show me what you've got. [finchpaw]

[l i l a c w i s h *]

L I L A C W I S H *

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As always, she was early.

A solitary figure sat in the deepest recesses of the Pine Forest, her dynamic emerald-bronze eyes looking around her attentively as she waited for her apprentice, the young Finchpaw, to arrive. Well, perhaps not so young. She had been the creamy-pelted tom’s mentor for…three moons now, was it? Of course, this she-cat was no stranger to mentoring. Being thirty moons already, she already considered herself reaching seniority in ShadowClan. But there was something quite interesting about little Finchpaw. Perhaps she favored him over her past apprentices because his persona was akin to her own. She didn’t know, but nonetheless, she was pleased at the dedication she had poured into Finchpaw thus far.

Lilacwish was the name of this proud warrior. She sat stiffly but alertly; the Forest, especially before dawn, cast the entire place in darkness. Lilacwish had told Finchpaw to meet her precisely at dawn in the Forest – no later, or there would be consequences, but hadn’t told him where exactly. So this morning, she’d rose early, bid a hello to the camp guard for the night, and set off at a trot toward her destination. Lilacwish had burrowed deep into the Pine Forest, and hoped that Finchpaw would use his tracking skills and find her before the sun rose fully in the sky.

However, now she was slightly regretting her choice. Even as a fine-tuned warrior accustomed to the shadows and darkness, being encased in a mass of trees was still slightly disconcerting. Shapes still flitted around her – maybe owls finishing their late-night hunts? – and odd noises made Lilacwish tense. She remembered once, as an apprentice, coming out here herself and waiting for her own mentor. It had been just as early, if not earlier, and she had been sitting alone, trembling with fear, when her mentor had jumped on her, surprising her so much she’d screamed and heard rustling as drowsy prey fled the scene in fright.

Lilacwish smiled to herself at the memory, allowing her mind to wander before she snapped back to her senses. Even the wisest ShadowClanner didn’t know everything that lurked in the forest, especially when it was so dark and spooky. Lilacwish straightened her posture and perked her ears, resuming her scanning of her surroundings, then glancing up briefly. Was that a glimmer of light over the treetops? Dawn was rapidly approaching, then. Finchpaw had better show up soon, or Lilacwish would plan a punishment very interesting and tedious for him. [/blockquote]

[( finchpaw )]

F I N C H P A W ,

A stiff twig poked the young apprentice in the back. Ears flattening, he made to turn over, before memories of the previous day came flooding back to him; training, before dawn, in the forest, and the darkest part at that. Just the vague memory of the dark pines caused shivers to run down his spine, yet Finchpaw knew he had no time for that. The little cat rolled to his feet, arching and stretching his back as had become his morning ritual of sorts. He stepped out of the den, already scenting the air. It was cool and crisp, with just a tang of mouse; though none of these odors were what he was searching for. No, he was in need of a cat's scent, in particular, that of Lilacwish. Lilacwish. . just the mention of the name sparked his interest. She was so proud and stern, yet she seemed to have endless knowledge and skill that captivated his attention at all times.

His fur prickled as he walked, this time of day always making him feel the most exhilarated. The darkness seemed to be receding a little, which was both a relief and concern for the young tom. He had a vague idea of where she would be waiting, though he knew she would make him rely on his skills, rather than just memory. His nose in the air he continued walking, scanning the ground every so often. 'Come on, come on.' His voice had taken on a desperate tone as he still found no sign of her scent. Stopping, he forced himself to relax, his heart thumping in his chest. Breathe, concentrate,' his thoughts told him. His eyes snapped open. Was that it; just the vaguest hint of that familiar tang? He took another cautious sniff, letting the sensation pass right through him before even daring to blink. And there we have it. It was a slightly smug tom that continued on his way, paws bouncing over the soft earth.

Now it seemed the darkness was growing, though logic told him it was simply the darkening of the pines. They were so thick, they simply seemed to fill every inch around him. The place still continued to chill him, and he felt that it would, no matter how many times he was told to visit it. The feelings made him question his own abilities; what sort of ShadowClanner can't stand the pines? They were as much a part of him as his own clan members! Was that a soft, golden pelt he spotted, sitting tense and alert in that way that was so unique and had become so recognizable to him? In that instant, he slowed his movement, aiming to take her by surprise; even if it were just a little. He dodged behind every tree, before he realized a ray of light was gleaming down from the sky. The sun was up; there was no time to waste. Dashing out from a stunted pine, merely two fox - lengths away, he skidded to rest a little way in front of her. 'Here, Lilacwish. Ready and alert for training!' His eyes could not help but take on a gleam as he spoke, though he tensed his body, expecting some kind of retaliation for his bold approach and statement.

[l i l a c w i s h *]

L I L A C W I S H *

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Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

Lilacwish stood as still as a stone, her eyes surveying the area around her attentively. The ground had been touched with light; Lilacwish couldn't stop herself from instinctively relaxing. Her emerald-bronze gaze focused, the faintest rays of the sun found its way to her honey-colored pelt, making it shine a brilliant gold. Distracted, Lilacwish glanced at her pelt and smiled to herself. Even the tough, tom-boy-like cat she was, Lilacwish still had her girlish moments.

Psha. You're such a mouse-brain, She scolded herself, blushing even though nobody had witnessed her admiration of her fur. Hastily, Lilacwish straightened, and then --

Did she smell a familiar scent? Suddenly alerted, the warrior snapped her eyes up to the sound of scuffling paws alarmingly near her and caught Finchpaw skidding toward her, having jumped out from behind a tree not very far from where she was sitting. Only moons of training kept Lilacwish from yelping like she did when she had been an apprentice; however, instinct ordered her to flinch, and flinch Lilacwish did -- the golden-pelted warrior jumped into the air, clamping down her jaws to resist a surprised yowl.

'Here, Lilacwish. Ready and alert for training!'

The she-cat smiled crookedly, her affection for the little tom showing in that one awkward smile. "Dear StarClan, Finchpaw. I was not prepared for that. You scared me!" She exhaled a breathy laugh. "You're getting very good at tracking and sneak attacks. I was worried you wouldn't arrive on time, but --" Lilacwish glanced up toward the sky, and made out the faintest brushes of yellow over the tops of the trees. "--it seems that you proved me wrong."

Correcting her composure, the warrior pulled herself back into a calm, strict ball of fur. Praise was to be given out sparingly; or else the apprentice would no longer work hard for it. Immediately, she dove into what she had planned for today, smoothly and effortlessly. "Anyway," The warrior meowed briskly, waving her tail dismissively in the air. "Tell me. When you were tracking me just a few moments ago, what were you focusing on? What other things did you notice?" She peered at Finchpaw, her eyes sparkling sagaciously as she awaited a response.[/blockquote]

[( finchpaw )]

The tom waited patiently through his mentor's reaction; listening with growing pride through her words. They seemed to have profound affect on him, for his stance was suddenly much straighter; his tail held out behind him. 'Thank you, Lilacwish!' The tom's tone was genuine. Upon seeing her gaze turn upward, he did the same, breathing in a sigh of relief; he had indeed, just made it to training on time. I've got to get my act together; that was one close call! It's lucky I managed to pull off that surprise attack! She might not have been so impressed if I had not! The tom's thoughts carried him through, so that the next scene he was aware of was that of her voice; brisk and curt, cutting through the lightening forest. He knew now that they were back to busniess. Finchpaw concentrated fully on her every word, hanging off each sentence that passed from her lips.

He gathered his pose, thinking out his answer. He wanted to be prepared and he knew - or more, hoped - that Lilacwish would be happy to have him take a little time to answer, rather than giving a rushed response. Her waving tail distracted his train of thought for a heartbeat or two and he curled his tail fiercely around his paws. Focus, you furball. Finchpaw was desperate to answer his mentor correctly. Scents. . smells. . oh, StarClan, what did I smell? His eyes glazed over, as his mind tracked back the path he had taken from camp as clearly as he could remember. 'Well, I. . noticed. . prey! Yes, prey. And, and scent markings. Cats, ShadowClan, mostly, though I think I caught the faint whiff of ThunderClan from the borders.' he paused. 'Just faintly. . well, I - I'm pretty sure that was all. Mostly, I have to say, I was focused upon your scent.' His eyes darted downward, unsure what she would make of this. When he finally had the courage to glance back up, he seemed to be a little uplifted.

'So, what are we doing this morning?' The young tom could contain the question no longer, having felt he had given a suitable response to the one asked of himself. The ShadowClanner was practically bouncing on his paws, all relaxed sitting position of just a heartbeat before forgotten. He was anxious and ready to get to work, now that the initial greeting was complete. 'Hunting, patroling? Ooh, what about some battle preparation?' His eyes lost their strong gleam; 'sorry,' he mewed, he voice a little more neutral, now. Control yourself, Finchpaw, or you won't be getting any training; you'll be stuck with the elders, again! The young cat forced his hindquarters to the ground and instead adopted a pose of great alertness and grace, meeting Lilacwish's green - bronze gaze as he did so.