Post by ADMIN~! on Oct 21, 2008 22:18:12 GMT -8
Drip drop, drip drop. Rain splattered against the blackberry bramble leaves like tiny silver flies plummeting from the skies and to their deaths. Fascinated, Pinepaw watched them with rapt attention, her yellowy-green eyes wide in curiosity and mouth hanging slightly open. The pupils followed the drops down, freezing in place as they hit a leaf and slowly slid down the center until it formed a clear, iridescent drop the size of a small insect. Her tail twitched back and forth in time with the falling raindrops, narrowly avoiding the large bits of water and miraculously staying dry while the rest of her relatively short fur steady became more and more damp. Though she had a shorter pelt and it dried faster than say Desertrush’s, it was still a pain to walk around in later. However, as Pinepaw sat in front of a small grouping of leaves, watching the silver raindrops, having wet fur was the last thing on her mind.
Over the past while, increasingly strange things had been happening to the clan and she didn’t like them. Not one bit. First it had started with a little bad weather, then a whole lot of really hot weather, then her sister getting ill. After that disastrous episode, Companions started disappearing and their Medicine Cat retreated to the Starcove, where she was praying for StarClan’s guidance. After that, as if it wasn’t enough, the bad weather returned, but with more ferocity and a vengeance that surprised the newly-made apprentice. It was as if StarClan themselves were crying tears of incredible, deep sorrow that would wipe out the entire world. It was a shuddering thought, one almost too large for such a small apprentice, but since meeting Quaintpaw, Pinepaw was determined not to quail from anything. Not her mother’s stare, her brother’s teasing or her sister’s steady ignorance. Though really, those didn’t happen anymore.
Since becoming an apprentice with her sombre brother, Flamepaw, Oakface had been retired to the ranks of an elder. Her duties were thanked and honoured, and now, at long last, she was able to rest without having to worry about warrior missions, hunting or even kits. From then on she would be cared for and looked after by the apprentices, which quite unfortunately ended up being her last litter. Unlike expected though, not all three kits made it to the apprentice naming day. Havenstar had waited a week or so after their sixth moon, in hopes that the sick Pumpkinkit would come to a phenomenal recovery, but alas, she hadn’t. Not wanting to put off having more helping paws around the camp, Pinepaw and Flamepaw had been promoted, but it was probably one of the most depressing apprentice ceremonies ever conducted. Without the third kit, it was incomplete feeling, and even when Flamepaw met his mentor, he could not keep the anguish out of his stance.
Pinepaw, slipping out of concentration on the leaf for a quick moment, recalled the day with a pained grimace. It truly had been depressing, which was so unlike what she had imagined. All through kithood the dark tabby had dreamed of the day she would finally become an apprentice and work towards the golden glow of a warrior. Her mother would groom each of her kits meticulously so, until it was almost irritating and they would insist they could do it themselves, but the excitement in their eyes would give away what they were really thinking. Then, when Havenstar finally called for every cat able to catch their own prey to gather around, the three would step forwards with high tails, ready to embrace the next step of their lives. Their mentors would then show themselves and each kit would glance on them nervously, wondering who would be paired with who. After the entire ordeal was done, with much congratulation, Oakface would be put in the elder’s den and—finally!—they would go out for their first lesson.
However, it was anything but. Pinepaw could see the looks of the crowd searching for the third kit, Pumpkinkit, as Flamepaw and her stepped forwards. Then understanding, a silent, sorrowful understanding, flashed in their gaze and nearly every cat settled into a respectful sitting position that tried to hide the growing unease. She could sense it all though, as the she-cat stood in front of them, hardly able to raise her tail as high as she had imagined she would. Flamepaw was even worse off than her, not even meeting the eyes of Oakface as she stared out with a loving pride. He didn’t look to Havenstar, Pinepaw or, worse than not looking at his mother, his mentor, Shadowfox. Remembering the heartbroken look spread across his face, Pinepaw automatically switched hr gaze from the rain to where he normally slept, but like expected, he wasn’t in. Flamepaw rarely slept in late as a kit, but without the warmth of his beloved twin, he woke up even earlier. Before the dawn even rose, the orange-coloured tom was outside looking to the heavens, sitting even completely still. While not emotionally close, it still tore at her heart.
In an attempt to steer away from such a negative attitude and focus on her apprentice trainings, Pinepaw distanced herself from her brother, just like in the old days, while guilt gnawed at her already frayed emotions. He hardly left camp, didn’t wash his pelt very often, and visited the sick medicine cat den as much as he could. She feared he too would catch whatever Pumpkinkit had, but in ways, she almost thought he was hoping to. Without Pumpkinkit, he was a shell. He was an empty shell of what was once a fiery trouble-maker that every loved, despite his misdoings; He now wandered the camp with dead eyes and a lagging step that made some of the other warrior scold him for. He looked like he wanted to die. She felt quite similar. Pinepaw looked away from his bed, feeling her throat tighten and she focused on the leaf once more. This morning she had woken up earlier than normal, feeling something missing, but not knowing quite what. As she flicked her ear to ask her Companion, a small ladybug fittingly named Lady, she found the red insect to be missing.
Pinepaw looked down at her paws, unable to avoid the thought any longer, feeling her body tremble with fear and pain. She had never imagined, never really thought, that Lady would follow the Companions that had disappeared in the last month. Like so many others, she had just always assumed that the loyal friend would remain at her side until the end, yet somehow, defying all Companion lore, she was gone. Since waking up to an empty bed, Pinepaw had felt strangely empty, curiously so. At first she had been puzzled by the feeling, but as time progressed, minute by minute, a pain had followed each thought like a morbid puppy dog biting at just the right places. Inside Pinepaw’s heart was a big gaping hole, empty with forlorn wind whistling through, crying for the friend that normally filled the space. Sometimes, when she thought about it a little too much, it was almost a physical pain that made the she-cat gasp with sudden longing. She would get up and pace around in circles, waiting for the sensation to pass before thinking about something else. It wasn’t working very much and as Pinepaw wheezed once again, closing her eyes against the onslaught of the empty memory, she knew that the current course of action was futile.
Pinepaw swallowed roughly, blinking back the problem before casting a glance around the apprentice den. Though tightly woven and well-protected, the constant rain over the past while had penetrated the walls and the inside was damp. Everyone complained bitterly at night, herself included, but just at that moment the bleakness suited her mood. Then, surprisingly suddenly, her gaze landed on a peacefully sleeping form of Quaintpaw. A smile of pleasure ghosted on her expression as she stared at him, feeling warmth curl at her paws and tail. Though the other rarely said anything except for the obscure, and looked at her oh-so-strangely, the dark tabby she-cat couldn’t help but feel captivated by him and his dark eyes. The unnatural blindness that had scared her in the beginning was now, in a strange way, comforting, like a shadowy fire warmth. Even his stiff posture was something she admired about him; he was different than the rest of the apprentices who laughed and giggled after the day was done, swapping stories. It happened rarely, but Pinepaw loved nothing more than just laying at his paws while he lost himself in thoughts, disappearing in his mind for the night.
On such a dreary, depressing day, she would enjoy a hunt with him, or perhaps even a training lesson. She had progressed further than when she had started, but wasn’t as far as she would have liked. Maybe she was doing something wrong, or just not smart enough to understand, but for some reason the she-cat didn’t seem to pick up the moves as quickly as some of the other apprentices had. Either way, it would be nice to spend a day with him. To wake Quaintpaw though, that was a problem. Then, an idea popped in behind Pinepaw’s gaze and a smirk curled on her maw, frighteningly so, for a normally docile female. It was a brilliant idea, but daring, and the poor tom was definitely not going to like it. She needed a laugh however, and as the dark tabby crouched down, ready to put her plan into action, she wondered the intelligence in such a scheme, but shrugged the hesitations away. She lowered herself even lower, counting her heartbeats one by one, then, a second’s breadth—
“YRAGGGGHHHHHH!” Pinepaw sprung from her position on the other side of the apprentice den, leaping a fair distance before landing herself on top of the sleeping tom, her features twisted into a teasing snarl.
Ooc;; It's been so long since I've roleplayed her! -huggles Pinepaw- How on earth I could've left her so long...
Over the past while, increasingly strange things had been happening to the clan and she didn’t like them. Not one bit. First it had started with a little bad weather, then a whole lot of really hot weather, then her sister getting ill. After that disastrous episode, Companions started disappearing and their Medicine Cat retreated to the Starcove, where she was praying for StarClan’s guidance. After that, as if it wasn’t enough, the bad weather returned, but with more ferocity and a vengeance that surprised the newly-made apprentice. It was as if StarClan themselves were crying tears of incredible, deep sorrow that would wipe out the entire world. It was a shuddering thought, one almost too large for such a small apprentice, but since meeting Quaintpaw, Pinepaw was determined not to quail from anything. Not her mother’s stare, her brother’s teasing or her sister’s steady ignorance. Though really, those didn’t happen anymore.
Since becoming an apprentice with her sombre brother, Flamepaw, Oakface had been retired to the ranks of an elder. Her duties were thanked and honoured, and now, at long last, she was able to rest without having to worry about warrior missions, hunting or even kits. From then on she would be cared for and looked after by the apprentices, which quite unfortunately ended up being her last litter. Unlike expected though, not all three kits made it to the apprentice naming day. Havenstar had waited a week or so after their sixth moon, in hopes that the sick Pumpkinkit would come to a phenomenal recovery, but alas, she hadn’t. Not wanting to put off having more helping paws around the camp, Pinepaw and Flamepaw had been promoted, but it was probably one of the most depressing apprentice ceremonies ever conducted. Without the third kit, it was incomplete feeling, and even when Flamepaw met his mentor, he could not keep the anguish out of his stance.
Pinepaw, slipping out of concentration on the leaf for a quick moment, recalled the day with a pained grimace. It truly had been depressing, which was so unlike what she had imagined. All through kithood the dark tabby had dreamed of the day she would finally become an apprentice and work towards the golden glow of a warrior. Her mother would groom each of her kits meticulously so, until it was almost irritating and they would insist they could do it themselves, but the excitement in their eyes would give away what they were really thinking. Then, when Havenstar finally called for every cat able to catch their own prey to gather around, the three would step forwards with high tails, ready to embrace the next step of their lives. Their mentors would then show themselves and each kit would glance on them nervously, wondering who would be paired with who. After the entire ordeal was done, with much congratulation, Oakface would be put in the elder’s den and—finally!—they would go out for their first lesson.
However, it was anything but. Pinepaw could see the looks of the crowd searching for the third kit, Pumpkinkit, as Flamepaw and her stepped forwards. Then understanding, a silent, sorrowful understanding, flashed in their gaze and nearly every cat settled into a respectful sitting position that tried to hide the growing unease. She could sense it all though, as the she-cat stood in front of them, hardly able to raise her tail as high as she had imagined she would. Flamepaw was even worse off than her, not even meeting the eyes of Oakface as she stared out with a loving pride. He didn’t look to Havenstar, Pinepaw or, worse than not looking at his mother, his mentor, Shadowfox. Remembering the heartbroken look spread across his face, Pinepaw automatically switched hr gaze from the rain to where he normally slept, but like expected, he wasn’t in. Flamepaw rarely slept in late as a kit, but without the warmth of his beloved twin, he woke up even earlier. Before the dawn even rose, the orange-coloured tom was outside looking to the heavens, sitting even completely still. While not emotionally close, it still tore at her heart.
In an attempt to steer away from such a negative attitude and focus on her apprentice trainings, Pinepaw distanced herself from her brother, just like in the old days, while guilt gnawed at her already frayed emotions. He hardly left camp, didn’t wash his pelt very often, and visited the sick medicine cat den as much as he could. She feared he too would catch whatever Pumpkinkit had, but in ways, she almost thought he was hoping to. Without Pumpkinkit, he was a shell. He was an empty shell of what was once a fiery trouble-maker that every loved, despite his misdoings; He now wandered the camp with dead eyes and a lagging step that made some of the other warrior scold him for. He looked like he wanted to die. She felt quite similar. Pinepaw looked away from his bed, feeling her throat tighten and she focused on the leaf once more. This morning she had woken up earlier than normal, feeling something missing, but not knowing quite what. As she flicked her ear to ask her Companion, a small ladybug fittingly named Lady, she found the red insect to be missing.
Pinepaw looked down at her paws, unable to avoid the thought any longer, feeling her body tremble with fear and pain. She had never imagined, never really thought, that Lady would follow the Companions that had disappeared in the last month. Like so many others, she had just always assumed that the loyal friend would remain at her side until the end, yet somehow, defying all Companion lore, she was gone. Since waking up to an empty bed, Pinepaw had felt strangely empty, curiously so. At first she had been puzzled by the feeling, but as time progressed, minute by minute, a pain had followed each thought like a morbid puppy dog biting at just the right places. Inside Pinepaw’s heart was a big gaping hole, empty with forlorn wind whistling through, crying for the friend that normally filled the space. Sometimes, when she thought about it a little too much, it was almost a physical pain that made the she-cat gasp with sudden longing. She would get up and pace around in circles, waiting for the sensation to pass before thinking about something else. It wasn’t working very much and as Pinepaw wheezed once again, closing her eyes against the onslaught of the empty memory, she knew that the current course of action was futile.
Pinepaw swallowed roughly, blinking back the problem before casting a glance around the apprentice den. Though tightly woven and well-protected, the constant rain over the past while had penetrated the walls and the inside was damp. Everyone complained bitterly at night, herself included, but just at that moment the bleakness suited her mood. Then, surprisingly suddenly, her gaze landed on a peacefully sleeping form of Quaintpaw. A smile of pleasure ghosted on her expression as she stared at him, feeling warmth curl at her paws and tail. Though the other rarely said anything except for the obscure, and looked at her oh-so-strangely, the dark tabby she-cat couldn’t help but feel captivated by him and his dark eyes. The unnatural blindness that had scared her in the beginning was now, in a strange way, comforting, like a shadowy fire warmth. Even his stiff posture was something she admired about him; he was different than the rest of the apprentices who laughed and giggled after the day was done, swapping stories. It happened rarely, but Pinepaw loved nothing more than just laying at his paws while he lost himself in thoughts, disappearing in his mind for the night.
On such a dreary, depressing day, she would enjoy a hunt with him, or perhaps even a training lesson. She had progressed further than when she had started, but wasn’t as far as she would have liked. Maybe she was doing something wrong, or just not smart enough to understand, but for some reason the she-cat didn’t seem to pick up the moves as quickly as some of the other apprentices had. Either way, it would be nice to spend a day with him. To wake Quaintpaw though, that was a problem. Then, an idea popped in behind Pinepaw’s gaze and a smirk curled on her maw, frighteningly so, for a normally docile female. It was a brilliant idea, but daring, and the poor tom was definitely not going to like it. She needed a laugh however, and as the dark tabby crouched down, ready to put her plan into action, she wondered the intelligence in such a scheme, but shrugged the hesitations away. She lowered herself even lower, counting her heartbeats one by one, then, a second’s breadth—
“YRAGGGGHHHHHH!” Pinepaw sprung from her position on the other side of the apprentice den, leaping a fair distance before landing herself on top of the sleeping tom, her features twisted into a teasing snarl.
Ooc;; It's been so long since I've roleplayed her! -huggles Pinepaw- How on earth I could've left her so long...
