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GorgeClan Deputy
INVENTORY
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Post by Jos on Oct 10, 2020 23:55:52 GMT -5
[googlefont=Rock Salt] Squirrelpaw Squirrelpaw woke bright and early for his trip around the territory. Just before dawn he crawled out of the apprentice’s den and into the main camp, where he began to groom himself. Starting with his paws, he washed his face and whiskers, then moved to his chest and shoulders, his big fluffy tail, and finally his claws. He gnawed between his toes to clean them of dirt and debris, then rasped his tongue over his pads for good measure. He believed that looking good lead to feeling good, and feeling good lead to working good. Squirrelpaw always wanted to do his best for Beetlejaw.
He knew the three legged warrior had suffered unfair scrutiny since losing his leg. If Squirrelpaw failed, the apprentice knew that it would look even more poorly on Beetlejaw than it did any other ‘regular’ warrior. So far Squirrelpaw had found Beetlejaw to be a straight forward, practical mentor who had his apprentice’s best interests in mind. But recently Squirrelpaw had come to feel a little bit more for him. Something familial, as though Beetlejaw were his father. Having grown up in the shadows compare to his brother, on whom their mother doted almost exclusively, the young tom had often felt left out in the adult affection department. As an apprentice it was difficult to get used to the one-on-one attention he was getting, and Squirrelpaw did not know what to do with it all.
So he did what he always did: over prepare, and over compensate. He worked longer, harder, earlier, later and with higher standards for himself than he ever had before. In fact, as his den mates had begun to fill out as they grew, Squirrelpaw was a scrawny scrap of pelt. He hardly ate, only when he was forced to or he absolutely had to. With his fur slicked down from his early morning groom, he forgot that his ribs could be easily seen, whereas they were usually hidden beneath his thick pelt. He waited anxiously for Beetlejaw, looking like a skeleton dressed up as a cat—a very eager cat, but still. Skeletal.
Ain't nothin' gonna break-a my stride
Nobody gonna slow me down
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Post by Fawn on Oct 13, 2020 2:07:44 GMT -5
BeetlejaW Will you be my breath through the deep, deep water Squirrelpaw was bigger than Beetlejaw now. It was a change he should have saw coming, but at one point the young warrior had looked up (literally) and Squirrelpaw's head and ears were taller than his own. He didn't mind, it was a good indication that Squirrelpaw was nearing the end of his training - and that Beetlejaw's first foray into apprenticeship hadn't been a complete and utter disaster. The opposite, really.
Squirrelpaw was kind and eager to learn, and they got along well enough that had they been denmates at the same time, they would have been decent friends. Beetlejaw greeted Squirrelpaw with a friendly smile and nod, his tail half-raised both to help him balance on his three good legs and express his good mood. Like all things, however, that good mood came to a short and sudden end.
Beetlejaw frowned. When had Squirrelpaw looked so skinny? So thin? It was greenleaf for StarClan's sake! No one should look the way Squirrelpaw did. He knew the younger tom was training hard every day, pushing himself to be even better than the day before. It impressed him at first (though it birthed some lingering doubts about his own capability as a mentor), and he'd encouraged Squirrelpaw to take the lead on his own growth. After all, what mentor wouldn't want an ambitious, studious paw? Beetlejaw liked to think his father, Valiantstride, had been similar in his own apprenticeship days.
But this... Beetlejaw swallowed hard, trying to reign in the alarm bells going off in his head. I'm a hawkdung'd idiot! Why didn't I notice this sooner? He could blame it on Squirrelpaw's fluff, but that felt like a cheap excuse. He was the youngster's mentor, and that meant he had to look out for him, even if sometimes that meant looking up or looking closer to what lay just underneath. "Let's go by One Tree again. C'mon." Beetlejaw mewed as casually as he could muster, and set out at a determined pace out of StoneClan's camp.
It was when he counted to fifty steps that he finally slowed down and let the questions on his mind bubble up to the surface. "Are you okay, kid?" Beetlejaw's charcoal patterning made his concerned expression somehow more severe, the markings seeming to almost intensify under the weight of this emotion. "If there's anything you need to get off your chest, I know I'm not good at social stuff, but I will always listen. You've been working really hard, and I'm impressed. Envious, even. But you look..." Beetlejaw shook his head, irate with himself for being unable to find the right words. "You look more like a loner than a Clan cat, like you have to fight somebody for food or something. Is that what's happening? Is someone not letting you eat properly?" Can't stay in the shallows, please tell me I won't wash away Jos || 33 Moons || StoneClan || 473 Words OOC: you're doin me a heckn concern, son |
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MODERATOR - REAPER
GorgeClan Deputy
INVENTORY
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Post by Jos on Oct 13, 2020 18:18:33 GMT -5
[googlefont=Rock Salt] Squirrelpaw One Tree.
That was the best place to hunt. Plenty of small furry animals hanging around, and even a few scaley ones too. Trees were a hub of activity for prey, which was why he loved hunting at One Tree. There were plenty of scents to follow and he almost always came back with something.
The lanky tom had a bit of a bounce to his step as he journeyed with his mentor. Squirrelpaw had developed a deep respect and affection for Beetlejaw over the past moons. He remembered being intimidated by him when they had been first paired as an apprentice and mentor. The patterns on his pelt seemed to make Beetlejaw more dour, more serious. Not to mention his quiet personality made Squirrelpaw wonder if the warrior disliked him, maybe wishing he had been giving a different apprentice. Of course, after all these moons, he had gotten used to Beetlejaw’s way of doing things and had come to rely on his calming nature. It balanced out Squirrelpaw’s own high energy nature.
They had not gotten far when Beetlejaw asked the question ‘Are you ok, kid?’.
He looked very concerned. An uncomfortable feeling settled in the pit of his stomach: he did not like it when Beetlejaw looked so concerned. Was he failing as an apprentice? Would his warrior ceremony be delayed for some reason? Was he sick?
"If there's anything you need to get off your chest, I know I'm not good at social stuff, but I will always listen. You've been working really hard, and I'm impressed. Envious, even. But you look..."
That was a nice compliment…I guess? Thought the young tom. At least he knew he could always go to Beetlejaw if he needed advice, or help. Even though he already kind of knew that on the inside, in his heart, it was nice to hear his mentor say it in person. It made Squirrelpaw feel important.
"You look more like a loner than a Clan cat, like you have to fight somebody for food or something. Is that what's happening? Is someone not letting you eat properly?"
Squirrelpaw forced his tail up high and puffed out his chest, trying to hide his own worry, “No! Nothing like that. I’ve just been really busy that’s all. I just get really into what I’m doing and I guess I forget to eat. It’s stupid, I know. I do eat, but I guess I’m not eating enough?” he let his tail down and sighed. He was too tired to keep up this charade anymore. “I’m just working extra hard because…I’ve heard what some of the other cats say about you, especially at the gathering. About your leg. They said you shouldn’t have gotten an apprentice at all, and that I wouldn’t turn out to be a good warrior. But that’s not true! So I wanted to be the best warrior in all the clans. I never really felt like any cat cared that much about me. Mistcloud spent all her time with Slatepaw when we were kits, and even though I had littermates I’ve always felt kind of…alone? It’s stupid because we live in a clan full of cats, how could I possibly feel alone?” He stopped walking altogether and sat down, wrapping his big bushy tail around his paws, his shoulders hunched. He avoided Beetlejaw’s gaze, “I just wanted to be the best apprentice.”
Ain't nothin' gonna break-a my stride
Nobody gonna slow me down |
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Post by Fawn on Oct 15, 2020 0:13:12 GMT -5
BeetlejaW Will you be my breath through the deep, deep water Beetlejaw flinched at mention of his leg and the leering whispers he knew happened at every gathering. Instinct told him to close up, to brush off Squirrelpaw's remarks and bury this conversation in the dirt like old prey bones. But he couldn't just shut himself off like that; Skunkspots had told him in his early moons that by closing himself off, he was robbing himself of real connections. He couldn't expect Squirrelpaw to simply power through a conversation he'd initiated without Beetlejaw's genuine, authentic responses. Resisting the urge to grunt and glower and mentally retreat, Beetlejaw eased himself into a sitting position.
When he was sitting, he felt normal. He didn't need four legs to stay perfectly balanced.
“I just wanted to be the best apprentice.”
Squirrelpaw's confession was an unexpected kick to the heartstrings, and Beetlejaw swallowed hard, the drying lump making his throat feel tight with the surge of emotion. "Squ...Squirrelpaw, I..." The younger tom wasn't meeting his gaze, and Beetlejaw's tail lashed with nervous energy behind him, struggling to pick out the right words that would have the greatest impact. "You're my first apprentice. I didn't expect to ever become a mentor, but you've made me glad that I did. I was afraid of messing up at first, but you've felt more like a Clanmate than a burden. I've watched you work hard and grow into this almost-warrior, and it's..." It was Beetlejaw's turn to look away, speaking from the heart a difficult thing for one so used to keeping his thoughts to himself. "I'm kind of sad you're grown up. You won't be my apprentice for much longer, Birdstar's made me aware of this. If you think no one cares about you, Squirrelpaw, then you're a birdbrain. I care. I don't care what they say about me or you at the Gatherings, you've already proven them all wrong."
It cut like a panther's claws, the knowledge that Squirrelpaw had been throwing himself into his training to combat the malicious whispers about him, his mentor. Squirrelpaw shouldn't have to defend him like he was some helpless kit. Beetlejaw shook his head, adding gruffly, his voice thick with the strengthened affection and appreciation for the 'paw. "Forget what everyone else thinks. You are the best apprentice I've ever had. Don't skip meals anymore, okay? I'll come find you every morning and evening so we can eat together, even after you've gotten your warrior name."
Beetlejaw hadn't expected to form such a bond with the young tom, but life had a funny way of creeping up on you. In the absence of Palewing, arguably the closest thing he had to a best friend until her death, there had been a friendship-shaped hole that needed filling. Cicadasong helped a little, but Squirrelpaw had helped a lot. He was torn between sadness of letting their apprenticeship moons go, and a positive view of the future where there would be a spot in the warriors' den right next to him for Squirrelpaw to rest.
Well isn't that just life in a nutshell? thought Beetlejaw, his expression thoughtful and serious. Can't stay in the shallows, please tell me I won't wash away Jos || 33 Moons || StoneClan || 517 Words |
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GorgeClan Deputy
INVENTORY
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Post by Jos on Oct 15, 2020 21:13:41 GMT -5
[googlefont=Rock Salt] Squirrelpaw A rough purr started in Squirrelpaw’s chest. The young tom dipped his head and nuzzled under Beetlejaw’s chin, like a kit would do to his own father. “I wont skip meals anymore. I promise.” He pulled away and stood, tail high, ears perked, and eyes bright. “After training, I’m going to find the biggest mouse in the fresh-kill pile and I’m going to eat it all! I bet no apprentice would be able to eat more.”
He began walking towards One-Tree again, chatting to poor Beetlejaw non-stop as they walked. One would worry that there wouldn’t be any air left after Squirrelpaw had finally exhausted all his topics. He spoke about the other apprentices, about his kin, about this time he saw a spider eat a moth and how strange it was that the spider wrapped their prey up before eating. He talked about how much he loved the way the rocks got warm in the sunshine, and how excited he was for becoming a warrior some day. His lines of thought seemed to have no rhyme or reason, but he was happy.
Once they arrived at One-Tree, he knew what to do. He scented the air for prey and crouched low to the ground, stalking with his tail held low, his ears erect and his mouth open to catch more scents. He heard the lizard before he saw or scented it. The little worm-like creature was making its way to a little crevasse in the tree bark where it could hide safely and hunt for bugs. Squirrelpaw bolted after it, paws slamming down on the ground around the lizard in an attempt to trap it.
No luck.
The lizard skittered up the tree, leaving Squirrelpaw behind to stare after it in frustration. “Mouse dung!” he hissed under his breath, giving his pelt a shake. Still, he did not want to leave this trip to One-Tree empty-pawed. So he crouched low again, searching for more lizards. Luckily it was not long before one burst out of the shadows and this time, Squirrelpaw was ready. He cut the lizard off from the side and slammed his paw down hard to stun it, giving him just enough time to dispatch the creature with a bite to its neck. He said a quick prayer of thanks to Starclan, then picked the critter up by its tail and brought to Beetlejaw, “Got one!” he said through clenched teeth. He put it down at his mentor’s paws, “Now what?” he asked eagerly.
Ain't nothin' gonna break-a my stride
Nobody gonna slow me down |
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