[div style="width: 50%; line-height: 14px; text-align: justify; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;"]As the tensions between the cats increased, so did the difficulty of finding proper solace anywhere, preferably beyond the tumultuous camp. He understood that his duties came before all, and he did all he could to provide for his clanmates, regardless of their current, unfortunate situation. No matter what was happening between them all, there was still a desperate need for food and protection, both of which he was more than willing to provide. Even if push came to shove and he would be forced to pick a side once and for all, he would find it horrendously arduous to do so.

The camp was rife with clamor and yowling to the point that he couldn't hear his own thoughts, much less a coherent sentence from another. For the most part, Rainstep's communication became silent, using widely-understood gestures to quickly address his next move and anyone else's. Going hunting. Going on patrol. Going here. Going there. Where am I going? His mind was whirling, and on this day he forced himself to push past the walls of the camp alone for no reason other than to just leave. He loved being seen as a provider, an all-seeing guardian, but once in a while, it felt incredibly relieving to be his own company for once.

It was during these rare, solitary moments walking around their territory that he could properly reflect on the state of the clan. If the divide was truly far from myth, who could he possibly join? Would he join anyone? Of course. It's my duty. His honor would be at stake if he jumped ship — and not just his, but his family's as well, a family that dedicated their lives to the good of the clan. What would they think of him and his blood if he would leave now, deserting who he ought to protect? It was a foolish idea, and one he forced himself to push out of his mind once and for all. Not feasible, he thought bitterly as he pushed through the brush onward beneath the gentle shade of the trees.

Then what was he destined for, if not to leave? Where would his dedication take him? To whoever respects me as I respected them, he realized, twitching his ear at the idea. Respect? Was that what this was coming down to? In all honesty, he wasn't sure if it really was — the vast majority of these cats respected one another, and he felt that it would hardly make a difference between either side. The tom huffed, exasperated by the conflict he was forced to bear witness to, and was torn from his thoughts when he nearly slipped down into the sprawling sand pit before him, scrambling to regain his composure.

Rainstep was deep within the woods now, but he had eventually reached a clearing that was well-sheltered by the towering trees surrounding it. The clearing sloped downward in the center, and the grass all but disappeared beyond the slope, transforming itself into reddish-brown dirt mixed with loose sand and the occasional pebble. Curiously he stepped into the hollow, making note of the slope so not as to risk tumbling in. The ground, already soft from the forest grasses, was even softer within the hollow, his paws almost sinking into the dirt that began to stain them, turning the gray-blue fur around his digits a mottled brown color. He had never been in this place before. Feeling the dirt between his paws, he glanced around, taking in his surroundings curiously.