Post by LιθΠΗΣαRτεD on Aug 21, 2017 23:21:55 GMT
Shadowpaw found that the morning after the Gathering was quite hard to wake up to. They'd gotten back when the sky was still dark, but Shadowpaw didn't get a lot of sleep, the adrenaline still thrumming through his veins. He'd made three new friends, all new apprentices like he, and he was looking forward to seeing them again. Perhaps it was wrong to be so eager; weren't they not supposed to get too attached to rival warriors? But Archpaw, Pinepaw, and even Fangpaw appeared innocent and harmless. And he himself would never hurt any of them if he could.
Sleepily, he dragged himself out of the den at the crack of dawn, a time his biological clock had adjusted to. He'd stayed up for at least an hour after he'd gotten back, excitedly recounting the news and relaying information on his new friends to Lightpaw, who'd waited for Shadowpaw all this time. The creme-colored tom was already gone by the time Shadowpaw opened his eyes.
"Shadowpaw!" Runningwolf greeted, perky as ever, despite having attended the same nighttime party as him. He tried not to roll his eyes at her joviality. It should be illegal to be this happy at this time of the day. "Ready to go?"
No, he wanted to say, but he nodded tiredly anyway, and they headed out to train. Thankfully, it was only some easy hunting drills, Runningwolf seemingly understanding the lack of energy in her apprentice.
"That's enough for right now," she said, as the sun was just passing its zenith. The slight chill of the evening was settling in, and with leaf-bare nearing, it was slightly colder than usual. "We can stop here for today. I want you to grab a bite to eat and then join a patrol. After, make sure that the elders have enough of everything and you're free for the day. Good job today, Shadowpaw!"
Shadowpaw nodded, thanking Runningwolf's mercy, and returned, dragging a thrush over to an open patch in the clearing. Light pawsteps sounded beside him. Almondpaw's scent wafted into his nostrils, and he nodded a greeting.
"Hey," the other apprentice greeted, settling down with his own food. They barely talked without their mutual friends, but Shadowpaw had decided that Almondpaw was nice enough. A bit cocky, like Fangpaw, but not enough to tick anyone off. Plus, Almondpaw was a good warrior. "How's training going?"
"Good," Shadowpaw replied after swallowing. "We just worked on hunting. Runningwolf keeps telling me I'm getting better, so I guess that's good. What about you?"
Almondpaw shrugged. "Same as ever. Though, to be honest, I'd like a bit more training before I move onto my Trial. Shadowboar says I'm ready soon, but I really want to make sure I'm polished."
Wow, what a perfectionist, Shadowpaw thought, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Almondpaw was the exact opposite of Lightpaw, the perfect picture of an apprentice. Though Shadowpaw considered himself not far behind, Almondpaw was older and thus seemed to be looked up to more often. But Shadowpaw had weight with his parents' name.
"Want to practice with me?" Almondpaw asked suddenly. Shadowpaw blinked.
"Sure. Tomorrow?"
"Yeah," Almondpaw said, standing up. "Yeah, that sounds nice."
"Oomph!" Almondpaw was thrown against the hollow wall with one swipe from Shadowpaw, who watched the other apprentice fly with satisfaction, and the tiniest bit of guilt.
But Almondpaw was clambering up and looking mildly impressed. Shadowpaw stood there uncertainly, proud but nervous. Almondpaw dipped his head. "Wow, you're better than I thought."
"Really?" Shadowpaw grinned. They both panted for a while, glad to be taking a breather. Almondpaw was a good opponent to go against, and Shadowpaw was nicely tired. "You're not bad yourself."
Almondpaw's whiskers twitched. "You training for anything?"
"Huh?"
"Training for anything," Almondpaw repeated. "I mean, you're pretty damn good. Do you have some sort of goal in mind?"
"Being a warrior?" Shadowpaw asked, tilting his head.
"We're all going to be that someday," Almondpaw reasoned, and Shadowpaw paused. Yeah, where was his life heading? What lay ahead after he received his name? "I mean, long-term."
"I... I don't know," Shadowpaw replied. "To be honest, this is the first time I've gotten to thinking about it." Almondpaw shrugged. "Er, what do you have planned?"
The other tom seemed to perk up at that. "I want to be leader."
Shadowpaw let out a whistle. "Ambitious plan."
Almondpaw shrugged again. "Not if I work hard enough. Think about it. Leading the Clan, the ultimate honor. It's not just about the power, which is awesome by itself, but if you really want to be acknowledged by your peers as the greatest and most noble warrior of ThistleClan, gotta aim for that 'star."
Shadowpaw nodded, considering Almondpaw's words. It would be, as he put it, pretty awesome. Huh.
The more Shadowpaw thought about it, the more excited he got. How cool would it be, as Almondpaw put it, to be leader? To be chosen by all your Clanmates as their superior?
With a new vigor, Shadowpaw began to train harder. What other goal was there, really, than to aim to become the 'star? Especially in ThistleClan, where the new one was voted upon by the rest of the Clan, the title held a lot of weight.
"Runningwolf says you're getting better and bettter!" Darkshimmer said one day when they'd been placed on patrol together. Shadowpaw puffed out his chest. Yeah, he was, if he could say so himself. He'd been practicing hard, and also keeping a close eye on Almondpaw as the other apprentice moved through his own lessons. He would have to go above and beyond to top him.
"Really?" he opted to ask, proud that his progress was showing.
"I'm so proud of you," Darkshimmer purred, affection in her eyes. "ThistleClan is lucky to have you, dear."
Sleepily, he dragged himself out of the den at the crack of dawn, a time his biological clock had adjusted to. He'd stayed up for at least an hour after he'd gotten back, excitedly recounting the news and relaying information on his new friends to Lightpaw, who'd waited for Shadowpaw all this time. The creme-colored tom was already gone by the time Shadowpaw opened his eyes.
"Shadowpaw!" Runningwolf greeted, perky as ever, despite having attended the same nighttime party as him. He tried not to roll his eyes at her joviality. It should be illegal to be this happy at this time of the day. "Ready to go?"
No, he wanted to say, but he nodded tiredly anyway, and they headed out to train. Thankfully, it was only some easy hunting drills, Runningwolf seemingly understanding the lack of energy in her apprentice.
"That's enough for right now," she said, as the sun was just passing its zenith. The slight chill of the evening was settling in, and with leaf-bare nearing, it was slightly colder than usual. "We can stop here for today. I want you to grab a bite to eat and then join a patrol. After, make sure that the elders have enough of everything and you're free for the day. Good job today, Shadowpaw!"
Shadowpaw nodded, thanking Runningwolf's mercy, and returned, dragging a thrush over to an open patch in the clearing. Light pawsteps sounded beside him. Almondpaw's scent wafted into his nostrils, and he nodded a greeting.
"Hey," the other apprentice greeted, settling down with his own food. They barely talked without their mutual friends, but Shadowpaw had decided that Almondpaw was nice enough. A bit cocky, like Fangpaw, but not enough to tick anyone off. Plus, Almondpaw was a good warrior. "How's training going?"
"Good," Shadowpaw replied after swallowing. "We just worked on hunting. Runningwolf keeps telling me I'm getting better, so I guess that's good. What about you?"
Almondpaw shrugged. "Same as ever. Though, to be honest, I'd like a bit more training before I move onto my Trial. Shadowboar says I'm ready soon, but I really want to make sure I'm polished."
Wow, what a perfectionist, Shadowpaw thought, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Almondpaw was the exact opposite of Lightpaw, the perfect picture of an apprentice. Though Shadowpaw considered himself not far behind, Almondpaw was older and thus seemed to be looked up to more often. But Shadowpaw had weight with his parents' name.
"Want to practice with me?" Almondpaw asked suddenly. Shadowpaw blinked.
"Sure. Tomorrow?"
"Yeah," Almondpaw said, standing up. "Yeah, that sounds nice."
"Oomph!" Almondpaw was thrown against the hollow wall with one swipe from Shadowpaw, who watched the other apprentice fly with satisfaction, and the tiniest bit of guilt.
But Almondpaw was clambering up and looking mildly impressed. Shadowpaw stood there uncertainly, proud but nervous. Almondpaw dipped his head. "Wow, you're better than I thought."
"Really?" Shadowpaw grinned. They both panted for a while, glad to be taking a breather. Almondpaw was a good opponent to go against, and Shadowpaw was nicely tired. "You're not bad yourself."
Almondpaw's whiskers twitched. "You training for anything?"
"Huh?"
"Training for anything," Almondpaw repeated. "I mean, you're pretty damn good. Do you have some sort of goal in mind?"
"Being a warrior?" Shadowpaw asked, tilting his head.
"We're all going to be that someday," Almondpaw reasoned, and Shadowpaw paused. Yeah, where was his life heading? What lay ahead after he received his name? "I mean, long-term."
"I... I don't know," Shadowpaw replied. "To be honest, this is the first time I've gotten to thinking about it." Almondpaw shrugged. "Er, what do you have planned?"
The other tom seemed to perk up at that. "I want to be leader."
Shadowpaw let out a whistle. "Ambitious plan."
Almondpaw shrugged again. "Not if I work hard enough. Think about it. Leading the Clan, the ultimate honor. It's not just about the power, which is awesome by itself, but if you really want to be acknowledged by your peers as the greatest and most noble warrior of ThistleClan, gotta aim for that 'star."
Shadowpaw nodded, considering Almondpaw's words. It would be, as he put it, pretty awesome. Huh.
The more Shadowpaw thought about it, the more excited he got. How cool would it be, as Almondpaw put it, to be leader? To be chosen by all your Clanmates as their superior?
With a new vigor, Shadowpaw began to train harder. What other goal was there, really, than to aim to become the 'star? Especially in ThistleClan, where the new one was voted upon by the rest of the Clan, the title held a lot of weight.
"Runningwolf says you're getting better and bettter!" Darkshimmer said one day when they'd been placed on patrol together. Shadowpaw puffed out his chest. Yeah, he was, if he could say so himself. He'd been practicing hard, and also keeping a close eye on Almondpaw as the other apprentice moved through his own lessons. He would have to go above and beyond to top him.
"Really?" he opted to ask, proud that his progress was showing.
"I'm so proud of you," Darkshimmer purred, affection in her eyes. "ThistleClan is lucky to have you, dear."