[&& gazes scorch fur] Stonetail & Cedarpaw

[neworleans]

Cedarpaw was busy washing his pelt clean of moss scraps-- he'd just finished with his chores in the Elders' Den.

"Bigeyes is getting crazier by the day," he muttered to himself. "Birds bigger than cats? Yeah, right. When hedgehogs fly."

Now, Cedarpaw hadn't been born for the part of the journey when the cats had seen eagles off in the distance, which were indeed larger than a cat. Of course, as far as he was concerned, if he didn't remember it, it probably didn't happen.

A few tail-lengths away sat his mentor, Stonetail. He figured he'd be happy that his apprentice had finished the chores he'd been assigned. Or at least not angry. Cedarpaw shuddered inwardly. An angry Stonetail was as scary as a badger--- well, almost.

With a few last licks at his chest fur, Cedarpaw padded over to the gray cat. "Need me to help some more?" he mewed up at the older tom. What was this? Cedarpaw asking to help? Unbelievable as it was, this was actually happening. You see, Stonetail was one of the few cats who could extinguish Cedarpaw's fiery temper with the flame of his intimidation, his own temper serving as the kindling. In this case, fighting fire with fire proved to be effective.

[Slug]

Need me to help some more?

Stonetail gave his apprentice a sideways glance before returning to his staring at his claws, watching them kneed at the ground in slow, satisfaction, bits of grass being ripped from their roots. He was probably still remembering one of his many spats with a clanmate, most of those memories including shed blood-- if you asked him, Stonetail would certainly assure that he wasn't the one injured. But he might be lying.

As usual.

"You work too fast." He finally spoke, ears flicking away a persistent gnat. "If you are to accomplish anything correctly, you must take your time." Stonetail raised his head and gave Cedarpaw a poisonous glare. "Is that understood?"

He didn't need to have an affirmative, instead he carried on, pointedly ignoring Cedarpaw's question.

"We will be training today." He said simply, tilting his head to look up at the dawn sky. "If we have time, we will hunt afterwards." The large, grey tom added, orange eyes squinting at the morning clouds, so oddly pink they were. "What a disgusting color." Stonetail said frostily, then stood, stance firm and holding authority.

Staring down his nose at the small Cedarpaw, Stonetail's cheek twitched, something that could have been a smile in "Stonetail Standards". "Do you need to bring anyone else with, apprentice?" He emphasised on the need, no doubt getting his point across. The silent you must need, not want, was left hanging in the air; Stonetail then said "I would recommend another mentor and apprentice pair to join us so you can learn new styles of training, but you would not be able to concentrate as well when only with me." Stonetail drawled, tail twitching.

"What do you feel is better for you today?"

[neworleans]

You work too fast. If you are to accomplish anything correctly, you must take your time. Is that understood?

Wow. He did as he was told, and Stonetail still found something to criticize. Cedarpaw gave a meek nod in response.

We will be training today.

Cedarpaw's tail went straight up, his whiskers rigid. Yes! he thought. I can't wait! This little tom loved to fight. He knew that if he was to be the victor in any battle, he needed to know the right moves. Thus, he was always up for a training session.

If we have time, we will hunt afterwards.

The brown tabby flicked his tail in response. He didn't want his mentor to know about the squirrel incident. It had been embarrassing enough when Brightnose and Finchpaw had had to treat the bumps on his head from the acorns. Luckily, they'd healed pretty quickly.

[shadow=gray,left,300]"How'd you get those bumps?"[/shadow] Finchpaw had asked.

[shadow=orange,left,300]"I don't want to talk about it,"[/shadow] he'd hissed back.

[shadow=gray,left,300]"Okay, okay. Grumpy furball,"[/shadow] was the medicine cat apprentice's reply.

Do you need to bring anyone else with, apprentice?

The medicine duo flashed briefly through his mind. He'd remembered that even medicine cats needed some training in case of an attack. Then again, remembering his treatment, they might bring it up in front of his mentor... Cedarpaw shook his head. "No, thanks. Not today," he mewed.

I would recommend another mentor and apprentice pair to join us so you can learn new styles of training, but you would not be able to concentrate as well when only with me. What do you feel is better for you today?

Cedarpaw nodded. "I think I need to concentrate today. I mean, I always need to, but I think it would be harder if other cats were watching, y'know?" came the apprentice's mew, its owner hoping he didn't offend the gray tom.

[Slug]

"I think I need to concentrate today. I mean, I always need to, but I think it would be harder if other cats were watching, y'know?"

Stonetail said nothing as he looked down at his apprentice, the expression on his face a thoughtful one. So much like myself when I was younger, He mused, eyes staring into Cedarpaw's, searching for something in their amber depths; seemingly satisfied with whatever he had just found a few moments later, Stonetail raised his head, like a proud lion, and strolled away toward the Camp's entrance, each step fluid and silent; he almost seemed to be gliding across the clearing. Had it not been for the fact that his paws touched the ground with each step, he might have fooled a few clanmates into thinking "flying cat!".

Glancing over his shoulder, Stonetail yowled a demanding "Follow me." and took off into his Clan's brambled entrance, dissapearing amoung it's thorns.
--

ooc: K. e.e You reply, then one of us makes a board for the Hollow. >.>; I'll do ittt.

[neworleans]

As Stonetail stared into Cedarpaw's eyes, the brown tabby felt his mentor was searching for something. What that was, he didn't know. Maybe he saw something of himself in his apprentice? It was a hopeful thought, but a cat could dream, couldn't he?

He watched the gray tom walk fluidly across the clearing, amber eyes growing wider. He moves live water flowing over rocks in a stream, thought Cedarpaw.

Follow me.

Cedarpaw snapped to attention, trotting off after his mentor. His tail was still up in the air-- the apprentice really did love training sessions.