[Deleted]

children, don't stop dancing
believe you can fly away

---

The silver tabby tom leapt gracefully into camp. Moons of avoiding the water had allowed him to find the narrowest part of the stream that flowed around the camp, and practice had made his hindlegs strong enough to cross the gap with ease. Unaware of any audience, he nearly floated across the camp, dropping a small mouse onto the fresh-kill pile.

The little brown creature stuck out against the pile of mostly fish, and Ottersplash's brown eyes saddened. His fear of water meant he couldn't fish, which made finding food for the Clan tougher for him. He always brought in the land-based prey, the mice and the voles and the birds and the occasional squirrel. He was a poor hunter, though, because most RainClan cats fished, so he really had no one to teach him.

With one last sorrowful look at the fresh-kill pile, Ottersplash turned away. When he walked away, he seemed to have deflated, his floaty gait now grounded and burdened. His tail dragged the ground and his head was ducked low, as though he expected a horde of warriors to come rushing at him to admonish him for being a failure of a cat.

He found a spot of higher ground at the edge of the camp, one of his favorite places to lay, and curled himself into a tight ball, brown eyes staring sadly out over the camp.

---

o t t e r s p l a s h

Hellion

[Hellion]

Swanfeather

---

Swanfeather had pulled herself once more out the grief that seemed to follow her like a cloud. It was becoming exhausting for the medicine cat to express her sadness and now it manifested in cold looks and few words. The death of Sandstar came to a shock and rocked the she-cat harder than she ever though possible, he was the leader chosen by StarClan! She had the dreams about him, why would they take him away so soon, RainClan still needed him. Silencing her thoughts by exiting her den with a growl, the seal pointed she-cat found clarity out in the open.

The second most recent death to plague her was the departure of Fernpaw, but watching the little apprentice dissolve with into her sickness in the most peaceful way possible, Swanfeather felt guilty for not being more shaken up about her death. Perhaps it was the she-cat's blindness that had Swanfeather somewhat indifferent about her survival, the forest was harsh and only the strongest survived. This shift in her ideas was born over the countless moon of loss because of those that weren't in their peak condition. Frostfang, the tom she shouldn't have loved died because of his deafness, Flickperaw drowned due to a lame leg and Fernpaw didn't die because of her disability but bad luck and poor health. Struggling now to find the room within her to care for anyone else but herself and the whole of RainClan.

Dismissing the dark thoughts were a lot harder than she thought, but it was possible and proven by her paws finding the fresh-kill pile. Catching the tail end of Ottersplash departing for higher ground, Swanfeather nosed around for something to eat. She favored the bird that were rarely brought in and for most of her life disliked the taste of fish in abundance. She'd eat one if truly hungry but the pretty blue-eyed she-cat much rather fill her belly with a plump land prey than a slimy water one.

A small blessing was given to her as she took notice of the plump mouse that stood out around the mound of silver. Taking it without pause, Swanfeather engulfed the meal in three well timed bites before licking her chops clean. Turning her attention toward Ottersplash she walked toward the silver tom in an attempt to make polite conversation as part of her forced healing. "I've never noticed it myself but have you always hunted land prey?" She asked him standing up and looking toward him with a emotional face.

---

Give me love like never before,
'Cause lately I've been craving more,
And it's been a while but I still feel the same,
Maybe I should let you go,

Word Count:: ---
Tag::Amber
Notes:: ---

[Deleted]

From his position ever so slightly above the rest of the camp, he noticed Swanfeather hovering over the fresh-kill pile. When she picked up the mouse he had brought in, his head lifted some, watching as she devoured the small meal. Swanfeather's gaze then turned, catching his.

Ottersplash knew there would be no chance to escape, and she was already making her way over to him. He sat up abruptly and tried not to look as terrified as he was, though his rising anxiety levels caused his fur to fluff out just a little more. Even though he knew it was going to come eventually, he still flinched when she spoke, the sound of her voice startling him.

"I've never noticed it myself but have you always hunted land prey?"

He couldn't meet her gaze. His brown eyes flicked down and to the side, as he struggled to speak. "Y-yea... I kn-kn-know it's n-not n-normal, b-but I c-can't f-f-fish. I c-can't hunt, either, b-but I gotta do something... I c-can't just b-be another m-mouth to f-feed, without he-helping out s-somehow." His pelt flushed hot with shame as he tripped and stumbled over his words, trying to explain but lacking the knowledge and finesse to do so successfully.

His eyes flitted back and forth between her face and the ground and his paws and the camp, as he tried to gauge her reaction while simultaneously trying to not appear like he was seeking an escape while he sought an escape. His anxiety was rising by the second, his heart pounding and thoughts racing.

[Hellion]

Swanfeather

---

Ottersplash looked like any second she was going to sprout five heads and try and devour him, but it seemed to be the default mode for the young tom in front of her. Trying her best to keep a calm face as his replied to her. His stop and go speech pattern had her ear's flicking to keep up. It took a sharp ear to really understand what he was trying to say, it would be somethign to get used to. Just from his brief reply it was apparent that he'd need to work on his confidence and to the black pointed she-cat it was a wonder how he made a warrior, but assumed that he had some skills even if he lacked confidence.

Watching him look back and forth from her then past her, Swanfeather held in her irritation toward him long enough to exhale a breath. "Ottersplash, I would like to offer you a change of pace. As you pay know Fernpaw past away a few moons ago and I've come to notice you and was wondering if you'd consider joining me as my apprentice. You've already earn a warrior name and know basic defense moves and how to for the most part take care of yourself. I'd like to train you to take care of the clan so that in the time of my death you will be able to take care of RainClan. She asked him, sitting back to appear less threatening in hopes he'd say yes. It would be a huge change for him but also a weight off her shoulders. Learning herbs and their uses was easy, it was training for life that was difficult.

---

I had a dream my life would be
So diff'rent from this hell I'm living
So diff'rent now from what it seemed
Now life has killed the dream I dreamed

Word Count:: ---
Tag::Amber
Notes:: ---

[Deleted]

The tom's ears pinned back against his skull. Change of pace? Become Swanfeather's apprentice? Return to training, but in closer quarters to another cat? And then she spoke of her death, and that stirred up a new wave of anxiety. What if she died before his training was finished? What if he was left alone as a half-trained medicine cat, tasked with the responsibility of taking care of RainClan on his own? His breathing had hiked up, coming in short, quick bursts, and his heart raced. But through his anxiety, a small realisation tugged at him.

He was already thinking of himself as her apprentice.

As that realisation solidified itself in his mind, he began to relax. His breathing slowed, his heartbeat grew less erratic. Ottersplash lifted his wide eyes to Swanfeather, his ears nervously shifting foward.

"O-okay." He blinked nervously a few times, ears flicking back and forth uncertainly. Now what?