[lone]

Originally Posted by Duskflight

When was her ceremony, a couple of days ago? It was all a blur to Adderheart, the excitement of it all had overwhelmed her making the memory fuzzy and all she could think about now was her new name. Adderheart. She loved it, loved every syllable of it and believed it was the best name that Blazingstar would ever be able to give her. That's right, she was known for her heart, her heart was in this clan and this clan only. She fought with all of her heart, trained with all of her heart and would die with all of her heart for Windclan. And any cat that knew her, knew that that was exactly true of her. She wasn't sure if Pinepaw had been at her ceremony or not, but it didn't matter, the second she saw him she would break the great news whether he already knew it or not. Wait, when was the last time she had seen him? It's been too long, I need to find him. She thought to herself as she roused from her new nest in the warriors den. She had just been laying there for a couple of minutes, recounting the past couple of days with a stupid grin on her face, yellow eyes sparkling with her happiness and joy. But now she had another goal in mind today. She was going to find Pinepaw. How could she have gone this long without being with her best friend? Maybe it was the last few moons of training, she had been training really hard, pushing because she knew that any day she would be getting that final evaluation and soon after that, her warrior name. It saddened her a little to think that she had put her training before her only friend, she hoped he didn't mind. But.. She had finally made it. Surely he would show the same excitement as she felt!

With that grin of her's fixed nearly permanently on her muzzle, the light ginger tabby would slip out of the den and out into the camp, her eyes immediately surveying the area for a very familiar brown coat. Pinepaw wasn't the only one to have experienced change, Adderheart wasn't as small as she used to be, no, in fact she was completely average sized now. She couldn't be called runt anymore because she couldn't be labeled as small, she was a grown she-cat now. Her muscles were now well defined, rippling with every movement in a way that almost made her look like a lioness, something that she wasn't afraid of showing off either. In a way her face didn't seem as soft and rounded, like that of a kit anymore, but defined and.. Older. Her heart though, that's one thing that hasn't changed. Her love for this clan was.. It was beyond just normal loyalty. This she-cat, she had the love that only a leader could know. These cats, they were her family, and she would fight tooth and nail for their health and prosperity. She couldn't explain it, it just was how it had always been.

There he is! A jolt of excitement rushed through her as she caught sight of his frame, standing in the clearing, looking around, perhaps even looking for her. A purr burst into her chest as she went bounding towards him, tail sticking straight up in the air to show her excitement of seeing her best friend again in what felt like an eternity. Leaping, she would aim to tackle him with a playful yowl; it was one of her favorite ways to greet him, though what surprised her was how he had grown too. He wasn't as small as she remembered; she had been slightly hoping to have outgrown him, but no, he was still slightly bigger than her. Whether she missed the tackle or not, she didn't care and would excitedly mewl out, "Pinepaw, Pinepaw, you'll never guess! But guess anyways, guess what happened!"

--

Now that he has a mate, life seems to have slowed down a bit for Rookpatch, it didn't seem so much like the whirlwind of fear it had been before, and he was grateful for that. While his speech was still an issue, he has been able to work on his paralyzing paranoia and for the most part is able to go most of the day without having some sort of mental breakdown.
Though there is one thing that he is guilty of, and that's not spending a lot of time for Heartpaw. He's tried to take her out for training sessions when he can, days when his paranoia didn't completely shut him down, but even now he feels that that's been much too little. What if Blazingstar decided he wasn't doing a good enough job and revoked his title as mentor and gave her to someone else? He would feel horrible, like a failure. He didn't want that. So he wanted to spend more time with Heartpaw, spend more time training her because if he was going to eventually be a father.. Then he needed to first succeed in raising a successful apprentice. That, and, well, he liked Heartpaw, she was a sweet young cat that deserved to be trained.

Him and Marigoldrise had a special corner in the clearing that they often went to, a patch with a small bush and cover from the sun, it was a spot he went to for comfort, even if his mate was out doing her warrior duties. Lifting his head from his paws, the Cornish Rex would cautiously scan his pale green gaze across the clearing, looking for his apprentice. She could still be sleeping, but she could also be out. If she was still sleeping, he would give her time to wake up on her own, he believed she would get upset with him if he awoke her before she was ready.
But it didn't take long for him to find her. She seemed to be in thought, sitting over by the apprentice's den. Was something on her mind?
Flicking his ears a bit, the tom would slowly stand up on his paws and make his way over. He couldn't help but lower himself slightly to the ground as he went out into the open, his gaze nervously flitting to the sky as if he expected a hawk to be there, ready to swoop down upon him.

"H-H-Huh-Hell.. Hello-oh Huh-Heart-art-paw! {Hello Heartpaw!}" He tried on a cheery tone, but with his wavering, stuttering voice it sounded sort of odd, as if he were trembling with cold even though it was fairly hot and humid out. Settling down beside her, he would look at her cheek as opposed to her eyes. Direct eye contact always made him scared, it intimidated him, the only cat he would comfortably make eye contact with, and that was only for a few moments, was his mate. Most cats thought him strange for not liking eye-contact, but then again, most cats found him strange anyways, whether it be because of his strong stutter or his constant fear of death. "Th-Th-T-Thu-hinking-ing-Thinking uh-of eh-eh-any-e-anythi-hing inter-eresting? {Thinking of anything interesting?}" He asked politely, offering his apprentice a small, but steady smile. That was a small improvement from last time, last time he couldn't even hold a smile in place, it would waver just like the stuttering of his voice, but now, he could at least put on a small smile that wouldn't move or tremble.

Quietly he hoped that Heartpaw would be willing to talk, because it did seem like something was on her mind, but he knew that many young cats liked to keep their problems to themselves, thinking that older cats or just other cats in general won't understand what they're going through. Rookpatch wanted Heartpaw to trust him, he wanted it desperately and he knew that they weren't as close as some mentors and apprentices were because well, I believe we both know why. He just hoped that it wasn't too late to try and form that bond with her.

Training had certainly changed the apprentice. He was no longer as excitable as he had been in previous moons, but there was one cat that it seemed things would never change with... and that was Adderpaw. It had been so long, the tom had almost - but not quite - forgotten what she looked like! He could never completely forget. Nope, he knew what she looked like happy, sad, scared and disappointed. Though disappointed was an expression he wished he could forget. That had only been about... one time, was it? Once. Never again would he disappoint her, because after all, having a best friend - a real best friend - was the best experience of Pinepaw's life. A cheerful voice called out to him, and the Havana Brown's expression changed. Was that really... Adderpaw? Was that her, or was he imagining things? The next few seconds were all a blur as something furry and warm tackled him, sending him rolling over (Adderpaw had always been someone who loved doing that) and the brown tom let out a grunt as he stayed there.

"Some things never change, do they?" The brown tom purred, swatting at her playfully as his green optics met her golden ones. He had missed this. Just being able to play with her. During his kithood, he had never really "played" like this, not for real, anyways. It was always an act or a game with him. But not with Adderpaw, with her... it was just Pinepaw. No faking. No pretend. Not anymore, that was. Now it was just him and Adderpaw. The best thing that had ever happened to him, for real. His green optics narrowed and he batted at her again, playfully, a smile showing on his maw despite the fact that for the past few moons, a true, big smile had been rare.

"Now let me up, you floof-head, and tell me what happened!" He felt like it was probably nothing super important, considering she was always excited - and Pinepaw was always excited for her, no matter what it was. He liked her personality. And found it sometimes worrisome that she was always hanging around him - even though he had a past as a troublemaker. Whatever had made her decide to give him a second chance? Whatever it was, whether it be his skill with words or his attitude afterwards, now they were once again close and trusting each other. Or, rather, she was trusting him again. Pinepaw was surprised that she did, but then again, Adderpaw was a spectacular cat. One who didn't seem like the type to hold grudges forever, because she was just that great. His green optics sparked with excitement as he wondered what his friend had to tell him. He could feel the excitement radiating off of Adderpaw. At least, it was still Adderpaw, wasn't it?

That was what the Havana Brown would think, surely it hadn't been too long... not that long... nah, she must still be an apprentice! There was no way. The tom grinned at his friend, just glad to be around her again. It had been a long time since he had seen Adderpaw. That was, since they had really gotten to spend time together. And even since there had been so much as a "hello" in passing between them! Which was odd... not to mention that for the last few nights, Adderpaw had appeared to be absent from the apprentices' den.

But then again, Pinepaw had rarely really seen her in there anyways. There were more then a few apprentices, both new and not in there, and... well... he was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed with all of the cats that there were. After all, not seeing Adderpaw, it made him feel like he was really... truly alone.

--

Blinking in surprise as she heard Rookpatch's familiar stutter, the patched apprentice glanced up at him with a bright smile. "Oh hi, Rookpatch!" She purred, grinning brightly at her mentor. She liked her mentor. Despite him being nervous, and having that stutter, Heartpaw didn't have a mean thought about him. She was glad that Rookpatch was different from most warriors. Had she not met him, she might have never known that there were cats - cats who had troubles like that. It made her own seem so small. Just knowing that he had trouble saying a single word, it made her feel as though she didn't really have a right to be worried about her and Rainpaw.

"How's Marigoldrise doing? Good, I'm guessing?" The she cat gave her mentor a bright smile. Of course, she knew about him and Marigoldrise. And she had seen the she cat with Rookpatch, and just around camp before - a very pretty, very sweet looking feline. The type of cat that looked as though she would not only be his mate, but best friend as well. She was hoping that the she cat was doing well, it wouldn't be good if something happened to her! Not since it seemed to be a bright light in Rookpatch's own life. His question caught her off guard. For a moment she looked surprised, and then half-laughed.

"Umm... well, sort of, I...guess?" Interesting. No, she wouldn't put it in that category, but it was certainly something else. Something... annoying, really. Her eyes narrowed and she thought for a moment how exactly she wanted to put her statement. "It's just, I mean, you know my friend Rainpaw, right? Grey cat, golden-ish eyes, kind of... a bully." Her ears went back as she said that. Never before would she have put Rainpaw in that category, not before they were apprentices, anyways. But hearing him say hurtful things to Ferretpaw and then just acting all moody and not like himself, now... now she wasn't sure anymore.

"At our apprentice ceremony, there was... a cat that he said some hurtful things to, and then when I told him to stop, he..." Her breath caught in her throat and she stopped with something that sounded like an almost strangled sob. Now, she had never been very close to Rookpatch. The bond that she felt like should be there wasn't very strong, yet she still felt like telling him these things. Because he was easy to talk to... somehow. Maybe it was because she was thinking there should be a bond there, and she was trying to forge it closer that made it so easy. Or maybe she was just desperate for someone other then her best friend... or at least, the cat who had been her best friend... to talk to that Rookpatch seemed like the best option. "He told me he hated me." Her voice was now a whisper and she looked down at the ground.

"I... he apologized to me, but he never - he didn't apologize to F - Ferretpaw, and sh - she's... she's the one he should have apologized to. But ever since then, we just haven't... been around each other that much. And the worst part is I like him, Rookpatch, I really like him and I don't know what to do!"

Never before had Heartpaw "liked" another cat. Not in that sense, anyways. Despite their bond not being very close, Rookpatch was the closest thing that she had ever had to a father. And she was looking towards him for guidance now, because at this point? The she cat didn't know who else to turn to. Or where else to go. She could have talked to Rainpaw's mentor, but that wouldn't have seemed as right. "What would you do?" It was the type of question that she had heard apprentices ask their mentors. It felt wrong and right at the same time. She wasn't sure if it was fair to put that on Rookpatch, because he might feel pressured to give her a good answer, but this was all she had. Asking him what he would do was all that she had. And she was going to take it.