[Justice]

Leafbare 17, VY 6
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She was a little nervous to be left in charge of another cat's future, but she'd been well trained by Firestar herself and she knew she could do it. She'd just teach this apprentice the way she was taught, with calm and patience. She'd teach the little she-cat to believe in herself and focus on improving what she needed to work on and praise what she was good at. Things a good mentor would do, prepare her for becoming a warrior of LightningClan someday. They'd been training together for some time now, she just hadn't felt ready to take the other cat out on a tour of the territory before now, wanting to make sure she wouldn't fall behind or tire out before their journey was done. Larkflower may have been small, but she could move fast when she needed to. So she'd worked close to home first, getting up Sleetpaw's confidence and familiarizing them both with each others gaits and temperaments so that she could trust that her apprentice would trust her to protect her should anything go wrong.

Larkflower crept her way into the apprentice's den, it was early and not all the apprentices had gone out for the day yet, so she didn't want to wake them. She made her way to Sleetpaw's nest and licked the she-cat between the ears, keeping her voice low. "Time to wake up Sleetpaw. We're going to be leaving camp today. Come and have something to eat, you'll need your strength."

Taxx

[Taxx]

If you love me, don't let go

Sleetpaw jerked at the touch between her ears and the voice that called her name, eyes flashing open to stare into Larkflower’s, blinking as her mentor told her that they were going to train. She nodded, yawned and rose, shaking bits out of her fur as she followed the older she-cat into the clearing; she turned aside then, sniffing over the small pile left over from the night before and taking a sparrow. She ate quickly, making sure to thank the creature for giving its life to fuel hers and burying the remains, leaving the feathers for someone else to line their nest.

Then she turned back to Larkflower, ears perked, waiting for her to either mention the lesson or lead Sleetpaw out into the territory. She held her silence, right up until she realized she hadn’t greeted her mentor at all, and then a rush of embarrassment made her fur prickle and she squeaked. “Good morning, Larkflower! Did- did you sleep well?”

Because I'm a little unsteady

Sleetpaw

LightningClan Apprentice

Justice    ● Made by Fawn

[Justice]

She moved along on light paws, keeping a watch over her young apprentice and brushing her fluffy tail along the other she-cat's back to comfort her. She remembered how scared she'd been as an apprentice, out of the nursery on her own with no Brightpool to comfort and console her and no Shadow to protect her. It was scary, growing up. She was determined she would help Sleetpaw feel confident in her as a mentor and safe.

Larkflower beamed at the other cat when she was asked how she slept, headbutting her happily in reaction first. She was an affectionate cat, always had been. "I slept very well, thank you. I lined my nest so that it would be softer for me to sleep in."

She took a breath and calmed herself, flicking her tail. "We're going to walk along the borders today so I can show you the path and discuss the territory and its limits."

Taxx

[Taxx]

If you love me, don't let go

Larkflower didn't seem too upset, which was enough of a relief to make Sleetpaw's legs quiver and threaten to fold beneath her. The image of her doing just that burned in her mind, and the thought of the stares she'd certainly get made a rush of embarrassment sweep from nose to tail-tip. The gentle butt of her mentor's head against her own made her jerk in surprise, and her blue eyes flared wide for a moment, but the touch itself was meant for comfort and she was grateful; she purred a reply, glad to hear that the older she-cat had slept well the night before, but it faltered as Larkflower spoke again about her training.

Leaving the camp. Of course, it was necessary, but there was the familiar swoop of her stomach and the instant tremble of fear. She'd never been as keen as Lightningpaw and Thunderpaw to escape the camp and explore what lay beyond it, even though she'd trailed along with them a couple times. She'd much preferred to stay in camp, with her mother or tucked in the elders' den with Blazefang. She hadn't been any more enthusiastic about becoming an apprentice, and part of her wished that she'd been with her brother and sister on their adventure that had gotten them held back. She'd felt bad for them both, knowing how much they'd wanted to be apprentices, but there wasn't anything she could have done about it.

Jerked out of her thoughts again, Sleetpaw felt a rush of shame for failing to pay proper attention. She nodded, her ears pressing down to her skull as she crept after Larkflower. It was just a walk- no hunting, no battle training. There was no harm in just going for a walk with her mentor, right? Father, if you can hear me... keep us safe. Thank you.

Because I'm a little unsteady

Sleetpaw

LightningClan Apprentice

Justice  ● Made by Fawn

[Justice]

She got the sense that Sleetpaw was allot like she had been when she was young. Unsure, scared at all the new things, and afraid of disappointing everyone. She'd had Wildstripe and Firestar to reassure her, as well as Brightpool. Now she could help this young cat as well. First start, getting her safely away from camp so they could talk and become more familiar and comfortable with each other.

She walked along slowly, letting Sleetpaw set the pace. "You know I wasn't born to this clan." She said it absently as they walked, keeping a watch over the other while listening for prey or danger. "Firestar took me in when Brightpool found me half frozen buried in the snow in one of the tunnels. Brightpool is my mother in all the ways that count, but I also have an older brother named Shadow that I don't see very much anymore. He's feral, not very social or nice at all. He knows this clan is safe for me, but he'd never fit in here." She spoke mainly to distract the other cat, as they went steadily away from camp to follow the path of the borderlands.

"I was so small and scrawny when I first got here, thin and helpless even. Scared of the world. But between three cats that cared very much for me I learned to be confident. Sleetpaw, I hope someday I can do that for you." She smiled at the other, tail flicking out behind her. "You will grow up and become a beautiful she-cat, and able to take on anything. Please remember that you aren't alone, I want to be your friend and your mentor, so if you ever need an ear please don't be afraid to come to me."

Taxx

[Taxx]

If you love me, don't let go

Sleetpaw kept her eyes on the ground ahead to keep from tripping, but the rest of her attention was fixed completely on Larkflower, taking in the words and learning things she hadn't known previously. She'd never considered cats having been born out of the Clan before- she knew Quailfoot had been, because sometimes as a kit he had told her stories of the time before he'd become LightningClan,  but it wasn't something she thought about; a warrior was a warrior, and so long as they did their best for the Clan, what did it matter where they'd been born?

Her head ducked at the praise, warmth creeping along her body at the gentle words, before she turned to blink at Larkflower with wide blue eyes. "Thank you. I'll do my best to make you proud, I promise. I'm so glad you're my mentor." For whatever reason, Firestar had paired them together, and Sleetpaw was so grateful that the gentle she-cat would be the one to guide her through her apprenticeship- rather than more aggressive cats like Tallstrike. "I'll remember. Thank you, Larkflower." She touched her nose quickly to the older she-cat's shoulder and then drew back, her gaze flashing around at the moor before turning back to her mentor. "Where are we going first?"

Because I'm a little unsteady

Sleetpaw

LightningClan Apprentice

Justice ● Made by Fawn

[Justice]

"Just do your best and everything will work out for you." At least with Larkflower everything would be well. She'd have to teach Sleetpaw everything she could and make sure the other she-cat was ready to take on the world when the time came. She smiled brightly when the other cat pressed her nose to her shoulder, and licked her between the ears affectionately.

"We are going to Star Field first, there's something I want to tell you." It was fitting to tell another story about a cat that overcame incredible odds from the place he loved the most. Her hope was that, through lessons and stories, Sleetpaw would slowly grow in confidence and wisdom into a warrior that the clan would be proud of. She'd be proud of her no matter what. It was through her memories of the past that she knew how hard it could be growing up in a large clan like LightningClan, feeling like nothing she did would ever be good enough. She'd been so small and so useless, but with work she'd become a decent huntress. She'd pass that to Sleetpaw, make certain that she had someone to come to when she needed to talk or just wanted someone to snuggle with in her nest. Things she could do, things that maybe the other she-cat didn't have elsewhere.

Taxx

[Taxx]

If you love me, don't let go

Would it really? Sleetpaw really hoped so. Wanted it to be true. But how could anyone know? She didn't say aloud how she felt, she didn't want to make Larkflower feel like she wasn't helping. Right here, right now, Sleetpaw was surprisingly content. And maybe her mentor was right, after all. She might not be able to look into the future and know, but she could still trust that things would go just fine for them- for all of LightningClan.

"Okay," she replied willingly, and padded after the older she-cat without question. She stuck close, fur prickling at the openness of the territory and the possibility of threats- she'd never forget the greenleaf that had brought the foxes down on them- but the day itself was nice and warm, with a pleasant breeze rustling the grass around them. The scents of heather, hare, and grass was strong with every breath, and though she never lagged from Larkflower's side, Sleetpaw still felt herself relaxing a bit.

Because I'm a little unsteady

Sleetpaw

LightningClan Apprentice

Justice ● Made by Fawn

[Justice]

She kept her pace steady, not so slow as to make Sleetpaw feel like she was making things take longer, but not so fast that she left the little she-cat in her dust either. Once they reached Star Field, a place that held so many memories for her, she sat down, wrapping her fluffy tail around her paws and looking up at the sky. "Sit with me, and listen won't you?" She smiled at the other then turned her attention back to the beauty of the field around them. "Many moons ago, though within our lifetime, a tom came to be born to LightningClan. He was big and strong and loyal to his clan, and he fought hard to protect everyone within the territory. But by many he was still looked down upon because of one glaring disability. When he was still a kit he got very sick, and the sickness stole his sight from him. If not for the kindness of a she-cat he would never have been allowed to become a warrior, stuck as an apprentice for all his moons since who would want to train a cat that couldn't see? But despite everything that was stacked against him this tom trained hard and became a warrior and hunter, an asset to the clan. He honed his other senses to make up for his lack of sight, made sure he was never a burden on those around him. Despite everything he maintained a strong belief in his clan and in StarClan beyond us and until he passed into their care he remained one of the best of us."

She looked back to the younger she-cat, her smile now sad. "If a blind cat can fight that hard, despite everything, then I think if we work together you can become a great warrior and huntress. I'm not the biggest or the strongest, but I believe in this clan, and I believe in you. No matter what, I will help you. I'll protect you when you need it, and cheer you on when you don't. No matter what struggles life throws at us, we are part of the same clan, and it is greater for having you in it."

Taxx