Post by LιθΠΗΣαRτεD on Sept 4, 2017 1:37:16 GMT
"Really great lesson today, Shadowpaw," Runningwolf said after stopping their faux-fighting abruptly, a slight pant in her voice. Shadowpaw was glad to hear that he was good enough to be working his own mentor hard. She grinned, and he fought an urge to beam back. No, he was being serious. "Damn good job, kid."
"Thanks."
Runningwolf blinked at his stoic demeanor, and flicked her tail dismissively. "Take the day off."
"What?"
"Enjoy yourself," she elaborated. "Go. Get out of here. Find your friends."
Frowning, Shadowpaw cast a glance at her before slipping out, not daring to disobey her. Runningwolf had sensed something was up, but he had no idea what it was. And now how was he supposed to enjoy himself, if he was stressed over this? Shaking his head in bewilderment, he decided to take her suggestion and went to find Lightpaw.
"Hey dude," the creme-colored tom greeted once they met up, his eyes sparkling with the telltale mischief. "Runningwolf let ya go?"
"Yeah." Shadowpaw shuffled his paws.
"She probably just wants you to loosen up," Lightpaw purred in amusement, "you've got a stick up your ass these days."
"I do not!"
"See, that tone just proved me right," his friend snarked, and Shadowpaw snorted, flicking dirt towards him. "But hey, you know, don't walk around all chest-puffed and tall. Relax."
"Lightpaw, I can't relax," he snapped. "I've got something to work for!"
"What, becoming a leader?" Lightpaw scoffed, rolling his eyes. He'd heard this before. "You're still an apprentice, idiot! You've got plenty of time. Being a leader isn't about... it's not about being the best. Come on. Just last week, remember Kitestar had her ass handed to her by Riversong when they were training? Ha! You don't always have to win. But you do need to have fun. Be a cat, not a fighting... monster."
Shadowpaw huffed.
"C'mon, there's more to being a warrior than battling and hunting." Lightpaw nudged Shadowpaw's shoulder. "There's socializing involved. You need to put on a happy face. If your Clanmates see that you aren't a nice person, how are you going to expect them to vote for you if you're ever nominated?"
Shadowpaw paused at that. Lightpaw had a point. How could I not have seen that? "I guess you're right," he sighed.
Lightpaw brightened. "That's the spirit! You can start with me. Let's go prank some warriors, come on."
"Lightpaw, I know I agreed to hang out with you, but this isn't what I had in mind," Shadowpaw argued as he watched his friend climb onto a tree branch with a large, fat rabbit in his jaws. The creme-colored tom's eyes were gleaming again with mischief, and whenever that occurred Shadowpaw knew he was up to no good. Frowning, he tilted his head back and watched Lightpaw settle in.
"Shut up, my mind's already made," Lightpaw called down, his voice muffled by the fur of his prey. Now go stand where I told you to.
"This is stupid," Shadowpaw grumbled, and stomped over into the bushes, where he crouched, his black fur blending in with the shadows. They waited, and a couple minutes later they saw their new target. A tortoiseshell she-cat was walking in their direction, head bent low as he inspected the ground. Gritting his teeth, Shadowpaw called out: "help! Fox!"
The she-warrior straightened up, eyes wide, and dashed towards his voice, head swiveling. "I'm coming! Hang on!" Right when she stepped underneath Lightpaw, the tom dropped the large rabbit onto the stranger, hitting her square in the back. "Omph! What the--!"
Unable to hold back, Lightpaw leapt down, cackling, and Shadowpaw shrank deeper into his spot, his heart pounding. The RippleClan warrior whom they'd hit was still struggling to recover from shock, and for a moment she stared incredulously at the laughing apprentice before her, and soon her expression melded into one of anger.
"What do you think you were doing, pulling a joke like that?" she hissed, her eyes blazing, and Shadowpaw lost all courage to go out there and stand beside his friend. "Wasting food, annoying warriors! You ThistleClan cats should know better!"
"Can't blame me for a little fun," Lightpaw answered easily, still grinning, though it was deflating rapidly.
"Thanks."
Runningwolf blinked at his stoic demeanor, and flicked her tail dismissively. "Take the day off."
"What?"
"Enjoy yourself," she elaborated. "Go. Get out of here. Find your friends."
Frowning, Shadowpaw cast a glance at her before slipping out, not daring to disobey her. Runningwolf had sensed something was up, but he had no idea what it was. And now how was he supposed to enjoy himself, if he was stressed over this? Shaking his head in bewilderment, he decided to take her suggestion and went to find Lightpaw.
"Hey dude," the creme-colored tom greeted once they met up, his eyes sparkling with the telltale mischief. "Runningwolf let ya go?"
"Yeah." Shadowpaw shuffled his paws.
"She probably just wants you to loosen up," Lightpaw purred in amusement, "you've got a stick up your ass these days."
"I do not!"
"See, that tone just proved me right," his friend snarked, and Shadowpaw snorted, flicking dirt towards him. "But hey, you know, don't walk around all chest-puffed and tall. Relax."
"Lightpaw, I can't relax," he snapped. "I've got something to work for!"
"What, becoming a leader?" Lightpaw scoffed, rolling his eyes. He'd heard this before. "You're still an apprentice, idiot! You've got plenty of time. Being a leader isn't about... it's not about being the best. Come on. Just last week, remember Kitestar had her ass handed to her by Riversong when they were training? Ha! You don't always have to win. But you do need to have fun. Be a cat, not a fighting... monster."
Shadowpaw huffed.
"C'mon, there's more to being a warrior than battling and hunting." Lightpaw nudged Shadowpaw's shoulder. "There's socializing involved. You need to put on a happy face. If your Clanmates see that you aren't a nice person, how are you going to expect them to vote for you if you're ever nominated?"
Shadowpaw paused at that. Lightpaw had a point. How could I not have seen that? "I guess you're right," he sighed.
Lightpaw brightened. "That's the spirit! You can start with me. Let's go prank some warriors, come on."
"Lightpaw, I know I agreed to hang out with you, but this isn't what I had in mind," Shadowpaw argued as he watched his friend climb onto a tree branch with a large, fat rabbit in his jaws. The creme-colored tom's eyes were gleaming again with mischief, and whenever that occurred Shadowpaw knew he was up to no good. Frowning, he tilted his head back and watched Lightpaw settle in.
"Shut up, my mind's already made," Lightpaw called down, his voice muffled by the fur of his prey. Now go stand where I told you to.
"This is stupid," Shadowpaw grumbled, and stomped over into the bushes, where he crouched, his black fur blending in with the shadows. They waited, and a couple minutes later they saw their new target. A tortoiseshell she-cat was walking in their direction, head bent low as he inspected the ground. Gritting his teeth, Shadowpaw called out: "help! Fox!"
The she-warrior straightened up, eyes wide, and dashed towards his voice, head swiveling. "I'm coming! Hang on!" Right when she stepped underneath Lightpaw, the tom dropped the large rabbit onto the stranger, hitting her square in the back. "Omph! What the--!"
Unable to hold back, Lightpaw leapt down, cackling, and Shadowpaw shrank deeper into his spot, his heart pounding. The RippleClan warrior whom they'd hit was still struggling to recover from shock, and for a moment she stared incredulously at the laughing apprentice before her, and soon her expression melded into one of anger.
"What do you think you were doing, pulling a joke like that?" she hissed, her eyes blazing, and Shadowpaw lost all courage to go out there and stand beside his friend. "Wasting food, annoying warriors! You ThistleClan cats should know better!"
"Can't blame me for a little fun," Lightpaw answered easily, still grinning, though it was deflating rapidly.