[Starfall]

Originally Posted by Nighty

Forestpaw, despite his offering, remained very stiff and uncomfortable. It would take more than a kind smile to get her to loosen up. She had bad, horrible memories of training, and she wasn't exactly ready to start here, sure she knew that Clan cats were very different from the a Syndicate, but still, the memories that haunted her from training with Broken were enough to scare a cat for life. She had seen him murder so many innocent kits, so many unknowing apprentices, it was crazy. That was the first thing she had been taught too, killing. Killing, always killing. Kill these kits, kill those apprentices. Kill that kittypet, but play with it first. Always killing, and it was scary for her. Yes she had seen a lot, been through a lot, but those memories with Broken were the most horrifying. She always had to act like a pristine little feline for him, Incase he would loose temper and lash out at her. The habits just carried over. She didn't exactly want to go sit beside him, but she did. Stiffly, she moved her long black lombs, made and built so long ago for a Windclan cat. She padded over, her pale green gaze, forcedly and calmly looking at him. She forced herself to sit down next to him, and she waited for the next thing.

Forestpaw listened to his words, yet she wasn't so keen yet on actually taking it to heart. It was true though, she was stressed, mostly because she knew not one thing anout hunting, nor much fighting. What she did know was the one thing Clan cats tried to do if it was avoidable, killing. Yes, she wanted to prove her worth, show that she wasn't what her father was. She could be better than him, she could have different beliefs, she could have different intents. And it wasn't bad to do so.

At the praise that he gave her, a small smile flicked across her maw, but disappeared quickly, as the habits kicked in again. She couldn't show emotion, as the time she cried because she was unwilling to kill an innocent kit, had ended with her getting slashed on the face. Pleasant memories, right? No emotion. That's what she showed when it came to training sessions. At the touch of his paw on her shoulder, she immediately stiffened, becoming rigid and slightly nervous on what he would do. She really wanted to trust him though. She really wanted him to be her friend, but it wasn't his fault that she stiffened every time he touched her. It wasn't his fault that she was always formal and terrified when he spoke to her. None of it was his fault. It was Beokens fault for conditioning her this way. But it was her job to break down the barriers and get to know him. It was her job to form new habits and learn the new ways. "Yes Sleepingcloud. And I'm terribly sorry." She mewed apologetically. She pulled away from his paw, but still sat next to him. "Its just...where I came from, my mentor wasn't anything like you." She pointed to her cheek, the claw marks visible, the scar showing in a nice pink color against her black fur. "He gave me this. I showed emotion, and he gave me this. I'm sorry, but please give me some time. I know..." She paused, taking in a deep shudders breath. "I know things are different here. It's been carved in my system though to act this way. So give me...just a little time. But for now, can we please train?" She asked, shifting her paws the entire time, gazing at the ground. With the last line though, she looked up, eyes full of past pains and horrid memories.

The warrior nodded as she spoke, he knew it wasn't going as easy as a speech to break her shell, but he atleast hoped that it would have made a crack, a dent, something. He flicked his tail as sadness flickered across his blue optics as the apprentice pulled away, but he couldn't stop that, although he was saddened by her gestures he knew it wasn't all purely her fault. Sleepingcloud let out a light huff and shifted his weight onto the other paw, soreness began to kick in. At Forestpaws apology he let out a chuckle and shook his head "There's naw need-ta be sawry little layy, ay'm just lettin ya know" he said softly, his eyes softened and a warm smile spread across his maw, it was true, he wouldn't get her to crack just yet, but that just made him even more determined, even more excited to see the pearl that lied within the young molly. The Siberian picked himself up with a huff and flicked his tail, making a small little dust cloud behind him, he could tell by the apprentices gestures and facial expressions that she was eager to train, and he couldn't blame her, she seemed to have a thirst for knowledge, a yearn for the unknown, it reminded him of himself a little. When the dark furred molly gestured to her cheek he saw red for a few moments, rage boiled and bubbled in his stomach as he thought of her being hurt, for being a cat, for showing emotion. The warrior lashed his tail and spit out an inaudible insult before he let out a long, drawn out sigh and looked up at forest paw. "Just how hawrid are thay cats there?!" he spat before he once agin tried to regain his cool "If y'all evuurr see him near here just point him out ay'll deal with him personally" he huffed before he shook his head once more "Ay wasn't expecting y'all ta warm up ta me raheet away, but hey, ay can still hope" he chuckled before he crouched down, his rear up in the air. "Do as ay do" he instructed.