WindClan: Life Before 2023's Fire

[Dovekit12]

Originally Posted by >Pepsi<

(Lol sorry for the late reply, but what gender is windfur?)
"Where to?" He shook his coat and blinked. "How about somewhere near fourtrees, or close-ish?"

(boy)
"Sure" Windfur said standing up.

[doghouse]

Originally Posted by NightWarrior4Life

"Good chat...good chat...so tell me about your siblings...I've only heard you mention them...maybe once before?" She looked up at the sky, the orange of sunset starting to spread over the silver cats' heads.

Phantompaw chuckled quietly, her eyes narrowed to no more than slits, and she gazed at her friend. That was a rather sensitive subject, but she clenched her jaw and readied herself to speak. “Well, I don't know them that well, but Rainpaw's a tattletale and he's hiding something from me. And the rest, which are Hummingpaw, Zephyrpaw, Morningpaw and Wildpaw.” she replied, listing off all her littermates. The calico molly raised one paw, examining the blood on it, most of it her own.

[Starfall]

Originally Posted by Empress Of Evil

[Sorry about this late reply!]

"If you've got nothing to say then you shouldn't have acted like you were so smart earlier," Winterwisp muttered bitterly. She didn't like cats who always spoke nothing but nonsense. The warrior didn't have time for things so stupid, they were nothing but a waste of her time. Many moons of Winterwisp's life had been wasted doing nothing but listening to cats speak harsh words to her. Not once had she fought back. Now that she was older, she was using her time by fighting back. Afterall, she wasn't going to just sit there and look stupid. That was an obvious sign of weakness. She couldn't afford to appear weak. Because she simply wasn't.
Winterwisp could just see the immense amount of joy that her anger was causing the other she-cat. That just made her angrier than ever. Emberdust was just using her anger against her. Oh how she hated it when cats did that. Although, as much as she hated to admit it, Winterwisp could relate. She loved seeing the looks on the faces of other cats when she made them angry. Or if she burned them by coming back with an amazing comeback. It just gaze Winterwisp great satisfaction and she loved the feeling. It made her feel....powerful. Seeing others angry and beaten was one of the very few things that could make Winterwisp happy. She obviously didn't express her joy, but on the inside, she was cackling with glee.

Winterwisp could see the slightly startled expression on Emberdust's face as she suddenly snarled. It made her give off another insane grin.
The WindClan warrior found that Emberdust was a rather strange cat. When Winterwisp had briefly mentioned being bullied as a young kit, Emberdust had showed signs of pity. No cat had done that before. The black and white she-cat felt no gratefulness towards the orange she-cat for the pity, but it didn't really make her want to hate her any further.
Winterwisp shook her head softly. What was she thinking? Since when did she ever feel like not feeling any hate towards a cat, no matter who they were.
"I've already tried making it better. It never works," Winterwisp replied bluntly. It was true. Near warriorhood, Winterwisp had tried to show her kinder side, but had failed miserably as the cat she had picked to test it out on, wasn't much kinder than her. "I've spent enough moons trying. There's no point now," Winterwisp continued in a sneering tone.

Emberdust's next words just made her anger flare up again. "I will do what I want to who I want, when I want," Winterwisp said coldly, anger blazing in her pale green hues. "I don't take kindly to those who threaten me," Winterwisp snarled softly, baring her teeth.
The most the warrior could do was sigh in exasperation. This she-cat was so stubborn. What more would it take to show her that she really didn't like Blazingstar. "You really want me to whack you don't you?" Winterwisp asked, though she would pay no attention to any answer she got. It was a rhetorical question. "FOR THE LAST TIME. I DON'T LIKE HIM!" the warrior suddenly shrieked into Emberdust's ear, getting sick of her insistance.

[No you're quite alright, mine is fairly late as well /v\ and I promise that my posts will never be this late ever again! ]
The molly let out a snort and looked at the other through her lashes, her eyes half idled "I don't have to act like in intelligent, unlike you. It just comes naturally. And besides, I wanted you to win at least one of these squabbles of ours." she purred, triumph dripped from her voice. She was really beginning to get on her nerves, she was beginning to second guess her pick of mates for her idiot brother. She had a few mollys in mind, this one was at the top of her list, by the way she spoke to him, acted in his presence, the way her voice wavered she had though that the black spotted molly was in love with him, all of the signs pointed in that direction. Could she actually be wrong for once? The orange molly twitched her whiskers and chuckled at the thought, no, she had never been wrong before, she couldn't be wrong now. Emberdust liked the fire in this molly, she wasn't one to just keel over, she wouldn't give up without a fight. Blazingstar needed that, and she wanted to make sure he got it, that fire, that burning passion to continue, to keep trudging forward. She wanted to make sure he never lost that passion, but then again she may have just thought that way because she knew what it was like without it.

Aside from how the new companion the young molly had met could possibly be a perfect match for her brother, she loved the quarrels she was currently having with her. A battle of the wits. It had been a while since the warrior had been able to go all out in a battle of wits and not have it be over within a few moments, if filled her with pure joy, pure ecstasy. The warm colored molly had been renowned for her mind challlenges, often springing them upon the unwilling and the unknowing. She's found it amusing, and she really did believe that the clan needed it, education, intellect, it seemed almost rare nowadays. She took those opportunities to observe her clanmates, watch their actions closely, their eye movement, their body language, the way their voices may hitch when they are u sure about a question or when Emberdust hits a soft spot within their walls. These random string of questions made it easier for the molly to deduce what kind of cat her clanmates were, how they act, what they'd do under pressure, what they were willing to do for those she cared for. So far for Wintershisp...well it was a bit harder for the molly to deduce what kind of warrior the other was exactly, so far she could only tell that she was...sensitive about certian things, why and how? She wasn't sure about yet but all the molly needed to do was continue to dig, and that's what she planned on doing, she had to if she wanted to make sure the other was a good mate for her brother.

There were only two emotions the ember colored warrior understood well, fear and joy. Mainly because those were the only emotions she was able to feel, all the others were complicated, too weird, too much for her to handle, so she blocked them out. The only two that she was never able to ignore were Fear, the fear of death, the fear of loosing some one you care for, the fear of the monsters that lurk within the dark. This was the emotion she hated most of all, she despised it, yet she didn't as well, it was an odd relationship, this fear that bottled up within her. As did joy, in all reality it wasn't that she couldn't block it, no, she didn't want to. She's needed some sort of light within her life, something to inspire her, keep her going, make her continue to fight for those she cared for. It was fear that made her keep joy. After observing the way other cats acted without the raw emotion the molly realized just how important it was to keep it close, keep it locked away within her heart. She treasured it, aspired it, needed it. she knew what Winterwisp was doing, she was analyzing her, inspecting her, deducing her actions. She found it amusing, would she really be able to pluck her brains? Figure out what made her tink? In all reality she hoped she's would, she needed a companion like the fiery molly sitting next to her, although she would never state it aloud. For now, though, she was quite alright with the bickering friendship they had. The warrior flicked her ear and smiled "It didn't work because you gave up." she stated, if the white molly didn't get the message she was sending, than maybe she wasn't fit to be her friend.

Upon Winterwisps snapping she grinned and lashed her tail, her fur fluffed up, just because she was strong in intellect didn't mean that she wasn't good at fighting either "You may think that now, it everyone's cocky until they loose a battle they invoked." she stated bluntly, her honey hues flickered with anger, she didn't take aggression towards her very kindly. Physical aggression annoyed her the most, the need to Throw oneself into battle, harm ones physical state, it just....she couldn't explain it, possibly because she forgot the feeling of anger, annoyance. That may be the reason as to why the two haven't clawed off each other's faces yet, because Emberdust had blocked the emotion of anger? The orange molly let out a sigh and flattened her fur, licking her chest fur to try and help the attempt.

For the next few seconds all Emberdust could hear was a light, faint, ringing sound. She recoiled and picked herself up in an attempt to get away from the screeching molly, her eyes wide with astonishment, well, she believed it was astonishment, it could also possibly be surprise. After taking a few seconds to make her fur lie flat once more the molly grinned down at Einterwisp and swished her hips around "Are you sure? You always seem so...lovestruk around him. But I guess I was wrong, you're just too scared to actually give it a shot, be an actual warrior, and here I thought you had a spark in you. Oh well, I was wrong, I guess you're a warrior after all, cowering in fear." she snorted, her tail lashing back and fourth, maybe if she invoked something? Angered the molly, tricked her into becoming mates with her brother, it may start their relationship, at least that's what she was hoping for.

[Empress Of Evil]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Normally Shrikecall would leave it at that. I'm fine. That's all he needed to hear to go, but her voice seemed to say otherwise. Well, Heathertail has kind of a soft voice....his thoughts seemed to be reminding him. But she was unique, and the only cat he'd met who was able to talk like that without him thinking something was wrong. He trusted her to tell him. Unlike you, his thoughts nagged at him again. He hadn't told her his suspicions that he would probably never get to become leader...and Shrikecall sincerely doubted that he would live too much longer. He was older, after all. Seventy moons of age... he'd seen and heard more, and was still learning. Every time he thought he had seen everything in the Clans, something new would always come.
Sometimes it was just an old thing that he hadn't seen in a while, or something that was constantly amazing him, but most of the time? It was new. Like SkyClan-- Shrikecall had been confused about what to do. He'd never heard of a 'SkyClan.' But they were helping to get rid of Singenight, and so he fought alongside them. Or tried to, at least. It hurt when a clanmate would attack him-- and not physically, but emotionally. Which was surprising, seeing the brown and white tom now. He didn't look that old. He looked strong for his advanced age, which was strange... he felt much weaker then he appeared, which definitely bothered the Deputy.
　
Most of the time he would wonder if he really should be doing this. He'd thought about stepping down multiple times, but decided not to-- it was probably a bad idea. No matter how much he would have liked to, Shrikecall knew his job was to serve his Clan. His place was with his Clan. "Hm? Oh...yes. I've been doing alright, little busy... but I don't mind it." He shrugged, trying to think how to get her to tell him if something was wrong. But he didn't know how. Social skills were something that, although Shrikecall was learning to use the little he had, he didn't have much of. They were awkward and not as refined as he would like them to be, but they were there. That was the important thing...wasn't it? To at least have them for when he might need them? It didn't matter that they wouldn't be considered 'perfect,' they had always been good enough.
For Heathertail, but she's...special? He guessed. "So what brings you out here? Just a walk? Or hunting? Maybe patrolling the territory, on your way to the border?" He suggested. His tone hinted that the last two were more important then the first, but he wasn't one to judge... he'd been out for a walk earlier too. It was nice to do that sometimes in the morning, first thing... and although it was already later in the day, Shrikecall was going on another one. He'd find something useful to do a little later, but for now his eyes were fixed directly on the she cat beside him. Sometimes Shrikecall thought him being Deputy wasn't a good idea.
After all, someone who was a little more friendly might have been ideal. But he did have experience and had lived in WindClan for a long time. Maybe that was what Blazingstar wanted... otherwise he wouldn't be Deputy. And he could get friendlier over time! Might take a miracle, but he could do it. It wasn't impossible for him to be friendly now, after all.

The tabby warrior nodded. Whilst her words sounded like a disguise to hide how she really felt, Shrikecall's sounded genuine. He seemed casual and that was all she was going to leave it at. It was certainly an understandable thing that deputy duties had been keeping him busy. After all, holding the position of deputy might be an honour, but it did mean that there was going to be a huge demand of hard work and commitment. If you were constantly doing anything beneath that, it would sometimes be considered as a sign of unworthiness of such a powerful position. Great rewards come out of hard work, but you don't get anything if you don't work for it. And if you do, well I guess it has no meaning to it.
Lilypelt herself had never had the ambitions for the position of deputy. For one, she was way to shy. Plus, she just didn't find the position all that interesting. The she-cat much preferred to just a well liked member of the clan, even if she wasn't going to be well recognized.
There weren't many things that Lilypelt could ever wish for. It appeared to her that she was jinxed and every time something wonderful happened to her, she would lose it as easily as she had got it. Things kept on slipping out of her paws the moment she got a grasp on them. The light grey tabby wasn't greedy, and the more she thought about it she found herself wanting only two things.
Joy and peace.

The question that Shrikecall asked made Lilypelt think very carefully about what she should say. Should just tell him the truth? Or should she lie and say she had been looking for prey only to find none? A white lie couldn't hurt now could it? The she-cat could tell that the brown tom was probably hoping she was going to say she was hunting, but she wasn't. It was rather problematic that Lilypelt could never seem to please others.
Lilypelt sighed almost inaudibly. No, she wasn't a liar when it came to such simple questions. "I was just taking a walk to take my mind off things," the warrior admitted, looking down at her paws as if to avoid making eye contact with the deputy. Surely the deputy wouldn't be mad at her. After all, everyone needed to take a walk every once in a while. "What about you? How are you using your time out here?" the she-cat asked Shrikecall, lifting head to meet the gaze of the deputy. Even without an answer, Lilypelt could already tell that he was most likely doing something useful, unlike her. The warrior wanted to help by contributing to the clan, but she found it just too hard with all the things that were on her mind. Some things were easier said than done.
As she awaited a response from Shrikecall, Lilypelt took the time to look around at the land that WindClan called home. It was so beautiful. The soft grass, the heathers bushes, the bright sun. It was all so lovely. Rather exposing, but still a sight of awe. As strange as it might be, for a very short moment, Lilypelt pitied Gorsefeather, Singenight and Sorrelskip. Sure she might've felt sorrow for them, losing everything they had worked to get (as evil as it might've been), but never pity. They had had to leave behind such a beautiful landscape. But then again, a small voice tugged at the back of her mind. It was one that told her that they probably wouldn't have bothered to appreciate the land, unlike her. The light grey she-cat shook her head softly.
It seemed that the emotion that was dominating all other emotions right now, was confusion.

[doghouse]

Originally Posted by wolybro

Spireflare wasn't dumb,he knew her attack. It was a basic one, seeing as he hadn't taught her any moves yet. As she zigzaged infront of him it confused his eyes a bit, but he knew she was going to try to land a blow on his front. So he backed up a bit, and because of her smaller size, balancing on his hind legs and jumping over the other cat. It wasn't something he'd do in battle,until it was against tinier cats, but it was good in this situation. But, her claws did graze his fur before he jumped, tearing out a few tufts. He hissed at the pain, landing behind the molly with the ripple of the snow under him. He turned to face the other cat, "Keep going, this time be faster with your balance. Use your tail to balance yourself more, it'll help." he muttered.

Phantompaw gave a mildly satisfied grunt as her claws tore out a few tufts of red fur, but was otherwise unsuccessful. She grunted, turning around to face her mentor. She wondered if he was going to actually teach her a few moves or just let her go through a trial and error process. She nodded, but remained silent, her eyes glittering with excitement and anticipation. She wanted to prove to him right off the bat that she had skill, but wasn't sure that was true. It was certainly a big goal, and the young apprentice wanted to reach that goal, even if it took some time. She backed up then ran full on at him, tail waving wildly as she fought to keep her balance. Her claws were extended, gripping into the ground as much as she could get them. She wasn't quite sure where to aim for, but then an idea came to her. If he could jump over her so easily, perhaps she could go under him. Pushing harder, she made it look like she was aiming for his chest, but her plan was to dodge at the last second and roll under him to claw his underbelly.

She wasn't sure how well this was going to work, but knew that it was certainly worth a shot. So she went for it, careful to avoid skidding on the slippery grass. Her head was low and mouth open, ready to put the plan into motion.

[NightWarrior4Life]

Originally Posted by Spirited Darkness

Phantompaw chuckled quietly, her eyes narrowed to no more than slits, and she gazed at her friend. That was a rather sensitive subject, but she clenched her jaw and readied herself to speak. “Well, I don't know them that well, but Rainpaw's a tattletale and he's hiding something from me. And the rest, which are Hummingpaw, Zephyrpaw, Morningpaw and Wildpaw.” she replied, listing off all her littermates. The calico molly raised one paw, examining the blood on it, most of it her own.

"I'll help you one day...I'm sure we can get him to talk!" ShinePaw hissed. Cats who have secrets don't deserve-" but she broke off abruptly as another apprentice walked up to them. "Cats who have secrets don't deserve what?" This apprentice was ginger and had a playful glimmer in her bright eyes. ShinePaw recognised the milky at once. The molly was not an apprentice despite her size and was in fact still a kit yet her thoughts and manor were that of an apprentice's. "Gleamkit!"
"Oh sorry did I interrupt something?"
"Yes, you did." ShinePaw hissed at her littermate. "Who's this? That kit you always used to sneak out to see? The apprentice you still sneak out to see?"
"It's not like I skip training sessions...Gleamkit, this is Phantompaw."
"You two are trouble for the clan you really are...I tell you when you're warriors you will be the clan's biggest threat! Even better if you become leader and deputy..."
"And...what's the catch?"
"I could be your medicine cat!"
"Gleamkit, stop treating clan life like it's a nursery game...this is serious business now..." The silver Molly basted her sister's ear with her front paw. "Alright, I'm going, I'm going!" Gleamkit turned away but ShinePaw called her back before she could leave. "No, no, no. You can stay. It's just that...Phantompaw and I are talking about something very...private and personal...something we're quite passionate about..."
"StarClan? What's secret about that?"
"No. Not StarClan." Never StarClan ShinePaw retorted.

[Random Melody]

Originally Posted by Noire

Springwind twitched his ears. Did he hear his apprentice clearly? The tom sat there for a couple moments just staring through, and at the next words that Hunterpaw spoke, Springwind gave a small nod. "I suppose I wouldn't allow enemies to hurt you. After all, I'm suppose to hurt you, not them." He joked and lightly brushed his tail over Hunterpaw. "Someone's in a hurry move for training but I suppose." Springwind says and stretches first, extending his claws. His claws were abnormally long. Yet dull. He constantly would dig his claws into the dirt to numb them. Springwind hated that his claws weren't as sharp as other cats, but that was the least of his worries. "We'll start by practicing your pouncing-" before the tom could finish, a certain scent entered his nostrils. Springwind rolled his eyes, knowing his ever-so-sweet niece came along, trotting and throwing a sweet smile at every cat she passed. Once she stopped to look at Hunterpaw, but her expression was unreadable. Instead she gave him a simple nod and trotted towards Springwind.

Springwind could already smell the scent of flowers and taint of wood. Springwind cleared his throat, clearly irritated that his niece came at the wrong time. "Yes, Aluna? As you can see we're in the middle of training."

"Is training really important than your own niece?" The small she-cat says in her utmost sugary voice. Springwind rolled his eyes. He knew exactly how she played. The tom nodded. "Well, not the training but Hunterpaw is. I can't just leave him to tend to you."

"You don't even know what I want!" She remarks, clearly displeased. The she-cat didn't want anything much. All she would liked was to watch their training. She tried making new friends, hoping to be accepted by the other she-cats, but failed in the process of doing so. "I just want to watch."

"We were simply practicing our training moves, if that's what you're interested in." Springwind says. He flicked his tail towards a nearby bush, indicating for his niece to sit there and wait. "Stay where I can see you. And no...you know what."

"I honestly don't." The she-cat replies, and slightly stretches her body, allowing her front paws to extend. She heard satisfying cracking noises and got up to shake her pelt. "But whatever." She says before going to the spot where her uncle told her to, but she watched them with curious eyes. She wanted to learn how to fight--or whatever they were doing. She just wanted to be apart of the fun.

Springwind turns back to Hunterpaw, giving him a bright smile. "What were we on again...? Pouncing right. What I want you to do is tackle me. I will flip you over, but I don't want you to allow me to flip you over. You have to make sure your claws are out, but not pricing my pelt. Another thing you need--you know what? I have an idea." The tom says, and he called for Alunapaw to come over once more. The female apprentice pricked her ears, slightly confused but made her appearance anyway. "Yes?"

"Hunterpaw-tackle Aluna." He says firmly, his tail swishing. "Aluna, I want you to allow him to-"

"Why would I want him touching me?" She shuddered. "I'm appalled."

"Aluna I don't have time to deal with your attitude. I could be teaching you both a skill that you clearly need to learn. I have much faith in Hunterpaw, but however you? You need the help."

"Oh, geez. Thank you for having faith in me." Alunapaw rolls her eyes, but she prepped herself up, staring at the male apprentice with slitted eyes. Springwind gave him the signal to attack her. "The point is to not allow her to flip you over. You your claws to press onto the ground between her shoulders and allow your hind paws to be on either side of hers. This will allow her to not kick up with her own paws, thus flipping you over. Just try it out--and you'll see what I mean." Springwind advised.

Alunapaw let out a sugary laugh. Something that sounded like honey, sweet and thick. "Whatever you say, Springwind. I won't go easy on him." She says, "Why would I ever want to lose to...half-clan idiots?"

"Aluna," Springwind scolds before he takes a quick glance around the area to see where the others were so far. As he turned back to his own apprentice, he tells Alunapaw with confidence, "Hunterpaw is a professional. I have nothing to fear. He will never let me down, and I know it." He says, his eyes beaming down at the son that would never be his.

Originally Posted by Cosmic Cat (Star :3)

"Yeah, go Hunterpaw!" Curlypaw cheered, bouncing around Fencall

Hunterpaw just nodded at his mentor, barely listening to anything. His thoughts were still just trailing off in every direction, his claws sheathing and unsheathing as he kneaded at the ground. His ears turned back, flattening to his head. It was going to happen. Maybe he had a better chance outside the Clan. Maybe he should leave. Maybe they'd be better off. Maybe--

Maybe...

He didnt get to finish his thought however, because a familiar voice made his ears twitch. His gaze flickered up to stare at Alunapaw, an unreadable emotion flickering across the black and white Tom's face. He stayed silent for once, not even giving her a smile. His face was completely blank. Usually he'd flirt, but he wasnt in the mood at that moment. Though his gaze still went over her pelt, admiring it for a long moment, watching the muscles ripple under her pelt as she stretched.

Hunterpaw still said nothing though, even as she padded off to sit beside the bush. He found himself just watching her, almost in a trance, everything else around him was muted and his eyes were focused on Alunapaw only. It was almost frightening...No she-cat had ever made him this....Attentive.

He barely, vaguely heard his mentor but still managed to flick an ear his way, unable to move his gaze away from Alunapaw. Only when Springwind called her back over did Hunterpaw glance toward him in a curious way, wondering what he was planning. If Hunter knew his mentor, he knew there was something up. But these thoughts barely fizzed in his mind before he turned back to the she-cat, almost not hearing Springwind's next sentence.

Hunterpaw, tackle Aluna.

Ah.. Hunterpaw looked uneasy, starting to protest. He didnt fight with she-cat's, unless he was related to them anyway. But he could barely get a word out before he caught the disgusted look on Aluna's face, and he felt himself falter, inwardly at least. But his expression still didnt change. For a moment he wondered why her words bothered him. If any other cat taunted him he just ignored them and yet..

Why would I ever want to lose to...half-clan idiots?

Hunterpaw merely sighed, flicking his tail faintly. But he didnt move, even when Alunapaw tensed herself up for an attack. Hunterpaw just stared at her, then at his mentor when Springwind looked down at him. The pride in his mentor's eyes almost made him want to scoff. His ears flicked toward Curlypaw as he gave his best friend a faintly amused look. Curlypaw knew better than to expect him to attack a she-cat, even for training.

Hunterpaw looked back at Alunapaw, his expression calm and his shoulders slacked, relaxed. "I dont fight girls." He meowed smoothly, managing to give Alunapaw a faint smirk though his heart wasnt in it. "Plus I dont want a certain prissy spoiled little she-cat to get upset if her fur gets messy." He didnt know where the last sentence came from, but it had him blinking in faint surprise. The words didnt sound as harsh as they might seem, but there was an...Edge, to his tone that wasnt usually there.

[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Empress Of Evil

The soft grass flattened beneath the abyssinian's paws with each step she took. Recently, the she-cat had been quite the peaceful cat of the clan. She hadn't had to get annoyed at anyone and was feeling much more cheerful than usual. This was the kind of mood that Caracalpaw liked being in. It made her feel happier and more liked throughout the clan. So far, the apprentice hadn't managed to find any prey. It seemed to put a frown on her maw and she didn't like it.

"Come out wherever you are," Caracalpaw whispered softly, her words only ending up being carried away by the soft breeze that made the grass sway. If this were to be a normal game of hide and seek with some clanmates, Caracalpaw would've probably already gotten frustrated due to her lack of patience. However, she was hunting. Hunting was a way of contributing to the clan. When it came to doing things that were related to helping the clan, the abyssinian never let herself lose patience. Hunting required endless amounts of patience and Caracalpaw couldn't let herself lose the tiny amount that she had.

This was the moors she was on, it was supposed to be easy to find prey. They were exposed, there wasn't a lot of places to hide. But if you had the brains, it actually wasn't that hard to find a hiding spot. Caracalpaw could feel her impatience levels starting to rise up and she had to take deep breaths to calm herself down. Come on, you can do it. Just a little longer and you're bound to find something, the abyssinian told herself. The bronze coloured she cat parted her jaws to taste the air, hoping to catch something on the wind. Not long after, a familiar scent hit her tongue. Rabbit! It was quite a fresh scent too.

Feeling excited, the she-cat's eyes and ears became more alert and attentive as she ran in the direction that the scent was being sent from. She slowed down to a walk as the scent became stronger and stronger. The apprentice was standing on the top of a hill, a rather good advantage that meant she would be able to see anything below the top of the hill. Her yellow hues lit up in joy as she finally sighted what she had been searching for. Poking out of a young heather bush, a stubby, white tail poked out. As silently as possible, the apprentice lowered herself to the ground. There was no way she could miss this.

The white creature seemed to be distracted by some sort of food source. Perfect. Suddenly, Caracalpaw shot down the hill, leaping down and stumbling as she hit the bottom of the hill. "Fox dung!" Caracalpaw hissed as she clumsily regained her balance. The rabbit seemed to have noticed her and started to run for it's life. The abyssinian's eyes narrowed and she dashed after the milky coloured animal.

Despite the fact that it was so small, it was extremely fast. Not being the age of an experienced warrior, Caracalpaw managed to only match it's pace, meaning she couldn't speed up fast enough to kill it. Stupid hill! Caracalpaw cursed. Hopefully no other clanmates that were in the territory would get in the way. The apprentice couldn't afford to have any obstacles in her path.

It appeared that unlike a certain brindled tom, Caracalpaw had completely forgotten about a tom who went by the name of Spiralpaw.

I should maybe hunt instead of looking like a weird stalker, Spiralpaw stretches to his paws as he stood up and started to make small steps. He dreaded hunting. It was the main skill he needed to improve on. It wasn’t that he was bad at it. In fact, it was pretty neutral for him. If he had the choice, he wouldn’t be hunting at all. More like, having others hunt for him. That way he would be able to explore the lands more, and fight in important battles. The tom did not quite catch on to the importance of hunting. It was a tiring thing for him to do, but he knew it was a skill that must be learned. Spiralpaw trotted around, hoping to spot an easy prey for him to catch.

The tom gave an odd look. If he allowed himself the option to go be with his friends, that’s where he would be at this moment. Not trying to hunt! The brindled tom pinned his ears against his head before he loosely made his way around. In the distance he could make out a cat. A smooth-coated abyssinian running after a rabbit. For a moment, Spiralpaw sat there and watched her work. He tried to pinpoint her next moves, so he could copy them. She wasn’t a bad hunter. Though slow would be accurate. She was travelling at the same speed of the rabbit, so there was no way she would be able to catch it quick enough. Spiralpaw stood up, his tail twitched behind him. Do I know her…?

The tom often forgot names, unintentionally, but he remembered a face like the back of his paws. Even if he haven’t seen a face in a long amount of time, Spiralpaw always remembered a face. He stepped up a bit, tilting his head. Was this her? That obnoxious, narcissistic, she-cat? It had to be her. She looked the same as she did before. But, then again...how would she appear differently if they hadn’t seen each other in a few weeks?

Spiralpaw sighed. He knew he shouldn’t bother her. He didn’t need the trashy remarks from her, the remarks that made her feel worthy and him unworthy. He didn’t want to hear her voice. That voice that seemed to ruin his life. Spiralpaw wondered why ever he decided to hunt, if he knew she was going to be there? Granted, the tom didn’t know she was going to come here. A lot of cats come here to hunt. Hunting was important. It meant feeding the clan. As long as the clan eats, then the clan grows strong. Although, if he still had his way, he wouldn’t be hunting.

The brindled tom let out a chuckle before he decided to get up anyway, and trot her way. She had ruined his day those weeks ago, so why not ruin hers? For the sake of their old first time? For the sake of getting back? Maybe, not storming off and handling the situation as if he were careless of what she had to say? Maybe that would work. It would work for him. And, the best part would be to ruin her current hunt. Though, it sounded petty. He didn’t care at this moment. The tom was devious. He always had been. A troublemaker--and trouble was what he was gonna start.

Spiralpaw quickly caught up to her, springing forward and throwing her a dashing smile as he slowed his pace to match hers. ‘’Looks like you’re having fun!’’ His ears twitched against a light breeze, and his maw curled into a smirk. He took a quick glance in front of them at the milky colored rabbit. He had no intentions on catching it, more so he was interested in steering her in the wrong path. Not the wrong path, per se, but a path of annoyance--because wasn’t that what he was to her? An itch in her pelt? ‘’Long time, no see. Remember me?’’

[doghouse]

Originally Posted by NightWarrior4Life

"I'll help you one day...I'm sure we can get him to talk!" ShinePaw hissed. Cats who have secrets don't deserve-" but she broke off abruptly as another apprentice walked up to them. "Cats who have secrets don't deserve what?" This apprentice was ginger and had a playful glimmer in her bright eyes. ShinePaw recognised the milky at once. The molly was not an apprentice despite her size and was in fact still a kit yet her thoughts and manor were that of an apprentice's. "Gleamkit!"
"Oh sorry did I interrupt something?"
"Yes, you did." ShinePaw hissed at her littermate. "Who's this? That kit you always used to sneak out to see? The apprentice you still sneak out to see?"
"It's not like I skip training sessions...Gleamkit, this is Phantompaw."
"You two are trouble for the clan you really are...I tell you when you're warriors you will be the clan's biggest threat! Even better if you become leader and deputy..."
"And...what's the catch?"
"I could be your medicine cat!"
"Gleamkit, stop treating clan life like it's a nursery game...this is serious business now..." The silver Molly basted her sister's ear with her front paw. "Alright, I'm going, I'm going!" Gleamkit turned away but ShinePaw called her back before she could leave. "No, no, no. You can stay. It's just that...Phantompaw and I are talking about something very...private and personal...something we're quite passionate about..."
"StarClan? What's secret about that?"
"No. Not StarClan." Never StarClan ShinePaw retorted.

Phantompaw made a coughing sound. “No, he won't talk. He'll run and get Dovecloud.” she replied, before falling silent as an apprentice sized molly approached. Quickly she hide her claws and turned her head to one side, hiding the scratch across her cheek. She didn't want to get bossed by some know it all telling her to go the see Surgestorm. She eyed the ginger molly with a cautious gaze, her eyes glinting coldly. Then she heard who this was and her eyes sparked with interest. The two cats looked nothing alike, but then, she looked nothing like her father, and very little like her mother, so she wasn't one to judge in this situation. Phantompaw listened iin silence to their heated exchange, a bit reminded of the time she'd teased Rainpaw— Rainkit then, for being small and clingy, but not quite. “It's nice to meet you, Gleamkit.” Phantompaw said, her voice silky and smooth, which was a subtle way to show her dislike towards the cat, as she never used that tone. She dipped her head, showing the blood on her face and claws. She wrapped her tail over her paws, closing her mouth and remaining perfectly still.

[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Dark Melody

Hunterpaw just nodded at his mentor, barely listening to anything. His thoughts were still just trailing off in every direction, his claws sheathing and unsheathing as he kneaded at the ground. His ears turned back, flattening to his head. It was going to happen. Maybe he had a better chance outside the Clan. Maybe he should leave. Maybe they'd be better off. Maybe--

Maybe...

He didnt get to finish his thought however, because a familiar voice made his ears twitch. His gaze flickered up to stare at Alunapaw, an unreadable emotion flickering across the black and white Tom's face. He stayed silent for once, not even giving her a smile. His face was completely blank. Usually he'd flirt, but he wasnt in the mood at that moment. Though his gaze still went over her pelt, admiring it for a long moment, watching the muscles ripple under her pelt as she stretched.

Hunterpaw still said nothing though, even as she padded off to sit beside the bush. He found himself just watching her, almost in a trance, everything else around him was muted and his eyes were focused on Alunapaw only. It was almost frightening...No she-cat had ever made him this....Attentive.

He barely, vaguely heard his mentor but still managed to flick an ear his way, unable to move his gaze away from Alunapaw. Only when Springwind called her back over did Hunterpaw glance toward him in a curious way, wondering what he was planning. If Hunter knew his mentor, he knew there was something up. But these thoughts barely fizzed in his mind before he turned back to the she-cat, almost not hearing Springwind's next sentence.

Hunterpaw, tackle Aluna.

Ah.. Hunterpaw looked uneasy, starting to protest. He didnt fight with she-cat's, unless he was related to them anyway. But he could barely get a word out before he caught the disgusted look on Aluna's face, and he felt himself falter, inwardly at least. But his expression still didnt change. For a moment he wondered why her words bothered him. If any other cat taunted him he just ignored them and yet..

Why would I ever want to lose to...half-clan idiots?

Hunterpaw merely sighed, flicking his tail faintly. But he didnt move, even when Alunapaw tensed herself up for an attack. Hunterpaw just stared at her, then at his mentor when Springwind looked down at him. The pride in his mentor's eyes almost made him want to scoff. His ears flicked toward Curlypaw as he gave his best friend a faintly amused look. Curlypaw knew better than to expect him to attack a she-cat, even for training.

Hunterpaw looked back at Alunapaw, his expression calm and his shoulders slacked, relaxed. "I dont fight girls." He meowed smoothly, managing to give Alunapaw a faint smirk though his heart wasnt in it. "Plus I dont want a certain prissy spoiled little she-cat to get upset if her fur gets messy." He didnt know where the last sentence came from, but it had him blinking in faint surprise. The words didnt sound as harsh as they might seem, but there was an...Edge, to his tone that wasnt usually there.

Plus I dont want a certain prissy spoiled little she-cat to get upset if her fur gets messy.

Alunapaw felt her fur bristling. How dare he!? Granted, she had insulted him first, which meant that she should had seen that coming. However, the she-cat was still appalled, but even though she wanted to bicker back, she could sense the stern look that her uncle was giving her. So, instead she took a deep breath, and let out a soft giggle. ‘’You don’t fight girls, huh?’’ She says, looking away, but looking at him in the corner of her eyes. ‘’Afraid you’re going to lose? Because I’m not afraid to attack you, if I was given the chance.’’ She says, almost entering into a hunting crouch. She gave the tom a look over and scoffed.

Springwind did not know what to say for a second, so he analyzed his apprentice carefully. What was wrong with him? Why did he not feel like he should fight? It wasn’t really a fight. It was only training. He knew Alunapaw was not fragile, but did Hunterpaw think she was? ‘’Aluna, forget it. If he doesn’t want to fight him, then don’t force the issue.’’

‘’He’s being a coward!’’ Alunapaw objects. ‘’Saying I don’t fight girls, isn’t an exception. It’s an excuse. And, frankly, I feel that he’s displaying sexism.’’ She replies, proudly, as if she answered the question to the case. Solved the problem. Springwind shook his head, sighing. He was all for the fun and games, something Alunapaw and he did a lot--even Hunterpaw and himself. The tom was extremely laid back, but when it came to important matters was when he had to put on a boss mode, so that both apprentices knew who was in charge.

‘’Alunapaw, I would advise you to go back to the bush. We’ll...practice something else.’’ The mentor says, flicking his tail. He didn’t want Hunterpaw to feel uncomfortable. However, Alunapaw paid no heed to her uncle. Instead she stomped up to Hunterpaw, albeit a lot shorter than him, than she would like to be. She wanted to be able to look him in the eyes without her looking up at him. She figured this would display dominance, and she felt like the weaker link in doing so.

‘’My fur has nothing to do with your concern, whether it gets dirty or not!’’ She thrusts her face to his. Her teeth were barring, and she was on the brink of touching his nose. ‘’I could just claw your face right now for ever assuming that I’m some spoiled she-cat!’’ She threw her head back, turning away for a second. Springwind stepped up, ‘’Hey, now. Calm down, Aluna. He has a date, you can’t ruin his good-’’

‘’A date?’’ The she-cat says, pausing for a second to process the thought. It didn’t settle well within her, but instead of acting on this, she rolls her eyes. ‘’Who would ever want to go on a date with him? What, did he force her down until she succumbed to a yes?’’ Alunapaw turned to look at Hunterpaw, and looked away quickly. ‘’I feel bad for the poor she-cat that has to be around him...half-clan, and a coward?’’ Once again, she let out a sugary laugh, finding it funny, and at the same to repulsive. At least, she wanted to sound repulsive. The tom didn’t look half-bad. He was good-looking, but it was something about him...that made her uncomfortable. Maybe it was the fact when she first met him, he flirted with everyone. Or the fact that he took her uncle from her as a potential mentor. It could had been anything that made her have a dislike for him. Only she didn’t have a dislike for him. She had no particular feelings for him.

Alunapaw decided to trot back to his side, circling around him while shaking her head. She brushed herself alongside him before saying, ‘’Yeah, you’re a real prize alright.’’ She says sarcastically before walking back to the shrub she was sitting under. She wished he had pounced on her. She wanted to be praised--something she rarely was nowadays. She wanted to see Springwind boasting about her, not Hunterpaw. And, as she looked at him with a faint sad expression pressed on her maw, perhaps she was a little jealous of him.

Springwind glared at his niece before tending to his apprentice once more. ‘’How about we just...take a break for a few moments?’’ He musters a smile at all the apprentices around them, before they turned back onto Hunterpaw. ‘’I do advise you to practice more, and between you and me, Aluna’s right. What if we go to a real battle and you’re stuck with fighting a she-cat? You cannot be scared to attack them. After all, you’re not attacking them for no reason, but out of defense.’’ He sit next to his apprentice, and put a paw atop his head, before gently letting it down and looking him over to make sure the young tom was alright.