Me? What? Lost? No! [For Claw]

[Whiskers]

Okay, so he might have gotten a little lost.

Firepaw was still picking his way through this unfamiliar stretch of territory, his mood rather foul as he reflected on how... how... rotten this trip had turned out to be. And Firepaw had planned this whole thing, from top to bottom! He thought he had left no stone unturned, no T left uncrossed! It was the sneaking-out-from-camp-to-actually-hunt-something part that was supposed to be hard-- this part was supposed to be a breeze! A walk in the woods!

"This NEVER would have happened if my stinking mentor had just taken me on a patrol and showed me the land a little bit. But no, we just sit in camp, reciting the warrior code day in and day out, no hunting, no fighting, no patrolling... urgh!" Firepaw hissed aloud. Ooooh, it felt good to rant.

"Yeah, it's definitely my mentor's fault," he kept talking, it felt good to hear his own voice, a sound so familiar to his ears that it eased the anxiety, "Didn't take me on a patrol, so I don't know where the borders are. Didn't take me hunting, so of course I would have trouble chasing that... that... stupid squirrel! Suuure, I could have used my nose to figure out the boundaries, but who pays attention to boundary lines when you're sprinting after dinner? No one!

With that final exclamation, Firepaw indignantly sat his little ginger bottom down and looked around venomously at the rocks and the trees, and the leaves, and even the sky. He smelled Pineclan, so he figured that he was in their territory, though it was rather faint, so he could actually be at the edge of their territory. Either way, he was near stinking Pineclan with no stinking food and he'd starve to death since he couldn't hunt, or just be slaughtered by those no-good nonbelievers. He'd never get home, never see his family. Firepaw let out a massive sigh. It was true what they said-- only the good die young.

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[[.___Paije] !]

She needed time to herself. Slowly trudging along the border. The large female just slinking around, eyes darting around, making sure everything was all right. The only thing that brought her to attention, the hissing and ranting of a young cat. Sootstorm parted her jaws ever so lightly, taking in the scents. FogClan! She had lowered herself to the ground, belly brushing against the ground, coming closer to the bushes to see what was going on. One cat. A small ginger tomcat. He was pretty close to the border... Sootstorm let out a slight growl, slinking into the bushes, then right out, stepping out of the bushes, just barely on PineClan's border line. "I reckon that you're on PineClan territory almost tyke," she meowed lightly, tail curling upward. She was being some-what friendly--she was just keeping the tyke in line and keep him off PineClan territory before some more serious, territorial cats come by and really give Firepaw a run for his money. "I'd suggest moving along before some other PineClan cat comes near, and they'd give you a real reason to run." she purred lightly. Having a slight superior tone to her voice.

[Whiskers]

Firepaw jumped up immediately when the Pineclan scent got ten times stronger. Eyes darting around, he let his claws slide out from his paws and scratch the ground. It felt good to show his claws and he hated how he had to keep 'em in for everything these days. Like a little scratch was going to kill someone, right?

The Pineclanner revealed herself casually, almost too casually. Her calm, even friendly manner was causing bells to go off left and right in the young apprentice's head. He hated when cats tried to mess with him. He was too smart to fall for any of their tricks but still, it made him go crazy with questions, like why in Starclan's name was she not attacking him? Chasing him out? Givin' him a great big ol' scar on his beautiful face? (He wouldn't mind that. He'd look so strong and surly with a scar.)

He was so busy imagining what he looked like with a scar (right across the eye would be best. Maybe he could get a nick in his ear too?) that he only heard the last sentence that the Pineclanner uttered. Something about moving along? Ha! How dare she, a dirty Pineclanner, tell him, a noble Fogclan apprentice what to do! He never listened to orders! Unless... y'know, he had to.

"Don't tell me what to do! 'Sides, it's not like I'm doing anything wrong! I'm just sitting here-- standing now-- and I'm not hunting your stinking prey! Why would I even want to touch your prey?" Firepaw began to ramble and now that he was started it would be a while before he stopped. "And I'm not scared of you y'know! Like I said, though I might be on your land and whatever, I don't see the problem with that as long as I don't touch anything. And it's not like I could actually get off since I--"

He stopped abruptly. To think, he had almost revealed to the Pineclanner that he was lost. She'd laugh at him so hard... oh the humiliation would kill him, it would. He'd rather get chased off. "Since I... I need my space. Fogclan is crowded and you never get time to yourself so I thought the perfect place to go was on Pineclan territory. Yup. Yeah. That's the truth."

Maybe the Pineclanner was a stupid one-- pfft, who was he kidding, all pineclanners were stupid-- and she'd fall for it.

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[[.___Paije] !]

Seeing the ginger apprentice jump slightly when she had appeared made a smirk etch across her features, snickering lightly. Sootstorm's tail flicking about, before snaking around her right back leg. Out of pure bloody habit. "Now this is where you're wrong little tyke, I can tell you what to do when you're on PineClan territory. See, you're a puny little apprentice. And I'm a warrior," she purred, her superior tone becoming thick and snide, her nose wrinkling in displeasure. "PineClan prey is just as great as any other Clan in this forest." she chuckled. The young tom was so defensive. It was funny to Sootstorm how he felt the need to defend himself with meaningless insults and yowling. "I never said I'd be tryin' to scare you little boy," she purred. Padding closer to Firepaw and giving his nose a flick with her tail. Very lightly even touching his cold, moist sniffer. "FogClan doesn't seem too crowded, there's space over there," she pointed out blandly, eyes squinting slightly. "I don't see any cat near by, do you? So there is space for you to be on your own territory." she chuckled, her tail brushing against his cheek, in a way teasing him. Messing with a younger cat's mind could be so fun for her...

[Whiskers]

If a cat who didn't know Firepaw (similiar to this cat, in fact) had seen their conversation thus far, they would assume that yes, Firepaw had already lost his temper. But that assumption would be completely wrong.

Now he had lost his temper. Now he was shaking with sudden rage as he took another blow to his fragile pride. He felt the heat go wild within his body and if Firepaw could get any redder in color, he would.

The Pineclanner had touched him.

His claws had the control now, not Firepaw, and he brought up his paw lighting quick, slashing it in her direction. He didn't even care if he had hurt her, even touched her. The swipe itself was how he got his aggression out. He hissed at her as loudly as he could and he let his steam escape through that hiss, as it transformed into a deeper, broken growl.

"You...! You...! No real words sprang to his mind, so Firepaw just slashed at the air-- or her fur, whatever he hit, he didn't care-- again. "I'm a Fogclan apprentice so I don't have to listen to someone in Pineclan. And I'll get off when I wanna get off! Don't think that I like being here, you brat, I just can't find my way home is all and until I can remember the direction I plan on standing in this exact spot so I don't get even more bleeding lost!"

All the steam was out now and his fire, which had peaked to it's greatest height so far today, has calmed down. It still flickered wildly in the ginger tom's eyes and the flames caused his ginger fur to stand on end. And then he realized that he had accidentally, in his rage, told of his predicament. The thought only caused him to get even angrier-- at himself this time.

Oh foxdung! Mousebrain! Darn it, darn it, darn it! I'm so stupid!

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[[.___Paije] !]

At first, seeing him shake in rage sort of shot something, similar to guilt into her heart. But then a slight shock as stinging claws has lightly, but quickly sliced at her shoulder. Hairs standing on end, Sootstorm had jumped back, eyes narrowed slightly. Her teasing had made him do that, she realized that. But the way she was being yelled at by an apprentice...in some sick way was a bit funny to her. Sootstorm let out a very dry, throaty chuckle. Her playfulness being lost for the moment, the female's tail curling up again, in some way she did that to show her own dominance. Like a canine would do. Except it was out of pure habit. It made her look larger, so it would help, she would assume. "Lost, huh?" she growled lightly, blinking slowly. "Use your sniffer and scent your way back to camp, or has your mentor not taught you that yet?" she mumbled, eyes scanning the fuming ginger cat. He looks pretty young, maybe just became an apprentice, I'm gonna guess, Sootstorm pondered, tail flicking and barely tapping him on the top of the ears. "I'll take you back to camp if you need it youngster." she offered lightly.

[Whiskers]

Firepaw wanted to hurt himself in that moment. He wanted to drown in his humiliation, he wanted to stick his head in the ground and just scream. This is why Finchpaw told him to keep his darn yapper shut! Why couldn't he do that?

I can't help it, I just can't. The words just kinda bubble up and I have to spit them out or I'll implode. He thought miserably to the image of his brother, who was shaking his head at him. Oh shut up, Finchpaw, you're just jealous because I got the looks and the brawn and all you got was a pawful of herbs.

Finchpaw just smiled at him though, so Firepaw blinked to get his brother out of his head for now. He glanced up at Sootstorm in shame, his anger pretty much dead now that he realized what a big doofus he was. But then she talked and somehow, lit him all up again. Firepaw was angry again before he even realized it, so angry that he forgot about what he had just said to himself. Keep that yapper close.

"No my mentor hasn't taught me that!" he snapped at Sootstorm. "And no, I definitely don't... I don't...!" Firepaw found himself struggling to deny the she-cat's offer. If he said no, she'd just leave and like that, he'd be lost and alone again. Even if she was a Pineclanner, Firepaw would rather have someone to yell at than nobody at all. Yelling was what he did best anyway. The struggle was a hard one though; Firepaw's pride was his greatest weakness and now it fought hard to force the little word out of his mouth. But for once, his common sense was winning. If he didn't get back, then he really would just end up getting farther and farther away from his clan... and the level of trouble he got in would just increase as well.

With a massive sigh, he shuddered and looked at the ground again. He just couldn't look the Pineclanner in the eye when he told her that yes, he did need her help. He mumbled it, his ears drooping and his heart squeezing as he did. "Yeah, fine, whatever, take me back to camp."

Suddenly, Firepaw was very tired.

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[[.___Paije] !]

Sootstorm had blinked only a few times when the FogClan apprentice had snapped at her. So defensive. she thought, inwardly smirking to herself. "All right, I understand. Some mentors teach in different ways." she purred. "Let's go. We wouldn't want your Clan worrying about you, would we?" she meowed lightly, tail flicking above his ears in a slight playful manor. Before casually treading across the border into FogClan. Looking back at Firepaw only once before turning to take in the scents. Trying to find her way to lead him back to the camp of an opposite Clan... Hairs on the back of her neck prickled ever so slightly, being some-what nervous in unfamiliar territory. But she was going to be the bigger cat here and help this lost apprentice. Sootstorm blinked quickly, before at a steady pace taking off in a fast-paced walk in a straight direction, just following two things: her sniffer and her instincts.

OoC//
Jeez. Writer's block hates me. :c

[Whiskers]

Firepaw paused a moment, his eyes still cast shamefully at the ground. He was staring at his lost pride, staring at how it was mutilated across the soil like it was nothing but scattered leaves. It had once been something... well, something he could take pride in. Now it was dust in the wind. He mourned quietly for his dignity, and wondered how he could explain this incident to his father... he would certainly have the faint scent of Pineclan on his fur. Maybe he could wash it off? Or he could lie!

But what if a patrol found him with Sootstorm? What then? This had been a terrible idea; he should have never agreed to this, he should have kept his pride stapled to his chest like a purple heart and paraded home on his own! Even if it took him a few moons to do so!

Firepaw looked up from the ground and then tenderly walked over his pride, his eyes focused on the backside of Sootstorm now. He quickened his pace so he was closer to her, and now on her side instead of behind her.

The quiet was killing him.

"So... er... uhm... you got a name?" It came out gruff and mumbled as Firepaw hobbled along, his difficult attitude as stubborn as ever. Yes, he wasn't yelling, but he wasn't going to address the Pineclanner directly.

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[[.___Paije] !]

Trotting along at a normal pace, Sootstorm had really no fear of walking into another Clan's territory. It's not like she was doing anything...bad in here. She was returning a lost apprentice. Simple as that. They should appreciate her for doing this. And not just taking in Firepaw and making him a PineClanner. Hairs on her hackles rose for only a moment or two, feeling a gaze fixed on her hind quarters for a bit, then seeing Firepaw quicken his pace to follow alongside Sootstorm. "The name's Sootstorm," she purred, tail waving slightly. "What about you, kid? You got a name?" she questioned, studying the young ginger cat's expression. To her, he looked quite frankly embarrassed. Someone looks embarrassed, hm? she noted silently, before fixating her gaze onto the path she was walking.