[RedHead]

Originally Posted by Empress Of Evil

The tuxedo cat knew little about his mentor. Having not yet had the proper chance to get to know her, he didn’t know what kind of a cat she was. As of now, her beginning statement had helped to decide that she was probably a nice cat, but he could be wrong. Cats were living beings, and all living beings could not be trusted. They all had emotions and there was no telling what they might do if they were in a bad mood. It was the reason why Pleasantpaw was extremely cautious when it came to making friends. He was willing to talk to strangers, but he never tried to befriend one. What were the chances that a friend might betray you? There was always going to be a fifty percent chance in the apprentice’s eyes. Who knew, Shellfeather could be extremely nice to him, then completely change halfway through his apprenticeship. He was very doubtful of it, as she seemed like a genuinely nice cat, but still, he was going to be cautious. Apprentice hood was a massive part of a warrior’s life and he was going to make sure that his would be the best it could possibly be.

Pleasantpaw made no comment as his mentor laughed for no particular reason, or at least one that he didn’t know of. Although it didn’t seem like he was, the tuxedo apprentice was always judging and calculating his thoughts in his mind. He just simple didn’t say anything in response. However, some might find that the word ‘judge’ always meant that they were thinking of something mean. But Pleasantpaw didn’t. Sure, he was bound to think of something that wasn’t so nice for another cat, but he also did his best to think nicely of others. Still, no matter how often he might do it, there would always be that thought at the back of his mind telling him some negative in response. He couldn’t help it, but at least he didn’t say it aloud.

The young tom cat immediately noticed that Shellfeather’s ears drooped slightly. Once again, he made no comment but instead, gazed at her with curiosity dancing in his eyes. He was interested to see how his mentor would react. Would she suddenly change her mind? Or would she put up with it for his sake? Whatever response she might give, it was going to play a big part in helping Pleasantpaw decide whether to trust her or not. “Well there’s no need to worry about that. I’m only a beginner after all,” the tom responded cheerfully, politeness in his voice. No matter how the tom might feel, he was always going to sound respectful when he spoke to others. Whether he meant that respect was a whole different story. The apprentice gave her a wide smile as she continued. Well I’m glad she isn’t completely rid of her battle moves, he thought, not intending to make that sound rude in anyway, even if it was just in his mind. He nodded afterwards and straightened up. “Let’s go!” Pleasantpaw responded excitedly. This was real excitement. It wasn’t very often that the tom was excited for something, but that was a different case in this situation. He wanted to fight.

Shellfeather had led Pleasantpaw through the territory, and now they were nearing the Training Cave. She also tried to make small talk before they entered, hoping t get to know the young cat better. "So, who is your family? I bet they are pretty nice cats, right? And you mother must be great, to raise such a nice young tom like you." Shellfeatger meowed to him, pushing through the reeds and into the Trainig Cave. She inhaled the musty scent of it, and as her eyes adjusted to the dim, she gazed around. I haven't been here in a long time...

The white-furred warrior walked around the teaming cave a little, letting the memories of this place sink in. Back when she was Shellpaw, learning all the basic things she needed to know before she became a warrior. She remembered training hard and learning fast, always wanting to make a good impression for her mentor. Who never really seemed to care. Shellfeather could also remember times training here with other apprentices, like her best friend Scorchingflame, Scorchingpaw at the time. Her and him had gotten along well here, and that was when they had started becoming friends. And this was also the place where Shellfeather had first realized her feelings for Russetpaw, now Russetstar. Those were good times. But things were different now. She had had two litters of kits, and only one kit had lived from her first litter, and three kits from her second. Shellfeather had been through so much pain and suffering, but she continued to move on with life. That was something that most cats didn't realize about Shell. She was strong, and she continued on no matter what.

She turned back to face Pleasantpaw, smiling at him. "Well, this place sparks some old memories, so I might be able to remember most of my battle training after all!" She purred, gray striped tail swishing happily. Her sapphire blue eyes sparkled with humor and kindness, and she sat and waited whole Pleasantpaw had a look around.