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Post by Haunt on Jul 21, 2009 14:52:03 GMT -6
__________________________________________________________ The kind of intelligence a genius has is a different sort of intelligence. Hauntstar[/font] It is created by giant leaps in random directions.. Often seeming illogical to those around. __________________________________________________________ Hauntstar had spent the last half moon doing two things. One was follow around Foxfang like a dog and watch from a hidden space as Raptorpaw worked with the elders. Both were found extremely interesting by Hauntstar. Foxfang seemed capable enough, but that didn't mean he would ever tire of breathing down the deptuy's neck. That was just how he worked and if Foxfang didn't like that he could eithe retire or die. Hauntstar would be crushed either way, but it would never steer him away from his domineering mannerisms. Raptorpaw had been just as interesting to watch, he had become quite good with picking out ticks and hanging around with the elders. At first he hadn't seemed to happy, but slowly he grew to hopefully appreciate their teachings.
So as Hauntstar walked into camp he began to plan and this plan would grow once he saw the way Raptorpaw exited the apprentice's den. Would he be resigned, determined, or just plain bored. Hauntstar couldn't blame him for any of those, but he would know his decision to end his tasks today was in perfect timing. Trotting towards the freshkill pile he pulled out a raven and went to sit by the entrance of camp. He would eat the kill slowly as he waitedfor cats to slowly wake up and for the day to start. He rather enjoyed doing this, but he would never start the day this way if he wasn't planning on leaving camp straight away. So Raptorpaw had probably nver seen him do this, that alone began the unusual start to this new day of adventures.
Picking slowly at the characteristically chewy meat of the raven Hauntstar watched the common start of camp life. The dawn patrol leaves, waking up the various apprentices that also got assigned to it. They all left looking grumpy and tired, but perked up naturally at seeing Hauntstar. "Finally taking out that apprentice of your's, huh?" Was whispered into his ear by the passing senior warrior that lead the patrol. Hauntstar nodded and gave his old friend a nudge with his nose to be careful. He knew that his patrol would be smoother than most though, seeing as he was one of the first senior warriors Hauntstar had chosen to lead border patrols. He also had come to learn quite a bit about Hauntstar's daily morning routine.
Then came everyone else. The first small filters of light would enter the warriors den, as though it was placed there especially for the morning. The unlucky cat with the nest right on the spot of the blinding sliver would head out first. His path went straight for the freshkill pile, than the cat he had angrily stepped on would come out and the pattern would continue until th light woke up most of the other cats. The apprentices would either get woken up by a jab in the side from a friend or mentor next. They also would be awoken by some noisy cat that got hit in the eye with light. Murmurs of speech began to enter the lazy lull of another Newleaf day. Cats began their morning sharing tongues of their plans. It was a tradition in most Clans. The thing that seemed to make them one.
It was about this time that Hauntstar's gaze would wander back to the apprentice's den and then to the path the apprentices usually took to the freshill. He was trying to spot Raptorpaw and he wondered whom he would decide to lay next to for his breakfast. If he would do so with anyone. Maybe he would even come over to where Hauntstar was, though it was extremely doubtful that his apprentice would want to do so with his 'terrible mentor'. Raptorpaw would probably be out by now, and by the time that he finished with his own meal wherever he ate it the entrance would probably be filled with the gathering of apprentices and mentors. Some hunting patrols had already gotten together and left. Soon Stormtail was over with his apprentice, whom seemed to be dragging along his friend and the mentor that came along.
Eagerly Swimpaw and Wavpaw began to chat about their first hunting exam. Hauntstar listened with mild interest as he ate another bite of freshkill. He still had half a bird to go, but he would make it last till the perfect moment. He was still debating whether he wanted to leave with the rest of the apprentice and mentor hoarde or if he wanted to wait till everyone else was gone. That would probably annoy Raptorpaw and make him wonder if this was just more torture. Well that would be fun and make the past half moon of appentice tasks seem worth it. He didn't want to seem too cruel of a mentor. So his plans were decided and his training regime entering what he fondly referred to as 'Phase Two: The First Steps'. Training was just a blast when you didn't have a Bugflight it appeared. So Hauntstar already found that he was enjoying this.
status; finished
used; hauntstar
word count; 847
muse; brilliant at the beginning then I found out we were leaving soon so i started to rush
other; yay for phase two xD |
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Post by S C O R P I A on Jul 21, 2009 15:49:39 GMT -6
RAPTORPAW
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Going stir crazy is rather annoying. Raptorpaw was beginning to think that he was now a tick removing master. Why train when you can spend your time in a den with a bunch of smelly, grouchy old Elders? The apprentice felt as though he might as well be living in the Medicine Cat's Den, Haunstar wasn't doing anything with him anyway. He yanked a tick rather ungracefully from the back of Blindgaze, who hissed in protest. Raptorpaw muttered an apology, using some of his well built willpower to try and block out the sounds of the Elder's gossip. Nettlefur was whispering something to Quietsoul near the back of the den, flicking their tails lazily at a few flies that tried to invade their space. Every once and a while, the two she-cats would glance at him, as if he wasn't doing his job correctly. The last Elder, Scratcheye, was sunning himself outside. This tom was one of Hauntstar's previous deputies, having retired do to the stress of the job. The apprentice didn't blame him.
Raptorpaw perked his ears at the sound of Nettlefur's voice, "It's been nearly a half moon, hasn't it?" She rasped, "Or has my perception of time left me as well as my memory?" At this, the elder chuckled slightly, laying her head down on her bedding and sighing. Raptorpaw took him time with Blindgaze's last tick; he wasn't sure how to answer this question. After all, Hauntstar had been unpredictable thus far, and he wouldn't be surprised if he decided to extend his sentence another half moon. The tom rubbed mouse bile on the insect, waiting for it to dislodge itself. It wasn't long before Raptorpaw could flick it away and crush it with a claw; he had never been fond of doing it with anything else.
"Yes, I suppose it has, Nettlefur." The tom stated. He was getting rather irritated with how everyone seemed to know of his sentence before he had even stolen fresh kill; it was as if his mentor had planned it all along. Lately, Raptorpaw hadn't even wanted to think about Hauntstar. He still would rather train than "learn about his history" all day, but wouldn't be much happier learning from that fool. The past half moon had been spent almost entirely in the Elder's Den, and the time the tom had spent elsewhere other apprentices were making fun of him. Raptorpaw was getting quite irritated with Swimpaw and Wavepaw's stories about how wonderful training was that day. They were the closest he had to friends at the moment, though, so he dealt with it.
Blindgaze rolled onto his side, stretching his legs outward and smacking his jaws. "Ok, you're done." He said, and chuckled, "Now get out of my sight." Raptorpaw rolled his eyes, but in a teasing, "what a dumb joke" way, not in a disrespectful way. Quietsoul and Nettlefur began purring with amusement, although the apprentice never understood why they thought it was so funny. Raptorpaw knew the elder couldn't see him, but dipped his head anyway, "Yes, Blindgaze." The tom said with a half smile. It was hard to stay completely grumpy around this bunch, he had to admit, but only when they were in a good mood. He turned and began to pad out of the den, ready for another boring day, same as it had been for the past half moon.
The first thing Raptorpaw noticed was the amount of activity going on in camp. When he had awoken earlier that morning, there were only a few in the clearing, but now it seemed every corner was filled. Wavepaw and Swimpaw passed, waving their tails in greeting to him. They had told their denmate all about their hunting assessment that would happen today, and were making no attempt to hide their excitement, already chattering about how great it would be. Raptorpaw saw the Dawn Patrol leave, and payed no mind to the Senior Warrior's whisper to Hauntstar. It seemed his mentor was always jabbering with everyone, he was very popular it seemed to his apprentice. For once, Raptorpaw felt a stab of envy. Stonekit had been his only good friend until he died.
The tom looked thoughtfully at the fresh kill pile. With a glance at his mentor, he padded toward it and sniffed its contents, grabbing the body of a fish; he hadn't had one in a while. Raptorpaw chose a spot a few tail lengths away and licked his jaw once before tucking in. The juices were refreshing and energizing, not to mention its extravagant taste. The apprentice looked at the entrance to camp, and noticed the slowly forming group of mentors and apprentices. Raptorpaw took another bite of fish and turned his gaze; he didn't want to think about the last time he had stood there, waiting for his chance into the territory. The tom had never been outside of camp, much to his embarrassment, and even though he was old enough his mousebrained mentor wouldn't let him. Fool.
Raptorpaw finished his meal and disposed of the bones, he didn't' even think about grabbing another piece, the fish had been enough for him. In fact, his belly felt comfortably full, and he was ready for whatever the day had to offer. Even if it did mean sitting around camp until dusk, like yesterday.
And the day before... status; finished puppet; raptorpaw word count; 905 muse; mucho awesome, I'm very happy with this post, even with my high standards for myself ^^ other; xD Haunty is now a spy[/sup] |
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Post by Haunt on Jul 21, 2009 20:48:41 GMT -6
__________________________________________________________ The mind is one's greatest weapon. Hauntstar[/font] So I like to keep mine sharp and ready to fire. __________________________________________________________ Hauntstar looked towards the Elder's Den in brief thought. Maybe Raptorpaw had decided to go straight the the den before the day had started. All Hauntstar's aqua-blue gaze spotted was one of his past deputies, Scratcheye. The tm had retired from stress of the job, becoming Clan deputy for Hauntstar was not all the job had always been cracked up to be. No one wanted the job anymore, or at least after they listened to the horror stories of all his past deputies. If you valued your place as a warrior than it was usually best to go around becoming his deputy until he was due for death. Hauntstar imagined that he would be going through quite the few deputies in his turn before giving up his leadership. Some cat would have to kill him if they thought he would die from some natural cause.
Hauntstar couldn't help wondering how Raptorpaw was fairing with the elders. Perhaps he would go visit them later to ask how the half moon had been. it was hard to be grumpy all the time in the den, usually the apprentice working the den held the same mood as the elders. They had a good sense of humor and unless they wee in pain or grumpy it was a nice place to be. Hauntstar had enjoyed his elders when he was an apprentice and had loved learning stories of the past from them ever since he was a kit. He even went sometimes now to listen to some of his old favorites. He had also been particularly interested with stories of LionClan, LeaopardClan, CheetahClan, and TigerClan. He was never sure which he could call his favorite and he had always made it a sport of pretending to be a warrior of each when he was doing certain tasks. It seemed to make it all worth it.
Then Hauntstar's aqua gaze finally landed on a flash of brown fur. It was about time.. However Raptorpaw wasn't exiting from the area he had assumed that he would. No he had been tending to the elder's in the earliest hours of the dy. How admirable, well it wasn't exactly his look of determination, but he seemed to be sticking with his job and was even there when he hadn't needed to be. That was good enough to cement Hauntstar's hopes of taking him out for his first tour of the territory. He was ready. Not in the usual manner, but it was good enough for him. In fact he kind of liked that the apprentice had gone into work early. As though he had silently accepted his job as the elders helper. There was a determined enough cat for Hauntstar.
Hauntstar watched the apprentice as he was waved to from the two apprentices his age. They seemed to still be jabbering on about that hunting assessment. How amusing and it seemed that their mentors were taking it much the same way. They were amused at the eagerness of their apprentices, but they also seemed excited and thrilledin their own sense. Probably recalling their first assessments with the thrill they had both felt as well. It was a pleasant cycle that hauntstar had taken a liking to. It made the world go roud for him and was something that he had always enjoyed about Clan life. Seeing the cats in it grow and prosper, slowly taking the next seat and watching with much the same emotion as the cat before them.
The black tabby tom gazed nonchalantly at his brown apprentice. Raptorpaw seemed to be looking at him before he took a nice fish from the freshkill pile. Hauntstar dipped his head in acceptance and motioned his tail for the apprentice to sit near him if he wanted. His attention was brought to another for a moment though, he chatted calmly with a new warrior whom had just recieved an apprentice a day or two ago. He was wondering what spot would be a good place for teaching land hunting. Hauntstar replied happily and sent the two on their way before the rest of the territory was filled by mentors and apprentices. Then his gaze launched back and found Raptorpaw a few tail lengths away.
The leader figured that the apprentice wasn't too fond of the 'fool' that thought it a good idea to stick him in a den to learn his history while picking off ticks. Hauntstar took another bite of raven and smiled to himself. Ahh, how he enjoyed first impressions. The young at mind found things in a completely different perspective than they would after they had time to gain experience. If you thought the same as you had at six moons, ten moons later than you hadn't learned properly. Growth was a part of life, young and old views collided and clashed. Soon coming to an understanding apprentices finally were ready to become warriors. If your apprentice liked you during apprenticeship, until they were warrior material that is, then you weren't doing your job.
Hauntstar watched as Raptorpaw finished his fish and buried the bones. He was still working on his raven, but soon would be done as everyone else began to file away. Raptorpaw would either have already started heading to the elders' den or would be sitting before him waiting for his mentor to order him bac. It would be then that Hauntstar would either call him over or tell him that it was time. "Well I hope you have been enjoying your time with the elders. I know that Blindsight can be a catch. You probably are ready to get back to another wonderful day of history class, am I right?" [/b] Hauntstar chuckled at his underpar and lame joke, one that couldn't even be considered so. He would wait for a reply before continuing. "Well you won' be needing any more of that. It's about time that I take you out to explore our wonderful territory.... Unless you aren't ready that is?"[/color] Hauntstar waited for Raptorpaw's reaction. status; finished used; hauntstar word count; 1005 muse; awesome, but rushed other; woot, woot![/sup][/blockquote] |
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Post by S C O R P I A on Jul 21, 2009 21:35:00 GMT -6
RAPTORPAW
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Too good to be true, surely. Raptorpaw, having already finished breakfast and his chores for the day, began to wonder what was in store for him. Perhaps he would be forced on kit duty again; this was a task the tom came to dislike, though he couldn't help but purr as the little kits stumbled over each other, pretending to be their own little clan. There was a queen by the name of Flowerheart that always seemed to need his help, she liked to leave the Nursery for a bit of fresh air in the mornings. But the she-cat hadn't come to fetch him yet, so Raptorpaw hoped he would be able to get out of it for today. Of course, during the last half moon he seemed to be the only apprentice everyone wanted doing chores. After all, all the others were always busy with something or another.
Raptorpaw glanced around camp, which had cleared out a bit. After the chaos of the morning, things tended to quiet down, he noticed. Many of the queens allowed their kits to play outside during this time; they didn't want them distracting anyone. Apprentices and mentors usually left to train, leaving only a few warriors left in camp. And then of course there was Raptorpaw. He had felt very left out in the past half moon, like he was only important enough to be doing chores all day. Wouldn't he be better off hunting for the clan rather than babysitting or clearing out bedding? Wasn't food more important than comfort? Raptorpaw closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again, feeling the drop in temperature as the sun went behind a cloud. The tom had noticed his fur thinning out for the summer season already.
As soon as Raptorpaw looked up, he saw Hauntstar's silent command to approach him. Or, at least that was how the apprentice saw it. He couldn't say he exactly wanted to be near his mentor at the time, but after his rather harsh punishment for a very simple thing, Raptorpaw found that he had grown slightly afraid of his mentor. Well, at least his punishments. The tom padded forward silently, sitting a few tail lengths away as Hauntstar chatted with a new mentor, telling him a good spot to teach his apprentice to hunt. Raptorpaw waited respectfully for them to finish speaking before going closer, stopping to sit next to the clan leader awkwardly. No way was he getting assigned to another half moon of elder duty. To him, life only existed outside the boundaries of RushClan camp, and he had to get there.
Raptorpaw sat in silence next to Haunstar for a few moments before he began to speak. To be honest, the tom wasn't expecting what was coming at all. His sentence had seemed so long and merciless that it would never end. As his mentor continued talking, Raptorpaw was beginning to think that he was almost taunting him. He flicked his ear at Hauntstar's "history class" comment, feeling as though he was elongating his punishment with only that simple statement. Blindsight, Raptorpaw had to admit, was rather entertaining at times, but then again he could also be the most moody. It wasn't uncommon for him to claw your ears off one moment then laugh about it then next. "His ticks are also quite the catch." Muttered the apprentice under his breath.
Raptorpaw was busy clenching his teeth, trying not to roll his eyes at Hauntstar's terrible joke, when freedom hit his ears. It was too good to be true, surely. The tom struggled to keep his eagerness inside of him, still wanting to be calm and mature about his first time out; that is, unless his mentor was going to deny him again. At least this time it wouldn't be in front of everyone. Raptorpaw looked at Hauntstar curiously, trying to search his eyes for anything that could hint he was lying. If he was teasing, the apprentice wouldn't be as keen to hold his temper as last time. He couldn't help it if his claws "accidentally" missed the dirt and ended up hitting his mentor's face. The tom couldn't be cooped up in camp forever.
"Unless you aren't ready that is?"
Raptorpaw stared. He couldn't help it. Everything was coming so fast, and a simple trip out of camp seemed like the world to him. The apprentice began to wonder if this was Haunstar's point in the first place. If so, he seriously didn't want a cat who didn't respect someone who controlled their emotions as a mentor. Raptorpaw's heart lifted, but he refused to show it.
"Hauntstar, if you didn't think I was ready you would have never suggested it."
The tom couldn't help but put it bluntly, in the end it was his mentor's decision anyway, he just wanted Raptorpaw to squirm with excitement like the rest of the fools in the Apprentice's Den, stumbling out a sentence about how much he had learned in the past half moon. Raptorpaw refused to sink to that level, and simply stared calmly into Hauntstar's eyes, almost smirking.
He may have gained more respect for his history, but this tom was still full of himself, whether his mentor liked it or not. status; finished puppet; raptorpaw word count; 887. Yuck. muse; my muse is fine, but I wish the post was a bit longer :P other; "It wasn't uncommon for him to claw your ears off one moment then laugh about it then next." Sounds like a certain history teacher... xD... Awww.... D: Sad day... *wallows* I also noticed that Raptor technically isn't suppose to be this arrogant, but I'm RPing him that way. Whatever.[/sup] |
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Post by Haunt on Jul 21, 2009 22:18:47 GMT -6
__________________________________________________________ The mind is one's greatest weapon. Hauntstar[/font] So I like to keep mine sharp and ready to fire. __________________________________________________________ Hauntstar was very specific with his apprentice and their chores. He made sure that every other apprentice was kept busy so the cats that stayed around camp all day had no choice but to go to Raptorpaw. Not to mention a long time ago he made it clear that his apprentices had a certain training rebgime to follow no matter how they acted or what they were like. So if a queen wanted to go out for a walk or a swim, Raptorpaw would be put on kit duty. Even if there was another queen to watch them in the nursery. He didn't seem very fond of the task so Hauntstar spoke with Flowerheart, whom was busy with quite the litter of kits. She was eager to help with Hauntstar's cause. He seemed like a nice enough cat to watch her kits.
So as he moved inyto speaking with the apprentice after speaking with the new mentor he became aware of certain things. Hauntstar figured that Raptorpaw thought he was giving him a cruel run at gtting outside, only to swipe it away as he grew happier and more excited. So he made sure that Raptorpaw could tell that he wasn't fooling aroung with him. He also noticed that the tom seemed determined to continue to look mature on the outside. That brought along another comment as he drew to an end. "You know that it's perfectly natural to be excited? There is nothing immature about it. In fact most mentors would rather have an eager apprentice to one that acts as though what they have to offer is no big deal. Emotion is a great and powerful thing. I hope you learn some day that it is quite all right to let it out." [/b] Then Hauntstar got back to what Raptorpaw had been saying along the way. He smiled at his tick comment, Hauntstar didn't doubt him. Then he moved onto the good stuff. Watching Raptorpaw carefully for some slight show of emotion and happiness. He really hoped he could bring some of it out of him in their time together. Otherwise he would have to know all the feelings that one might possibly have in a situation to look for the natural signs. It would end up becomin pretty annoying, though Hauntstar related annoyance as a slight form of anger. By this time his eyes had seemed to glaze over at the thought and he shuddered himself out of it in the most peculiar way. It would look odd to Raptorpaw and the apprentice would probably become even more aware of Hauntstar's oddness, never to guess yet that he had been thining of anger. Then Hauntstar saw Raptorpaw's reaction. It was only in a stare that he could tell he wasn't believing any of it. That e thought it had to be too good to be true. That Hauntstar was just abou ready to hide away the prize yet again. He was a bird ready to take flight only to find that he was tethered to the cage. Which was actually a very true metaphor, seeing as that was what a raptor was. Just a big bird of prey, that wasn't allowed to hunt. A bird of prey that couldn't fly after a rodent and catch it in a single swoop of adrenaline. One that would soon find he still had a long way to complete freedom. That as an apprentice of Hauntstar he wouldn't get very much. That he still wouldn't be hunting for another half moon. That he would be going to the Gathering only if he could pass his test on the Clans around him. That he wouldn't get to speak about his first assessments or battle training yet. Hauntstar chuckled as Raptorpaw finally spoke and came out of his stonelike stare. He was quite right and Hauntstar would quickly tell him that and more about what was in store for him in the next half moon. "You are quite right, Raptorpaw. I'm glad you have finally caught on to how I work. I have been watching you this past half moon, you have done well. Though I will be speaking with the elders soon about you. Though don't fear, you have passed phase one and won't have to go back to the elders unless they complain about your care. Now you are ready for the second phase, your first steps into RushClan territory. First I will make our territory history and some refreshers on our Clan clear. Please note that it would be wise to listen to every word I say and hold onto it, for it will end up being the key to further unlocking your freedom."[/b] Hauntstar paused as he smiled at the tom, he knew he was probably ready to head out so Hauntstar would let him have his moment of glory before he started. So standing up he ran his tail along Raptorpaw's flank and headed out into the world he had come to love. He would begin to trot at a good pace for a new apprentice to gaze around wildly at the world. Hauntstar wouldn't look back at the sight because he didn't want to scare Raptorpaw out of his moment. Hauntstar would continue on to the river before he even thought of speaking. Once there he would sit and wait patiently for Raptorpaw to come sit with him looking over into the river. He would not tell him to hurry up or get on with it, he was a big believer in the first moment out of camp. So he didn't want to ruin it with petty impatience. Once Raptorpaw came to calm down then Hauntstar would begin the teaching as he gazed into the water.[/blockquote] status; done! used; hauntstar word count; 959 muse; wonderful other; Sad ):[/sup] |
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Post by S C O R P I A on Jul 23, 2009 13:47:25 GMT -6
RAPTORPAW
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Why must the world be so unpredictable? Raptorpaw gazed at his mentor, looking him straight in the eye. He refused to get his hopes up- his mentor would not be humiliating him like last time. Not one flicker of excitement came from the tom, even if an the inside he wished Hauntstar would just shut up and take him out of camp already. The apprentice had done what he was told; caring for the Elders for the past half moon without complaining(out loud) even one time. Raptorpaw listened to his mentors words about acting excited, and almost spat at the thought. Why should he have to prance around Hauntstar's paws like a kit? The tom didn't break face, though, and continued to stare seriously at the older cat. Now he was even more determined not to act like a fool; after all the excitement would soon be over, replaced by being sick of training as the others had often described.
"I never said I wasn't thrilled to train, Hauntstar." He said, tail waving back and forth pensively, "I just don't see the point in showing it."
Raptorpaw wondered what his Hauntstar's first day of training was like. Had he danced and jumped, annoying his mentor? Or had he kept himself calm, as his own apprentice was doing now? Part of Raptorpaw wanted him to have acted the same way, just so he could think of him as a hypocrite. Brilliant green eyes twinkled thoughtfully for a moment, the tom's curiosity coming from him into the outside world. He shifted his weight to the other paw, staring over Hauntstar's head and into the sky, where a flock of birds could be seen flying over camp. It was a beautiful day, perfect for one's first time out. There were only a few clouds, and a very nice breeze that kept things from getting too hot. Raptorpaw, although he wasn't complaining about the weather, would have preferred for it to be a bit more chilly. They would be moving around a lot today, and surely after a little bit it would get warmer; it was only morning.
The gears in Raptorpaw's mind rolled to a stop for a moment as Hauntstar began to speak. He perked his ears, listening for any hints that would give away dangling freedom in his face, only to snatch it away. The tom's heart lifted, only slightly, at the mention of him passing "phase one". Raptorpaw silently scolded himself, though, and remembered his previous determination to show no excitement, especially because of his mentor's comment. Besides, he didn't even know if his paws would set foot outside camp today. The apprentice wanted to scowl at the thought of more history; hadn't the Elders taught him enough? Raptorpaw kept his claws sheathed and his teeth clenched. He wanted to learn about something important, not something that happened hundreds of moons ago. The worst part was, he actually had to listen. Who knows what Hauntstar would do if he didn't know his history exactly?
Finally his mentor began to move. Raptorpaw felt his heart leap, a full leap this time, knowing that his mentor wasn't dangling a prize in front of him again. Is was a great feeling, the tom had to admit, to stop worrying about exactly what Hauntstar was planning. He followed his mentor cautiously, though, and didn't allow himself to fully relax until they were pushing through the exit to camp. Or, rather, the entrance to the rest of the world. Raptorpaw noticed the rest of the clearing had fallen silent, as if they were anticipating this moment as much as he was; or possibly that whas just his imagination. Either way, the apprentice felt as though he was being stared at. Even Boundkit, whom he saw from the corner of his eye, had stopping playing with a sibling and looked at him. Or perhaps it was that floating leaf behind him. The tom couldn't tell.
As Raptorpaw exited camp, he found the real world wasn't exactly as it had cracked up to be. Sure, the sights and smells were thrilling, but only for a few seconds while his body soaked it all in. The apprentice looked around for more minor details to entertain him. A bird flew over his head, landing on a tree branch just behind him. Raptorpaw blinked once and stared at it; it was as if their prey was taunting them for not being able to fly. The tom rolled his eyes and turned his head forward once more, leaping over a fallen log that blocked his path. He was bored with the territory already; Swimpaw and Wavepaw were dead wrong, it wasn't that great. Raptorpaw narrowed his eyes and sulked a little, disappointed in himself for having too high of expectations. That always seemed to end badly for him.
When Raptorpaw looked up, he was just in time to see Hauntstar's tail disappear into the bushes. The apprentice quickened his pace, hearing the steady flow of water on the other side. Although having heard great things about the River, he didn't allow himself to even think it would be interesting at all. With a scowl, Raptorpaw pushed himself through the bushes.
What he saw on the other side made his jaw drop. He quickly pulled it back into place, though, and turned his head away from Hauntstar was quickly as he could. The River was absolutely brilliant! Green eyes widened slightly, subconsciously, and Raptorpaw took a few steps forward. His first impression was that there were others there. The tom had heard of his mother taking a break to go to the River, but he hadn't imagined it to be so full of life. Foxkit and Talonkit, the two Raptorpaw had babysat, played in the shallows a little further down, giggling with their mother close by. A few experienced warriors chatted there as well, acknowledging Hauntstar with a simple wave of their tail, or a nod. Most looked surprised to see Raptorpaw there, as though he was meant to the be the clan 'in camp errand runner' for the rest of his life.
Focusing his mind back onto the present situation, the apprentice forced his legs to move toward Hauntstar. He had been standing just outside the bushes for nearly a minute, and his mentor hadn't said a thing to break him out of the daze he was in. Raptorpaw watched the water flow downward and a few fish splash at the surface. As his eyes rose, the tom saw a group of cats on the other side of The River. He narrowed his eyes and stared at them curiously; they were not cats he knew. Raptorpaw watched the patrol as they glanced across the water toward the RushClanners before disappearing into the undergrowth. He heard Flowerheart call her kits out of the water and the Warriors stand as they saw these cats, only to relax again when the patrol was gone. Raptorpaw stared at the spot they were in for a few more moments. Surely the other cats wouldn't have lifted a paw if the group was from RushClan.
So which clan were they from? status; finished puppet; raptorpaw word count; 1200. Exactly o.O muse; I, surprisingly, have found that I have a lot of muse for my Raptor <3 other; Yay for MysteryClanners ^^ They strike fear in the hearts of all <33 Or at least aggression :)[/sup] |
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Post by Haunt on Jul 26, 2009 15:58:34 GMT -6
__________________________________________________________ Genius and crazy, crazy and genius.. Hauntstar[/font] They go together no matter which way you put it. __________________________________________________________ Hauntstar's tail lashed slightly at Raptorpaw's comment. "Well you haven't been doing much training. So I hoped that maybe at the thought of it you would be a bit more enthusiastic. It isn't like I'm telling you to jump around like some crazy kit. Now that I have never been much of a fan of." Hauntstar's thoughts drifted to his last apprentice, Bugflight. He almost cringed at the thought of how the apprentice had never failed to find him and ooze over his sleeping body before waking him up to being covered in the filth. Not only was it exceedingly creepy, but no one knew how gross it was to be oozed on. That was just another reason he didn't often sleep in his own den unless he was forced to by some weather that made it impossible.
Hauntstar was brought back to earth as he noticed a sudden spark of curiosity in Raptorpaw's gaze. What was interesting the tom so much? Maybe he would like to get a nice story of what Hauntstar had been like when he was an apprentice. For that was as far back as his stories would ever go. No one would have to lisdten to stories of his kithood. Shaking his head Hauntstar began to speak to Raptorpaw again. " I wasn't always as relaxed as I am now. When I met with my mentor, Warmlight, for the first time after coming out of the medicine cat's den it was all different. I was so ready to get out of my cramped area and I nearly talked her ear off as I was jumping around. You don't really need to have such a buzz as I did, my circumstances were different. That doesn't mean you shouldn't let your emotions go though. It is much more freeing and it just reminds everyone that you are real and all right."
Hauntstar's eyes glimmered with a contagious happiness, but he knew it wouldn't move to Raptorpaw. It would probably just bounce off him, or he was feeling as though it were some challenge to never let his emotions out and about. So Hauntstar just let it go as he made his way from camp. By the time he was on the bank he found that he was waiting much longer than he had anticipated for Raptorpaw. He had figured that the tom would feel that if he was in awe at all it would be as though he were being immature. He had been right behind Hauntstar most of the time until they had hit the riverbank. That was when he felt as though he walked the rest of the distance alone.
At least the apprentice had enough sense to be awed by the most glorious sight in the forest. After all it was in his blood to be. RushClanners spent most of their lives on this bank, it was pretty much a second camp. It was the primary one during the day though. No one ever had to worry about sending border patrols this way. This area was the second thickest place of RushClan scent, tied with the camp. Elders came to sun themselves, warriors came to chat when not on patrol, queens took their kits to learn how to swim. It was then that Hauntstar's ears twitched, Raptorpaw had never learned to properly swim. He had been confined to camp for the time that he should have been brought out to learn. So he must have been too young to still picture RushClan territory perfectly. Maybe that was why he hadn't been impressed though. Hauntstar knew that this was the place to be more impressed by, and the place they were born to love.
Finally he heard footfalls behind him as a cat approached from his back, most likely Raptorpaw coming out of his daze. he would have to teach the apprentice how to swim and complete his 'story time' of RushClan information, that included quizzing him on his history. Suddenly however Hauntstar scented something over the water, he had completely forgotten it was the time of MysteryClan's morning patrol. He didn't really want to bring up that Clan just yet with Raptorpaw though. That was a few days from now..or longer. So this kind of set things off a bit. It was really hard to scent their boundary from over the water so it was only really noticeable when the cats passed. They smelled of a mixture of marshy ground and lizards. It was a scent that would be best told to his apprentice. Even if it was a little out of order.
He gazed around watching as usual the reactions over the bank. Flowerheart called her kits out of the water, the senior warriors grew silent and glared. They all acted as though MysteryClanners enjoyed leaping in the water to attack a larger number of cats. Only Hauntstar chuckled as they passed. That gave him some looks from the other warriors as the MysteryClan patrol finally disappeared. "Come now everyone, you act as though that was a patrol of TigerClanners! As bloodthirsty and cannibalistic you think MysteryClan is I don't think they would come all the way across the border and get their precious fur wet." He got some sympathetic chuckles with the terrible joke, but it relaxed the mood and everything was back to how it had been before. By now Raptorpaw had probably sat next to him, so he flicked his gaze towards the tom and began to speak. "That was a patrol of MysterClanners, can you make out that scent? If you can memorize it, you will learn the truth about them, some history, and the names of their cats another day. Now we need to pay attention to our own Clan."
Hauntstar waited for Raptorpaw to log the scent of MysterClan or even speak about it if he wished before moving on to the next subject. When it got hotter they would take a break to teach Raptorpaw proper swimming techniques. That was why the temperature today was perfect. Raptorpaw may not appreciate all the talking and this kind of learning, but it was very important. He would be able to name most of the cats at the Gathering to the other apprentices and appear to be the smartest cat in the world. He would awe and impress there. So he would come to thank Hauntstar when the time came, when all of the other apprentices were around gossiping when they shouldn't be, Raptorpaw could assess the most prominent figures of other Clans.
status; finished
used; hauntstar
word count; 1101
muse; wonderfully awesome, but 'tis shorter than Scorp's ):
other; finally got this out |
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Post by S C O R P I A on Aug 1, 2009 20:06:32 GMT -6
RAPTORPAW
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I have made a new enemy Raptorpaw felt his claws slide out of their sockets instinctively. Everyone was acting so aggressive from the passing of these cats he couldn't help but be that way as well. Hauntstar was the only one who didn't seem worried. In fact, he chuckled. How arrogant! Didn't this mousebrain of a leader know that RushClan could be attacked at any second? Shouldn't his fur be bristling, and his claws unsheathed at the passersby? The apprentice wanted to scream at his mentor as he listened to the senior warriors hiss threats under their breaths. Raptorpaw sheathed his claws long after the patrol had left; he was still ready to plunge into the water and defend his clan. Even if he didn't know how to swim, he was ready. Lashing his tail, Raptorpaw listened to Hauntstar's pathetic joke and the chuckles of the experienced warriors. How could he poke fun at something as serious as enemies? Even his apprentice, who was only 6 moons of age knew that they were a threat.
Raptorpaw's mind wandered for a moment as Hauntstar explained the scent of MysteryClan. He had noticed right away how putrid the smell seemed to him, and rightfully placed. Who would want to walk around in mud all day? Why, even from across The River the stench could be smelled quite clearly. Raptorpaw took a deep breath, clenching his teeth and dealing with the awful, overwhelming scent. He would be sure to log this in his memory, not wanting to have Hauntstar breathing down his neck about whether or not he knew it. MysteryClanners would soon become an enemy of his, he was sure. Raptorpaw could see even from such a distance how large and muddy those warriors were, and the looks of pure hatred they gave from across the river. He couldn't help but unsheath his claws again, glad that the sand was covering them from view and that Hauntstar wouldn't know of his actions.
"Wavepaw, wait up!"
Raptorpaw turned his head, watching as his denmates Swimpaw and Wavepaw trotted briskly toward The River. When Swimpaw spotted him, he gave a friendly wave of his tail, but didn't come any closer. Most apprentices had the common sense not to bother another when they were with their mentor. This unspoken rule was more form of politeness, unless the mentor invited you it was wise not to approach. Raptorpaw waved his tail halfheartedly in return, and watched as Wavepaw slowed his pace slightly to allow his brother to catch up. Their mentors were walking side by side not far behind, chatting about the best place to start their hunting assessment. Raptorpaw's heart filled to the brim with jealousy.
From the corner of his eye, the apprentice noticed a wave knock Boundkit off his paws. He wailed and spit out a mouthful of water, running to his mother with fear in his eyes. His mother comforted him but looked amused, and although Raptorpaw tried to meet eyes with her she never looked up. Eventually Boundkit plunged himself back into the river, splashing around as he had done only moments before. The tom couldn't help but notice how well the kit was swimming, and wondered to himself if he would be that skillful. Raptorpaw had no way of knowing, because he had never set paw in water before. He stole a glance at the river before meeting eyes with his mentor, blinking against the bright rays of the sun.
Great, more lessons. Would they ever get to the actual important stuff? Raptorpaw's face didn't change the slightest bit, though, and he awaited more clan history and nagging about how important it was with a heavy heart. Hauntstar, he could tell, was really going to annoy him. Now he would have to work twice as hard to catch up with his fellow apprentices. Swimpaw and Wavepaw would be warriors by the time he even started battle training. Raptorpaw wished he had been assigned a different mentor. He couldn't imagine the skills he could have with the right instruction, and Hauntstar was certainly not the cat for him.
Spacing off for a moment, Raptorpaw watched as the senior warriors left to return to camp. Thunderstrike, one of the eldest, would have been a perfect match. He started battle training the very first day, and was well known for his skilled apprentices. The warrior chuckled loudly, and a few of the others followed suit. He was popular with the clan; a leader and a friend to many. Raptorpaw watched as his tail disappeared into the bush. By now, the apprentice would be on the hunting assessment with Swimpaw and Wavepaw, and probably beating them. He would have passed with flying colors, and probably been made a warrior earlier than his denmates. Yes, Thunderstrike would have been a better mentor.
"Surrender you filthy MysteryClanner!"
Raptorpaw turned his head to see Talonkit and Foxkit wrestling in the water while Flowerheart sunned nearby. Talonkit reared up on his hind legs and pushed his brother over, pinning him down beneath the water. The apprentice's eyes filled with panic. He was about to intervene when Flowerheart lifted her head and saw him. She leaped to her paws.
"Talonkit, let go of him!"
Talonkit looked up, confused, and leaped off. Foxkit came to the surface, wailing and coughing up water. Flowerheart ran to him and lifted him out of the shallows, carrying him gently back to shore. She covered him with licks and comforting words as he spit up into the sand. When Raptorpaw turned his head he could hear her hissing at Talonkit for playing rough. The apprentice closed his eyes. status; finished puppet; raptorpaw word count; 958 muse; i luffs you raptor!!! *huggles* AMAZING other; i luffs my raptor ^^ [/sup] |
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Post by Haunt on Aug 5, 2009 22:09:21 GMT -6
__________________________________________________________ Before the beginning of great brilliance, Hauntstar[/font] there must be chaos. __________________________________________________________ Hauntstar looked to Raptorpaw from the corner of his eye as he spoke about the MysteryClanners. He seemed uneasy and almost as though he was ready to leap into the water and go attack them if they even so much as glanced their way. His claws were unsheathed and stayed unsheathed long after the cats on the other side of the river disappeared. His fur was bristling and he seemed to be looking at the cats around as they muttered threats and comments. So his apprentice was simply being a sheep. That got to Hauntstar as he flicked his tail to watch. Yet somehow it appeared as though Raptorpaw thought that he, Hauntstar, the leader of RushClan was in the wrong. He nearly scoffed out loud as he thought about the very idea. Hauntstar was never wrong, even when he was wrong he was right. You could call that arrogance, but it would never effect Hauntstar if you did.
Hauntstar himself had never gotten used to the stench of mysteryClan. Even if they passed regularly enough for him to memorize when they came and how many cats the usually brought. That way he would know if something fishy was going on with their neighbors across the river. Observation was all that was needed, not murmered threats and looks of unease. That just proved that they had gotten to you and there was nothing that a MysteryClanner liked more than being feared. That and their nasty lizards and frogs. RushClan had its own collection of frogs, but no one ever thought of eating the nasty scaley or slimy things. After all they had the best food plentiful on their territory, fish. Nothing could ever be classified as better than that. Except maybe a duck, which combined the watery taste with that of a bird. Now there was a treat.
Hauntstar flicked his ears as Swimpaw's voice rose above the murmurs of his Clanmates and the waves of the river. He glanced towards Raptorpaw and back to Swimpaw as the apprentice gave a wave of greeting, but didn't come any closer. he saw Wavepaw slow down for a moment. As soon as his brother got to his side he launched forward again with nerves of a hunting assessment. He was obviously floored for it and as he sat down on the bank to gaze down at the fish a glint could be seen in his eyes even from this far away. He started moving as soon as his brother yet again made to catch up. Their mentors still in the back trying to figure the best place for an assessment. They really should have the lead, but there was no stopping enthusiastic apprentices such as Wavepaw and Swimpaw. He bet though that soon they would gain their maturity at the proper time of an apprentice and begin to buckle down for the final tests before becoming warriors.
Hauntstar could tell that despite his cool appearance Raptorpaw was filled with the need to do something he deemed as worthy of his time. Hauntstar smirked to himself and stretched out in the warm sand. Flexing his muscles he let out a yawn before he began again. He had to be comfortable for this and he needed enough air to talk for as long as he would. He motioned with his tail for Raptorpaw to lay as well. "You may as well get comfortable. You'll be here for a while. At least this isn't the worst place to recieve your lessons. Nice, soft sand and all."Hauntstar smiled, not just with his mouth, but also with his eyes. This is how he always did it and most found him too infectious to not carry it. Raptorpaw had so far seemed impervious to it. He wouldn't fall prey to Hauntstar's emotion seeking aqua-blue eyes.
Hauntstar gazed at Raptorpaw, he noticed how the tom seemed to be watching Thunderstrike. Was he wondering what it would have been like to get a different mentor? One that didn't make him do a half moon of apprentice duties then give him history lessons for another. Well Hauntstar didn't blame him. Apprentices often didn't know what was in their best interests until they were long out of training. Hopefully Raptorpaw was as intelligent as he acted and would understand before being made a warrior. That would be wonderful, that would also probably make Hauntstar more open to taking on another apprentice in the future. As much pain as it seemed to be, at least he had so far made a few good warriors in his time as a teacher. That was all that mattered and counted for something.
Hauntstar was about to begin the actual lesson when all of the sudden the screech of kit play captured his attention along with his apprentice's. Glancing over he watched the two wrestle in the shallows of the river. Then all of the sudden the play went terribly wrong as Talonkit held the other kit down for way to long. Hauntstar's eyes filled with worry and he could see that Raptorpaw was almost about to leap up and tear Talonkit from him. Hauntstar himself was ready to yowl out for Talonkit to stop. Soon enough Flowerheart intervened and Talonkit let up its yowling sibling from a near watery grave. Hauntstar let out a sigh of relief and he flicked his tail towards Raptorpaw to get the apprentice's attention.
"Let us focus now, Raptorpaw. Tell me, what was your favorite story from the elders? What did you find interesting about your own RushClan history? Think about it for a while and answer when you are ready. This isn't a test or anything. Though I hope can tell from your recollections if you paid attention. That is direly important even if your choice of story isn't the best. No one is to decide for you what you liked and didn't like. Also, do you have any questions about any stories you may have heard? Anything you'd like to ask about your own Clan is also acceptable at this point. So off you go." Hauntstar wrapped up the first phase and waited eagerly to listen to what the young tom had to say. This was important and would kind of give Hauntstar a little snapshot of what his apprentice was like inside.
status; finished
used; hauntstar
word count; 1054
muse; fine, not my best though
other; *takes out pen and paper ready to write down and analyze anything that Raptorpaw says* xD |
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Post by S C O R P I A on Aug 10, 2009 8:46:27 GMT -6
RAPTORPAW
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Story time? Are you serious? As Raptorpaw's fur began to lay flat, he watched the waves of the river flow gently downstream. Occasionally a fish would splash at the surface, causing playing kits to jump and giggle with excitement. Soon they too would be apprentices. In fact, Raptorpaw realized how crowded the den would be in a few moons. There were a lot of kits in the Nursery, and many were nearly of age to receive mentors. There were a few elder apprentices, one that was nearly thirteen moons and another that was ten. Soon they would become warriors, but with the flow of new cats, the apprentices den would be more crowded than ever. Boundkit, Foxkit, and Talonkit would be joining them in about three moons, and the tom almost winced at the thought. They would be more eager and excited than Swimpaw and Wavepaw. Surely Hauntstar would be happy to have them.
Green eyes squinted downstream as Raptorpaw noticed the silver tabby pelt of Swimpaw leaning over the water. He sat for a few moments before lashing out a paw and bringing a glinting fish with it. The tom looked more serious than Raptorpaw had ever seen him as he ended the prey's life before looking back into the waves. Their hunting assessment had started, the apprentice realized with a spark of jealousy. Had Raptorpaw been mentored by even Stormtail or Ragesoul, he would have been beating both Swimpaw and Wavepaw easily. With Hauntstar holding him back, though, he would never be able to do that. Anger pierced him like a thorn as he kept his face clear of the emotion. Swimpaw picked up the two fish he had caught and buried them at the edge of the forest before entering, surely seeing something else worth catching.
Raptorpaw turned his head as Hauntstar began to speak, motioning for him to lay down. The apprentice obeyed, keeping his unhappy thoughts to himself. He stretched out his paws for a moment and shifted the sand into a more comfortable position, pulling out a stick that was poking into his side. Finally the ginger tom wrapped his tail along the side of his body, comfortable as can be. Raptorpaw listened to Hauntstar's words, picking out the word 'lessons', and wondering if his mentor was going to teach him some of the 'lessons' he was taught by the elders. This didn't make the apprentice want to be here any more than before, but he simply decided to deal with it. The RushClan leader clearly wasn't going to stop this foolishness any time soon. His apprentice would just have to push his way through, much to his dismay.
Looking over Hauntstar's shoulder, Raptorpaw realized that Flowerheart was beckoning her kits to come out of the water. They gave small squeals of protest, but quickly obliged with one look at their mother, who was lashing her tail. Talonkit and Foxkit looked unhappily over their shoulder's at the river as they were lead away. Raptorpaw knew how it felt to be denied such freedoms, but at least these kits were given a chance to do something other than sit around camp all day. The apprentice watched as Flowerheart pushed her way through the bushes, her children at her heels. Raptorpaw turned his attention back to his mentor, awaiting the fate of boredom he had been tortured with for the past half moon. Only now he had to deal with Hauntstar, whose jokes were worse than even Blindgaze's.
During the short pause of his mentor's silence, Raptorpaw noticed that Boundkit's mother was taking her back to camp as well. It was obvious she thought they were disturbing the training session, and the apprentice almost scoffed. Hauntstar would have found a way. Boundkit shook the water from her pelt and yawned, following her mother into the bushes. She would most likely sun outside the Nursery to dry off before taking a mid-morning nap, and Raptorpaw felt a pang of envy. He almost wished he could be that carefree again, and not have to worry about what was to come the next day. Most kits were excited about training, including Raptorpaw, but even he knew he would be sick of it eventually. Most, if not all apprentices did. The sad thing was most kits didn't understand that they needed to enjoy their easy life while it lasted. Of course, the same thing went for apprentices, Raptorpaw just didn't understand that yet.
Out of the corner of his green eyes, the tom noticed the flick of Hauntstar's tail. It was time to get down to business. Or, at least what his foolish mentor considered business. Raptorpaw suppressed a sigh and tilted his ears forward, listening for the noise that was Hauntstar's voice to him.
"Let us focus now, Raptorpaw. Tell me, what was your favorite story from the elders? What did you find interesting about your own RushClan history? Think about it for a while and answer when you are ready. This isn't a test or anything. Though I hope can tell from your recollections if you paid attention. That is direly important even if your choice of story isn't the best. No one is to decide for you what you liked and didn't like. Also, do you have any questions about any stories you may have heard? Anything you'd like to ask about your own Clan is also acceptable at this point. So off you go."
Raptorpaw stared at his mentor for a moment before looking at the ground. He narrowed his eyes at the sand for a moment, thinking hard and scanning his mind for the pointless stories that Blindgaze and Nettlefur had told him. He might as well please Hauntstar, because it would shut him up eventually and they could get on to the important stuff. The tom sat in silence for a minute or two, switching his gaze from the water, to the trees, and back to his paws every few moments. Finally, he spoke,
"I would suppose... I recall a story that Scratcheye told me about the wolf that attacked camp back when Bearstar was leader..." Raptorpaw hesitated for a moment, "And how that warrior died defending those three kits. The apprentice looked thoughtful, and continued, "And the kits ended up being the future leader, deputy, and medicine cat at the same time. The first and only time that's ever happened. Their names were Fernstar, Swiftsky, and Kestrelwing if I remember correctly."
Raptorpaw looked away, wishing he and Stonekit could have been leader and deputy together. Too bad the warriors were too late in their story. status; finished puppet; raptorpaw word count; 1116 muse; good ^^ other; "listening for the noise that was Hauntstar's voice to him" CRUEL! XD[/sup] |
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Post by Haunt on Jul 10, 2011 19:10:42 GMT -6
__________________________________________________________ Intelligence without ambition is a bird without wings. Hauntstar[/font] Brilliance without insanity is a car without wheels. __________________________________________________________ Hauntstar nodded in thought as Raptorpaw stated the story that he had liked the best, or at least the story he had actually remembered. Silence would fall over the pair for a few moments as Hauntstar mulled over the story his apprentice had chosen. It was an actual piece of history and he had even gotten the names right.
From Raptorpaw’s choice, Hauntstar had figured that his apprentice cared about advancement and courage. He thought of death even though he was young and he respected sacrifices. Nothing of concern had really been stated. Raptorpaw may think a little too highly of himself, but at least the rest of his heart and mind was in the right place.
“The warrior’s name was Jaguarspirit, he gave his life for the kits of a cat that had teased him since kithood.” [/color] It was a fact that had been forgotten since he had come across the story, but despite the main plot of the story Hauntstar had found that fact more important than any of it. It took a special kind of cat to overlook the sins of another to realize that kits weren’t responsible for their father’s actions. Many would fall prey to that monster known as revenge. Stonekit. The RushClan leader realized that Raptorpaw and Stonekit’s story was the opposite of the three kits’ stories. He wondered if on some subconscious level that was why Raptorpaw had chosen the way he did. Hauntstar pondered the thought of having a brother stolen away because of actions that one had made as a kit. It really wasn’t fair; Raptorkit and Stonekit should have rolled back into camp laughing with the joy of being sneaky to be scolded. Instead that fox had decided to teach the two a lesson without the help of Hauntstar, a lesson only Raptorpaw was alive to carry. Hauntstar turned his aqua-blue gaze upon the precious River. On occasion the water would match the hue of his eyes and he would smile at the thought of being closer to his territory, his home. His Clanmates had begun to drift away from the river, heading back to camp or out hunting on land. Raptorpaw still had a while to go before he would begin learning to hunt and fight like a warrior. It was then that Hauntstar expected Raptorpaw to learn some lessons in humility. Raptorpaw may think that the training was the most important part of being an apprentice, but Hauntstar believed that the lessons of character that came along the way were more important. “We shall continue with the lesson now. RushClan was not always known by that name, before coming to this territory our ancestors had been known as RiverClan and they had been forced to leave their home by twolegs. Upon reaching our current home the four ancient Clans of Riverclan, ThunderClan, WindClan, and ShadowClan gathered together and decided that it was time to shed their old names as they had been forced to shed their territories. The only cat of RiverClan that was old enough to remember the old land, Whisperbreeze, was given the honor of naming her Clan. She chose the name RushClan because of the sound this very River made as it passed by our new home.”Hauntstar was sure that Raptorpaw was aware of the story. He probably had the name changes memorized since kithood. He knew he wanted to start with familiar territory and just jog his apprentice’s memory and prepare him for the pace of the lecture. “Wetstar was the first leader of the newly named RushClan and he had been made a leader about four moons before the territory had been found. The first leader that had been born a RushClanner came two leaders after Wetstar and his name was Bearstar. You may recall him from the story you had taken a fancy to. Bearstar lost most of his lives battling with EternalClan, the other Clan that borders our territory. They are more likely to attack us than MysteryClan is.”Hauntstar paused for a brief moment to lick his paw and run it over his ears. He would go on to list every single one of the leaders that RushClan ever had. Another brief pause would be taken before he went back through the list, stopping on each leader to tell Raptorpaw a brief summary of their accomplishments. Hopefully Raptorpaw had come to this lesson with his head cleared because by the end of this phase he would be expected to repeat back the list of leaders that his Clan had seen. RushClan’s leader gazed up to the sun and gauged that the lesson wouldn’t last for much longer. His material would probably all be covered by the time that sunhigh rolled around and then he would teach his apprentice to swim. The day was shaping up to be another wonderful Greenleaf day and the sun beat down on apprentice and mentor with more than enough heat to warm the thickest pelt all the way through. It was definitely enough light to bounce off the leader’s pelt in a fashion that rivaled the glistening of the moon. An ear flicked towards the RushClan forest, a pitiful collection of trees that were set about two foxlengths away from each other. EternalClan often used it as a joke when they were angry at RushClan. Swimpaw stalked out with a single finch in his jaw, it looked as though the woodland creatures had all fled the scant cover of RushClan in favor of thicker foliage. Hauntstar was concerned though, fish was the staple food of his Clan and that was good enough for most members of the Clan. Wavepaw appeared farther off with a mouse in his grasp, they both started heading over to where they had buried the fish they had caught earlier. Hauntstar was impressed that they had caught any woodland prey after just a half moon of training. Their mentors probably hadn’t started battle training yet or they would still be too busy stomping through the forest to catch anything there. Fishing was bred into RushClanners from generations of cats making fish their lifeblood and it often was a very natural process by which an apprentice learned to fish. The two apprentices gathered together their prey and sat, shoulders touching, awaiting the arrival of their mentors. They still had the serious expressions of a hunting assessment written on their faces. He could tell from Wavepaw’s lashing tail and Swimpaw’s worried grooming that they were anxiously awaiting judgment from their mentors. Hauntstar wondered how long the two warriors would make them squirm before they showed themselves and critiqued the performances of their charges. status; finished used; hauntstar word count; 1111 muse; fine other; Wave and Swim are a bigger part of this post than Haunt and Raptor xP[/sup][/blockquote] |
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Post by S C O R P I A on Jul 10, 2011 22:31:17 GMT -6
RAPTORPAW
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Get out of my head.... History had never seriously been an interest of Raptorpaw's, but he had to say that his time in the Elder's den had been sort of enjoyable at times. Usually if the weather was nice, they had all gotten a full nights sleep, and the stars aligned just right he would get lucky. There had been one day he hadn't done any work at all, just sat and kept Blindsight company as was requested of him. Nettlefur and Scratcheye had left to go on a walk, and two of the others were in the Medicine Cat's den for some reason or another (StarClan forbid they could stay out of there for all of three heartbeats, Raptorpaw didn't particularly enjoy helping out in the Medicine Cat's den and the more cats that were there, the more he was needed. The herbs smelled weird and the apprentice always feared catching some sickness. He had no idea how their Medicine Cat kept healthy for so long.)
His time with Blindsight had been awkward at first, but after a while the tom began to warm up to him and they started a conversation. It made more sense now why the whole clan went on about how optimistic the elder was, despite the fact that he was blind. He kept telling jokes, and even made Raptorpaw chuckle a few times, which was a rare occasion. The tom hadn't been easy to make laugh since kithood. Since Stonekit. Eventually Blindsight fell asleep (mid conversation I might add) and the apprentice even got a short nap in, until some queen came in and yelled at him for slacking. Story of his life. As he was leaving to go do the chore the queen had told him to do, the tom thought he heard Blindsight snickering at him. But he couldn't be sure.
"The warrior's name was Jaguarspirit. He gave his life for the kits of the cat who had teased him since kithood."
Raptorpaw felt himself come out of a daydream when Hauntstar spoke. Wow, that thought was almost completely unrelated. "You know your mentor is boring when you space off during your first day out of camp." The tom thought this bitterly, left ear twitching slightly. It was hard to focus with the soft rush of the water and the warm feeling of the sand below his belly. Luckily Raptorpaw hadn't missed much of anything, and he was able to get himself back into 'history mode.'
The apprentice had been honest about his favorite story, and it actually wasn't the only one he had remembered. It just seemed to be the one that... stuck out for him. Whether that was subconsciously because of his brother and the fox attack he didn't know, but it had certainly moved and inspired him. Hauntstar was correct, Raptorpaw was the kind of cat that admired courage. In fact, ever since that day during kithood he had wanted that to be chosen as one of his virtues for Warriorhood. Whether or not that would happen was beyond his control to some extent, but he was determined to make it happen. Of course, at this time Raptorpaw didn't know that Hauntstar was a closet mind reader. Or, in other words just had been around long enough and trained enough apprentices to predict what they were thinking.
Something that would seriously have creeped the tom out had he known, so it was probably best that Hauntstar kept these thoughts to himself.
In response to the leader's painfully obvious statement, Raptorpaw simply nodded. He had known the name of the warrior, but had neglected to say it and silently kicked himself. He probably looked like a mousebrain now. When Hauntstar went into the story of the four clans, however, the apprentice had to keep his tail from lashing in irritation. How naive did the leader think he was? As if Raptorpaw hadn't heard that exact story 100 times in his life, literally from the moment of birth. The apprentice forced another nod and tried to appear interested, but failed. He looked most likely looked bored, though at least this was better than the actual feelings of frustration, irritation, anger, and strong dislike that he had mixing around inside him. The tom still didn't understand why everyone had to dwell so much in the past. It was over, done with, time to focus on more important things.
As soon as Hauntstar began speaking about past leaders, however, Raptorpaw got the strong feeling he needed to pay attention. The apprentice forced himself to a sitting position. He knew that laying down for much longer would result in too much comfort and most likely lead to more daydreaming. Brilliant green eyes blinked every so often in thought as the apprentice noted each achievement and each leader, committing them to memory as best as he could. Raptorpaw wasn't sure if he would need this information for Hauntstar specifically later, but hearing about leaders was a good way to learn to become one himself. Because of course he hardly had the best example now. Inwardly sneering at his own intelligence, he made a mental note to show the current leader that Raptorpaw deserved to be full of himself. He would be the most talented apprentice Hauntstar had ever had, whether the mousebrain wanted to admit it or not.
Raptorstar. It flowed nicely.
status; fin.
puppet; raptorpaw
word count; 898
muse; super crappy. buuut I still felt like writing. just kept typing and eventually I had a post in front of me. weird how it works like that. short though.
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Post by Haunt on Jul 11, 2011 12:00:15 GMT -6
__________________________________________________________ Push for brilliance, Hauntstar[/font] and battle with insanity. __________________________________________________________ Hauntstar had always been capable of reading into things that others just tossed away from their mind with a flick of their tail. He knew that there was more to those around him than what they said or how they acted, inside there was something much more important. Inside there was the spirit of a cat and sometimes that was much different than how a cat acted. So Hauntstar looked between the written lines.
He continued talk for a while longer, every once and a while he would go back to the order of RushClan leaders, he just hoped that Raptorpaw wasn't too absorbed in himself to miss the importance of what he was saying. This was the only list of leaders that Raptorpaw was going to be given to remember. After all RushClan was more important for a young apprentice in that very Clan to know. He wouldn't go overboard with the knowledge he had gathered over the years.
Hauntstar had been so enthralled with knowledge in his younger days that he had asked every elder to tell of the history of other Clans. The only other Clan stories they could tell were those of the four legendary Clans. So he had as a warrior, spent a majority of his time at gatherings finding friendly enough elders from other Clans that would share their knowledge with him. It was definitely easier said that done, the elders that were brought along thought that his scholarly pursuits were a cover up for learning valuable knowledge about their Clans.
So Hauntstar had persisted in his search and now he had a vast collection of history that was much larger than any one who only cared about their own history would have. He wouldn't bore Raptorpaw with more than his RushClan history and he would give him an understanding of the other three Clans along with a decent roster of the need to know cats from the other Clans. His apprentices would all be well rounded like that.
Finally the sun reached its peak in the sky and beat down upon the two. Wavepaw and Swimpaw had long ago been met by their mentors who had critiqued their style and had praised their strengths. They were probably back at camp now, sharing with anyone who would listen how well they had done on their first assessment. They did have reason to be proud though, as their half moon of training had gone a long way with their hunting.
"Well, that is enough of a lesson for the day and now that it's sunhigh we shall go for a swim. So stretch out those muscles of yours Raptorpaw, it's time to learn how to swim."
Raptorpaw would have learned to swim a long time ago if he and his brother hadn't snuck out of camp moons ago. So after that horrible incident Raptorpaw had been confined to the camp and had never been taken out to swim by his mother. It was a sad fact and he was sure that Raptorpaw would be thinking of his brother when he took his first steps into the water.
Hauntstar stood and walked toward the water's edge, pushing hard off the ground he launched himself in the air and into the river. With one fluid movement he had broken through the surface of the water and dove beneath. Hauntstar carefully opened his eyes and tried to make out shapes in the water. It was clear enough today that he could see the shadows of darting fish. Hauntstar was under the water for a good while before he rose his head above the water level. He looked off expectantly at Raptorpaw who hadn't yet entered the water.
"Come on in, Raptorpaw. The water's fine!"
Hauntstar purred to himself and churned his paws in the water. He loved swimming, obviously, it was in his blood to love it. RushClanners broke the myth that cats hated water. They were the exception to the rule. They had fur that the water wouldn't stick to and powerful legs that could propel them against strong currents. RushClan was truly meant for the water.
status; finished
used; hauntstar
word count; 690
muse; fine, despite the horrible shortness of this post ><
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