RiverClan Territory

[~Breadsticks~]

@Darkclaws
"Nice catch." She purred, diving in just as he dropped his prey. Reedbriar came up with a smaller trout but still struggled with it. The molly climbed up onto the shore and pushed her paws against it's head and pulled sharply upward, killing the fish.

[Dark]

@TheBread
"Nice catch," Fishtail said, admiration shining in his eyes.

[~Breadsticks~]

@Darkclaws
"Thanks." She purred, giving him a smile.

[Dark]

@TheBread
Fishtail smiled at her, "Want to go back to the camp, or get more?" He asked.

[Silentlily]

Originally Posted by Jingle

Reedsplash trotted through the forest, making his rounds as he was supposed to do. The long legged warrior slowed down as he stretched out, looking carefully at his surroundings. He yawned faintly and closed his eyes, admiring the breeze from the river around the territory. He had always enjoyed being a RiverClan cat- it always seemed so free and gentle, like the ripples in the river and the sea.

He had recently lost his mate, however, and was desperately upset about the loss of his wonderful mate. The tom sighed and once again looked around before hearing a small mewl. His ears instantly perked up and he looked around- no queen was around... they were all back at camp resting. Reedsplash bit his lip and walked around, trying to identify the small mew. He saw a small rustling in the leaves and mud and jumped over to it, his green eyes wide.

"My goodness..." he mewed, pushing a leaf off the small kit and picking it up carefully by the scruff. He noticed how small and frail she was, worry instantly pricking along his pelt. She most likely wasn't going to make it.

"Don't worry, dear..." he said, mouth full of her muddy pelt. "I will make you better. I promise." The tom quickly sprinted back, trying not to trip or jump- he needed to make the ride as smooth as possible... she couldn't die.

The feeling of a set of jaws clamping gently on her scruff barely prompted a reaction from the dazed, cold, and hungry kitten. The faintest squeak of surprise escaped her muzzle as she was lifted off the ground, but still she remained in her own dark, sightless world, hearing only faint sounds through her young, not yet fully functional ears, while her form hung limply from the jaws of the adult cat. She had not even the strength to lift her hind legs and tail and curl them up to her stomach as many young kits will do when being carried by their scruffs.

(To the nursery?)

[~Breadsticks~]

@Darkclaws
"I might see if I can get another fish.." Reedbriar said, her gaze fixed on the water as she waited.

[Dark]

@TheBread
"Okay, I'll wait," The tom replied, watching his mate focus intently.

[SuspiciousMindz]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

The ebony tom was, as well, completely oblivious to his surroundings. His senses seemed to have dulled once he closed his eyes; sight, obviously, was not an option... but even the sounds and scents of the territory seemed to have disappeared. It was too relaxing; there was no way that he could be efficient during this time. Something brought his attention away from the silent and serenity that he was experiencing, and he could see a familiar form coming closer. Opening his maw to speak, Jasperpelt suddenly stopped as he realized he wasn't sure whether she knew she wasn't alone or not. If he were to speak now, was it going to startle her? Either way, he would have to be careful; if she were to suddenly see him, it might scare her as well. Against the trees and bushes of the territory, the tom looked sort of like just a plain lump... and it could be rather frightening when that particular lump opened his maw and began to hold a conversation with you. And while it hurt when other cats would be startled, or run away, he could understand that. Deciding it would be better to make her aware of his presence before she accidentally walked into him or he scared her, the dark feline opened his maw again. "Lotusheart!" Hoping that it was, indeed, her. The most embarassing thing would be if he were talking to the wrong cat.

Her name jolted her out of her thoughts. Blinking a few times, Lotusheart was well-aware of her surroundings once again. Silly her! How could she just allow herself to zone out! That was very unlike her, especially when her life was still a big part of her kits. Her emerald hues eventually rested on Jasperpelt. Instantly, they lightened up a bit and her tail rose high in the air to show she was pleased to run into a fellow friend. "Oh. Hi Jasperpelt!" she called back, closing the distance between them slowly. She knew the tom was rather skittish so she took her time as the distance closed. Each step took her closer and closer until she finally stopped and sat herself down about two tail lengths from her friend. From there, she awaited an introduction, though allowed her ears to swirl around as she listened for anything else that may be around. Plus, the territory noises were a relief to her after being in the camp for moons. She started these walks a few days ago in hopes of getting her warrior body back and getting to know her territory once more and freshen up on hunting skills. Of course, fighting skills were for another day, perhaps when she got an apprentice, but for now, hunting down by the river was good practice for a queen. Several moons of no hunting really brings that skill down. "What are you doing out here?" she asked, tilting her head a bit in curiosity.

[lone]

Originally Posted by RedHead

{So sorry for the wait!}

Originally Posted by RedHead

Alone. That word sparked in Shellfeather's mind. Reminding her that that's what she was. Alone. Tears started pooling at the edge of the warrior's sapphire hues, and she closed her eyes, looking away from the dark-pelted tom in front of her. She wouldn't let him see her cry. She took deep, calming breaths, knowing that he was waiting for an answer. He probably thought she was mentally crazy or something. But every cat in her clan seemed to think that now, so what's one more? That was at least how Shellfeather thought of it. "I'm Shellfeather." She meowed, her voice horse and scratchy from all of her hours spent silently sobbing. That's all the white-furred feline seemed to do theses days. Sit alone and sob silently. The only exception was training her apprentice, Pleasantpaw. She reserved every bit of happiness she had left for him. So she could train him right, so he could be happy. She don't want him to have a ruined apprentiship, like hers had gone. She also didn't want him to have a ruined life. Pleasantpaw also gave Shellfeather happiness. She only had one son, and that was Spicepaw, but he had been distant ever since they returned to Riverclan. Shellfeather had started to see her apprentice as her own son. And she wanted to make sure he was happy, satisfied, and protected.

Originally Posted by RedHead

As she thought more and more of her growing bond with the young tuxedo cat, Shellfeather's breathing lightened, and the tears threatening to break through and fall to the earth slowly started to sink back into her eyes. Taking a deep breath, Shellfeather turned back to Jasperpelt. "And we'll, I'm just out here because I need a break. I'm also enjoying the beautiful day." Her statement was true. She did need a break, and she was enjoying her surroundings. A faint breeze calmly brushed her due, the river in front of her sparkled with sunshine, the reeds slowly waved back and forth, dancing to the tune of a few crickets, who had started to chirp early. It wasn't quite yet sundown. Crickets... Shellfeather was reminded of her daughter, whom she still had to make amends with. The pale-furred she-cat wanted so badly to have the comfort of all her kits through these hard times, but that comfort was hard to achieve. Again, Spicepaw wasn't around much anymore, Cricketpaw was angry with her, and Applethorn was.... Well... She was Applethorn. The only one of her living kits that Shell had a sturdy bond with was Rabbitpaw. But she needed all of the support she could get.

Once he had helped Quillpaw to his paws, the russet apprentice stepped away, breaking the contact between the two. Spicepaw had found it clearly necessary to help the younger cat up. Nearing warrior age, Spicepaw had just figured that the new apprentice needed help. He didn't find it weird at all. Spicepaw also supposed that he would have to wait at least four more moons for his warrior ceremony, even though he was close to being of age. He had been out of the clan for too long, an Spicepaw figured his father wouldn't want to be seen showing favoritism. But the tabby didn't mind spending a few more moons as an apprentice. That just meant he could perfect his skills even more.

At Quillpaw's words, Spicepaw let out a huff, half amusement half annoyance. "Well I can clearly see that." He meowed, rolling his eyes, but if you looked carefully into the yellow-green hues, you could see they were sparking with humor. He was also quite surprised as Quillpaw merged from cheery into embarrassed. Usually when cats did that, they had just realized something embarrassing. At least that's why Spicepaw had learned. "And yeah, no problem. So we'll continue this way. There's a pond over here, it's one of my favorite places on the territory." The russet-colored tom meowed, a small smile entering his face. It kind of made him look like he was a little embarrassed to tell Quillpaw about this special pond.

Continuing on, Spicepaw flattened his ears against his head, getting lost in thought. He had realized that he wasn't spending as much time with his mother as he used to, but she would be okay. Right? Spicepaw also hadn't visited his sisters Rabbitpaw, Cricketpaw, and Applethorn. He supposed he really needed to do that. But Spicepaw didn't want to be part of the family drama. So he'd been avoiding his family members. Maybe Quillpaw could keep me busy... The younger splotch-furred cat seemed to make Spicepaw actually happy, and to be honest with himself, the tom enjoyed Quillpaw's company.

"Sh-Shellfeather? That's, that's... a pretty name, heh..."


Shellfeather. He liked that, somehow it just seemed to fit her. It seemed to reveal a friendly and caring nature, traits she carried as far as he could tell. But he could hear the scratchiness in her voice. The roughness that made it sound as though she had been crying. A rougness that he recognized all too well. Jasperpelt avoided eye contact, knowing he wouldn't be able to maintain it at all through this moment. He was having too much trouble trying to make sure that he didn't accidentally say something wrong. Oh boy. Words were not his strong point, no matter how hard he tried. Was that a tom thing? No - those flirts who hung around the clearing were great at flirting, and great with their words. Not to mention the calmer, more intelligent cats who could speak extremely fluently - a skill he desperately wished to possess.

　

But alas, that was something that he just didn't have. Even his thoughts were jumbled sometimes, something that he despised himself for. Get it together! You... you h-have to do something, Jas - do something NOW. That was the only thing he could think of to do, was to do anything... something... something that would comfort her and show her just a little love. Show her that, even though he might have just met her, he was there to listen. To offer support. Was that weird? Perhaps in the Clan that was currently being run it was. Perhaps in the days of Bucknight it would have been considered nonexistent, but now Jasperpelt knew that they were getting ready for a new future. "O-oh, yeah, heh... it... it is a beautiful day, I - I don't blame you for... for wanting to get out, the clearing can... it can be a little... crowded, huh?" He mewed, glancing up for a split second to make eye contact before looking down again.
　

It made him look almost shy. But, Jasperpelt wasn't shy! If he were shy, he would never have begun to speak to Shellfeather. "By... by the way, I, um... I k-know you're kind of, um... uh... kind of upset right now, but I... I just wanted t-to say that you, you're... I'm... here to listen." Such a mixed up bundle of speech, and yet the meaning had been perfectly clear in his head. She was hurt. Upset. She was welcome to confide in him and he was there to listen. And yet when he had tried to make the words come out in vocal form, he had failed miserably. Why was it that some cats excelled at speech and then there were cats like him... the "stupid" ones. He wasn't dumb. He wasn't. Jasperpelt sighed and did the only other thing he knew how to do. He moved over towards Shellfeather, curling his tail around her and sitting as close as he could without it being too awkward. Just offering some physical support to see if it would help.

Originally Posted by Suspiciousmindz

Her name jolted her out of her thoughts. Blinking a few times, Lotusheart was well-aware of her surroundings once again. Silly her! How could she just allow herself to zone out! That was very unlike her, especially when her life was still a big part of her kits. Her emerald hues eventually rested on Jasperpelt. Instantly, they lightened up a bit and her tail rose high in the air to show she was pleased to run into a fellow friend. "Oh. Hi Jasperpelt!" she called back, closing the distance between them slowly. She knew the tom was rather skittish so she took her time as the distance closed. Each step took her closer and closer until she finally stopped and sat herself down about two tail lengths from her friend. From there, she awaited an introduction, though allowed her ears to swirl around as she listened for anything else that may be around. Plus, the territory noises were a relief to her after being in the camp for moons. She started these walks a few days ago in hopes of getting her warrior body back and getting to know her territory once more and freshen up on hunting skills. Of course, fighting skills were for another day, perhaps when she got an apprentice, but for now, hunting down by the river was good practice for a queen. Several moons of no hunting really brings that skill down. "What are you doing out here?" she asked, tilting her head a bit in curiosity.

"Just... just getting a... a, um, little peace and quiet, heh..."


Even around cats that he knew Jasperpelt tended to be skittish. Perhaps it was just part of his nature. Or maybe it was something that he continued doing because he didn't want to seem odd. The former was more likely then the latter, as Jasperpelt just wasn't that type of a cat. "What about you? Why are you out here alone?" He asked. Some things were easier to say then others, and some things he forced to come more naturally so that others wouldn't think that he was weird. That was one thing that Jasperpelt didn't want, for other cats to think that he was strange. He already had enough problems most of the time without that adding to them. It was one of his worst fears to be ridiculed, but it seemed to happen sometimes anyways. The tom was honestly worried about his friend being out here by herself. Something could happen! Though, at least they weren't in WindClan or ThunderClan. There were rumors, and while he didn't partake in spreading them, everyone was aware of the tension. If they had been in one of the rival Clans, Jasperpelt would have been much more worried for his friend. It was part of his personality to worry. He always wanted to keep those he loved safe. And that included Lotusheart and her kits - she was his best friend, and her kits were practically like family to him.









All Cardinalflash's life, it had been him and Jaywhisper. Some cats joked about them being like a married couple, despite the fact that Cardinalflash was always flirting - and the fact that they were related. They were brothers, for StarClan's sake! Full brothers. Not half. They were definitely related. Cardinalflash nudged Jaywhisper lightly as they moved through the territory, his hues sparkling with amusement as he glanced down at his brother. Jaywhisper was definitely the smaller of the two... and quieter. He didn't talk a lot. And he wasn't exactly a rude cat. Never pushy, quiet, very smart... Cardinalflash was louder. More "out there." The two were like night and day, but they got along so well. Thank goodness for that, he wasn't sure what he would do if they didn't. Always brothers first. Always they would be together. This was something that Cardinalflash had always known.
　

"Hey Jay, where are we going?"

He called back to the smaller, dark colored feline. Cardinalflash had coloring that could have been considered loud or obnoxious - Jaywhisper's was more subtle. It seemed to reflect their personalities in ways that Cardinalflash hadn't even thought about before. He counted on Jaywhisper to be the smart one out of the two of them, and point him in the right direction. Thank StarClan he had a brother who was willing to put up with his antics. And the best part was that neither one of them was really in "love" right now. Jaywhisper wasn't one to be able to deal with that sort of thing - he never really knew how to act around them. He wasn't attached to anyone very easily, which looking back on life, was probably a good thing when Cardinalflash remembered all the heartbreaks that could have happened. He was glad for his brother's cautious nature.
　
It kept him safe from all the female flirts out there. Cardinalflash didn't want Jaywhisper getting anywhere near those cats. He could be somewhat... overprotective of his brother, despite them being the same age and having practically the same capabilites. Just - perhaps Cardinalflash was the slightest bit better at fighting. And swimming. And stuff that had to do with all of that... just possibly.
　
Jaywhisper loved the look of the territory this time of year. It was beautiful, with everything just bursting into bloom... it was easy to like. And the best part was that there was no one trailing along except for Cardinalflash. His brother was sweet, and he appreciated the company, of course, but Cardinalflash had the extremely annoying habit of bringing along a she cat on all of their walks. Every time he wanted to spend time with the tom, Cardinalflash was always bringing a she cat along. Why? It didn't matter. The only thing that needed to be known was that his brother was a flirt. And, Jaywhisper despised that. It was one of the only things that he truly hated about his sibling. No one could guess that they were biological siblings just by looking at them... I mean, Jaywhisper was small and darkly colored while Cardinalflash was larger and more brightly, brilliantly colored.
　
If you considered a slate-like grey and a reddish orange to be dark and bright. Because those were the colors of the two toms. Jaywhisper favored their Mother, with his slate coloring and sharp, dark eyes that Cardinalflash sometimes described as 'peeking into the soul.' Cardinalflash favored their Father with his reddish orange color, and his golden brown eyes that would light up at the smallest joke. The toms knew everything about each other. Sometimes Jaywhisper wished that his brother didn't know quite so much, but it was always alright - he could live with it, right? Right. Absolutely. Jaywhisper glanced up as he heard his name being called by the other tom. "We're just heading down to the river. Thought you might want to go for a swim." His voice remained calm. It took a lot to get Jaywhisper to make so much as a sarcastic comment, let alone get riled up.
　
Pretty much the only time that happened was if he or someone he loved was threatened. And then he became fierce. It was like a miniature wildcat. Cardinalflash might be the better warrior as far as fighting and swimming in general went, but when it came to speed... agility... and hunting, it was hard to find an equal to Jaywhisper. He was quite good at all of the above. Only swimming proved to be a challenge and something he needed to work on.
(here we go @Constellation)

[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

All Cardinalflash's life, it had been him and Jaywhisper. Some cats joked about them being like a married couple, despite the fact that Cardinalflash was always flirting - and the fact that they were related. They were brothers, for StarClan's sake! Full brothers. Not half. They were definitely related. Cardinalflash nudged Jaywhisper lightly as they moved through the territory, his hues sparkling with amusement as he glanced down at his brother. Jaywhisper was definitely the smaller of the two... and quieter. He didn't talk a lot. And he wasn't exactly a rude cat. Never pushy, quiet, very smart... Cardinalflash was louder. More "out there." The two were like night and day, but they got along so well. Thank goodness for that, he wasn't sure what he would do if they didn't. Always brothers first. Always they would be together. This was something that Cardinalflash had always known.
　[/CENTER]

"Hey Jay, where are we going?"

He called back to the smaller, dark colored feline. Cardinalflash had coloring that could have been considered loud or obnoxious - Jaywhisper's was more subtle. It seemed to reflect their personalities in ways that Cardinalflash hadn't even thought about before. He counted on Jaywhisper to be the smart one out of the two of them, and point him in the right direction. Thank StarClan he had a brother who was willing to put up with his antics. And the best part was that neither one of them was really in "love" right now. Jaywhisper wasn't one to be able to deal with that sort of thing - he never really knew how to act around them. He wasn't attached to anyone very easily, which looking back on life, was probably a good thing when Cardinalflash remembered all the heartbreaks that could have happened. He was glad for his brother's cautious nature.
　
It kept him safe from all the female flirts out there. Cardinalflash didn't want Jaywhisper getting anywhere near those cats. He could be somewhat... overprotective of his brother, despite them being the same age and having practically the same capabilites. Just - perhaps Cardinalflash was the slightest bit better at fighting. And swimming. And stuff that had to do with all of that... just possibly.
　
Jaywhisper loved the look of the territory this time of year. It was beautiful, with everything just bursting into bloom... it was easy to like. And the best part was that there was no one trailing along except for Cardinalflash. His brother was sweet, and he appreciated the company, of course, but Cardinalflash had the extremely annoying habit of bringing along a she cat on all of their walks. Every time he wanted to spend time with the tom, Cardinalflash was always bringing a she cat along. Why? It didn't matter. The only thing that needed to be known was that his brother was a flirt. And, Jaywhisper despised that. It was one of the only things that he truly hated about his sibling. No one could guess that they were biological siblings just by looking at them... I mean, Jaywhisper was small and darkly colored while Cardinalflash was larger and more brightly, brilliantly colored.
　
If you considered a slate-like grey and a reddish orange to be dark and bright. Because those were the colors of the two toms. Jaywhisper favored their Mother, with his slate coloring and sharp, dark eyes that Cardinalflash sometimes described as 'peeking into the soul.' Cardinalflash favored their Father with his reddish orange color, and his golden brown eyes that would light up at the smallest joke. The toms knew everything about each other. Sometimes Jaywhisper wished that his brother didn't know quite so much, but it was always alright - he could live with it, right? Right. Absolutely. Jaywhisper glanced up as he heard his name being called by the other tom. "We're just heading down to the river. Thought you might want to go for a swim." His voice remained calm. It took a lot to get Jaywhisper to make so much as a sarcastic comment, let alone get riled up.
　
Pretty much the only time that happened was if he or someone he loved was threatened. And then he became fierce. It was like a miniature wildcat. Cardinalflash might be the better warrior as far as fighting and swimming in general went, but when it came to speed... agility... and hunting, it was hard to find an equal to Jaywhisper. He was quite good at all of the above. Only swimming proved to be a challenge and something he needed to work on.
(here we go @Constellation)

Heavencloud watched from the bank of the river as her sister splashed into it. The golden spotted feline preferred to keep her pelt dry. Which was extremely odd since she was a riverclan cat through-in-though. The only part of her pelt she allowed to get wet were her paws. In contrast, Angelcloud rather have her short pelt wet. The loved the feel of the chills dancing through her body. As of now, the two felines thought it was a well enough nice day to get some play time in. Well, not necessarily play time. More so, Angelcloud have all the fun while Heavencloud sat and watch. It was nothing wrong with it. Heavencloud was the type of cat that was always kind hearted...somewhat. When upon first meeting her, you'd think she was the sweetest feline that ever graced the earth.

That was not the case, however. Angelcloud stomped her paws into the water, splashes droplets everywhere. When one hit Heavencloud, she shrieked. ''Hey!--Watch where you splash that stuff!'' She lowly growled. Heavencloud wasn't that aggressive of a cat. Only with her sister, who seemed to always annoy her every chance she got. It did little to phase Angelcloud, and instead of taking heed of what her sister had told her, the golden striped cat did it once more. The little droplets went into every corner it could find, and Heavencloud got up, shaking her smooth pelt. ''Grow up, Angelcloud.''

Angelcoud simply rolled her eyes. ''You need to learn how to let loose every once in a while, Heaven.'' She says, and begins to waddle her way further into the water. The water was cool, and she allowed herself to sink in. Days like this, as Greenleaf would soon come around, and the rainy weather would be meek, but the sun would show dominance. Angelcloud was grateful to have a pelt as smooth as her when it came to these months. Most cats had a lot of fur, which would do great in Leaf-bare. She sometimes found herself wailing during those cold months because she didn't have that fur length to keep her warm.

Now, that season was over, Angelcloud would always be found out near the river, swimming occasionally. Heavencloud would sometimes join her, if she weren't fishing, she would be sunning herself, allowing the sun to make her pelt glow lighter than it already was. Her mind would be lost in oblivion. The best time to think for her would be near the river, where she could hear the fish swimming, or the water running. It was soothing comfort for her that Angelcloud would never understand.

Angelcloud didn't like the silence. At all. It scared her. She thought it was weird whenever something was too quiet. Her boisterous personality would knock it down in a heartbeat either way. ''You should join me! The water feels great!'' Angelcloud cooed.

Heavencloud, laid back down, allowing one paw to slither into the water. It did feel nice, but she didn't dare go into the water. Unknown to others, Heavencloud was hydrophobic. The mere thought of drowning displeased her. Not even her sister was aware of that fear she had. ''I think I'm just going to...relax. '' She nodded. Yeah, that sounded good. Sounded like a good plan to her. Before her sister could even question about her decision, Heavencloud quickly added, ''Did you see Splashheart recently--and the kits?''

Angelcloud wadded in the water, her paws fiercely padding forward. She was a focused cat, and besides that she was in the middle of having fun. Angelcloud was that type of cat. She adored anything that had to do with having fun. Whether it was bothering the elders or babysitting the kits. Their friend, Splashheart had recently given birth to some cute little bundles. Heavencloud would usually be the one helping out or babysitting, whereas Angelcloud was only there for a good time. The golden striped she-cat quickly glanced towards her sister, ''What...? Oh, no I haven't. I've been meaning to though. How are they?''

Heavencloud simply let a smile grace her face. She never thought kits would be something to cherish, but they were. Even if they weren't hers. Seeing Splashheart or Mixedfur interact with the kits made her heart melt. Heavencloud imagined she would meet a tom to fall in love with, but the she cat was a bit...complicated. Since she never been in love before, she liked to play around. Nothing too serious. She just didn't grasp the meaning of it, even if she seen the public display of affection going around Riverclan like a virsus. It bothered her to a minimum, but could you stop it? If Heavencloud had the power, she probably would.

Angelcloud didn't think too much of it. She was more of that she cat that thought along the lines of, It happens, it happened. There was little that phased Angelcloud. As of the moment, she continued to paddle into the water, and she wished that her younger sister would follow along in her pawprints--but now, she laid there, content. Her eyes closed, and a small smile upon her maw. ''Growing. As usual.'' Heavencloud sighed, twitching her ears. ''I'm thinking Splashheart would bring them to the river someday. Get them started on their swimming lessons.''

''Hopefully, they would do good. You know they're not...full clan blood.'' Angelcloud remarked. In response, Heavencloud simply shrugged, and it was the end of the conversation there. The golden spotted she cat's paws dangled in the water, as that was how she would go. She would never dare get her pelt soaking wet like Angelcloud would. And, thus that was their day. When they weren't busy with warrior duties, they were caught enjoying a dip. Angelcloud witnessed a fish jumping up from the lake, and her eyes locked on it before she began padding ferociously towards it, charging at it like a mad bull seeing the color red. When Heavencloud heard a splash, her eyes flickered open, afraid that her sister was being obnoxious again, but it was simply Angelcloud--a few moments away, swiping at a fish while in the water. Heavencloud admired her sister greatly, despite being annoyed by her, and sometimes she wished she had Angelcloud's skillful nature, but Heavencloud wasn't that way. Heavencloud was simply a dull cat, as she liked to believe she was. Angelcloud was the life of the party. She was the go-getter, the goal-setter, the comical girl that everyone loved to be around. Heavencloud was like her shadow, mellow and quiet, somewhat feisty, but nonetheless overlooked because she never was the one to conversate much.

A gentle smile rested on the male’s muzzle when he could see his apprentice joining him at the side. Sproutwhisker tilted his head to the side, glancing at her as she spoke about others saying that she was seen as uptight in a sense and her quickened added words made a low chuckle rumbled from his chest, finding this apprentice a joy to be around already. “It’s always good to be who you are. You cannot control where you came from, but that does not decide your path or how you act.” He remarked, his softened blue-hued eyes resting on the trees that gathered on the outer rim of the camp clearing. Her question, however, caught him off-guard and Sproutwhisker looked at Noirepaw, meeting her curious yellow gaze. His ear twitched as another soft smile appeared and the tom-cat. “Well, as an apprentice, I wasn’t really..accepted by the other young cats at your age. You see, Noirepaw, I was not clan-born. I won’t hide that from you. I was a kittypet, as my adopted father explained to me, my mother abandoned me at a very young age and the two-legs left me out in the forest. A tom-cat named Ripplewhisker, found me and raised me into clan life. I have never felt truly accepted by the clan, but I am here and I have finally earned my own apprentice to train.” He remarked, nudging the smaller cat gently, “Mouse-dung.. I went off rambling again without actually answering your question, didn’t I? Heh.. I was very.. Hmm.. What’s the word? Isolated? I suppose, introverted would be the right word also. I didn’t have any friends growing up and I was pushed through training by a strict mentor, but I didn’t falter and I trained hard to get to where I am today. I was quiet, nervous and very shy around others.” He explained and his words trailed off as he knew that he shouldn’t talk the poor young one to death. Sproutwhisker listened intently as Noirepaw told him what she knew of the code. “Ah, yes.” He nodded lightly, “I believe that is the third code. Elders, queens, and kits must be fed before apprentices and warriors. Unless they have permission, apprentices may not eat until they have hunted to feed the elders. If any warrior or apprentice is sick or injured, they may eat while the elders, queens, and kits are eating.” The mentor explained, pondering something, “Now that I think about it, there is no specific rule stating about eating the kill out in the territory..”He looked at her, “Although, it is still a rule - don’t get any ideas.” The black-and-white furred male joked slightly and nodded again, “Of course, throughout training, there will be other things to learn besides hunting and fighting - I shall teach you what is necessary to be known. Although, today’s lesson will be hunting and the code will be for another day.” The tom-cat explained as they began to descend into the hunting grounds.

@Robin-chan

It’s always good to be who you are. You cannot control where you came from, but that does not decide your path or how you act.
Those were the words Noirepaw kept repeating in her head. She loved to absorb knowledge from more experienced warriors, or elders. It was always nice to soak in a piece of advice. And, it would stay with her for many moons to come. Upon stepping into the territory, the she cat looked around. The smell of fish entering into her snout as she saw the nearby river. Fish were riverclan's source of protein. Their main object to eat. Noirepaw somewhat liked the taste of fish. It got boring every once in a while, but she did like the tasty flesh in her mouth. Noirepaw looked at her mentor once again, tilting her head at his words. Her ears stayed open as she tried to imagine what life would had been like for him as an apprentice. It was quite surprising that her mentor had been like her. Introverted, no friends, smart. It was nothing wrong with that. Noirepaw felt that she could connect with her mentor now. Except for the fact that he was a former kittypet. The she cat knew that clans weren't so...nice when it came to kittypets. They were, after all, deemed weak and worthless to a clan. They were spoiled, bratty, and didn't know any skills of survival. Yet, here she was! She had a mentor that was a former kittypet. Noirepaw would never know that feeling--of being a kittypet. All she knew was that after her mother died from kit birthing, her father ran off with some other she cat, leaving her to die. Wolfdancer was nice enough to adopt her into her family, thus becoming her new mother. A mother who adopted many, many kits and so many siblings that Noirepaw usually forgot most of their names. ''How was that--Life as a kittypet I mean? Why did you leave?'' Noirepaw never understood why some cats left the comfort of two-legs den, where they didn't have to worry if they would eat the next day. Surviving was hard. Living was critical. Many kits didn't make it to their first moon usually. With being a kittypet, Noirepaw figured they wouldn't have to worry much about it. ''You seemed to turn out okay,'' Noirepaw gave a small smile, joking. Slowly, she was loosening up. At his words about the warrior code, she found it funny that he knew more than she did--and, she was an actual born clan cat. The black feline listened intently as she trotted on looking through the territory. ''Oh, don't worry. I will eat all of the prey. I have quite the appetite!'' Plus, it was morning time, and she hadn't had any food. Though she didn't mind hunting for her clan. Hunting was important. The clan needed to be fed. There was a lot to learn when it came to the warrior code, and Noirepaw was sure Sproutwhisker was going to teach it to her. Then, the she cat let out a purr, ''I can't wait! I'm excited!'' She stated before she began to prance around a little further than her mentor. ''Come on! Let's go!''