallen Birch )

In truth, Tacita had expected the Green-Fire to wait for her to move first. So, it was only genuine surprise that kept her from moving as the tomcat launched at her. His large paws hit her flank, making her tumble to the ground with a thud. With a hiss, she twisted - her heart beating radically, nerves singing - and used a small amount of her powers to shape a chest-sized flame in the air between them. Smiling sharply, she sprung to her paws and allowed the medium-sized flame to go die out. Then, after dropping closer to the ground to gain stability, Tacita leapt at Ruhn, her claws tucked in but pawtoes spread as she reached out for his larger frame. The air smelt thickly of smoke.

<sub>{Ruhn | Green-Fire | The Fallen Birch }

He grinned and let out a loud laughter of enjoyment as the she-cat sprung around and then went at him. He slowly took his large paws around the small flame and twirled his paws almost to make a barrier in between the two of them. He stood back and was surprised at the new skill he had learned- did anyone else use this? Or was this a soul-bound move? Suddenly it hit him. Soulbound... He grinned and nodded- He was going to try.

"Tacita! Run through the flames!" He commanded to the she-cat. His eyes reflected off of the bright flames that scorched in the air in front of him.</sub>


( Tacita | Orange-Fire | The Fallen Birch )

"Tacita! Run through the flames!" Gracefully landing on all fours, Tacita craned her neck to look at the grey tomcat. Run through the flames? Eyes narrowed, she watched the small barrier of fire that burned in between them. She frowned lightly. "Why?" Ruhn or not, she didn't like when cats ordered her to do things. Also, wasn't he taking the situation seriously? They were sparring, not playing kitten's games. It would be pointless for her to run through the flame; as it was her own, it wouldn't hurt her anyway. Tingle a bit, maybe, but not burn her. "Do it yourself," she said, her tone unamused.

<sub>{Ruhn | Green-Fire | The Fallen Birch }

Ruhn had remembered the many times that he heard his Tribe-mates talking about soul-bounding; was it even possible? To have such a deep bond with another cat would be an amazing advantage in battle...

Slowly he sat up on his back paws- watching the smaller grey cat carefully. Her tone was harsh but he really hoped with a little more encouragement she might give it a go. "Trust me!" He called to her as his flicked his rabbit like tail. He was going to make this work..</sub>

( Tacita | Orange-Fire | The Fallen Birch )

"Trust me!" There was something in the grey feline's tone that made Tacita give in. With a slightly annoyed shrug, she curled her tail in the air and placed her front paws in the licking flame. "You know, because it is my own, this fire won't burn me," she said flatly. It didn't. But, there was something different, something off. The fire felt strange, as if he had altered it. She could still sense the traces of her elemental magic, but with something else combined. Pulling back her lip, she returned her attention to Ruhn. "Did you do something to my fire?"

<sub>{Ruhn | Green-Fire | The Fallen Birch }

He watched the she-cat carefully as she walked through the flames- his eyes scanning the way her pelt sparkled light green as he protected her pelt. It then faded away to a puff of smoke as she exited. The flames seemed to be almost like a door- a door to the other side of the harsh heat.

His mouth opened in a large smile. "OH MY GOD THAT WAS SO COOL DID YOU SEE THAT??" He began jumping around the she-cat like a young apprentice. "IT WAS LIKE BOOM AND POW AND LIKE WOW- YOUR PELT WAS SO PRETTY AND OH MY GOD YOU HAD TO SEE THAT." He bounced up and down laughing like a maniac. He had never EVER seen something like that before!!</sub>

( Tacita | Orange-Fire | The Fallen Birch )

Tacita's maw fell open as the tomcat began to bounce, laughing like someone mad. What was he going on about? Had he eaten too much catnip, or something? The she-cat snorted, and padded to his side, her tail swaying lightly. "I've told you already," she said, "that my fire can't burn me, as it is my own. Still, I could feel you doing something. My fur was tingling, you know?" The silvery she-cat's tattoo was still activated, but as it seemed like Ruhn wasn't fit to continue their sparring fight, she deactivated it with a sigh. "Really," she said, darting out her tongue to clean her muddy paw, "what are you talking about?" Then, somewhat reluctantly, she added, "I don't understand."

<sub>{Ruhn | Green-Fire | The Fallen Birch }

The green glow that surrounded his body faded away as well ah he took a few breaths to calm himself. "Okay...Okay.." he panted and smiled at her. "Have you heard of Soul bounding?" The two words felt like butter on his tongue. It tasted good- real good. He could get used to that. He felt powerful and for once in his life- worthy.</sub>

( Tacita | Orange-Fire | The Fallen Birch )

"Soulbonding?" Her eyes widened as they met his. Indeed, she had heard of it; several cats of her Tribe had spoken of it before, but she had never given it a second thought. To bind her soul with another cat; to her, it sounded almost too intimate, verging on unsettling. What if something happened to the other cat? Wouldn't you hurt as well? What if they died-
"We should do it," Tacita said, the words forming on their own demand. Shocked with herself, she shut her maw, her expression morphing into horror. "Or, I, uh-"

<sub>{Ruhn | Green-Fire | The Fallen Birch }

Ruhn's smile grew brighter as Tacita said the words. He nodded quickly and grinned. "Yes of course! We must! We'd be the best booty kicking duo ever!!" His light blue eyes sparkled with pride. What would he mom say about all of this? Was he the first one in the family to possibly have a soulbound?? Him and Tacita would go down in the history!! This was going to be so cool!!</sub>

( Tacita | Orange-Fire | The Fallen Birch )

"Re- Really?" Tacita stared bright-eyed at her friend. Was he willing to be her soul-bound? That was incredible. Amazing. A beaming smile grew on her lips as she launched herself at the Green-Fire. To her, the concept was still a bit scary, but intriguing and so cool nonetheless. Laughing joyfully, she buried her face in the scruff of Ruhn's neck. "We have to ask the Silver-Fire," she mumbled, Ruhn's pelt brushing against her face. He carried the fiery scent of Fire-Tribe, she realised as she inhaled. Giving another smile, she let go of him, and sat down on the ground. Then, she remembered her earlier question. "What were you doing before? You know, with my flame?"

<sub>{Ruhn | Green-Fire | The Fallen Birch }

He flushed up as he felt her warm breath on his neck. He sat up slightly looking at her trying to remember exactly what he had done. "I think I protected the flames- keeping them in one place almost as a shield.." He nodded and smiled, "That's exactly what I did! I held them there and you were able to cross through since your powers were included." He smiled and chuckled. "I'm not too sure if it would be possible for me to pass through- since you controlled the flames.." He licked his paw lightly and ran it through his fuzzy bangs.</sub>

( Tacita | Orange-Fire | The Fallen Birch )

Tacita's smile widened in awe. So that was why her flames had felt different! "That's amazing, really." Maybe, in the future, they would be able to combine their powers properly? She had heard of abilities that only soulbonds had; secondary users with immunity to the primary's fire, even the ability to exchange powers for a short time. It all sounded incredible. "Ruhn," she said softly. "We should ask Castail right away, don't you think?"

<sub>{Ruhn | Green-Fire | The Fallen Birch }

He nodded and nudged her playfully, turning to the direction the camp was in. "Of course!! Let's go~" He then leaped off with her at his side. Quickly and carefully- full of excitement for what might happen in the future with soulbounding..</sub>