SkyClan Territory

[RedHead]

Moving one paw gently in front of the other along the tree branch, the dark brown tom kept his eyes focused on the magpie pecking at the tree bark in front of him. Hidden by his pelt and the dappled leaves, Dredgecoat paused for a moment, slowly unsheathing his claws as to not make any noise along the bark. He had reached as far as he could go on the thinning branch, and he was prepared to make the leap to catch the bird.

Never leap towards the edge of a branch. you'll fall.

Dredge's mentor's words entered his ears, and the tom paused for a moment. But he ignored his memory warning, leaned back slightly, and leaped.
He sailed straight towards the black bird, landing squarely on top of it, killing it instantly with his claws. He hung onto the branch as it swung up and down a bit, but then slowed to a stop. "Ha, take that!" He meowed triumphantly, picking up the bird in his maw, and turning to pad back towards the trunk. All of the sudden there was a crack, and Dredgecoat felt the branch jerk underneath him. "Great Starclan." He mumbled, and ran as far along the branch as he could, before leaping for the trunk as it fell, the bird still clamped firmly between his jaws. Lucky as always, Dredgecoat was able to dig his forepaws into the bark of the trunk, and hung on, latching his hind-claws onto the bark as well to hold himself firmly there. The tomcat then slid to the ground, landing gently on the soft grass below the tree.

Dropping the bird, Dredgecoat looked up to the canopy, spotting the sky weakly shining between the leaves. "Ha, Ha, Ha! Take that now! You ain't getting me today Starclan!" Shaking out his pelt, Dredgecoat picked up his bird once again and turned to start heading towards a new area to hunt. His ruckus had probably driven away every last bit of prey in the area. The tom always constantly felt like him and Starclan were at a "war" against each other, with how many near death experiences the tom had had. But he always seemed to get through them no matter what. He was a beat-up but astonishingly handsome tomcat, ready to take on everything that life decided to throw at him.

@Beau

[dionysus]

Originally Posted by RedHead

Moving one paw gently in front of the other along the tree branch, the dark brown tom kept his eyes focused on the magpie pecking at the tree bark in front of him. Hidden by his pelt and the dappled leaves, Dredgecoat paused for a moment, slowly unsheathing his claws as to not make any noise along the bark. He had reached as far as he could go on the thinning branch, and he was prepared to make the leap to catch the bird.

Never leap towards the edge of a branch. you'll fall.

Dredge's mentor's words entered his ears, and the tom paused for a moment. But he ignored his memory warning, leaned back slightly, and leaped.
He sailed straight towards the black bird, landing squarely on top of it, killing it instantly with his claws. He hung onto the branch as it swung up and down a bit, but then slowed to a stop. "Ha, take that!" He meowed triumphantly, picking up the bird in his maw, and turning to pad back towards the trunk. All of the sudden there was a crack, and Dredgecoat felt the branch jerk underneath him. "Great Starclan." He mumbled, and ran as far along the branch as he could, before leaping for the trunk as it fell, the bird still clamped firmly between his jaws. Lucky as always, Dredgecoat was able to dig his forepaws into the bark of the trunk, and hung on, latching his hind-claws onto the bark as well to hold himself firmly there. The tomcat then slid to the ground, landing gently on the soft grass below the tree.

Dropping the bird, Dredgecoat looked up to the canopy, spotting the sky weakly shining between the leaves. "Ha, Ha, Ha! Take that now! You ain't getting me today Starclan!" Shaking out his pelt, Dredgecoat picked up his bird once again and turned to start heading towards a new area to hunt. His ruckus had probably driven away every last bit of prey in the area. The tom always constantly felt like him and Starclan were at a "war" against each other, with how many near death experiences the tom had had. But he always seemed to get through them no matter what. He was a beat-up but astonishingly handsome tomcat, ready to take on everything that life decided to throw at him.

@Beau

A warm breeze rustled the leaves as a large, dark brown tom stalked through the forest. The same breeze tugged deliciously at his fur and filled his lungs with temperate air, perfumed ever so slightly with a lovely floral scent that must have been carried from the distance. Warrenflight hummed contentedly as he drifted along the lush green carpet of the forest, occasionally moving his paws in odd ways to step directly in the shadows cast by the canopy above. Another scent flew along on wings of wind: Dredgecoat. Warrenflight’s already chipper mood only elevated higher at the prospect of spending time with his brother. It had seemed to him like he hadn’t had a minute to talk to anyone since the kits were born, but he had taken this walk for the express purpose of some time away. Not that he didn’t love his family immensely, but he needed some time to breath. His brother, however, was a welcome diversion and he followed the scent trail to a tree like every other. The slightest rustling in a nearby tree caught Warrenflight’s attention and he noticed a magpie. If the bird was in that tree then Dredgecoat would have to be....Ah! There he was. Warrenflight knee his brother well enough to pinpoint his exact location on the nearby tree. Amused, Warrenflight sat down and raised a paw to his muzzle, giving it a lick. His green eyes were upturned and focused on Dredgecoat as the other tom hesitated and leapt. Any other cat might have been worried, but Warrenflight was well accustomed to Dredgecoat’s antics. They were once his own antics too. He watched every movement with amused eyes, his face only turning worried when Dredgecoat almost fell. However, the tom saved himself and made his way down the tree. Warrenflight stood and moved closer, waiting for Dredgecoat to finish speaking to Starclan before piping up in a deep, warm voice, “You really should be more careful, Dredge. It won’t be Starclan’s fault when you fall and break your neck.”

[RedHead]

Originally Posted by Beau

A warm breeze rustled the leaves as a large, dark brown tom stalked through the forest. The same breeze tugged deliciously at his fur and filled his lungs with temperate air, perfumed ever so slightly with a lovely floral scent that must have been carried from the distance. Warrenflight hummed contentedly as he drifted along the lush green carpet of the forest, occasionally moving his paws in odd ways to step directly in the shadows cast by the canopy above. Another scent flew along on wings of wind: Dredgecoat. Warrenflight’s already chipper mood only elevated higher at the prospect of spending time with his brother. It had seemed to him like he hadn’t had a minute to talk to anyone since the kits were born, but he had taken this walk for the express purpose of some time away. Not that he didn’t love his family immensely, but he needed some time to breath. His brother, however, was a welcome diversion and he followed the scent trail to a tree like every other. The slightest rustling in a nearby tree caught Warrenflight’s attention and he noticed a magpie. If the bird was in that tree then Dredgecoat would have to be....Ah! There he was. Warrenflight knee his brother well enough to pinpoint his exact location on the nearby tree. Amused, Warrenflight sat down and raised a paw to his muzzle, giving it a lick. His green eyes were upturned and focused on Dredgecoat as the other tom hesitated and leapt. Any other cat might have been worried, but Warrenflight was well accustomed to Dredgecoat’s antics. They were once his own antics too. He watched every movement with amused eyes, his face only turning worried when Dredgecoat almost fell. However, the tom saved himself and made his way down the tree. Warrenflight stood and moved closer, waiting for Dredgecoat to finish speaking to Starclan before piping up in a deep, warm voice, “You really should be more careful, Dredge. It won’t be Starclan’s fault when you fall and break your neck.”

Dredgecoat's ears flicked up as he heard a voice, recognizing it immediately as his brother's. "Pffttt... I'm not going to break my neck Warren. Don't you know I'm smarter than that?" The brown tom meowed with amusement, turning around to face his brother. The two brown tomcats were both very much alike in appearance, with thick, fluffy fur and a large muscular stature. Warrenflight had a white chest though, while Dredgecoat was pretty much all brown, his coat swirled with many shades of the color. Flicking his fluffy tail, Dredgecoat stepped towards his brother and nudged his shoulder, letting out a purr. "Besides, I'm being more careful now, remember? Your kits aren't going to be able to survive without their awesome uncle!" The tomcat knew that his brother wasn't so... accepting of the fact that Dredgecoat hadn't "grown up." The dark-furred tom was still pretty much a kit, always getting into trouble and taking risks. His parents had told him he needed to learn some responsibility. The way Warrenflight had learned it was gaining a mate. And Dredgecoat was afraid that his parents might try and make him get a mate. He didn't want a mate, at least not for a long time. He was still young, and besides, if he had a mate, then how would he be able to have fun all the time? Dredgecoat loved fun.

~~~~~~~~~~

@Empress Of Evil

Blazepaw kept his head up as he walked through the territory, keeping a steady pace as to not lose his mentor. It was his first time going out of camp, and the young tom was more than excited. He was absolutely exhilarated to be out of the stuffy, crowded camp and out where the real warriors are. The tomcat still wanted to be respectful to Auroraflame though. Of course, he didn't care that she was deputy, he treated every single cat the same way. So she would get the treatment he gave any other cats. And upon first meeting another cat, Blazepaw was usually respectful, but of course, his temper and energy was always boiling beneath the surface, just below his striking ginger fur. Flicking his tail, the tomcat leaped up onto a fallen log, his muscles moving beneath his medium-length pelt. For a new apprentice, Blazepaw was already quite large. But, taking in his father's genes, the apprentice had always been larger than average. He was much larger than his two sisters, who were more on the petite side of things. Casting his olive green eyes behind him, the tom tried to spot his black-furred mentor, who was probably a bit behind him at this point. Blazepaw hadn't realized that he had probably sped up in his excitement to hop up onto the large log. While he waited for his mentor, he started to pace back and forth along the log, trying to control his energy and excitement that was just ready to pop out of him.

[dionysus]

Originally Posted by RedHead

Dredgecoat's ears flicked up as he heard a voice, recognizing it immediately as his brother's. "Pffttt... I'm not going to break my neck Warren. Don't you know I'm smarter than that?" The brown tom meowed with amusement, turning around to face his brother. The two brown tomcats were both very much alike in appearance, with thick, fluffy fur and a large muscular stature. Warrenflight had a white chest though, while Dredgecoat was pretty much all brown, his coat swirled with many shades of the color. Flicking his fluffy tail, Dredgecoat stepped towards his brother and nudged his shoulder, letting out a purr. "Besides, I'm being more careful now, remember? Your kits aren't going to be able to survive without their awesome uncle!" The tomcat knew that his brother wasn't so... accepting of the fact that Dredgecoat hadn't "grown up." The dark-furred tom was still pretty much a kit, always getting into trouble and taking risks. His parents had told him he needed to learn some responsibility. The way Warrenflight had learned it was gaining a mate. And Dredgecoat was afraid that his parents might try and make him get a mate. He didn't want a mate, at least not for a long time. He was still young, and besides, if he had a mate, then how would he be able to have fun all the time? Dredgecoat loved fun.

Warrenflight's eyes glittered with amusement as he listened to Dredgecoat before grunting teasingly, "I'm not so sure." The large tom remained sitting as his brother turned to face him, reminding him of a reflection in a pool. No cat could doubt that the two were brothers. Even with their differences, they resembled each other closely. However, some might have assumed they were from different litters. Kits had given Warrenflight a mature, fatherly edge while Dredgecoat retained his young, kitlike persona. Not that that was a bad thing...in moderation. Truthfully, Warrenflight found his brothers antics amusing, only...now that amusement was peppered with worry. The love he felt for his kits led to a fear of them being injured. Now, that feeling stretched to Dredgecoat, whether the other tom liked it or not. Warrenflight didn't know what he'd do without his brother and best friend. The maine coon was pulled from his dark thoughts as Dredgecoat nudged his shoulder. Shedding the darkness from his eyes, Warren laughed and answered, "You better not get them into any trouble. I'll have to warn them about you." Warrenflight didn't doubt that Dredgecoat would get his kits into trouble, he only worried that he would get them into danger. Oh well, He thought, I'll climb that tree when I get there. The kits were still young, too young to leave the nursery in Warrenflight's mind. There was no way Dredgecoat could get them into too much trouble yet. "Speaking of them," Warrenflight said semi-absentmindedly, "why don't you come visit them?" His eyes became more focused with that suggestion and he moved closer to Dredgecoat. "I'm sure they'd love a visit from their cool uncle Dredgey." His voice was teasing and amused as he spoke, before laughing out loud.

[Empress Of Evil]

Originally Posted by RedHead

@Empress Of Evil

Blazepaw kept his head up as he walked through the territory, keeping a steady pace as to not lose his mentor. It was his first time going out of camp, and the young tom was more than excited. He was absolutely exhilarated to be out of the stuffy, crowded camp and out where the real warriors are. The tomcat still wanted to be respectful to Auroraflame though. Of course, he didn't care that she was deputy, he treated every single cat the same way. So she would get the treatment he gave any other cats. And upon first meeting another cat, Blazepaw was usually respectful, but of course, his temper and energy was always boiling beneath the surface, just below his striking ginger fur. Flicking his tail, the tomcat leaped up onto a fallen log, his muscles moving beneath his medium-length pelt. For a new apprentice, Blazepaw was already quite large. But, taking in his father's genes, the apprentice had always been larger than average. He was much larger than his two sisters, who were more on the petite side of things. Casting his olive green eyes behind him, the tom tried to spot his black-furred mentor, who was probably a bit behind him at this point. Blazepaw hadn't realized that he had probably sped up in his excitement to hop up onto the large log. While he waited for his mentor, he started to pace back and forth along the log, trying to control his energy and excitement that was just ready to pop out of him.

The deputy padded through the territory at a steady pace. She wasn't walking at her usual fast pace, but rather, she was just taking her time and admiring the territory that was so familiar to her. Every few seconds, she was look back to check that Blazepaw wasn't too far ahead of her. She didn't mind that he was jumping ahead, just as long as she could still see him and make sure he didn't hurt himself somehow.
Auroraflame's icy hues glittered with amusement at his energy. She was excited to be teaching another young cat. She still missed Chirppaw, and had grieved for her at the news of her death, but she was ready to train another cat and hopefully, this one would make it to warriorhood. As she approached Blazepaw, she opened her mouth to give him a few words of advice. "Maybe try slowing down and seeing the details of the territory. One day, you'll be hunting and patrolling in this territory and it'll be handy if you know the small details about it," Auroraflame said, giving the tom a small smile. Over the past moons, the she-cat had taken the time to know the territory like it was the back of her paw. Now she knew the best places to find prey, exactly where she was standing and a few other useful things.
Auroraflame leaped over the log with ease and then with a few strides, put herself in front of the tom cat so that she was leading. She occasionally turned her head back to check that Blazepaw was following, but other than that, she kept her gaze on the path ahead. The deputy wanted to work on hunting for this training session, and she wanted to find a good spot for practicing. She had her destination pictured in her head and she was walked confidently towards it. Finally, she reached a small clearing which was surrounded by medium sized bushes. At the edge of the clearing, there was a large oak tree, stripped of most of its leaves. She sat down in front of the oak tree and turned to face Blazepaw, patiently waiting for the apprentice to be seated as well. “Today we will be working on hunting,” she announced.

[Doodle]

Originally Posted by Lonestar23

A hidden flash of frustration passed through Palmettoleaf's eyes, though it was well-disguised by the friendly smile that came onto his features at the same time. Getting angry with Marblestrike would do nothing in this situation. The warrior was well aware that she was trying to get under his skin and at the moment, it was working. His tail curled around his body, framing the left side of it neatly, cutting off just short of his head. It was like a barrier keeping him away from the multicolored she cat, trying to keep him from lashing out at her - or was it there to keep her from lashing out at him? Either way, it was nothing more then a safety precaution. Because sometimes Palmettoleaf felt scared of the cat. Yes, he knew she was hurt. Yes, he knew that she needed company more then anything else at this point, but she either a) didn't know it, b) was ignoring that fact, or c) was acting like this because it was a silent cry for help.

The tom wanted to help her. More then anything he wished he could have that same connection he'd felt the day he'd met her - a friendly connection, that was. Either she didn't share that feeling of connection or she did and was ignoring it because she was uncomfortable with the fact that Palmettoleaf seemed to be able to tell when she was hurting. The tom's eyes widened a little at her denial that it had anything to do with him. "Well if this is your 'me time' -" The words were spoken in a sorry attempt to keep from mocking her, but bitterness at her denial showing through - "-then what about the last few days? Surely you haven't been by yourself all that time. You could've at least said hello once or twice." Bitterness faded away to make room for hurt. The tom was truly sad that the cat he considered a friend hadn't even once tried to reach out to him and at least say that she appreciated his efforts from before.

They'd gotten along fine that day. So then, why had she ignored him these past few days? Why was she trying so hard to go to any length to pretend he didn't exist? Frustration shone in his green eyes, though he tried desperately to hide it with another, this time sadder, smile. It didn't work as well as he had hoped, however. The sadness was still there and Palmettoleaf wasn't quite sure how to cover it up with fake happiness. Her accusation didn't make things any better for him, either. Today was clearly not a day to mess with Marblestrike. She spoke with venom in her voice and anger in her eyes, both of which he knew were her defense mechanisms. If only he could get past her guard again. Answer softly. Answer nicely. She responded better to that before, maybe she would again. The frustration, sadness, and even anger faded from his eyes to make room for a new gentleness. He got to his paws, moving a little closer so that he could touch Marblestrike's shoulder with his tail. "I know you don't mean that, Marble." The nickname she had given him before was used in this moment, trying to add a softer touch to the conversation.

She was so guarded and hurt. Was this all a result of Slip's death? Or had something else happened after that? Surely a death of a loved one was one way to cocoon someone off from the rest of the world, but had no one tried to help her during that oh-so-fragile state?Had no one reached out to her, tried to help her through it? It would appear that no one had, and that made Palmettoleaf's heart hurt more then any cruel words she could have said to him. "You do care. Or you would be running away from me. If you really didn't care, or like me at all, Marblestrike - you wouldn't have shown me this place in the first place. And as soon as you saw me, you would have gone somewhere else where I would have had to find you again. So I know you didn't mean any of that." The tom gave her another, gentle smile. He was glad that she hadn't meant it. He knew what someone not caring looked like, and this?

This wasn't it. If she didn't care about him, she wouldn't use harsh words to get him to go away, would she? Wouldn't she just ignore him? Pretend he didn't exist? Like she's been doing, he thought with a sinking feeling. So maybe his quick judgement had been a stab in the dark. But if there was even a sliver of hope that he was right, he was going to take it and hold onto it for as long as possible until he was proven wrong.

(Hey, I'm back)

Marble saw the frustration in the tom's eyes and thought, too early, that she had won. This would be it- he would tire of whatever it was he was trying to do here and leave. After all, she wasn't worth all this effort. It didn't make any sense to the molly why he was still here after their first meeting even, when she had cut him off just like that. She waited impatiently for him to get up and leave, so that she could go back to pretending she had no worries. So that, perhaps, she could allow her guard to go away for another moment of bliss and just relax along the stream. But the tom didn't leave, and the molly frowned. What would it take for him to go away? Did she have to move a mountain in between them for him to finally give up?

He definitely seemed angry at her words at least. But the words that followed his bitterness definitely didn't help Marblestrike's side- and the pain she found in Palmettoleaf's gaze caused guilt to flash in her eyes. She turned away to hide this- she was supposed to not care- but she didn't turn around quite fast enough. She cleared her throat before speaking to ensure that no pain would escape through her words. "I didn't want to say hi," she answered blandly, raising a paw to inspect it and flicking away a piece of dirt. "It wasn't like you were very interesting to talk to." Now, that was her biggest lie yet. The multi-colored tom was very interesting, very intriguing. She just couldn't allow herself to get caught up in him. She couldn't even explain why she couldn't, she just... wouldn't allow it. Even if she so desperately wanted to reach out, to let him in, she would immediately remind herself that was bad, that it wasn't something that could happen. But why couldn't it?

She was deep in thought, trying to figure out just why she couldn't allow herself to become friends with Palmettoleaf. Marble would end up getting hurt. At least, that was what her reasoning was, yes? The molly hadn't even noticed this, but due to her thinking her paw was still up in the air. She quickly lowered it when movement from the tom to her side brought her back to reality- what was he doing? Her eyes widened in a panicked sort of way when he got right up close to her, immediately thinking that she had gone too far. The tom wouldn't hurt her, would he? Either way, she wasn't just going to stand by and do nothing- never again. She instantly unsheathed her claws before realizing he was just placing his tail on her shoulder.Her eyes met the kindness in his green ones, and her brain blanked, leaving her scrambling for a reaction. "I- what are you doing?" She snapped, ears flitting backwards as her voice wavered. "I did mean it, actually." Great, now she was sounding like a bratty kit who wasn't getting their way.

Marblestrike could see the calculations going on in Palmettoleaf's mind- his eyes gave away how hard he was thinking about her, trying to figure her out. She turned her head away. "Stop it," the molly grumbled out. He shouldn't be trying to know or understand her. When she heard his reasoning, her mind scrambled for a way to deflect his accusations. The tom was right- these were all things she could have- should have- done. But she didn't, and he knew exactly why. Because she had made a mistake and let him in. Briefly she squeezed her eyes shut before fluttering them open again and turning to look at the feline. "I'm not running away from you," she persisted. "If I was, I would have gotten up and walked away when I saw you." She met his smile with a frown accompanied by the ever-constant flicking of her tail. Noticing a look in Palmettoleaf's eyes, she could tell he was thinking about something- and not in the way before. She could tell he was starting to loose hope, which would mean he would leave and be gone for good. That was what she convinced herself that she wanted, so the mottled warrior swallowed down the emotion in her throat and tried to keep a level gaze.

[Brilliance]

Originally Posted by Mystical

Luna found it hard to believe that the other cat was considering what she was saying. He had not even let his guard down when she had stated that she was way too small to hurt him. If he doubted her word than maybe he could just look at her. Luna was getting fed up, she was going to leave as soon as she figured out where the heck she was. What type of territory was she trespassing on? Who's? Probably a clans, but who cared! If he had told her she had forgotten, but could he had least tell her where she was? Introduce himself. Something other than a hostile pig? Unless that was exactly what he was. Maybe he didn't know how to be nice. "Look here," she started weaving around the nearest bush. "I didn't even know I was trespassing. Just escort me to the end of your territory, and if I had been doing it on purpose, it would because I've heard stories of what you call clans, and they seem interesting. You're a clan cat aren't you?" Luna was not going to give up on a peaceful conversation, whether the tom liked it or not he was intriguing her. She wanted to know more about him. He was the most interesting cat she had ever met. Even though she didn't know his name, she knew that she was going to find out what it was, because she was just going to come back if he didn't. Even if he did she was coming back. Not telling Luna things made her want to come back. She wasn't used to other cats, or clan cats, he was the first one she had met. Whether he liked it or not [probably not] she would always be at his clan's border. She wanted to learn about his clan, what he was like, what was hidden behind the way he guarded himself so well. Everyone had emotions, and the tom didn't show his, she wanted to find them.

Timberpaw lacked patience. His eyes rolled at the Molly, desperate for her to leave the premises. She was too curious for his taste. He didn’t appreciate when others were in his business. As he listened to her talk, he refrained himself from yelling at her to be quiet. All she did was ramble on and on, and Timberpaw felt himself losing too much of his cool being around her. “Obviously, genius.” He spat, sarcastically. Of course, he was a clan cat. Why wouldn’t he be? Why did she think he was defensive about protecting his home? Timberpaw eyed her suspiciously. “Exactly, why are you still here?” By his standards, he was being nice to her. He didn’t chase her out as quickly as he wanted to. He was giving the small Molly time to correct her mistake but she didn’t move along yet. Did that mean he have to chase her out? Because, boy, he could use the run. Timberpaw stretches his limbs, his eyes never leaving from his target. He was preparing himself for a game, if so she wanted to play. The grey apprentice knew she had no business prowling around these areas, so he would make sure she wouldn’t want to set paw here again. “I’m gonna give you to the count of three to find your way out of here,” he suddenly snarled, crouching low to the ground, flexing his claws into the dirt below them. “If I have to chase you out, it won’t be a pretty sight...Miss Luna.” He warns, his golden brown eyes flashing dangerously. He didn’t plan on hurting her, just scaring her so she know he meant business. He was still a learning apprentice anyway, so what harm could he do at the most?

Originally Posted by Empress Of Evil

Truthfully, Auroraflame was more mature than immature. The cats who didn't know her well mostly viewed her as a mature and even slightly cold she-cat. The deputy also acted older than she really was and she could be as grown up as she wanted if she tried. But truely, the ebony feline could be very immature and very fun too. It was the side of her that most cats saw if she didn't have to act professional. With the way that the tom acted, Auroraflame could help but let a flicker of amusement glint in her icy hues for a split second. That curt nod and the way he spoke gave her the impression that he was a serious cat and he meant business. The deputy wasn't sure whether to see this as a good thing or a bad thing. It was good in that it meant he was focused and could be mature if he needed to. But at the same time, the she-cat believed that apprentice's shouldn't have to be too serious. They were young cats and still exploring life, meaning that they actually act a little immature and learn from the mistakes that they made. At his next words, Auroraflame felt her lips curling down into a frown for a short moment, before she fixed it back to be a small smile again. She was a strong follower of the Warrior Code and would avoid breaking the rules whenever possible, and it was a good thing that he didn't doubt her loyalty, but his words weren't quite the truth. She strongly believed in StarClan and followed the Warrior Code, but Auroraflame knew that she would definitely break a rule if it was the difference between life or death. StarClan could punish her all they wanted if she displeased them, but the safety of her clan meant a lot to her.

"Do you now?" Auroraflame remarked, raising an eye at the comment. A moment ago he had been claiming that Hawkstorm was a good mentor, but now he was saying otherwise. "Grousestar assigned Hawkstorm to mentor you for a reason. If he didn't think he was advanced enough for you then he wouldn't have chosen him," Auroraflame said firmly. At his next statement, the deputy felt irritation poking at her. He was a new apprentice and yet he was already speaking about being more advanced than the other apprentices. Auroraflame viewed that as an arrogant thing to say and she had to stop her eyes from narrowing in discontent at the tom's lack of modesty. "Just remember that there are apprentices in the clan who have been training for longer than you have. Don't forget to respect them and appreciate any tips they might give you," Auroraflame said, keeping her voice calm despite the annoyance she felt.

Auroraflame could already tell that this apprentice was determined to be the best. She didn't know him very well, as this was their first meeting and yet the deputy could already determine a few things about him. For a moment, the she-cat considered telling Timberpaw to make sure he didn't become too confident. Overconfidence was not something that the clan needed. The thought was quickly pushed to the back of her mind as she decided she'd probably giving him enough warnings. For these few minutes anyway. "Of course. Confidence is something we all need," Auroraflame said. "But sometimes too much can be unfortunate," She muttered, making sure only she would be able to hear those words.

The goal was to be impressionable. To be liked. To be looked upon and not under. Maybe - possibly in the future to be followed. Timberpaw knew he was far better than his own father. Where his father lacked loyalty, it's all where Timberpaw came from. He kept his head held high, tail curled inwardly and a stoic gaze on the ebony deputy. Was she questioning him? He was about to speak, but quickly shut his maw to allow her to continue. Timberpaw did appreciate his mentor, and he thought Grousestar’s choice was...well, not excellent, but it was okay. By his standards. “I'm very appreciative that Grousestar gave me a reliable mentor. Though personally I just feel that if you are too advanced...wouldn't you need more of a challenge?” This was a general question. Not anything directed towards himself even as he thought pretty highly of who he was. Very intelligent, very hardworking, and never fails to impress. The thing about Timberpaw was that he loved a challenge. He wanted to be pushed to his limits. Frankly...he felt Hawkstorm wasn't doing that for him. Maybe it was because he knew he could have something better. Something more...grand.

Now, he sounded selfish, but Timberpaw knew what he wanted in life, and he wouldn’t allow anyone to hinder such. “Oh, I know.” He dismissed her comment with a flick of his tail. Respect? It wasn’t easy when it came to this Tom. Timberpaw respected few within his clan. The automatic respect belonged to Grousestar and Auroraflame. As for others? He couldn’t care. “I only respect those who gives respect back. Give it in order to receive it.” His eyes were closed. He said this confidently, the mane decorating around his neck, rustling slightly. Timberpaw didn’t rely on age to determine respect. In his view, he gave each cat tolerable respect. A small amount until they were able to impress him, and unlock his full respect. Tips, from others? Timberpaw could had laughed. What made them so experienced that he wasn’t? Just because he was younger than them? Timberpaw worked very hard in his training. He felt he didn’t need any social tips from them. They were useless. However, he did respect Auroraflame considerably, so he gave a firm nod of his head. His orange eyes flashed open, smiling cockily at the inky she cat.

In the distance, a certain older tom was doing a little hunting of his own. The thrill of the chase was a lot more pleasant than the actual catch. A magpie hung from his maw, and he proudly began to trot back to the clearing. As he shook his smoothed pelt, his blue eyes traveled around the place. After this, it was nothing wrong with going for a small run, perhaps. His paws were already drained of energy, but since he liked to push himself to that exhilarating feeling of fatigued, he didn’t allow such to bother him. It was then that he caught two figures he knew all too well. The apprenticebthat was like his nephew, and the deputy who he considered a complicated friend. Curious as he was, Umbraice changed his course, deciding to stroll towards them. They were facing each other, and he wanted to know what was going on. When he appeared next to Timberpaw, affectionately brushing his tail against him, he gave Auroraflame a questioning glance. “Everything alright here?”

[Artist]

May I join this roleplay? I am a shecat named AutumnDream, who has a brown pelt dappled with red, a white underbelly, one blue eye and one yellow eye, and my personality is stubborn. I'm still loyal though, and I'm good at hunting, and im superior at fighting.

[lone]

Originally Posted by Doodle

(Hey, I'm back)

Marble saw the frustration in the tom's eyes and thought, too early, that she had won. This would be it- he would tire of whatever it was he was trying to do here and leave. After all, she wasn't worth all this effort. It didn't make any sense to the molly why he was still here after their first meeting even, when she had cut him off just like that. She waited impatiently for him to get up and leave, so that she could go back to pretending she had no worries. So that, perhaps, she could allow her guard to go away for another moment of bliss and just relax along the stream. But the tom didn't leave, and the molly frowned. What would it take for him to go away? Did she have to move a mountain in between them for him to finally give up?

He definitely seemed angry at her words at least. But the words that followed his bitterness definitely didn't help Marblestrike's side- and the pain she found in Palmettoleaf's gaze caused guilt to flash in her eyes. She turned away to hide this- she was supposed to not care- but she didn't turn around quite fast enough. She cleared her throat before speaking to ensure that no pain would escape through her words. "I didn't want to say hi," she answered blandly, raising a paw to inspect it and flicking away a piece of dirt. "It wasn't like you were very interesting to talk to." Now, that was her biggest lie yet. The multi-colored tom was very interesting, very intriguing. She just couldn't allow herself to get caught up in him. She couldn't even explain why she couldn't, she just... wouldn't allow it. Even if she so desperately wanted to reach out, to let him in, she would immediately remind herself that was bad, that it wasn't something that could happen. But why couldn't it?

She was deep in thought, trying to figure out just why she couldn't allow herself to become friends with Palmettoleaf. Marble would end up getting hurt. At least, that was what her reasoning was, yes? The molly hadn't even noticed this, but due to her thinking her paw was still up in the air. She quickly lowered it when movement from the tom to her side brought her back to reality- what was he doing? Her eyes widened in a panicked sort of way when he got right up close to her, immediately thinking that she had gone too far. The tom wouldn't hurt her, would he? Either way, she wasn't just going to stand by and do nothing- never again. She instantly unsheathed her claws before realizing he was just placing his tail on her shoulder.Her eyes met the kindness in his green ones, and her brain blanked, leaving her scrambling for a reaction. "I- what are you doing?" She snapped, ears flitting backwards as her voice wavered. "I did mean it, actually." Great, now she was sounding like a bratty kit who wasn't getting their way.

Marblestrike could see the calculations going on in Palmettoleaf's mind- his eyes gave away how hard he was thinking about her, trying to figure her out. She turned her head away. "Stop it," the molly grumbled out. He shouldn't be trying to know or understand her. When she heard his reasoning, her mind scrambled for a way to deflect his accusations. The tom was right- these were all things she could have- should have- done. But she didn't, and he knew exactly why. Because she had made a mistake and let him in. Briefly she squeezed her eyes shut before fluttering them open again and turning to look at the feline. "I'm not running away from you," she persisted. "If I was, I would have gotten up and walked away when I saw you." She met his smile with a frown accompanied by the ever-constant flicking of her tail. Noticing a look in Palmettoleaf's eyes, she could tell he was thinking about something- and not in the way before. She could tell he was starting to loose hope, which would mean he would leave and be gone for good. That was what she convinced herself that she wanted, so the mottled warrior swallowed down the emotion in her throat and tried to keep a level gaze.

He could see the guilt in her expression. He could see her trying to hide it. But why? What was she so afraid of him doing, leaving? Had he not proven that he wouldn't already? Palmettoleaf knew that words couldn't heal every wound. He knew that not every cat believed the words that came from another's maw, but he was doing his best to be trustworthy. Perhaps there was something wrong with him, and she could sense that. Everyone was broken in their own way, the tom was just better at hiding it. He was too dependant on the opinions of others, he wanted cats to like him - and it was confusing when they didn't, because he always thought he was being friendly. "Then why did you?" He asked, tilting his head to the side a little bit.

Maybe she wasn't being serious... because she had seemed at least okay with talking before before, how could it possibly be that she "didn't want to?" Marblestrike didn't come across as subtle with her words... if she'd wanted him gone, he would've been gone long ago. She would've found some way to be rid of him, and Palmettoleaf would probably go with some little bit of relief, knowing that he wouldn't have to be insulted or anything like that anymore. When he placed his tail on her shoulder, he could see that she was panicked. "I didn't mean to scare you," The feline spoke in a low voice, a calm one, and gave her his most winning smile. It was exhausting, trying to win over Marblestrike... and clearly it was an uphill battle. He felt like it was two steps forward, one step back with her. Every time he thought he was doing it, he'd realize that he had moved back significantly since his last success.

When she spoke again, telling him that she had, in fact, meant the words that she had said, the tom shook his head. He knew when someone really meant something, and Marblestrike? She had been faking it. Bluffing, so that she would feel bigger and safer somehow, but he wasn't quite sure what that did for her. If anything, he would think that it was the worst thing you could do. It could be seen as a threat, a challenge, and she was lucky that he was a nice enough cat to push it aside and try to move on. Right after this conversation was over, of course. "You didn't, or you'd have done something about it by now. Taken some real action." Guessing that he was right, and that he had called her out on it, Palmettoleaf watched her with a serious expression before he once again challenged her - and got her surprising answer. He hadn't seen that coming, he had to admit. She... wasn't running away? She wasn't running away!

That must mean that Palmettoleaf had done something right, because she would run away if she really didn't like him! That knowledge put a grin on his maw, the winning smile disappearing to become wider and goofier then before. Sometimes the feline could be a real goofball... it was hard to be too serious around him, because most of the time he was smiling or messing around and just being, well, himself. Palmettoleaf was a real sweetheart, even before you truly got to know him. He was constantly doing his best to cheer you up, or something like that - make sure that you were comfortable, at least.

"Well, I appreciate you telling me you aren't. You could've fooled me." He mewed with a smile, but something was still bothering him. Even if the she cat wasn't physically getting up and walking away from him, she was still mentally running away from him. Blocking his kindness like it would kill her to have someone give her friendly affection once in a while. Deflecting his challenges - or denying them, except for the last one - like he wouldn't notice. Palmettoleaf only wished he could do something about it. Maybe someday... he could.

[Tgwtgfan]

@Boba Fett

Crimsonpaw trotted near the edge of the cliff as she heard a voice in the distance.