ThunderClan Territory

[lone]

Her warrior ceremony was in a couple of days? That meant that in a couple of days, Timberstrike would be joined by his best friend. He wouldn't feel so alone anymore. The tom's bright hues stared at Kiwipaw for a minute before he answered. "That's awesome, Kiwipaw! You must be so exci-" He stopped as she spoke again. If she failed? Was this what was bothering Kiwipaw, was she afraid that she was going to fail? She wouldn't. Timberstrike knew that she wouldn't. From the day that he had met her as Apurva, a young and, quite fiesty loner, he had known she would make a good Clan cat. From the fire, when she had helped his clanmates even though there was no reason for her to, he had known. From the moment she had joined the Clan, he was positive that she would be a warrior someday. And now he knew for sure that she would be a warrior. Feeling her burying herself in his fur, the tom purred as though he had never felt her touch before. Timberstrike was no longer the flirty apprentice that he had been, no - he had grown into a handsome and mature young warrior. Though not so mature that he didn't enjoy good games every once in a while.

"Kiwipaw, your mentor would be an idiot to tell you that you failed. They would have to be absolutely crazy - look at you! You've done nothing but help ThunderClan and I'm absolutely certain that you're going to be a magnificent warrior." When had she ever done anything that would tell her otherwise? Was she having trouble with the battle moves? Hunting shouldn't be an issue, she'd hunted for herself before she came to ThunderClan, hadn't she? So then what was bothering Kiwipaw?

"If the moves or something are too hard for you, Kiwipaw, that's not an issue. I'll help you. I'll help you every day for as long as you need, I'll support you with whatever you need, I'll do whatever you need me to do to make sure you are as confident as you should be about this, okay?"

He curled his tail around her, brushing her back lightly. She needed that confidence. Timberstrike was generally a confident tom, or at least he had been - as far as now went, he wasn't so sure. But he was fairly certain that he still held at least a few pieces of the confidence he had had. The tom gave his friend the lightest of nuzzles, trying to comfort her. Poor Kiwipaw... feeling that way... that couldn't be good for her at all. He hoped that she would be okay by the time the assessment came. Being a nervous wreck certainly wasn't going to help her confidence or anything else for that matter. Though Featherspeckle sounded like a nice cat, maybe... just maybe... she would be willing to help Kiwipaw with the mistakes she made rather then pointing them out and sounding absolutely awful about them? That was his hope, anyways. He glanced upwards towards the sky, and even though the stars weren't out yet and Timberstrike wasn't sure if StarClan were paying attention to his prayers... he prayed silently anyways.

Please, whatever you can do to help her, StarClan... I'm asking you to help her. Help her to have confidence and to know that she can pass this easily, help her to realize how much of a benefit she is to our Clan and how helpful she's been already. Help her to realize that one or two mistakes aren't going to mean she fails. Please.

Most cats made a couple of mistakes on their assessments, anything from missing some prey to bigger things, but Timberstrike knew that Kiwipaw was capable. She was capable of so much more then she seemed to realize, and he wondered why her self esteem was so low right now. Or why she was doubting herself, at least. When he had met her, when she had been a loner - that had never crossed his mind. The fact that she might one day be doubting herself. But then again, that was nearing ten moons ago, right? Ten moons. His oldest friend, the one friend he had kept after all this time and the one friend he was pretty sure he would always keep. Kiwipaw. He could feel her against him, and hoped that this was the way it would be always after her warrior ceremony. He would, of course, get her settled into the warrior life first. Be sure that she was comfortable with it. It was hard, getting into something that was totally new and at times much different then others had imagined. Being an apprentice and indeed, a warrior, was not as glamorous as it seemed. When Timberstrike was a kit, all he had wanted to do was be an apprentice. When he was an apprentice, all he wanted to do was be a warrior. Now he was terrified to want something more because he knew it would be different then it seemed. And he would have done anything to go back to those carefree, happy days of being a young kit or a young apprentice again.

@Bad Wolf

Originally Posted by Beau

Lynxheart made his way closer to Snowbreeze and sat down beside her. He breathed in the scents of the forest, but at the moment didn't smell any prey. Undeterred, the tom simply rested in the clearing. He watched Snowbreeze with curious yellow eyes, noting her seemingly forced smile. The warrior wondered why she seemed so uncomfortable but remained quiet. He prided himself on being observant and noticed that his hunting companion seemed to be acting oddly. Not that it bothered him, but it seemed to Lynxheart as if she wanted to talk but couldn't. Deciding that if she didn't want to speak, he wouldn't push her, Lynxheart rose to his paws and trekked into the undergrowth, searching for more prey. A vole must've been spooked when his tail brushed a patch of long grass, because it ran across the path, practically over his paws. The Thunderclan tom's fast reflexes kicked in and he plunged a heavy paw onto it's spine, breaking it. The vole died swiftly and he carried it back to Snowbreeze, mumbling around the vole, "Ready to head back?"

Snowbreeze was pretty close to looking as though she were in her own world. Looking as though she were hundreds of miles away... and safe... and alone. Alone, her favorite word. The Siamese loved being alone. Yet at the same time, it was nice to have some company, despite the fact that she was scared of it. Wasn't it weird to enjoy something yet be terrified at the same time? Not for her, really. The feline was so in her own thoughts that she nearly missed his comment, mumbling something along the lines of 'sorry - didn't m - mean to - I - y - yes, sure, I - yes' and turning back around to head back, her ears flattened against her head before she remembered her own catch. Moving towards where it was buried, the feline dug up the creature and picked it gingerly up in her mouth. "N - nea - need... need any heh - help w... with your c - catches?" Snowbreeze asked. It was a hesitant offer, but the fact that it was there was what counted. She was trying her best. While it might not quite be enough, the young Siamese hoped that Lynxheart would see that she at least partly wanted to try and get to know him better. She was doing her best to try and make friends with the tom, scared though she was, because she couldn't go through life with just her and Sagefrost. It was... impossible. Especially since her sister had her own life, being more of a social butterfly, and couldn't be her rock forever.

Originally Posted by Nighty

The black striped tom slipped into the territory, ready for his first single hunt. He had been with Barkskip and some of his other friends before as a warrior, but now he was going to hunt alone. He liked being alone yes, just as much as he enjoyed being around his Clanmates. He enjoyed a balance between the two. But hey, he didn't like the extremes. He preferred to hang around the middle. But it was still nice for him to get out, no sounds or distractions around. The only sounds that flooded his ears were the sounds of distant birds chirping and the sound of rustling leaves as he stepped. This was a hunt, so he better start acting like it. But he couldn't help his mind's wanderings. His mind he felt drifting to the most unimportant things. Just now as he was trying to focus, he found himself thinking about his cousins. He had two little she kits introduced into the family and he hadn't even stopped to greet them. He wanted to see them. Maybe he should just head back... No. Hunting, that's what he was here for. But what about Nightbreeze? Had she discovered more kits that needed a mother? Did he have new adopted siblings? Who knew, maybe he could stop and visit them. No. Hunting. Focus. Bit was he having a hard time with it. He sighed. Frustrated with himself and his lack of focus. "Hunting..." He reminded himself verbally. "That's what I'm here for. Hunting."

@Lonestar23

Not even the birds singing in the trees were enough to distract the apprentice from her worry. It had been a while since she had last seen Storkflight, and she knew - she knew there was no reason to worry, but what if he was with Wingpaw? That awful she cat. The only cat Owlpaw knew that she could say she was truly jealous of, jealous of for stealing her best friend's attention. Why did that make her so upset? Storkflight did not belong to her, definitely not. And he most certainly was not just her best friend, he was lots of cats' best friends... he belonged to himself... to everyone... to... a familiar scent entered her nose and made her ears perk up. Could it be? "Storkflight?" Owlpaw's voice was softer then it normally was, not the cheerful 'hi!' or 'hiya!' or indeed, just a playful tackle that she generally gave her friend. And she looked surprised, too, as though she hadn't expected to see the tom here. And perhaps she hadn't, after all she had been coming in the territory for the past few moons with not a single sign of him. "Look at that," She mewed with a soft huff. Truth be told, Owlpaw was frustrated. Why had it been so long? And not a single sign of him, nothing - she might be becoming a warrior soon, too. Now she was 11 moons old. 11 moons. Old enough to be more mature, less playful, and she seemed to have developed a streak of thoughtfulness. Now she was just the slightest bit more intelligent - though on the inside, just as naive and innocent, sweet and playful, hyper and energetic as before. Most of Owlpaw was the same feline that Storkflight had always known, but... nothing stayed the same forever and definitely not this she cat. She had changed some as well. She only wished that he had been there to witness the change first hand when it happened. But he hadn't been, and there was nothing to be done about that.

[rubinaito]

@Starstar

Birchfur huffed as she walked along, her eyes scanning the bushes ahead for any sign of prey. With a flick of her ears, she stopped, waiting for Thrushwing to catch up. Her eyes weren't cold, but they were guarded; she seemed a little tense as well.

[dionysus]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Snowbreeze was pretty close to looking as though she were in her own world. Looking as though she were hundreds of miles away... and safe... and alone. Alone, her favorite word. The Siamese loved being alone. Yet at the same time, it was nice to have some company, despite the fact that she was scared of it. Wasn't it weird to enjoy something yet be terrified at the same time? Not for her, really. The feline was so in her own thoughts that she nearly missed his comment, mumbling something along the lines of 'sorry - didn't m - mean to - I - y - yes, sure, I - yes' and turning back around to head back, her ears flattened against her head before she remembered her own catch. Moving towards where it was buried, the feline dug up the creature and picked it gingerly up in her mouth. "N - nea - need... need any heh - help w... with your c - catches?" Snowbreeze asked. It was a hesitant offer, but the fact that it was there was what counted. She was trying her best. While it might not quite be enough, the young Siamese hoped that Lynxheart would see that she at least partly wanted to try and get to know him better. She was doing her best to try and make friends with the tom, scared though she was, because she couldn't go through life with just her and Sagefrost. It was... impossible. Especially since her sister had her own life, being more of a social butterfly, and couldn't be her rock forever.

Lynxheart watched Snowbreeze for a moment, noticing how distant he appeared. The tom wished he could do that, just relax in his own mind. He wasn't creative enough to get lost in his own thoughts so he got lost in menial tasks instead. However, she finally answered him a moment later. Her answer was as usual soft and stuttered, but Lynxheart was starting to get used to the molly's unusual speech patterns and hadn't even judged her the first time he'd heard it. Clearly, she was nervous about something, and the warrior was starting to realize that it wasn't him causing her to feel so scared. She already was frightened about something and he was just glad that he'd managed to get her to agree to talk to someone. Then again, he did feel slightly guilty about inserting himself into this she-cat's business. He wasn't terribly private himself, but he knew some cats were and tried not to invade personal space, physically or mentally. "Sure, thanks!" He replied in a friendly manner when Snowbreeze asked if he wanted any help bringing his catches back to camp. He only had three and could've carried them himself, but the tom sensed that the nervous she-cat must've had difficulty even asking that question and he figured saying yes was the nicest thing he could do. The tom dug up his cache and brought one over to Snowbreeze with a smile before returning to the other two and setting off towards camp. He bounded through the forest with his two catches in his jaws and enjoyed the wind on his fur. All too soon he had to slow down and enter the camp. The tom tossed his catches on the pile and that was that. His hunting excursion was complete.

[Fab4evagirl]

It was a peaceful day in ThunderClan, and Rainbowmist decides to go hunt. She saw a rabbit hop behind a bush. Rainbowmist dropped into a hunting crouch, and sprang. With one swift bite, she saw the light go out of it's eyes. She buried it for later. A vole flew into a nettle patch. Rainbowmist sprang, but before she could kill it, it flew away. "Fox dung," she muttered under her breath.

[lone]

Entering the territory, the tom looked back at his companion and smiled. It seemed Marigoldflower was the one and only cat that he was truly comfortable around. Because she allowed him to be who he was, who he... felt comfortable being. Which was nice, wasn't it? Yes. Very nice indeed. The Siamese glanced at her, that smile still on his features. "S - so, as far as places to go, wh - what... what about the far edge of, um, of the territory? Th - that's a nice place," He commented with the smile still on his features. It was a nice place... but the thought of taking Mari there made the tom's pelt heat up. He liked Marigoldflower. She was a good friend. A great friend, even. And there was something he didn't want to risk losing... her friendship. Losing that would be a powerful blow to him indeed. Especially since he felt as though it would feel more like losing a limb or paw. His life without Mari would be like... like the forest without the five Clans. Or six - if you counted StarClan. Unthinkable. Different. Weird and alien. Even if only one Clan was gone, it would feel so strange to him. No, without all of them - it was unthinkable. "O - or if you know anywhere, um, ah... anywhere d - different, I wouldn't - I wouldn't be o - opposed," He added with the slightest of shrugs as though to say 'whatever you like.' He was glad to go anywhere as long as it was with Marigoldflower.

@SparkleDemon

[goddess of ducks]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Not even the birds singing in the trees were enough to distract the apprentice from her worry. It had been a while since she had last seen Storkflight, and she knew - she knew there was no reason to worry, but what if he was with Wingpaw? That awful she cat. The only cat Owlpaw knew that she could say she was truly jealous of, jealous of for stealing her best friend's attention. Why did that make her so upset? Storkflight did not belong to her, definitely not. And he most certainly was not just her best friend, he was lots of cats' best friends... he belonged to himself... to everyone... to... a familiar scent entered her nose and made her ears perk up. Could it be? "Storkflight?" Owlpaw's voice was softer then it normally was, not the cheerful 'hi!' or 'hiya!' or indeed, just a playful tackle that she generally gave her friend. And she looked surprised, too, as though she hadn't expected to see the tom here. And perhaps she hadn't, after all she had been coming in the territory for the past few moons with not a single sign of him. "Look at that," She mewed with a soft huff. Truth be told, Owlpaw was frustrated. Why had it been so long? And not a single sign of him, nothing - she might be becoming a warrior soon, too. Now she was 11 moons old. 11 moons. Old enough to be more mature, less playful, and she seemed to have developed a streak of thoughtfulness. Now she was just the slightest bit more intelligent - though on the inside, just as naive and innocent, sweet and playful, hyper and energetic as before. Most of Owlpaw was the same feline that Storkflight had always known, but... nothing stayed the same forever and definitely not this she cat. She had changed some as well. She only wished that he had been there to witness the change first hand when it happened. But he hadn't been, and there was nothing to be done about that.

Storkflight was too busy focusing on trying to stay focused that the world around him was blocked out. He had no idea what was up with him today. He didn't know why his thoughts were flying in every which direction. He didn't know why random issues kept cropping up in his mind. He was truly scatterbrained today and he had no clue how to fix it. But then there was this voice. A familiar one, and a soothing one. It sounded familiar but he was too unfocused to recognize it. He simply just thought it was his imagination thinking for him. Why it had only just said his name he didn't quite know. And he wouldn't know, until he focused in. The white Bengal tom padded forward, his blue gaze focused down in his paws as thoughts raved in his head. He wanted to make it stop, because the amount of things cramming into his head at the moment was insane. Little things that he had said he would do, chores he had promised to do for the elders, moss fetching for his mother and aunt. Everything was soaring through his head and banging and clashing around in there. But then a scent wafted across his nose and he almost crashed straight into the sweet smelling source. His blue eyes blinked up in shock and surprise. As his cluttered brain recognized the feline before him, he stepped back a bit, an awkward smile written on his maw. The moment his eyes rested on her face, all the cluttering thoughts and throbbing issues seemed to just...evaporate. It's like the site of the beautiful apprentice erased it all. It was something he could focus on, and my what a wonderful thing to focus on. He shook his thoughts of love for her away. They were friends, he was a warrior, she an apprentice. It couldn't work out. At least not yet. That was, if she felt the same way towards him. "Oh, hello Owlpaw." He greeted, his sheepish smile still worn. His blue hues glinted happily, it was nice seeing her. His paws absent mindedly fiddled with some loose dirt at his pads. He glanced down quickly, feeling quite awkward near her. "It's been awhile hasn't it?" He asked, as he grew frustrated with himself for sounding so...weird. "How's your training going?"

[Barnabas]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Entering the territory, the tom looked back at his companion and smiled. It seemed Marigoldflower was the one and only cat that he was truly comfortable around. Because she allowed him to be who he was, who he... felt comfortable being. Which was nice, wasn't it? Yes. Very nice indeed. The Siamese glanced at her, that smile still on his features. "S - so, as far as places to go, wh - what... what about the far edge of, um, of the territory? Th - that's a nice place," He commented with the smile still on his features. It was a nice place... but the thought of taking Mari there made the tom's pelt heat up. He liked Marigoldflower. She was a good friend. A great friend, even. And there was something he didn't want to risk losing... her friendship. Losing that would be a powerful blow to him indeed. Especially since he felt as though it would feel more like losing a limb or paw. His life without Mari would be like... like the forest without the five Clans. Or six - if you counted StarClan. Unthinkable. Different. Weird and alien. Even if only one Clan was gone, it would feel so strange to him. No, without all of them - it was unthinkable. "O - or if you know anywhere, um, ah... anywhere d - different, I wouldn't - I wouldn't be o - opposed," He added with the slightest of shrugs as though to say 'whatever you like.' He was glad to go anywhere as long as it was with Marigoldflower.

@SparkleDemon

marigoldflower looked at Froststing as she walked out, hearing that he had said something to her. The she-cat thought it was kind of cute the way he called her 'Mari'. "No! No! We can go to the far edge of the territory. I don't have a problem with that. I don't really care where we go to be honest." replied Marigoldflower with a nod of respect. The she-cat looked around the territory, then began to walk towards where they were going. He seems a bit off today. Don't yah think Marigold. Ah it's okay. I have to admit that I am a bit nervous myself. But why?.. The she-cat was sparked out of thought after a while. She had a weird feeling,
but she didn't know why. Froststing has always been her favorite cat in Thunderclan. Not many cats in her clan impressed her or really even mattered, but this tom was very different. Very different indeed!

[lone]

Originally Posted by Nighty

Storkflight was too busy focusing on trying to stay focused that the world around him was blocked out. He had no idea what was up with him today. He didn't know why his thoughts were flying in every which direction. He didn't know why random issues kept cropping up in his mind. He was truly scatterbrained today and he had no clue how to fix it. But then there was this voice. A familiar one, and a soothing one. It sounded familiar but he was too unfocused to recognize it. He simply just thought it was his imagination thinking for him. Why it had only just said his name he didn't quite know. And he wouldn't know, until he focused in. The white Bengal tom padded forward, his blue gaze focused down in his paws as thoughts raved in his head. He wanted to make it stop, because the amount of things cramming into his head at the moment was insane. Little things that he had said he would do, chores he had promised to do for the elders, moss fetching for his mother and aunt. Everything was soaring through his head and banging and clashing around in there. But then a scent wafted across his nose and he almost crashed straight into the sweet smelling source. His blue eyes blinked up in shock and surprise. As his cluttered brain recognized the feline before him, he stepped back a bit, an awkward smile written on his maw. The moment his eyes rested on her face, all the cluttering thoughts and throbbing issues seemed to just...evaporate. It's like the site of the beautiful apprentice erased it all. It was something he could focus on, and my what a wonderful thing to focus on. He shook his thoughts of love for her away. They were friends, he was a warrior, she an apprentice. It couldn't work out. At least not yet. That was, if she felt the same way towards him. "Oh, hello Owlpaw." He greeted, his sheepish smile still worn. His blue hues glinted happily, it was nice seeing her. His paws absent mindedly fiddled with some loose dirt at his pads. He glanced down quickly, feeling quite awkward near her. "It's been awhile hasn't it?" He asked, as he grew frustrated with himself for sounding so...weird. "How's your training going?"

For some reason, she couldn't bring her grey-blue optics to look at him again. She wondered if Wingpaw was around. If she was a warrior now. If he was spending time with her instead. Why he hadn't been hanging out with Owlpaw in a while. His voice brought back all those memories. Like when she was a kit, and Storkflight had been there for her - for a long time, and even when she was an apprentice. How they had used to play together. Spend endless days together. But now all of that was gone, and with it... it seemed it had taken some of her playfulness. Had it had to be like this? To end like this? She knew that the answer to that was no, it hadn't. It didn't. But somewhere along the way they had lost something. And she didn't feel... the same. Whether it was a good different or a bad different, she didn't know, but it felt like something was now missing. Being in his company didn't make her feel the same.

Now, Owlpaw was not experienced in the area of crushes. She was aware that they existed. And that other cats had them, but as far as she went? She had never had a crush before. As in ever. The patched she cat glanced at Storkflight, shifting her weight a little before she answered. "Training's going pretty good, I mean... I guess. I'll be a warrior in another couple of moons, y'know? Kind of scary. What was it like for you?" Well, one thing she would always have was her love of speaking. No matter what was going on, the she cat had always loved to talk... and now was no exception. Although her voice wasn't quite as excited, and playful as before... as though when Storkflight had left, he had taken that from her as well. Now, this change was something that had come on gradually.

"Umm... is, um, Wingpaw around... I mean, have you seen Wingpaw lately? The she cat asked, her optics redirecting themselves to her paws as she accidentally looked just a little too long at the tom. This felt awkward and not right at all. Maybe she should just go, and forget about trying to make up with Storkflight... forget that they had been best friends... forget about trying to bring back the past and embrace the future (that she would never be a part of) and try and move on to someone else. Except there was no one else for her to move on to. And she didn't know what to do.

Originally Posted by SparkleDemon

marigoldflower looked at Froststing as she walked out, hearing that he had said something to her. The she-cat thought it was kind of cute the way he called her 'Mari'. "No! No! We can go to the far edge of the territory. I don't have a problem with that. I don't really care where we go to be honest." replied Marigoldflower with a nod of respect. The she-cat looked around the territory, then began to walk towards where they were going. He seems a bit off today. Don't yah think Marigold. Ah it's okay. I have to admit that I am a bit nervous myself. But why?.. The she-cat was sparked out of thought after a while. She had a weird feeling,
but she didn't know why. Froststing has always been her favorite cat in Thunderclan. Not many cats in her clan impressed her or really even mattered, but this tom was very different. Very different indeed!

Froststing nodded, giving the smallest of grunts as she spoke. Good - so she didn't care where they went, that was a very good thing. The tom looked down at the ground, clearing his throat and wondering what to say now. "Um, ah... follow me?" It sounded more like a question then a statement, and he cursed himself for it afterwards. Why couldn't he just have confidence in himself? Maybe because he didn't deserve it. Confidence was for smart cats. And Froststing? Froststing never felt smart. If anything, at this moment, he felt quite stupid. He was always shy and cold and offstandish except for with the attractive cat Marigoldflower. Padding quickly through the territory, the Siamese hoped that she was following behind, otherwise he would feel like even more of a fool - and look like one, too. Not that he wasn't doing a fine job of that on his own. He could guess perfectly well that he was doing a pretty good job of making a fool out of himself. The Siamese wondered how long it would be before she mentioned something about his acting strangely. Even if she was trying to be nice and spare his feelings, he knew it couldn't last long.

[goddess of ducks]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

For some reason, she couldn't bring her grey-blue optics to look at him again. She wondered if Wingpaw was around. If she was a warrior now. If he was spending time with her instead. Why he hadn't been hanging out with Owlpaw in a while. His voice brought back all those memories. Like when she was a kit, and Storkflight had been there for her - for a long time, and even when she was an apprentice. How they had used to play together. Spend endless days together. But now all of that was gone, and with it... it seemed it had taken some of her playfulness. Had it had to be like this? To end like this? She knew that the answer to that was no, it hadn't. It didn't. But somewhere along the way they had lost something. And she didn't feel... the same. Whether it was a good different or a bad different, she didn't know, but it felt like something was now missing. Being in his company didn't make her feel the same.

Now, Owlpaw was not experienced in the area of crushes. She was aware that they existed. And that other cats had them, but as far as she went? She had never had a crush before. As in ever. The patched she cat glanced at Storkflight, shifting her weight a little before she answered. "Training's going pretty good, I mean... I guess. I'll be a warrior in another couple of moons, y'know? Kind of scary. What was it like for you?" Well, one thing she would always have was her love of speaking. No matter what was going on, the she cat had always loved to talk... and now was no exception. Although her voice wasn't quite as excited, and playful as before... as though when Storkflight had left, he had taken that from her as well. Now, this change was something that had come on gradually.

"Umm... is, um, Wingpaw around... I mean, have you seen Wingpaw lately? The she cat asked, her optics redirecting themselves to her paws as she accidentally looked just a little too long at the tom. This felt awkward and not right at all. Maybe she should just go, and forget about trying to make up with Storkflight... forget that they had been best friends... forget about trying to bring back the past and embrace the future (that she would never be a part of) and try and move on to someone else. Except there was no one else for her to move on to. And she didn't know what to do.

Storkflight gave a smile, though he saw in her gray hues that something was...off. Something didn't seem right with her. But she seemed to be trying to hide that, so he wouldn't mention it. It bothered him though. Owlpaw was his friend, though he did wish it could be more. Owlpaw's feelings mattered to him, and he wanted to help. Whoever had hurt her feelings would get a good battering my his paws. But he couldn't help be disturbed by the abnormality in her actions. This didnt seem like the cat he knew. Yes he acknowledged that she was getting older and becoming more mature, but it didn't happen that fast did it? He didn't know. He had grown up right in his brothers paw steps. He didn't know how she cats functioned. But then she looked at him, and their eyes locked as she spoke. It was a glimpse that he caught into her and he loved it. It was only the moment she jerked away, did he stop staring. "Yeah, it's a bit scary..." He meowed absentmindedly. He wanted her to look at him. He grabbed to touch her chin with his paw and turn her gaze back to him. He wanted to look into her eyes just a moment longer. But he had to keep talking. For he feared that if he stopped the silence just might make spher fade away. "It's probably a bit different for you than it was for me." He blurted out, sounding rather rushed and awkward. He just wanted to lock her in conversation so she had to stay. "It was kinda scary..." He said, fighting for words to come on the topic. "I was just stressed out about impressing my brother. Yknow, a bit of sibling rivalry?" He asked with a light hearted chuckle that came out strained and forced. Oh Starclan, what was happening to them? They had been so close, so close that they had shared everything. Now look where they were, Storkflight standing here struggling to find words to carry on one simple conversation. "Oh Wingpaw...um nope. I can't say I have. Not since a while after that day the three of us hung out. She came to ask me if you always acted like that." He stopped, realizing that probably wasn't the best thing to admit to her. Telling one cat that another cat was talking about them behind their back with their best friend....yeah...not good. Storkflight did a quick double take. "I mean..uhh, she wasn't being mean... Oh gosh, no not like that. She was just making sure you were okay." He stuttered and fumbled to get it out, and his blue hues locked into Owlpaw's frame once more, hoping she would look up at him and he could read what was going on there.

[doghouse]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

Her warrior ceremony was in a couple of days? That meant that in a couple of days, Timberstrike would be joined by his best friend. He wouldn't feel so alone anymore. The tom's bright hues stared at Kiwipaw for a minute before he answered. "That's awesome, Kiwipaw! You must be so exci-" He stopped as she spoke again. If she failed? Was this what was bothering Kiwipaw, was she afraid that she was going to fail? She wouldn't. Timberstrike knew that she wouldn't. From the day that he had met her as Apurva, a young and, quite fiesty loner, he had known she would make a good Clan cat. From the fire, when she had helped his clanmates even though there was no reason for her to, he had known. From the moment she had joined the Clan, he was positive that she would be a warrior someday. And now he knew for sure that she would be a warrior. Feeling her burying herself in his fur, the tom purred as though he had never felt her touch before. Timberstrike was no longer the flirty apprentice that he had been, no - he had grown into a handsome and mature young warrior. Though not so mature that he didn't enjoy good games every once in a while.

"Kiwipaw, your mentor would be an idiot to tell you that you failed. They would have to be absolutely crazy - look at you! You've done nothing but help ThunderClan and I'm absolutely certain that you're going to be a magnificent warrior." When had she ever done anything that would tell her otherwise? Was she having trouble with the battle moves? Hunting shouldn't be an issue, she'd hunted for herself before she came to ThunderClan, hadn't she? So then what was bothering Kiwipaw?

"If the moves or something are too hard for you, Kiwipaw, that's not an issue. I'll help you. I'll help you every day for as long as you need, I'll support you with whatever you need, I'll do whatever you need me to do to make sure you are as confident as you should be about this, okay?"

He curled his tail around her, brushing her back lightly. She needed that confidence. Timberstrike was generally a confident tom, or at least he had been - as far as now went, he wasn't so sure. But he was fairly certain that he still held at least a few pieces of the confidence he had had. The tom gave his friend the lightest of nuzzles, trying to comfort her. Poor Kiwipaw... feeling that way... that couldn't be good for her at all. He hoped that she would be okay by the time the assessment came. Being a nervous wreck certainly wasn't going to help her confidence or anything else for that matter. Though Featherspeckle sounded like a nice cat, maybe... just maybe... she would be willing to help Kiwipaw with the mistakes she made rather then pointing them out and sounding absolutely awful about them? That was his hope, anyways. He glanced upwards towards the sky, and even though the stars weren't out yet and Timberstrike wasn't sure if StarClan were paying attention to his prayers... he prayed silently anyways.

Please, whatever you can do to help her, StarClan... I'm asking you to help her. Help her to have confidence and to know that she can pass this easily, help her to realize how much of a benefit she is to our Clan and how helpful she's been already. Help her to realize that one or two mistakes aren't going to mean she fails. Please.

Most cats made a couple of mistakes on their assessments, anything from missing some prey to bigger things, but Timberstrike knew that Kiwipaw was capable. She was capable of so much more then she seemed to realize, and he wondered why her self esteem was so low right now. Or why she was doubting herself, at least. When he had met her, when she had been a loner - that had never crossed his mind. The fact that she might one day be doubting herself. But then again, that was nearing ten moons ago, right? Ten moons. His oldest friend, the one friend he had kept after all this time and the one friend he was pretty sure he would always keep. Kiwipaw. He could feel her against him, and hoped that this was the way it would be always after her warrior ceremony. He would, of course, get her settled into the warrior life first. Be sure that she was comfortable with it. It was hard, getting into something that was totally new and at times much different then others had imagined. Being an apprentice and indeed, a warrior, was not as glamorous as it seemed. When Timberstrike was a kit, all he had wanted to do was be an apprentice. When he was an apprentice, all he wanted to do was be a warrior. Now he was terrified to want something more because he knew it would be different then it seemed. And he would have done anything to go back to those carefree, happy days of being a young kit or a young apprentice again.

@Bad Wolf

She took a deep breath, knowing that what he'd not finished had been clear enough. She was, but also apprehensive, her confidence wavering for the first time in a very long time, and she felt that it was rather unreasonable judging by his words. She looked back on all she had achieved. She'd saved a cat during the fire, and risked her life to do so. She remembered Lionpaw dimly, but hadn't seen him since traveling to ThunderClan with him, almost having to show him the way rather than the other way around. And the battle moons later? That had also been an avoidable danger, but ever since learning of the Clans, their ways had fascinated her, and she couldn't sit by and know that innocent cats could be dying, not when she could help it. It never would've sat well on her mind, and so again and again, Kiwipaw had risked her life for ThunderClan, now her home.

Her jaw set in determination as he spoke, her gaze hardening and fur bristling, and the ThunderClan apprentice -although the age of a young warrior-, straightened, his words seeming to fuel her feisty personality, one that not very many realized was there, but it was, her fierce determination and unyielding loyalty to ThunderClan, and to Timberstrike. She knew that she loved him, and it was impossible for her to forget how he had showed her kindness instead of chasing her away, and that one act had turned her into the cat she was today. A cat to be proud of, and she raised her head, looking at the sky, searching for the stars, but it was still not dark enough, though night was falling at a rapid speed.

If you're real, StarClan, I need you more than ever. She thought, remembering the stories of StarClan other cats had told her. Of where a cat went when they died. It was hard to wrap her mind around the idea, although she wanted to believe it, she really did. But she had grown up without it, and it wasn't a thought that came easy to her, hard to believe and really understand, but still, it felt so right somehow. It fascinated her, that all these cats believed so strongly in it, and it was something Kiwipaw had never seen, and she found it hard to believe until she actually saw it. And she believed everyone's faith in StarClan, that was something strong and undeniable.

She felt comforted by his presence as he wrapped his tail around her, and she did likewise to him, purring gratefully. “Thank you,” she murmured, slowly standing up and turning to face him, her emerald hues sparkling in the pale light of dusk, reflecting the orange of the sunset that shine through the dappled green leaves overhead. “It means a lot, what you said. I'm glad that we met. Y’know, I think we would both be different cats had we not met, or had something happened to one of us, probably for the worse,” she finished, speaking so softly that her words her nearly inaudible, but not quite, and she leaned over and touched her nose to his ear tip, stifling a yawn. “I'm going to head to my nest for the night,” Kiwipaw added, pulling away after a moment, although she yearned to stay by his side all night, she knew that tomorrow would be very difficult, and she needed all the rest she could get. She still worried that she would make mistakes, but no longer feared that she would fail, her confidence back to normal, but not overconfident. Kiwipaw had seen enough to know better, enough hardships to know never to be overconfident, although she was sometimes underestimating, it was rarely of another, but of herself. She took a step back, eyes still locked in the brown tabby warrior before her.

“I'll see you soon, Timberstrike,” the large calico molly assured him, then spun around and padded into the bushes and out of the clearing, moving at a brisk pace through the trees, each step bringing her further from him, and closer to camp, wondering if she should've waited and they could've walked to camp together, then she shook her head. No, she needed time to think, go over what had just happened and consider what had been said. Hopefully, he had taken no offense in her actions, though she very much doubted that he would. Because if she knew him as well as she thought she did, it wasn't like him to be so easily offended, or she hoped it wasn't, and was sure that her thoughts were true.