[Hellion]

♛

Leafbare 7

Her paws nearly slipped on frozen mud as she ventured toward the Pineneedle clearing. The black and sleek she-cat had given strict orders to her apprentice to arrive at the clearing promptly after cleaning out the elder's den. Starlingcry had changed drastically over the course of her life and it was most prominent with her interactions with her clanmates.

She remained snarky and rude, giving back handed comments and held an aggressive nature. She had a complete disregard of those who had more seniority. She figured if her father, the greatest deputy of NightClan could die by the claws of a monster then anyne else could to, so what is the point of being the oldest active warrior?

This dark cloud of thought hung on every action that Starlingcry took in her life. She hunted for the good of herself and if she managed to gain a few extra prey then it was a good day. Her claws itched the protect the borders not because she valued her Clanmate's lives but because she valued her very small family.

Starlingcry was a shell of her former self and the new apprentice would come to realize that soon enough. The clearing into view of her striking blue eyes and despite the cold she sat down in the middle and waited

### | Fawn | notes: .

ulla

[Fawn]

[smear:663399]Hollypaw[/smear:e61985]
6 Moons. She-Cat. NightClan.

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire

---

Hollypaw had never met the 'real' Starlingcry; she could not tell that the cat who ordered her around each day was the broken remains of a much more confident, content warrioress. Born with a hefty sense of entitlement, Hollypaw had riled at Starlingcry's abrasive treatment, but a stern look from Blackwolf had quelled her natural urge to rebel.

She finished changing the Elders' bedding, shaking bits of musty moss and dry, brittle pine needles into the snow just outside camp. What is HER problem? Making me clean out the Elders Den first thing in the morning! UGH. Hollypaw knew that Starlingcry was a former apprentice of her father's, but that gave the older she-cat little reason to treat her so poorly.

The sleek black feline shook off a few flakes and set a quick pace for the Pineneedle Clearing, not bothering to look for prey or watch for tracks; she had strict orders to follow, and if she came back to the camp without any fresh kill—that was Starlingcry's fault, not hers. She spotted the obsidian warrioress sitting still as a stone in the center of the clearing, and she raised her tail aloft to announce her arrival, mewing with some reproach.
"Elders' Den is clean." Hollypaw's whiskers twitched, eyes brightening. "Are we going to do something fun now?" Or at least exciting. Bonepaw got all the cool training sessions.

---

'Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar

Word Count: 255 Words
Tags: Hellion

[Hellion]

♛

Starlingcry's striking blue eyes had closed as she mentally prepared for interaction with her apprentice. She normally was a stunning social butterfly, she and Featherpaw would talk for hours together until she left. She could remember that day perfectly it was before Roughthroat death and before her change.

Featherpaw had nuzzled her as all friends do. StarClan had given her a mission to venture past the mountains and back to where the warriors first came to be. It would be a long and tiresome journey but it was important for the good of all the Clans. Yet that void of her best friend had been the first fraction within Starlingcry with her father's death being the last blow to shatter everything.

The words and scent of Hollypaw is what brought Starlingcry back into focus as she blinked her eyes open. She nodded in approval to what her apprentice had said but her eyes narrowed quickly in a glare.

"Warriorhood is not fun Hollypaw," She spoke emotionless before rising to her paws. "There is nothing fun about hunting for prey that isn't there or fighting without any strength," Starlingcry spoke those words with such curt tension in her voice there wasn't a flicker of anything kind in tone.

"Go mask your scent with pine needles and dirt, then attempt to ambush me," Starlingcry finished her order with a flick of her tail before moving to stand in the center again.

### | TAG | notes: .

ulla

[Fawn]

[smear:663399]Hollypaw[/smear:e61985]
9 Moons. She-Cat. NightClan.

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire

---

The young she-cat’s ears pinned back. Warriorhood is not fun. Those were Starlingcry’s words. ”What’s the point then?” She murmured, having trouble understanding the chilly inflection in everything that came out of her mentor’s mouth. She knew Starlingcry was a detached, chilly feline to get to know (which is why Hollypaw didn’t try a friendly approach), but Hollypaw had been born with her mother’s daring, questioning spirit.
”Why should we work hard and fight hard, if there’s nothing great about it?” Verdant eyes glimmering, Hollypaw struggled with this concept. Growing up, she had been instilled with that typical NightClan arrogance, and being Blackwolf’s daughter seemed to double it. Raised under the truisms of Might is Right, and Death Before Dishonor, the she-cat was forced to question these values. Did it really matter, in the end?

Hollypaw felt disgruntled, and it showed in the swish-sway of her tail tip, rapidly flicking in a key sign of irritation. Starlingcry must be wrong. NightClan’s worth fighting for. Even if it isn’t any fun. Still… There must’ve been something fun about being a warrior. With each moon that passed, Hollypaw had come to glorify battle less and less. Victory in combat was great, and a worthy achievement, but Hollypaw didn’t know if battle prowess was her calling yet.

And the season was so terrible, prey so scarce, that Hollypaw hadn’t the faintest idea if hunting was her forte either.

Shaking her head to clear these thoughts, Hollypaw turned on her heel to finally follow Starlingcry’s instructions, hunkering down to roll a few times in pine-needles and trampled snow. Cold. With a sleek black pelt that was not as thick as Bonepaw’s feathery white fur, she knew she’d start to shiver before too long. Hollypaw glanced at Starlingcry.

---

'Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar

Word Count: 309 Words
Tags: Hellion

[Hellion]

Starlingcry
I paced around for hours, on empty
I jumped at the slightest of sounds

---

So much life and energy showed in her apprentice, the offspring of her own mentor. Likely with time it would dwindle and settle. Starlingcry easily remembered those days when she was always eager to join Blackwolf for training, it wasn't until after her brother's accident did her energy take such a nose dive her mother started to worry. It appeared that Starlingcry was shaped constantly by her environment and likely would be that way for some time.

"You work hard because it is your duty," Starlingcry answered her apprentice before watching with her cold blue eyes. Hollypaw did as she was instructed and rolled around in the cold leaves and dirt. Starlingcry watched her with a fixed gaze. "I am going to walk back to camp. Your task is it ambush me and stop me from making it to camp. Keep your claws sheathed but you may use any force necessary. Starlingcry ensured her direction were clear before standing and turning to face the direction to camp. Without a signal the black she-cat ventured back toward camp.

---

I'm colder than this home
I'm meaner than my demons

Fawn | date

[Fawn]

[smear:663399]Hollypaw[/smear:e61985]
9 Moons. She-Cat. NightClan.

I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter, dancing through the fire

---

Hardly a small task for their first battle session, Hollypaw chose to rose splendidly to the challenge. It wasn't so much a matter of doing her best so Blackwolf would be proud of her—she wanted to do a good job so her own self-esteem would be sufficiently watered. She couldn't bloom into an amazing warrior if she didn't hone her skills. Maybe even make Starlingcry acknowledge her as something more than an obligation, too.

But Hollypaw wouldn't hold her breath.

Remember to use all your senses. Her mother's words drifted back to hear, clear as stream-water. Taste and smell: Hollypaw parted her jaws just slightly, distinguishing Starlingcry's scent from the rest of the black pine aromas of their training grounds. Sight: creeping into the forest surrounding the pine needle clearing, Hollypaw knew her mentor likely had a good idea of where she was hiding—and aimed to change that. Acting under the assumption that Starlingcry was following the familiar path back to camp, Hollypaw took a short-cut through the denser, snowier region of NightClan's territory, waiting in a thick cluster of barren brambles, pelt blending in with the shadows.

Touch: in anticipation of Starlingcry's arrival, Hollypaw's claw-tips began to show, and she sheathed and unsheathed and sheathed them again. Fidgeting. This was something she knew herself to be good at; stalking, waiting, pouncing at the right moment. Bonepaw had his battle talents, and while Hollypaw was no slouch when it came to their mock fights in the nursery, her true potential perhaps lay in her hunting abilities.

One last sense to focus on. Hollypaw listened hard for the sound of familiar footfalls, trying to anticipate Starlingcry's path before she chose to launch herself from the bushes in a proper ambush. Starlingcry had said ambush. Not pounce as soon as her back was turned.

An ambush required stealth, planning and just a little bit of luck. Hollypaw could safely declare she had the first two requirements met; now it was only a matter of time before she'd see about the third.

---

'Cause I am a champion and you’re gonna hear me roar

Word Count: 356 Words
Tags: Hellion