[Fawn]

45 Moons. Senior Warrior. TreeClan. Single~

The cooler wind was absolutely a sign that change was on the horizon. Not just for the weather, though. Appleshade, still trying to shake off her relative shock over Lionstar approaching her with the command that she was to take over Lightpaw's training, had spent the morning adjusting to this startling news. Me? Mentor an apprentice? The part of her that was reluctant to give up her freedom as a warrior with no major responsibilities beyond the usual, protested this.

But Lionstar had given her that stern look and supportive smile, and she'd buckled, promising that she would... try her best. Besides, having an apprentice wasn't all bad; Whiteclaw didn't think he could take her seriously, did he? Perhaps he would realize his mistake after she managed to train a young cat into a fully fledged warrior.

Yet even as she thought that, her confidence struggled between a fiery renewel and a wet, rainstorm of apprehension. What if she failed?

Don't think about that, Appleshade! You are a warrior. You are a senior warrior, this can't be TOO hard, can it? Just do your best and no cat can fault you for it. Besides... Lionstar wouldn't have assigned her Lightpaw if he thought she couldn't handle it. With that reassurance in place, Appleshade returned to camp, spotting the young tom immediately as he seemed to be waiting just outside the warrior's den. Perhaps he was looking for one of his parents? Or maybe Lionstar told him I was his mentor. He might be waiting for me! Oh he's a little dear.

Tail raised high in greeting, the pretty she-cat stepped lightly through the throng of TreeClan cats coming in and out of camp to mew cheerfully. "Good morning, Lightpaw! Guess who gets to be your new mentor~?" Her eyes sparkled, feeling at home now that she could have a proper conversation with the young cat in question. "Come with me, I thought we would go on a border patrol and get to know one another better. It'll be fun, I promise!"

Appleshade knew absolutely nothing about Emberstorm & Thornstrike's second son; really, she didn't spend very much time with apprentices (no reason to), so apart from his name and his unique coloration, Appleshade couldn't tell you much about Lightpaw at all. But she was hoping to change that. A little conversation and kindness would go a long way, surely!

Think you're all about me but I'm all about you

Words: 396 Words | Tags: @aureux | Notes:

[Deleted]

.:lightpaw:.

Lightpaw turned, blue eyes locking on the extraordinarily loud voice beckoning him from his place of vigil. He could swear he say the familiar tom walk by, but once he got to a decent vantage point Pineneedle was long gone. He himself couldn't quite tell anyone why he was so fascinated by the prickly warrior. There was just something about the solitary cat that drew his attention. He was the only one who didn't push the naturally quiet apprentice into vocalization. That sheer acceptance of the silence given, even if it was due to disregard, was refreshing. Often time so many found offense or unease from his natural tendency to watch and listen rather than speak. Pineneedle honestly could care less.

The too cheerful voice sang out once more, pulling the slight tom free from his thoughts and forcing him to register the half-ignored greeting. With the ease of an accomplished actor he steeled a mask of interest over his face to hide the slight annoyance and unease at the chipper she-cat. The she-cat that was supposedly going to replace his past mentor whom he had finally found himself comfortable with. If memory serve Lightpaw, Appleshade had never had an apprentice, at least he believed his mother told him of that.Perhaps you should try to at least return her greeting, it is only polite. Part of him, the kind part of him, wanted to try his best to make it easy on her. The slight vindictive side cried for him to just sit back and refuse to accommodate for the seductive warrior before him.

"H-hello to y-you too, Appleshade..." Lightpaw managed to stammer, ignoring both sides and deciding to charge straight in being awkward as he always was. This was how it always was, the darkness lurking in him egging him on to rudeness or annoyance while his conscience was quick to tell him what the result of such actions were. Lucky for him, aside from his crippling shyness he was laid-back enough to roll with the punches of his warring mind. A mind that was caught between light and dark, good and bad.

This internal struggle had been plaguing him since he was a tiny kit. While naturally wishing to be a nice cat, he couldn't help the sly and almost vindictive side of him, a side that relished on mentally tearing apart and belittling others. He himself didn't wish to hurt anyone, but something he couldn't help but wonder if that part of him was simply deluded. For just a second before the guilt would hit, Lightpaw would be overcome with euphoria. As he became an apprentice, his tendency to hide behind silence began to wane and he grew more relaxed and willing to simply accept who he was. But a cat doesn't change completely so soon and even without hiding, he still was naturally quiet.

Words and memories flowed like water as he trailed after the she-cat. His white form stood out in sharp contrast to the shadows of the leaves, his ginger ringed tail twitching and waving in the air as he walked and came to settle at the side of the warrior. "O-okay... I-I guess w-we can try,"

So make a wish now upon a shooting star
And watch it fly across the night...
-into the beyond-

533 words to Appleshade

[OOC//Sorry if this post is a little disjointed and odd. I started falling asleep halfway through. ^^"]

[Fawn]

45 Moons. Senior Warrior. TreeClan. Single~

The little tom had a stammer. She felt a surge of fondness for him then, avowing to help him overcome his speech impediment or his social awkwardness—whichever was the root cause. "There's no 'try' about it, Lightpaw. We can! Just stick close to me, we're going to stroll through the wildflower meadow and go see what's happening with LightningClan." Wouldn't it be nice to bump into Batpaw again? Perhaps Lightpaw would be encouraged to come out of his shell a bit more.

Though Appleshade hated to make comparisons between her Clanmates and things she found repulsive, Lightpaw reminded her a little bit of a snail. He was by no means slow (neither mentally nor physically), but she could see him wanting to duck his head back into his shell if she came on too strong or got too close.

That's fine. By the time I'm done with him, he'll be confident of himself and able to carry on any conversation! Funny, curing his social anxieties felt more like her proper duty than teaching him how to hunt or fight. Those two things were incredibly important, the pretty she-cat knew, but so too was walking through a crowd of cats with a sense of placement and a strong sense of self.

Confidence could be everything, sometimes.

"My mentor was an elderly tom named Beetlefoot. He passed on before you were born, but I have some fond memories of training with him." And irritating him a little. Ah that one time she stopped a battle training session because she lost a whisker... Or that time she refused to cross the stream because it would've made her paws wet and dirty... Appleshade let out a mrrow of laughter, missing the point behind his irritation. She still partly felt justified for her behavior back then; thanks to her careful attention to her vanity, Appleshade had no scars to speak of and her whiskers were perfectly even, thank you very much.

"But I think you and I will get along better than I did with Beetlefoot. He couldn't really keep up with me—but you're young and strong and smart, I'm sure we'll work well together." The compliments were easy to come by, Appleshade already starting her 'confidence conditioning'.

The scent of the wildflower meadow lifted her spirits even higher, the she-cat starting to relax now that the first stage of mentorship seemed to be going smoothly. With a soft, pleasant exhale, Appleshade's silver-sorrel pelt rippled in the warm morning breeze, the feline stopping to arch her spine underneath the warm sun. Ah... I want to take a nap here...

No, no naps. Though the surrounding fragrance was threatening to lull her into a drowsy state, Appleshade clung on.

Think you're all about me but I'm all about you

Words: 453 Words | Tags: @aureux | Notes:

[Deleted]

.:lightpaw:.

Lightpaw trailed along after her, fragrant flowers brushing his belly as he foraged through the grasses of the meadow. All the while his orange ears were perked, listening patiently as his new mentor trailed on stuck on one tangent or another. The slight apprentice was happy just to sit back and listen to her go on and one about this, that, or the other. The more she spoke the less he would have to face trying to talk or verbally keep up with her various stories. But the time finally came where he needed to talk whether he wished to or not. It wasn't necessarily a prompted thing, but rather a prolonged lull in conversation that manners and regular conventions told him to fill. And there was something about Appleshade that made him want to fill them.

Larchclaw had been easy, pushing when he felt the tom should speak or simply letting Lightpaw be when he refused to do so. There was something almost grandfatherly about the old warrior, a gently persistence that coaxed the shy apprentice out of his shell. But Appleshade, she already proved to be the quiet opposite. Where Larchclaw was calm assurances and measured words, Appleshade was fire and passion, digging at the shell without understanding why he would sequester himself in one in the first place.

She doesn't seem to understand shyness. He mused to himself, his strides long despite requiring twice the work to match the female warrior's own. All the while he let the silence fester despite the terrible itch to feel it, social instincts, as paltry as they were, urging him to say something, anything. And so he did.

"U-um as y-you know L-l-larchclaw was m-my mentor b-fore you.. W-we got a-along fine I g-g-guess..." He let his words trail off, unsure what else to say. Lightpaw hoped against hope that what he said was enough. Only time would tell though and until it did he was perfectly allowed to shoot frantic looks out of the corner of his eye as he tried to still his racing heart... right?

So make a wish now upon a shooting star
And watch it fly across the night...
-into the beyond-

347 words to Appleshade

[Fawn]

45 Moons. Senior Warrior. TreeClan. Single~

"Oh~ He was Silentsong's mentor, you know." The pretty she-cat threw an amused glance over her shoulder at the tom, slowing so that he could catch up (not that he needed the help, it was a habit of hers; she didn't so much lead as she did briskly stroll with friends—no matter what group of cats she left camp with). "I imagine you two didn't talk much, is that right? Larchclaw's probably used to very quiet training sessions." I'm sure Larchclaw meant well, and I don't mean to suggest he's had a lapse in judgment, but pairing a quiet cat with a quiet mentor...

Perhaps they would reach some kind of mutual understanding? Or there would be so much untapped personality that never gets explored. If Lightpaw keeps himself to himself (which is perfectly fine; Whiteclaw was that way... oh if there was ever a tom whose opinion she regretted hearing...), that's something she can adjust to. But if Lightpaw keeps himself to himself out of shyness or social awkwardness—well that was no way to live!

Appleshade could not imagine hovering on the outskirts of Clan society, unable to speak her mind for fear of rebuttal or being a loner; it wasn't as if Lightpaw was strange, he seemed like a perfectly normal little tom. He didn't seem to have any peculiar or unpleasant traits that would chase others away. His sister, now she was a whirlwind of energy and excitement; Appleshade adored seeing another chatty young feline around camp, but she was a little relieved to have a much more mellower apprentice.

Perhaps Lightpaw never found the chance to speak up or take the lead because Firepaw or Stonepaw became the defacto leader? Appleshade too had grown up in a trio of siblings; Lichenfrost had a very distinctive personality (acerbic at times, but aggressive and admirably independent), and so did Sprucefur in his quiet, protective way. She had found her niche, rather than copy her siblings or try to emulate any of their behaviors.

Maybe that's all Lightpaw needed. To find himself, or to just have the chance to lead, to be a voice in the crowd that others listened to. Appleshade could help him become that kind of warrior; if he didn't, that was fine too. So long as he was happy. After all... What kind of life would it be, if you suppressed your personality for fear of offending others? If you were afraid of what others might think of you?

Appleshade had had her heart broken recently, so new the emotional bruises were still black and blue, but... a life where you couldn't be yourself suddenly seemed all the more tragic than unrequited love.

Think you're all about me but I'm all about you

Words: 458 Words | Tags: @aureux | Notes:

[Deleted]

.:lightpaw:.

"N-not exactly... We didn't r-really talk much... I-I don't talk to m-many cats to be honest..." Lightpaw's ears flattened to his skull in a blatant display of unease, but he continued to talk, "We got a-along, but that was a-about it... There was n-no deeper relationship,"

There was something about the she-cat that got him to talk. It was like he was incapable of remaining silent in Appleshade's presence. Her friendly nature pulled him out far faster than anything Larchclaw tried. Part of him was frightened by it, but a stronger part of him reveled in the ease at which the words came, only marred by the slightest of stumbling. It felt like a weight off of his back, his body and mind relaxing as if he was alone. The anxiety wasn't completely gone, but rather it seemed to withdraw until it was no more than the slightest of prickles against the back of his neck.  

Maybe Lionstar was onto something when he decided she should be my mentor. Lightpaw admitted to himself as he paused to consider the sorrel warrior. An idea chose that minute to make itself known, sparking to life unbidden but nonetheless amusing. He schooled his features, his tail twitching the only thing giving him away as he resumed walking. It wasn't until he was a few steps away from Appleshade that he took off into motion, streaking past the she-cat and diving into the surrounding flowers.

The white wildflowers were quick to conceal his shape as he lowered himself into a crouch. As easy as words came, Lightpaw has soon grown tired of it, the natural energy of a young apprentice making itself known and reminding both that as meek as he came off he still was young. His blue eyes watched between the swaying grassing as he kept himself otherwise still. Hopefully Appleshade would be smart enough to catch on fast, or at least assume what he wanted. After all, what else is a better way to demonstrate hunting skills than hunting my mentor? He had to suppress a purr at that. It wouldn't be any fun if he gave himself away.

So make a wish now upon a shooting star
And watch it fly across the night...
-into the beyond-

358 words to Appleshade

[Fawn]

45 Moons. Senior Warrior. TreeClan. Single~

"Well my dear, I want you to know that if you ever want to talk to me about anything, you absolutely can. I—" Appleshade halted her declarative statement, curiosity coloring her pretty sorrel features as she glanced around for the young tom, ear rotating to catch the faint rustle of parched wildflowers nearby. "Lightpaw?" She mewed. Where did he dash off to? Better yet, why had he dashed off?

Perhaps he'd scented a mouse and taken a chance? Appleshade's tail swayed to and fro, an idling behavior as she raised her muzzle to the wind, trying to scent for prey. No mice. Just one flame-pointed tom with a mind of his own. It occurred to her, then, that Lightpaw was playing with her. That's what he's doing, isn't it? Appleshade's heart felt light as a dandelion tuft, and a warm purr rose from her throat as she lowered into a smooth hunting crouch.

"Come out come out wherever you are, Lightpaw!" She called, voice soft but inviting, knowing full well the tom was probably hunkered down somewhere, about as willing to move as a snail inside its shell. I hope I didn't overwhelm him, this thought crossed her mind briefly, but she reassured herself that their conversation had been going quite well up until that point. She would've noticed if something was wrong; paying attention to social interaction was practically a skill of hers that she'd honed since apprenticeship.

Appleshade had, admittedly, paid more attention at Gatherings than she had at Clan meetings. It wasn't that ceremonies didn't appeal to her (they did, her own ceremony was a fond memory in her heart), they just didn't allow for much talking, though it was an excellent look at body language. A warrior catching an apprentice? That's not as much of a challenge~

Maybe he wanted the chance to catch her?

Delighting in the game, Appleshade began to wander off, feigning all the behavior of a feline looking for a mouse or shrew hidden in the flowers. Appleshade even stopped to smell a few daisies, smiling at the sweet scent that rose from the flower's center. Despite her at-ease posture, there was an intelligent glimmer in her eyes, and the subtle way her ears twitched an indication that she was listening for more than just birdsong and bees humming.

Think you're all about me but I'm all about you

Words: 388 Words | Tags: @aureux | Notes:

[Deleted]

Age. TreeClan. Tom.

Lightpaw listened to the rustle of grass as his mentor, for that is what she was supposed to be, wandered looking for him. Then all of a sudden it settled, as if someone was settling down onto the ground. Any questions he would have thought to ask himself then and there was answered as his name was called. Appleshade was trying to beckon him out of hiding, not that he planned to listen. Well, he wasn't being insolent or anything. In fact, the small flame point tom almost always listened to orders. He was a good apprentice. Just what would be the point of the game if he gave himself up so easily?

The blue-eyed apprentice continued to agonize over his decision to start a game even as the pink cream she-cat began to wander off. It was only when her stepped grew purposefully loud before winding to a stop did he realize he was being foolish and letting his target get away.

I need to stop worrying. She doesn't mind. She would have said something instead of playing along if she did. Appleshade is one of the most vocal cats in the clan. The young tom rationalized, even as he began to slink forward through the tall grasses and flowers. Stalks of green rubbed again his fur and tickled his nose, but Lightpaw refused to let that distract him. As impulsive as the idea to play was, he couldn't help but get into it. Each step that he succeeded in keeping silent elevated his spirits and burned past his nervous disposition. 

It took all of his focus to keep from breaking out in childish laughter right there. Each whiskerlength covered left him more and more elated as his eyes finally caught sight of the she-cat his nose was pointing him toward. With a triumphed shout he couldn't help, Lightpaw launched out of the undergrowth and toward the shoulders of his target.

"Hah! Gotcha!"

Notes: I forgot how cute he was ^w^
Words: 324 
Tags: Appleshade

[Fawn]

49 Moons. Senior Warrior. TreeClan. Single~

Dearly hoping Lightpaw remembered to keep his claws sheathed, Appleshade squeaked in playful surprise as the pale-hued tom leaped out of the wildflowers. Remembering her training (she had paid very close attention to evasive maneuvers or moves meant to minimize damage), Appleshade rolled over with the impact, laughing as her paws flew up into the air and the world spun briefly. "Well done! If you hadn't cried out, I might not've noticed which direct you were coming from. Do you want to try that again, or shall we play a game~?" Shaking the flower petals out of the silver-sorrel fur she took such immense pride in, Appleshade sat up, her eyes gleaming. She loved games. Even better than a game was an apprentice responding to her words!

This is great news. I think I can really be a good mentor if things get off to such a good start. With a smile that blossomed like the flowers surrounding the student and teacher, Appleshade tickled his nose with the end of her fluffy tail, before leaping away. "Do you think you can catch me without trampling too many flowers~? With a name like Lightpaw, I'd hope you were light on your feet!"

In demonstration, Appleshade nimbly gathered her strength in her back legs, coiling like a spring, and then did what could only be described as a bunny-hop over a clump of wild marigolds. She landed daintily on the tips of her toes, tail held up high like a stalk of wheat, trying to minimize her impact. Lightpaw would have a much easier time of it—he was short-haired, which would give him a clearer sense of what his limbs were doing and what he was in danger of crushing or mangling. Sorry wildflowers, but you're going to get just a little battered~

Hopefully not too badly though. She didn't think he moved how he spoke; there was less uncertainty in his steps and he certainly didn't stumble over anything. Just goes to show you there's a confident cat underneath. Appleshade smiled, beckoning him to copy her movement with a paw. She believed in him.

Think you're all about me but I'm all about you

Words: 359 Words | Tags: @aureux | Notes: <3

[Deleted]

9 Moons. TreeClan. Tom.

With a nod, Lightpaw crept back into the flowers, this time keeping his steps soft and his movements light. His size allowed him to weave into the stalks with only the slightest of disturbances. He was not yet large enough to match his mentor's bounds, so he would simply do what he did best. He lengthened his strides so that he use his entire legs and fulling extended them before drawing them back, easily covering double the distance his normal steps would with the least amount of movement.

The marigolds were quick to obscure them as he swiftly and hopefully more quietly followed his mentor. All in the hopes that he could actually surprise her this time. And he was confident he could.

For you see, Lightpaw was always more confident when actually doing things. Idle chatter, he didn't know how to deal with very well. But outright motion, pleasant and free interaction. Those things he could handle well enough. But true active interaction, the talking and banter that went hand in hand with motion, with learning and explaining, that wasn't quite so hard.

Keeping that technicality in mind, it wasn't that unimaginable that he was flourishing so much in just a simple game of interaction, but that was the truth.To be honest, this is going a lot better than I thought it would. I didn't think I would get along with Appleshade so well. I thought she would have tried to shove me into uncomfortable positions, but she isn't. She seems happy to move at my own pace.

The tom slinked closer after the she-cat even as he thought this, determined to take her words into consideration and catch he silently this time. Moving oh so carefully, he sprung out of his confines and launched at her, careful to keep his claws sheathed as he moved to land upon her back. 
 
This may just be the most fun I've had in a while.

Notes: This is tooth rotting fluff
Words: 324 
Tags: Appleshade

[Fawn]

49 Moons. Senior Warrior. TreeClan. Single~

Listening to the very faint sounds of Lightpaw's steps behind her, Appleshade quickened her pace to provide him with a proper challenge. Besides, it was rather fun, to have an excuse to frolic through the meadow. She'd discovered this training technique quite by accident; what started out as a vain, silly little apprentice's desire not to harm any of the flowers whenever she visited, quickly became the means with which to improve her footwork.

After a few foxlengths, Appleshade began to slow down again, this time moving stealthily through the wildflower meadow with a keen swivel and pivot of her ears, searching for sounds of any clumsy paws on noisy plant stems, or a lithe ginger-shaded tail rustling the grasses. He's going to be very good at this, Appleshade predicted, admiring the youngster's composure.

Honestly, she'd done more giggling than he had. Briefly distracted by a honey bee, Appleshade leaned away from it warily, remembering all-too-well her trip to the medicine cat's den after the wretched little buzzing thing stung her on the nose.

What followed next was a high-pitched yowl of surprise as four slim paws landed on her back, pushing her shoulders down with the unexpected weight. Appleshade made an undignified lurch, her fur fluffing out just as she realized who the culprit was. "Lightpaw!" She uttered a breathy laugh, shaking him off before licking down her chest-fluff with embarrassment.

I should've paid better attention!

"Well done, I could scarcely hear you that entire time." Appleshade, vowing to do better, pranced away into the purple and yellow flowers dominating the field. "This time I want to see what else you can sneak up on. Think you can catch a mouse or a vole, my dear? I think you could."

Think you're all about me but I'm all about you

Words: 243 Words | Tags: @aureux | Notes:

[Deleted]

9 Moons. TreeClan. Tom.

Lightpaw nodded to Appleshade, a warm purr bursting to life in his chest. All of his fear was some place far away, each measured uncertainty having fallen away, giving slack in his serenity. There was something about the flowers, about the peace that radiated from such a childish and simple game that eased him. And he was genuinely happy as she saw the praise in her words, as he saw the way he made the she-cat's already near permanent smile widen. 

She believe in me so much. Larchclaw was kind and patient, but he never seemed to have many words to give, expressing pleasure or not. It wasn't that his past mentor was unkind, for Larchclaw was. But rather the tom was quite experienced. He had already mentored many an apprentice, so set in his ways at the past success that he didn't think much of changing his way. Nor of trying to push the otherwise quiet tom into socializing. He was more than content to repeat the routine of near silent work as he instructed.

Larchclaw would have never been so quick to turn training into game. To play with Lightpaw in a way he hadn't since kithood. Well not counting the occasional spar, but those were few and far between given his diminutive size.

So staring up at the mentor, one who so seamlessly moved to change from fun and games to work, he couldn't help the happiness shining through his eyes, mixed with something else. Something so different from his usual confidence-deficient self. And that was pride.

"Of course, Appleshade. I will catch the biggest rodent in all the forests," It was a childish remark, filled with earnest determination. Lightpaw chose that moment to bound deeper into the flowers, the only sounds allowed being those of his parting. 

As he sunk into the lazily swaying wildflowers, there was no doubt that he had made progress.

Notes: Is there a such thing as Lightpaw angst?
Words: 318 
Tags: Appleshade

[Fawn]

49 Moons. Senior Warrior. TreeClan. Single~

"Of course, Appleshade. I will catch the biggest rodent in all the forests!"

Oh he's such a dear. Appleshade watched fondly as her apprentice took off into the meadow, the she-cat following at a slower, more careful pace. I'll be sure to tell Emberstorm how sweet he is. I'm sure she already knows, but surely it's nice to hear it from another cat. And Lightpaw hadn't stuttered once! Proud of him and the small but significant progress they had made together, she felt less like she was standing on a ridge with no way forward and no way back, uncertain of her footing.

The scent of mouse managed to reach her even though it competed with the many floral scents of the meadow, and Appleshade lowered into a crouch, keeping her movements light and airy as she wove through the wildflowers. No small part of her wanted to call out to Lightpaw, tell him which direction the mouse's scent was coming from, but Appleshade knew better. He has to learn, you can't make everything so easy for him. Even if she wanted to, very badly.

If she could show Lightpaw only the good things about being a warrior, she would. But... but that would be doing him a disservice. Sometimes, despite trying hard, cats failed. They missed their catch or they snapped a twig or they couldn't get a battle move just right. Life was all about fun and games and friendship--but it was also about overcoming obstacles too. Learning to adapt. Appleshade's tail-tip flicked nervously, hoping that, if he missed the mouse, he wouldn't be too upset by it.

Noticing some orange poppies smiling at her from nearby, Appleshade made a mental note to mention them to Bluejay later; they could probably use them.

Think you're all about me but I'm all about you

Words: 298 Words | Tags: @aureux | Notes: