Well then. Can’t say that such a conversation was one he expected to have while heading out with Rosepaw. He hadn’t expecting anything like this at all from him or really any cat. Orangeblossom felt bad, not like guilty or anything, or maybe a bit guilty because his first reaction upon hearing such a heart felt message was to giggle a bit, he refrained of course, but he had wanted to. “No worries, Rosepaw, I don’t hold anything against you if you’re worrying about that. You’re and still are just a kid, not that it excuses your behaviors but it would be stupid and dumb of me to hold that against you when you seem to have obviously began to mature from that. But enough worrying, if we are doing reintroductions then I’m Orangeblossom!” The warrior spoke cheerfully into the environment before taking a breath and hopping right into the actual lesson.
He dropped into a basic hunter’s crouch and turned green eyes onto the apprentice. “Alright, show me your hunting crouch. From there I want you to show me stalking. But in the mean time lemme go over some things to know before I drop you into some real practical practicing! Tracking!” The warrior recalled how he had been teaching Morningpaw some hunting not too long ago and how it was Orangeblossom not teaching the kid how to properly track that led the apprentice to dive down a rabbit hole which could’ve more than likely collapsed in on itself while he was down there. Luckily, the tunnel didn’t collapse but it sure gave the ginger a heart attack. Never again. “While in Greenleaf it’s pretty easy to just walk until you run into something practicing tracking behaviors now will help them become muscle memory for when leaf are comes around. Tell me, what’re some ways you can track?”
It had been a little too long since Mountaintalon was out with any of his children. Most of them had disappeared - only Kestrelpaw and Warblerpaw were left. The thought infuriated him, because he'd told them to get their acts together and be good warriors, but they decided to run off anyway like frightened mice. If they ever returned, he'd have to have a talk with them. It wouldn't be a nice one, either.
Thankfully, his remaining children both showed potential. Kestrelpaw has the most, he'd noticed, and so he decided he's focus on her for the time being before moving onto Warblerpaw.
“I should be more involved in your training and I apologize that I haven't been. I can only assume it's led to some… subpar lessons.” Mountaintalon spoke as he led her to Willow's Rise, obviously frustrated. If he had to break Kestrelpaw back down and rebuild her from scratch, he was going to be pretty pissed. “We'll start with climbing. Have you done that yet?”
It had been a little too long since Mountaintalon was out with any of his children. Most of them had disappeared - only Kestrelpaw and Warblerpaw were left. The thought infuriated him, because he'd told them to get their acts together and be good warriors, but they decided to run off anyway like frightened mice. If they ever returned, he'd have to have a talk with them. It wouldn't be a nice one, either.
Thankfully, his remaining children both showed potential. Kestrelpaw has the most, he'd noticed, and so he decided he's focus on her for the time being before moving onto Warblerpaw.
“I should be more involved in your training and I apologize that I haven't been. I can only assume it's led to some… subpar lessons.” Mountaintalon spoke as he led her to Willow's Rise, obviously frustrated. If he had to break Kestrelpaw back down and rebuild her from scratch, he was going to be pretty pissed. “We'll start with climbing. Have you done that yet?”
Kestrelpaw was all too smug to be out on an outing with her singular parent. She had a stupidly big grin on her face, all but skipping alongside Mountaintalon. Lost in her own thoughts, her own world where her father was the sun she orbited around. To be the one her dad picked for an outing (there was only her and Warblerpaw anyway, but still!) was awesome!
Wait wait wait. . . Rewind. Her dad was apologizing? To her? For what? Obviously Mountaintalon had no faults whatsoever. "That's okay!" She responded cheerily, over the moon to be spending time at all with her father. Oooh, climbing. "No, I haven't done climbing yet. I'm done with everything else though!" Was she boasting? Yes. Looking for praise? Yes. Did she realize it? Pshaw, don't make her laugh, but yes.
__________________
❝ Leaving them feeling betrayed.
Breaking the bonds that you've made. ❞
Rosepaw
Header by @/Oliver / Male / 6 Moons / ThunderClan /Bisexual
Chocolate-brown and russet tabby Tom with fluffy fur and bright amber eyes, thin scars on his legs and a large scar shaved across the bottom half of his face that exposes several teeth
“Sure, I’ve got half a face, but you’ve got yourself half a brain, so I’m sure we’ll get along just fine, ey?”
~ Rosepaw, 20/100
✽❀✽
After repeatedly forcing himself to apologize to Dawnkit, Rosepaw was slowly but surely getting the hang of it. He obviously was not jumping into any entire emotional monologue with this one, seeing as he doubted Orangeblossom even remembered him very clearly, if even at all, and if the multi-colored tom-cat held some sort of grudge against him for being snappy and sniffy when he was the size of a literal bean, then Orangeblossom had his own problems to deal with, revolving around his judgement. No, Rosepaw had a feeling Orangeblossom did not care, but even still, he explained the mostly insignificant situation for the sake of simply looking like a good, respectable apprentice. Starting a training session off with a heated argument was never the right move- starting a session off with any type of argument was generally a bad sign, in fact, and Rosepaw was reluctant to ruin his reputation with Orangeblossom right off the bat. He had never gotten in trouble before, despite his constant sarcastic yipping and grumbling, so why should he start now? Hopefully Orangeblossom would just react positively to his… somewhat apology, and (A), realize it was decently genuine, as well as (B), not think Rosepaw’s the wimpy sort of guy simply because he likes to reflect on the stupid things that he has done in his past. Humiliating as it is, it has in fact developed Rosepaw’s character, and once th russet and brown apprentice realized this, self-reflection became a new must-do for him.
But in the end, Orangeblossom’s reply was nice and pleasant. Rosepaw barely resisted the urge to sigh a sigh of relief out loud, and instead, the young tom only gave the older tom-cat a small dip of the head in thanks. The curly-furred tom-cat told him that he did not hold anything against him, if that was what he was worried about. Rosepaw thought to himself briefly, Great. Ain’t any grudges… ‘s good to hear, I s’pose. Orangeblossom that he was and still is just a kid, and for the first time, Rosepaw actually appreciated being told that. Normally the phrase, ‘You’re just a kid’ and/or ‘You’re just a child’ was something used against cats Rosepaw’s age, used to put them down and make them feel less deserving of attention, respect, and/or authority. Now that he was hearing it in a good context, Rosepaw came to like the phrase a bit more. He still despised it, but these negative opinions on it went from absolute hate to… slightly less absolute hate. Thanks, Orangeblossom. When the warrior told him that, of course,e it did not always excuse his behavior, Rosepaw half wanted to laugh. Instead, curling his lip, he grumbled. “Uh-huh. But that ain’t anythin’ too surprisin’, ‘s literally just discipline.” Orangeblossom added that it would just be stupid and dumb of him to hold anything against him for his previous behavior. Rosepaw couldn’t help but nod along in agreement with a small smirk crossing his face. Yes, yes it would. Finally the apprentice was told that he seemed to have matured a bit form that. At the sound of that, Rosepaw shrugged and scoffed. “Sure, a bit. I’m slightly less stupid with it, I mean- I’ll only get snappy if someone deserves it, Y’know? I s’pose I go a bit far sometimes, but ‘ey, we’ve all got a weakness or two breathin’ o’er our shoulders, don’t we?” Orangeblossom then reintroduced himself, and simply, Rosepaw did the same. “Yup. Rosepaw here.”
When the warrior dropped into a basic hunter’s crouch, Rosepaw accidentally visibly rolled his eyes. ‘Course it’s the basics… ‘s aaaaaaalways the freakin’ basics. Whatever, I’ll just get through ‘em quickly, I… hope. The russet, long-haired apprentice watched as the multi-colored warrior looked in his direction. The curly-haired tom told him to show him his hunting crouch, and instantly, Rosepaw began to prepare his paws. His impatience with all of these starting details most likely showed, and at the moment, he was too busy being bored with it all to pay too much attention to the fact that he was being a slight jerk. He evened out his paws, angled his tail, balanced himself, and once all of the other details of the hunter’s crouch were complete, he glanced towards Orangeblossom once again. Orangeblossom told him that from there, he wanted to be shown stalking, and grumpily, Rosepaw nodded. As the warrior warrior kept speaking to him, quietly and carefully, the russet and brown apprentice crept forward, whiskers twitching as he stalked towards no particular target, as he had not yet been offered/given one. Fortunately, Orangeblossom was keeping their training session at a fairly quick pace, and for that Rosepaw was grateful, even if he struggled to express it. The young apprentice kept on stalking forward, and Orangeblossom told him that he had some things to go over before he finally moved on to the real ‘practice practicing’, tracking. Rosepaw felt his heart lift. This was something that he had not yet been taught; Knowledge of his environment and how to move along through it safely, soundly, and efficiently. His bettering mood showed on his face, and his naturally light amber eyes brightened even further.
The sound of Orangeblossom’s voice reappeared, and Rosepaw’s brightened gaze flickered over in the older tom-cat’s direction. Orangeblossom told him that in Greenleaf, it was easy to simply wander around until you run into some sort of prey. Unfortunately for everybody who happened to be cursed with the need to constantly hunt to survive, summertime was not eternal, and the green leaves of the trees always faded into dust eventually. The warrior noted that practicing tracking behaviors could help build up a hunter’s muscle memory for when food begins to run low, to fall short. Orangeblossom then forced Rosepaw to use his actual brain, rather than just his developing brawn for a moment or two, and Rosepaw thought about it. For several awkward seconds, he was silent, but once he had internally finished formulating a response, it slipped out from his mouth in a grumble. “I’m guessin’’ your nose is gonna be a good go, ‘ey? Can’t look around without your senses… n’ really, you should use all of your senses to the best’a your abilities, ‘cause the more you’ve got, the more aware ya’ can be ‘bout your surroundin’s. ‘My right? For example, uh…” Rosepaw shut his eyes tightly in a thought for a moment, but once some examples flashed across his mind, they reopened, and he continued. “…again, nose. Smellin’ the air is a big help when you’re lookin’ for somethin’ that ya’ can’t quite see yet… and hear, really, if you’ve got a good nose. The only time ya’ really regret havin’ a sense’a smell’s when ya’ accidentally spent too much time in the sweaty apprentices’ den. Now, hearin’. Once you’ve smelled your way ‘round, ya’ might be able to hear a bird ‘r squirrel ‘r somethin’ wanderin’ ‘round the place… so… as much as ya’ have to be quiet while out huntin’ for the sake of not scarin’ prey off, ‘s probably also so that ya’ can actually hear any prey that’s near ya’. And sight, ‘course… keep a close eye on any prey that enters your viewpoint, I ‘s’pose. Y’know, focus n’ stuff. So… yeah. Senses.”
- My characters’ opinions, thoughts, and behaviors are not necessarily a reflection of my own. I can assure you that we are certainly separate beings. -
Re: Willow's Rise
