--insert creative title here-- (GoosexMist)

[laur]

The sun blared in the center of the sky as a tiny silver she-cat weaved her way through dense undergrowth. A mouse hung limp in her delicate jaws as Mistpaw searched for a landmark to remember where she buried her kill. She had been out hunting, practicing her newly-learned skills to impress her mentor when he returned.

Today, however, was not a good day for the young apprentice's skills. It had taken her ages to find the mouse that she now tucked safely under a blanket of dirt -- and even then, the scrawny creature was the only thing she managed to catch. What am I not doing right? the lithe, silver she-cat wondered to herself, Was it my footing? Maybe I'm not downwind enough.

Mistpaw shook her head. It didn't matter; she still had plenty of time to keep trying. The sun wasn't even beginning to set, and she wasn't too far away from camp in case she was needed. The young cat's thoughts rolled in her head as shockingly pale green eyes stared at nothing in particular. She was almost ready to take a nap in the warm rays of sun when a flash of mottled brown caught her eye.

A rabbit!

Mistpaw tensed, her hunting lessons running quickly through her mind. I'm downwind, she spoke to herself silently, And so far, the rabbit hasn't heard me.. She took a few tentative steps forward. The fluffy creature did not flinch. She smiled at herself and the pride of taking home a juicy rabbit like the one before her. Lean muscles bunched under her short fur, her russet-tinted tail flicked twice as she prepared to spring.

With all her might, Mistpaw rocketed her small body forward and onto the now panicking rabbit. She bit down hard, and the rabbit barely had any time to squeal before it was dispatched completely. What luck! Straightening herself out, Mistpaw gently shook out her fur and grinned at her accomplishment. But just then, there was a rustle in the bushes nearby. The she-cat crouched, staring blankly in the direction of the noise with her round, almost-grey eyes. If it was another predator coming to steal her kill, she was in big trouble. But it didn't hurt to speak and find out.

With a big, shaky sigh, Mistpaw sat up and looked into the bushes. "Hello? Is any cat there?"

[Whiskers]

Today was a beautiful, sunny day, one that usually would have Goosefur beaming and humming and giggling. But she wasn't doing any of those things. She was bored actually, and the sun felt a little too hot on the back of her neck, and the air was just a bit too dry and the sky was a bit too blue for her taste. She was feeling unusually uncomfortable and she knew why-- a beautiful day couldn't be appreciated when one was alone. She didn't have anyone to share this with and so, here she was, hating on the blue, blue sky and sun.

But that's how life was, wasn't it? Those who didn't have something, hated that which they did not have. It wasn't a perfect theory at all-- no there were several things that Goosefur didn't have that she, in fact, still liked a great deal. But it was still much easier to hate and be angry at things out of reach, than to experience loneliness and misery instead.

She should perk up and be more positive. Goosefur nodded and instantly tried to spin her mood around. It wasn't blisteringly hot...it was warm, like a hug. Oh, yes, like a hug! That was a wonderful thought! She embraced--ha ha-- the idea and plastered on a smile. It helped a little, though over all, it was a false mood and one that distracted her from her quiet steps (because she was out here hunting of course. why else would she be out in Streamclan territory?) and she tripped over herself, making quiet a racket.

"Ow! Oops!" she gasped, regaining her footing only to trip again, this time stumbling forward rather than falling down, emerging from a thicket and into a relatively sparse area. She caught herself before her nose collided with the dirt (which would be pretty lame), and when she looked up, she was surprised-- and automatically embarrassed-- to see that Mistpaw, Streamclan apprentice, stood before her. And she looked more than a little surprised.

"Oh. Hello there!" she said, possibly a little too friendly. A nervous giggle erupted from her belly, making the situation more awkward. Lovely. Here she was supposed to be an esteemed warrior, and she was acting the part of a fool.

"You must have thought it was a bumbling badger headed your way, with the noise I made, huh? I just-- got distracted. Which is something you should never do by the way. Do as I say, not as I do, eh?"

She just stopped talking after that. See, this was why she should never, ever be made a mentor.

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[laur]

"Ow! Oops!"

Mistpaw let out a huge sigh of relief and licked her shoulder fur flat as Goosefur straightened herself out. At first, the silver she-cat was unsure of what to say to the warrior, but when a giant giggle exploded from the happy cat, Mistpaw relaxed even more and couldn't help but let a smile cross her face. She did not know Goosefur well, but already she seemed like a fun, life-loving cat. Mistpaw stood up and flicked her thin tail at Goosefur. "Hi, Goosefur! I had to admit I was scared for a second," the younger she-cat flashed a silly grin, "but oh well. Do you want to hunt with me?" Mistpaw looked down briefly, shuffling tiny paws in the dirt and grass. Maybe it was her turn to make a fool of herself. Goosefur probably had a lot of important business to attend to, and Mistpaw was just a lonely, unimportant apprentice. She glanced back up at the older she-cat with almost-grey eyes. "I mean, you don't have to! I'm sure you must be very busy..."

Mistpaw trailed off, unsure of how that sentence could finish. She tried not to stare at Goosefur, but the young silver she-cat could not help but feel excitement at the prospect of hunting with a warrior, and maybe even making a new friend.

[Whiskers]

Goosefur felt instant relief, seeing that Mistpaw did not think of her a fool (though she may, but she was awfully good at hiding it, which Goosefur appreciated). Goosefur decided she needed to make more of an effort to act like a real warrior though, as she was now acting the part of a role model and escort, since she stumbled across Mistpaw. In fact, Goosefur wondered if there was some rule in the Warrior Code about apprentices being alone in the woods. Goosefur was hardly an expert on the code anyway, so who really cared-- point was, she needed to stay with Mistpaw, just in case. Plus if Mistpaw was breaking rules, Goosefur felt good about the fact she'd help Mistpaw stay out of trouble.

Then again, the right thing to do would be to turn her in. Or scold her. But Goosefur couldn't picture herself scolding anyone; she broke so many rules she'd feel like a hypocrite anyway. So why not do what Goosefur was best at-- being a friend.

She continued to smile at Mistpaw and nodded vigorously at Mistpaw's kind offer. Hunting wouldn't be so bad, so why not hunt along side an apprentice? It would bring back memories of the journey when she herself was an apprentice herself. Although, this apprentice was probably more mature than her anyday.

"Me? Busy?" Goosefur laughed. "Pffft. Between you and me, being a warrior is just like being apprentice, only you've got a name change. Same amount of duties, maybe a bit more responsibility. But nah, I'm as bored as a bear in winter. Some hunting would do me good."

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