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Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2013 16:28:42 GMT -5
Though the season was leaf-fall, the pine trees of PineClan territory were not changing. It was strange, really. When she looked across the northern border into SwampClan, Goosepaw could see the trees there beginning to shift into their leaf-fall colors; beautiful shades of orange, yellow and brown. Looking up at the pine trees that loomed over her now, she almost wished they were changing, too. Why did SwampClan get the pretty trees?
A thought thrilled through her of crossing the border to get a closer look, but Goosepaw immediately shoved it away, ashamed of herself. There was no way she was going to break the warrior code just to look at some trees! Besides, she could always admire them from the border. Shaking her head, she turned away from thoughts of the trees. She had more important things to do, anyways. Having finished her training for the day, Goosepaw had decided to help the elders with their ticks, and she needed a mouse for the mouse bile.
She opened her jaws to take in the scents of the forest. Disappointment welled in her as she closed her jaws again. There was no scent of mouse on the air, not even a stale one. Though, really, it was hard to tell. The air was thick and muggy, which, now that she thought about it, usually meant...
PLOP.
...rain! Hissing as the single drop of water slithered down her back, Goosepaw looked to the sky, which was beginning to darken as the day drew to a close. Her ears pulled back in horror as she saw the clouds that covered the sky, and as sheets of rain began to fall. Skidding on the fallen pine needles that littered the ground, she began to run. The downpour was so heavy that not even the pine trees could shelter her. She had to find someplace dry! Camp was too far off. Where could she go? Then she saw it, the dark mouth of the abandoned twoleg mine. Turning, Goosepaw made a break for it, finally reaching the cover of the mine.
She had been in here only once before, on the day she was apprenticed four moons ago when her mentor Heronstep had given her a tour of PineClan territory. Goosepaw glanced around, but it was dark and even with the heightened vision of a cat she couldn't see much farther than a few yards in. She took a step towards the darkness where it was drier, wondering what, if anything, lurked in the darkness.
She turned away from the back of the mine, sheathing and unsheathing her claws nervously. Oh, well. At least she wasn't getting rained on anymore. But as she sat in the mouth of the mine, Goosepaw felt a chill run down her spine. Whether it was from the icy cold of the water that soaked her, or from fear, she couldn't be sure. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 7, 2013 14:52:56 GMT -5
The heavy thud of paw-steps thundered across the Tree Bridge, the sound echoing hollowly through the eerie still of the forest. Large, thick, deep green pines blurred at the edge of his vision, the wind whipping through his black and white fur as he ran. Lightninpaw flashed through the trees, his legs carrying him as fast as he willed. For once, he didn't want to train with Jacknose, and so he found himself waking this morning and creeping around the camp to claim a piece of prey before slipping away from the grasp of his mentor. He assumed Jacknose would be disgruntled at first when he didn't find Lightningpaw in his nest, but then after a while he would be relieved to have the tom out of his fur for a time. Lightningpaw got the feeling he agitated the older warrior every now and again. . . but it was only because he was so eager to learn.
He was approaching a divide in the bridge, and Lightningpaw felt himself slow to a trot. His sides heaved with his exertion, and as he stopped to make a decision on whether or not to go to the Ellipse Pond for a game of stone hopping (and potentially a nice fish) or to travel the path that lead one close to the Abandoned Twoleg Mine, the first few drops of rain from the coming storm fell upon his left shoulder and made him shy away to the right. Abandoned Twoleg Mine it was.
Lightningpaw didn't run, but rather walked with a certain swiftness as the handful of scattered drops turned into a fine mist that slicked down his fur. Not three heartbeats passed before the clouds parted and curtains of rain poured from the sky. At this point he began to run. Somehow through the stinging gray sheets of rain Lightningpaw was able to make out a black shape on the horizon, and he knew it to be the entrance to the mine. His paws skidded on the oily ground as he propelled himself toward the gaping shape. When he made it, soaked and panting heavily into the cave, Lightningpaw leaned against the cold, textured wall and eased his body to the ground, wrapping his tail tightly against his body. Icy water trickled to pool around his paws, and he jumped to walk quickly a few more paces into the gloom. He turned his back on the darkness and watched the mouth of the mine for a few heartbeats, a shimmering gray curtain enveloping the entrance. Lightningpaw narrowed his eyes and bent to drag his tongue over his wet fur. He hoped the storm let up before dust, or else Jacknose would really have a mouthful for him then.
The soft crunch of pebbles close to him made his ears prick and the fur along his spine inch to a stand. Mind void of thoughts, Lightningpaw shot up from the ground and whipped around in the direction of the noise, black lips pulled back into a snarl and claws unsheathed. "You don't want to mess with -" Lightningpaw broke off, his vision finally focusing on the form of a cat. "Goosepaw?" He half-whispered, green eyes narrowing and blinking against the darkness. It was Goosepaw. "What are you doing here?" He questioned, relaxing his muscles as he pulled himself into a stiff sitting position. She hated the rain. . .
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2013 7:51:06 GMT -5
In the chaos of the storm, Goosepaw hadn't seen Lightningpaw coming. And so when he hurtled into the mine, she jumped back fearfully, expecting the worst. But as the other apprentice paused to lick himself, presumably to dry himself, her fur flattened again. It was just Lightningpaw. Timidly she approached him, her paws crunching on the gravel as she went.
He must have heard her, for he suddenly whipped around, claws and teeth bared. As Lightningpaw rounded on her, Goosepaw lowered herself to the ground in horror. Was her clanmate going to attack her? But then he seemed to recognize her, and his hostility vanished. Goosepaw stayed flat against the floor of the mine for a moment, her heart beating frantically against her chest. When she had managed to calm down, she rose and sat, her tail twitching.
"I was going to catch a mouse, for the mouse bile," she explained softly, "you know, because the elders have ticks again and no one really likes to take them off. Figured I'd try to help..." Goosepaw trailed off, staring down at her paws. Eventually she looked back up at Lightningpaw. "Did you get caught in the storm, too? Well, I mean, obviously you did, or you wouldn't be in here." She realized she was rambling and stopped, looking away in embarrassment. However, she quickly turned her gaze back to her fellow apprentice, as she had been looking at the back of the mine and had felt the familiar chill down her spine as she had done so. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 10, 2013 10:08:49 GMT -5
He watched as Goosepaw dropped to the ground, pressing herself flat across the rocky floor. He tilted his head at her curiously. Was she afraid of him? They were clan mates. . . But the way Lightningpaw had attacked, thinking she was some unknown animal in this cave, he could understand. When she picked herself up his green eyes flicked away from her, his head turning to stare briefly at the gray sheet of rain covering what seemed to be their only exit. No way was he going out in that, and he doubted Goosepaw would, either. "Guess we're stuck here, huh?" He said rather solemnly, his voice echoing off the cave walls. He squinted his eyes as his gaze roved over the dark ceiling, an unknown source of light glinting brightly on flecks of different colored stones encased in the walls. If their situation was different, their surroundings could almost be considered. . . pretty.
Lightningpaw blinked and focused back on Goosepaw, her words sounding faintly in his ears. He almost scoffed, but restrained himself. Instead, he offered her a smile. Whenever he saw her around camp, she did always appear to try to be helping someone else. He guessed it was just in her nature to be friendly. Lightningpaw could appreciate that. "Well," he began slowly, "we might be able to find a mouse in here. . . It's certainly dark enough." He didn't mention what else they might 'happen' to find. He hoped the only thing they ran into was a few mice and a couple of cobwebs. . . He peered around her, green eyes trying to pierce the endless blackness that crept toward the relatively small pair of apprentices. He could see nothing that notable this far away, only a tunnel stretching on and on and on and growing smaller in width. Lightningpaw caught Goosepaw's shiver and reluctantly felt himself do the same. Hoping she didn't notice, he picked himself up to his full height and stared at her with what he hoped was a certain authority. "We're going to be here awhile, might as well check." He gave her a forced smile. "Right?" he added softly, feeling his shoulders fall an imperceptible amount.
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