What's Beyond the Walls (Tagged)

[εℓιzαвεтн.]

ooc; Fablie for Sootpaw! Let's get you to warrior status. c:
ic;

When Pearfrost awoke, it wasn't even dawn. There was no light filtering in through the roof of the warrior's den, but it was easily seen how light the sky had gotten in preparation for the sun rearing it's head. Xe let out a sigh as xe realized that xe would not be getting back to sleep anytime soon; not like xe should anyways. The diluted ginger cat had an apprentice to train now and she needed to get started soon. At least all of the training and activity would keep Pearfrost busy. Xe stretched in xir nest, gratefully feeling the pull of relaxed muscles warming up for the day. Reluctantly, xe left xir warm nest to enter the chill of the leaf-fall morning.

The warrior ducked xir head into the apprentice den, searching for xir apprentice. "Sootpaw!" xe called out in a whisper, in order to not wake up the other sleeping apprentices. The name should wake the young she-cat up and, sastisfied, Pearfrost retreated from the den to the center of the camp. The chill in the air was nipping through xir short coat and xe began bathing xirself in hopes of warming up. Xe licked the fluffed fur on xir chest, putting it back into it's rightful place and sending short bursts of warmth through xir fur with xir breath. Pearfrost considered grabbing something from the freshkill pile to eat, but decided against it. Xe would be taking his apprentice out to see all of the territory and they could catch something during that time. It would be a great opportunity to begin hunting tips as well.

[Fablie]

[[EDIT: Someone messaged me that they roleplay a Sootkit in the
same clan and asked me if I could change Sootpaw's name, so I changed it
to Duskpaw. Sorry for the inconvenience!]]

Sootpaw lay in her mossy nest, trying to get in a bit of sleep before sun-up, when a quiet voice sounded from the entrance of the Apprentices' Den. She blinked open her eyes, bright yellow-green luminous amidst the gloom. Pearfrost was already heading out to the clearing by the time she had stretched and gotten to her feet; the dark tabby followed as quick as she could whilst dodging the sleeping bodies of her fellow apprentices.

"Coming!" she squeaked from behind, keeping her voice down so as not to wake anyone; tiredness was shaken from her body and mind almost entirely, replaced by fervid excitement that sent jitters down her limbs and forced her into a sprint until she caught up. "Where are we going first?" she murmured, looking up at her mentor. Xe seemed to tower above her in the empty camp, xir massive form almost taunting next to the small apprentice.

[εℓιzαвεтн.]

ooc; their pronouns might bounce all over the place as a lack of understanding their identity, so feel free to just refer to them with whatever is easier for you when RPing ^^
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Pearfrost quickly finished up smoothing xir chest fur at the sound of Sootpaw's pawsteps rushing closer. Xe turned xir seemingly always unfocused eyes onto the apprentice, faraway glaze taking place of the green pigment as xe thought about where they would actually start. "I'm going to take you around the territory today," xe said in xir deep, smooth voice. Yes, Duskpaw needed to know every nook and cranny if she was expected to be a good warrior. but where to start? Pearfrost's unfocused eyes stared above xir dark apprentice's head, deep in thought. "We'll start at the Mossy Pool and go out from there."

Gently, xe shook xir fur out, getting rid of the dust that still remained after xir quick grooming. Pearfrost itched to sit back down and give xirself a more thorough clean, desperate to rid xir fur of every speck of dust and each leaf fragment. but, xe didn't have time to do that. The sun was beginning to rise and the territory was expansive. Xe needed to show Sootpaw all of the marking of the territory and make sure she knew which scents laid at their borders. They'd hopefully be able to practice some hunting along the way as well as xe realized how hungry xe was and how hungry she probably was. Pearfrost headed out of the camp, checking over xir shoulder to make sure the apprentice would follow. Leisurely, xe made xir way to the Moss Pools, a site where Sootpaw would most like complete all of her chores.

[Fablie]

[[Okay! I'm considering whether or not Sootpaw would just think of xir as a "he" because of xir biological gender and this being a fairly primitive clan of smelly cats that sniff, but... nah. Perhaps she'll revert to it sometimes, but overall she'll probably call xir by xe/xir, unless you have any preference/input on that. :3]]

Sootpaw nodded eagerly at Pearfrost's words, though inside there was a tiny part of her that would have preferred to start with hunting and fighting. She looked up to meet xir gaze, but again xe was already walking away, tail facing her. She bounced along behind him, bracing herself to remember every single detail about the territory. She would impress her mentor! The immediate surroundings were slightly familiar to her from when she had sneaked out of camp with her littermates, and she was tempted to speed on ahead of her mentor; alas, she didn't know which way the Mossy Pool was from here, so she was forced to keep with her mentor's relaxed pace, occasionally circling ahead before returning to xir side.

Eventually, they reached a dip in the ground, filled with water. "Is this it?" Sootpaw called up to her mentor, surveying the area; it certainly had enough moss to earn the title. This must be where bedding comes from! She flicked her tail and plodded towards it, sniffing and tasting the air. It was leaf-fall, and the morning was chilly and crisp; the tall birch trunks provided some shelter from the weather, but the musky forest scents seemed stiller, emptier than her kithood memories of venturing out in greenleaf. She lowered her head to lap at the water in the pool, and was immediately rewarded with the refreshing taste of frigid rainwater. She realized, standing here, that she had not eaten yet. The water helped to fill her stomach, and she was tempted to continue lapping at the pool, but she decided against it and bounded back to her cream tabby mentor instead. Xe seemed so laid-back, but the she-cat had no intention of testing his patience just yet. At least not intentionally, that is.

[εℓιzαвεтн.]

The Mossy Pool was easy to reach, not too far from the camp entrance. Pearfrost padded up to the dip in the ground, watching as their apprentice took advantage of the water that was there. The rains at the end of greenleaf had filled the pool and the chill of leaf-fall had made sure that it didn't dry up. "Yes, this is it," they confirmed, looking at the moss-laden ground. "The Mossy Pool and Mossy Oak are our main sources of moss in Leafclan and where you'll get most the moss needed for your chores, such as changing the elder's bedding." For a short moment, their eyes glinted with a hint of mischief. "The queens mentioned to me they would be needing new bedding today, actually."

Birch trees surrounded them and the warrior contemplated continuing the border examination from treetop. They glanced at their apprentice and decided against it. Their would be plenty of time for climbing practice and showing how easily the territory could be navigated from treetops. Maybe they should save that practice for leafbare, when it would be easy to see through the branches, vision unobstructed by leaves.

Pearfrost dipped down and lapped at some of the cold water. Soon, it would be leafbare and the water would be frozen over. Sootpaw would need to know where to get moss during the season, they realized. "We'll go to the Mossy Oak next," they said, standing and preparing to leave. Their stomach growled a little and Pearfrost began looking forward to showing Sootpaw the Thornbushes, a place where prey seemed to be sheltering throughout the seasons. Of course, their apprentice wouldn't be able to eat until the elders are fed, but they were sure that the two cats would be able to catch enough prey their to feed everyone. With a motioning flick of their tail, they continued on to one of the only oak trees within their territory.

[Fablie]

Sootpaw flicked her ears to acknowledge the warrior's explanation, and she could have sworn she detected a twinkle of mischief in xir eyes as xe mentioned the nursery needing bedding. Would she really have to do that today? Sootpaw thought it unfair that she, a new apprentice, would have to start her first day fetching bedding for the queens and kits. Couldn't some other apprentice do that? Pearfrost was within his own thoughts as she considered this. However, as the apprentice turned to look expectantly at her mentor, xe spoke again. "An oak?" Sootpaw wondered aloud, for she had not noticed this word in Pearfrost's earlier sentence. She had heard there were a few oak trees amidst the birch forest of LeafClan, but she had trouble actually imagining one.

Pearfrost's stomach made a little noise before he set out. The gray tabby padded along behind her mentor obediently, but she flicked her tail impatiently that she was not being shown the borders, or taught how to hunt. Surely xe, too, was eager to get around to other parts of the territory - like the borders! - or at least to be hunting. She wondered if her mentor was testing her with all of this boring stuff. Well, in that case, the tabby thought to herself, he had better be ready to be impressed!

Perhaps this was the downside to having a patient mentor, for the large cat in front of her certainly seemed to fit into that category.

[[I'm confused as to what Sootpaw's attitude would be here. I'm pretty sure the writing reflects this, too, 'cause she kinda goes back and forth.]]

[εℓιzαвεтн.]

ooc; Haha, no worries! You get more of a feel for a character the more you RP them anyways. c:
ic;

"One of the only oaks in the territory. There's another at the Dead Woods and some by the Midnightclan border," they explained as they walked. The light layer of fallen leaves squished under Pearfrost's paws, recent weather preventing the leaves from drying up enough to create a satisfying crunching noise when stepped on. Reaching the tree in question wasn't hard, though it was further out from the camp than the Mossy Pool had been. Pearfrost stopped at the foot of the tree covered completely in moss and looked at their apprentice with a slight smirk. "The Mossy Pool will freeze over in the winter and you'll have to come here in case the elders or queens need to have their bedding changed."

They were grateful they didn't have to do all the tasks that apprentices had to do (excluding times of dire need). It gave them time to hunt and protect, instead of running around the camp seeing who needed what. It gave the apprentices good practice and taught them respect, but Pearfrost thought these tasks were also partly due to warriors' lack of interest in menial labor tasks. Thankfully, Pearfrost's apprentice didn't seem to be disrespectfully or uninterested so far, but they would have to watch and see what would truly get their interest peaked and blood running. Would it be competition? Praise? Or maybe even just bribery? The warrior had a lot to learn about the younger she-cat before she could have a successful apprenticeship with them.

"Hm," they hummed, thinking about another close by landmark important to learn. Two came to mind, aside from the good hunting spots dotted variably throughout the territory. "Where do you think we should go next? The unused Thunderpath or the Dead Woods?" Both were potentially exciting places to visit, seeing as the elders and some warriors liked to spin tales to kits about how the Thunderpath wasn't actually unused and one day, another snake monster would use it again. The Dead Woods would soon be a home for the other predators living in the their territory with the coming season. Badgers and foxes loved to use the hollow wood for shelter and it was important for Sootpaw to know not to go leaping in their without scenting.

[Fablie]

Sootpaw gazed up the length of the oak for a moment, baffled at the color and - even more so - at the sheer profuseness of moss covering its trunk. She could see the leaves at the top, red and gold and brown, of different shapes than the ones on the birch trees. She tensed, her claws sinking into the base of the tree, wondering if she could try climbing it. She glanced back at her mentor, but xe seemed to be lost in thought again. The dark tabby lifted a forepaw, placing it tentatively on the trunk; she was preparing to take another step when Pearfrost's voice boomed out from behind her. The apprentice swiveled around, hoping her mentor hadn't noticed her distractedness. It took Sootpaw another heartbeat to register the question that had been posed.

She had been to the Unused Thunderpath as a kit, and she knew some of the layout; she pondered whether her mentor would be impressed by her early wisdom or contemptuous at her childish ventures, and decided not to push it. The Dead Woods sounded quite exciting, more-so than either of the landmarks she'd seen so far. She flicked her tail and looked up with eager eyes at Pearfrost, mewing with conviction, "Dead Woods! Please show me the Dead Woods next."

She gave a little hop in excitement, for she knew that this place was not meant for collecting bedding; surely, now would be her chance to show off in front of her new mentor.

[εℓιzαвεтн.]

Pearfrost purred, glad his apprentice was eager and polite. "Alright," xe said, "We'll go to the Dead Woods."

Xe didn't wait for very much longer at the base of the oak and turned, using xir tail to motion for Sootpaw to follow. The large warrior padded through the drying leaves of the forest, surrounded by the white trunks of birch trees. For a short moment, xe looked up at the colorful leaves that were beginning to adorn the woods. To Pearfrost, this was the most gorgeous time of the year and xir clan lived in the most beautiful place during this time. Sunsetclan had some trees, but the beach never changed. The mountain home of Talonclan was similar, mainly bare. Whisperclan barely had trees on their moors. And Stormclan and Midnightclan both lived among the forest, but neither of them had territories composed so completely of the white barked birches. And neither of those clans dared climb the trees and see the woods from a treetop view.

Thankfully, Pearfrost had kept walking during xir little moment of thought. The duo was nearly there, the hollowed trunks just barely in sight a few fox-lengths away. The warrior stopped, and flicked xir tail to signal Sootpaw. "We're nearly there," Pearfrost said, looking back at the smaller gray she-cat. "Tell me, what do you smell?"

[Fablie]

[[...I Hate when you leave a tab open to come back to later, write something you're happy enough with, and it gets deleted because "the document has expired." Like, the nerve of these message boards!]]

Sootpaw turned around when her mentor suddenly came to a halt a little ways away from three uprooted trees. At Pearfrost's request, she opened her mouth and sniffed the air for anything unusual. "Um..." she finally muttered, "I think... that must be some kind of bird? It's not any I've smelled before." The apprentice hung her head in shame, for the scents were all jumbled together; she tried, but she could hardly make out anything amidst the slurry. She crinkled her nose and added, "There are other scents I do recognize, but they're all mixed up with these strange ones! I can't tell what's what at all." Sootpaw huffed, scared that she was disappointing her mentor. Without warning, she sped off towards the source of the smells; perhaps once she arrived, she would be able to make sense of it.

When she was only a few pawsteps away, a squirrel darted out from between some roots - its gray form had been almost invisible until it started moving - and she swerved in pursuit. Unwilling to let it go, she managed to propel herself about a tail-length up the lean white trunk of a birch tree before the squirrel completely left her field of vision, scurrying somewhere in the branches far above her. A golden leaf floated down, dislodged by the squirrel as it fled. The small gray tabby let out a little hiss and leapt to the ground.

[[εℓιzαвεтн. I thought you might have forgotten about the thread 'cause I'm now realizing how hard it is to keep track of them here when you have multiple cats. xD Tell me if you didn't want to be tagged!]]

[εℓιzαвεтн.]

ooc;I honestly did, I'm so sorry D: If I forget to reply for a while, please do tag me. Like every other week if needed.

Sootpaw was getting frustrated; Pearfrost could see that easily. It would take half of a moon, maybe a little more, little less, in order to be completely comfortable scenting and sorting through those scents. At least, that's how long it took for Pearfrost to be comfortable even in the middle of unknown territory. Xe parted xir mouth just slightly to let the forest scents wash over xir own senses. "Yes, the bird is a woodpecker," Pearfrost said. "We don't typically eat those, which is probably why you've never smelled it before."

Before xe could continue their lesson, their apprentice had dashed off through the woods. Panic rose up in Pearfrost's chest and xe began to chase after her. "Sootpaw, wait!" xe called, paws pounding on the the leaf litter. It wasn't uncommon, especially as the weather got colder, for large predators than the clan cats to take shelter in the hollowed oaks. However, Sootpaw had veered off the path and Pearfrost saw the squirrel xi apprentice had begun chasing.

Pearfrost slowed down a bit and watched as she threw herself on the tree, the squirrel escaping her. Xe sat, waiting patiently for Sootpaw to acknowledge xir. Xe wasn't going to scold the young she-cat, especially not as she seemed to already be aggravated with herself. Of course, later, after this little tour was done, Sootpaw would be cleaning out the nursery because of her recklessness, but she didn't need to know that now. Instead, xe said calmly, "We'll have to do some climbing practice tomorrow."

[Fablie]

[[Don't be! I totally understand. <3]]

Sootpaw blinked, her tail twitching as she stood there. After a heartbeat's hesitation, the slender tabby craned her head to look back at the large, cream-furred warrior; xir expression wasn't particularly revealing, but he didn't seem upset.

Excitement bubbled in her chest at what her mentor had said, overshadowing the resentment of a moment ago. "That sounds awesome!" she exclaimed, though most of her small body was still angled away from Pearfrost. Climbing trees was a skill signature to LeafClan; as a kit, Sootpaw had always found the tall birches somewhat daunting, and the littermate with whom she'd once snuck out of camp and contemplated attempting to climb one had discouraged it, so she'd not had any real practice yet -- unless you counted clambering over her mother in the nursery, that was.

Then, it struck her why Pearfrost might have said that. The tabby swung around to face her mentor, hurt and worry quickening her movements. "Am I bad at climbing?" she spat out hastily, her voice unintentionally sharp and almost hostile. Her yellow-green eyes -- so striking against the severe, darkish tones of her fur -- seemed to gleam with both desperation and outrage, almost madly; her shift in demeanor was sudden, unwarranted. Perhaps the apprentice was being over-dramatic; but the concept that she was unskilled at such an integral part of being a LeafClan warrior was truly one of the worst things that could happen to Sootpaw, in her opinion. Her body was tensed with anticipation for his answer, but her limbs felt almost heavy. Her ears were tucked backwards -- not flat against her head, but enough to be a clear indicator of discomfort.

[εℓιzαвεтн.]

It was good that Sootpaw was excited for the training tomorrow. If she stayed focus on the idea of practicing, she wouldn't mind cleaning the nursery so much this evening. Before the mentor could begin smirking in satisfaction at exciting the apprentice, Sootpaw's attitude turned decidedly hostile, offended. Pearfrost raised xir brow line, questioning. Surely, she could not be so mad at a simple comment about training. None of the apprentices were very skilled at climbing, and Pearfrost had half a mind to tell xir own apprentice that, since xe wasn't one to spare someone's feelings. but, he was also not looking for a confrontation; especially not with a cat who he was supposed to xe close with and protect.

Xir own ears pulled back, reacting to the scene and the attitude Sootpaw was showing rather than xir own feelings. "I haven't seen you climb," xe said calmly. "I've seen you throw yourself at a tree after a squirrel." Pearfrost racked xir brain for something else to say in order to diffuse the situation without directly answering the question. "Would you not like to practice a skill Leafclan prides itself on like the other apprentices? Because, you could be taking care of the elders all day tomorrow instead, if that's what you wish." Okay, well, the last part may not have been the best thing to say, but xir tone made it sincerely sound like an option instead of a punishment or threat. If Sootpaw did not think she needed the training because she did not think she was bad, then xe would give her the option to work on something else instead; humility.

Pearfrost couldn't help but wonder if she would be as defensive when it came to talking about battle and hunting practice. Every apprentice needed to practice the skills in order to become a warrior. That was the entire point of being an apprentice. Xe wouldn't say that now, though. Less so because her feeling might be hurt in the process and more so because Sootpaw didn't seem to be the most rational in this moment.

[Fablie]

The cream warrior's statement seemed to mollify Sootpaw. There was an audible release of breath, and her tail fell limply behind her; she straightened, looking away -- at the grass, at the birch trees, anywhere but her mentor. She'd seen the way xir ears had drawn back, and -- although Pearfrost's tone was as neutral as ever -- it was times like this when Sootpaw's vivid imagination seemed to surface. "Oh," came a muffled mew, and the small, gray head finally tilted upwards again.

Unlike when she'd lost the squirrel up a tree only moments ago, the apprentice could not so easily banish the feeling of hurt that now pervaded her mind; her mentor's dismissal had taken the intensity from her stance, but the lingering emotion was still enough to sting her. Sootpaw scolded herself silently, knowing her thoughts were out of control and telling herself to get a grip already -- that it was a misunderstanding, and xe would think nothing of it. "I just thought-" she began timidly, but blinked and stopped herself from continuing the excuse. "I want to learn to climb. I really do!" she affirmed, raising her voice again -- closer to the way she said it at first, lacking only the optimistic undertones from before her episode. There's no way I'd rather do something so- so tame when I could be practicing the skills of a warrior! The notion that her mentor thought she might choose otherwise nearly set her off again, but the little tabby caught herself and suppressed it. She hoped Pearfrost hadn't already gotten a bad impression of her; oh no, that wouldn't do...

Sootpaw shook her head at herself with a motion just barely discernible, angry at the way her mind was jumping to conclusions, and focusing on everything trivial instead of what was important now. Even if Pearfrost did think lower of her, she would just have to fix that by showing him her devotion. The tabby fixated her gaze determinedly up to meet the warrior's eye as best she could, hoping the bout would be forgotten and waiting for xe to tell her where they were going next.

[εℓιzαвεтн.]

The tension in the air deflated as Sootpaw released any fight that was in her. Pearfrost returned back to xir state of rest, watching just slightly cautiously as the apprentice reacted to the rest of his words. She seemed hurt, with her quite mew and the way her head had turned from xir. Xe tilted xir head. Pearfrost needed to find what had caused this in order to avoid it from happening again. Xe could hardly be a successful mentor if xir apprentice was constantly hurt and ready to fight xir about training.

Pearfrost nodded at her affirmation. "Okay," xe said slowly. "Tomorrow we will train in the trees." Xe wanted to say how they would move on to learning to fight and hunt from the branches of the birches once xe was satisfied that she was the best, but the diluted ginger cat decided to keep any comment about her skill to xirself. Xe stood and began walking back to their original destination, talking as xe walked. "Now, we will continue on to the Dead Woods. I want you to scent as we get closer. Badgers and foxes will sometimes use the Dead Woods for their dens and we must be alert in case one has decided to be there today."

After stopping by the Dead Woods, they would continue onto the Unused Thunderpath before ultimately heading back to camp. Pearfrost was getting tired and xe needed to think about what had happened today and the best way to continue to approach xir apprentice. Sootpaw could learn the borders from the patrols he would take her on. Xe could only hope that when xe approached her about hunting and battle practice she wouldn't be as testy. The dilute ginger slowed as xe got closer to the Dead Woods, scenting to make sure there was no fresh scent of predators. Xe could only pick up on the faint scent of badger, several days old.