Post by magentasharpie on Jun 18, 2016 10:55:47 GMT
Silverpaw stared at the giant sycamore as though it might tear its roots from the ground and leap at her any second. Her shoulders were as rigidly held as the rest of her body, though her tail had a mind of its own. It slung itself back and forth, an outlet for her chaotic thoughts. For a moment she managed to take her eyes from the tree and scan the forest underbrush and paths but there was no sign of anyone.
To fail again. In front of anyone, especially her mentor, would be too much.
"Not today," she whispered to herself and at last her tail stilled. Silverpaw stood and moved over to a mossy rockpile beside the tree and jumped up onto it, slipping a little atop the mound. Though her footing was unsure, she glared at the tree and crouched. One more look around at the paths told her only the birds and squirrels would witness either her triumph or defeat.
"AAAHHH!!!" she cried and lept like a lynx, all legs splayed, claws out, ready to dig into the sycamore's side.
For less than a second the horror and dread of what she'd just done fully formed. The tree was coming too fast. At this angle it would be impossible to grab on. Midair she twisted her body, her tail spinning, a frantic leaf in a storm but it was too late.
Her body slammed into the tree and though she scrambled to dig her claws in she fell with only dirt in her fur as reward for her efforts. She stayed on the ground, glaring at her green, mossy paw as she held it up. With a sigh she let her paw fall into the dirt beside her, knowing that it wouldn't have mattered if the rock pile had been bone dry. She still wouldn't have been able to climb that tree.
A squirrel chattered in the branches above but even it seemed so wholly unaware of her failure that it made the whole thing even more depressing.
To fail again. In front of anyone, especially her mentor, would be too much.
"Not today," she whispered to herself and at last her tail stilled. Silverpaw stood and moved over to a mossy rockpile beside the tree and jumped up onto it, slipping a little atop the mound. Though her footing was unsure, she glared at the tree and crouched. One more look around at the paths told her only the birds and squirrels would witness either her triumph or defeat.
"AAAHHH!!!" she cried and lept like a lynx, all legs splayed, claws out, ready to dig into the sycamore's side.
For less than a second the horror and dread of what she'd just done fully formed. The tree was coming too fast. At this angle it would be impossible to grab on. Midair she twisted her body, her tail spinning, a frantic leaf in a storm but it was too late.
Her body slammed into the tree and though she scrambled to dig her claws in she fell with only dirt in her fur as reward for her efforts. She stayed on the ground, glaring at her green, mossy paw as she held it up. With a sigh she let her paw fall into the dirt beside her, knowing that it wouldn't have mattered if the rock pile had been bone dry. She still wouldn't have been able to climb that tree.
A squirrel chattered in the branches above but even it seemed so wholly unaware of her failure that it made the whole thing even more depressing.
