Post by Athena on Jul 17, 2013 20:16:38 GMT -6
Earlier:
Cedarpaw was sunk low to the ground, a greyish brown mouse only about two tail lengths away. Feeling his mouth watering and knowing that he would need the practice if he was going to do this on his own later, he ended up with a perfect dash and leap, catching it off-guard and killing it nearly instantly. Picking it up in his jaws, he turned back to his mentor, Bluefang. He didn't seem impressed in the least, but Cedarpaw could tell that he could at least see that his apprentice had picked up on what he'd taught him. Motioning with his tail, he said, "Alright, you take the area over there, and I'll be just over here. We want to restock the fresh kill pile for later." Nodding, Cedarpaw enthusiastically bolted off in the direction, keeping his eyes open and nose ready to scent out the prey. Catching a scent, a few scents actually, Cedarpaw lowered himself to the ground, but just as he was about to pounce, he saw Jaggedpaw, his nose catching the scent of the other apprentice not a second before. Standing up, he realized that the older apprentice had his mouth literally full of prey. A few mice hanging by their tails, a bird or two, and a squirrel all were crammed into his mouth.
"That's a load of badger droppings!" Cedarpaw called out to Jaggedpaw, "You couldn't have caught all that yourself."
Jaggedpaw, who was obviously startled by Cedarpaw's appearance, leaped sideways a bit, accidentally dropped the prey as he said, "Wha-" Recovering, he scowled and eyed Cedarpaw. "Well, if you didn't hunt like a kittypet, maybe you'd be catching this much too."
What a pain in the tail... Cedarpaw thought to himself, watching the tom pick the prey back up. He knew it was the wrong way to go with this, but he wasn't going to be insulted like that. "Well at least I don't fight like a kittypet!"
Jaggedpaw's orangish eyes flared with hatred as he set the prey down again, and Cedarpaw watched as the mostly grey tabby growled back, "Try me." Setting his black socked-leg in front, it was obvious that he was about to attack when Cedarpaw heard Crowpaw.
"Stop it, Jaggedpaw. It's not worth the fight." Seeing the darker and slightly smaller brother come out, speaking through a rather large bird, Cedarpaw couldn't help feeling relieved.
Jaggedpaw growled a bit more, but then said, "Be glad my brother doesn't think you're worth it, or I'd have shredded you into mousedust." Picking the prey back up, he and Crowpaw walked away, towards the camp.
Rolling his eyes, Cedarpaw went back to the hunt, though he was a little confused. After the brothers were a little bit further away, he went up to where Jaggedpaw had set the prey down. He could just barely smell something else... not Russetclan's scent... his eyes widened a bit as he thought to himself, Swiftclan?! Why in Silverpelt would some of his prey smell like Swiftclan?
Cedarpaw glanced in the direction Jaggedpaw had come from. Maybe he just hunted near the border? It didn't seem like a likely story, but it was all he really had for an explanation, as he certainly wasn't going to ask the tom what the truth was.
By Sundown, and after a successful hunt, Bluefang had let Cedarpaw retire to the apprentice den. Passing Jaggedpaw, he tried to not eye him suspiciously, but he wasn't sure he did much of a good job of it. He did make it to his nest though, and was glad of it. It's tonight. He thought, bringing himself away from the strange incident of Swiftclan's scent. He was so excited, he wasn't sure how he would be able to sleep.
By the time Brindlepaw walked in, a troubled look in her features, most of the apprentices had fallen asleep. Completely overlooking the expression on her face, he smirked and whispered, "It's happening tonight, right?" Brindlepaw just nodded, walking off to her nest. Excited as ever, he laid down, anxious for moonhigh, and he eventually fell asleep.
After Brindlepaw woke him up, and they made their way gingerly out of the camp and to the border, Cedarpaw couldn't help being reminded of Jaggedpaw. Even as Heatherpaw's golden tabby head and beautiful blue eyes appeared, he had to wonder if she and Swiftclan had heard anything about the prey. But he figured that, for them at least, it didn't really matter. In no time, they had said their goodbye to Brindlepaw, and were in the river... but then-
"Cedarpaw, you can't do this... I... I love you!"
Cedarpaw felt his heart skip a beat as he heard Brindlepaw's words. His mouth slightly open, the redish brown tom turned slowly, barely feeling the cold water coursing past his paws. He felt and heard Heatherpaw turn her head, no doubt a look of surprise on her face. Struck with disbelief himself, he could hardly meet Brindlepaw's pleading gaze. "But... Brindlepaw... You never said anything..." He trailed, unsure of what to say. "Why didn't you say anything?"
Brindlepaw shook her head, her eyes lowering, "I know... but it was more complicated than that..."
From beside him, Heatherpaw nearly whispered, "But... you said..."
"I know what I said, Heatherpaw... But things were different back then, cats were different, we were all different back then..." Looking up a little, and towards Cedarpaw, she said, "Cedarpaw... I had been meaning to tell you... but then Heatherpaw, and the gathering... and then... then this. Please Cedarpaw, don't do this to me."
Cedarpaw couldn't believe his ears... and wasn't sure if he wanted to. What could he say? Gathering himself up, he tried to act like he knew what he was doing. "Brindlepaw, I've always liked you..." He watched as her ears perked and hope returned to her face, making it ten times as difficult to say the second part, "But only as a friend." Unable to climb out of the river to console her again, for fear of rubbing Swiftclan's scent on her, he said, "Brindlepaw, you are a kind and hardworking cat, and I know you'll be a great warrior someday... But my future is with Heatherpaw." He watched as her eyes went down to her paws, and tear ran down her cheek. "I know it's hard Brindlepaw... but you'll find someone else, you'll see."
Standing up, it seemed like she was going to give it one last chance. "Cedarpaw, I don't want to find someone else. I don't want anyone else... I want you..."
His heart aching from guilt, Cedarpaw turned away, towards the direction he and Heatherpaw had started at. Unable to look his friend in the eye, he began walking, choking slightly as he said, "I'm sorry Brindlepaw... but this is my choice."
Cedarpaw was sunk low to the ground, a greyish brown mouse only about two tail lengths away. Feeling his mouth watering and knowing that he would need the practice if he was going to do this on his own later, he ended up with a perfect dash and leap, catching it off-guard and killing it nearly instantly. Picking it up in his jaws, he turned back to his mentor, Bluefang. He didn't seem impressed in the least, but Cedarpaw could tell that he could at least see that his apprentice had picked up on what he'd taught him. Motioning with his tail, he said, "Alright, you take the area over there, and I'll be just over here. We want to restock the fresh kill pile for later." Nodding, Cedarpaw enthusiastically bolted off in the direction, keeping his eyes open and nose ready to scent out the prey. Catching a scent, a few scents actually, Cedarpaw lowered himself to the ground, but just as he was about to pounce, he saw Jaggedpaw, his nose catching the scent of the other apprentice not a second before. Standing up, he realized that the older apprentice had his mouth literally full of prey. A few mice hanging by their tails, a bird or two, and a squirrel all were crammed into his mouth.
"That's a load of badger droppings!" Cedarpaw called out to Jaggedpaw, "You couldn't have caught all that yourself."
Jaggedpaw, who was obviously startled by Cedarpaw's appearance, leaped sideways a bit, accidentally dropped the prey as he said, "Wha-" Recovering, he scowled and eyed Cedarpaw. "Well, if you didn't hunt like a kittypet, maybe you'd be catching this much too."
What a pain in the tail... Cedarpaw thought to himself, watching the tom pick the prey back up. He knew it was the wrong way to go with this, but he wasn't going to be insulted like that. "Well at least I don't fight like a kittypet!"
Jaggedpaw's orangish eyes flared with hatred as he set the prey down again, and Cedarpaw watched as the mostly grey tabby growled back, "Try me." Setting his black socked-leg in front, it was obvious that he was about to attack when Cedarpaw heard Crowpaw.
"Stop it, Jaggedpaw. It's not worth the fight." Seeing the darker and slightly smaller brother come out, speaking through a rather large bird, Cedarpaw couldn't help feeling relieved.
Jaggedpaw growled a bit more, but then said, "Be glad my brother doesn't think you're worth it, or I'd have shredded you into mousedust." Picking the prey back up, he and Crowpaw walked away, towards the camp.
Rolling his eyes, Cedarpaw went back to the hunt, though he was a little confused. After the brothers were a little bit further away, he went up to where Jaggedpaw had set the prey down. He could just barely smell something else... not Russetclan's scent... his eyes widened a bit as he thought to himself, Swiftclan?! Why in Silverpelt would some of his prey smell like Swiftclan?
Cedarpaw glanced in the direction Jaggedpaw had come from. Maybe he just hunted near the border? It didn't seem like a likely story, but it was all he really had for an explanation, as he certainly wasn't going to ask the tom what the truth was.
By Sundown, and after a successful hunt, Bluefang had let Cedarpaw retire to the apprentice den. Passing Jaggedpaw, he tried to not eye him suspiciously, but he wasn't sure he did much of a good job of it. He did make it to his nest though, and was glad of it. It's tonight. He thought, bringing himself away from the strange incident of Swiftclan's scent. He was so excited, he wasn't sure how he would be able to sleep.
By the time Brindlepaw walked in, a troubled look in her features, most of the apprentices had fallen asleep. Completely overlooking the expression on her face, he smirked and whispered, "It's happening tonight, right?" Brindlepaw just nodded, walking off to her nest. Excited as ever, he laid down, anxious for moonhigh, and he eventually fell asleep.
After Brindlepaw woke him up, and they made their way gingerly out of the camp and to the border, Cedarpaw couldn't help being reminded of Jaggedpaw. Even as Heatherpaw's golden tabby head and beautiful blue eyes appeared, he had to wonder if she and Swiftclan had heard anything about the prey. But he figured that, for them at least, it didn't really matter. In no time, they had said their goodbye to Brindlepaw, and were in the river... but then-
"Cedarpaw, you can't do this... I... I love you!"
Cedarpaw felt his heart skip a beat as he heard Brindlepaw's words. His mouth slightly open, the redish brown tom turned slowly, barely feeling the cold water coursing past his paws. He felt and heard Heatherpaw turn her head, no doubt a look of surprise on her face. Struck with disbelief himself, he could hardly meet Brindlepaw's pleading gaze. "But... Brindlepaw... You never said anything..." He trailed, unsure of what to say. "Why didn't you say anything?"
Brindlepaw shook her head, her eyes lowering, "I know... but it was more complicated than that..."
From beside him, Heatherpaw nearly whispered, "But... you said..."
"I know what I said, Heatherpaw... But things were different back then, cats were different, we were all different back then..." Looking up a little, and towards Cedarpaw, she said, "Cedarpaw... I had been meaning to tell you... but then Heatherpaw, and the gathering... and then... then this. Please Cedarpaw, don't do this to me."
Cedarpaw couldn't believe his ears... and wasn't sure if he wanted to. What could he say? Gathering himself up, he tried to act like he knew what he was doing. "Brindlepaw, I've always liked you..." He watched as her ears perked and hope returned to her face, making it ten times as difficult to say the second part, "But only as a friend." Unable to climb out of the river to console her again, for fear of rubbing Swiftclan's scent on her, he said, "Brindlepaw, you are a kind and hardworking cat, and I know you'll be a great warrior someday... But my future is with Heatherpaw." He watched as her eyes went down to her paws, and tear ran down her cheek. "I know it's hard Brindlepaw... but you'll find someone else, you'll see."
Standing up, it seemed like she was going to give it one last chance. "Cedarpaw, I don't want to find someone else. I don't want anyone else... I want you..."
His heart aching from guilt, Cedarpaw turned away, towards the direction he and Heatherpaw had started at. Unable to look his friend in the eye, he began walking, choking slightly as he said, "I'm sorry Brindlepaw... but this is my choice."