Trapped. [Pic]

[Zen]

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[atrb=background,http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa446/jadedog08/Alextable2.png] Spring was finally starting to show signs of making a more than welcome comeback to Hexasol, but it apparently must have forgotten to pass by these mountains, because Alex saw no difference between this frozen wasteland and the rest of the city when it had gotten blasted by that snowstorm a few weeks ago. Where other parts of the country were growing green and teeming with wildflowers and the sounds of newborn animals, the barren, snowy cliffs and caves of the mountain range were as desolate as ever. However, they weren’t completely devoid of life, otherwise Alex wouldn’t have dragged himself all the way up here in search of food. He was purposefully trying to avoid the meadow and other places he knew would be crowded with animals taking advantage of the return of easy prey. Rather than run the risk of being attacked out in the open by Tempest or another pack of canines, he headed for somewhere off the beaten path, somewhere he knew he would be alone and mostly safe, where the chances of an ambush weren't so high. Lest he end up like his dumbass father. His legs wobbled as he tried to find the right balance on the precarious edge of the mountainside, keeping his head held high to avoid the temptation to look down into the dark mouth of the ravine below him. Having spent a lifetime scaling the tall rooftops of the Iris Pride, he didn't get vertigo easily, but that was nothing compared to this place. All it would take was one careless misstep to send him plummeting straight to the bottom, and even if the fall somehow didn’t kill him, there was no way he would ever be able to climb out of that massive hole by himself. Alex's claws grappled for a hold on a steep ledge in front of him, and he finally hoisted himself up with one hard leap, gulping as he just barely scrambled to the top without losing his grip and falling backwards. He caught his breath, thanked God he was still alive, and looked around. A wider walking trail, carved out by human climbers many years ago, winded upwards and led further into the heights of the mountain with seemingly no end in sight. He scrunched up his nose and detected that the mountain goat he'd been stalking must have taken off down this path, so he ambled on. But before he could move much further, a very familiar scent was pushed into his nose by a passing gust of wind, instinctively causing a silent snarl to slowly creep its way on to his muzzle when he recognized its owner. Could it be...? No. No, he had probably just imagined it. There was no way it could be true. No way the very last person on earth he wanted to see just happened to be hunting in the same area as him. He shook his head and continued on up the rocky trail, his shoulders hunched and his eyes darting around suspiciously despite what he’d just convinced himself. Try as he might, he still couldn’t rid himself of the feeling that someone was lurking close by, possibly watching or following him. The paranoia caused him to start walking with his claws fully unsheathed, their click-clacking noise echoing softly against the rock walls.

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[atrb=background,http://i41.tinypic.com/30iyl1z.jpg,true] There wasn't a real reason as to why Denim was up here. The mountains were dangerous and cold. You'd think a lion would be sick of three months of solid freezing weather, but no. Denim had been spending more and more time sitting on the ledge of a cliff, watching the city. He had heard news of his father's death several weeks before, and was still coming to terms with it. He had been spending less and less time with Natiri and Take to quietly grieve. He had barely known his father, but Denim had hoped they would still have a few years left for their relationship to blossom. No such luck. He should've expected it. Panja was not a well-liked lion and both dogs and cats hated him. Closing his eyes, Denim let out a small sigh. He had once hated his father almost as much as he'd hated Florence, but much had changed since Denim was a cub. Now, he held high respect for his father. No, he would never forgive him for the terrible things he did to canines, but that didn't matter in the end. Panja was just an old lion who wanted peace with the world. Denim just hoped her had peace, wherever he was now. Turning away from the cliff, Denim decided he had sulked for long enough. He needed to hunt. His body was thin and bony from lack of food. Many animals were still weak from malnourishment, and if Denim didn't eat soon, then he'd simply waste away. Gazing around his snowy surroundings, he saw no prey in sight. It would be a wiser idea to make his way down the mountain and stalk a deer. Denim was just beginning to take the safest path down when a scent struck him. Freezing, the tawny lion looked around wildly. It couldn't be... The chances of bumping into his older brother were far too low. It was probably just a mistake. However, as Denim began moving, the scent became stronger, and Denim became more anxious. He was not in a strong physical or mental state, and he really didn't want another argument with Alex. He had recovered from their last fight, but who knows what Alex would do to him this time. Natiri and Nebula weren't around this time to stop him. He swallowed thickly, trying to look for another route, but found nothing. Another few minutes of walking, and Denim finally saw his brother. He was difficult to spot. He camouflaged well into the snow. A good place for him to be hunting. Denim, on the other hand, would find it nearly impossible to catch prey up here. His body wasn't agile and he was entirely the wrong colour. Coming to a halt, Denim became wary. He wanted to get out of this situation, however he also felt anger coming to a boil inside of him. Did Alex even care that their father was dead? He had bullied his way into leadership. He was perhaps the reason for Panja's death. Had he told Panja to venture somewhere he knew the dogs would kill him? Perhaps he wanted his father dead. Denim's fur prickled. He was being paranoid, but Denim couldn't help but feel his father's death was not just pure unluckiness. Clearing his throat, Denim met Alex's gaze with a cold stare. He had nothing nice to say to his brother. A darker side of Denim wanted Alex dead. He shivered at the sudden terrible thought. What was he turning into? "Good day, dear brother." Denim drawled sarcastically as he padded closer to the white lion. The putrid stench of Iris Pride nearly made Denim's eyes water. He couldn't believe he had once stunk of it. He smelled of death and cats and tortured dogs. Denim curled his lip up at his elder brother. Their whole family was slowly being killed off. First Orbit, then Florence and finally Panja. Was Denim next on the hit list? Denim briefly glanced over his shoulder at the precarious ledge. He was sure Alex wouldn't be so foolish as to push him over. He wondered what has become of Nebula since their meeting in the church. Denim wanted nothing to do with his sister anymore. He didn't trust her. He had heard that she'd left Iris Pride, but Denim made no effort to seek her out. He decided to question his brother about the situation, "I take it you and Nebula are no longer on speaking terms?"

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[atrb=background,http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa446/jadedog08/Alextable2.png] His suspicions were true. The entire city and its surrounding areas apparently weren’t big enough to allow him and his brother to completely avoid one another, which was all Alex desperately wanted. If he went the rest of his years never having to speak to or lay eyes on Denim ever again...well, that would be more than alright with him. But as it were, his younger sibling was now regrettably standing right before him, and Alex was already starting to lose his patience the more he looked at the lion’s ugly face and breathed in his foul canine scent. Flashbacks of that day in the church briefly flitted through his head, but he did his best to ignore them. He couldn't lose his temper again like that, not out here where a fight could result in him getting thrown over the edge of a cliff. Forgetting about the prey he had been tracking, he returned Denim's sarcasm with a jeer. “And here I’d hoped maybe you would have frozen to death or gotten eaten by dogs by now." Alex rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated huff. He took a step forward, and as he did his paw closed around a heavy rock. His eyes shot between Denim, the rock and Denim again, then without warning he flung the stone in Denim’s direction with the hope of maybe clunking him on the shoulder or leg, or at least giving him a scare, grinning as he did it. He couldn’t resist. Any opportunity to cause his brother pain, even a small one, was worth taking. Then his eyes narrowed into slits when he mentioned that lion who Alex had once called his sister. Was Denim trying to get a rise out of him? But no...his brother actually seemed to be wondering what had happened to that mental lioness and also seemed to think Alex might know of her whereabouts. “Haven’t seen her in months. She’s probably dead.” He stretched out his forelegs leisurely and sighed, as if the subject bored him. Which it kind of did. He cared as much about Nebula’s fate as he cared about a dog’s. “Guess you’ve heard about our father by now, huh?” Making a small noise of disgust to himself, Alex turned his head to the side to gaze out across the expanse of rocks and crags that spanned the side of the mountain. “He got what he deserved, if you ask me. Certainly took him long enough to bite the dust, though.” That day Panja had attempted a peace treaty with Tempest was still a moment he couldn’t make himself forget no matter how hard he tried, like a black stain on his memories. He had never been more ashamed to have that man as his father, and it was the moment that had propelled his frustration and anger with Panja into full-blown hatred. Swallowing the sour taste in his mouth, he raised an eyebrow at his brother, genuinely curious as to what he thought. Somehow, given both of their idiotic peace-loving natures, he could easily imagine Denim and their father getting along well, despite Denim’s contempt for their parentage.

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[atrb=background,http://i41.tinypic.com/30iyl1z.jpg,true] Denim quickly saw the disgust on his brother's face and felt a sharp, reminiscent pain of when they had used to be young and happy. He had honestly once liked Alex, but now neither of them could bear the sight of each other. Denim looked away first, grimacing from the awkward situation they had put themselves in. What was the point of them even trying to make conversation? It would be best if they both continued on with their lives and decided to ignore each other. However, Denim felt compelled to speak to Alex. He felt like he needed to find out what was going on in his brother's life, whether he liked it or not. He wanted to know what Alex felt about Panja's death, Nebula's departure. However, things were as Denim expected. Before Denim even got the words out of his mouth, Alex was already speaking hatred of his father and sister. Denim flinched. "You will spend years hoping I have died a horrible death," Denim replied wryly, "But neither of us will have the satisfaction of having their brother dead. I believe we will both live to be old lions. Unfortunately." His eyes twinkled slightly as he gazed up at Alex. It was sad but true. Denim was careful, and Alex was a good fighter. Neither of them would die so easily. As much as he hoped Alex would die, leaving Iris leaderless, he knew another feline would take his place just as easily. He shivered at the thought of a lion like Kira reigning upon Iris. She was worse than Alexander in many ways. He sighed and decided to sit on the cold snow. A few minutes of idle conversation wouldn't hurt the both of them. When Alex replied to Denim's question of Nebula, he sighed slightly. Nebula was probably not dead. She was a lioness who could fend for herself. Alex was just voicing his hopes. Shaking his head, Denim replied, "Probably in hiding. Who would want to befriend an ex-Iris lioness?" He shuddered. Even if Nebula was regretting what she had done, he couldn't help but remember the smug grin plastered on his face when she had explained how she had killed a dog. Whilst he had tolerated Panja, it had been because he had never seemed to take pleasure in it. He had carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. He had been so tired and weary. Denim had grown up with Nebula and had seen her turn foul. He just could not get her sadistic grin out of his mind. Denim's muzzle twitched into a silent snarl as Alex spoke badly about their father. His fur prickled dangerously, and he got to his paws, hackles raised. In the last few months of Panja's life, Denim had gotten closer to his father. He hadn't deserved the death he'd been given. "Panja is the reason you are alive," Denim reminded him, raising his voice far louder than necessary, "He was just an old lion that wanted some peace. You bullied him off the throne and here you are... laughing about his death!" He snarled, stepping closer to his white brother, "Yes, perhaps he turned into a doglover by the end, but he loved us. Not as much could be said for Florence." Denim admired what Florence had did in her final moments; sacrificing herself for her cubs, however it had not been for the right reasons. Had Denim been a worthy candidate for leadership, she would've let her three other cubs rot in the Tempest. She had needed Alex back to one day become leader. It hadn't been out of love. And that is what disgusted Denim about his mother. Glaring at his elder brother, Denim challenged him to argue.

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[atrb=background,http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa446/jadedog08/Alextable2.png] “Unfortunately,” Alex agreed, his voice flat. It was probably true. He and Denim were destined to keep doing this for the rest of their lives. Unlike his brother, he honestly couldn’t remember a time when they hadn’t been fighting and arguing like this...it was as if that day in the church had eclipsed every happy memory they had shared as small cubs. Whenever he tried to recall their childhood together, all that came to his mind was the time Denim had told him and Nebula about his dog friend, which instantly brought up feelings of hatred. The corner of Alex’s mouth curved upward in a lopsided smile that revealed the tops of fangs. He just looked at Denim without saying a word. Did his brother realize the irony of what he’d just said? Denim was technically an ex-Iris cat himself, even if he'd never killed a dog. Or perhaps he’d chosen to forget that part of his past, just like Alex had forgotten parts of his. And he still doubted the likelihood of Nebula having survived the winter all on her own, especially considering she had no experience with living as a loner. “Well, whether she dies or spends the rest of her life as a hated outcast, she’s got no one to blame but herself,” he commented, shrugging indifferently. The sick, twisted side of him wanted Nebula to go the way of their father. To be murdered or at least violently attacked by the very creatures she had managed to find so much pity and compassion for, if only to give Alex the satisfaction of being able to say “Told you so.” His head snapped back, his ears flattening and pinning themselves against the crown of his head. “You don’t get it, Denim. You just don’t get it at all.” Just like he’d figured, Denim was defending the actions of their father. How anyone could defend that old man and his behavior was baffling, but then, did his brother really know and understand how betrayed Alex had always felt by Panja? “When I was a cub, I needed him there for me and he wasn’t. Never, not once. After we came back from Tempest, after our mother and Orbit died, I needed him to comfort me, to tell me he loved me, to tell me everything was going to be alright. But all he did was turn me away and ignore me. It was like I didn't even exist to him. I was so lonely and scared, I was having nightmares...I tried to speak to him so many times about it and he never wanted to listen. He just sat on his ass all day, moping and crying while our entire Pride started to crumble.” He glared daggers at the younger lion, feeling his temperature rising to a boil. Yes, maybe he’d forced Panja off the throne, and yes, maybe it hadn’t entirely been fair. But what else was he supposed to do? Sit by idly and watch as Iris collapsed due to his father’s terrible leadership skills? No. Something had needed to be done. Denim was just too stupid to see that. “You don’t get it because you weren’t held hostage and tortured by Tempest. You didn’t need Panja then - I did, more than anything. The only reason you care about him now is because he turned into some dogloving pansy. Really, if he was still his old self, the way he’d been while our mother was still living, would you even care about the fact that he’s dead? No, you wouldn’t!” He roared out the last words, a cry so loud he could feel the sound ricochet off the rocks and vibrate in the air around him. Alex blinked, startled he had actually screamed like that, and in the following silence he dropped his eyes and stared down at his paws. He hated losing his temper; it always made him feel childish and ashamed of himself. A leader was supposed to be calm, rational and in control of their emotions at all times. Whatever, it was all Denim’s fault.

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[atrb=background,http://i41.tinypic.com/30iyl1z.jpg,true] It was true that he was also an ex-Iris lion, but he admitted that it was difficult to leave his past and heritage behind him. He had few friends, only a select few trusted him. He had acquaintances, but it would always be nice if Denim could approach a dog or a cat without them running for the hills. It had happened far too often for it to stay funny. He guessed Nebula had the same problem, probably even more so as she was a well known Iris member. He didn't understand Nebula's logic. Did she leave the Iris Pride out of morals, or maybe she didn't like being Alex's right hand girl. Maybe she wanted leadership but Alex only gave her a limited amount of power. Somehow, that seemed a far more logical explanation. He frowned. Their family really was messed up. He dreaded the day Alex found a suitable mate and had cubs of his own. It would be a very dark day indeed. He just hoped Alex would never find a lioness that insane. Rolling his eyes, Denim listened to Alex's explanation as to why he was wrong and Alex was right. Panja had been a lousy father when they'd been cubs, granted. Denim wondered how they would've turned out if they hadn't been taken by The Tempest Pack and Florence and Panja had raised them well. Perhaps Denim would feel a little more love for his parents. He understood Alex hadn't had someone there for him. They had been hurt beyond repair and Panja had not been there. Nor had Panja been there for Denim, when he had felt so very alone. Both Florence and Panja had been too busy grieving over the cubs they'd lost to Tempest, they'd essentially forgotten about their one cub that was still with them. He had been lucky to have Natiri to comfort him. He had initially been so angry at his best friend. She was Tempest, and Tempest had taken away his brothers and sister. But it hadn't been her fault. He regretted the argument they had had all those years ago. As Alex got angrier and angrier, Denim finally snapped, "I don't condone what he did to us, Alex. He was a terrible father, but that was his weakness. He wore his heart on his sleeve. Remember, not only had you lost your mother and brother, he had also lost his mate and son. Everyone grieves differently." However, Alex ploughed on and he took a step back as Alex's voice got louder and louder. He was angry and upset. It should never have happened. If he could've done something on that cold, wintry night, then Denim would've. He would've done anything to stop his siblings from being taken. But Denim was terrified and a coward. He'd been a tiny little cub that had no chance in hell against a pack of dogs. There had been nothing he could've done, and now their whole family was broken apart. Now they all hated each other. Closing his eyes, Denim took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself. "I needed him too, you know. No, I hadn't been tortured or hurt, but that didn't stop me from feeling like I was worthless. Our parents knew I was a lost cause. Mother would sometimes forget to feed me when you guys were gone because she was too busy worrying about you. I hate them for that." He tried to calm his temper, but Alex was making all these unfair assumptions about him, "I hated mother for all the indescribable things that she did to canines, but I admire her for the selfless way she rescued you and Nebula. She gave up her life for you." They were going off topic. This was about Panja, not Florence, "Perhaps I wouldn't be so upset if Panja had been the lion he'd been when mother had been alive, but he still wasn't a terrible lion. He loved us in his heart. Instead of getting a family, he got a broken vase. Perhaps I regard him so highly is because I pity him." Denim didn't know anymore. They had just been getting to know each other, and Panja had dropped dead. He was like a new person since Florence had died. He had changed for the better. And here Alexander was, someone who should've died instead of Panja. One less evil scum on this Earth. Denim suddenly felt shaken at just how much he sounded like his mother. Fur prickling, Denim snarled at his brother. "I hate you," He admitted, as though it was a well-kept secret, "I hate you and your stupid Pride. I hope you die. I hope dogs rip you to shreds. In fact, I hope your Pride rip you to shreds. You're a bastard and I hope you rot in hell!" Denim was surprised at where that had come from, but it appeared that Alexander's anger was contagious. Now they were both shouting at each other. Denim's last remark had been shouted loudly, and only a few seconds after silence had descended, the ground began to shake. Eyes wide, Denim looked down at his paws, that were trembling. He then gazed up the mountain, and his jaw dropped from horror. Avalanche. Snow from the tip of the mountain was cascading down towards them at an extremely high speed. There was no doubt that the snow would bury and suffocate them. They had seconds before the impact. Without even thinking, Denim shouted "Run!" Before he darted towards a large rock, which he hoped was a cave. The noise was deafening as he sprinted closer and closer, vaguely wondering whether Alex was following him or had gone a different direction. Either way, just in time, Denim saw the cave mouth and dived into the darkness. A few seconds later, the snow began to pour in, trapping him. He looked around for Alex, shaking from adrenalin and panting for breath.

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[atrb=background,http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa446/jadedog08/Alextable2.png] Alex shook his head, snorting in derision. “Oh, poor you. They forgot to feed you for a day? We went without food to the point where we were almost dead! You’ve got no right to complain, you idiot.” He began to pace around in a little circle to work off the overflowing energy in his muscles. This was almost giving him a headache, all this pointless arguing about things that happened in the past. Things that couldn’t be changed and no longer really mattered now. He knew there was no point, but he couldn’t help it...Denim infuriated him so much, fighting with him was just the natural thing to do. “So him being pitiful is what earns your respect?“ Alex scrunched up his face, trying to make sense of it. “How can you possibly...no, wait, I know. Because you and him are exactly the same. You’re both weak, cowardly and completely useless to the world. No wonder you look up to him!” His toothy sneer disappeared when Denim started to rage at him, and his ears were pierced by the sound of the other lion’s even louder roar. It seemed he’d managed to strike the last of Denim’s nerves, and now the peace-loving lion suddenly wasn’t so peaceful or loving anymore. “You’re kinda starting to sound like an Iris cat,” he noted, smiling slyly. He was honestly surprised by how Denim was no longer holding back his anger. Maybe a little impressed too. “That’s the kind of hatred I feel every time I see a canine. The kind where you look at something and you just want to tear it apart and watch it suffer. Feels good to let it all out, doesn’t it?” He was about to snicker, and then a low rumbling noise from far above them made Alex nearly jump out of his skin. His gaze shot up towards the top of the cliff and he found himself stuck still in terror as he watched the snow that was piled along the edge come loose and fall. The avalanche descended on them so quickly he had no time to react, he could only look around helplessly for the nearest escape route. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Denim run off in a seemingly random direction, and instinctively Alex followed on behind. It wasn’t until they neared the mouth of the cave that he realized Denim had actually been heading towards safety. He dove into the cavern, rolling on to his side and landing against the back wall just as the snow finished pouring down outside. When everything was quiet, Alex got to his feet and shook the white powder from his fur, shivering from the cold of both the snow and the interior of the icy cave. “This. Is all. Your fault!” he screeched, swiping a paw angrily in Denim’s direction and flailing like a cub throwing a tantrum. He hissed and spat and clawed at the ground in a crazed fury, letting out his anger and frustration in the only way he knew how. “This can’t be happening. I can’t believe I’m stuck here with you of all people!” He ran over and inspected the wall of snow that was barricading their only exit. It was so thick and heavily packed together that he couldn’t feel any air coming out from the other side. Alex sat down and groaned, pushing his forehead against the snow in dismay. Trapped with his least favorite person. It was like something out of a bad dream. How was he going to get out of this mess? “Do something!” he commanded Denim, his loud voice echoing around the tiny room.

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[atrb=background,http://i41.tinypic.com/30iyl1z.jpg,true] Denim's tail lashed dangerously as Alex likened him to an Iris cat. He was nothing like them. He was the complete opposite. He vaguely wondered what Natiri would think of him if she heard the obscenities that flew from his mouth. He almost regretted the boiling hatred that was bubbling up inside of him, but his brother deserved it. He didn't understand that he would one day lose everything. If Alex ever found a mate, she'd probably end up dying from war. His future cubs? They were just tools that Tempest would want to destroy. Any friends he would make, they would soon drop like flies. But Denim assumed that Alex wouldn't give a shit if his comrades began dying. He could make new friends. He wasn't kind of the lion to become attached. Denim hoped that Alex would be lonely just like Panja once he died. He wondered whether Alex would one day have regrets just like Florence and Panja. There wasn't much time to dwell on that before the avalanche forced the two of them into a cramped cave. Letting out a cold breath, Denim inspected the packed snow. There was no use waiting for it to melt - even in the summer the snow didn't melt up here. Glaring at his imprudent brother, he rolled his eyes. He was acting like a child. Of course it was all his fault. It was never perfect Alex's fault, was it? Denim let out a ripping snarl at his brother, stalking closer and closer to him, hoping to corner him into the wall of the cave. He was sick and tired of them arguing, and now they were trapped. There was no use trying to be stupid and immature about this. They had to use their combined strength to get out of this place. "For God's sake, Alex. For once in your Godforsaken life act like a leader and grow some balls!" His eyes flashed dangerously at his brother as Denim continued, "This place is probably airtight, meaning that we have a limited amount of air. Arguing will just make us die quicker. We need to use our energy and strength to try and dig out of this place." Denim turned on his heel and inspected the large amount of snow that was barricading them in. He took one deep breath, and used his front two paws to start digging into the cold, white, ice. It made him shiver and his teeth were soon chattering. Neither of them were built to live in such a climate and now they were trapped in a cave that was gradually dropping in temperature. He could only thank his thick mane for giving him slight warmth. After several minutes of constant digging, Denim was exhausted. Stopping, he sat on his haunches and glared at the wall of snow. He had no idea how thick it was. The cave was pitch black, with no sunlight penetrating through the snow. He had no idea whether they would see sunlight again. Denim discarded the morbid thought. He was going to get out and get back to his family. He glanced at his brother, before standing again and beginning to dig. He also had no idea how long they had before their air would run out. He was feeling short of breath, but he wasn't sure whether that was because of the altitude, the strenuous work, or the oxygen was dwindling. Closing his eyes, Denim shovelled the snow into a pile behind him, desperate to get away from his stupid brother.

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[Zen]

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[atrb=background,http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa446/jadedog08/Alextable2.png] Alex stood his ground, feeling his skin prickle and his stomach churn at Denim’s sudden closeness. God, he could smell the dog on him. It was enough to make him nearly puke his guts out. “Get out of my face,” he growled quietly but calmly. He wouldn’t admit it, but Denim was actually right for once; more arguing and whining was not going to help their situation, and he was honestly getting tired of it himself. “And don’t ever insult my ability to lead again or I'll kick your ass. We both know I’m the better fighter here, little brother.” Only two minutes of being trapped and already he was starting to feel claustrophobic. He was so desperate to return to Iris and forget this had ever happened. Denim’s annoying voice and disgusting stench were slowly chipping away at his sanity like an ice pick. Alex just kept thinking of home, of a warm bed, fresh food and being surrounded by cats he actually liked. If he kept thinking about that, he could almost tolerate Denim’s presence and the walls of the cave didn’t seem to press in on him as much. His breath came out in thick puffs of vapor as he shivered and studied the blockage at the mouth of the cave. Naturally he knew how to use his claws for ripping and cutting, but not for digging. It was almost a foreign concept to a city cat like him. Alex looked over at Denim struggling to claw his way through the tightly packed substance and gave a dry little laugh. “This snow is so thick it’ll take ages to dig out, and I don’t really like the idea of losing my paws to frostbite, do you?” He eyed the snow like it was a dangerous enemy he was about to kill. Well, one way or another he was going to get out of there. No way he was going to die in there alone with Denim, that would just be humiliating. If they had to work together, so be it. It wasn't like he had a choice. “We’ll each take turns so we can conserve our strength and warmth,” he decided. “And you’re going first. So go on, keep digging!” He smirked and leaned back, waving a paw at the wall of snow as if he had all the authority in the world. Denim had wanted him to act like a leader, right? “Move a little faster while you’re at it.” Despite how much fun it was to boss his brother around, the command was really more urgent than anything. Suffocation was the immediate threat here and they needed to get air flowing into this cave as soon as possible. Alex flexed his toes, prepared to start hacking away at the snow the second Denim grew tired and stopped. He'd pretend it was a dog and maybe that would take his mind off of how painfully cold it would be.

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[♥Picasso]

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[atrb=background,http://i41.tinypic.com/30iyl1z.jpg,true] Denim did not disagree. Alex was clearly the stronger, fitter one of the two. If they fought, it would be Denim who would end up dead. Alex had the training, the muscle, the power. Denim? He didn't even think would be capable of getting near his brother. He cast his mind back to the church as he continued to shovel the snow. They had fought then, and Denim had ended up with some painful wounds. He now would bear the scars forever. He wasn't sure to what extent he had hurt Alex, but he was sure that Denim was the one who came off worse. He shook the bad memory away. He had been protecting his best friend. He had just been glad that Nebula had stunned Alex long enough for them both to get away. Had Nebula joined in the fight, it was almost certain that both Denim and Natiri would be dead. He resisted a shiver as Alex finally decided on a plan. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Alex beginning to relax. Rolling his eyes, Denim lashed his tail and turned back around. "I hope I never see your ugly face again." Denim uttered under his breath, although loud enough for Alex to hear him. Whenever they crossed paths, it always ended in catastrophe. Who knew what would happen the next time they met? Denim determinedly began to dig again, beginning to shake from the cold. He had lost feeling in his paws, however he numbly continued. One small part of him wanted to prove to his brother that he did have the strength to get them both out of here. The cheeky command about being faster made Denim glare at Alex over his shoulder. He was going as fast as he could, and the more he moved the snow, the colder he was becoming. It was only a few minutes later that Denim gave up. Taking in deep lungfuls of breath, he stepped back. His whole body was trembling uncontrollably as he backed up against the cave wall. Closing his eyes, Denim let out a pained groan. His throat was burning and his paws had lost all sense of feeling. Gazing over to his brother, he gestured towards the large pile of snow, "Your turn." He muttered, before glancing around the rest of the cave. It was fairly small, not very deep, however he wondered how thick the stone was. Glancing up at the ceiling, Denim wondered whether the combined strength of two lions would be able to crack the stone that enclosed them. However, it would also mean that the cave would collapse, potentially crushing the both of them. It was also possible that a huge amount of snow lay above their heads. He discarded the idea. It was too dangerous to even consider it. The pile of snow that they had dug was building up. He was sure they'd already shifted a hell of a lot of snow, and there was a limited amount of space before they wouldn't be able to move anymore. He lay down, curling his body into a ball to conserve heat. His hopes were slowly fading of getting out of here. "Perhaps someone saw the avalanche..." He said, more to himself than to Alex, "Maybe they're digging us out from the other side." It was a foolish thought and would probably gain a scoff from Alex, but Denim was clutching at straws. They were trapped and claustrophobia was starting to settle in. He vaguely wondered whether they could shout for help. Who would even be outside in this kind of weather? Everyone would be at the base of the mountain, hunting prey in the meadows. "We're doomed." He cried mournfully.

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[Zen]

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[atrb=background,http://i1198.photobucket.com/albums/aa446/jadedog08/Alextable2.png] Stepping up to the snow, Alex reached out and began scraping away at as fast of a rate as he could manage with the ice stinging his paws. He’d expected it to be cold of course, but this was so painful it felt as if the skin on his pads was being slowly burned off. He was forced to stop every minute or so to give his numbed paws a rest, and when he turned them over, he could see they were raw and almost bleeding. A whimper that he hoped Denim hadn’t heard escaped his lips. He kept on digging anyway. The idea that maybe someone else had been in the vicinity when the avalanche had come down had passed through his mind as well, but thinking about it, he doubted it was very likely. “If they were digging us out, we’d hear them I think,” he replied, his teeth chattering. More and more snow piled up beneath his paws as the hole he was digging through became wider and wider. As he plowed on, he heard Denim cry out in despair. Alex stopped digging for a few seconds to shoot his brother a look. “You were just yelling at me a minute ago, and now you’re the one who’s complaining about our situation? I swear, every word that leaves your mouth makes me want to kill myself.” He huffed and returned to the task at hand, and after a minute added in a lower voice, “We’re not gonna die, not if I have anything to say about it.” He grunted as he shoved away a huge block of ice, throwing it into the back wall of the cave, and felt a twinge of satisfaction as he heard it shatter into pieces. “Freezing to death with you is not how I’m going to go down. I don‘t want to be remembered as the pathetic leader who was too weak to dig himself out of a snowdrift. Besides, I think I feel...” He trailed off, leaning his head down and pressing his face further into the newly created hole. When he felt a slight cold breeze against the fur on the inside of his ear, he jumped back in surprise. “Yes! Air!” he gasped, smiling widely, “I feel air!” In an excited frenzy he started clawing away at the snow faster, spraying powder and ice all around the cave and into his face, but he was too happy to care. Alex backed away, breathing heavily. The muscles in his forelegs were burning from the effort and he was suddenly very thirsty. He sank down on to his belly and grabbed a hunk of snow, then began sucking the cold water out of it. “Your turn,” he panted, his voice muffled with the snow in his mouth. They still had a ways to go yet, but he could see they had already peeled away the first layer of snow that held the wall together, so at least they were making progress. And at least they had air circulating around the cave now, which was one less threat to worry about.

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[♥Picasso]

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[atrb=background,http://i41.tinypic.com/30iyl1z.jpg,true] Denim thought he'd heard something closely resembling a whimper from Alex as he examined his red raw paws, however the tawny lion refrained from commenting. They were both freezing cold and both their paws were stinging like hell. The longer he was staying in this godforsaken cave, the more pessimistic Denim was becoming. They wouldn't discover their bodies until Summer, perfectly preserved from the snow. By then the Iris Pride would have a new leader, and Natiri would be left wondering what had happened to her best friend. He just wanted to get back to her as quickly as possible. To see her smile, her laugh. To watch Take tussle and play, his curious eyes guiding him through the world. A faint smile traced on Denim's lips, before he heard Alex mutter something about killing himself. Denim couldn't resist. "I hope you do." Denim quipped back with a wry smile, before jumping to his paws as soon as Alex exclaimed. Air? Was he imagining it? Denim got closer to the wall of ice, and was sure he could feel a breeze. Yes! They were gonna get out of here alive. As soon as Alex gave up, Denim took turn, digging with all his might. He ignored the burning in his paws. The snow was now staining red from the blood oozing from his pads, but Denim paid no heed. They were nearly out. He was desperate to get away from his brother as soon as possible. Panting, Denim felt the cold air drying his throat up. He was starting to tire, but he'd barely been digging for a minute. With each shovel of snow, Denim could feel the breeze slightly stronger. Another few minutes and they could be out of there! Closing his eyes, Denim just pictured Natiri and Take in his mind and continued to dig. He looked over his shoulder at his elder brother, who looked just as tired as him. Denim's muscles ached and burned, but he did not want to be ridiculed by his brother for giving up so early. Five minutes later, and Denim's paws cracked through the barrier of snow into fresh air. He could see the sky! The sun! Oh God. He felt like he'd been trapped in the cave for hours, days even. The lion excitedly dug a hole big enough to fit him, before he scrambled out of the cave, leaving his brother behind. "I'm out! Oh thank God." He cried to the sky, smile plastered on his face. He warily looked up the slopes to make sure there was no more avalanches heading his way. He was going to be careful and not make any loud noises. The mountains were dangerous places and they had both been foolish enough to have an argument on one. It would be a long time before Denim would come back here, that was for sure. Lashing his tail in pleasure, Denim basked in the sunlight for a few seconds, letting the glare warm his face. He breathed in the fresh, cool air, now feeling safe in the fact that he was not going to suffocate. An afterthought made Denim turn around to look for his brother. He would rather bury him back into the cave, but there was a tiny inkling of worry for his brother. Only tiny, however, only because they were brothers. "I suppose this is goodbye." He drawled, knowing this would not be the last time they'd meet. Denim reckoned they would see each other a lot more in the near future. It was as though their paths will always cross, no matter how much neither of them wanted to be close to them. Denim didn't believe in fate, but he did think it was a strange coincidence for them both to be on the mountains on the same day, and then become trapped in a cave together. He wondered whether there was some greater being at play here. Did someone get a twisted satisfaction in putting them two together? Rolling his eyes, Denim turned on his heel and began making his way down the mountain.

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