Ok...it felt kind of nice to NOT write 2020 LMAO. Welcome to 2021! To kick off the brand new year, we're introducing a round of updates, including new bio and forbidden romance rules, our Secret Santa reveal, OTM winners and nominations, our monthly patrols, and a fun new infectious disease! So make sure to check out the January Announcements for all of the new content! As we leave 2020 behind us, we hope everyone is able to put themselves first this year and practice self-care! Here's to another one! Let's write some cats!
The Apostles is a warrior cats roleplay based in northern Wisconsin. On Lake Superior, the wild cats have made the Apostle Islands their home. It is on these islands - Rocky Island and South Twin Island - that the clan and tribe cats have lived in a peace and harmony that ebbs and flows with the tide.
But as the tides turn, so does the truce that binds them to one another; and as the water raises, a darkness follows, an evil that will end in bloodshed and violence.
Clouds hung heavy in the sky. The wind had blown without stopping the past several days, but now had died down into an eerie stillness. The still air and cool weather had allowed fog to roll in and as it flowed sluggishly between the trunks of the trees, a shadow crept through. A hulking black shape moved from tree to tree almost aimlessly before growing still. It hunkered close to the ground where it waited for several heartbeats before springing forward.
Huge black paws slammed down on a pile of leaves on the forest floor as Ravenpaw pinned his quarry to the ground. His ears were pricked with excitement as he straightened up and shook his paws to clear his claws of the leaves that stuck there. Today he was meeting his mentor Tigerpool for his first solo hunt. It was just meant to give an idea of how Ravenpaw was picking up everything he had learned in the weeks since his training started, but the young tom just knew that he was going to bring back more prey than any of his Clanmates had ever seen. Tigerpool and Finchstar would be so impressed they would probably speed up his training to make him a warrior as soon as possible.
With a satisfied nod, Ravenpaw settled into a comfortable crouch to wait for Tigerpool to catch up. They had left camp together, but in his excitement, Ravenpaw had run ahead. He had never experienced fog like this, though, and it didn't take long for the eerie stillness to make his pelt prickle with unease. He strained his ears, listening for Tigerpool's steps, but everything sounded so much quieter than usual under the stifling weight of the wet air. After only a couple heartbeats, the apprentice stood again and shook out his fur. Get a hold of yourself, Ravenpaw, he scolded himself. After all, he knew he was too brave to get a little strange weather get under his pelt.
What a day. Tigerpool shuttered and attempted to flick the morning dew that clung to his pelt. The tabby trudged through the undergrowth. Typical to be hand in hand with leaf-fall, the forest was now cloaked with a heavy and grey pelt of fog. Although, it felt surprisingly early given the last rays of green-leaf were only sunrises ago.
Today Tigerpool would be evaluating his apprentice Ravenpaw during his first solo hunt. Despite being only 6 moons of age, Tigerpool figured that the apprentice was ready to try his moves without the watchful, and sometimes daunting eyes, of the senior warrior. Though he was sure Ravenpaw would never admit it, Tigerpool could tell that the presence of mentors sometimes added more nerves into the mix. Between trying to impress their mentor, and the constant comments Tigerpool struggled to withhold, he was certain that quietly observing from the shadows would allow the mentor to properly evaluate Ravenpaw's skill level.
That is, if he could see a damn thing. The tabby cursed to himself as he followed the faint scent of his apprentice.
"Ravenpaw", Tigerpool called out into the fog. "Can you hear me?", his eyes darted around his immediate surroundings seeking the familiar sleek and black pelt.
Massive white mittens padded slowly as Tigerpool began to lose scent of his apprentice. How mouse-brained he was, Tigerpool should have not let him bound ahead but his enthusiasm was refreshing and youthful. The tabby had not anticipated this massive and clouded snake to encompass itself so low across their once familiar and open terrain.
"Ravenp-", Tigerpool stopped as the ground beneath him felt light and bouncy. The ground gave way. The tom sunk, falling for at least twenty tail-lengths before landing with a hard thud onto his feet. His call to Ravenpaw continued to echo as he fell.
Staggering, the tom tried to grasp his bearings only to haphazardly stumble around the deep hole he found himself in. "Oh fuck".
Ravenpaw's ears swiveled back and forth as he strained to make out any sound that might indicate his mentor was approaching. Every time he thought he heard him, he would turn and no one would come out of the mist. "Hearing things..." he muttered to himself. That must mean the shapes he thought he was seeing were figments of his imagination as well, right? The black apprentice shuddered at the thought of the monsters he thought he could see behind the veil of fog.
Finally, he could make out a familiar voice. "Ravenpaw, can you hear me?" He faced the sound eagerly, caught off guard by how relieved he felt to hear Tigerpool calling him at last. He started off at a trot to where the voice came from, chuckling at himself for how nervous he had been. Ravenp- Then a crash. The fur lifted along the apprentice's spine. Great StarClan, he was right! There were monsters hiding in this mist and one of them got his mentor!
"Tigerpool!" The young tom's voice came out as an alarmed squeak and he hared off towards the sound of the commotion. Through some act of StarClan, he skidded to a halt, digging his claws into the soft earth to stop himself from falling as he gazed down into a gaping hole in the ground. At the bottom was Tigerpool himself, unbloodied and with no monsters in sight. Ravenpaw breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't been totally sure he would have been able to fend off a fog monster, but now he wouldn't have to.
"Are you okay? What happened?" The young tom paced slowly around the edge of the pit, placing his paws carefully as he went.
Tigerpool could barely hear his apprentice's distant calls, his mind equally as foggy as the ground-level parameters. He allotted some time for his thoughts to crystallize, the fall's hazy grip still caressing his shoulders.
"Ravenpaw, is that you?", Tigerpool cleared his throat after some time. A few distant crows caw'ed through the mist. How...eerie, Tigerpool quipped to himself, straining to make out the walls of his surrounding chamber. "Ok Ravenpaw, can you hear me?", the tom continued. Who was he kidding, how could he be responsible for an apprentice, if he was barely responsible for himself? The tabby kneaded the moist dirt in frustration, the walls of the pit generous enough so that his whiskers stretched freely.
Fear, a feeling induced by a perceived danger, or threat. Can one fear themselves? Or, did that defy the very logic of life itself. If one were the fear themselves, then, wouldn't the answer be the cessation of said life? These were thoughts too dreary to ebb the conscious of the altruistic Tigerpool but not far from the truth. Tigerpool did fear himself, Or, at least the consequences of his responsibilities.
Since kithood, Tigerpool had always trudged forward, tail ablaze, to conquer. Sure, like all and perhaps more than most, the massive, chiseled tom stumbled along the way. Back then, there were always others to pick up the pieces for the young tabby. As seasons turned, Tigerpool grew into one of the more experienced warriors. Now, the ghosts of responsibility were haunting at every corner. No one was here to fix his mistakes. Mistakes that in the end, could hinder the progress and judgements of others.
One thing that Tigerpool did understand, is that he did not like how his words had the power to influence. And even more, he hated that his actions could impact generations beneath him. There were no excuses, there was no freedom, and there was no self-reliance. Tigerpool hissed to himself in conflict. Tigerpool of 12 moons would have flung himself into the sky until he could grasp a claw to scramble himself up. Tigerpoool of 12 moons would have sat in a splint, accompanying a reluctant Orchidshade. But, this was not the Tigerpool he knew he had to be. To be a different Tigerpool, frightened him.
"Here's what were going to do", Tigerpool called. "I need your help right now Ravenpaw, this edge is too steep for me to climb up alone", Tigerpool winced, knowing he would be the clan burden. But, wouldn't he do the same for his peers? Without a second thought.
"I need you to find something I can use to climb out of here, and I need someone else. I know you're strong, trust me, I'm your mentor. But, you can't handle my weight alone. Do you understand?", he called into the fog, praying to starclan that the night-pelted apprentice could digest his commands.
Ravenpaw stopped his pacing and craned his neck to peer over the edge of the pit to the bottom. The distance made his head spin and he dug his claws firmly into the soil to try and steady himself. Carefully, he listened as his mentor called up to him. Here's what we're going to do. Great a game plan. Ravenpaw would need something for Tigerpool to grab onto so he could be pulled out. He tensed and released the muscles in his shoulders and then his flanks and his legs, trying to determine how much he would need to strain to lift Tigerpool back onto solid ground. Just as he was beginning to realize that he didn't know if he was strong enough, Tigerpool told him he would need to find someone else for help.
A wave of emotions washed over the young black tom. Shame for not being big enough or strong enough to pull Tigerpool up alone. Irritation with himself for the same reason. Fear as he faced going back into the fog alone to try and find camp or another Clanmates. Before it had been easy. He'd known his mentor was right behind him if he ran into trouble. This time he would be utterly by himself, responsible for his own safety and finding his own way. With the tabby in the pit, there was no safety net this time. I know you're strong, trust me. I'm your mentor. Ravenpaw stared down, hanging on the older tom's every word. He was quiet for a long time, holding eye contact as if hoping that he could get some strength from the gesture. Finally he nodded. "I understand," he meowed, trying to fill his voice with strength. "I'll uh, I'll be right back."
Backing carefully away from the hole, Ravenpaw at last turned to survey his surroundings. Aside from the immediate undergrowth and tree trunks, all that met his gaze was lazily swirling fog. With a hard swallow he set off. He was pretty sure camp was this way, right?
It felt like moons that he had been walking. The still air was deafeningly quiet and stiflingly thick. His ears pricked to try and hear anything but all he could manage were his own pawsteps. He imagined his chest hurt from trying to breathe the thick air and the fur along his shoulders and spine tingled as he felt sure something in the fog was watching him. He kept throwing nervous glances over his shoulders, highly suspicious to find no creatures coming behind him.
Just as he felt like the fog would close in and crush him, he stopped and gave himself a frustrated shake. "Get a hold of yourself, mousebrain!" he hissed to himself. His mentor needed him. He was relying on him for help and all he could do was wander around like a lost and frightened kit. Sure, maybe he was lost, but surely he would stumble upon help if he just kept going, right? There was no way he could grow into a strong and dependable warrior if he was going to be afraid of something just because it was unfamiliar. He squared his shoulders and lifted his chin, challenging any demons in the mist to come try and scare him. What he wasn't expecting was something to take that challenge. A twig snapped behind him and he froze, rigid as he wondered how Tigerpool would get free now that he was about to die. Slowly, afraid of what he would see, Ravenpaw turned around...
tags: maxxc a n n a word count: 587 notes: Local baby seeks comfort of clan mom
Brightflower found solace in tending to the kits and queens in the nursery. Like the fog that lingered dangerously around her, the activity clouded her mind, burying the anxiety she felt for her clan-mates and dangers of clan life. With Mousepaw having been apprenticed the last meeting, the nursery once again grew barren. She had nothing to tend to, just her paranoid thoughts of LichenClan and the inevitable war.
The restless Brightflower--who had quickly grown exhausted of her draining thoughts--decided that a walk was all she needed. She just needed fresh air, and maybe a good hunt to clear her mind. But with the forming fog that limited her vision, she found her mind filling with anxieties again. She had to stop it from all crashing down on her. Still, it was challenging to defog the cloud that was her paranoia.
Crrrrikkk.
Brightflower blinked in surprise, looking down at the stick that had cracked beneath her weight. Sure, that might've alarmed any nearby prey, but at least the jarring sound was enough to take her out of her negative thoughts. So when something shuffled in the distance, the substantial warrior could hear it.
Again, the red-silver molly was on edge. She got into a defensive stance despite the worries that knocked at her mind. But as the molly parted her maw, she couldn't help but notice the familiar tang of cat. Oh no! She cried to herself. This fog is dangerous. No one should be out here!
After determining that the scent belonged to a clan-mate, the large molly didn't hesitate to approach the other feline. Several careful steps lead her to the sturdy apprentice, Ravenpaw. His jet black fur stood out against the fog and his vivid amber eyes looked up at her in fear. "Ravenpaw!" Exclaimed the bright tabby. She swiftly closed the distance between them and wrapped her thick tail around the smaller tom in a comforting manner. "What are you doing out here in this fog? Let's get back to camp right now."
Immediately, the molly had forgotten about her threatening anxiety, and the only thing she could bother to think about was making sure Ravenpaw got out of this area safe.
Just when Ravenpaw felt like a vine about to snap from tension, he recognized the looming figure approaching him. "Brightflower!" Ravenpaw breathed the name, sagging in relief the same moment she called to him. She wrapped her tail around him and he allowed himself a moment of pressing against her side for comfort before pulling away a bit and straightening his posture. After all, he was an apprentice now and he didn't need one of his mother figures to protect him. Pretending like he hadn't just been scared witless, he set to business.
"We can't go yet," he mewed urgently. He took a few steps back in the direction he had come from and stopped to wait for Brightflower. "I need help." The black apprentice took a few more steps towards where he remembered the pit was and allowed his words to hang heavy in the air before clarifying. "Tigerpool is stuck in a pit and I-" He found the next words difficult to say. The very idea was embarrassing to the young tom. "I'm not strong enough to pull him out by myself." He fixed his amber gaze on Brightflower's face and looked at her long enough to be sure that he would follow before turning and racing off towards the pit.
Knowing he had even one warrior at his back, Ravenpaw forgot all fear he ever felt alone in the fog. He could be brave with Brightflower's support and the fact that he would have to be brave on his own some day? That would jsut have to come later. "Be careful now," he advised as he slowed his pace. Carefully, he approached the edge of the pit and called down to his mentor. "I found Brightflower!" Now he just had to find something that Tigerpool could hold on to and they would be able to carry on with their day. Brightflower could leave him in the care of his untrapped mentor and no cat ever had to know that he had been afraid.
It felt like moons as Tigerpool waited in the gloomy depths of the underground. "I wonder if this is like Hell", he mused continuously pacing the small circumference of the sinkhole. Eyes glinting in the dark, Tigerpool kept himself moving to stop his aching muscles from growing stiff and tired, the fall still generous to his paws, muddied and scraped. But now, the moist air numbed the most piercing senses, their aching prickles fleeting with the heat of his body. Cold, wet, and aching. These were the general themes of Tigerpool's latest excursions it seemed. Oh come on boy, you're getting old but you're NOT old, he hissed, the mere thoughts of aging wrangling their curmudgeonly grasp.
He heaved a grand sigh, the tom's stomach reciprocated with a roar. He needed to eat; Tigerpool at least had the sense that his sour demeanor was directly correlated to the weight of his stomach. Or maybe perhaps, the fact that he was in a fucking hole.
Distant voices were unequivocal as the make-shift, opaque beams of light . Their subtle attempts pathetically coughed through the haze.
"Be careful!", Tigerpool called blindly.
"I found Brightflower!" "Perfect!", Tigerpool replied, excited to have the company of another Redwoodclan Warrior. Brightflower was strong, and loving. She would probably excel in making Ravenpaw feel much more at ease as they effortlessly lifted him out. Wait, that's my job, Tigerpool questioned, wondering what the roles of a mentor truly demanded. Sure, he could teach Ravenpaw how to fight with the elite, and how to hunt to save their clan through desperate leaf-bare's, but serving as an act of guidance...well, he juggled this concept clumsily, embarrassed as he could barely guide his own paws.
Tigerpool could sense the tension in his awkward apprentices voice, his fear ebbing beneath his mask of self-reliance. He hoped that his own swathed confidence could be the boulder that this young tom needed. He would talk with him, but first, he had to get out. "Do you see anything you could lower down here? Be careful around the edges now!"
Ravenpaw's initial words filled the molly with immense worry. What did he mean they couldn't leave yet? She turned her fearful gaze towards the mist that surrounded them. Her heart pounded faster in her chest. She couldn't see anything around her. Just the mist, and Ravenpaw. Brightflower knew her mind would descend into chaos if they stood in this horrifying cloud of fog any longer.
But then Ravenpaw continued on. Tigerpool! She thought, green eyes wide. In a pit! It was insane to think that a tom as capable and strong as Tigerpool would succumb to the treacheries of their territory, but it made sense. She couldn't even see her paws at this point.
She stared into the ashamed eyes of Ravenpaw, worry clear in her expression. She looked up towards the direction of the pit. "Ravenpaw, It's okay." She followed after the jet black apprentice. "Warrior's don't need to be strong enough by themselves. You have your clan-mates."
She trailed behind the tom, watching her surroundings as closely as she could. She nodded towards Ravenpaw, carefully approaching the edge of the pit. She had to squint to see past the fog, but eventually the silhouette of the huge Tigerpool was made clear. He seemed to have fallen pretty deep, worrying the bright tabby molly. What if they couldn't get him out? The thought of losing Tigerpool pained her heart. She wasn't close to the tabby, but they had been apprentices at the same time. She cared for him just like she cared for all the clan. We have to get him out of there.... At Tigerpool's words, Brightflower backed up from the edge and looked around. Again, the fog blinded her view. "Oh I can't see much of anything Tigerpool. I...."She closed her mouth. She couldn't let her doubt flood from her. "But I'll find something. I promise."
With that, the molly turned away. I have to find something...
Brightflower's words gave Ravenpaw a little reassurance. But he also felt a flicker of doubt. True, they lived in a Clan and were stronger for their numbers but in an emergency, his Clanmates also needed to be able to count on him. He couldn't go through life only relying on others. He needed to be brave so that his Clanmates would be able to rely on him. Like Tigerpool. Ravenpaw glanced back towards the pit and felt a rush of admiration towards his mentor. There he was stuck in the ground by himself and if anything, he just seemed mildly annoyed.
Ravenpaw hoped he could be just like him one day. Not some little baby afraid of the mist.
The apprentice trotted after Brightflower, his eyes peeled for something they would be able to use to help Tigerpool out. Something caught his attention and he bounded over, sniffing at a large stick, likely a limb fallen from one of the many trees. It was obviously dead wood, but seemed sturdy. He hooked his claws in the bark and gave it a tug. The limb wobbled but, much to his frustration, he knew he wasn't strong enough to lift it on his own.
"Brightflower, take a look at this. Do you think this will work?" he asked. It seemed to him that it would be long enough for Tigerpool to climb up it like he would climb a tree. But not only did he need the warrior's help to move the branch, he also wanted validation that it would, indeed, be a good option.
"Brightflower, take a look at this. Do you think this will work?" “That’ll work fine”, Tigerpool reassured Ravenpaw as he heard the young tom’s confident voice. Truthfully, Tigerpool didn’t know what Ravenpaw had even found….but he didn’t particularly want to wait around either. Even more so, Tigerpool trusted Ravenpaw. His apprentice might be shaken at a time like this, what apprentice wouldn't?, but Ravenpaw was no mouse brain….
Ravenpaw. A tom that was just over 6 moons of age- and yet, was so mature,...moons more than Tigerpool was as an apprentice. Or, even a young warrior at that. A moment of pride swelled in the large tom, his eyes beginning to make way through the fog. Ravenpaw had a natural inclination for direction, Tigerpool reflected, admiring how brave the young tom had been without a single retort. Tigerpool truly was blessed to have some a complaint, but talented apprentice.
Ravenpaw had found someone through fog as thick as nightfall, but as lifeless as dust- tired, cold, and decrepit. Alone in their abysmal spaces, Ravenpaw reached into the terrain and brought another clanmate to help lift him to safety. Here above the tom's broad head, Tigerpool could see where a gray-blue sky lay dormant, whisps of cloud whispering across its stretching pelt. But still, it was sky. As daylight made its' debut through the transient fog, Tigerpool met the eyes of his two companions, Ravenpaw and Brightflower. I will raise the most loyal and talented warrior that Redwoodclan has to offer. We need it now, and for our future, Tigerpool tried to promise himself. The tom's heart string's lay sleeping for the worked hands of purpose to play an ambitious melody.
He had to do this now. Tigerpool couldn't fear responsibility. As one of the most experienced cats, denying his active role in leading even just one cat, would only put those he loved at risk. Tigerpool was here, alive, and well-respected. He didn't understand why, but if he was, there had to be a reason. If he couldn't trust himself, at least he could trust the judgements of others.
“Here, Brightflower you go behind Ravenpaw. Drag the stick towards me. Ravenpaw you take the front and try and meet my weight by shifting and pulling in the opposite direction. Brightflower, you peddle back and keep tugging. I’m going to try and claw my way up, and find footholds wherever I can. I want there to be breaks where I can alleviate some of the weight from you guys. Sound good?”, Tigerpool instructed, confidence beginning to once again bubble through the tom.
In a distant memory, Tigerpool could feel his own paws slipping against wet grass, its sloppy oozes sinking the tom with every step. "Keep up Tigerpool", the distant voice of Gorseheart encouraged. Tigerpaw tried not to cry, holding in the tears waiting to breach his eyes in fat, rolling droplets. In front of him, Gorseheart faded into the distant fog. But, was he gone? "Gorseheart", Tigerpaw screamed, the cold mud splashing against his pelt. Shivering and wet, the young tom stopped. Tall and wiry, the apprentice buckled. "Stop, relax", the low voice whispered from behind. Tigerpaw turned around to feel the warmth of his mentor's pelt. "One by one", he instructed, coaxing Tigerpaw to move his paws around the mud, seeking hard, frost-bitten ground to find his proper footing. "See", he purred. "It's not too bad, you just need to slow down, and put your body where it feels right".
It was ok to be scared, but everything was going to be ok. “Alright, get ready”, Tigerpool heaved, the grasp of his back-legs slipping easily into the paw-holds. Their locations were veiled, but generous around the sinkhole. In his teeth, Tigerpool grasped the branch. He looked up at Ravenpaw and Brightflower with a nod. This was his cue. They would have to prepare. Tigerpool lunged forward with a massive jump only to grasp onto the branch. Desperately, his paws scanned the terrain for another edge. He didn't have time to wonder how they would hold up. He had to do this quickly. Tigerpool felt the cold, hard surface of compacted dirt and sunk his claws into it, his nails ribboning shreds of soil before reaching a solid stance. It would only take one more leap to safety.
Ravenpaw made sure to listen carefully to the instructions the warriors were giving him as he helped Brightflower move the limb towards the hole. He braced himself for a moment before nodding to Brightflower that he was ready. As they lowered the branch to meet Tigerpool, the black apprentice was relieved to have something to focus on other than the suffocating fog. He dug his claws into the soft earth as they began to pull his mentor free from the ground. He knew that Tigerpool was a big and strong cat, but hadn't truly been ready for the amount of strength it was going to take to free him.
When he saw the tabby's ears stick up over the edge of the hole, he almost let go in his excitement, but caught himself in time to keep on task. They were so close... almost there and then they could celebrate. Then with a final leap, Tigerpool found himself standing before his Clanmates, above ground and seemingly no worse for wear. Ravenpaw was so relieved he almost rushed forward to press against his mentor's side, but he schooled himself and settled instead for a gentle approach and touching noses. Good thing, too, because the last thing they needed was for Ravenpaw to forget his own size and tackle him back into the pit.
He turned so he was standing beside Tigerpool and facing the other warrior. "Thank you so much for your help, Brightflower," he purred. Honestly, he felt like he could collapse with relief. Adrenaline had had his heart pounding in his chest from the first moment he realized how alone he was in the still forest. Now he was reunited with his mentor and he didn't have to worry anymore. He'd found help. They'd freed Tigerpool. It seemed that everything had worked out for the best.
A smirk spread across Tigerpool’s face, he felt his own dry, dehydrated nose briskly grace that of his mentees “Thank you”, Tigerpool purred, a bit flustered by the situation at hand.
“You’re good to head back to camp now, the fog appears to be lifting in your favor”, Tigerpool called to Brightflower, he grazed a bronze tabby tail across her shoulder before pointing in the direction back towards camp. Immediately, he was shocked. Was this really all the ground they have covered? Familiar trees began to line his peripheral, their smells no longer cloaked in the suffocating film. Only soft bouts of haze clustered around low hanging branches, a fine mist filtered the terrain but was opaque in nature. As seen from the abyss, a clear grey sky and sporadic breaks of sunlight through generous trees.
“I really needed you right there, both of you”, Tigerpool admitted brightly with a soft chuckle,. exposing his embarrassment. How different this Tigerpool felt. The recent turn of events had left a jubilee step in his paw, relieved to be lifted from the abyss and riding of the high of his new-found realizations. Perhaps that, or the sheer adrenaline warming his previously cold and aching form.
As Tigerpool pulled himself back he surveyed Ravenpaw’s build. His broad head meet the midline of Tigerpool’s breast plate, his muscles once lean and wiry, appeared to tone and build. Like him, Ravenpaw was a large tom. Tigerpool's eyes traced down to even larger, platform paws. He would grow into them someday, and perhaps rival himself in size…easily. Ravenpaw would make a fine fighter, indeed. He needed just the right guidance.
“Hey, I still have some wind left in me. How about we catch just a little something so we don’t go back empty pawed, then make our way back to camp?”, TIgerpool suggested with a broad grin. His icy eyes met the amber gaze of his trainee. Ravenpaw was young and full of youthful energy- even if he was exhausted from this physically and mentally draining expedition, pushing him just a bit more would be fine. Tigerpool could tell, Ravenpaw had it in him. And besides, he wanted a quick opportunity to speak with his apprentice, independently, before they returned to the idle duties of camp life.
Tigerpool watched Brightflower bound off, her pelt radiant in the ill-defined lights, the occasional sparkles of linear streams interviewing the contours of her shape. He waited until Brightflower’s depart through the foliage. Her closing act. A few heartbeats pause.
“So…Ravenpaw”…Tigerpool began unsure how to start.
Ravenpaw puffed his chest out at Tigerpool's praise. He had managed to do as his mentor asked without letting him down and now they could return home like nothing had ever happened. It was a massive relief to was the least.
"I still have some wind left in me..." The apprentice perked at the suggestion of hunting. He picked up a forepaw and flexed it so his claws flashed in the sun that was finally beginning to make an appearance. It's about time, the black tom thought irritably as he reflected back on his fear and confusion as he tried to navigate through the thick fog. "Hunting sounds great," he purred. He would be able to show Tigerpool how well he could catch prey and provide for his Clanmates.
Like, Tigerpool, he watched Brightflower leave while batting stray leaves around his paws to keep himself entertained. Once she was out of earshot, he turned to ask if the older tom was ready to go too. But Tigerpool started first. So, Ravenpaw... and his voice caught in his throat. He looked up at his mentor with wide, curious eyes, wondering what he was going to say. He'd already been praised for helping, so surely he wasn't in trouble, but it was clear that the tabby had something to say. "Yes, Tigerpool?" he mewed. He turned so he was facing him, still scuffling in the leaf litter while he waited.
"Oh uhm...", Tigerpool stalled idly, unsure how to navigate the conversation. What did he want to say?
"I know you hid it well and kept a level head, but I could really tell you were afraid out there. I mean, I don't blame you...." he trailed off awkwardly, hoping he hadn't embarrassed the apprentice. "I mean, anyone would be", he added quickly. He paused for a moment, allowing himself to summon both the courage to continue, and the words he wanted to execute. The tom lifted his broad head to watch a distant bird flea from the branches of a shedding oak. Its' warm hues dotted their surroundings in vibrant bouts, the fog relieving them of its' cloak. The haze dissipated, and the sun itself began to make its way through the more forgiving skies.
"But it's ok", Tigerpool continued. "I know you're really hard on yourself sometimes Ravenpaw. I just want you to know that it took me a long time to figure this out, and that's why I'm telling you now- if you haven't figured it out already. It's really OK to be afraid. That's why we're here, as a clan", Tigerpool closed his eyes slowly, opening them to seize the gaze of his seemingly receptive apprentice. "If you need anything, I'm here. Ok?", Tigerpool mewed with a smirk, playfully batting the shoulder of his trainee with a large paw. "I mean, today you had to save my ass, but like, in the future of course", he mused playfully, his voice warm with appreciation.
