[Deleted]

LF 3: Gusts shake leaves intermittently throughout the day, strong and gentle breezes take turns sweeping across the land.

Darkstorm had not expected to be granted another apprentice so soon. Graywolf was barely a warrior when Sootfeather's kits became 'paws, and she found Foxstar calling her to mentor the newly named Gracklepaw. She had considered Sootfeather a friend, a good friend. Together with her brother Ashfang, the three of them had made sure to continue sending the message to TreeClan that their stealing of NightClan territory was not going to be quietly accepted by every NightClan cat, until the other she-cat had become pregnant anyway. Her excursions into what was now technically enemy territory had to come to an end to protect the lives she carried, but Darkstorm and Ashfang hadn't stopped, and with no father to her kits named, the two of them had made sure to bring the choicest prey brought from their hunts in the stolen territory to the queen.

And so she was honored to be chosen to mentor one of her friend's kits, and she had silently promised her friend's spirit as she had leaned down to touch her nose to Sootfeather's daughter's that she would make sure Gracklepaw became one of the best warriors the valley had ever seen. Ashfang had congratulated her, and admitted he was happy she was going to get to train one of his sister's kits, and so she'd made the same promise to him. Unfortunately for Gracklepaw, she'd already been assigned border patrol which was due to leave shortly after the ceremony, so she hadn't been able to take the young she-cat out immediately, instead telling her to get settled in the apprentices' den, she and her siblings would need to make nests for themselves, and to get acquainted with her new denmates.

As the sun set below the horizon, bringing on a dim twilight and the start of the night following Gracklepaw's ceremony, Darkstorm padded into the dark cave that housed the apprentices. Picking through the bodies until she reached her apprentice, she gave the she-cat a few prods to wake her, caring little if she disturbed the rest of the apprentices in the den, “Wake up, Gracklepaw. Grab something from the freshkill pile and meet me by the camp entrance. Your training starts today.” With that she stalked out to some grumbling about being too loud, which she ignored. They all ought to be awake soon enough anyway. She stood beside the tunnel leading up into the slowly darkening outside world, tail twitching impatiently as she waited for her new apprentice.

Hellion

[Hellion]

{

}

I won't suffer, be broken, get tired, or wasted
Surrender to nothing
~

"Darkstorm,"

The warrior's name floated around in Gracklepaw's head as the ceremony concluded. She attempted to connect the various threads to her named mentor, find there their lives overlapped.

Her uncle Ashfang mentioned her frequently in passing, often talking about their trips into TreeClan territory when he visited the lot of them in the nursery. She seemed interesting, a cat unique in coloring and personality. Perhaps they would mesh well together.

She expected Darkstorm to whisk her away for some sort of 'get to know ya' training but that idea fell flat. Darkstorm had been assigned a patrol. Gracklepaw opened her mouth to ask to join but as her mentor shut that down before it became a question. Insisting that she gets settled in her new den. The urge to roll her eyes was strong. There were no good memories in the nursery. Gracklepaw had actively avoided making them. Instead,d she put her time into strengthing the relationship with her brothers. Moving from the nursery to the apprentice would mean nothing.

Due to the fact she didn't voice her desire to join her mentor, Gracklepaw watched the she-cat disappear out the camp tunnel and found a way to busy her time. Starlingcry was there to congratulate her, adding in a bit more information to Darkstorm's history. Like her grandmother, she had been trained by Blackwolf. He was perhaps the most well-known warrior in all of NightCan, a formidable tom-cat.

Thanking her grandmother simply because she knew it was the polite thing to do, Gracklepaw dismissed herself to start on her task. Going with other apprentices to the nearby moss collecting spot she took her time to build her nest.

Against her grandmother's wishes, Gracklepaw made her nest near the edge of the den. She had no interest in being piled with the rest of her denmates like nursery days. The edge also allowed to have quick exit and entrance, fewer limbs to concern herself with. Feeling the pull of a nap calling to her once her nest was finished, Gracklepaw curled up and let herself doze.

Yanked from her dreamless nap by her mentor's prodding, Gracklepaw gave a short growl of annoyance before sitting up. Swiping her forepaw over her face to rid herself of lingering sleep, she followed after Darkstorm.

Her mouth began to water at the sight and mixed scents of the fresh-kill pile. Plucking herself a mouse, she devoured the morsel and left only the bones to be disposed of. After doing so, she headed toward her mentor, tail flicking with pent-up energy.

"What sort of training are we doing today? Can we go to the TreeClan border?" There was no effort made to hide her eagerness to jump full-force in any form of physical training.

~
GRACKLEPAW

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0
Lyrics: Attack - 30 Seconds to Mar
Tag: @zen

[Deleted]

If it feels good, tastes good, it must be mine...

---

Darkstorm was pleased with her new apprentice's enthusiasm, regardless that most apprentices started out eager. The fact that she mentioned the TreeClan border specifically didn't go unnoticed. Her whiskers twitched in faint amusement, “I will take you there, yes. I'll be showing you the territory today. All of it. Including that which TreeClan currently believes to be theirs.” The dark tortoiseshell's fiery gaze narrowed slightly, her tail twitching back and forth, unable to keep her hatred for their neighbor to herself, or her frustration that NightClan had made no proper move to take back what was rightfully theirs.

She turned then with another flick of her tail, beckoning, “Come, and don't try to run off ahead. There are hidden sink holes, camouflaged pools of water that appear at first like solid ground until you've already fallen into them and gotten yourself trapped in the thick mud beneath. Unless you wish for your first day out of camp to end in your suffocating on mud, stay close to me. Learning the territory is even more important for NightClan cats than any other Clan because of the hidden dangers that lurk in plain sight, but once you know it, it is only too easy to lead our enemies into a trap. So pay attention. A good warrior knows how to fight well. A great warrior knows how to use her territory to gain the advantage before the fight has even begun.”

She flicked Gracklepaw's shoulder with her tail and set off into the forest, “Keep your jaws parted as you traverse our territory. Even before you know the land well, you can predict when a sink hole is close when the scent of the muddy water becomes stronger. It's subtle, it's hard to escape the scent completely in the wetter parts of our territory, but if you pay attention you'll notice it.”

She lead them first to the ambush pond not far from camp, “You might have been allowed to come this far as a kit with one of your kin. This is the ambush pond.” There was really no sign of a pond, the plant that grew atop the water made it look more like an area covered in some sort of strange moss, but she reached out with a paw to dab it on the water and the whole green surface rippled, “We can catch frogs here during most seasons, and sometimes ducks, if you don't mind getting wet.” She paused before moving on, turning her burning gaze to the younger she-cat, “Any questions so far?”

---

Heroes always get remembered, but you know Legends never die.

Hellion

[Hellion]

{

}

I won't suffer, be broken, get tired, or wasted
Surrender to nothing
~

Ears pitched forward as Darkstorm informed her that she'd be visiting all the territory as the official start to her ceremony. The mental construction of NightClan's layout was nearly non-existent. Her experiences with the area beyond the confines of the camp were limited. Starlingcry insisted that they remained close and safe within the camp walls.

Rumors of foxes in the territory ensured a close eye was kept on her and her brothers. It didn't bother her then but now as she struggled to create a mental map she felt a surge of annoyance toward her over-protective family members. Thrashing her tail in a more personal display of frustration, she attempted to bottle it up elsewhere when Darkstorm beckoned her to follow.

Her excitement threatened to dwindle a little as Darkstorm reminded her not to run off. The threat of the sinkholes was a real thing but Gracklepaw knew herself to be small still. She carried herself well, sure-footed and quick on her paws. As long as she wasn't alone she felt confident she could survive anything the territory threw at her. Vocalizing her dismissal of Darkstorm's warning in the form of a huff, she quickly regretted it.

Darkstorm wasted no time in bringing up the very real danger of being swallowed up by the earth. There was something unsettling about hearing it from her mentor and the reality that they were headed toward those dangerous parts of camp. That rogue bit of anxiety faded when Darkstorm mentioned being a great warrior and using the territory to her advantage. A task Gracklepaw quietly accepted.

Keeping close to her mentor as instructed, Gracklepaw mimicked the older she-cat without hesitation. Jaw parted to taste the air, it was difficult. Her senses were quickly overwhelmed with all the new sensations. Her ears flicked rapidly back and forth, trying to catch the sounds of birds singing before nightfall. Dull-green eyes struggled to remain focused on her paw-placements. It was a little too much but Gracklepaw refused to quit. She remained determined as ever to adjust, despite her brain gradually starting to ache with over stimulation.

While she wasn't happy to be reliant on another cat, she justified it by reminding herself she was new to it. Darkstorm was better, for now.

Arriving at their first common named destination, Gracklepaw remained within a paw step of her mentor. She took in the sights, smells and sounds forcing herself to sort through them. Ambush pond was a key part of the territory she needed to cement its location in her memory.

Realizing they would be there for a few moments, Gracklepaw strayed from her mentor. Curious about why it was called a pond she ventures to step onto it but Darkstorm was ahead of her. Her mentor touched it and rippled began to spread outward. Shocked, Gracklepaw took a few steps back, eyes watching as the ripples continued the entire expanse of the 'pond'. Brave and a bit arrogant in nature, Gracklepaw copied her mentor.

Reaching her paw out she touched the pond, watching as her own made ripples spread out across the surface. Recognizing that the strange plant wasn't strong, she pushed harder until it broke revealing murky water. Shaking her forepaw off, Gracklepaw returned to her mentor's side.

"Say I have a stupid TreeClan cat on my tail. Would I lead them here and hope they drown or should I learn to swim? Just well enough that I can hold my own in that gross water," The thought of swimming wasn't appealing but if it meant having an advantage over another cat she'd learn how.

~
GRACKLEPAW

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0
Lyrics: Attack - 30 Seconds to Mars
Tag:@zen
Words: 600

[Deleted]

If it feels good, tastes good, it must be mine...

---

Gracklepaw's initial mannerisms betrayed her impatience at being held back from exploring, but rather than scold her for it, Darkstorm sympathized. She had been the same way, but Blackwolf's blunt honesty about why had helped, with a similar warning for her to wander from his side at her own peril. She hadn't quite believed him at first, sure it was just something he was telling her to scare her into obedience, but she hadn't been sure, so it had worked. He'd shown her how the sinkholes worked later on in the tour and she'd started believing him after that. It seemed Gracklepaw was taking her at her word for now as well, which was good.

She watched the younger she-cat dab at the pond as well, and then break through to the water beneath. She snorted at the question tossed at her, the idea of a TreeClan cat this close to camp displeasing at best. “Depends where you are in the territory. Leading them toward the myriad of sink holes to be found in other areas would be preferable. The ambush pond isn't nearly as dangerous, though it might very well deter further pursuit if you manage to trick a TreeClanner into falling in. And you should learn to swim. We haven't had much issue with RainClan in my lifetime, but there's nothing keeping that from changing in a heartbeat. If we ever have to face them on their territory, best to make sure they don't have so much of an advantage just because you can't swim.”

Darkstorm had no love of water like those fishbreaths did, but she still learned to swim, just in case. She glanced over the pond once more, deceptively still again, but for the small break in the green where Gracklepaw's paw had broken through and a bit of water could still be seen. “The camp hasn't been attacked in my lifetime either, but I've been told that it's common practice to try to chase would be TreeClan invaders this way when they retreat to give them a nasty surprise to keep them from trying again,” her whiskers twitched in amusement at the thought of a patrol of TreeClanners all running straight into the water. Though she supposed it would hardly matter to a RainClan patrol.

“Come on,” she jerked her head to indicate they were leaving, “This way to the black woods. From there I'll show you the RainClan border and then the TreeClan border. We'll end at the pineneedle clearing before we head back to camp.” As the blackened trees that gave this area of the territory their name came into view, she tapped Gracklepaw with her tail, the sun well and fully set now and silverpelt shining overhead, “You don't have to worry about sink holes here. The medicine cats come here for herbs a lot, but mice are also plentiful in the black woods. Let's see what you've got.” Her tone held a note of challenge, her orange gaze bright in the darkness, “See if you can catch one. I'd like to see what I'm working with.”

With no instruction, Darkstorm didn't entirely expect the newly made apprentice to catch anything tonight, but it wasn't unheard of. They were hunters by nature, after all. It would be a good test of Gracklepaw's natural instincts and skill, and give her a better idea where to start and what to focus on when it came to their first real hunting lesson. She was curious as well if the she-cat would protest due to her lack of any instruction, or ask any questions, or if she would simply let her instincts take over, eager to prove herself. It was a test of her new apprentice's character too. She knew little of her friend's daughter, as playing with kits had never been high on her list of priorities.

---

Heroes always get remembered, but you know Legends never die.

Hellion

[Hellion]

{

}

I won't suffer, be broken, get tired, or wasted
Surrender to nothing
~

Tracking her mentor's words by studying the older she-cat intensely, she nodded in agreement. Continuing to work on the mental map of the territory in her head, she tried to place where the ambush pond was in relation to other parts of their home. It would never be ideal for any rival clan-cats to be so close to NightClan. She felt a glint of determination settling in her chest. She'd do her best to keep all enemies far from the camp.

Gracklepaw was excited to learn how to defend her territory, pride also filled her. Proud of her clan learning and teaching younger cats how to use their territory to their advantage. She couldn't imagine the other clans doing so. RainClan knew how to swim because it was survival and anyone could do it. Learning the sinkholes and how to navigate their marshy home would take more than just a day spent at the river.

As Darkstorm added the importance of learning to swim, Gracklepaw couldn't help but frown slightly. She had no desire to get her fur wet if she could help it but that didn't seem possible anymore. She'd bare the discomfort if it meant proving her worth to her clanmates.

At Darkstorm's beckon, Gracklepaw followed after her mentor with quick paws. She kept up with the older she-cat, doing her best to match her mentor's stride. Which proved to be no easy task. Gracklepaw had the potential to be a fairly large she-cat all around but currently in her young moons had yet met her full size.

Arrival at the black woods was impressive to her. She knew of the story of her uncle Coalmask fighting off a fox moons before she was ever born. Proud of her kin she again wandered from her mentor. Eagerly exploring the nearby area. However, she hadn't gone far when Darkstorm pulled her attention back.

The challenge was set and Gracklepaw remained determined as ever to prove herself. She had no formal training but she had a grandmother who was perhaps more determined than her grand-kits.

Starlingcry had encouraged all their instincts. Prompted them to wrestle each other in mock battle and hunt small moss-balls that she'd make for them. While it was a far stretch from actual training, Grackelpaw knew the basics.

Despite her grandmother's teachings and her own confidence, Gracklepaw felt her stomach tighten. The last thing she wanted was to fail in front of Darkstorm. Quietly nodding to her mentor, Grackelpaw wandered further away.

Scenting the air, Grackelpaw couldn't prevent her brow from pitching forward into a frustrated look. There were too many scents for her to pick them out. She knew what mouse smelled like but she had never scented it alone without another warrior's scent lingering on it. Trying to let her other senses fade away and focusing only on the smells around her, she continued to struggle to find a trail. The herbs didn't help either, they created a mixture of scents her untrained nose found nearly impossible to sort.

Holding back the urge to growl, Gracklepaw pulled her attention away from the smells and used her eyesight. Relying heavily on watching more movement, she sneered at the faint rustling of something near a fallen tree.

Picking carefully toward it she a tail-length short and waited to see what was moving among the herbs there. Her tail lashed eagerly when a small mouse poked it's head out to check for danger. Unwilling to risk missing it by waiting too long, Gracklepaw rushed forward and leaped on to the creature. It was a messy kill, but it was fast. The mouse barely had a chance to squeak and proudly Gracklepaw turned to present the kill to her mentor.

It was nowhere near as smooth as it should have been, in fact, it was easier to say she caught it on luck alone. Not that she'd ever admit that, for what it was worth she caught it and it was her's to claim.

~
GRACKLEPAW

MADE BY VEL OF GS + ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0
Lyrics: Attack - 30 Seconds to Mars
Tag:@zen

[Deleted]

Darkstorm continued to be pleased with her apprentice’s attentiveness. She was clearly eager to actually learn something today. Some apprentices allowed their excitement to get the better of them, but Gracklepaw was taking everything in stride. Considering their first venture out had been postponed due to other obligations Darkstorm had to see to first, it was even more impressive. She was sure she could mold Gracklepaw into a fine warrior in the coming moons.

She simply watched as Gracklepaw moved off, scrutinizing. It seemed her new apprentice was simply going to let her instincts do the talking. To keep the younger she-cat in view, she crept carefully after her on silent paws, so as not to disturb her hunt. She watched as she tried and failed to sift through the myriad of scents the black woods presented, for a moment wondering if she would give up at that or ask for advice. Instead, she persisted, and without her jaws parting or her ears twitching, it seemed she had resorted to her sight for guidance. Hm.

But she did find something. The younger she-cat’s tail lashed a moment before she pounced, the mouse giving a last squeak that was quickly cut off as Gracklepaw ended its life. Darkstorm straightened from her crouched position to pad forward, “Well done. Not many apprentices catch something on their first try. You should be proud, but don’t let it go to your head.” She surveyed the mouse briefly with a critical eye, noting that part of it was a bit squished, “You lashed your tail before you leaped, which likely alerted the mouse to your presence, which made you leap too quickly so you wouldn’t miss it and land on it awkwardly. It was also able to give a warning cry before you killed it, meaning any other prey in the area will be hiding for a while.”

She turned, flicking her tail for Gracklepaw to follow, “But your instincts are good, you just need to refine the technique, and we have plenty of time for that. I would hardly expect your first kill to be perfect. We’ll discuss hunting techniques another night, however. Come, we’ll head for the RainClan border now.” She cast a quick look back at her, “Keep close as we leave the black woods, sinkholes will become a danger again, and I would hate to lose such a promising apprentice to mud.” Her whiskers twitched with amusement and she turned back to lead the way, “If you get hungry feel free to eat your catch. We’re not on a hunting patrol and it’s only right you get to taste it, unless you prefer to share it with your littermates when we return to camp.”

---

Hellion this can be the end or we can keep going, but I wanted to get a quick word of praise in for her first catch x3