[Captain]

Originally Posted by Fawn

Dragging a paw across his ear as hs listened to his best friend speak, Lionpaw smiled. "Of course I'd stick uo for you and protect you, Newt! I wouldn't be your best friend if I just watched and did nothing." Hopefully they'd have no more troubles such as that one during their stay with RiverClan. Lionpaw didn't like trouble, and didn't want to get into any by arguing with RiverClanners. The golden brown tom rested his tail on his best friend's, as if to try and be reassuring. The act sent a wave of unfamiliar feelings through him, and he couldn't identify what the faint, indescribable spark he felt was. So he immediately brushed it off as nothing. "When I saw that Lobsterpaw pushed you into that puddle, something just came over me. Anger. I felt angry at Lobsterpaw for pushing you, and myself for not staying by you like I saod I would." The apprentice sighed. "I'm sorry, Newtpaw. I broke my promise. I wasn't there." The entirety of Lionpaw seemed to droop as his head hung low, looking solemnly at his paws. He didn't say it out loud, but he made a silent promise to himself now; this time, he really wouldn't leave her side. Not for anything. He'd even make sure they got to sleep next to each other. He wasn't going to risk someone hurting her again, and the only thing that will stop him from staying near her at all times would be at Newtpaw's request.

“It’s okay, Lionpaw, you cannot always be there for me.” The small apprentice reminded him, looking up at the older apprentice, “But that’s not important, the important thing is that you were there for me in the end and gave me that extra motivation to stand up to that stubborn bully.” Newtpaw didn’t want her best friend to feel bad for not being there, she needed to understand that he couldn’t be there every second of every day for her and she hoped that he understood that as well. It was a tough thing to accept, personally, because she liked having someone around all the time for her, especially him - it made her feel valued in this harsh world where she was merely judged solely on her appearance since birth. She knew for a fact that Lobsterpaw chose her to pick on because she was both Shadowclan and because of her shortened legs, there was no doubt in her mind. She felt warm and safe next to Lionpaw and the sense of affection seemed to flow through the two apprentices. The short-legged female could see his tail resting gently on her and that made her smile, knowing that she would never truly be alone.

A gentle, calming sigh left her parted jaws as she scanned the clearing out before them, seeing cats of all sizes and colors dot the clearing. Riverclan cats sported different opinions about her clan being her, she could see the looks on their faces as they went on their way. Lobsterpaw was an example of how some of them felt, despite Russetstar telling Riverclan to treat them with respect and kindness. The apprentice’s paws shuffled underneath her for a moment of silence between them before Newtpaw glanced up at the larger cat beside her. “You want to go explore the hunting grounds together to get away from all the hussle and bussle of the camp?” Newtpaw asked Lionpaw, a small playful smirk on her muzzle as she offered. It gave her a few ideas on the small little adventures they could have to make memories from.