Post by Dragon on Mar 4, 2009 2:41:56 GMT -5
Petalpaw timidly crouched in the shade, her dark gray body blending well with the surrounding darkness. Her amber eyes glanced around, Did she dare enter? she wondered and took one pawstep forward and then one back. She was back where she started once more.
Squirreltail rolled her bright eyes at her apprentice's timidness and leaped straight into the clearing her red tail held high and proud. "Come on, Petalpaw." She urged with a clever smile.
The apprentice's eyes widened and looked like full moons. She hesitated, but finally jumped into the clearing her head low, and her long tail trailing behind her.
The red she-cat butted her head against Petalpaw's shoulder, nearly toppling her over. "Come on then, show some confidence no ones here to hurt you."
The she-cat shifted her paws, and warily not wanting to offend her mentor slowly raised her head. She lifted her tail just enough so that it wasn't getting dragged but she couldn't muster anything else. She looked at Squirreltail as if to kill her now, and end this humiliation.
Squirreltail grinned from ear to ear, and her tail twitched as she held it high and proud. "Now that we've got some pride in you, lets do some training. Can you hunt?" She asked brightly, then waved a paw. "I'll teach you how real Moonclan warriors hunt. Come on you little mouse of a cat!"
She huffed a silent sigh and trudged after her mentor, as soon as Squirreltail neglected to look her entire posture collapsed into one of fear. Her gazed switched once and she lowly pawed at the grass. Suddenly, Squirreltail stopped making her apprentice nearly run into her. She whipped around before Petalpaw could regain her "confident" position.
The red she-cat made a tsking noise. "Shame on you, Petalpaw. I thought you would at least hold it for five minutes, but you only got around 30 heartbeats." Squirreltail shook her head, with her eyes closed and she looked awfully grave and somber. Then she bounced up, "Well, chop chop! Time is prey! Now give me a rabbit crouch!"
She looked up with an expression that said that she thought her mentor was completely insane. Her ears flicked, but she did what she was told. The small apprentice crouched low, and stood completely stock still with her tail straight out.
Squirreltail nodded thoughtfully, "Very good, very good indeed, my apprentice." she had comically lowered her voice to sound something like Redstar who was the new leader of the clan. "Now!" she said brightly, and her voice had returned to normal. "Go to that rock, over there and climb it."
Petalpaw tilted her head to the side. She knew for certain, her mentor was crazy. The apprentice trotted toward the rock and casually looked it over. It was quite steep and tall, with hard smooth stone that seemed impossible to climb. She glanced over at Squirreltail who gave an encouraging nod, and Petalpaw looked straight up the face of the rock and leaped at it. She clung to it but she slipped and slid down the face and landed on her tail.
Squirreltail was hiding a wild giggle and she forced a stern expression on her face. "Go on Petalpaw! Unless... you find me unreasonable..." she eyes her apprentice with great certainty.
Petalpaw grimaced darkly. She judged the rock once more, and then she found a paw hold. She secretly glanced at her mentor smugly, and she jumped at the rock. She clawed her way only a few mouselengths, but that was enough to get her hind paw into the hole. She gritted her teeth and looked up the rest of the stone, and she clambered up the rest of the way. When she could rest on the top, her claws ached but she couldn't help but be proud of herself and she rose her head and tail and stuck her tongue out at Squirreltail. "Ha!" she yowled, but cut herself off nervously and shrank back.
The queen's mouth was hanging open. She doubted that she could've climbed that rock. She had to admit that stone was formidable and sleek, but that one paw hold had made it much to easy. Squirreltail snapped her mouth shut, and bounded toward the rock. "Well, that very good Petalpaw!" she called to the gray cat. "Now go catch me a white rabbit!" Every Moonclan cat knew, killing a white rabbit was terrible bad luck and they were nearly as rare as a flying turtle.
Petalpaw scrabbled down from the rock, "Where am I supposed to find one of those?" she asked in disbelief.
Petalpaw's mentor shrugged, "I don't know! That's what you're for, now if find the white rabbit population, we will all be the best clan the forest has seen, and everyone will leap in moonlight again! And -Unless you find me... unreasonable?" she froze and looked comically dramatic at the moment.
Not to be outdone with her mentor's crazy games, she wordlessly strode into a field her head lifted with the challenge. She felt a new sensation surging through her, and she thought it felt good. It was warm and powerful. With strength she hadn't felt for moons she jumped through the moor to the very edge of there territory where it was rumored there was an old two leg hut that white rabbits were supposedly seen before. With a soft sniff, she glanced around. She squinted her eyes and looked over a rock and she was so surprised she nearly fell backwards. It was a white rabbit! She peeked over the rock again, and it was true. A genuine pure white rabbit.
She chuckled softly, no one would believe her when she told this tale! Carefully, she crouched against the damp grass that had been growing rapidly since the snow had melted and fresh new spring rain had soaked the moors once again. Her chin brushed the very tips of the grass, her paws were silent as the feet of a mouse. Petalpaw narrowed her eyes and took a few delicate steps closer. The white rabbit munched away at its grass not realizing how boldly it stood out against the grass. She continued going at a snail pace until she was a two tail lengths away.
Her muscles tensed and she took a strong leap and landed squarely on the rabbit's back. She pinned the rabbit down with her paws, but it was suddenly looking so much bigger then it had before and very powerful. She gingerly gripped the scared rabbit around the throat but she didn't kill it. It would be a long trek back to her mentor but she could do it. Petalkit was battered and scratched by the powerful hind paws, but finally the rabbit collapsed from exhaustion and was able to be dragged quickly. Then she saw her mentor's red pelt. She was speaking to a Bengal tom she recognized as her uncle, Voletooth.
Voletooth looked over his friends shoulder and he gasped in shock to what he saw. The smallest apprentice he had ever seen was carrying back a live white rabbit. His green eyes widened, and he nudged Squirreltail. "Is that your apprentice?" he stuttered.
Squirreltail smiled playfully that looked over her shoulder, her jaw dropped for the second time that day. She got to her paws and rushed toward Petalpaw. "How? What? Huh? Where did you get that rabbit? Did you kill it?" she asked quickly, her questions bubbling.
Petalpaw glowed with happiness, and she set the tired animal down but she kept it pinned so it wouldn't escape. "I caught it near that old two leg hut!" she purred, "And its perfectly fine, just tired."
"That's amazing!" Voletooth cried, "Silverclan be blessed! We have to show this to Redstar! Pinetwig would've been so proud of you, Petalpaw!" He kneaded the ground in impatience and leaped up. "I'll go get him!"
Petalpaw's smile faltered for a moment at the mention of her mother but she straightened up slightly as Voletooth went to get their leader. The rabbit twitched beneath her paws and she hoped all this stress wouldn't kill it. Warily, she bent down to lick its snowy white fur.
Squirreltail fussed over her apprentice and licked Petalpaw's ears. "Now remember! Be respectful toward my father, I want to show him how good a mentor a can be!" She purred, and she settled at once next to her apprentice, she tried to be still but she fidgeted almost as much as a kit.
Redstar had thought Voletooth's reports were pure foolishness and he had almost ushered him out of his den. But instead, a spark of interest flamed inside the cat's chest and he had agreed to leave his dry patch of grass to go into the sodden field where mud welled beneath his paws after each step. His white paws were brown by the time he reached the apprentice and mentor. A good part of his clan milled about behind him, and strained to look at the white rabbit.
The calico tom's head reeled back in exciting shock. It was a real white rabbit, and it even was alive! It was still struggling beneath the apprentice's paws. "Wonderful!" he murmured, and he dipped his head to sniff at the rabbit. He raised his head again, "Acornfur! Look at this creature!"
A small brown fur scurried between the cats, and dipped down next to Petalpaw and shuffled about the rabbit and sniffed, and prodded it. Acornfur looked up with blurred amber eyes, "It is a pure white rabbit! It is a sign from Silverclan!"
A chorus of excited mews, and scuffles erupted from the clan. Many shoved their way through the crowd just to get a glimpse of the rare creature. Some had started to get testy among one another and there was hisses and yelp of pain here and there. Redstar bristled indignantly and whirled around. "Silence! You insufferable cats, this is a blessing, must you ruin it with your petty fighting?" The clan's calm was restored nearly immediately, and the tom looked at the gray apprentice. "And what is your name, again?"
Petalpaw looked up with bright round eyes, "Petalpaw, sir." she meowed loudly.
Redstar smiled warmly, "Wonderfully, caught Petalpaw!" he praised her warmly, and he looked up at Squirreltail. "Fine job your doing, m'dear." he purred, and dipped his head before trotted back into the camp area. A few cats lingered to look at the rabbit, but soon they were all gone but Voletooth.
The Bengal tom swatted Petalpaw playfully, "Good catch, Petalpaw!" he commented, and he began to pad away but before he left, he winked at them. "Keep up the good work!" Then he was gone.
Squirreltail seemed to double in size at the praise she had been given from her father and she purred like a rumbling thunderstorm. "Grand day!" she commented, and looked down at Petalpaw. "Let that bugger go, hes been through enough. And when you have I'll get you the biggest field mouse you've ever seen!"
Petalpaw obediently released the rabbit, and without a second thought it ran away into the field, it even jumped high into the air once as it savoring the life it still had. The apprentice purred happily, and she hefted herself onto her paws. Then she began to follow her mentor on a hunt, and she was glad of what had happened. And once more she felt that, warm power in her body. It swelled and pulsed, and she knew it was two things, she had always wanted. Confidence and pride.
Squirreltail rolled her bright eyes at her apprentice's timidness and leaped straight into the clearing her red tail held high and proud. "Come on, Petalpaw." She urged with a clever smile.
The apprentice's eyes widened and looked like full moons. She hesitated, but finally jumped into the clearing her head low, and her long tail trailing behind her.
The red she-cat butted her head against Petalpaw's shoulder, nearly toppling her over. "Come on then, show some confidence no ones here to hurt you."
The she-cat shifted her paws, and warily not wanting to offend her mentor slowly raised her head. She lifted her tail just enough so that it wasn't getting dragged but she couldn't muster anything else. She looked at Squirreltail as if to kill her now, and end this humiliation.
Squirreltail grinned from ear to ear, and her tail twitched as she held it high and proud. "Now that we've got some pride in you, lets do some training. Can you hunt?" She asked brightly, then waved a paw. "I'll teach you how real Moonclan warriors hunt. Come on you little mouse of a cat!"
She huffed a silent sigh and trudged after her mentor, as soon as Squirreltail neglected to look her entire posture collapsed into one of fear. Her gazed switched once and she lowly pawed at the grass. Suddenly, Squirreltail stopped making her apprentice nearly run into her. She whipped around before Petalpaw could regain her "confident" position.
The red she-cat made a tsking noise. "Shame on you, Petalpaw. I thought you would at least hold it for five minutes, but you only got around 30 heartbeats." Squirreltail shook her head, with her eyes closed and she looked awfully grave and somber. Then she bounced up, "Well, chop chop! Time is prey! Now give me a rabbit crouch!"
She looked up with an expression that said that she thought her mentor was completely insane. Her ears flicked, but she did what she was told. The small apprentice crouched low, and stood completely stock still with her tail straight out.
Squirreltail nodded thoughtfully, "Very good, very good indeed, my apprentice." she had comically lowered her voice to sound something like Redstar who was the new leader of the clan. "Now!" she said brightly, and her voice had returned to normal. "Go to that rock, over there and climb it."
Petalpaw tilted her head to the side. She knew for certain, her mentor was crazy. The apprentice trotted toward the rock and casually looked it over. It was quite steep and tall, with hard smooth stone that seemed impossible to climb. She glanced over at Squirreltail who gave an encouraging nod, and Petalpaw looked straight up the face of the rock and leaped at it. She clung to it but she slipped and slid down the face and landed on her tail.
Squirreltail was hiding a wild giggle and she forced a stern expression on her face. "Go on Petalpaw! Unless... you find me unreasonable..." she eyes her apprentice with great certainty.
Petalpaw grimaced darkly. She judged the rock once more, and then she found a paw hold. She secretly glanced at her mentor smugly, and she jumped at the rock. She clawed her way only a few mouselengths, but that was enough to get her hind paw into the hole. She gritted her teeth and looked up the rest of the stone, and she clambered up the rest of the way. When she could rest on the top, her claws ached but she couldn't help but be proud of herself and she rose her head and tail and stuck her tongue out at Squirreltail. "Ha!" she yowled, but cut herself off nervously and shrank back.
The queen's mouth was hanging open. She doubted that she could've climbed that rock. She had to admit that stone was formidable and sleek, but that one paw hold had made it much to easy. Squirreltail snapped her mouth shut, and bounded toward the rock. "Well, that very good Petalpaw!" she called to the gray cat. "Now go catch me a white rabbit!" Every Moonclan cat knew, killing a white rabbit was terrible bad luck and they were nearly as rare as a flying turtle.
Petalpaw scrabbled down from the rock, "Where am I supposed to find one of those?" she asked in disbelief.
Petalpaw's mentor shrugged, "I don't know! That's what you're for, now if find the white rabbit population, we will all be the best clan the forest has seen, and everyone will leap in moonlight again! And -Unless you find me... unreasonable?" she froze and looked comically dramatic at the moment.
Not to be outdone with her mentor's crazy games, she wordlessly strode into a field her head lifted with the challenge. She felt a new sensation surging through her, and she thought it felt good. It was warm and powerful. With strength she hadn't felt for moons she jumped through the moor to the very edge of there territory where it was rumored there was an old two leg hut that white rabbits were supposedly seen before. With a soft sniff, she glanced around. She squinted her eyes and looked over a rock and she was so surprised she nearly fell backwards. It was a white rabbit! She peeked over the rock again, and it was true. A genuine pure white rabbit.
She chuckled softly, no one would believe her when she told this tale! Carefully, she crouched against the damp grass that had been growing rapidly since the snow had melted and fresh new spring rain had soaked the moors once again. Her chin brushed the very tips of the grass, her paws were silent as the feet of a mouse. Petalpaw narrowed her eyes and took a few delicate steps closer. The white rabbit munched away at its grass not realizing how boldly it stood out against the grass. She continued going at a snail pace until she was a two tail lengths away.
Her muscles tensed and she took a strong leap and landed squarely on the rabbit's back. She pinned the rabbit down with her paws, but it was suddenly looking so much bigger then it had before and very powerful. She gingerly gripped the scared rabbit around the throat but she didn't kill it. It would be a long trek back to her mentor but she could do it. Petalkit was battered and scratched by the powerful hind paws, but finally the rabbit collapsed from exhaustion and was able to be dragged quickly. Then she saw her mentor's red pelt. She was speaking to a Bengal tom she recognized as her uncle, Voletooth.
Voletooth looked over his friends shoulder and he gasped in shock to what he saw. The smallest apprentice he had ever seen was carrying back a live white rabbit. His green eyes widened, and he nudged Squirreltail. "Is that your apprentice?" he stuttered.
Squirreltail smiled playfully that looked over her shoulder, her jaw dropped for the second time that day. She got to her paws and rushed toward Petalpaw. "How? What? Huh? Where did you get that rabbit? Did you kill it?" she asked quickly, her questions bubbling.
Petalpaw glowed with happiness, and she set the tired animal down but she kept it pinned so it wouldn't escape. "I caught it near that old two leg hut!" she purred, "And its perfectly fine, just tired."
"That's amazing!" Voletooth cried, "Silverclan be blessed! We have to show this to Redstar! Pinetwig would've been so proud of you, Petalpaw!" He kneaded the ground in impatience and leaped up. "I'll go get him!"
Petalpaw's smile faltered for a moment at the mention of her mother but she straightened up slightly as Voletooth went to get their leader. The rabbit twitched beneath her paws and she hoped all this stress wouldn't kill it. Warily, she bent down to lick its snowy white fur.
Squirreltail fussed over her apprentice and licked Petalpaw's ears. "Now remember! Be respectful toward my father, I want to show him how good a mentor a can be!" She purred, and she settled at once next to her apprentice, she tried to be still but she fidgeted almost as much as a kit.
Redstar had thought Voletooth's reports were pure foolishness and he had almost ushered him out of his den. But instead, a spark of interest flamed inside the cat's chest and he had agreed to leave his dry patch of grass to go into the sodden field where mud welled beneath his paws after each step. His white paws were brown by the time he reached the apprentice and mentor. A good part of his clan milled about behind him, and strained to look at the white rabbit.
The calico tom's head reeled back in exciting shock. It was a real white rabbit, and it even was alive! It was still struggling beneath the apprentice's paws. "Wonderful!" he murmured, and he dipped his head to sniff at the rabbit. He raised his head again, "Acornfur! Look at this creature!"
A small brown fur scurried between the cats, and dipped down next to Petalpaw and shuffled about the rabbit and sniffed, and prodded it. Acornfur looked up with blurred amber eyes, "It is a pure white rabbit! It is a sign from Silverclan!"
A chorus of excited mews, and scuffles erupted from the clan. Many shoved their way through the crowd just to get a glimpse of the rare creature. Some had started to get testy among one another and there was hisses and yelp of pain here and there. Redstar bristled indignantly and whirled around. "Silence! You insufferable cats, this is a blessing, must you ruin it with your petty fighting?" The clan's calm was restored nearly immediately, and the tom looked at the gray apprentice. "And what is your name, again?"
Petalpaw looked up with bright round eyes, "Petalpaw, sir." she meowed loudly.
Redstar smiled warmly, "Wonderfully, caught Petalpaw!" he praised her warmly, and he looked up at Squirreltail. "Fine job your doing, m'dear." he purred, and dipped his head before trotted back into the camp area. A few cats lingered to look at the rabbit, but soon they were all gone but Voletooth.
The Bengal tom swatted Petalpaw playfully, "Good catch, Petalpaw!" he commented, and he began to pad away but before he left, he winked at them. "Keep up the good work!" Then he was gone.
Squirreltail seemed to double in size at the praise she had been given from her father and she purred like a rumbling thunderstorm. "Grand day!" she commented, and looked down at Petalpaw. "Let that bugger go, hes been through enough. And when you have I'll get you the biggest field mouse you've ever seen!"
Petalpaw obediently released the rabbit, and without a second thought it ran away into the field, it even jumped high into the air once as it savoring the life it still had. The apprentice purred happily, and she hefted herself onto her paws. Then she began to follow her mentor on a hunt, and she was glad of what had happened. And once more she felt that, warm power in her body. It swelled and pulsed, and she knew it was two things, she had always wanted. Confidence and pride.
