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uncertainty [blue] Jan 28, 2016 4:24:35 GMT

Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2016 4:24:35 GMT

The sky was relatively clear this morning, a few wispy clouds drifting slowly across the sky, and the sun shone brightly down on the forest below. Its rays were warm but not harsh, and many members of the clan were outside, sunbathing. Minkpaw stood at the center of it, disappointment and worry shining in her bright amber eyes. She'd been looking forward to another training session with Pebblewhisker in the sunny spring weather, but unfortunately, her mentor had been put on a hunting patrol before they could start the session. In order to make up for it, Pebblewhisker had sent the she-cat to train with Deertail instead, knowing that his apprentice needed more work in her tree-climbing skills.

Minkpaw would've been content had she been assigned to any other warrior for the day, anyone besides her half-brother. She'd wanted to protest when her mentor had given her the instructions, but what kind of student would she be to argue with her teacher? With a false smile on her face, Minkpaw had bid Pebblewhisker good-bye as he left with the rest of the patrol before turning around and immediately dropping the smile as she began to fret. Lynxheart's warnings about Deertail to her and Rootpaw were drilled into her mind by this point, and she could hear them sounding in her mind now, her mother's usually warm and loving voice spitting out the words Deertail and weak with venom.

She considered ignoring Pebblewhisker's directions, but of course, the idea was swiftly dismissed. Her only option was to find Deertail and train with him for the day, then face her mother's wrath later. The idea of purposely and directly disobeying Lynxheart made her nervous; Minkpaw had always listened to her, and she had no idea what she would be facing when Lynxheart inevitably found out. With a heavy sigh, the brown-furred apprentice padded over to the warriors' den and hesitantly peered inside. "Deertail?" Even the feel of his name on her lips was strange, and she felt guilty already. "Pebblewhisker wanted me to train with you for tree-climbing."

As Minkpaw called out, she blinked her eyes a few times to try and adjust to the darkness within the den. Her gaze flickered across the den as she tried to find her half-brother's brown fur and recognizable lanky form. Standing there in the entrance way now, she felt unsure of what she was doing. Even if she had accepted this, there was no guarantee Deertail would agree to training her. He likely had more reason to be afraid of Lynxheart than she did. After all, she'd seen the way her mother would lash out at him, snarling at him for his most recent mistake and keeping him away from Minkpaw and her littermate as if the tom were a contagious disease. She almost began to feel relieved as the thoughts crossed her mind. Maybe he won't train with me, and Lynxheart won't know that I talked to him. Everything'll be fine.

tagged: feeling kinda blue
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feeling kinda blue

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uncertainty [blue] Jan 31, 2016 22:34:43 GMT

Post by feeling kinda blue on Jan 31, 2016 22:34:43 GMT

Midnight sentry duties were no fun but someone had to do it. That was what had led to Deertail snoozing in the warriors den despite the sun being well up. Pinestar had sent him out around dusk the night before to watch one of the borders, patrolling the border for hours from the swaying branches of SkyClan's iconic forest. Deertail hadn't minded the job really, it was usually quiet and the night had been clear meaning he could actually see very well by the light of the moon and stars. What had been a bit of a struggle was figuring out what to do with his brand new apprentice, Vervainpaw. She was driven and ambitious, a bright young she-cat that Deertail was still trying to get used to having around most of the day. Unfortunately though he had been reluctant to bring her with him for the midnight sentry duty because he couldn't shake the mental images of her misjudging a jump in the dark and plummeting to the ground or being cornered by a hunting fox. So, Deertail had opted to let her sleep though Pinestar had said she could go with him. He'd given her instructions to go out and help Tawnygaze for the day so she could learn a bit about herbs and plants to round out her knowledge of clan life while Deertail caught up on some shut eye after the long night.

So, here was Deertail, dreaming soft and quiet dreams for once in the nearly abandoned warrior den. Sunlight streaked through the small gaps in the den to dapple his brown pelt but it only added to the softness of his dreams rather than waking him. He was curled up tight in his customary corner den, back to the wall and tail curled over his face, legs folded up close to make him look half his normal size.

'Deertail? Pebblewhisker wanted me to train with you for tree-climbing.'

A soft snuffle denoted Deertail's waking a split second before his ears flipped up and his amber eyes snapped open. He knew that voice...not well, but he knew it from around camp. Knew it far less than he would have liked...but feared it all the same. Minkpaw. Raising his head, Deertail peered toward the den entrance where he saw his dark pelted half-sister standing awkwardly, half in and half out of the den. Normally a soft riser, heartbeat and breathing slow, gradually rising from sleep, this was a jarring alternative. Heart kicking in his chest, Deertail tried to process what Minkpaw had said quickly.

Why in StarClan's name would Pebblewhisker send Minkpaw to him? Tree climbing training? Oh StarClan...if Lynxheart found out about this heads would roll...namely Deertail's....but...Swallowing hard, Deertrail carefully uncurled his long lanky frame from his nest and picked his way toward the den entrance. He pretended to be walking carefully but really just wanted an excuse to take his time. He vaguely remembered someone telling Pebblewhisker what a good climber Deertail was but it had been in passing, Deertail hadn't had time to stop and join the conversation (read: he hadn't wanted the attention) but he hadn't thought anything of it other than a passing blush at the compliment...Now it sounded much less like a compliment and much more like a death sentence.

"Are...you sure?" Deertail asked, his voice soft even though no one was around to observe him talking to one of his forbidden siblings.

He carefully surveyed his half-sister, amber gaze flickering over her. She looked as nervous as he was...she wanted him to say no and send her away...Deertail could read it in her eyes. Just the way Pollenpaw usually wanted him to leave her be when he caught her after a nightmare...A knot of anxiety wriggled in Deertail's belly. If he sent her away Pebblewhisker would be unhappy...Deertail glanced past Minkpaw to the camp clearing, gaze searching for the familiar glare of Lynxheart but it seemed the she-cat was out of camp. Good. If they were quick and quiet no one would need ever know.

"Ok," Deertail said at last, carefully sliding past Minkpaw and into the clearing. He pressed close to the side of the den to keep from so much as brushing Minkpaw's side. He had a bit of practice with mentoring now...just a few days with Vervainpaw but Deertail silently prayed it would be enough to help him get through this day without getting attached. He could still remember when Rootpaw and Minkpaw had been young, not even a moon old...he would play with them sometimes...until Lynxheart found out. He missed the chance to be a big brother just like he'd missed out on a father because of Lynxheart. But that wasn't Minkpaw's fault and she needed help so...

"Let's go then," Deertail said, not looking at Minkpaw but instead heading for the camp entrance. After a few minutes of walking, the trees rising all around them, Deertail cast a quick glance at Minkpaw, his gaze fleeting as though he were afraid Lynxheart would leap from behind a tree to claw his whiskers off for even looking at Minkpaw too long. "Did...did Pebblewhisker say anything specific? Running? Balance? Jumping?" His mouth was so dry...

Notes: this took way too long i'm so sorry <3 be gentle with my nervous baby
Word count: 868
Tagged: @rain

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uncertainty [blue] Feb 3, 2016 1:39:35 GMT

Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2016 1:39:35 GMT

When there was no immediate response to her words, Minkpaw continued searching the den for Deertail, and when, after a few seconds, her gaze couldn't find him in the half-lit den, she began to hope that maybe the warrior wasn't there at all. Then she'd be able to spend the day relaxing on her own, and she'd have a legitimate excuse for Pebblewhisker when he returned for not doing as she'd been instructed. However, a form moving in the semi-darkness caught her attention, and her hopes swiftly fell as she eventually recognized it as Deertail. Her eyes had completely missed his small form curled in the corner of the den.

As the tom slowly and silently picked his way across the den towards her, Minkpaw still held onto her earlier hopes that she'd be denied, but these, too, were crushed when he finally spoke. ~~"Are...you sure?"~~ His voice was soft, and she likely wouldn't have been able to catch the words if it weren't so quiet in the empty den. Here was her chance to say no and leave as if the encounter had never happened, but even as the thought rose in her head, she knew she couldn't. Minkpaw had always been an obedient pupil, and she'd simply have to ignore Lynxheart's orders just for this one day for the sake of her training. "Um, yeah, I'm sure," she responded, her voice sounding unusually loud to her ears in the absence of other noise.

Deertail seemed skittish and afraid, and Minkpaw could see him looking past her outside as if looking for a threat (likely Lynxheart). As she watched him now, it struck her that she barely knew this cat she was related to. They'd had little interaction because of Lynxheart's warnings, and by now, the memories of him playing with her and Rootpaw had faded until they seemed more like dreams than real memories. She admitted that she was a little curious about Deertail. Was he anything like Oakfoot, who had always been kind and loving towards her? The memory of her father brought a fresh pang of grief to her, and she fought to push the thought of his death out of her head. Or was her half-brother more like his mother, a she-cat Minkpaw never had the chance of meeting?

She had questions for him, and this training session suddenly started to seem more like an opportunity than a punishment. Weak. Pathetic. Failure. Lynxheart's voice cut through her thoughts, and the thought of her mother, who'd only ever wanted the best for Rootpaw and her, immediately put a stop to her ridiculous notions. Her mother's orders were clear: she was not to interact with Deertail with any way. And while Minkpaw was willing to do as Pebblewhisker had asked, it would only be for a day and only because she was following orders. She couldn't be associated with such pitiful warrior.

Still, the apprentice couldn't bury a feeling of hurt as Deertail stuck along the other side of the den's entrance, avoiding her as if even the slightest contact with her would physically harm him. She trailed after him without a word as he headed out towards the territory. Minkpaw glanced around them as they walked, taking note of each of their clanmates they passed and wondering which of them would report them to Lynxheart. At last, they reached the camp entrance, and a wave of relief sunk into her as they were surrounded by trees instead of the watchful eyes of her clanmates. ~~"Did...did Pebblewhisker say anything specific? Running? Balance? Jumping?"~~

The she-cat's attention turned back to Deertail when he spoke again as they continued into the woods. Minkpaw hesitated as she thought back to what Pebblewhisker had said to her earlier, rushing as he left on patrol. "No, just tree-climbing in general," she finally shook her head as she responded.

tagged: feeling kinda blue
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feeling kinda blue

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uncertainty [blue] Feb 14, 2016 16:28:17 GMT

Post by feeling kinda blue on Feb 14, 2016 16:28:17 GMT

The awkwardness between the half siblings was nearly a physical thing, crawling over Deertail's flanks and tugging at his fur. This was the closest he'd been to Minkpaw since her eyes had been newly opened. Lynxheart might be a tyrant but at least she was effective and quite efficient. It hadn't taken much persuading for Deertail to give up thinking he'd be anything other than an incompetent fool to Rootpaw and Minkpaw. Now the repurcusions of that hung between them because like it or not they were both in the same clan, they would have to function together as a unit someday no matter how much it made Lynxheart hiss and spit. Pinestar had no patience for her antics, he simply wanted his warriors to work together...now Deertail debated whether that would ever be possible.

'No, just tree-climbing in general.'

Deertail nearly jumped when Minkpaw's voice floated to his ears. He kept his amber gaze away from her, pretending to focus on the path before him but in reality he was mentally scrambling. Just...climbing in general...StarClan above. For being a clan that did most of their hunting and fighting in the trees it amazed Deertail how little some warriors truly thought about the mechanics of what they did and how it could all go wrong. Barkstep had always been adamant about awareness because from the second claws hit bark anything could go wrong and send you plummeting to the ground where you'd either die instantly or have any number of broken bones. His recent tumble had been a stark reminder of how just about anything could go wrong. He'd been lucky to not break his neck or his ribs when he'd fallen and the fall hadn't technically been his fault but still, it had made Deertail appreciate what he did and how often things didn't go wrong.

"Ok...uh...well...let's see what you can do then," Deertail said. This was...gutsy...it was a risk...but Pebblewhisker had asked him to do a job and Deertail had to at least try. "Follow me."

So, Deertail took off running. His long body unfolded from its usual guarded posture and suddenly he was moving easily, not bumbling and stumbling like he did when he was in camp and surrounded by watching eyes. He could feel Minkpaw's presence like a hot brand but tried to shake it off, amber eyes skimming the trees instead for a good one. His eyes lit on a gnarled oak off to the left and without thinking twice he ran straight for it. Hind legs coiling tight, the tom leaped at the trunk, claws unsheathed and body unfolding, reaching until...his claws snagged in the bark and in quick order he scampered up the trunk the way Barkstep had shown him. Up he went until Deertail was able to shimmy onto a hefty branch, sturdy and stable, able to hold his and Minkpaw's weight. Looking down, the brown tomcat waited to see if Minkpaw would be able to follow. He hadn't chosen a low branch so she would have to work a bit to get up here but it would give him a chance to see some of her...ability.

Notes: sorry this took so long, my deer muse died for a bit
Word count: 534
Tagged: @rain