[Deleted]

i am pride, and i am the fall
poisonleaf

---

The calico she-cat poked her nose into the apprentice's den, knowing her apprentice would still be asleep. The sun had barely risen, and the only hint of it was the brighter color of the sky, though that was difficult to see with the dark NightClan forest. Still. "Driftpaw. Wake up. Training." Her voice was brisk, and she didn't really care if she woke any of the other apprentices. She wanted to work with Driftpaw and get through a few different things today. The quicker they started, the quicker they could finish and be done with it.

Poisonleaf backed out of the apprentices den, waiting impatiently for Driftpaw to emerge, more than likely yawning and sleepy. It was early, too early for most cats to be awake. The warrior herself usually wouldn't be up, but a sleepless night had caused her to be restless, and ready to get a move on. She cast her venom green gaze toward her apprentice. "We're going to the Pineneedle Clearing. Here's the catch; it's a race. I want you to run as if your life depended on it. Imaging a pack of hounds on your heels. If you make it to the clearing before you, I'll let you rest. If I make it first, then you'll have to begin training sleepy and tired. Now go."

---

{twenty-nine moons} nightclan {she-cat} warrior

[Deleted]

DRIFTPAW

NightClan || Apprentice

It didn’t take much to wake Driftpaw. Still accustoming to his new nest in the Apprentices’ Den, the dark grey tom had been sleeping fitfully all night, overall probably getting only about 4-5 hours of sleep. It was just lucky that Driftpaw didn’t need much sleep to keep him going.
Blinking open wide amber eyes, he let himself get used to the dim light of dawn peeping in through the den entrance before getting to his paws and stretching out in his nest, spine arching. The meow which had awoken him had come from Poisonleaf, who was peering into the den, calico head just visible.
Driftpaw sat there, thinking for a moment, giving his mind the opportunity to get whirling before taking a deep breath of the cool, dawn air and stepping outside to join his mentor.
None of the other apprentice were awake, their sleeping forms silhouetted against the pale dawn light, meaning Driftpaw was the first up. It was lucky that Poisonleaf’s brisk mew had awoken any of the dark-furred tom’s new denmates, they would still get a bit more sleep before their mentors woke them.

Standing in the crisp dawn air, Driftpaw let his amber eyes wander around the camp briefly, checking to see if anyone else had awoken at such an early hour before returning to his mentor. When the calico warrior cast her venom green gaze over him, he couldn’t help but feel a shiver of anxiety rush down his spine. Driftpaw was very easy to get along with and found it easy to make friends, but he couldn’t help but feel a little nervous around Poisonleaf.
He was sure he would warm to her after a while, but right now, he was still trying to figure her out. Shifting the thoughts to the back of his mind, the dark grey tom fixed his mentor with eager amber eyes.
"We're going to the Pineneedle Clearing. Here's the catch; it's a race. I want you to run as if your life depended on it. Imaging a pack of hounds on your heels. If you make it to the clearing before you, I'll let you rest. If I make it first, then you'll have to begin training sleepy and tired. Now go."

Driftpaw gave a nod of understanding before fully realising what she had just said. Now go. Hitting him suddenly, the dark-furred apprentice jolted into action. Paws thudding against the earth, hardened by the lack of rain, the young tom made for the camp exit.
Emerging from NightClan’s camp, a warm breeze ruffled his pelt. It took a few moments to adjust to the light, after all, the NightClan camp was a series of underground caverns and having spent the whole of his life in them, it was a big step, being immersed in the pine forests of NightClan for the first time.
Blinking, Driftpaw continued to run, silently cursing his short legs. The dark grey tom wasn’t a LightningClan cat, he wasn’t all that great at running. He had good stamina, sure, you could give him that, but he lacked in speed.
It was then that Driftpaw realised he’d been running aimlessly and he suddenly stopped, skidding to a halt. Wait, where even is the Pineneedle clearing?

[Deleted]

P O I S O N L E A F
they say pride comes before the fall, but i am pride, and i am the fall

---

Poisonleaf paused for only a moment before chasing after her apprentice. Two bounds took her out of camp, where she easily and elegantly veered around the ambush pond. The sight of her apprentice up ahead brought a smirk to her face. She had forgotten that they hadn't yet explored the territory, and that was most likely her fault. 'Oh well.'

With no intention of stopping to chat, Poisonleaf darted past Driftpaw, silently leading the way. She slowed slightly, if only to give him a fighting chance. He was, after all, at a great disadvantage, being a newly made apprentice, smaller and inexperienced. There wasn't much fun to be had by obliterating an opponent in such an uneven match.

The calico she-cat allowed her stride to become lazy, with long, slow movements. Her mind wandered as she ran, flitting between thoughts with not much space in between. Perhaps she would take it easy on her apprentice today, covering the basics of hunting, and maybe a trip around the territory. Her mind was clearer now, her attentions focused on the run. Her bad mood seemed to be washed away by the rush of wind over her fur, and she even allowed herself a small smile. Maybe today would be a good day.

---

[Deleted]

DRIFTPAW

NightClan || Apprentice

The thud of pawsteps picked up by Driftpaw’s keen ears confirmed that Poisonleaf was following the dark grey tom. Glancing over his shoulder to see his mentor darting past him, a blur of calico fur against the darkness.
Blinking a few times before making his move, the long-furred apprentice jolted into action again, racing after his mentor. Paws thundering against the forest floor, Driftpaw headed in hot pursuit of his mentor. He wasn’t a gifted runner; he wasn’t fast, but he had fairly good stamina.
The dark grey tom knew Poisonleaf was being easy on him, her pace slower than what would normally be expected in a race, so Driftpaw figured he may just about have a chance of beating his mentor. His breathing heavy, the dark-furred tom decided to keep up his current speed and then, at the last minute, attempt to overtake his opponent.
The dawn sun had just began to peep over the horizon, casting dim rays across the pine forests. Feeling the pale sunlight hit his dark pelt, Driftpaw savoured the warmth rippling through him. It wasn’t that he was cold, but feeling heat upon his back gave him that little bit of extra strength.
The NightClanner was wondering if they were ever going to stop when something up ahead caught his owl-like amber eyes. Pale sunlight was spilling down onto the forest floor, it’s rays uninterrupted by trees of any sort.
Driftpaw smiled, That must be Pineneedle Clearing! His amber gaze drifted to Poisonleaf running ahead of him and his smile grew even bigger.
Breathing harder, the dark grey apprentice summoned all his remaining energy and began to pick up the pace. His pawsteps, which had before been a steady beat, were quickly accelerating in speed as the young tom began to make ground.
Finally catching up with his mentor, Driftpaw snuck a glance sideways at Poisonleaf, searching her face for a reaction to his sudden burst of speed. In all honesty, his muscles were starting to ache and the dark-pelted tom hoped they wouldn’t have to run much further.
If that wasn’t the Pineneedle Clearing up ahead… Driftpaw wasn’t sure what he’d do. Any moment now, he would make his move and attempt to get in front of his mentor by speeding up even more. The young apprentice just wasn’t sure whether he had enough stamina left to pick up the pace even more.

[Deleted]

OOC: Feel free to have him beat her there. xD

i've been beaten by the ones who get me off

---

Her stride long and easy, Poisonleaf maintained a relatively easy pace. Her body contracted and extended, pull and release, floating over the pine floor, slipping around each tall tree. When the pineneedle clearing was just barely in sight, Poisonleaf heard her apprentice's pawsteps quicken. When she finally sensed his presence beside her, she flicked her gaze toward him, finding him looking back at her.

With a smile and a wink, Poisonleaf picked up speed. Two pawsteps later, she swerved to the side kicking into a higher gear. Leaving Driftpaw with a straight shot to the clearing, she raced on, her intent being to circle around and come in on the opposite side. A quick glance over her shoulder confirmed that her young charge had not followed behind her.

Poisonleaf smiled again, though there was no one to see it this time. She ran at full speed, her path taking her in a wide arc around the clearing. Running hard, her muscles began to burn, but it was a welcome sensation. The trees she swerved around stood tall and firm, like immortal sentinels guarding the very ground that had birthed them.

Briefly, she pondered which tree was the tallest, and if a cat had ever attempted to find out. What a sight it must be, from the top of the tallest pine, looking out over the entire valley that gave life to five Clans. Her thoughts were pushed to the back of her mind, though, when the clearing once again came into view.

She had succeeded in circling around, and she now headed opposite her original direction of travel. She would now arrive across from Driftpaw, instead of beside him. Her paws raced toward her destination, her blood rushing through her veins, adrenaline flooding her mind. Pale green eyes narrowed as she drew closer, lightly pondering who would best who in this race.

---

P O I S O N L E A F

[Deleted]

DRIFTPAW

 

NightClan || Apprentice

Poisonleaf swerving off onto another path, Driftpaw was in the home run. The path ahead was clear for him to take the victory.
Picking up the pace, now running off his last reserves of energy, the dark grey tom ran for his life, heart firmly set on the Pineneedle Clearing.
The thundering of his paws churned up the settling of pine needles on the forest floor, the young apprentice swallowed up the ground, feeling his heart lift a little. I’m winning? I didn’t know I could run this fast! Driftpaw had never considered himself a fast runner, his stocky build obviously not proving ideal for a sprinting, but it just went to prove, if you put her mind to it, you could do anything.
At last arriving in the Pineneedle Clearing, victorious, the tom slammed on the brakes and skidded to a halt right under a great pine tree. Panting, Driftpaw stood there for a moment, just taking everything in; the victory, the dawn sun’s warmth on his dark pelt and the beauty of the forest.
At last having finished their high speed chase, the young apprentice was given the opportunity to admire their surroundings of NightClan’s territory for the first time. This was Driftpaw’s first time out of camp so the young dark-furred NightClannner quickly found himself blown away by it all.
Wow. the forest, being green-leaf, was bursting with life. The tall thin pines that dominated the skyline had exploded into life, their branches laden with long, finger-like pine needles. The scents of prey exploding in Driftpaw’s nostrils was enough to make the tom want to burst.
Gazing around, head held high, he dark-pelted tom couldn’t help but feel a rush of pride for his clan, NightClan truly is the best clan. There’s no other clan I’d rather be in.

[Deleted]

DRIFTPAW

 

NightClan || Apprentice

Poisonleaf swerving off onto another path, Driftpaw was in the home run. The path ahead was clear for him to take the victory.
Picking up the pace, now running off his last reserves of energy, the dark grey tom ran for his life, heart firmly set on the Pineneedle Clearing.
The thundering of his paws churned up the settling of pine needles on the forest floor, the young apprentice swallowed up the ground, feeling his heart lift a little. I’m winning? I didn’t know I could run this fast! Driftpaw had never considered himself a fast runner, his stocky build obviously not proving ideal for a sprinting, but it just went to prove, if you put her mind to it, you could do anything.
At last arriving in the Pineneedle Clearing, victorious, the tom slammed on the brakes and skidded to a halt right under a great pine tree. Panting, Driftpaw stood there for a moment, just taking everything in; the victory, the dawn sun’s warmth on his dark pelt and the beauty of the forest.
At last having finished their high speed chase, the young apprentice was given the opportunity to admire their surroundings of NightClan’s territory for the first time. This was Driftpaw’s first time out of camp so the young dark-furred NightClannner quickly found himself blown away by it all.
Wow. the forest, being green-leaf, was bursting with life. The tall thin pines that dominated the skyline had exploded into life, their branches laden with long, finger-like pine needles. The scents of prey exploding in Driftpaw’s nostrils was enough to make the tom want to burst.
Gazing around, head held high, he dark-pelted tom couldn’t help but feel a rush of pride for his clan, NightClan truly is the best clan. There’s no other clan I’d rather be in.