Out for a day [Tagged/Open]

[Dyzzie]

Emberpaw haad ventured out of the camp for the day - a first for the tom who only seemed to leave to do some training, or some other 'learning' experience that would help him in the future when he became a warrior of the clan. He moved slowly, taking his time in exploring everything that was beyond the camp. He was a fairly young, and newly made apprentice, still small and kit-like. Still naive and innocent. Still shy-enough that he hadn't really made any friends with the other apprentices in the apprentice den. but then again, Emberpaw tended to keep to himself a lot of the time, so was it really such a surprise that the self-conscious and shy tom would have issues meeting friends to do things with. He just didn't know how to act around the others. He was too feminine to be a rowdy, eager to do something crazy sort of tom. He tended to spend his time relaxing, and watching others. He was definitely a cat-watcher, usually making up stories of what the cats did that day, as he didn't tend to have the guts to actually ask them about their day. He just didn't know what to say to them. How to approach them. And he knew he was a little different.

He wasn't like the other toms. Emberpaw took a deep breath in, stopping by the river and looking into his reflection. A smaller tom looked back at him. Semi-long fur in a ginger tabby design. Black smudges on his face that seemed at odd with the rest of his color. Bright green-yellow eyes. With how small, and delicate his frame was, how perfectly kept his fur was, how feminine and soft spoken he was . . . it was easy to see why some thought he a female from a distance. A mistake that he didn't know how to respond to well, in most situations. Perhaps he was too weak . . . and needed to toughen up. He'd heard that before . . . a few times. 'Stop being such a girl'. It was a thing he'd definitely heard before.

Sighing, the gentle tom turned from the river, instead returning to his slow trek beside it, just following the winding stream of water, before eventually finding a dry place on the bank to lay down at, his gaze watching the rapids, thinking back on why he was always subjecting himself to being alone . . . . Silently a vow was made . . . Starting tomorrow he'd try harder, to make friends, to meet others. Yes, starting tomorrow . . . because doing it now just seemed to terrifying. Doing it now . . . just wasn't the right time.

OOC:// whoops, forgot the tag Icestorm

[Icestorm]

Boulderpaw pushed forward as the day continue on for him. The gray tom had a determined look in his eyes as he crouched lower. His muscles tight with anticipation as the small vole moved ever so slightly. The tom wanted the vole to move closer, just a little bit. The less energy he had to exert the better. After all he couldn't fain again. Not out in the territory alone, if someone found out he had fainted alone again... he was sure he would be in huge trouble. What would his mother think? Either way he couldn't afford to faint, but he needed to train. He had to.

Just then the vole took his last steps as Boulderpaw launched himself forward scooping the vole up into the air. The tom watched as the vole tried to run in mid-air before batting it down into the ground harshly. A simple hunting move. Yet his breathing was labored and heavy. He waited for his world to stop spinning as his heart steadied and his breathing slowed.

After only a moment, a red pelt caught his attention as it passed by, Emberpaw? Quickly Boulderpaw buried his prey near a bush to pick up later. With his head tilted he made his way to see where his fellow apprentice was off to. "Emberpaw! Whatcha up to," the deep voiced apprentice asked with a smile. If there was one thing Boulderpaw was good at it was making friends.

[Dyzzie]

A nearby shout of his name had Emberpaw freezing. His body went still, his tail stopped it's twitch, his ears stopped moving, his eyes stopped looking around - even his breath and heart seemed to stop for a moment. Slowly, the shy tom sat up, turning towards the sound, to see another apprentice walking towards him. His gaze lowered briefly, self conscious, uncertain, as his tail twitched a few times before wrapping around his body like a comforting hug, "Hello, Boulderpaw." He greeted quietly, vocals soft, gentle - caressing the air with a daintiness that wasn't usually noted for an individual of his gender. He glanced up again, his head tilting to the side slightly, one paw half poised, curling towards his chest, as he hesitated with what to do in the situation - part of him wanting to run, but knowing it'd be considered rude of him. So instead he spoke again, his paw lowering delicately to the ground, his head turning back towards the water, watching the rapids, "I'm . . . just watching the river." He admitted softly, a shrug of his shoulders, as his tail flicked again. "I've not really been outside the camp, except with my mentor . . . So . . . I thought I'd explore a little." He added, to explain why he was out and about in the first place. He glanced back towards Boulderpaw - with his eyes only, his face still facing the river - "What are you doing?" He added softly, adding quietly, "Not to be rude, or anything . . . You don't . . have to tell me, if you don't want to." He added, ducking his head again, his gaze turning towards his paws uncertainly. He really wasn't that good at the 'talking with others' thing.

[Icestorm]

Boulderpaw made sure to check his breathing before speaking again. Catching up with Emberpaw and calling out seemed to have done more to his heart than he was ready for. After all he had just caught a vole, he should have known better. Frankly though, he didn't care. He needed to get stronger, to not be so weak and faint. He had. He wasn't going to do Stormclan any good as a sick warrior who fainted.

"Whoa really? I wanted to be out here the moment I got my ceremony! I wanted to explore every inch of the territory myself! Well Crowpaw and that odd Nettlepaw were with me, but it was still a great time!" The tom said boastfully. Not bothering to mention that was the an awful day filled with embarrassment for himself. He had fainted four times with them. Luckily both agreed to keep it to themselves. "Slow down, there's no fire here. I asked you first. If anyone was rude it was me," the tom glance to the river with a humorous thinking face, "but I wasn't so it's all good." Boulderpaw looked to Emberpaw with a large smile, "Back to your question. I'm here because," because I need to stop being weak; because I need to stop fainting; because I need to get over my sickness, strength my heart, stop wheezing, "I was practicing my hunting! I just caught a vole!"

[Dyzzie]

Emberpaw glanced towards the other tom, shrugging shyly, "Uh, yeah . . . really." He mumbled softly, his gaze lowering when the tom went on to boast about him going out and about. Emberpaw's gaze traveled away uncertainly, a faint shrug of his shoulders again, his head lowering faintly, "I . . . guess I just . . . never had anyone to go . . . explore with." He admitted shyly, his soft-spoke voice faltering throughout his admission of lack of friends. He glanced back towards Boulderpaw then, tilting his briefly to one side, before feeling his fur heat up when the other told him to slow down, explaining he was okay for asking that 'it's all good.' Emberpaw dropped his gaze, uncertain when the other turned a large smile towards him, the feminine apprentice not used to anyone being nice to him . . . Not used to anyone being near him really, considering how he kept to himself. When the other expressed he'd been hunting, a faintly surprised look crossed Emberpaw's face, "I'm not very good at hunting," He admitted, "At least not yet . . . I'm sure I just need more practice." He said softly, his gaze turning towards the river, "I hope I'll learn to fish soon though," A brief smile touched the young tom's face, "I think, that . . . swimming in the river, catching fish, it sounds fun." He admitted, his voice soft - uncertain, shy. What if Boulderpaw didn't agree . . . What if he thought he was stupid for wanting to fish . . . A few more 'what if' scenarios ran through the shy boy's head as he lowered his gaze again, "It's better than fighting though . . . I'm really not good at fighting."

[Icestorm]

Boulderpaw looked back to the river as Emberpaw talked about learning to fish, and swimming. His eyes were cast down with slight anger at himself. At this rate in his training he wasn't sure he was going to be a warrior of Stormclan. What Stormclanner can't swim? He might as well be the joke of the clan. Just the thought of getting in the water made his heart beat harshly as it labored with his inner panic. Deep breaths. Slow deep breaths. Calm down.

The gray tom smiled to Emberpaw, "You just became an apprentice! No worries there for you," he shrugged casually hoping to come off relaxed and not as panicked as he felt, "You're a Stormclanner, water is part of your blood. I swear to Starclan we are half fish." Except me. Mouse-brained heart. Why was it so frustrating? Why can't I just be normal and swim? "Oh, and don't worry about the fighting thing. I heard there are so warriors that aren't too good at it either. You still have time!"

[Dyzzie]

Emberpaw tilted his head as he slowly looked over Boulderpaw, trying to at least behave normally enough to potential have a new friend. He really did need to learn how to gain friends better. He shifted his paws slightly, tilting his head when he saw the other apprentice cast his gaze down - thinking for a second he might have seen anger - but he couldn't have been sure . . . he was tempted to ask about the other, before deciding if it was something the tom wanted to share, he would have.

When the gray apprentice smiled, Emberpaw managed a shy one back, his gaze lowering faintly, even as his tail flicked slightly, "I hope you're right . . . I suppose I'm just overly nervous . . ." The young apprentice finally admitted, even as he managed a faint smile, "Maybe not half fish . . . but pretty close." He agreed, his muzzle twitching faintly to betray his amusement. "Well, if there are warriors who aren't good at it, then hopefully it'll be okay that I'm not very good at it." He meowed hopefully . . . "And hopefully I'll get better." He added with a delicate nod of his head.