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Post by niftyshark on Feb 22, 2019 21:56:35 GMT -6
While she was a new apprentice, Aurorapaw could recall faint memories of being brought back to RavenClan. She’d also been in the territory as a kit, wandering when she shouldn’t have, so she was more familiar with the moors than a new apprentice should have been. Finally becoming an apprentice was exciting, but it was also daunting. She had the normal worries of any apprentice, but hers went deeper.
She knew there was something off about her and her brother. Nothing was ever explained, so she didn’t know for sure, but they would have been born in RavenClan if their situation was normal. So why were they born outside? Were they truly permanent members of the clan? The white-and-brown tabby couldn’t help but worry. Out of a fruitless need for answers, Aurorapaw found herself by the RavenClan outlands border. She didn’t dare go near enough to potentially cross it, but she scanned the far hills nonetheless. Were the answers out there somewhere? What about her mother? Her memory on her mother was foggy, which led her feeling rather morose.
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Post by Warrioress on Feb 22, 2019 22:08:37 GMT -6
Cougarpaw was decidedly happy to be able to get out of camp and away from his siblings for the time being. He loved his siblings but also knew that they could be pains in the tail when around them too long. Nose twitching, he came to a slow stop as he realized that he was near the outsider border, his ears flicking as he realized he had traveled farther than he thought he had.
He was about to turn and head back towards camp when he spotted a white and brown tabby pelt standing in the distance from him. His brow furrowed as he moved forward cautiously before he recognized Aurorapaw and continued forward at an easier pace but was trying to ensure he didn't startle her. "Aurorapaw" he called gently "are you okay?" he asked, worried about why she was just standing there looking out over the border.
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Post by niftyshark on Feb 22, 2019 22:21:50 GMT -6
Aurorapaw practically jumped out of her fur when she heard a voice behind her, and a strange fear coursed through her veins. She didn’t mean to be seen, especially not by the outlands border. Almost in a panic, she turned around, ready to spill words in her defense, but she stopped when she saw it was only Cougarpaw. Her denmate was one of her more understanding clanmates, and she relaxed an iota. She was still wary, but he didn’t look alert from any kind of suspicion. “Huh? O-oh, I’m okay!” she assured quickly. “I was just... looking out into the distance.” It wasn’t a lie, but it felt a little lacking to even her ears. She looked away then and murmured, “I still can’t believe we’re apprentices now, Cougarpaw.”
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Post by Warrioress on Feb 22, 2019 22:31:28 GMT -6
Cougarpaw felt bad when he saw how startled she was despite him trying otherwise but figured that anyone would be startled and moved on from the reaction. "I did the same a couple days ago" he said with some amusement, his own gaze going over the border to the territory beyond. He was curious about how someone made a life out there but knew that he wouldn't go out there to find the answer. Aurorapaw's words regarding there apprenticeship had him shaking his head slightly "neither can I, feels like I'm still stuck in the nursery when I wake up until I look around." he agreed.
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Post by niftyshark on Feb 22, 2019 22:45:30 GMT -6
She nodded and faced completely away from the scent line. Even if he looked out across the border too, she was almost fully certain it was for a different reason. Aurorapaw pushed away her guilt and focused on him. “So what are you doing out here? Are you done training for the day?” She didn’t really know how Cougarpaw spent his time outside of playing with his littermates, so she couldn’t guess his reasons. He might be wondering the same for her, she realized, so she scrambled for some idea. A part of her thought she could be honest, but with how much she still didn’t know, she was afraid of bringing it up.
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Post by Warrioress on Feb 22, 2019 22:51:59 GMT -6
Cougarpaw's nose twitched slightly "yeah, I've completed all my tasks so just went for a walk and ended up here, didn't realize where I was going or how far I'd gone from camp" He explained with a small shrug. "Just wanted a break from the rowdiness that is the apprentices den, sometimes my siblings can be a bit much" he continued with a fond smile on his face. For all that he sometimes bemoaned his siblings he did love them all a great deal.
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Post by niftyshark on Feb 22, 2019 23:03:54 GMT -6
Aurorapaw laughed lightly, surprising herself. She understood the sentiment—the apprentices’ den was crowded and full of young cats wanting to impress each other. On the outside she felt like she assimilated well, even if she felt like she was faking it sometimes. She enjoyed herself, even if in some ways it felt wrong. “I guess I sort of did the same. I just walked without stopping and thinking, and here I am.” It would probably be more accurate to say she was thinking far too much, but she didn’t specify. “And,” she added, “I think I’m lucky that Azurepaw isn’t too much for me. I think I’m too much for him, though.”
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Post by Warrioress on Feb 22, 2019 23:07:45 GMT -6
Cougarpaw chuckled slightly "I can't imagine what it would be like to only have one sibling. What happens if you two argue?" he asked a bit curious before realizing that might seem rude "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer, got a bit carried away with thoughts" he mewed sheepishly, his ears flicking on his head slightly.
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Post by niftyshark on Feb 22, 2019 23:23:04 GMT -6
Aurorapaw shook her head. “Don’t worry. We haven’t really actually fought on anything yet.” She was more assertive and he was more passive, so they naturally worked well together. “So to be honest, I’m wondering how that would go as much as you are.” She found she liked how Cougarpaw spoke his mind. It was refreshing—it felt like she had to act a certain way and say certain things around her clanmates, that she couldn’t ask certain questions. She just knew there was something looming over her head, she could feel it as instinctually as she breathed in the air. But maybe she could forget it for now, out here.
“What’s the coolest thing you’ve learned so far?” she asked, eager to compare how their first few days went. The apprentice felt herself growing almost completely relaxed and comfortable, and she savored the feeling.
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Post by Warrioress on Feb 22, 2019 23:28:03 GMT -6
Cougarpaw briefly wondered how it would feel to not have an argument with his siblings before Aurorapaw's questions brought his thoughts to his current training and he couldn't help but grin. "Well, I've started learning how to navigate the tunnels." He mewed, his mind going back to the training session the previous day where he'd been prompted to try and find a way through the tunnels. His mentor had been right on his tail, ensuring his safety.
"What about you?" he asked, wondering about how other mentors went about training apprentices.
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Post by niftyshark on Feb 22, 2019 23:37:30 GMT -6
Aurorapaw took a steadying breath so that she didn’t talk too fast—or over Cougarpaw. “I learned techniques to hunt rabbits, but I’m not very good at it. I’m not really nimble like how most of our fastest clanmates are.” She was taking that in stride since it was her first time learning, but it was another worry on the back of her mind. “I also learned the basics of moving through the territory stealthily. I actually found that really interesting.” Her first lesson though had been a stern lecture on the warrior code. She’d already heard plenty about it, so she couldn’t understand why it was the first thing she had to do as an apprentice. “I hope we get to battle training soon. The older apprentices always seem to say it’s their favorite.”
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Post by Warrioress on Feb 22, 2019 23:41:25 GMT -6
Cougarpaw listened to the words and wondered when he'd start hunting rabbits before she brought up battle training. "Same here, I don't love violence but knowing I'll be able to defend those that I care about is enough to look forward to learning battle" he agreed, he'd heard stories from different warriors about some skirmishes, some seemed excited to tell while others were a bit worn down. Cougarpaw figured he wasn't alone with the disliking violence stand so was unafraid to state it.
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Post by niftyshark on Feb 23, 2019 7:46:23 GMT -6
Did she dislike violence? If she was honest, she’d never even considered it before. She supposed she would in theory, but violent acts sometimes seemed inherently part of their survival, so she wasn’t sure how easy it was to dismiss it. But would she use it for someone else? Who would she use it for? She thought of Azurepaw, but her mind came up blank after him, and she frowned. “I understand that,” Aurorapaw agreed finally, dismissing her thoughts.
She glanced around them, deciding in that moment that she needed a distraction. “I think we’re pretty close to the Hidden Trails, the place that was always mentioned in the nursery.” She gave the black-and-white tom a mischievous smile. “Do you want to go there with me?” The she-cat watched queens stress to their kits that it was a dangerous place, full of creatures hiding in the shadows and other hidden horrors. How much was true, and how much was to scare the kits? She wanted to know.
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Post by Warrioress on Feb 23, 2019 22:39:22 GMT -6
Tilting his head, Cougarpaw thought it over, taking a bit of precaution as he wondered what exactly they were going to be getting into. His curiosity regarding the Hidden Trails pushed him forward "sure, theres got to be a reason behind all the nursery stories" he said with a small grin of his own.
He wondered briefly what brought about the urge to go exploring but figured that it would be a normal response after behind allowed to leave camp on their own.
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Post by niftyshark on Feb 24, 2019 7:51:19 GMT -6
Her smile grew wider. “Great.” She looked around, trying to determine where they were in reference to Hidden Trails. She knew they were nearby, but her working knowledge of the territory was still limited, so she actually wasn’t sure on the direction. Aurorapaw looked around a few more times before she grimaced. “Um. I guess they’re named very accurately. I don’t actually know which direction they’re in,” she said sheepishly. Cougarpaw was apprenticed the same time she was, so she doubted his knowledge was any better. “Do you want to pick a direction and we can see if we can find them? I can’t decide.” She moved closer to Cougarpaw to stand next to him.
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Post by Warrioress on Mar 1, 2019 17:43:26 GMT -6
Cougarpaw's nose twitched slightly as he blinked as he realized that of course they wouldn't know where the Hidden Trails were. He scanned the area around them, noting that behind them was just flat plains and figured that there wouldn't be anything hidden on flat ground. "How about looking for them near the grove over there?" He suggested as he looked towards a grove of trees he could see a little bit away from them.
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Post by niftyshark on Mar 2, 2019 11:05:13 GMT -6
Aurorapaw looked to where Cougarpaw indicated to a section of pine trees in the distance. When she squinted, she realized there were more trees than she realized--they were so packed together that they looked deceptively less. It seemed as good a place as any to start, so she nodded. "You're right. We should try there." With one last furtive glance at the outlands, the she-cat turned and started off towards the pine trees deeper into their territory. She pushed any lingering doubt from her mind and looked back towards the black-and-white tom. "Come on! The last one there has to catch prey for the other!" She raced off, knowing she was a far-cry from the fastest runner in RavenClan, so a head start wouldn't hurt her.
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Post by Warrioress on Mar 7, 2019 14:07:21 GMT -6
Cougarpaw padded beside Aurorapaw, raising an eyebrow in amusement when she took off after throwing out a challenge. Letting loose a small purr, he pushed off of the ground and took off after her. He wasn't the best runner but he wasn't the worst either, his mother used to say it was because of his slim build and long legs.
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Post by niftyshark on Mar 9, 2019 10:38:39 GMT -6
Paws kicking up snow as she went, Aurorapaw tried to move her legs even faster when she heard Cougarpaw behind her. To have someone join in on her schemes and not try to talk her out of it was a sort of fresh air that she didn’t even know she needed. The trees grew even closer, and the she-cat began to grow excited. Was she going to win? She looked over her shoulder to see where Cougarpaw was, but her paws hit a patch of frozen snow that was more like ice. She went from running to tumbling and rolling, and a snow drift stopped her momentum. Her head poked up from the white and she struggled to contain her laughter.
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Post by Warrioress on Mar 12, 2019 16:16:10 GMT -6
Cougarpaw had been grinning as he ran after Aurorapaw, noting that he was steadily gaining on her though he didn't know if he would catch her before she reached the trees. His concentration was broken when Aurorapaw went tumbling into a snow drift. He couldn't help but laugh and ended up falling over himself and sliding a good five tail-lengths in the snow. Cougarpaw could admit that being with a friend and not having a bossy sister there to tell him what to do was a new experience but it was one that he liked.
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