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Post by maddykay on Dec 20, 2007 12:32:19 GMT -5
A slender figure crept out of camp early on the fine, sunny morning. Her heart was fluttering, nervous and excited about what was soon to come. It wasn't to long ago that she herself had become a warrior, and to receive an apprentice to train and mentor was a huge honor. She had often watched Poppykit playing with her denmates and had noticed her strong spirit. Thinking of this made Sleekstep smile. Mentoring her would be a challenge, no doubt, but Sleekstep was more than willing to do so. Finding a warm patch of sunshine, the young cat lowered herself to the ground and thought about where she should start. Hunting techniques? Patrol duty? Her head was so full of ideas she expected it to explode. Rolling onto her back to warm her dark belly, the she-cat's bright blue eyes gleamed with happiness. This would be a night to remember.
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Post by Xx.Dovey.xX on Dec 21, 2007 4:15:11 GMT -5
Poppypaw trailed her paws along the floor with satisfacion and pride. She was finally an apprentice, with a fantastic mentor! She jumped back as she suddenly saw Sleekstep. "Sorry Sleekstep, I'm so easily frightened.. I ... Er .. Well .. When are we to start training?" she added nevously, trying not to seem too pushy!
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Post by maddykay on Dec 21, 2007 10:04:15 GMT -5
"Good morning, Poppypaw." Sleekstep purred, getting to her small paws. "Right now, if you like," she said smiling, "I was thinking of showing you the boarders today." The clan boarders were very important, without them, the clans would be continually bickering over things like food and territory. When Sleekstep had first been apprenticed, her mentor had shown her around the boarders and had also shown her that dangerous place where those slithering creatures lived. Shaking these thoughts from her head, she smiled again at Poppypaw and said, "Would you like to get going?"
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Post by Xx.Dovey.xX on Dec 22, 2007 2:33:35 GMT -5
"Woah! This is the best! I just feel so ennergised!!" Poppypaw jmped up in the air for joy! She could not believe she was seeing the outside of the camp!
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Post by maddykay on Dec 23, 2007 19:46:59 GMT -5
Sleekstep's smile enveloped her face. How on earth had Starclan decided she was worthy of such an enthusiastic apprentice? "Alright then, let's get going." she said happily, turning to start in the direction of their first destination. She thought it'd be wise to begin with the Thunderpath. That by far was the most dangerous place to go when young or inexperienced. Trotting along, she came swiflty to the black death strip and sat, waiting patiently, for her apprentice to catch up.
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Post by Xx.Dovey.xX on Dec 24, 2007 4:53:27 GMT -5
Poppypaw looked around nervously as she slowly approached the big flat surface in front of her. She had been told stories of how cats had died on the Thunderpath. She came closer to her mentor, cautiously. She suddenly heard a roar in the distance.. it was getting louder and louder. Poppypaw stepped forward. The roaring was about the loudness of a leaf rustling. Poppypaw stepped forward. She was right on the edge of the Thunderpath now. Poppypaw stepped forward. All sound was drowning. The roar was the sound of a growl now. Poppypaw stepped forward. "Poppypaw.. DON'T!" her mentor screamed. She swerved round to the sound of her mentor's voice. The car was coming at full speed now. Poppypaw stepped forward. The car was nearly there. Poppypaw ran for her life!
She just made it to the other side before the car came speeding past. There was only one thing to worry about now: She was on ShadowClan territory!
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Post by maddykay on Dec 24, 2007 19:03:07 GMT -5
"Poppypaw!" Sleekstep called, anger rising quickly in her chest, "Why would you cross the Thunderpath? Get back here now!" She took a few steadying breaths. What her apprentice had done was stupid and recklace, but she was still young. Sleekstep could teach her a lesson later, what needed to be done now was to get that inexperienced cat off enemy territory. The older cat crept to the edge of the black abyss, keen eyes searching both directions. No roar reached her ears, the monster that had just passed was far gone by now. She stepped out onto the Thunderpath and in a few long strides had reached the other side. "That was stupid." she said to her apprentice, "You are never to cross this path for monsters without a warrior. You could have been badly hurt, or worse." She licked Poppypaw soothingly on the head. The apprentice looked nervous and was taking long, deep breathes. When the time was right, Sleekstep said "Come on." and lead her back to their side of the Thunderpath. "One more thing," she said, turning to Poppypaw, "You can only cross the Thunderpath with a warrior AND only if I KNOW about it. Understand?" She stood, eyes searching, gazing into Poppypaw's. She had to be sure that her apprentice understood what she was asking.
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Post by Xx.Dovey.xX on Dec 26, 2007 4:30:37 GMT -5
"Yeah.. it was really stupid.. I'm so sorry. I'm such a bad apprentice. I was just drawn to the monster.. and.." Poppypaw felt three stones hit her belly. The stone of shame, the stone of guilt and the stone of desire. She wanted so much to know about the twolegs.
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Post by maddykay on Dec 28, 2007 12:48:20 GMT -5
Sleekstep's hard gaze softened at her remorseful apprentice's words, she couldn't help it. Sighing heavily, she sat a few paw steps away from the Thunderpath and spoke kindly to Poppypaw. "I understand how you feel," Sleekstep said, trying to get her to understand, "the allure of the two-legs can be very strong. I felt the same way as a young cat, my curiosity was endless." Taking a breath, she looked up into the cloudless sky. "But I will tell you what my mentor told me. Two-legs are nothing but trouble. When a cat lives with them, they grow fat and lazy. They...change." She took a pause to let when she said weigh on the young cat's heart. "For a cat, two-legs mean death. If not physical, then in their way of life. And you need to stay away from them." As she finished, she hoped her apprentice would see that she wasn't the only one who felt the way she did, but that for her own safety she needed to ignore those particular feelings. Sleeksteps eyes shown with worry as she gazed at her apprentice, deciding to keep the tour to the two-leg place for later in their training.
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Post by Xx.Dovey.xX on Dec 29, 2007 3:04:11 GMT -5
"Okay. I understand. Completely," Poppypaw mewed. She had a bit of a hot flush as she was a little embarrased of getting told off so early in her training. "So, what will we do next?"
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Post by maddykay on Dec 31, 2007 9:26:21 GMT -5
Sleekstep sighed, relieved. "I'm sorry to be so stern with you, Poppypaw." she mewed, "But this is a very important lesson. It's a good thing you learned it so early." Thinking, the new mentor decided they had enough excitement on this side of the border. "How about we go see Fourtrees?" she answered, smiling, "Then I can show you the owl tree."
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Post by Xx.Dovey.xX on Dec 31, 2007 10:51:36 GMT -5
"Wow! For real? The real fourtrees that apprentices nd warriors go to every full moon? Really? I can't wait!" Poppypaw really couldn't. She was really exhausted but there was a sudden rush of energy in her body.
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Post by maddykay on Dec 31, 2007 18:41:46 GMT -5
"Yes, that's the one." Sleekstep said happily, her young apprentice's excitement seeping into her own heart, "after the owl tree though, I think we should head back. It's getting late and you've had a long day." The black warrior stood and lead her pupil off to Fourtrees. It wasn't a far walk from here, but her body was already tired. Her heart and mind were keen and elated, but all the action of the day was trying on the new mentor. Soon the pair arrived at the awe inspiring place. Four enormous oaks, hundreds of years old, stood like unwavering sentinals; one on each clans' territory. Sleekstep's white teeth turned into a reminiscing smile. She truely looked forward to the day she could bring Poppypaw to her first gathering so she could experience the wonder of the meeting as well. Turning, she said with a smile, "Well? What do you think? Those nursery tails you heard as a kit do justice to this historic place?"
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Post by Xx.Dovey.xX on Jan 1, 2008 4:38:51 GMT -5
"wow. They look so magnificent!" Poppypaw stammered, as this was even more majestic than the kit's tales told! No expression in a dictionary could explain how Poppypaw was feeling right now. Scared, nervous, happy, excited, and sad that her mother and father weren't here to see her.
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Post by maddykay on Jan 1, 2008 21:05:15 GMT -5
Sleekstep gave Poppypaw an enormous smile. "I'm glad you are so pleased," she said, heading down into the center. "That large rock," the sleek black cat said, "is where the leaders address the clans. The cats sit and lay around the rock, and here you don't have to be only with your clan. One of the reasons gatherings are so looked forward to is because cats can catch up with their friends in other clans without getting into trouble." As she let her words sink in, Sleekstep padded around the large, sandy center. Her small paws made a soft noise on the trodden ground. "When we go to a gathering," she said, turning to face her eager apprentice, "we hide behind those bushes until Bramblestar signals it's time to go." When she finished, she pointed with her nose up at the clump of grose that stood on the edge of Thunderclan territory before making way to the gentle slope that led to where she stood.
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