Step, step, step! [OPEN]

[[Snowpaw]]

Moonlight shone on a cat’s pure white fur and a yawn had broken the silence. A seemingly bored apprentice lay on its back, entertaining himself with the last of the snowflakes of the night to gently fall from the sky and to the snow-filled earth. Birdsong from the mockingbirds were as rare as a pheasant in this season and the colors from the forest were just limited to black and white because of the thick layer of snow. An immature young cat would always think of leaf-bare as an interesting event, bearing the snow in mind, but there were also some that never found interest in it.

Snowpaw got up as a snowflake landed on his nose and melted into water. His paw sunk deep in the snow with his pelt drenched with it, something that made him sneeze with the cold. He shook the snowflakes away from his fur and started his way out of the camp to warm himself up. Although ShadowClan’s camp was already a warm place, nothing replaced the feeling of warmth he got from running throughout forest. He started walking in a slower pace, starting paw from paw, which quickly developed in a somewhat moderate tempo as he left the camp.

Step, step, step!

His paws led him towards their border with RiverClan. The white apprentice had heard of stories about the Thunderpath when he was a kit; that it was always full of monsters and twolegs. He had always thought of it as silly since he couldn’t imagine a monster keep on a straight line. Keeping his thoughts aside, Snowpaw stared at the RiverClan territory beyond the Thunderpath, letting his self get cold again. He remembered his old mentor always say that cats shouldn’t always cross borders, but his curiosity slowly consumed him. I guess I could decide when a cat comes...

OOC: I got lazy starting a new thread since January >_>. Anyway, post away! :>

[hawkstar]

The shady brown tom lay up in the brances of the tall pine that served as his pedestal when addressing the clan. He rested neatly along it, his tail stretched out and flicking behind him , watching the final patrols return, eat, groom, and head to their nests as the light bled from the sky, slowly yet surely. He twisted his head up to peer through the branches at the darkening sky, the stars there beginning to glimmer and shine. StarClan had come to watch over the forest. His mother. His father. All the ShadowClan cats he had lost. Peachblossom.

His heart squeezed in his chest and he rolled back over to rest his head on his paws. He was about to allow the emotions to come forth, the grief, the anger, the fear- he was alone, after all- but was that a white tail disappearing out of the camp? Was the snow playing tricks on him? He lifted his muzzle and scented the air, catching all of the ShadowClan cat's scents, but freshest of all, Snowpaw. Did he go out? Snowpaw was Peachblossom's old apprentice, and he was well aware that the little tom had viewed his mentor as a mother and had loved her dearly. He glanced once more at the sky, scowling and grumbling under his breath.

"Where is your apprentice going?"

He asked the sky, as if it would suddenly open and speak to him, instead however, a sudden, strong gust of wind nearly tore him from his branch. He bristled and hissed under his breath against it, hopping down into the clearing below once he realized he wouldn't be regaining his balance from that gust.

"Alright, alright! I'll go after him."

He felt a bit delusional, speaking to the sky, but he knew StarClan, and most of all, Peachblossom, was looking over him, wanting to scold him for not immediately rushing to her old apprentice's aid. He padded from camp quietly, relying on scent to track the white apprentice, since he knew it was far too dark in the pine forest to use sight, not that he would be able to see the white apprentice against the snowy background anyway. He followed the scent silently, through ShadowClan territory, until the border with RiverClan loomed there, and the soft outline of the ice coloured apprentice standing in front of it. Hawkstar could amost see the wheels in his head turning, thinking, debating. To cross, or not? He stiffened and bounded quietly to Snowpaw, weaving around and planting his large, broad shouldered body between the apprentice and the border, his dark brown pelt almost blending seamlessly into the night, but his bright yellow eyes clearly visible.

Annoyance tinged his heart, but he kept any trace of the anger well hidden, his gaze inquisitive and serious, focusing on the white apprentice with his bright gaze.

"Why hello Snowpaw. Would you like to tell me what you're doing out here at night, not in your nest with the other apprentices?"

[violetwhisper]

Violetwhisper

So it's time to take some action, boys It's time to follow me
Through the mist, through the woods

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Her body lay concealed in the shadow of the trees at the edge of the thunderpath, her tail laying flat against the snow packed ground, but her eyes were fixed on the Shadowclan, Riverclan border. Narrowed to purple slits her eyes flashed with nervous energy as she heard the step, step step, of the white apprentice across the border and to her right. She held her place not daring to move. She knew she would be almost invisible in the night, but that didn't mean she could be careless. She'd just been trying to visit Crimsonstar, when she had stumbled across a kit whom she'd spent her day poisoning. The thought of her success still sent a chill down her back, and she had to suppress the movement. Slowly, ever so carefully she backed away from the thunderpath. She could barely see the white apprentice across the border, but she was aware of the wind blowing in her favor toward her. She flicked her tail lightly and moved backwards up the path away from the apprentice. She about about to dart across when she heard a rustle and another cat, almost as dark as herself placed himself between the apprentice and the border.

She opened her jaws and tasted the air his scent washing over her and filling her with dread. IF she was caught across the border, her the deputy, the questions alone would be enough to ruin the whole operation. Why did it have to be Hawkstar that had followed the apprentice? But the question answered itself in less than a heartbeat. Snowpaw had been Peachblossoms apprentice... She snorted at the love the tom still clearly had for the fallen warrior. She flicked her tail and tried to make a plan. She knew she would have to turn this into an opportunity, something that she could get away with. In a flash, her quick mind came up with a plan that she felt was all but flawless. She watched the pair for a moment and when Hawkstar opened his mouth to speak, which she couldn't clearly see in the dark, but her ears were pricked to hear any sound, and his intake of breath was her cue. She darted across the thunderpath keeping her body as low to the ground as she could until she was safely on the other side. She passed right past a scent marker saturating her pelt with the Shadowclan scent.

She took a deep breath calming herself and sniffed around trying to see if there were any prey near she could catch quickly. When she scented nothing, she ducked down again careful to keep low to the ground and stay as deep in the shadows as she could. She padded in a diagonal line toward camp, but stopped at a point where she could have conceivably picked up their scent. She turned and picked up a trot heading calmly and confidently toward the pair at the border. She came to a halt about a fox length from them forcing a faked look of slight surprise and disappointment at Snowpaw and smiled lightly to seem as thoguht trying to cover it up. "Out for some midnight hunting are we?" She asked lightly flicked her eyes from the apprentice to Hawkstar. She wanted him to have seen the slightly disappointed look at the apprentice. She didn't want to appear disappointed that he was out late, but rather that he was with Hawkstar. She needed to seem as though she was attracted to the tom. Not much acting there... She thought to herself and felt surprise well up at her own feelings. This is about power...not about attraction... She scolded herself, never once letting her face fall from the light smile that was on it. Though a flash of annoyance may have passed over her eyes, but that could easily be seen as annoyance that she wasn't getting another time alone with Hawkstar.

Through the darkness and the shadows
It's a nightmare but it's one exciting ride

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(Lyrics Credit to "Mob Song" from Beauty and the Beast)

[[Snowpaw]]

Snowpaw held his gaze up in the sky. It had stopped snowing for a while, rejecting any chances of a cold and freezing sleep. The chill of a gust of wind coming from the mountains from the east made the white apprentice shrink, tucking his paws and swishing his tail side by side. A sneeze escaped Snowpaw, and there was silence in the ball of white fur again. Despite his namesake, the apprentice hardly showed any interest with the snow. It was white and dull, and the mere appearance of snow just meant that the Clan needed to endure several moons of hunger and greencough.

The sound of delicate and light footsteps made Snowpaw’s whiskers twitch from surprise. Waking up from his trance, he noticed that he was still debating with himself whether or not to cross the RiverClan border. He knew, in what sense he may have, that whoever ShadowClan warrior saw him linger near the Thunderpath will give him enough trouble to mind. His fear somewhat dissolved into a more subtle emotion when a familiar voice rang in his ears. The voice was firm and strong, but it still belonged from someone that his previous mentor and close friend trusted. He turned around, facing his leader, and tried to answer the question with the same tone.

“I was bored and there was nothing else to do back in camp,” he answered. He wasn’t quite confident that Hawkstar would accept it as a legal reason. “It’s even hard to find Redpaw back in the camp.”

Although his reason was true, there was more that kept Snowpaw from being exhausted during leaf-bare. His mentor, having stepped down from his position of deputy, had hardly given him any training or work in the past moons. Snowpaw felt that he was getting left behind from training, although that wasn’t enough to crush his spirit. Midnight hunts had became a habit for Snowpaw for whenever he wasn’t tired enough to sleep. He always comes out of the camp early after sundown and comes back after he caught something. This was his first time trying it out late in the night as well as close to the RiverClan border. Hawkstar catching him was just bad luck.

Snowpaw was about to start a conversation with Hawkstar when a certain purple-eyed cat entered the scene: Violetwhisper. Snowpaw didn’t personally hate her, although he was somewhat curious about how his Clanmates see the black cat; a cliché heartless ShadowClan cat. He didn’t mind those rumours, and Snowpaw still saw her as a loyal warrior. Nevertheless, the white apprentice still slunk back to Hawkstar, whom he knows better than her, rather than greet her. If Violetwhisper, the Clan’s deputy, was there to reprimand him for being so near the border, Hawkstar would save him. (Or so he thought since he also copied Peachblossom’s beliefs)

OOC: Somewhat rambly post. Blame schoolwork. >_>

[hawkstar]

Hawkstar eyed the apprentice through his excuse, his gaze never wavering. It was a legit, although no good excuse, for he understood the young cat had very little training ever since his mentor had died, and his second mentor had stepped down and away from any sort of responsibilities- and at least he was doing the clan some good by hunting, or so he had said. He had seen it in the apprentices eyes, the curiosity to dark right over that border, and go explore RiverClan, but he couldn't sit back and pretend it didn't happen. Instead, he just shook his head.

"Snowpaw, it's not wise to come out here at night."

The annoyance had drained from his body, however. This was Peachblossom's apprentice, and one of the few cats he knew truly could understand the loss of the calico she-cat. With the thought of Peachblossom, however, came a second cat, a dark creature with brilliant violet eyes, who peeled from the shadows and came into view almost soundlessly. His dear deputy, and closest friend. She spoke then, disappointment flicking in her eyes. Had she been out to speak to him alone? Or was she also out for some midnight hunting? His whiskers twitched in amusement as he sat in the snow.

"Snowpaw here was indeed out for some midnight hunting, he just had the bad luck of being caught by me."

His gaze turned serious as he focused on Snowpaw, who had backed away to press into his dark brown body, as if to get away from Violetwhisper. There didn't seem to be fear or anger in his eyes, but he did seem slightly uncomfortable in her presence. He wasn't going to take the time now to think about that reaction.

"Now Snowpaw, I have to advise you not to wander out again at night..." he paused as an idea came to mind, and then spoke, "And until your mentor either snaps out of it, or a replacement is found, Violetwhisper and I will take turns training you, so you don't fall behind, and can become a warrior as scheduled."

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[violetwhisper]

Violetwhisper

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Save me from my rage
And my humanity

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She watched the apprentice shy away from her but flashed an amused smile. if only he knew why he should fear me She thought. Her eyes traveled from the nervous apprentice up to Hawkstar as he spoke on behalf of the apprentice. "bad luck indeed. He'd have found more luck in being caught by me." She smiled gently, almost teasingly. "I'm by far the more forgiving one after all." She flicked her tail nodding along at the appropriate points with Hawkstars speech at the apprentice. His words caught her off guard but she kept her cool not letting the surprise flash across her eyes. "Yes, I'm sure Galepaw could do with someone to show him how to do things correctly from time to time." She mewed but in fact her mind was fixed on her seemingly mouse brained apprentice. Their first training session had been a disaster, but that of course was before the pair had realized that the other was a decoy. She'd been close to clawing his ears off. His appearence at the decoy meeting had put their relationship on a whole new path. It was as though she'd begun training a new apprentice. He was quick witted, sharp tongued and actually quite competent in fighting and hunting.

The thought of her apprentice lightened her spirit, but the thought of Snowpaw and galepaw together was almost devastating. Though of course it'd be easy enough to make his death look like an accident but this thought, this mere inclination of harming Hawkstars last connection to Peachblossom set something aching in her heart. This almost caused her to hiss allowed. She wasn't supposed to feel pity. to feel badly for others. She was supposed to be heartless. She forced the thoughts from her mind and the feelings from her heart. Instead of showing this internal battle she licked her paw and drew it over her ear. "Since were all out and about. Why don't we see if we can find anything to take back to the clan." She said placing her paw back on the ground and lifting her head to cast her senses around her. She heard no scuffling of prey, no scent of anything but cat touched her nose. She felt nothing near by.

Her eyes turned back to Hawkstar worry crossing her face. She knew as well as Hawkstar that the clan was hurting for prey. Their normally sleek fur was dull, their ribs showing under thick fur, and bellies rumbling so loudly what little prey there was heard them coming miles away. She shook out her fur on the pretense of shaking out the cold from her body. The hungrier the clan is the easier it will be to kill Hawkstar She thought but something was eating away at her insides. Something seemed to be destroying her resolve and causing her to double think her motives. Yes she wanted power. But at what cost. She suppressed a growl and flicked her ears hoping she hadn't missed anything in her small moment of inner battle. She seemed to be having more and more of those lately.

I'm more nothing than being
Is this my legacy
Feel it eating me away

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(Lyrics Credit to "Eating Me Away" by Skillet)

[[Snowpaw]]

A smile formed on the little white tom’s face as Hawkstar’s declaration of having the two of them as his temporary mentors reached the tip of his ears. “That’s great!” he exclaimed in joy. All in all, he was about to have at least four wonderful mentors, counting Peachblossom and Thunderbrook, as well as his leader and deputy. He bounced on his place with his tail wagging from side to side, like a dog, but his body went back to rest as he concluded his situation. Does it mean that I’ll have a harder time training if it’s from Hawkstar and Violetwhisper?

Ponder, ponder, ponder...

Ears perked up and tail stiff straight, the apprentice had his spirit brighten up all of a sudden with the thought of hunting with the leader and the deputy came from Violetwhisper. If the idea of hunting with others was not enough, the fact that he was about to go hunt with both his Clan’s leader and deputy was wonderful. For a regular apprentice, with no special prophecies or anything, being able to hunt with only the two officials to supervise him was more than an honour. It was something that he could be proud of, though it wasn’t anything important.

“I want to hunt!” Snowpaw mewed enthusiastically, the little kit in him waking up again. The camouflaged apprentice hopped away from Hawkstar, with his previous thoughts of a disciplinarian Violetwhisper fading out of his mind. Lumps of cold snow were flicked by the white cat’s paws as he bunched his shoulder to hop from one place to another. Fortunately, with his small body and the thick layer of snow, the apprentice didn’t scatter much nor made such noise that would attract the others’ attention. He stopped as he reached a location somewhere in the middle of the two high positioned cats.

Snowpaw waited patiently for the decision of Hawkstar, whether where would he lead the group to hunt. Snowpaw already assumed that the brown furred leader would agree to Violetwhisper’s little suggestion, though he knows not to judge others quickly. His eyes flicked from the forest in their territory to RiverClan’s own territory, searching for any signs of prey. Snowpaw sighed, seeing that their forest didn’t seem to have any tiny footsteps of mice in the snow. These were the times when he wondered how life was when he was in other Clans; when it was sure that there would still be fish in leaf-bare.

OOC: Wah, my post is a week late. Sorry >_>