[Phoenix]

So this is ice? He prodded it again with a small paw, his head tilted as he stared at his namesake. When he had been a kit, the young tom had occasionally found himself wondering what 'ice' was. The various explanations that he had been given were thought provoking, to say the least, but they did not make sense. 'Frozen water'. Well, what was frozen? 'Water that was solid, like a rock. It no longer moved when it was poked.' Icepaw, then Icekit, had tried to understand, but the concept was too alien to imagine. Water always moved, even when it was in a small puddle.

But now, Icepaw finally understood what they had been trying to explain. Ice was weird, and he could not figure out why he had been named after the odd substance. It was not strikingly white like his pelt - no, that was the snow on top of it. Snowpaw, his brother and Rookfrost's apprentice, had been named after snow, and Icepaw could see exactly why; the other tom's pelt blended in almost perfectly. Perhaps they couldn't have two Snowkits and Snowpaws at one time. I suppose that would be rather confusing, he mused idly, tail tip flicking as he settled himself down beside the frozen stream.

Behind him, the snow crunched as something - presumably a fellow feline - walked across it. Icepaw did not pay the sound much attention, acknowledging its existence with a slight flick of the ear. This deep in the territory, it could be no one but one of his clan-mates.

[Fawn]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=style,border: #000000 solid 10px;][atrb=style,-moz-border-radius: 0px 0px 20px 20px;][atrb=style,border-radius: 0px 0px 20px 20px;][bg=4e4e4e] [style=font-size: 30px; color: #E5C442; font-family: Nothing You Could Do;text-align: center; margin-bottom: 5px;]RAPIDWIND LIGHTNINGCLAN WARRIOR TOM - 32 MOONS[/style][style=margin-bottom: -30px] [/style][style= background-color: #bbbbbb; width: 410px; color: #222222; font-size: 8.5px; text-align: justify; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-top: 30px; font-family: verdana;] "Daydreaming again, Icepaw?" The young white tom had been right; it was another LightningClan cat, and fortunately it would be one young Icepaw would know well, he'd practically been a second father to him, after all. Rapidwind stifled a yawn, the brawny but compact warrior trudging through the snow with a little less swagger than usual, a side effect of having hunted late into the night to make sure the freshkill pile was actually a pile and not like...two sorry excuses for a morning meal. If the situation got any more dire, Rapidwind had joked with himself, then he would start hunting foxes, and they'd see just how that tasted like. What had brought Icepaw out here, of all things? To find out where the prey had gone? To discover his namesake? That was one of the things his young apprentice (and adoptive son, if he could be so bold as to consider him that) seemed to be hung up on, right next to colors. Rapidwind was still waiting for a zany explanation on why he was silver with black stripes, considering Rookfrost was black because he stayed in his den all the time, and Snowpaw & Icepaw were white because they stayed out in the light. What about ginger cats then? Did they absorb the light from the sun? Rapidwind hadn't had such an odd sense of humor until he'd started talking with Icepaw. Sitting down beside the smaller white tom, the scarred, battle-born warrior watched his breath come out in clouds for a few seconds, feeling comfortable in the quietness. "Have you caught anything?" He finally said, after a brief respite. Considering the scarcity of prey, Rapidwind wouldn't blame the apprentice for striking out, however, it would probably be best if they got a move on... [/style][style=-moz-border-radius: 0px 0px 10px 10px; border-radius: 0px 0px 10px 10px; background-color: #8b8a8a; width: 410px; color: #222222; font-size: 8.5px; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; font-family: verdana;]×× words 326 ×× tags namessss ×× notes stufffff[/style][style=-moz-border-radius: 0px 0px 10px 10px; border-radius: 0px 0px 10px 10px; background-color: #bbbbbb; width: 200px; color: #222222; font-size: 8.5px; text-align: justify; text-align: center; margin-bottom: 5px; font-family: verdana;]credit goes to ZETTA! of LS & BTN[/style]

[Phoenix]

The satisfaction that filled every cat when their guesses were confirmed as correct was warm and pleasant. It was a mixture of emotions, Icepaw had realized. There was contentment, but also a bit of pride and confidence. Like it always did, this curious sensation flowed through him when his suspicions were proved correct. At the sound of the familiar voice, one corner of his lips curled upward, forming a small, lopsided smile. He stared at the ice for a moment longer before raising his blue eyes to the familiar brown ones of his mentor. "You say that like it's a bad thing," Icepaw commented idly, that smile still warping his face. His tail flicked before he added, "Hello Rapidwind. How are you today?"

The snow beside him crunched beneath the weight of the warrior as he moved up to sit beside him. The smile spread across his mouth. It had surprised Icepaw how much he had come to enjoy his mentor's company, even when they sat in silence like this. He had never thought that his mentor would take up such a large space in his heart. Of course, Rapidwind was a close friend of his mother's; in a sense, he had always been there, right? The various training sessions and patrols had only strengthened the bond to where he now noticed it quite frequently. And the silence was quite enjoyable...

Rapidwind spoke, and Icepaw flicked an ear. Had he caught something? He traced a line in the snow, watching with fascination as the white substance parted before his unsheathed claw. "Only the snow," He replied lightly, curling his paw and scooping up some of the flakes. "The cold has stolen everything. There is nothing left to catch." It was so simple for him to see, and he could not, for the life of him, understand why the grown cats - and even his sister - refused to accept what was so obviously a fact.

[Fawn]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=style,border: #000000 solid 10px;][atrb=style,-moz-border-radius: 0px 0px 20px 20px;][atrb=style,border-radius: 0px 0px 20px 20px;][bg=4e4e4e] [style=font-size: 30px; color: #E5C442; font-family: Nothing You Could Do;text-align: center; margin-bottom: 5px;]RAPIDWIND LIGHTNINGCLAN WARRIOR TOM - 32 MOONS[/style][style=margin-bottom: -30px] [/style][style= background-color: #bbbbbb; width: 410px; color: #222222; font-size: 8.5px; text-align: justify; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-top: 30px; font-family: verdana;] "The cold has stolen everything. There is nothing left to catch." Several months ago, a flicker of annoyance would have crossed the silver and black-tabby face of Rapidwind at the words Icepaw had just spoken. Letting out a brash chuckle, the older tom nudged Icepaw's flank with his side, perhaps a little more vigorously than originally intended. "That doesn't change the fact that there are hungry mouths to feed and several more weeks 'till Newleaf. It's going to seem pointless, I know, but you can't sit around lookin' at snow when there's still so much to do." Rapidwind could think of a hundred different things Icepaw could be doing that was more useful than scooping up snow in his claws - he could help change the elders' bedding, he could patch up the hole in the wall of their den, he could make sure the queens and the kits in the nursery were getting enough water, so on and so forth. It had originally agitated him to no end to have an apprentice with very little can-do attitude and a lot more why-bother?. He completely understood Icepaw's behavior, however; not only did his young apprentice have somewhat of a lax, unhurried behavior about him, he was definitely a thinker. The words pouring out of the white tom's mouth were not born of laziness or a lack of a desire to do his duty, logically speaking, the weather and his own skills of inference had told him there was no prey to be caught. Thus here they were, mentor and apprentice, trying to work with each other's vastly different natures. Rapidwind was the sort of tom to work until he dropped, and the idea of sitting around pawing at snow was unthinkable, but he'd been forced to change his perspective quite a bit since Icekit had become Icepaw. Wanting badly to prove to Dovesong that he would take good care of her precious bundle, as well as feeling as though he owed it to Icepaw to be the best mentor the young tom needed, Rapidwind was taking things in stride. "C'mon," cat-called the warrior, gesturing with the tip of his silver&black-striped tail, "If you aren't up for hunting, let's check out Sun Stones. Apparently a couple StoneClan cats have been sniffing around there more-so than usual. " There was a battle coming. The stocky silver tabby could feel it. [/style][style=-moz-border-radius: 0px 0px 10px 10px; border-radius: 0px 0px 10px 10px; background-color: #8b8a8a; width: 410px; color: #222222; font-size: 8.5px; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; font-family: verdana;]×× words 439 ×× tags namessss ×× notes stufffff[/style][style=-moz-border-radius: 0px 0px 10px 10px; border-radius: 0px 0px 10px 10px; background-color: #bbbbbb; width: 200px; color: #222222; font-size: 8.5px; text-align: justify; text-align: center; margin-bottom: 5px; font-family: verdana;]credit goes to ZETTA! of LS & BTN[/style]

[Phoenix]

At the nudge, blue eyes tore themselves away from the snow, landing on familiar brown ones. Ears flicked at his words, and he made a noncommital noise. Hungry mouths or not, there was simply no food to fill their stomachs. He could not change that no matter how hard he wanted to, but he had come to realize that Rapidwind did not share his outlook on the world. The tom was far more determined to find prey where no prey would be found, far more - what, devoted? - to his duties. Unlike his apprentice, the warrior was not one to conserve his energy for reasonable goals; it had not taken Icepaw long realize that Rapidwind would use every ounce of his being to complete a task, even if the task was impossible.

What did he think about it? He could not understand why cats acted this way. Frostpaw seemed to have developed that same inability to recognize the pointlessness of various tasks; perhaps Rapidwind and his sister would have been better suited as mentor and apprentice. But then, he could not imagine himself apprenticed to the rather formidable Sleetshine. Despite their differences, he and Rapidwind had learned to cooperate and get along together. In his mind, that was what mattered. As long as warriors worked together to accomplish their task and fought side by side should that be required, individual cats could disagree with each other's opinions all they wanted. That was the beauty of a clan. There were so many distinct personalities, but when all was said and done, they had each other's backs.

At least, that was the ideal clan.

Rapidwind spoke, interrupting his musings. "Okay," He meowed simply. Prey was gone, but the borders were not. And it sounded like StoneClan had been rather antagonistic lately. "But they realize that we have no more prey than they do?" The only reason he could imagine another clan lurking around a border was in order to test it any in hope of finding more prey. Why would StoneClan believe that any other clan had more prey than themselves? The cold was everywhere; it had stolen every bit of prey from every clan. They were all scrawny. They all consisted of fur and bone. When he looked around camp, he was always met with a rather depressing sight. But there was nothing he could do to change it.

[Fawn]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=width,450,true][atrb=style,border: #000000 solid 10px;][atrb=style,-moz-border-radius: 0px 0px 20px 20px;][atrb=style,border-radius: 0px 0px 20px 20px;][bg=4e4e4e] [style=font-size: 30px; color: #E5C442; font-family: Nothing You Could Do;text-align: center; margin-bottom: 5px;]RAPIDWIND LIGHTNINGCLAN WARRIOR TOM - 35 MOONS[/style][style=margin-bottom: -30px] [/style][style= background-color: #bbbbbb; width: 410px; color: #222222; font-size: 8.5px; text-align: justify; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-top: 30px; font-family: verdana;] "You're not wrong, Icepaw," mewed the sturdy silver warrior, tiger-striped head swinging around to look the snowy white tom in the eyes. "But you have to understand something - Trying and failing is better than not trying at all. If the Clans just gave up or took the cynical route when times got hard, then we wouldn't have survived this long." It was obvious that Icepaw was a thinker. However, Rapidwind would do with a little less thinking and a little more feeling. That was part of warriorhood too, having a cultivated understanding and empathy for others, and not just those within your own borders, either. Then again, trying to provoke his young apprentice into thinking more with his heart than his head wasn't quite right. It was then that Rapidwind realized training Icepaw like he would train a younger version of himself just wasn't going to make the cut; he would have to adapt then, even though he was skeptical of his own teaching methods to an analytical creature like Icepaw, to better suit the white tom's educational needs. Right. Best switch to a philosophical approach. Yeesh he felt weird just thinking about that word. Philosophical. This was so not his area of expertise, but at least it was about a topic that he could personally and totally relate to. "What does being a warrior mean to you, Icepaw? And I don't want some standard answer, either. I want to honestly hear your definition of a warrior." Called Rapidwind as he led the white tom towards the invisible line of separation between LightningClan and StoneClan (though marked by the Sun Stones, to which StoneClan currently lay claim over). Though he wasn't expecting too positive of an answer, it would at least give Rapidwind something to work with. Now the question was - do I change Icepaw's perception of what a warrior is, or do I just leave him be and let him think what he wants? Gahhh. There was no easy answer, that was for sure. Rapidwind would've long since gotten frustrated, had Icepaw not been the son of the she-cat he was so madly in love with. Though it wasn't just for her that he wanted so badly for Icepaw to become the warrior they were both picturing him to be; he too, was exceptionally fond of that analytical ball of white fur. [/style][style=-moz-border-radius: 0px 0px 10px 10px; border-radius: 0px 0px 10px 10px; background-color: #8b8a8a; width: 410px; color: #222222; font-size: 8.5px; text-align: justify; padding: 5px; font-family: verdana;]×× words 439 ×× tags namessss ×× notes stufffff[/style][style=-moz-border-radius: 0px 0px 10px 10px; border-radius: 0px 0px 10px 10px; background-color: #bbbbbb; width: 200px; color: #222222; font-size: 8.5px; text-align: justify; text-align: center; margin-bottom: 5px; font-family: verdana;]credit goes to ZETTA! of LS & BTN[/style]

[Phoenix]

He had little trouble meeting Rapidwind's steady gaze, blue eyes rising to meet the brown ones as he listened to the warrior's words. Acknowledging the older tom's point with a flick of the ear, he nodded in understanding of what his mentor was trying to say. It was better to try than not try at all - he agreed that much - but it was also important to know when to stop and save energy for when it would actually be of use. He didn't want LightningClan or any other clan to starve, but they could bring around their own downfall just as easily by overtaxing themselves.

Everything would be easier if New-Leaf would come and the prey would return, He mused, tail flicking as he absent-mindedly shadowed Rapidwind's stride. But if he could control the changing of the seasons, would he want to? There had to be something rewarding about Leaf-Bare, right? There was a reason it existed, correct? And would that be weather or the seasons themselves that he would have power over? If he had control over the weather, then he would be able to make the temperatures warmer in Leaf-Bare and fool the prey into thinking that the weather was still pleasant - except that it would actually be pleasant, because he would be able to control it. And he wasn't too fond of the snow and ice, even if he and his siblings had been named after such odd substances. If those ceased to exist with every Leaf-Bare, then would he, Frostpaw, and Snowpaw be the last cats named in such a way?

His thoughts abruptly took a sharp turn, moving off into a completely different direction as his mentor's question interrupted his train of thought. What did he think about being a warrior? That was a very interesting question. It was only fair that he give one in return for such a thought-provoking inquiry, and in an immediate response, Icepaw spoke the first thought that crossed his mind. "What would you do if you could control the weather, Rapidwind?"

Though he kept an ear alert for the warrior's reply, he allowed his mind to wander. What did being a warrior mean to him? A warrior's duties were to protect, feed and fight for his clan. Were those first and last ones too similar? He wasn't sure, but after a moment of pondering, he decided that they were and grouped them together. A warrior was also supposed to train the newest generation of warriors and uphold the Warrior Code. They were competent in their abilities to hunt and fight, as well as tracking and making correct decisions. They formed the bulk of their clan and were the role-models for every aspiring kit. Being a warrior meant that he was able to do all of that and then some.

"A warrior is very important," He responded simply after a long silence. "A warrior should protect and feed his clan, but he should also be able to teach his apprentice. He should know how to make the right decisions and understand that there will always be a younger pair of eyes who looks up to him for guidance." Icepaw paused for a moment. "Being a warrior means being a good cat."

[/blockquote]

[Fawn]

RAPIDWIND

LightningClan

"What would you do if you could control the weather, Rapidwind?"

Ignoring the irony of that statement and his name, Rapidwind appeared to be giving it some serious thought, both toms falling into a pensive silence as they were left alone with their intellect to try and form a cohesive answer. What would I do if I could control the weather, huh? Gotta be honest, no one's ever asked me such a weird question before. If he had to be fair, he would say that it would be newleaf all year round - not too hot, not too cold, with the air being too damp still for the forests and the moorlands to catch fire, like they occasionally did during the summer moons. While entertaining such pleasant thoughts of endless fields of green, abundant prey and fat and happy Clanmates back at camp, it occurred to Rapidwind that there had to be a reason for four seasons in the first place.

Greenleaf was a time of prosperity, when nature was at it's fullest and it's brightest. Leaf-fall was a little trickier to find the purpose of, but Rapidwind supposed it was meant to let the forest prepare itself for winter, to allow the animals to store enough food and build up enough fat to hibernate all through the winter. It coincided with the lifespans of many plants here, Rapidwind now realized, the tom newly blow away by how much he had taken the seasons for granted, having settled for a rather shallow view of the forest's life cycles, complaining about them as only a warrior such as himself could.

And then came Leafbare. What was there to say about this season? That it gave the forest a chance to gather it's strength for the coming new leaf? That the forest needed to repair itself before the spring arrived? Rapidwind did not have the knowledge needed to accurately defend the purpose of Leafbare, so he wouldn't try, but he did acknowledge the fact that it was most definitely important. Newleaf was self explanatory, it was a time when the forest made it's full comeback, the animals woke up, and the plants began to grow again.

It was the season of hope.

With his answer prepared, Rapidwind fixed the younger pure white tom with an even stare, listening quietly and without judgment to the words his apprentice spoke, glad to at last hear his answer on just what a warrior was.

"A warrior should protect and feed his clan, but he should also be able to teach his apprentice. He should know how to make the right decisions and understand that there will always be a younger pair of eyes who looks up to him for guidance." [...] "Being a warrior means being a good cat."

Rapidwind chuckled, looking at Icepaw with a brand new fondness. "You speak as though you've spent many moons as a warrior already, Icepaw. I know your sister thinks you spend too much time thinking, but hold on to that introspective nature of yours, because a warrior is more than brute strength and cunning, as you've stated it so well. A warrior is a cat who must be mindful of his actions, respectful towards his deputy and leader, kind to those who deserve his compassion, and brave when times are bleak."

Glancing at the abysmal winterscape around them, Rapidwind added a bit more quietly. "Now is the time to be brave. Now is the time to not let those younger eyes see you worry and see you giving up, Icepaw. That is why we try, even when it seems pointless." The older silver tabby touched his tail-tip to Icepaw's ear in a sign of companionship. "So that when those younger eyes become old eyes, like mine, they will be able to keep calm and carry on just like the cats have before them."

He would answer Icepaw's question in a moment. He wanted those words to sink in first.

[Phoenix]

Ears flicked at Rapidwind's words, and he did not prevent that small smile from curving his lips upward at the warmth that had blossomed within him from the offhand compliment. Frostpaw often stated very bluntly that he thought to much, and while he privately disagreed, he had never thought it worth the energy and subsequent scoff that would follow any argument on his part. He had never thought that thinking was bad, but it was nice to have that quality acknowledged. Blue eyes turned to meet his mentor's gaze, and he nodded silently in response. What else could he do?

Looking back down at his paws, the tom fully considered the older warrior's words. "A warrior is a cat who must be mindful of his actions, respectful towards his deputy and leader, kind to those who deserve his compassion, and brave when times are bleak." He liked the way they rolled so easily off his tongue, so smoothly and eloquently, almost as much as he liked the message they held. A warrior was not all brawn and sheer power. A warrior was a good cat. That was what a warrior was, and that was what he was training to become. Pride began to fill him at the thought, though he nudged it aside with whispered promises. If he ended up being a warrior who fulfilled all of those qualities, then he could own up to that pride. Until then, he would remain humble and quiet. There was always something he needed to learn, and thinking too highly of himself would prevent that from happening.

Rapidwind had said that it was time to be like the brave and resiliant warrior, the one who never gave up. Even if it was only for show, he supposed that it promoted good qualities in younger cats. Determination, for one, and a sense of duty so strong that it could not be conquered by unfavorable circumstances for another. "Keep calm and carry on," He murmured quietly, eyes flicking up to the familiar tabby form of his mentor. Even during moments of friendship and companionship like this, Rapidwind always seemed to have this air of competence and confidence, as if nothing could defeat him. He trusted in his abilities and retained the sheer optimism that times would get better. He found reasons to push one when his apprentice wanted to give up. Perhaps it was these qualities that the warrior hoped to instill in the younger white tom.

"I think I understand," said tom spoke softly, breaking the thoughtful silence that had fallen. "It's just..." He paused, searching for the right words to explain the origin of his skepticism. "Isn't it also good to know when you've lost the fight? When it's time to cut your losses and retreat to fight another day?" Tail flicking, he added, "I get what you're saying though. It'll just take time to start thinking like that."

[Fawn]

RAPIDWIND

LightningClan

"Isn't it also good to know when you've lost the fight? When it's time to cut your losses and retreat to fight another day?"

There he goes, using his head again. Rapidwind nodded sagely, the heavily scarred, stocky silver warrior finding the truth in the younger tom's words almost immediately. "Yes, it is also a mark of a good warrior to know when a battle cannot be won, or to know how to lose graciously, but those are things I can't quite teach you yet." It was more of a situational lesson, both of those things, and Rapidwind wasn't really the type for lectures (today was a special case, as this leafbare was a serious problem), he was definitely more hands on in his approach to teaching and absorbing knowledge himself. Signalling for Icepaw to come with him, Rapidwind calling pleasantly over his shoulder, in summary actually pleased they'd had this talk;

"Come on Icepaw, let's finish this patrol before your mother starts to worry where you've gone."

He could still remember the first time his mentor had tried to teach him how to lose graciously. Having so much to prove and too much pride had made for a difficult combination, when it came to losing respectably and keeping his dignity in tact. Rapidwind (Rapidpaw then) just hadn't been able to grasp the concept and always kept fighting.

As it turns out, the stubborn runty apprentice wouldn't learn what it truly meant to lose graciously or get into a fight he couldn't possibly win until he'd had his first battle.

For Icepaw's sake, however, Rapidwind hoped that his apprentice would take the easy route, not the hard one marked by battle yowls and ripped fur.

[Phoenix]

As the warrior spoke, he nodded along, glad to finally have an answer with the one qualm he had had with his mentor's words. He had been correct; it was important to know when it was better to retreat than keep on fighting, and that alone warmed him. The next question that immediately jumped to the tip of his tongue was when, at what point, should he say that enough was enough and flee? However, as if sensing his apprentice's thoughts, the striped warrior answered it. Disappointment flickered through him at the less than ideal response, though he accepted the warrior's words. Perhaps the definition of enough changed depending on the situation. There were limits on enough of everything, ranging from how much of his sister he could tolerate to how much training he could survive before collapsing. And even then, the amount of Frostpaw he could deal with in one day varied depending on a multitude of factors, like his own mood and her energy level. He supposed that the same rules applied to retreating.

Rapidwind's summons breifly interrupted his musings, and looking up, Icepaw agreed amiably, "Alright. But I'm an apprentice now. She doesn't have to worry that much." If he wasn't in camp, then he probably would be out training with the striped warrior like he was now or on patrol. Sometimes he wondered how Dovesong could have it within her to worry so much about them, but just as he thought that, the idea left his mind, dismissed as nothing worth pondering. His mother was just the way she was, and if that included worrying far too much, then there was nothing he could do about it.

But losing graciously was something he could do. It was an interesting idea that he had never before considered. Perhaps it was something like fighting fairly? Generally having a fair, clean spar seemed to be the accepted norm. Losing graciously might be included in that. He would not know, as his battle experience was limited to learning new moves one on one with his mentor. And he had not been one for play fights as a kit.

As he walked silently beside his mentor, he found his mind running on a previous track. If he could control the weather, then perhaps he would never lose. It would be a simple matter of blinding his opponent with sunlight, and then the battle would be over. "You know," He spoke suddenly, turning blue eyes curiously, unaccusingly on his mentor. "You never answered my question. What would you do if you could control the weather?"

[Fawn]

RAPIDWIND

LightningClan

"Oh - sorry, I do actually have an answer to that," mewed the silver tom, an apologetic smile flashing across his face - he'd almost completely forgotten about answering, so wrapped up was he in Icepaw's development and helping him see things from his perspective, for a change.
"I wouldn't change much," One of Rapidwind's ears flattened as though he had a bit of indecision over his eventual conclusion, but was sticking with his gut on things. "I would've made this winter a little less brutal, though. The greenleaf months wouldn't be so hot that it'd cause a drought, and the upcoming rains in newleaf wouldn't be so heavy it causes the prey to drown. Leaf-fall would arrive a little slower, so the Clans have more time to prepare."

Though he could've just stopped there, Rapidwind - though not normally quite so deep-thinking about these sorts of things - wanted to stress the importance each season actually played in the health and growth of the forest. "It's wrong to remove one of the seasons, even if no one seems to like leafbare all that much. Leafbare is the time where the earth heals and prepares for newleaf." That was his understanding of it, anyway. "Your mother might be able to explain that better," Rapidwind added with a bit of a sheepish grin. "I didn't pay too much attention as an apprentice when the elders bothered to explain it." Dovesong would know though, she may not have a knack for fighting but she's always been smart. Look at Icepaw, she obviously passed on quite a bit into her own son. He mused proudly, completely eliminating Cloudflight from the equation whenever he thought of Dovesong and her kits.

Hoping he had satisfied Icepaw's curiosity - or at least answered the question to his liking, Rapidwind studied the alabaster feline padding alongside him. You know... observed the older silver tom, you could end up being Icestar someday, you're intelligent and good at what you set your mind to. LightningClan is lucky to have you, Icepaw, and I'm more than glad I got you as my apprentice. Keeping the sentimentality locked inside, Rapidwind could only smile with an almost paternal kind of fondness.

He was looking forward very much to seeing Dovesong's kits reach their potential and live out their lives to the fullest.