First time's the charm

[Cloud of Diamonds]

After Gingerpaw had come up beside him, he'd heard her mumble something. What was it? Tour and territory were the only things he clearly made out. He frowned and was about to drop his prey to ask her exactly what she'd said when she did the same thing and repeated her words. She continued quickly before he had a chance to answer, but it was hardly a question he needed to think about. They could definitely tour the territory in one day if they made use of their time.

After the second it took to decide this, he shot off, hastily coming to a fairly smooth stop beside the much smaller she-cat before resuming his usual thumping walk over the sandy ground. He wondered if she was tired by now. Surely not; she'd caught up to him in no time at all. It amazed him how such a small cat could have such energy. Yet he supposed he too had been like that, several moons ago. Wait. Answer her question, dummy. Isn't that what you came here to do?

He stopped, dropping his vole quickly, and meowed, "We can tour the territory in one day easily as long as we use our time wisely, Gingerpaw."

After the ginger StreamClanner finished speaking, he bent down to grasp the vole in his jaws and continued towards camp, which was not far off now. He hoped that this might suggest to his apprentice not to ask so many questions, or they'd run out of time. True, he'd answer some questions because it was only natural she'd have a few, but he didn't want to be gabbling every second from when they dropped off their prey.

[Puddyluff]

The words that Redtail said was starting to ring in Gingerpaw's mind. As long as we use our time wisely. Was that meaning that they haven't been using their time wisely?

Gingerpaw was puzzled by that sentence. Redtail wasn't mean. Maybe Gingerpaw was the pest, who was slowing things down. That thought frightened her. That would slow down their training sessions, and that meant that she would get her warrior name later than the other apprentices. That would cause a big bucketful of laughing, and that meant Stripedpelt would get really stressed out because her daughter wasn't having a good time with the other clanmates, and thoughts went on and on. Whatever happened, she wasn't going to let her mother be stressed out.

"I'm going," sighed Gingerpaw, full of worries. She didn't want to show that she was worried. Especially to Redtail. She picked up her mouse, and made her pawsteps stalk faster than her mentor. "Come on!" meowed the Ginger StreamClanner, cheering up. "We have no time to waste!" Gingerpaw was about to add, "Sheesh!" but she knew that the word was very rude and disrespectful, especially to a cat older than her. She was relieved that she didn't say it, but that didn't really mean that she can let down her guard from saying words that she shouldn't say.

[Cloud of Diamonds]

As soon as the little bundle of fur shot ahead of him again Redtail simultaneously wanted to groan and chuckle. Obviously she wouldn't slow down for him or any cat. But still, it showed she did have energy and hopefully she wouldn't be a lazy or slow-working apprentice. After all, she'd caught a mouse on her first day, and that was certainly rare. It taken Redtail almost a moon before he'd caught his first piece of prey. But I do find it hard to stay still, he knew. Unfortunately Gingerpaw seems to have the same problem, only all the time instead of in hunting.

Well, I never expected this to fun or easy, he knew. I never expected to have an apprentice at all. What on earth had made Cloudstar pick him? Empathic though he was, the large reddish tom had no idea. He tried to figure out every way it could be an advantage to Cloudstar to have him as mentor to Gingerpaw as he walked quickly, and could only come up the fact that all the other warriors either had apprentices or would be even less suitable than him for the job. Or maybe it was a test somehow?

A test of what? He would've snorted were there not a vole in his mouth. How awkward he would be around a she-cat all the time? They didn't need to test for that; it was pretty obvious. But Gingerpaw wasn't easy to push away in some way; she was too young and hyper, and he had to stick with her anyway. And she was too little and sensitive to try one of the comments he so enjoyed on; the striped StreamClanner wasn't that mean.

Her words carried to him from a little ways ahead. Cheeky furball, he grumbled in his mind. I'll teach her who has time to waste! In a few moments he was running - the grass being trodden heavily upon as he thumped over it. He stopped in a minute or so, and looked back to see how far ahead of her he was. About five badger-lengths, he reckoned.

He looked ahead, slightly surprised to see the entrance to camp only about four tail-lengths off.

[Puddyluff]

Gingerpaw stepped back when Redtail dashed ahead of her. What was that? she thought, looking back to see where Redtail was. When she noticed that Redtail wasn't there, she realized that the big red blurr that dashed in front of her was her mentor. Gingerpaw was amazed to see that her mentor can zoom so fast, because all of the moons she had lived, she had thought that she was the fastest cat among all the Clans. "Woah, slow down!" she said to her mentor. She had a trick behind this. While Redtail took his time to turn around, Gingerpaw would dash ahead. "Can't..... Can't....." meowed Gingerpaw as she slowly walked closer and closer to the big reddish StreamClanner. Then, she ran as fast as she could, saying, "Can't catch me!" She ran and ran until she found it hard to breathe.

I am one fast cat, thought Gingerpaw as she looked back to Redtail. He wasn't that far away. Perhaps I should run a little more, thought Gingerpaw, but she didn't. Gingerpaw was way too tired to run more. Or even walk. She decided to sit and wait for Redtail to come. Maybe then she might have some energy to get to the camp. The ginger StreamClanner let go of her mouse, wondering if she can make it to camp and then start all over to see the territory. Of course I can, thought Gingerpaw. Stripedpelt said that I was never going to get tired of anything, because my father was that way. It's supposed to be like that. Trying to remind herself to think positive instead of worrying all the time, she looked back again to see where Redtail was. If they wanted to see the whole territory, they had to hurry up. "Come one!" meowed Gingerpaw. "We have no time to waste!" Then she paused. Who was the mentor here?

[Cloud of Diamonds]

OOC: You can post as Gingerpaw in the StreamClan camp now, Puddyluff.

Now he was angry, his eyes almost glowing with deep irritation. Cheeky mouse-brain. Who did she think she was? Idiot. She'd ran right past the entrance to camp. As he padded right up to the camp entrance, he dropped his vole and yowled, "Gingerpaw! Are you an apprentice or are you a kit? Come into camp immediately!" He felt a dark satisfaction about being able to make her squirm, paying for what she'd done. Redtail took it as conformation that he was right. There was always some evil in a cat, no matter how young and seemingly innocent - Gingerpaw had proved that. So what if she didn't like it?

If he were her - well, he'd suck it up and move on.

She'd live, and hopefully learn a lesson. The little cat was the one wasting time, after all. And if she wasted time now, she would probably never waste it again after squirming in punishment. He snorted and went into camp.

Making his way to the fresh-kill pile, he dropped his rather sorry-looking vole on the smallish pile and sat beside it, waiting for his apprentice to come in. It better be fast, he thought. She should’ve learned her lesson by now.

[Puddyluff]

I'm sorry that I didn't come online for a while. My mom grounded me on role playing, because she thought that I was too upsessed with it...
But I'll be on often, now.
Cloudie, will you make the thread in camp, or should I make it?

[Cloud of Diamonds]

PUDDYYYYYYY! -clings to Puddy- I missed you!

I'll make the thread in camp so you can post there. I am so happy to see you again.