Darkness or Light? PT- 2 {TAGGED}

[Deleted]

Tags: Flight of the Thunderbird BigMable Heron Nomnom Skiv

(POSTING ORDER!- Has been removed)


"Those are no nursery tales I assure you" The tom said and dipped his head to all of the apprentices. "My time to talk is short, And I'm sure your living mentors will want you ready to train bright and early." His gaze turned towards the two who might not be joining him next time. "You have a choice to follow your own path, and I respect your decision. If you change your mind . . . I'll do what I can to find you again. May your training with the living go well." He said and slowly turned towards the bushes, dissapearing with his tail lashing behind him.

This was the last thing he had said to his apprentices, it had now been two days, he needed to be sure that the two in doubt were ready to make a choice. If they refused there would be others. . . hopefully.

The dark brown Tom's eyes closed and he fell into a sleep like state to call forth on the subconscious minds of his piers, luring them forth from their dreams and to the boarder of the StarClan and the DarkForest.

The starless sky loomed over him in an eerie feeling, but if he looked hard and close enough at the sky on the other side, he could see the faint outlines of the stars. Are Mother and Father still there?

He wondered with a sad sigh before closing his eyes once more, after a last check to make sure he looked presentable of course.

[Babylonranger]

A starry-furred blue-gray tom stood at the boundary between the Dark Forest and Starclan. Juniperpaw sat, his brown eyes closed in concentration. He still couldn't sense his grown sister, but some sense within him jangled in awareness. Someone was summoning a number of living cats to the Dark Forest.

The former Midnightclanner rose to his paws. Perhaps 'Braveheart' was calling the apprentices and kits back for their first session. Which meant Juniperpaw would be expected as well. He took a moment to dim his fur again and crept into the darker forest in front of him. It did not take him long to find the Dark Forest cat pretending to be one of Starclan's number. Walking forward cautiously, he saw he was the first to arrive. "Braveheart?" he asked, falling into his role of a living Stormclan apprentice. "Wh-where are the others?"

((Tagging Flight of the Thunderbird, BigMable, Skiv, and Heron.))

[Skiv]

Ravenkit didn't want to go back but she had no choice. Blinking open her green eyes the older kit looked around and found herself back in the place she was a night before. She just padded towards the meeting place. She woke up just a few tail lengths off. The black she-cat blinked her eyes and wiggled her pink nose. Before sneezing. She just jumped slight hopefully no one heard that. She just waited a few moment low to the ground before getting up and moving towards where Braveheart was. She saw that Juniperpaw was there as well. She wondered where Flintpaw was. but she wasn't going to worry about that now. She just padded closer to Juniperpaw because for some reason she felt more comfortable near him. She just stood slightly behind him and said, "I'm here." Her voice trembling slightly.

Heron, Flight of the Thunderbird, BigMable, @makememapie, Babylonranger

[Heron]

Poppypaw felt herself be called back to the place in her dreams where Braveheart awaited. She had thought long and hard about whether or not to trust him, but she could not bear herself to let the other apprentices - even one from her own clan - go without protection. For now, she would accept his offer wholeheartedly out of curiosity and a second agenda. The young tortie padded into the clearing and looked at the others, resting her gaze on Braveheart with skeptical eyes. She sat down patiently and blinked quickly, tail moving in slight irritation and uncertainty.

[Deleted]

"Good to see you all again." The tom mewed with a soft smile and the dip of head head. His ears flicked at Ravenkit's sneeze and he turned to her. "Since you are a bit young to actually start on your lessons, you can sit back and watch 'till you have been named an apprentice yourself. Poppypaw, I only brought you and the others who may be turning down my offer so you can make a choice." Deadheart looked around and saw that they were missing a few of the apprentices still, funny enough the ones who wanted to tag along at first sight.

"We might as well get started. . . Everyone knows a basic hunting crouch I'm sure- but every prey you find if different from one another. A mouse will feel your vibrations before it sees you, and rabbit will hear or smell you first. but-" The tom cut himself off and sank to the ground in a crouch, his paws splayed out before his body. "This is how you properly stalk a bird. You don't stop moving if they notice you, you only slow. In a bird's mind if something stops, or starts to move they consider it a threat. Also make sure you're close enough to jump over it since you'll most likely have to. Juniperpaw, why don't you give it a try?" He asked looking over to the apprentice of Stormclan. That apprentice sure keeps his pelt clean. . . It almost looks as if it's shining! The tom thought before padding over to Ravenkit and sitting down beside her.

(He might grow attached to her, kind of like a father/daughter thing)

[BigMable]

Flintpaw was couldn't fall asleep because his mind was racing. Would he finally be called in his dreams by that mysterious cat again? It was moonhigh when he finally fell asleep. It seemeed as soon as he closed his eyes he opened them and found himself at the creek where they had first met Braveheart. He immediately sat up and perked his ears listening for the group of cats. He heard the deep booming voice of Braveheart and ran in that direction. As the cats came into his view, he slowed down until he paced the rest of the way towards them. After he caught Braveheart's words about hunting techniques, he growled with annoyance, but he said nothing. Without even announcing his arrival, he sat and kept his gaze on Juniperpaw, seeing what the young apprentice would do.

[Skiv]

Ravenkit just blinked her green eyes at Braveheart, when he said that she could sit out. She just nodded quickly and moved off to the side, thats when she noticed Flintpaw's arrival. She just turned and looked at him. She then felt the fur on her shoulders rise. Glancing over next to her she saw the warrior that brought them all her Braveheart. The young she-cat shrunk down, she didn't want to be near him but she was too afraid to move at all. She just glanced back as he ordered Junpierpaw to do something, Ravenkit watch with curiosity but she was still aware of the warrior next to her the whole time. She then after a few moments determined that this warrior wasn't going to do anything to harm her and she sat up, blinking her green eyes at all the other cats. She wondered how much they were going to learn from this cat.

[Babylonranger]

Juniperpaw gave Ravenkit a kind smile as the young Sunsetclan she-cat stood close to him. He couldn't blame her for being nervous. While this clearing was close to the border, they were still in the Dark Forest. The atmosphere was still gloomy and forbidding.

Braveheart's words dragged the blue-gray tom out of his thoughts and he struggled to keep his confusion off his face. Basic hunting? Hardly the sort of training he expected from a member of the Dark Forest. What was going on? The sound of his name being called dragged him back to the present. "You want me to pretend to stalk a bird and pounce as if I was going to catch one?" he asked, double checking that was what the older tom wanted. Been a while since I've done any hunting, Juniperpaw thought as he prepared to model stalking a bird. Almost makes me wish he was having us practice fighting, this is going to be an exercise in embarrassment.

[Deleted]

"Correct." The tom mewed and nodded to Juniperpaw. He noticed Flintpaw out of the corner of his eye, though he continued talking to Juniperpaw. "Warriors have to hunt for their clan you know," he said with a hint of sarcasm at Juniperpaw. "Life can't always be about waring and defense." He finished, though he found that those last words were more for himself than the apprentices.

The brunet tom had his other thoughts focused on how to deal with Ravenkit's lack of confidence. Most kits would jump into any opprotunity. . . Maybe it's this atmosphere? . . . He nearly growled at his next though, though his teeth did grind together. Maybe it's me. With that finalizing motion set in his head he turned to Flintpaw.

"Don't worry, you didn't miss anything important- We are just practicing hunting techniques." The tom informed his other pupil.

[BigMable]

@makememapie Babylonranger Skiv Heron Flight of the Thunderbird jumpstarting this thread back up!

Flintpaw listened as Braveheart rambled on about hunting, his fur starting to rise on the back of his dark gray pelt. You're a dark forest warrior, you're supposed to battle train us!, he thought with frustration. but he thought it would be better not to disrespct Braveheart. Whether he taught fighting moves to them or not, he was a dark forest cat, and not to be trifled with.

Instead, Flintpaw calmly but with an edge of sarcasm replied, "Please continue."

[Deleted]

(Oh thank goodness!+ No one is supposed to know that he is a darkforester unless they see through his lies)

The tom shot a glance to Flintpaw. His face said it all- not at all interested in learning hunting. Is another dark warrior already training him? He thought to himself and turned fully to the apprentice. "And what is your input?" He asked with a small hint of agitation in his voice.

[BigMable]

OOC: Alright sorry about that! @makememapie

Flintpaw did not expect Braveheart to put him on the spot. He unsheathed his long claws and kneaded the moist forest floor in annoyance. I have no input, he meowed firmly, but with no sarcasm this time. The dark grey tom closed his eyes for a brief moment. Drop the attitude mousebrain or he won't bring you back here at all and then you will get no extra training! Flintpaw opened his eyes and adopted a look of embarrased innocence and remorse. He looked at his paws and meowed, "I'm sorry Braveheart, I guess I'm just over eager." Flintpaw hated apologizing and felt like a weakling backing down from the deceased warrior, but he wanted to be the best warrior that he could be even more. Whether it was bettering his hunting or fighting. I'll stay... for now, he thought to himself.

[Skiv]

Ravenkit heard the tom saying to continue. Ravenkit just blinked her green eyes at the tom her pink nose that stood out completely from her dark pelt just twitched slightly. She then flicked her gaze back to the apprentice that was being trained. She just then flinched when Braveheart said something about Flintpaw's input. She just then flicked her gaze peering around the tom as the other apprentice seemed to be mad about something. She just lowered herself to the ground slightly. She shivered slightly. Ravenkit wouldn't never be the one to run into battle head first but it seemed that she wouldn't have to with Flintpaw. He looked ready to battle. She just then blinked in surprise with his next words. She just lifted her head up slightly looking at the tabby. She just watched him slightly admiring that he didn't lash out. She knew his mentor Whitehare would have demanded more, but it seemed that Flintpaw hadn't gotten that kind of confidence about him yet. Please don't be like that Flintpaw She said in her mind. Still watching the other tom she realized that everyone else was probably back paying attention to the lesson when she still peering around the dead warrior was watching him. She just then shook her head and sat back up her gaze flicked around to the other cats hoping that they didn't notice how long she was watching the other tom.

@makememapie, BigMable, Babylonranger

[Deleted]

"Don't be sorry. That marks the sign of a loyal heart." The tom mewed and looked back to Juniperpaw. "Back to a demonstration." He mewed and stood up, "Flintpaw, I'll show you what we're doing. It's a simple hunting crouch for when you're going to catch a bird." The tom cut himself off and sank to the ground in a crouch, his paws splayed out before his body once more, and his tail lashed a few times out behind him. "You're also going to want to give yourself room to jump up and over the prey because of birds only escape route is up. Give it a try."

He stoop back up, only to trip over a stone sticking out of the ground and fall flat on his face. Fox-Dung! "Oof!" He stood up again and shook out his pelt. Way to make a fool of yourself, Mouse-brain! He took a seat back beside Ravenkit, but putting more space between them considering she seemed so skiddish.