[Abyss]

This thread is backdated!

Newleaf 2 - A bright and sunny day warms the valley, a light breeze makes the day comfortable.

The start of the day had been one that was slightly exciting for a particular Lightningclan Warrior. The black she-cat had emerged from her den bright and early, surprisingly cheerful and much more awake than she normally would be at that time of day. She had woken up at the crack of dawn, a slight spring in her step as she walked. Rather than stay in the middle of camp or near the den, Batear had immediately turned from the den and walked down the hill that lead up to the Lightningclan camp. She stopped at the base of the hill and began to stretch herself out, extending each of her limbs outwards, sheathing and unsheathing her claws, and flicking and curling her ears and tail. She was preparing herself.

When she finally walked back up the hill, the sun was beginning to rise and cast some light on the camp. It was at this time when the sun was seen in the sky that she approached the kill-pile. She examined the options, finally choosing one of the smaller mice that happened to be near the edge. But rather than walk aside and eat it, she held the mouse in her jaws and trotted lightly towards the Apprentice den. As she neared it, she laid the mouse down right around the corner from the entrance before taking a step in, covering half of her already dark body in darkness. Her green eyes adjusted to the darkness for a moment before she looked at each of the nests. When she spotted a familiar brown and white ball curled up in one of the nests, a smile tugged at the corner's of the she-cat's mouth. She walked forward towards this nest, making sure not to disturb any of the other sleeping figures. As she got to the nest, she leaned down and lightly poked at the sleeping Apprentice with her nose.

"Thistlepaw. Time to wake up, " she whispered. She waited until the Apprentice would begin to stir before she turned and exited the den again. She took a seat near the entrance and waited. Honestly, she wasn't sure what to expect. She hadn't had to wake Thistle up until now, so she didn't know whether she would be dealing with a cranky Apprentice or if she would be happy, just as Batear was. This was Bat's second time training an Apprentice, but the first one had been quite a bit ago, so she was excited to train Thistlepaw.

When her Apprentice would finally emerge, she proceeded to push the mouse forward towards the young she-cat. "Better eat. We are gonna go out and explore the territory today."

_______________________
Words: 445 | Ginger | Notes: The first two posts can be them getting up and heading out

[Ginger]

Running through the tall grasses, a feeling somewhat akin to flying. Thistlepaw truly felt at one with the birds. Running and running until...

"Thistlepaw. Time to wake up." 

Thistlepaw jolted awake, her bright yellow eyes quickly adjusting to the light that had begun to pour through the entrance of the den. After her eyes adjusted, Thistlepaw made out the shape of a large black cat. Batear! What an incredible warrior. Thistlepaw had felt so honored to have been given such a capable and caring warrior as her mentor, and she was so excited to learn everything there was to know. 

Thistlepaw sat up and stretched, her piercing eyes following her mentor's silhouette as she exited the den. After a large yawn, Thistlepaw got up and plodded along after her mentor. To her surprise, there was already a mouse outside of the apprentice's den. Thistlepaw flashed a toothy grin at her mentor, "This mouse is almost as big as I am!" Truly, the mouse was quite small, but Thistlepaw was such a small cat that her meal filled her up perfectly. Thistlepaw hadn't even stopped to consider if Batear had already eaten because she was entirely consumed by excitement. Today was the day that she would get to explore her clan's land, and with one of her idols no doubt!

The more Thistlepaw thought about it, the more excited she got. However, she didn't want to lose composure in front of Batear. Thistlepaw instead sat down, her tail the only thing betraying her excitement. "Will we see the borders?" Before Thistlepaw could compose herself again, she accidentally let a less-educated question slip out: "Will we see other cats on patrol?" The moment Thistlepaw asked the second question, she knew it was dumb. To try and hide her folly, the young apprentice let out a forced chuckle.

---------------------------------------------------
Abyss | Notes: Trying to mix wide-eyed apprentice with witty remarks is kind of difficult bear with me

[Abyss]

As Thistlepaw exited the Apprentice den, eyes already excited, a small wave of relief covered Batear. She was just glad that the young she-cat wasn’t going to be one of those not-a-morning-person cats that were typical of Apprentices. Though, there was that sliver of doubt in the Warrior’s mind. This was going to be Thistle’s first time wandering the territory, so it was natural that she be excited and eager to wake up. Even though the chance that this would change was a thought in Bat’s mind, she pushed it aside when her Apprentice began to eat.

When she was finished, she immediately asked a question, causing Bat’s large ears to perk. Just as she went to answer, though, the small brown tabby asked another question, proceeded by a chuckle. A smile formed on her face as she briefly recalled back when she had first become an Apprentice. At the time, she had also found it difficult to hold back from asking questions.

“Yes, I will be showing you the borders. As for whether we will see other cats...perhaps. We might run into some of our own cats. We might run into cats from another clan. You never know. We will just have to see, won’t we?” As she finished answering, she then turned and started padding towards the edge of the camp, beginning to walk down the hill that the camp was perched atop. She did look back to make sure that Thistle was following before turning back again, considering where to go first. Since the two of them were alone and weren’t currently accompanied by any other mentor-Apprentice pairs, it would likely be better if they started with the border they shared with a clan that, as far as Bat knew, they were allied with. Treeclan.

As the two cats walked, crossing occasional hills and much taller patches of grass, they came to a hill that wasn’t quite as tall as the one the camp was on, but it was still impossible to see what was on the other side unless you went around or climbed to the top. Batear had been on the top of this hill many times in the past, getting a vantage point to scan for any prey shuffling the grasses. A smile formed on the Warrior’s face and stopped at the base of the hill, looking back to Thistlepaw.

“Want to see something cool? Go to the top of this hill and look around.” She waited for her Apprentice to do so before she also climbed to the top of the hill. As she reached the top, she saw exactly what she knew she would, but it was still amazing.

From the top of the hill, you could see practically everything. Not too far ahead and below them was the Crystal Creek, the Flooded Grasses right on the other side. In the distance straight ahead of them, you could see a burst of trees, thin at first but then quickly fading into the lush forests of Treeclan. Off to the left of them, if you looked for a few moments, you could see the large, flat stones that marked the beginning of Stoneclan. Then, if you turned around, you could see the Lightningclan camp. Batear’s green eyes looked over to her Apprentice, curious as to what the little one thought of the sights.

_______________________
Words: 560 | Ginger | Notes:

[Ginger]

And even though it's hard, and I may struggle through it all
you may see me stumble, but you will never see me fall.

Batear's answer was satisfying enough. Before Thistlepaw had the chance to berate Batear with another question, the large black she-cat had turned around and was walking out of camp. This was it! Thistlepaw's first real time seeing the territory! With a hop in her step, Thistlepaw began to follow Batear, her claws occasionally catching on the ground but not causing too much of an issue since Thistlepaw had been trimming them down the previous night.

Once they stopped at the base of a hill, Thistlepaw looked inquisitively at Batear, then nodding and turning to face the hill after she was instructed to go to the top of it. She let out a determined snort and willed her little tired legs to keep moving. Thistlepaw had never walked this much in a day, but it had already been so worth it. 

As Thistlepaw came to the summit of the hill, she let out an audible gasp. It was beautiful. There were trees, grasses, stones, and even the occasional rabbit emerging from a rabbit hole . If it was in Lightningclan's territory, it could be seen from this hill. "This is...incredible!" Thistlepaw closed her eyes and felt the wind rustling through her fur, moving each tendril around and around. She dug her claws into the earth a little deeper with each deep breath in, feeling the soil hitting her toes. Opening her mouth, Thistlepaw could smell so many things. It was both calming and overwhelming at the same time. Thistlepaw quickly remembered that Batear was still standing next to her, bringing her back to her senses. "I bet you never get tired of this." 

Her eyes narrowing, Thistlepaw focused in on the left, noticing a cluster of large stones. "That's Stoneclan, isn't it," she spat out. Thistlepaw didn't know much about Stoneclan, but large stones had to insinuate it. Plus, she had heard from other cats that Stoneclan was full of weak and slimy cats.

Thistlepaw

6 Moons || LightningClan || She-Cat

331 Words || Made By Fawn || Abyss

[Abyss]

A smile formed on the dark she-cat's face when she saw her Apprentice looking around her in awe. She always loved showing this view to cats and seeing the looks of amazement that came from them. But showing the view to an Apprentice who had never been outside of the camp before was even better. She got to display the beautiful land that Lightningclan called home and that alone made her loyalty to her clan grow more. She allowed herself to look over the view once more, her eyes landing on a particular area in the distance that held certain memories, but now was not the time for that.

She looked back to Thistlepaw when she spoke, her smile growing wider. "Nope, I don't. This area and this view is very special. And it's never the same. There's always something new or something different every time you see it, which makes it that much greater to come back."

Even though she did speak the truth and was proud of this, Bat knew that she would have to teach some valuable lessons during their time out of camp, or at least a basis to go off of, that could expand into the rest of their time as mentor and Apprentice. Batear saw opportunity to teach one of these lessons when Thistlepaw spoke again. She followed the young she-cat's gaze to the stones in the distance that marked the beginning of Stoneclan. It was a known fact that Lightningclan cats weren't particularly fond of Stoneclan, but Batear wasn't a part of this. She wasn't one to immediately assume what another clan was like, and Stoneclan had done nothing to her as an individual, nor could she name anything they had done to Lightningclan off the top of her head. She let out a sigh, looking to her Apprentice.

"I'm not sure what you have been told, but I would prefer if you didn't speak of Stoneclan with that tone. Regardless of anyone's opinions on Stoneclan or any of the other clans, they are our neighbors. They have been for a long time. Whether you like them or not, they are to be respected and treated as equals. Aggression between the clans only leads to unneeded violence and battles." She flicked her tail, looking back towards the Stoneclan border. She knew of the history between Lightningclan and Stoneclan. In her opinion, the two had no reason to hate each other, considering all of that happened a long time ago. But she knew she couldn't change the minds of her fellow Warriors. The least she could do was put a sense of respect into the mind of her Apprentice, a future Warrior of the clan.

_______________________
Words: 451 | Ginger | Notes:

[Ginger]

And even though it's hard, and I may struggle through it all
you may see me stumble, but you will never see me fall.

Thistlepaw bristled with embarrassment as Batear gently scolded her. So many Lightningclan cats struggled to get along with Stoneclan, so Thistlepaw had always just assumed that she would grow to hate the other clan as well. But what Batear had to say made sense. Different clans and different customs did not always mean different cats. Thistlepaw no longer cowered with embarrassment. Instead, she sat up and looked her mentor in the eye before looking out again to the Stoneclan border.

"I'm sorry. I think I understand now. I can never love them because they are not one of us, but you are right. Just like I know nothing, their apprentices probably don't know anything about everything that happened in the past." She paused for a moment, a realization dawning on her. "We shouldn't hold each other accountable for our ancestors' mistakes." Feeling proud of her newfound wisdom, Thistlepaw flicked her tail up and offered a toothy grin to Batear. "I wonder if some silly Stoneclan apprentice is getting told the same thing right now."

The young apprentice looked around her once more before flicking her whiskers and standing up, eager to learn more about both her clan and the other clans. She had already learned so much in one day! Leaving the camp for the first time, going to what felt like the top of the world, and learning a thing or two about respect. I love being an apprentice.

Thistlepaw

6 Moons || LightningClan || She-Cat

240 Words || Made By Fawn || Abyss

[Abyss]

B A T E A R

At the sight of movement out of the corner of her eye, the dark she-cat’s gaze slightly shifted towards her Apprentice. She watched the small hairs on the young she-cat’s pelt bristle slightly and her gaze turned away, not in aggression, but it was difficult to tell. Perhaps embarrassment. Even though there was a momentary feeling of guilt in the Warrior’s mind, it quickly faded away. She had corrected a mistake that it was normal for Lightningclan Apprentices to make and she replaced the idea with a concept of respect and mutual understanding towards the cats of Stoneclan. Yes, Thistlepaw made a mistake, but it was Batear’s responsibility to teach her, and that is what she did. She had no reason to feel guilty.

Granted, putting this needed lesson into Thistlepaw’s mind one time would not guarantee that it would remain in the young she-cat’s mind. It took time and effort to put a new point of view into action, but that was time that she was fully willing to help Thistlepaw through. She thought momentarily to something she knew would happen in the future: a gathering. One day, Thistlepaw would go to a gathering and be faced with Stoneclan. She truly hoped that when that day came, Thistle would use this lesson to make some new friends.

When Thistlepaw began to speak and turned her gaze to Batear, her large ears lightly twitched as she listened. As she spoke, she did tell words of wisdom that, in Bat’s mind, every cat should follow, which allowed a spark of pride to flare within her. Thistle was an intelligent young cat with much to learn, and her night-furred mentor had every bit of confidence that she would make a great Warrior. A smile formed on her face once again as she lightly brushed her tail across the Apprentice’s back and her green gaze lifted back to the distant stones.

“With any luck, I really hope you are right, ” she stated, the thought of a Stoneclan Apprentice being taught this lesson as well serving as a glimmer of hope. Just as the young tabby stood, the slender Warrior did the same, turning to the right in the direction of the treeline that marked the border between Lightning and Tree. She motioned with her tail for her Apprentice to follow. Even though the two borders that they shared with the other clans were quite obvious landmarks, showing new Apprentices those landmarks up close was something that had to be done. Plus, this would give Thistle a chance to see the territory more.

WORDS: 430 | Ginger | NOTES: By the way, in chase you haven't yet, Thistle's territory thread can be check-marked, since this thread already reached 5 posts.

By Cotton of Template HQ

[Ginger]

And even though it's hard, and I may struggle through it all
you may see me stumble, but you will never see me fall.

Thistlepaw felt affirmed as her slender mentor brushed her tail along the young apprentice's back with a warm smile. Who knew that learning about territories could turn into such a philosophical lesson?

The young tabby followed her mentor's movements as she walked away with piercing eyes. Only when Batear flicked her tail for Thistlepaw to follow did she trot alongside the black warrior. Already, she could see in the distance a sudden rise of trees. As the pair got closer to the landmark, new smells began to waft into Thistlepaw's nose. Mossy, earthy, and leafy smells specifically. She crinkled her tiny nose, looking up at Batear. "Treeclan smells funny." And yet, she did not want to disappoint her mentor with silly remarks. Quickly correcting herself, the young apprentice added, "Treeclan smells different." Yes, there would have been nicer ways to put it, but that quick correction was already a milestone for Thistlepaw. The other clans were so strange, so alien -- Thistlepaw just couldn't wrap her head around the fact that they grew up completely different. But she wanted to try. "How do the Treeclan warriors hunt if they can't chase their prey? There are too many trees to run like we do."

Thistlepaw

9 Moons || LightningClan || She-Cat

204 Words || Made By Fawn || Abyss

[Abyss]

B A T E A R

When the two Lightningclan cats arrived at the Treeclan border, Batear stopped next to one of the few trees that actually grew within their territory. Her eyes slowly scanned upwards at the more dense trees ahead of them, flicking her tail behind her. Technically, the actual border that separated the cats of the meadows from the cats of the forest was the area that she and Thistlepaw found themselves. There were only a few trees dotted along the border, so it was easy to spot, even from camp.

As Batear took in the scent that was associated with Treeclan, she couldn’t help but slightly smile. Yes, she absolutely loved the scent of tall grass and the wind that blew through those grasses, but she also enjoyed the scents of the other clans. She found joy in smelling what it was that made the other clans who they were and how all of them distinguished one another. But she also knew what was to come next, and it had happened just the way she predicted. As she took in the scent of the trees, she heard Thistlepaw speak up.

“Treeclan smells funny.”

The black Warrioress turned her gaze to her Apprentice, but was surprised to find that, right after she spoke, the young she-cat corrected herself. She instead changed her statement to that they smelled different. To a younger cat who didn’t know better, it was expected that she would think such things. But she would have to get used to this, for this was only the first different-smelling border they would be visiting that day. There was still another that she would get to breathe in.

But then Thistle spoke again, asking how it was that the Treeclan cats hunted, since the trees would get in the way. The slender she-cat let out a chuckle, looking back towards the trees.

“They don’t depend as much on speed and the chase as we do. They use the trees to their advantage and hunt from above. They also use the shadows of the trees and all of those bushes to hide themselves. It is easier for them to ambush prey than it is for us meadow cats, since they have more cover.” As she began to teach this new lesson, the dark she-cat walked along the border, occasionally weaving out of the way of a tree. “You can usually tell how the other clans hunt based on their name. Treeclan uses the trees to hunt from above and leap from tree to tree. Nightclan are hunters of the night who entirely depend on the shadows of the night to hide them from their prey. Rainclan are the best swimmers and fishers. Stoneclan is more likely to use the rougher terrain to take cover and stay out of sight, attack their prey as soon as they get the chance to jump from where they hide.”

As she walked, she looked over towards Thistlepaw with a slight smirk. “Ironically, we are the only clan that doesn’t hint what our lifestyle is like in our name. We can see the sky when lightning flashes because our lands have no overhead cover, but that doesn’t signify how we hunt.” She looked back forwards again as they slowly started moving away from the loose array of trees and began to travel towards the large boulders in the distance that represented Stoneclan. “One thing that I want you to learn and respect by the end of our training together is that not every cat you meet lives the same lifestyle as we do. Cats of the other clans are raised differently than we are, but that isn’t a reason to treat them as enemies or rivals. They are cats living and surviving in the valley, just as we are. They are our equals, even if some of them are a bit more aggressive or laid-back than us.”

As she finished her little lecture, Batear looked over to Thistlepaw once again, lightly bumping her side against her Apprentice with a smile. “Don’t worry. By the time you become a Warrior, I am sure that you will be one of the best Warriors Lightningclan has, ” she purred, continuing on with the rest of their exploration.

WORDS: 706 | Ginger | NOTES: Thread finish!

By Cotton of Template HQ