[ and be a simple kind of man ] (bramblefang)

[Crowzerplorodon]

ooc; so uh. this is the official "LET'S KILL BRAMBLEFANG!" thread, and jaypaw's getting dragged into it as well. oh darn. anyway, no posting unless you're a possum with a knack for electronics.

Jaypaw shivered. It was cold - oh so cold. So cold, not even his thick, long furred, leaf-bare coat could prevent the chilly air from snapping at his skin and freezing his limbs making it so movement was definitely not his preferred action at the moment. Actually, all he wanted to do was curl up in the apprentice den and sleep. It was warm in there. There were other cats in there. He wouldn't be stuck on this awkward patrol with the clan's deputy freezing his tail and fur off!

The apprentice cast a shy glance in the deputy's direction, watching the large form of Bramblefang shuffle along. Why had the deputy picked him again? Something about Mistystream being a busy bee and not having time to mentor him? Well he was flattered and all the Bramblefang chose to be a substitute mentor and all, but a last minute patrol before the sun had even risen was not Jaypaw's preferred method of getting to know the deputy. Maybe a sun-high patrol would have been better. It would've been warmer.

Ahead he could hear the river. With the coming of leaf-bare and the introduction of ice, the rushing water had lost most of it's ear numbing noise. Now it was quite pleasant to listen to, it being almost silent between thick ice and cold pebbles. If Jaypaw closed his eyes, he almost felt that he was back with his father and uncle, listening as the two whispered stories to him of glorious times, epic battles, and perilous journeys. Those adventure based stories always filled him with joy. But it had been so long since he had seen either one of them. Rumor had it that Uncle Red lived not far off, though.

"Bramblefang?" He called ahead, green eyes flicking back and forth over the open MeadowClan terrain. "Are we patrolling StreamClan today?"

[/blockquote]

[roscoe]

"Yes and no, Jaypaw." The deputy spoke softly, as to not disturb the still life of pre-dawn. "This morning we will patrol the entirety of MeadowClan's territory. Cedarstar is worried about the badger that was chased off a while ago, as patrols have scented badger again." This patrol's purpose was simply to look for more traces of the mentioned creature, perhaps to even locate its den so that a larger patrol could rid the territory of it once again. Despite how the beast had been chased off by just two cats before, Bramblefang would not put an apprentice and himself at risk. This patrol itself was enough of a risk -- so he had no idea why Cedarstar would even suggest such a thing. Maybe he, too, had noticed Jaypaw's lack of training lately.

"So I hope you slept well, as this might be a long journey." He turned back to watch the large, gray apprentice, pale eyes studying Jaypaw thoughtfully. There was no doubt in Bramblefang's mind that this apprentice would be able to keep up. Not only was he one of the oldest in MeadowClan, but he was most definitely the most developed. If Mistystream had been able to keep up with the training, Jaypaw could possibly have been a warrior by now. The thought troubled the deputy immediately, as knowing a cat was being held back due to another was depressing in more ways then one. Bramblefang sighed slightly, starting up again, determined to reach the river before the sun peeked over the distant, foggy horizon.

"When was the last time you went out on patrol, Jaypaw?" He asked curiously, still marching through the dry grass. It couldn't have been recent, as the apprentice looked very surprised when he asked for him to join. Then again, maybe it was Bramblefang's rank that influenced that reaction. Really, though, it shouldn't have been that much of a surprise. Jaypaw was an apprentice whose mentor was busy, and Bramblefang was a warrior who had no apprentice.

[Crowzerplorodon]

His jaw dropped for a second when Bramblefang answered, but Jaypaw quickly closed it, glancing away from the brown tabby in embarrassment. He hadn't meant to be so shocked by the fact that they were going to explore the entire territory this morning. Even if he hadn't done that since the beginning of his apprenticeship when Mistystream was teaching him, traveling across MeadowClan's territory should not have been a daunting idea. No, he should actually be honored that the deputy decided to take him out on such a journey to look for that pesky badger. Slowly Jaypaw calmed down, reverting to his collected state and keeping up with the clan deputy.

"Oh, I see, Bramblefang... Who was it that chased the badger out before? Stormclaw and Tigertail?" He still remembered when the apprentices had gossiped about that for days. Two cats all by themselves, chasing out a badger! Whoever they mentored were extremely lucky to have such amazing mentors. "We, uh, won't actually see the badger, will we?" Not that he didn't want to. He never had, and, well, the thought seemed really freaking cool in his opinion. Seeing a badger and getting a chance to chase it off their territory. He brightened a little just at the thought, then realized that most likely they wouldn't get to see the badger. If it had any brains, it would be gone the moment it scented them. Or maybe, they'd scent it first.

He really hoped they would scent it first.

"I slept fine," he lied, hurrying to catch up with Bramblefang. "Went to sleep early... took some naps yesterday..." Really, he had been fidgeting all night because of persistent nightmares about things he didn't even know he could think of. It was rather terrifying to the young tom. "And it's been a while since I actually went on a patrol... mostly I just hunt now. Sometimes I train with the apprentices when they're not busy. I went on one with Mistystream and Spottedfoot a while ago, and Blackwhisker almost took me on one, but then he was busy for no reason..." He trailed off, a little shocked at his own words, looking down at the ground sheepishly.

[roscoe]

"Yes, those two chased it out themselves when it first came." That had been so long ago, though. Good for Jaypaw for remembering. Then again, it probably was an exciting moment for all of the apprentices. Perhaps it had planted into all of their minds, the thought of chasing badgers and being heroic. A disappointment, Bramblefang though, as hardly any of those cats would ever get to actually chase and fight a badger. Hopefully Jaypaw would not be one of them, especially not today. "I wouldn't worry about seeing the badger. We won't be getting close to it. Just an approximate position of where it is residing, so that a larger patrol may chase it out. After all, not all of us can be as brave as Stormclaw and Tigertail, now could we?" He chuckled softly, realizing their bout with the badger was more out of necessary than bravery. Still, the toms were very strong.

"Yes. I doubt we will be seeing the badger this morning. Don't fret about it." The deputy frowned, feeling like he was reassuring himself more than the young apprentice behind him. Maybe he needed a little reassurance. Surely, though, Jaypaw was not actually wanting to see the badger? That was doubtful, as its nasty scent would flood the air before they got close enough to see its unkempt black and white fur. How badgers lived without grooming as cats did escaped his mind. It was rather disgusting, actually. They probably had all sorts of nasty things hidden in their fur, just crawling around, infecting wounds and being a general nuisance.

So caught up in his thoughts was he, Bramblefang hardly picked up on Jaypaw's lie, and simply nodded as if what the apprentice said was fine and good. Sleep was fine and good, he decided with a blink. "Be sure to nap again when we return," the brown tabby mumbled. In retrospect, it was probably good he said that, as the apprentice could always use more rest. "And I'm sorry to hear that it's been a while. Your mentor has been busy, but at least the other apprentices spent time with you. Had I noticed I surely would have taken you out much sooner than this." His ears twitched. Oh yes, he definitely would have taken the apprentice on patrols if he had noticed. But Bramblefang had been too busy acclimatizing to his deputy role. Only recently had he begun to feel comfortable with it. "In fact, I think I'll... take over for Mistystream. I'm sure neither she nor Cedarstar will mind."

[Crowzerplorodon]

"Stormclaw and Tigertail are very dedicated..." Jaypaw trailed off, finding it hard to focus on Bramblefang from that point. Wasn't... Wasn't Bramblefang MeadowClan's deputy? He should have been brave... Just as brave as the other two warriors! No - he should have been braver. Why would Cedarstar pick him to be deputy when there were braver, stronger warriors who could have been picked as well? What about Bramblefang was so great if he wasn't as brave or as strong as the other warriors? Was it because he was older?

Then again, there was always Russetpelt. Why didn't Cedarstar pick him? Or Littlewhisker? Those two... they were the original followers, weren't they? Jaypaw had never been in ForestClan, nor had he made the journey, but from what he heard those two cats were the most loyal to Cedarstar's cause. They followed from the beginning... why weren't one of them the deputy? Was Cedarstar trying to be unbiased? Or did Bramblefang really have some sort of hidden talent that Jaypaw just couldn't see? Was the tabby just a really humble cat?

"Why are you deputy then?"

Immediately he felt his skin flush under his thick coat.

"I... Uh- I mean, uh, er, sorry- I didn't mean- it's just..." The apprentice gulped softly, ears flattening against his head. "I'll take a nap, yeah..." He didn't even care about the badger anymore, just about the fact that he embarrassed himself again in front of the deputy. And this time he was rude about it! Such shame, oh StarClan, what a mess he had fallen into. His bottom lip quivered just slightly and he felt the fur on his back raise up.

And Bramblefang was offering to be his temporary mentor too! The deputy of MeadowClan was saying he would aid Jaypaw in his training, was saying that he would help Jaypaw become a warrior, and he had the audacity to insult the brown tabby. This patrol was just turning out worse and worse... "I... I'll be fine! Don't worry! I- I can't y'know... Hang out with the other apprentices and their mentors... You're the deputy, you're probably really busy and all... No time for an apprentice like me." Maybe some other apprentice would be more deserving of Bramblefang's guidance and mentorship. Yes, Jaypaw could definitely think of a few other apprentices who could use Bramblefang's presence in their lives.

"We should just find the badger, yeah..."

[roscoe]

Trees on the farthest side of MeadowClan territory could be heard for a split second, due to the silence that enveloped Bramblefang from the moment Jaypaw spoke until the moment he spoke again. The grass under his feet seemed to get ten times colder, as he had stopped moving and his paw pads were not used to the frosty grass. Never would he have expected a question like that from Jaypaw. The apprentice seemed so quiet and polite, not one to ask a question that was definitely classified as rude. But somehow, something with the way the gray apprentice said it made it so Bramblefang felt no shame, no anger, no negative feelings at all really, except physically cold. No, he just felt curious that an apprentice of Jaypaw's type would speak like that, and even a little amused that the younger tom had pulled up the guts to speak.

"I'm not sure, Jaypaw." Was the simple reply. A simple answer for a simple question. Logical enough, right? Then again, the apprentice was probably expecting a more thought out one. Perhaps one that would show off how egotistical Bramblefang could have been. After all, being picked for deputy out of a sky full of capable cats did wonders for ones ego. "Cedarstar must have seen something which I am not able to see myself. I personally cannot pick out any traits that would better me for the position, but I can pick out several that should put myself at a disadvantage. The complexities of our leader, wouldn't you say?" He chuckled softly, signaling for the apprentice to keep moving with him. They really did need to get walking, already the sky was getting brighter, and the horizon was already painted with a strip of pale gray-ish orange. A sure sign of the sun.

"Just relax, Jaypaw. There is no need to freak out over what you said. It was a perfectly reasonable question, one that I often ask myself sometimes." He watched the apprentice flounder around in his mind for a moment. However, Bramblefang found no joy in watching the tom cat struggle for words that hardly made sense or try to apologize in the most pathetic of ways. No, Jaypaw said nothing wrong and did not need to mess with his own head like this. "Do not beat yourself down for it, alright? Let us just keep moving, we're almost to the river where we can break for a moment before continuing along the StreamClan border."

Already now Bramblefang could feel the grass getting wetter. The river could not be far off anymore, though one could not rely on sound and feeling in such a cold time like this. Only sight was worth following at the moment. "And no, surely you don't expect to become a warrior just by following around with other apprentices and their mentors? Not only will you distract them, but you won't get the full mentoring you need. I have no quarrels with mentoring you, and I do have time to spare for an apprentice. There is no arguing in this Jaypaw." He shot a soft grin to the apprentice, wanting to assure the other that he was not being harsh.

[Crowzerplorodon]

Jaypaw blinked. Was... Was Bramblefang completely ignoring the insult that he had tossed? It seemed so impossible that a cat would just shrug that off. The deputy really couldn't think that low of himself, could he? Who would? He was the deputy! He was fantastic, even if no one but Cedarstar could see that. And what did he mean he could pick out several disadvantages? Who did that? Looked for their disadvantages but ignore their advantages? All at once Jaypaw had so many questions for Bramblefang, and yet, he couldn't bring himself to ask a single one. Why was that? Why could he ask a rude, blunt, and very stupid question, but totally ignore the important ones?

The apprentice didn't realize Bramblefang started moving. Hurrying, he caught up with the deputy, taking hesitant steps side by side with the older tom. "Cedarstar knows what he's doing... So there's definitely something really good about you." He smiled sheepishly, as the statement had made perfect sense in his mind, but came out rather naive when he spoke it. "Maybe you're just so humble and modest... He thought you would be best... Y'know, you wouldn't brag to the other cats, and you'd just do your duty, and be honored and respectful and respected and everything. Cedarstar probably saw that as a good trait." He nodded firmly.

"But it was a rude question, I'm sorry Bramblefang... I'll watch my tongue from now on, I promise!" Even if, deep in his mind, Jaypaw knew he was overreacting now. He was silent then, just following along with Bramblefang as the river approached. A sick feeling had begun to crawl through his stomach, making him ache all over. It wasn't pleasant, especially since he was walking, and only made him want to go back to camp and rest even more. Maybe if he was tired enough, he'd sleep straight through, no nightmares to pester him, and get a decent amount of sleep for once.

"Alright, Bramblefang," he whispered, giving in after a moment. "I would be very happy if you aided my training." Despite himself, Jaypaw could already imagine the looks on the faces of the other apprentices when they found out the deputy was going to take him under his proverbial wing. The gray tom smiled a little, picking up speed until his paws brought him to the bank of the river, green eyes wide in surprise. "It's frozen! Completely frozen!"

Well, not completely, but it sure looked that way to Jaypaw.

[roscoe]

With a heavy heart he smiled, resting his head on Jaypaw's smaller one. “You are too kind, young Jaypaw,” the deputy mewed, voice low with respect for the far younger apprentice. It did him well to see a young cat express such profound knowledge for their age. Jaypaw especially stood out when it came to that, as the gray apprentice was always saying things that maybe he didn't mean to, but turned out to be the right thing to say after all. “Do not worry about watching your tongue. Just think before you speak, but do not hesitate to speak your mind. It will help you one day, I promise.” Maybe not one day soon, though. But Bramblefang was positive that the bulky apprentice would take his words with him for the rest of his long life. And, StarClan willing, that advice would come in handy for the young tom cat. May him pass it on through generations of his own apprentices so that they pass it on as well.

But that was enough of a personal praise trip, the deputy thought with a quick shake of his head. Today was for traveling MeadowClan's borders with Jaypaw, scenting out for a badger and beginning their own journey as mentor and apprentice. Fur fluffed up against the cold, Bramblefang padded up to Jaypaw's side, watching the frozen river with a diluted interest. “Consider this your first lesson, then,” he said gently, much like the few and faint ripples that still struck the water's pristine surface. “And yes, it is rather frozen, isn't it?” He chuckled then, amused at how amused his new apprentice was over something as simple as frozen water. Jaypaw was young, though, the deputy reminded himself. He had probably never seen a river frozen like this one before.

And as quickly as leaf-bare took the clans, a revolting smell of hunger, blood, and badger struck the air, spreading out and forcing Bramblefang to scrunch his nose. The wind had just shifted, that was sure. And with it the scent of the badger – something he had hoped and prayed to StarClan they would not come across on this simple outing. Hackles raised, the deputy spun on his heels, only to come practically face to flank with the large bulk of the animal. It couldn't have been more than a few foxlengths away! How could he, the deputy, have let such a beast approach so closely without a single warning. The deputy signalled to Jaypaw, though the apprentice was probably well aware by now, and hissed, crouching low in a defensive position. They couldn't fight this thing. Sure, it may have been weak from hunger, but with that hunger came desperation that Bramblefang couldn't hope to match. Their best shot would be to flee and let the wind carry them as far from the badger as it would. The beast wouldn't follow, it wasn't fast (or smart) enough to do so. And they could easily reach camp and bring reinforcements to chase the creature out. Or kill it for good, if they had to.

[Crowzerplorodon]

“So frozen,” the apprentice hissed in clear awe. “And so awesome!” Despite his maturity, Jaypaw was still a fairly young apprentice. A tom apprentice, too, which would naturally give him a brasher attitude, whether the gray cat realized it or not. His green eyes widened, tail waving like a banner, ear pricked, legs tense – really it looked like he was about to jump right into the slushy, mostly frozen water. Maybe, had it not been a life threatening, irrational decision, Jaypaw would have. Perhaps he could come back here on a warmer Green-Leaf's day and dive in. Sure, the ice would be gone, but he had always fantasized about the river and StarClan knows how badly he wanted to feel that water through his thick coat.

Then the air tensed.

What in StarClan's holy name was that revolting stench?

Jaypaw, frozen with fear, refused to turn around. It was embarrassing, being frozen like this. At least, if he had been the river, it would have been a natural thing. With slow, hesitated movements, the tom eventually turned, resisting the urge to mewl in terror at the large, black and white badger not far off. He crept over to Bramblefang, pressing against the deputy for comfort, as his mind had gone blank and Jaypaw could not think of a damn thing he could do in this situation. They weren't supposed to have seen the creature! Bramblefang said so! He said that they'd just go patrolling! Patrolling did not mean finding and facing a disgustingly creepy badger.

Then his deputy signalled. Without thought, Jaypaw launched himself at the badger, eyes alight with sheer terror and determination. To him, Bramblefang had been saying Go! Fight! Now! in clear, well spoken words.

And, ever so loyal, Jaypaw obeyed.

Never before had he felt so stupid.

His paws rammed right into the large creature, body following close behind. To his glee, the animal was taken by surprise and looked rather taken aback by the sudden presence of a cat. But Jaypaw didn't hesitate because of that, he swept right back in, claws extended as he scraped up the black and white animal's side like his life depended on it.

Which it did.

Split seconds past by before Jaypaw turned, eyes focusing for Bramblefang. He wanted the deputy to see him fight. To see him do well. To see him beat the badger, like he had order. But damn it all, he wanted the deputy to be fighting alongside him because this thing was not going to be kept at bay with simple dodging tactics for much longer! Soon it would gain some wits and swipe at Jaypaw, most likely knocking the apprentice off his paws. Speaking of which, Jaypaw turned back to face the beast again, not wanting to be taken advantage of.

Too late.

The paw – not claws, thank StarClan – swung at him, sufficiently knocking all wind from his longs and sending the apprentice quite a few feet away from the beast. For several minutes Jaypaw was in shick, eyes blinking over and over as he tried to clear his mind, before stumbling to his feet so he could jump right back in the fight which, really, he caused.

[roscoe]

Seconds ticked by with grating slowness, reminding Bramblefang that time did not go as he wanted it too, but, rather, it followed its own will as it crawled on by. The sun seemed to dim in the sky despite how it rose, and in the mist of a stupor filled haze, Bramblefang realized that this battle was not going the right way. And for only one reason. He was still standing off of the battle, barely focused as Jaypaw launched himself over and over again at their enemy. Dodging tactics, simple ones, but they were working well. Suffice to say, the badger was completely shocked, and unable to keep up with the large apprentice. Whatever Mistystream had taught Jaypaw about battle, she had taught him well. Bramblefang would never believe that such a large tom could move on his feet like a rabbit on open ground. It was actually... quite amazing to watch Jaypaw fight.

But then the apprentice was felled.

The deputy snapped to reality then, no longer allowing the nature of the situation to get to him. Before Jaypaw even managed to get up he was in the air, claws unsheathed and deadly accurate. He swiped with sheer precision at the badger's eyes, deaf to the animal's cries of pain. Let it suffer, he thought it a moment of blind rage. If it doesn't die here, it'll be wounded. Wounded to the point where it won't come back. The deputy barely acknowledged Jaypaw returning to the fight before he struck again, clawing his way down the creature's flank. For a moment, the seconds completely stopped, and the badger shuddered. This wasn't the end, was it? Such a creature... was giving up? Allowing itself to fade to death? The deputy paused, flicking his tail at Jaypaw. If the badger was dying, they could back off it, and he wanted Jaypaw to know that. Despite it being their enemy, the badger was still a living being. But before he could tell the apprentice this, the badger groaned, the noise tearing through Bramblefang's ears.

Black and white fur blurred by him as the badger stood up with unpredicted grace. He stumbled, trying to find his footing after being thrown off, only to collapse on the ground. Green eyes went wide as they connected with black, pitless ones, horrified that nothing could be seen in them. Not even the slightest remorse or fear. Bramblefang shivered as he scrambled to get away, but it wasn't fast enough. No sound escaped the deputy's lips as oversized claws tore at his flank, pulling at his pelt with agonizing slowness. Blood trickled out of his open mouth, followed by the hoarse sound of his voice. “Kestrel...” He managed, eyes going blank. His last thoughts were flashes of the she-cat he loved, followed by strings of images. His clanmates, his leader, Jaypaw. Bramblefang never believed the story of your life flashing before your eyes when you died, and accepting these images, the memories, was difficult. But slowly they faded, leaving nothing but blackness, the blackness of death, and the deputy had never felt so alone.

And he died.