|
Post by Fawn on Jun 18, 2016 13:44:50 GMT -5
ZEPHYRFANG
43 Moons. Tom. Senior Warrior.
Zephyrfang hadn't expected to find himself with an apprentice; it seemed like one of those things reserved for pure Clan cats. Zephyrfang was of the impression that Lionstar trusted him, but the new mothers with their precious kits would not want a former outsider in charge of teaching their son or daughter the true ways of the Clan. Surprise surprise, when Lionstar gave him Stonekit—now Stonepaw—to mentor.
A look of understanding had passed between Zephyrfang and Lionstar just then; the older tom was giving him the chance he deserved to shut up his critics and peers. Zephyrfang rose to the challenge, with that familiar wild glint in his eyes and the confident smirk on his muzzle. He would prove to the Clan that he and his mate were not to be ignored, just because they didn't fit anyone's standard idea of what a warrior was.
I'll ask her to help me with battle training later. Zephyrfang wanted her to feel as though Stonepaw was her apprentice too; they could teach him together. Consider it a... precursor to the kits they would have someday (hopefully soon, now that the Clan was thriving again).
"Come on Stonepaw!" He called to the apprentice following behind him, taking the young tom out into the forest for his first survey of the territory. "I've got a challenge for you. You'll see." Zephyrfang had not learned under the tutelage of a mentor, the ways of the forest. Hunting, yes he had had help, but learning territories, learning where not to step? That had to be learned by experience, not by having another cat point it out to you.
The tawny warrior grinned in the sunlight; this was going to be a fun exercise. His apprentice was going to learn how to adapt on his own; being a part of the Clan was great, but independence and self-certainty were valuable things to have by themselves.
---
Word Count: 314 Words Tags: Amber Notes: Territory Thread
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2016 5:10:55 GMT -5
STONEPAW NINE MOONS. TOM. APPRENTICE. TREECLAN. Stonepaw followed the large tabby form of his mentor as he led him out of the camp, just buzzing with excitement. He was eager to explore the territory, and couldn't wait to begin learning all he could from Zephyrfang. The promise of a challenge put a little extra spring in his step, and he wondered just what his mentor had in mind for him.
As they moved through the territory, Stonepaw kept his eyes open wide, looking around and trying to take everything in. Briefly, he wondered what his sisters were up to with their mentors, but he quickly drew his mind back to the present. They were safe, he reasoned, and he would be able to talk to them later.
For a brief while, he watched his mentor, admiring the confidence in his step and feeling the energy radiating from him. From the looks of it, Zephyrfang was enjoying their outing as well, and that knowledge only served to boost Stonepaw's mood.
"So, where are we headed?" he asked, his curiousity getting the better of him. His head tilted to the side ever so slightly, keeping his eyes trained on Zephyrfang's head, ready to meet eye contact should he glance back.
Fawn eek, sorry it's crappy and short EDGE OF THE WORLD AND WE'RE TOUCHING THE SKY TONIGHT OUT ON THE VERGE OF THE REST OF OUT LIVES TONIGHT
|
|
|
Post by Fawn on Jul 17, 2016 23:09:36 GMT -5
43 Moons. Senior Warrior. Tom. --- "We're going to the edge of TreeClan's territory," mewed Zephyrfang without looking back, trusting the sharp young mind following him to keep close. He held his tongue for a while after that enigmatic statement, but it was clear from the energy in his step and the easy means with which he maneuvered through the forest that this was going to be something of an adventure.
"Some of our Clanmates won't agree with me," Zephyrfang did glance back, before leaping onto a mossy fallen log, overrun with the flora of TreeClan's environment and the fauna lurking in the leafy detritus all around. "But I think the best way for a cat to learn is to figure it out on their own. We're right next to the NightClan border, Stonepaw. I want you to meet me at the LightningClan border."
The glint in Zephyrfang's eyes made his unspoken instructions clear enough. But I'm not going to tell you which way that is. Zephyrfang was going to have to find it.
Not only would the young tom have a goal, an objective to complete, he would be familiarizing himself with the territory as he went. Now this was what you called training; not that almost parental style of learning some of the other apprentices were subjected to. Zephyrfang had lived a hard life before now, but hard as it was, he always knew where he was. Knew never to fear where he was going. Gained confidence in where his own four paws could take him.
He would build Stonepaw into a worthy warrior, as long as the young tom was willing to learn. Even if that meant learning things the... interesting way.
Zephyrfang jumped down from the mossy fallen tree, bits of green flying away as he pushed off, landing silently in front of Stonepaw. "Close your eyes, count to thirty, and then try to find me." Little did Stonepaw know, there was a patch of wild garlic nearby. Zephyrfang planned to roll in it sufficiently, and then make for the LightningClan border. He would check on the apprentice periodically, especially if he was struggling, but Stonepaw was going to be on his own for the most part.
Just like I was. And look how great I turned out? To learn was to experience the world for one's self. Word Count: 388 Words Tags: Amber Notes: XD I hope you don't mind Zephyrfang's teaching style. It'll probably be a short thread!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2016 6:50:28 GMT -5
STONEPAW NINE MOONS. TOM. APPRENTICE. TREECLAN. To the edge of the territory? Stonepaw smiled, fairly excited. He followed Zephyrfang, each step causing the excitement to build. “Some of our Clanmates won’t agree with me.” Zephyrfang’s statement caused Stonepaw to tilt his head in confusion. Why would they disagree about taking him see the outskirts of the territory? He halted when his mentor hopped onto a log, righting his head and looking up with interest.
“But I think the best way for a cat to learn is to figure it out on their own. We're right next to the NightClan border, Stonepaw. I want you to meet me at the LightningClan border.” Stonepaw’s eyes widened slightly. So that’s what they would disagree on. Still, the thought of being taught differently than the other apprentices was thrilling. “Close your eyes, count to thirty, and then try to find me.” Stonepaw dutifully closed his eyes.
“One. Two. Three.” He kept his ears open, though, trying to hear Zephyrfang’s pawsteps. They faded away quickly, though, leaving Stonepaw with nothing but the sound of his own voice. “Ten. Eleven. Twelve.” His eagerness to complete his challenge had his paws shifting restlessly, but he forced himself to remain still and keep counting. It seemed like ages, but finally his waiting was up. “Twenty-eight. Twenty-nine. Thirty!” His eyes shot open and he scrambled up onto the log his mentor had stood on earlier. “Ready or not, here I come!” he called.
He looked around, seeing if he could catch a glimpse of the brown tabby. Part of him realized that it was a useless tactic, but he had to try. Jumping down from the log, he turned to his nose. Hearing and sight had failed, so he had to try scent. Catching his mentor’s scent was easy. He smiled and followed the trail, weaving through the underbrush until he came upon a patch of garlic. The foul smell filled his nose, and he had trouble keeping track of Zephyrfang’s trail. He stepped away from the garlic, walking around in increasingly larger circles.
With a frustrated sigh, he halted. Zephyrfang’s trail was gone. He glanced upward, entertaining the thought that perhaps he had fled to the trees. He couldn’t see through the branches, and he dropped his eyes, reasoning that Zephyrfang wouldn’t throw in the added challenge of tree climbing. He ignored the little voice that spoke of his mentor’s unpredictability. Stonepaw found his eyes drifting back to the patch of garlic. With a small gasp, another idea popped into his head.
He resumed his circling around the garlic, this time seeking a different scent. When he managed to find it, he couldn’t stop an excited noise coming from him. He darted forward, following the surprisingly potent scent of garlic. His face was lit in a bright smile, proud of himself for figuring one piece of the puzzle.
EDGE OF THE WORLD AND WE'RE TOUCHING THE SKY TONIGHT OUT ON THE VERGE OF THE REST OF OUT LIVES TONIGHT
|
|
|
Post by Fawn on Jul 29, 2016 22:48:25 GMT -5
43 Moons. Silentsong's Mate. Tom. Being so young, Stonepaw had not yet mastered how to walk through TreeClan's woods without making so much unnecessary noise. He would teach him that next, after he'd gained a masterful understanding of the territory they lived in and survived on.
He's sharp, like his father. Thornstrike, though Zephyrfang could claim that he knew him under slightly less pleasant circumstances (Thornstrike had been assigned to him much like a kitsitter after a little scuffle at the border left Lionstar seeing red), he had recognized valuable strengths and traits in the similar-aged warrior. He saw those traits mirrored in Thornstrike's son, and it didn't escape Zephyrfang's unique sense of humor that once again, Thornstrike (a littler version, anyway) was keeping an eye on him all over again.
Zephyrfang, using the garlic both as a mask and as a beacon to guide Stonepaw's way, he doubled back on his own trail, testing Stonepaw's nose, pausing to scratch a tree trunk before moving on, deliberately brushing by a clump of toadstools that faced the opposite direction to which he was going.
Word Count: 180 Words Tags: Amber Notes: Posts can be kept short to keep the thread progressing nicely. Zephyrfang will lead him around for another post and then find him.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2016 23:48:23 GMT -5
STONEPAW NINE MOONS. TOM. APPRENTICE. TREECLAN. For a while, it seemed Zephyrfang's trail was easy to keep. That is, until it dead-ended, leaving Stonepaw to search again. It didn't take him long to realize that the scent of garlic wouldn't fall off of his mentor so quickly, so that meant that Zephyrfang had to evade him either by climbing one of the nearby trees or by turning around to head another direction. Stonepaw's amber eyes went to the treetops, trying to catch just a hint of fur or movement above, even as he slowly turned back around.
Dropping his gaze, he turned to his nose, walking slowly back the way he had just come. He zigzagged across the scent trail, checking one side then the other for a branching trail. Noticing something on one of the trees, he moved closer to find claw marks. He lifted a paw and touched them gently, noticing how fresh they seemed. Zephyrfang. Stonepaw let his eyes drift up the trunk, half-expecting to see his mentor's gold eyes staring back at him.
He had no such luck though and soon turned back to the forest. He resumed trying to pick up the scent trail, sniffing around a small patch of toadstools. He followed that direction for a few fox-lengths before realizing that the scent didn't continue.
Mildly stumped, he turned around, thinking hard. He went back to the mushrooms, then walked in the opposite direction, parting his jaws to better take in the scents. When he finally caught Zephyrfang's garlic trail, he smiled, following it at a slow trot instead of the fast pace he had previously used.
Keeping his mouth slightly open, he scanned the surrounding forest, searching for any additional clues to his mentor's whereabouts.
Fawn you said short i'm sorry >.< EDGE OF THE WORLD AND WE'RE TOUCHING THE SKY TONIGHT OUT ON THE VERGE OF THE REST OF OUT LIVES TONIGHT
|
|
|
Post by Fawn on Sept 9, 2016 15:15:27 GMT -5
46 Moons. Silentsong's Mate. Tom. It was entertaining to watch Stonepaw try to figure out the confusing scent trail. Pleased that the dark tabby tom wasn't easily frustrated (loners who got frustrated by every little thing often didn't live long; adaptability and patience were the marks of the survivors), Zephyrfang led him on a wild fox-chase through the territory until he could sense his apprentice getting close.
Deliberately scaling a short, weather-beaten sycamore tree, Zephyrfang could smell the stale scents of old squirrel nests from his perch in the crook between two wide, knotted boughs. If Stonepaw looked up instead of down along the ground for tracks or crumpled foliage (though Zephyrfang hadn't been sloppy, he didn't lumber through the woods like a badger), Zephyrfang would be very easy to spot.
When his apprentice moved into view, Zephyrfang called down. "Well done. Can you tell where we are?" He hade made certain to stay on the western side of the sparkling brook, taking advantage of their proximity to NightClan's marshy pine territory to add a few foreign scents on the wind.
Just beyond Zephyrfang in the sycamore tree, was the branch trail, where the dusty hoofprints of deer could be found and a multitude of broken, fallen branches were always in great supply. It wasn't an ideal spot for teaching new apprentices to hunt (too many twigs to snap), but that wasn't the purpose of the trip. Zephyrfang wanted to get him acquainted with the border itself.
"If I told you to walk until you found the border, do you think you could find it?" And make sure you didn't cross it? Zephyrfang's eyes glinted, full of mischief and confidence and a devil-may-care kind of humor. If Stonepaw did accidentally cross the border, then he'd take full responsibility for the younger tom's mistakes.
But Stonepaw was smart. He'd know better than to cross the almost literal scent wall that distinguished TreeClan from NightClan. Lionstar always sent an extra patrol along the NightClan side, whether Ravenstar was alive or dead didn't matter.
Word Count: 336 Words Tags: Amber Notes: After this they can head back. <3
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2016 0:01:58 GMT -5
STONEPAW NINE MOONS. TOM. APPRENTICE. TREECLAN. Stonepaw continued on in his steady, slow trot, eyes scanning constantly for any traces of his mentor. Every so often, he'd look up as well, scanning the tree branches above before lowering his gaze to where (he hoped) his mentor was most likely to be, hiding in the underbrush.
The next time he looked up, he was almost shocked to see Zephyrfang not trying to conceal himself in the branches of an old sycamore. Stonepaw quickly recovered, smiling broadly. "Well done. Can you tell me where we are?"
Stonepaw looked around, seeking some sort of landmark. Seeing nothing quite that familiar, he parted his jaws and took in a large breath, immediately scrunching his nose in disgust. "Ew. That is... What is that? Smells horrible." He flicked his ears back and turned to look up at Zephyrfang again.
"If I told you to walk until you found the border, do you think you could find it?"
With a scent like that, how could I not? His tail flicked in displeasure but he nodded at his mentor. He took a moment to pinpoint the source of the strange smells, then headed off past Zephyrfang's tree toward the border.
When he reached the point where TreeClan's and NightClan's scents met, he stopped. Though visually there was little more than a worn-down trail stretching in each direction to mark the border, the scent marks were strong enough to almost be a physical thing. He turned around to look at his mentor again.
"Are all of our borders marked this strongly?" Stonepaw could understand that barriers between Clans were good and necessary, the strength of this particular one seemed a bit much. But if that's the way things were done, then he would accept it and learn to live with it. But if it wasn't...He glanced across the border into the dark pines. What lurked in the shadows there that warranted what was basically a wall?
EDGE OF THE WORLD AND WE'RE TOUCHING THE SKY TONIGHT OUT ON THE VERGE OF THE REST OF OUT LIVES TONIGHT
|
|
|
Post by Fawn on Sept 17, 2016 0:33:32 GMT -5
46 Moons. Silentsong's Mate. Tom. "That robust, froggy odor you're smelling is NightClan. I know," Zephyrfang laughed, tail tip swaying with humor. "Hits like a fallen branch, doesn't it? Let's just say I'm glad Silentsong is from TreeClan and not NightClan. I've eaten things and lived in places I'd rather not talk about, but I draw the line at frogs and swamp water." He'd take a nice squirrel or mouse any day.
Stonepaw had made good progress, and as he signaled for the young tom to retreat from the border, they walked back to camp side by side. "Now that you've been to one end of the territory, you can find your way back. This is only one side of the Sparkling Brook, tomorrow we'll explore the other side." And you can say hello to our moorland neighbors. Two drastically different terrains. Two drastically different Clans. Zephyrfang didn't give them much thought; unless they were itching for a battle or just causing trouble, he generally went through his daily warrior duties ignoring their existence. His world was Silentsong and TreeClan, which gave him such a severe case of tunnel vision, it was a wonder he even know half the leaders' names apart from Lionstar's.
When they were only a couple dozen fox lengths from camp, Zephyrfang took the time to roll around in lavender, anything to mask the hefty scent of garlic. His mate wouldn't appreciate that much (or the rest of the warriors' den, now that he spared a second to think about it), so he tidied himself up as best he could. Satisfied, Zephyrfang entered the massive fallen tree that was their home. "Grab something off the fresh kill pile, Stonepaw. You earned it." With a dismissing flick of his tail, Zephyrfang padded off to find a familiar tortoiseshell cat, eager to tell her about how his first lesson with his first apprentice went.
Word Count: 307 Words Tags: Amber Notes: Done!
|
|