[Deleted]

Maplepaw

do not scorn pity that is the gift of a gentle heart.

Maplepaw, the adventurous little she-cat, was fascinated by the Sky Springs. She loved how they reflected everything above them, how they threw the light of the heavens, whether day or night, around and seemed to glow with a special energy.

It was her place of choice to relax whenever her condition got the better of her. The Sky Springs didn't give her worried glances or well-meant advice about throwing her warrior career to the wind before it even begun. What else was she supposed to do?
Giving up was not a choice. Maplepaw and Hazelpaw had sworn that they would become warriors, for the sake of their late sister, who had never been able to see the light of her first day.

The memory pained Maplepaw, even though she had barely known her sister. The only thing she could clearly recall about her was the warmth they'd shared, snuggled against their mother.

Sighing heavily, the small apprentice laid down beside one of the Sky Springs and looked at the water, watching the clouds pass by above in the reflection.
Sometimes, she wasn't sure if she and Hazelpaw suffered from the same condition that their sister had suffered from or if their hearts just ached because they lost a part of themselves with their deceased sibling.

"Not all those who wander are lost."

table by madison
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[Fawn]

I wish I could be like the cool kids, If her warrior ceremony had made her nervous to the point of nauseousness, getting her own apprentice had damn near sent the self-conscious warrior into cardiac arrest. She'd gotten snippy with her Clanmates right after, particularly the ones who murmured among themselves 'is she ready for an apprentice?' 'she was made a warrior later than unusual', and Skunkspots almost regretted the verbal lashing she'd thrown at them. Almost. But they'd deserved it; if anycat got to undermine her self-confidence, it was going to be her. Blocking out the cynical voice inside her head that tried to tell her the other warriors were right, Skunkspots meandered to the Sky Springs, hoping to catch a bit of solitude with her own snarky self for company before the heat of the day got too intense, and the Sky Springs would inevitably start to feel crowded. She wasn't as alone as she'd been expecting. With a prickle of unease, the black-and-white she-cat paused, spotting Maplepaw—my apprentice, Maplepaw—staring at the clouds passing by in the reflections of the pools. Trying to channel the forever-patient Fallenleaf, Skunkspots' own mentor who held a very special, very hard-won place in her heart, Skunkspots plastered on a smile that hopefully didn't make her look constipated. "Hey." Fallenleaf would probably say something kindly, like 'how are you feeling?' but Skunkspots stopped herself. She doesn't want just another cat asking her how she's feeling. Skunkspots didn't know where this sudden intuition came from, but it probably had something to do with recovering from her grief on several separate occasions. Their Clanmates meant well, but sometimes they had a way of making a cat feel worse just by trying to make them feel better. "Any interesting shapes?" Skunkspots mewed, awkwardly glancing skyward. I see what looks like a rabbit... Or maybe I'm just hungry. They were off to a terrific start. Skunkspots nearly winced, cross with herself for not having the social skills to interact with a cat who deserved a much better mentor than she. Because the cool kids, they seem to fit in.

Word Count: 350 Words
Tags: @madison
Notes:

[Deleted]

Maplepaw

do not scorn pity that is the gift of a gentle heart.

"Oh, hello!" Maplepaw looked up and turned her head to see Skunkspots, the warrior she-cat and her mentor, approach.
The calico-pelted she-cat was very nervous in the presence of her mentor, not because she feared her but because Maplepaw was so excited. Her nervousness was of the excited, jittery kind where she was afraid to make a fool of herself because she was so pumped.

The apprentice glanced back at the pond and tried to connect the passing clouds into shapes. "This one looks like a duck."
Maplepaw said, pointing at a cloud.
She hadn't seen that many ducks yet, but she was mostly sure it looked like one either way. "I think."

While Maplepaw was known to be rather extroverted and out-going, she wasn't exactly sure how to talk to Skunkspots. Since the older she-cat was her mentor, she didn't want to be disrespectful by being too forward.
That alone was already odd for Maplepaw.

She sat up and turned to face her mentor. "When do we start with the training?" Pale green eyes darted around between Skunkspots and the ground near Maplepaw's feet. Was she being too forward? Could she expect to start her training right away?

"Not all those who wander are lost."

table by madison
image credit

tag: Fawn

[Fawn]

I wish I could be like the cool kids, Skunkspots had never seen a duck. That was a RainClan sort of thing, and she tended to avoid anything that had any association with one of the two Clans that had caused StoneClan so much pain and bloodshed. But she smiled anyway, nodding with a feeling of sheepishness she hoped her apprentice couldn't detect. I have no idea what a duck looks like, but I believe you. Well, so far things were going... okay. She had burst into flames out of sheer embarrassment, and StarClan so far hadn't sent any stray lightning bolts to put her out of her misery as the Worst-Mentor-In-The-History-Of-Forever. Until Maplepaw spoke up, and the excited little she-cat asked the question Skunkspots had only partially prepared for. When do I get to start training? Uh. Next moon. That was the answer she wanted to give. She wanted an entire moon to start things slowly, not only for herself, but for the she-cat who had an ailment no medicine cat had been able to solve. But... Wanting to be a good mentor, an interesting mentor, Skunkspots' heart got ahead of her mind in that instant. "We could start right now?" The tip of her tail twitched nervously, feeling ants crawling under her pelt. Don't screw this up, don't screw this up, don't screw this up. "We should start with a tour of the territory, but we can do some hunting crouches, if you want." Great StarClan, what if she forgot how to do one properly? What if she showed Maplepaw a poor example, and the apprentice had to be corrected by an older, wiser warrior later on? Skunkspots nearly flattened her ears, burning with the embarrassment of a situation that hadn't even happened. Yet. Because the cool kids, they seem to fit in.

Word Count: 298 Words
Tags: @madison
Notes:

[Deleted]

Maplepaw

do not scorn pity that is the gift of a gentle heart.

Much to Maplepaw's surprise, her mentor actually offered to start her training already. She couldn't hide her excitement anymore and grinned, bouncing a little on her tiny feet.
"Show me the borders' please!" The she-cat asked, almost forgetting her manners. Her mother would have shaken her head at her daughter's tone.

But Maplepaw didn't care. She just wanted to see everything her homeland had to offer. Even more if possible, but the apprentice knew that that wasn't possible. She wished all clans could live in peace and without borders, especially since she was yet too young to understand the politics behind the separation.

"Hazelpaw will be so jealous!" Maplepaw giggled, happy to finally see more of the world - and even before her sister!
That would make for such a cool story later at bedtime.
The calico cat wondered at that moment what her sister might be doing. Was she getting along with her mentor? Where they perhaps touring the borders and the territory as well?
Or maybe they hadn't started their training yet?

"Not all those who wander are lost."

table by madison

image credit

tag: Fawn

[Fawn]

I wish I could be like the cool kids, Skunkspots was awkward around kits. It was as if she'd forgotten what it was like to be one, and given the horrific moments of her kithood, it was no wonder. That said, she had trouble interacting with the newest, brightest, softest members of StoneClan's future—but Maplepaw, the shining light in her eyes, the hope blossoming there, Skunkspots couldn't help a small, awkward smile. Had she made the right choice? Is this what it felt like to be responsible for another cat? Oh StarClan, don't let me ruin this kitten. Feeling the pressure tenfold, Skunkspots nodded softly, standing up on jittery limbs though it was hard to see under the sleek white and black fur. "Great, uh, follow me." And watch me trip over a rock any second now. It was a miracle, but her sense of direction actually wasn't terrible. "We're close to the little woods, which is near the RainClan border. Maybe you'll see some fish." In the stream. Fish in the stream. Not in the little woods. Skunkspots cringed at her own stupid wording. To her credit, though, she kept walking, her pace reasonable so as not to tire out her younger Clanmate. Because the cool kids, they seem to fit in.

Word Count: 200 Words
Tags: @madison
Notes: