[Phoenix]

i'm an angel with a shotgun fighting 'til the war's won

As the season passed and every passing day grew shorter and shorter, the cold bite of the crisp leaf-fall air no longer seemed as strong and unbearable as it had when the green-leaf heat had finally broken. The brilliant sunlight had begun to take on its tantalizing illusion once more; hanging high in the sky, it shone with a brightness that seemed to promise a warmth that never quite reached the frost-covered ground. A cool wind blew infrequently across the territory, carrying with it the distant smell of prey, but the tuxedo tom barely paused to shake out his fur. He had seen Wolfclaw send practically every able-bodied warrior and apprentice out to take advantage of the nice weather, and on any other day, he and Honeypaw would be out there with the rest of them. However, they were not alone today.

Yellow eyes strayed over to the pale she-cat accompanying them, following his train of thought. Hers was an interesting position. In terms of survival alone, she had more experience than every other apprentice in StoneClan, but she lacked knowledge of both their Code and their territory. He had taken it upon himself to remedy at least one of those problems. Silverglade had caught his attention, first because she was an untrustworthy newcomer in the middle of the clan, but after their conversation, he had found himself considering her with some more genuine respect. They had reached an understanding of sorts, for both were driven by a similar purpose, a need to protect those closest to their hearts. Ospreywing respected that – plus theirs had not been an entirely unpleasant conversation. Words did not always come as easily to him as unsheathed claws, but it had been a little easier talking to her than most. He wasn’t quite sure why.

Though he hardly knew Silverglade, the warrior did know what it was like to be alone in a crowd, and he had thought that she might appreciate meeting a few others. It wasn’t like him to make introductions between two strangers – if only because everyone already knew everyone else in the clan – but he hoped that Honeypaw and the queen would get along. His apprentice had a heart much warmer than his own, and she was far more trusting (too trusting, almost) of everyone. But she was bright and lively and endearing in a way; he might never admit it, but a part of him was saddened at the thought of her moving on and becoming a warrior. Ospreywing had grown accustomed to her near-constant presence…

”Honeypaw,” He called lightly, glancing around for the subject of his thoughts. Introductions had been made in camp before they had set off to begin their tour, and the camp had just disappeared around a curve in the path, leaving them alone in the vast openness of StoneClan territory. ”We’ll be showing Silverglade around the territory today, and as you will undoubtedly be training your own apprentice someday, I think it would be a good idea if you were to lead us. You’ve spent the past few moons familiarizing yourself with our land. Let’s see what you’ve learned.” Of course, Ospreywing would be there to fill in anything his apprentice missed, but he was curious to see how well his apprentice would do with this admittedly unusual task. She might be nervous at first, but he didn’t think he had set her up for failure; he was confident in her ability and knowledge.

i don't care if heaven won't take me back

ospreywing | stoneclan | warrior | @fawntastic Silver

angel with a shotgun | background image

[Fawn]

Honeypaw's thin furred pelt had fluffed up against the bracing, cool autumn wind that dashed across the scrubland. Surefooted and bright-eyed, she had hurried to Ospreywing's side when her mentor called, tail waving merrily to the loner-queen called Silverglade that walked with them. I'M leading the group? Honeypaw's jaws parted in a soundless noise of surprise, and her heart quelled at the idea of having to make decisions for everyone.

Deep breaths, Honeypaw! Ospreywing's right, you've been learning about the territory for moons now. With a quivering nod but an eager voice, the apprentice moved forward. "Okay! Then we'll go to the Sky Springs first, so everyone can have a drink before we set off." The water was likely nice and cold. With a glance back at Ospreywing for courage, Honeypaw guided the small group of three towards the collection of deep and shallow pools that made up a small portion of StoneClan's unique territory.

"These are the Sky Springs! You can't catch anything here -- well, sometimes a mouse will be brave enough to try to get a drink, but the smell of so many cats usually chases everything else away." Honeypaw went to the edge of one, and saw her reflection smiling back at her; the surface was utterly still, as if these pools did not know what it meant to have ripples. "Some are deep, some are shallow, so I always test it with my paw first." Should I show her what I mean? Honeypaw hesitated, not wanting to waste both Silverglade's or Ospreywing's time with information a cat with even as much sense as a mouse could probably figure out.

But what if they don't have pools of water like this, where she's from? Better safe than soggy! Honeypaw dipped her paw in the nearest spring, purring with satisfaction when the water was only as high as the middle of her front leg. "See?" The paw was withdrawn and the water shaken off of it. "We--the apprentices and some of the young warriors, like Ospreywing-- like to play in the pools during greenleaf, which is the hottest season of all. It's quite nice. I know some cats don't like to get wet, but it really is a good way to cool off."

Did I forget anything?

Honeypaw tilted her head, wracking her brains for any other pertinent information. Her whiskers twitched. "The springs are really pretty at night. Maybe Ospreywing can show you what they look like." She was just an apprentice, surely Ospreywing would bring Silverglade to the Sky Springs himself, rather than interrupt her much needed rest? Honeypaw's whiskers twitched again, and she seemed to be struggling to hold back a smile, her eyes as bright as sunlit amber.

It's so easy to make believe,
it seems you're livin' in a dream

Word Count: 459 Words
Tags: Phoenix Silver
Notes:

[Silver]

Silverglade

I stand alone between my heart and the coming danger that lies ahead

Loner || Queen || 22 Moons

Silverglade padded along silently behind the pair that had decided to show her around the territory. She wasn't comfortable with a good deal many of the cats here, but Ospreywing had already shown himself to be trustworthy so she felt it safe to leave her kit alone long enough to go with he and his Apprentice to learn a few things about her new home. She'd left Sandkit once more in the capable paws of the Medicine Cat so she knew he'd be protected, but her pelt still itched to know that she was going so far from him. She understood that he was safe, but she couldn't help but remember what happened the last time she'd wandered so very far from her family.

She shuddered faintly and forced herself to move faster so that she could keep up with the cats showing her around. As Honeypaw led them Silverglade kept closer to Ospreywing as she was more comfortable with the Warrior than with his chatty Apprentice. The end of her tail flicked side to side in faint amusement at the chattering from the Apprentice. She remained calm and quiet as she let the younger she-cat lead them and sniffed at the cool water as she was shown to the first stop on their tour of the territory. She did take a quick drink of the cool water before straightening once more and snorting faintly at the teasing note from Honeypaw towards her Mentor.

"Honestly, given how much he enjoys swimming, this would be an excellent place to bring Sandkit when it gets warmer." Though by that time he'd be more than old enough to come on his own, but she couldn't bare to think about that. What would she do once her kit no longer needed her to care for him? Did she even have a purpose beyond that? Her ears tilted backwards and her tail drooped sadly for a long moment before she forced herself to straighten.

She heard Honeypaw talking again and blinked hard to make herself focus on the words being spoken. What about stars? She felt as if she'd missed part of this conversation and tried to cover it up as well as she could. Her words were quiet and fond as she spoke. "It's been a while since I've really paid any attention to the stars at night. When I was very young though, I used to make up stories about the cats that lived up in the stars. What sort of adventures must they have gone on, I'd wonder, and what sort of stories did they have to tell. It was comforting, back then, even if they were only stories."

She looked down at the still waters for a long moment before lifting her azure gaze up to the cloud-filled sky. Maybe it would be a good idea to try looking up at the stars again. She did believe in Star Clan after all, and maybe she would find the answers to the questions she held about her future in the stories she used to make up as a small kit. She was curious though, what exactly Honeypaw had said regarding stars, as she'd honestly been too caught up in her thoughts to actually hear what had been said.

Oh well, she was sure she'd guessed close enough to the truth. She was surprised though that she'd even said anything about her past at all to these two relative strangers. Strangely she wasn't overly worried about it though because Ospreywing had proven himself to be trustworthy to her. So it was enough and she dismissed the concern as simply getting comfortable in the presence of others she had chosen to trust.

--

Words: 618
Tags: Phoenix   | Fawn

My fate is unknown, but I will remain strong.

[Phoenix]

i'm an angel with a shotgun fighting 'til the war's won

At first, Honeypaw seemed to waver at the prospect of leading the tour, but much to Ospreywing’s quiet approval, she found her resolve and stepped forward just as he had hoped and expected she would. Despite her young age, she was not without her own hardship, and while it was very easy to simply get caught up in her infectious energy and not think to look beneath the surface, he had found over these past few moons that pulling back the curtain revealed a thoughtful young she-cat who was stronger than she probably even knew. Somehow, without his knowledge, she had scaled his walls, tunneled through his defenses, and effectively weaseled her way into his heart, and it was not until he had woken up one morning to find her with Dawnblossom instead of in her nest that he realized that he had inadvertently grown quite fond of her. Despite their very different attitudes, they managed to get along surprisingly well, and she had become something closer to a friend than simply his apprentice.

Sky Springs was the first stop, and the tom obligingly stepped up to the side of one, lowering his head to lap quickly at the smooth surface. Yellow eyes watched the ripples spread out from him as he listened to Honeypaw’s words, one ear tilted slightly in her direction. One comment had him turning and looking at her completely just in time to see her withdrawing her paw from the water and shaking it off. Small water droplets flew in every direction as he offered her a faintly amused look. ”Oh?” He asked, tail flicking lightly behind him. ”And when have you seen me playing in the pools, Honeypaw?” His words were quiet, tinged with just enough warmth to let her know that he was teasing her back. ”I could have sworn that I was the one dragging you out of these pools the other day, not the other way around.”

Silverglade spoke up, and he glanced in her direction as she mentioned her son, nodding at her words. That was certainly an option, and if Sandkit truly enjoyed swimming, there was no better place in StoneClan territory to do so than here. Now, with the days growing shorter and the weather cooling off, was not the ideal time to dive into even cooler water, but, as she said, there would be better opportunities in a few moons. Something in him, some slumbering beast that had long since been forgotten, rumbled contentedly at the thought – not that Sandkit would be able to swim, but that he and his mother would still be here when the time came to do so. Yes, that was a very nice prospect.

As if sensing the direction his thoughts had taken, Honeypaw took this time to speak up, and he turned to look at her again, struck speechless by the tone in her voice. Words, as they so often did, failed him completely, and he toyed with the idea of simply shoving her into the pool at their side. He really ought to… It wouldn’t be hard; all it would take would be one simple shove with his shoulder and there she would fall with a very satisfying splash – never mind that he was not entirely averse to the idea of taking Silverglade out to see the stars reflected on the water if she wanted to. He had been told by many a starry-eyed tom that the springs were absolutely beautiful at night but he had never made it out to see them (nor had he had any intention of wasting his time wandering through the darkness when he could be asleep in his nest instead). Perhaps an exception could be made, however.

Yellow eyes turned to see how the she-cat in question had reacted, and it was with some relief that she did not address the other she-cat’s not-so-subtle invitation one way or another. Silverglade’s words had him flicking an ear as he tried to recall the last time he had simply stopped and looked at the sea of stars that stretched across the sky at night. He couldn’t remember. Lonely, moonlit nights in the mountains came to mind. The stillness of those nights and the silence were a stark contrast to the chaos, to the bloodcurdling cries that split the air during the night of StormClan’s attack. That utter stillness and that deafening silence would forever stay with him. That was what he remember from his youth, not stories of cats in the stars. His tail flicked. In another life, perhaps, he might have looked to the night sky and done the same as her.

”That they’re only stories doesn’t make them any less important,” He offered in a brief flash of wisdom and eloquence. Ospreywing paused after the words left his mouth, wondering where in StarClan’s name they had come from, but the sentiment was no less true. Stories never worked to comfort him, but he had seen others find refuge in their words. Skunkspots had turned to Fallenleaf, and though he had no idea of the contents of their many conversations, he was willing to guess that his sister was one of those cats who found security in words. Breaking the spell, the tuxedo tom turned abruptly to Honeypaw. ”That was good; I have nothing to add. Where to now?”

i don't care if heaven won't take me back

ospreywing | stoneclan | warrior | Fawn Silver

angel with a shotgun | background image

[Fawn]

"It was comforting, back then, even if they were only stories."

But they're not only stories! Honeypaw had nearly said. StarClan is real, my brother Kitekit is up there right now, watching us even as we speak. However, Ospreywing's humor-tinged remarks had her whipping around to face him, her eyes wide as she realized he thought she'd meant him specifically.

Honeypaw giggled, prancing back from the springs to come up to her mentor. "I just meant that young warriors like you tend to come here on hot days." Glancing back to the slender she-cat walking with them, Honeypaw made a show of 'whispering quietly', trying to break through some of the understandable distance between them. "I bet he splashes around like a RainClan kit when no one's looking."

Before her mentor got any ideas about pushing her into the Sky Springs, Honeypaw confidently directed the two older cats with a wave of her tail. "Let's go to the Moss Meadow next! Silverglade, you'll probably recognize the smell as soon as we get there, that's where all the apprentices and warriors fetch moss for nests." The rest was too soggy to use, which was kind of hard to believe given that so much of their territory was as dry as a bleached hawk bone in greenleaf. I wonder why that is? Maybe moss are like clouds for the ground? Sometimes they fill up with moisture all on their own...

As the field of short, soft dark and pale green moss came into view, Honeypaw turned around to the older cats, slowing them down for a quick word. "You can also catch mice here, so I'd suggest keeping your voices down and stepping very carefully. It's nice though, all the moss tends to muffle our pawst--"

Honeypaw's nose wriggled. Quick as a snake, she turned around, dropping into a hunter's crouch to go slinking forward a few foxlengths, her eyes alive with energy. The brown and white she-cat pounced, her shadow spooking the mouse, but it was too late for her prey; with a quick dispatching bite, she carried it swiftly back to resume her conversation. "Where did I leave off? Did I mention the moss? Oh yes, the moss muffles our pawsteps."

With a glow of pride, Honeypaw shyly glanced at Ospreywing, hoping he was proud of her. She and Crimsonshadow hadn't really had the chance to connect, though she'd liked her old mentor just fine. But maybe things could be different with Ospreywing? He seemed a bit of a solemn fellow, but that wasn't a bad thing at all.

It's so easy to make believe,
it seems you're livin' in a dream

Word Count: 425 Words
Tags: Silver Phoenix
Notes: xD she talks so much!

[Silver]

Silverglade

22 Moons. Loner-Queen of StoneClan.

An amused snort left the pale furred she-cat at the friendly banter between her companions. If she'd understood the things she'd been hearing, Ospreywing was Honeypaw's Mentor and the two seemed to have formed a very close and interesting friendship. She padded along behind the duo often in silence just listening to them talking to one another and to her. She learned a good deal of her information about the clan this way; by just listening. She offered Ospreywing a gentle smile at his calm words regarding the stories she'd come up with as a kit to help make life more bearable. She looked back up into the sky and and smiled again, warmth reaching her deep blue eyes.

She felt, suddenly, that Sandkit might just enjoy getting to meet the rather chatty Honeypaw. This led to her moving forward a bit faster so she walked alongside the pair for the first time since they'd headed out. "You know, Honeypaw, I think my son may very much enjoy meeting you. He's always been one to like stories and learning new things. So I think...maybe if you'd like....I wouldn't mind if you'd help me out with him some time" The words bordered on shy, but she didn't regret them. She wasn't sure if the younger she-cat even liked being around kits, but that she'd been willing to offer her the chance to be near her precious kit in the first place meant she was finally getting comfortable in this place even just a bit.

Honeypaw was clearly trying her hardest and it was sort of adorable to watch. Silverglade could still see the hints of the kit the Apprentice had once been in her shy glances to her Mentor. Even though she hadn't been around when Honeypaw was that young, she still recognized the signs of the kit left in the growing she-cat. She could also see signs of the adult she was becoming. Honeypaw would be a fine Warrior some day soon. In the meantime watching her show them around and telling them all about her home was quite the experience.

I stand alone between my heart
and the coming danger that lies ahead.
My fate is unknown, but I will remain strong.

Words 353 || Tags Phoenix | Fawn