[Phoenix]

TRY AND DIG DOWN DEEPER IF YOU CAN

When Lionstar had called the meeting for young Badgerkit’s and Pinekit’s ceremonies, Sootmask had almost ducked back into the forest and pretend to miss the summons. He would have had he not already been spotted on the fringes of camp by a warrior who had chosen that instant to be uncharacteristically observant. Such grand ceremonies, in his mind, were a waste of time. Regardless of the lofty words spoken over a young cat’s head, the cat itself stayed the same; there was no magnificent transformation into an entirely reinvented feline. That every able-bodied cat in the clan needed to watch a decision that truly only pertained to two of their number was an inefficient use of time, but then he truly expected no less. They wasted food on useless cats – the elders who were slowly dying in their moss-covered den – so it was only logical to expect that they would be equally willing to waste time that could be spent doing something productive.

The explanation for this unnecessary behavior was, of course, sentiment.

Ah, sentiment. While he knew the word’s definition, he could hardly claim to be familiar with it. After all, he had hardly been torn up by his father’s exile – a little disconcerted, perhaps, but not heartbroken like many others would have been. His emotional reactions to everything around him seemed to be rather muted compared to those of everyone around him, but he never felt particularly concerned about it. Indeed, without sentiment to cloud his judgement, he could look at the world in a more analytical light, and he had always thought that was fairly advantageous. Caring seemed to take a lot more effort than it was worth.

In any event, it was just as well that he had conformed and joined the masses huddled around the tree stump, because Lionstar had decided to put the newly named Badgerpaw under his tutelage. At first, that revelation had been rather surprising, but later consideration had him deciding that it was most likely a test of some sort. Smart cat that he was, the golden leader had never really trusted his good intentions or his loyalty to TreeClan, and it had only gotten worse in the moons after his father’s exile. Sootmask had partially been expecting a test of some sort; he just hadn’t considered that it would involve a third party. Lionstar seemed like the type of cat who wanted to minimize collateral damage, and introducing an innocent apprentice to their mess of a relationship was hardly risk-free. Well, no matter. Even if this was a test, as it most likely was, the warrior did not feel any more concern than he normally would. He was used to the mindset. After all, everything he did was always run through some filter or another. Such was the nature of distrust.

His apathy did not mean that he would go out of his way to be a poor mentor for the unfortunate she-cat who now relied on his potentially non-existent ability to teach. The morning was still fairly new when the gray warrior found his black and white apprentice and beckoned to her with a flick of his tail. “Familiarizing yourself with our territory and borders is the logical first step,” He spoke shortly, skipping past the usual pleasantries in favor of not wasting his breath. “We shall begin with that today.” A brief moment to allow the words to sink it – most cats seemed to need the time – and then he turned and glided through the camp entrance with long, precise strides. She would follow or she wouldn’t. It hardly mattered to him.

Sootmask | TreeClan | Warrior | welcome to the masquerade - thousand foot krutch

WELCOME TO THE MASQUERADE

@marshymutt and Fawn (because I talk about Lionstar and you seemed interested in this)

[Deleted]

Badgerpaw had already been awake for a while when Sootmask came to get her, sitting off by herself in a corner of camp as she awaited his arrival. That was what new apprentices were supposed to do, wait for their mentor to teach them something because she couldn't very well hunt or spar with another cat if she didn't know how to do either of those things. So of course, she simply waited for the blue-eyed tom to arrive so they could begin her lesson. If she was correct, they would most likely be starting off with learning the territory, which made the most sense, though she wouldn't have minded hunting or battle training either.

When the dark grey tom did come to get her it wasn't exactly what she had been expecting. He explained to her what they would be doing today, gave her a brief period of time to process the information and then started walking off, forcing her to follow after him. He certainly seemed as though he couldn't wait to get their training over with and a part of her respected that. She really wanted this to be over with too, wishing that she already knew everything that she needed to know so that the only thing that stood between her and becoming a warrior was her age. Of course that wasn't possible, she had to learn first and that was why she was hurriedly following after the older male, scurrying in an attempt to keep up with his long, precise strides.

Badgerpaw had a feeling deep within her that things wouldn't go well for her, but certainly that was only a feeling. Lionstar had assigned her to Sootmask for a reason, she was sure that he could at least teach her a thing or two, even if in the end they might not get along. It was certainly better than having no mentor at all.


Phoenix

[Phoenix]

TRY AND DIG DOWN DEEPER IF YOU CAN

It took only a few minutes to reach the landmark closest to TreeClan’s camp, and never one for pointless small talk, he spent them in silence. That his apprentice seemed to have similar tendencies – he had yet to hear a word come out of her mouth – suited him just fine. As a cat who appreciated receiving information untainted by emotion or insincerity, he found that silence was often the best conversationalist. Every cat had their own bias and their own willingness to share opinions clouded by said bias, and it was tiring to pick through everything he did not care about to find what little piece of information he wanted. Observation, if he really focused, could probably tell him twice as much in about half the speed, and silence really was preferable to speech.

Undoubtedly due to the unforgiving heat and relentless sun of the past few days, the brook was smaller than usual, but with the tenacity of the most useless elder clinging to a wasteful life, the continuous stream of water still kept flowing down its path. Blue eyes glanced up at the sky peeking through the leafy treetops. If the impending storm was anything to go by, the stream would soon be replenished and no longer have to fight for survival. Other warriors might not have taken an apprentice out for her first day of training on a day that promised bad weather, but for Sootmask, it merely provided an excuse to move things along as quickly as possible.

“The sparkling brook,” He explained, such poetic words feeling out of place in his mouth. In case she could not put two and two together, he gestured at the water beside him with a flick of his tail. “Convenient location and it rarely dries up. Moss grows on the trees and rocks. A relatively decent place to find medicinal herbs, or so I am told.” He paused in his flat description of their location. Perhaps he should ask her a question and test her mind. Most mentors did that, correct? Most of his memories of training only included those in which useful, practical information was shared, and he had found that, in that particular area, his father was a far more memorable mentor than Sixtoes. Rather unfortunately, his father’s teaching methods were not ones he could remotely hope to employ on this cat if he wished to retain his position as a warrior of TreeClan. No matter. He would ask the question. “Would this be a good place to hunt?”

Sootmask | TreeClan | Warrior | welcome to the masquerade - thousand foot krutch

WELCOME TO THE MASQUERADE

@marshymutt

[Deleted]

Stopping just a little bit behind Sootmask, Badgerpaw took a look around her, golden eyes taking in as much of this area as they possibly could, trying to commit them to memory. She had little doubt in her mind that with time she would come to know Treeclan's territory like she knew her own kin, but for now she was doing everything in her power to memorize as much of this location as possible. She definitely didn't want to feel as though the day's lesson was all for nothing after all, even if it was something as boring and tedious as learning the territory.

She was quickly pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of her mentor's voice permeating her skull, causing her to look up at him curiously. She hadn't been expecting him to say much of anything, believing him to be content with simple silence, though she listened to his words regardless, ears trained on the oddly smooth sound of his voice as he asked her if this would be a good spot to hunt.

The young apprentice gave a slow nod of the head. "The brook is a good source of water, and if what you've said about it rarely drying up is true then that would make this a fairly reliable place for most prey animals in Treeclan  to come for a drink. Though it isn't guaranteed that there will always be prey around, it means that prey will likely come here at some point in the day, especially during hotter season like this. Just as well, the surrounding trees would give a cat good cover to remain unseen by their prey so a stealthy takedown is easily achieved." She purred out, seemingly proud of herself in that moment as she responded obediently with what she thought was right.


Phoenix

[Phoenix]

TRY AND DIG DOWN DEEPER IF YOU CAN

Her answer was everything that he had come to expect from his clan mates, apprentices and warriors alike. She had a mind and was willing to use it, but she didn’t think. Nevertheless, he found himself acknowledging that it was a promising start. Though falling back on excuses to provide a softer landing for the harsh reality was counterproductive in one of the worst ways, the warrior could not deny that it was his apprentice’s first day. She had neither the experience nor his unusual perspective to view the world through the same lens as he, and any other warrior might think it unfair of him to expect that of her. Any other warrior would also care. He was not there to care for her. There were others to fulfill that role. His duty was simply to give her the tools she would need to survive and show her how to use them. No more, no less.

“Your points are acceptable.” Blue eyes regarded her flatly, watching as she basked in the glory of figuring out what she undoubtedly believed was the correct answer. “But you will not find prey here. Why?” The question was rhetorical, and he gave her barely any time to consider a response before he answered it himself. He did not want to spend all day standing beside the stream. There was a storm coming, and they had many other landmarks to reach. “This location is conveniently close to camp; therefore, every time someone comes to find moss or get a drink, they come here. If the stream’s proximity to camp is not enough to chase away any prey, then the frequency with which it is visited by others is. TreeClan’s scent is strong here, and it will chase away any prey animal that is smart enough to avoid predators.” He paused again, giving her time to consider his words before carrying on. “However, your reasoning is still sound, and in line with the rationale you provided, this water source is also a good hunting location – further away from camp. For the most effective hunting, travel downstream.”

There was another moment of silence, and then the warrior turned and began walking again. Like a phantom, he moved silently through the forest, parting the undergrowth with ease. The shadows of mountains began to loom overhead, more prominent as the trees began to thin by the edge of the valley. A faint sniff told him that a border patrol had traveled by recently, dutifully strengthening the invisible markers that warded off any loners, rogues, or wayward clan cats. Along the fringes of TreeClan territory, Sootmask led his apprentice in silence. He saw no need to confirm what he trusted she could figure out for herself – that they were on walking along the edge of the mountains and that only fools with little self-preservation instinct would venture further without good reason. They had all heard stories of the lynx during their time in the nursery.

After a time, he directed his steps back toward the interior of TreeClan’s territory, and the mountain range seemed a little less imposing once it was hidden behind a few layers of trees. It was a false sense of security; trees would never stop a determined lynx or predator or antagonist from causing harm. One only needed to find Nobleheart and look at the faded scars that marred the otherwise handsome tom’s face to be reminded of that fact.

Before them now stood an impressive maple tree. Its leafy boughs stretched far into the sky, providing a maze of pathways for only the most determined and adventurous apprentice to explore. During leaf-fall, it would shed its green coloration in favor of a brilliant, fiery mixture of oranges and reds. “The Great Maple,” Sootmask began, introducing the location much as he had their previous stop. “Birds and squirrels frequent this area, but it is better known for its climbing than hunting. TreeClan is one of two clans who inhabit forest territories, and of the two, we are stronger climbers. This is where you will learn and perfect that particular skill.” The words faded into silence again. More inclined to sit back and observe silently from the sidelines, it was rare that the warrior spoke this much in a single day. “Questions?”

Sootmask | TreeClan | Warrior | welcome to the masquerade - thousand foot krutch

WELCOME TO THE MASQUERADE

@marshymutt

[Deleted]

The tom's words caused her pride to come crashing to the ground with mention of the brook's proximity to the camp. 'Of course no prey animals would come here with it being so close to camp! How could you be so foolish?' She thought, mentally scolding herself for not seeing what  now seemed to be so obvious. It didn't matter much to her that Sootmask admitted that she was, in a way right, and all that needed to be done to find prey at the brook was to head downstream. To her, it was still a mistake that shouldn't have been made.

She was quickly pulled out of her thoughts however, when she noticed her mentor had begun padding away, leaving her to follow after him. The two walked in silence for what felt like an eternity, the tuxedo female becoming increasingly unnerved by her mentor's silence and lack of emotion as time went on. This anxiety only increasing as they walked along the mountain's edge where Demon's lair was located. Certainly the tom would protect her should they encounter the lynx along the way, right? Badgerpaw could feel her fur bristle slightly, wanting desperately to believe that was true but at the same time doubting the grey tom would even consider doing such a thing The truth of the matter is that if they did come across such dangers she would likely be left to her own devices and she wasn't quite she what scared her more, being left for dead or having to escape the lynx on her own.

Soon enough they had begun to move further away from the imposing border, putting some distance between them and the monster cat's den which helped calm her nerves a bit, though she was still a bit on edge even as they approached the Great Maple. The she-cat took a second to compose herself and hoped that her mentor hadn't noticed the scent of fear wafting off of her, looking from the blue-eyed tom to the large tree in the meantime as he began to speak. He spoke of what the tree was commonly used for, what kind of prey could be found there and even mentioned how she would perfect her climbing skill there before asking if she had any questions. The black and white apprentice simply responded with a simple shake of her head, unable to think of any questions that he had yet to already answer and instead waiting for him to continue on to the next location.

Phoenix

[Phoenix]

see i was dead when i woke up this morning

He accepted her silence with his own, and after another brief moment, he turned and moved on. Having always preferred the company of his thoughts to that of his clan mates, the tom enjoyed the quiet. It was easier to blend in and observe and to think when he did not have to worry about entertaining the other cats, all of whom tended to speak and emote far too much for his liking. The silence made things simple, and perhaps in her time under his tutelage, Badgerpaw would also develop an appreciation for it. He did not know. He did not care. He had no real way of determining whether she would or she would not, and in any event, his main task was not to impart such habits on the young cat; he cared only about giving her what she would need to know to succeed. That was what his job was. Anything else was her problem to sort out.

From the Great Maple, he made his way through the forest to the west, and the woods began to morph from an open forest to one full of evergreens. The unique scent of pine grew stronger, and with it came NightClan’s marshy stench. He led the she-cat along the deer path that divided one clan from another, noting idly that their neighbor’s markers had faded with time. Undoubtedly another patrol would be sent along to renew them soon. “Currently, we are walking along our border with NightClan,” He spoke quietly as they walked, ears pivoted toward the shadows deep among the pines. The warrior did not intend to be surprised by an oncoming NightClan patrol. “You would do well to maintain caution around this area.” Trusting that she had heard tales of NightClan’s and TreeClan’s rivalry during her time in the nursery, he did not feel the need to further elaborate on why borders – and this one in particular – always demanded higher level of awareness.

Soon enough, however, they parted ways with the narrow, winding path and picked their way across damp soil and thickening undergrowth until they arrived at the edge of the marsh. Despite the heat and lack of rain, the ground had managed to preserve some of its moisture, and he knew mud would ooze up between his toes if they ventured further. ”This is the Shallow Marsh,” He explained, not bothering to gesture at the landscape before them. Badgerpaw seemed capable of putting two and two together. Most cats were. ”Prey does not come here often – you can decide why for yourself – but a variety of herbs can be found here.” The tom paused, giving his apprentice the opportunity to ask questions but not expecting her to. He carried on, leading them around the edge of the marsh and back onto firmer ground.

The training hollow was their next stop. Cushioned with a patch of trampled and worn grass, the little clearing smelled strongly of TreeClan, as it was frequented by mentor and apprentices pairs throughout the day. Bushes lined the clearing, and although they obscured the view slightly, he was perfectly content to remain where he was. The younger cat at his side would see the interior soon enough. "We will train in the Hidden Thicket," Sootmask spoke neutrally, flicking an ear toward the pair of cats currently sparring within. "Apprentices often come here to practice on their own or with a partner, as will the occasional warrior." Though the area was open to all members of the clan - excluding kits, for obvious reasons - it almost seemed like an unspoken rule that the apprentices and training pairs took priority. This was their space to work and learn; others could find somewhere else to practice. It was just as well. Sootmask knew that it was far more likely that they would fight among trees and roots and bushes rather than a flat patch of grass, and it was wiser to prepare for such a battle in a setting as realistic as possible.

i'll be dead before the day is done

sootmask | treeclan | warrior | @marshymutt

seven devils | background image

[Deleted]

She watched her mentor turn and begin walking once more, her own short legs carrying her instinctively along after him. The silence had once again returned, this time without the heavy feeling of dread that loomed over her during the last one. It was probably for the best though, she would have to get used to silence eventually, given how little her mentor talked. If anything, the apprentice was actually somewhat surprised that she hadn't been used to it before, granted she didn't interact much with other cats. Still, she was used to the sound of the birds chirping, or her clanmates sharing tongues, but this silence seemed to override everything else.  As though Sootmask's mere presence caused the world around them to fall mute.

They continued moving forward, stopping at the border with Nightclan where Sootmask briefly explained where they were and that it was best to stay cautious around that area. 'As though I couldn't have figured that out myself.' She thought, before they moved on. They moved next to the Shallow Marsh, where her mentor once again explained where they were and what significance the place had, just as he had before with every other location. By this point, the dark-furred she-cat was beginning to get rather bored, wishing instead that they could get to some REAL training, but of course she didn't dare go against her mentor and it wasn't long before they once again set off.

White paws padding softly against the ground, the apprentice suppressed the urge to complain about how her paws hurt, trying her hardest not to disturb the older cat with any of her whining for fear of what he may do. Truth be told, the grey warrior honestly scared her and she just wanted this all to be done and over with, so when the next place they visited was the training hollow. And there were even other cats there! It was quite the rare experience for Badgerpaw to feel this excited about seeing other cats, but there they were! Other cats that liked to socialize and probably weren't creepy.

"We will train in the Hidden Thicket,"

And just like that, her excitement came plummeting down. That was right, she still had to learn the rest of the territory. Her only response was a soft sigh, and a nod of her head, it was certainly going to be a long day.

[Phoenix]

see i was dead when i woke up this morning

Just as the gray tom was about to turn and continue on with the rather uninspiring tour, the distant rumble of thunder became a roar right over their heads. The wind picked up suddenly, and the leaves danced in the wind with wild abandon. Sootmask glanced up at the canopy over his head, ears flicking and somewhat alarmed. The storm had come faster than he had expected. Another loud crack of thunder rattled the sky.

That was their only warning before the clouds opened up.

Rain fell in sheets, and with his fur almost instantly plastered to his frame, the warrior gestured to his apprentice. ”Time to get back to camp,” He nearly shouted over the rush of water. ”Follow me.” On nimble paws, he picked his way through the undergrowth, sticking close to the tree trunks in the hope that the overlapping branches above might provide a little more shelter. It was just as well that they had only made it to the training hollow, for the location was fairly close to camp, making for a fast journey back. Occasionally, the tom cast a blue-eyed glance over his shoulder to make sure the she-cat hadn’t stumbled or fallen behind; if he were to lose her, he knew that he would be on the patrol sent out to find her, and he did not want to be out in this weather any longer than necessary.

Finally, the familiar clearing appeared before them, and the warrior ducked through the entrance. Idly, he noted that he had only seen the clearing this empty on rare occasions, and he knew without a doubt that if he were to stop and peer into the dens as he walked by, he would see his clanmates huddled together, seeking shelter from the storm. With a flick of his tail, he dismissed Badgerpaw, and she ran off, presumably to the apprentice’s den, while he made his way in quick, precise strides toward the warrior’s den. There would be time to continue their lesson later. For now, he simply wanted to be dry.

i'll be dead before the day is done

sootmask | treeclan | warrior | @marshymutt

seven devils | background image