The simple things {Timberpaw}

[Reed]

Timberpaw purred as she continued to follow. "Maybe it's hunting practice. They need to kill the almight mos squirrel in order to feed their clan. Won't the warriors be so proud when they manage it?" She had never torn a nest up or anything like that. She and her sister got in trouble in other ways, like playing too close to the fresh kill pile and accidently scattering everything on a rainy day and then leaving the freshkill to get soggy. That...had not gone over well for anyone. Kits were just like that. They needed to learn, well, everything.

Rowanpaw told her to hurry and she nodded, quickening her pace to match his. She stumbled over a rock but caught herself and continued on.

[Venom]

"Of course! Moss squirrels are the hardest prey to catch in the territory!" He teased. He slowed his pace a little bit as they approached the camp entrance. Rowanpaw slid his thick body through the entrance. He smiled at the sight of the forest. The camp just got so cramped sometimes, he enjoyed leaving it to see the forest. Rowanpaw took a deep inhale, taking in the smells. "It's so peaceful out here." He said, feeling fantastic. "We should probably hurry." He said somewhat regretfully. He stalked over to where a large mossy patch was, luckily not very far from the entrance. His mentor showed him this place. "Here is a good patch." Rowanpaw said to Timberpaw.

[Reed]

Timberpaw purred as they exited the camp, grateful when they were finally out in the forest and she had a chance to dump the old moss. She dropped it out of the way and padded along just behind the other apprentice.

"It is a bit quiet," she agreed. The camp was always fairly noisy, but only the occasional bird call or sound of prey rustling through the undergrowth seemed to disturb the silence here, at least for the moment. He said that they should hurry, and she reluctantly agreed. She wanted to explore, but she'd have other opportunities. Right now, she had a duty to perform.

He stopped near a moss patch and she bounded over to him, looking it over for a moment before beginning to claw some into a ball to take back. "Thanks. Do you think this will be enough?"

[Venom]

"I like the quiet." He pulled a bit more moss out of the patch and handed it to Timberpaw. "It should be plenty." The tom started back to the camp entrance, looking back longingly to the woods. He would have liked to stay out there, but he was helping Timberpaw. He pushed through the entrance, one of the brambles nicking his side in the process. He hissed a curse. He gave a lick to the shallow wound in his side. It bled a little, but not terribly. It hurt, but Rowanpaw would live.

[Reed]

She nodded when he said he liked the quiet. "I don't mean it's bad or anything. It's just different from the camp." He gave her more moss and she added it to the ball. "I wonder what it's like, being an elder. They know so much, and get fresh moss and food without hunting for it, but I don't know if I'd ever want to be one. I mean, I do respect them. I really do. And they've done their part for the clan and all, but I'd be bored just sitting in camp all day."

Her companion started back to the camp entrance, and she picked up her moss and followed, a little sad that she had to return so soon. Once they were through the brambles, she noticed him lick his size, and caught a faint whiff of blood. "Are you all right?"

[Venom]

"I'm fine. Just a scratch." Rowanpaw said hoping not to worry his friend. The large tom smiled at her, his amber eyes bright. He gave another lick to his cut before casting another glance back at Timberpaw and kept moving on towards the elders den and ignored the small stinging in his side. "Let's get your chores finished." Rowanpaw really didn't want to make a stop at the medicine cat den.

[Reed]

Timberpaw cast the tom a worried look, but decided to take his word for it. If it really was bad, she'd be seeing blood everywhere, right? Not just on his tongue as he licked the wound. "All right..." She followed him to the elder's den and then inside, where she began separating and padding the moss into nests. "I hope they like these. I've heard of elders being picky on days when their bodies are aching particularly badly... Maybe today will be a good day for them?" She hoped so, and not just because it would affect how they treated her.

[Venom]

"Well, we can always hope." Rowanpaw smirked and gave a small laugh. The elders always seemed to find something to complain about, one way or the other. Rowanpaw did realize that elders were important, but he wondered why they had to complain so much. The tom ran a large paw over his handsome face. Rowanpaw watched her make the nests. "Do you want to go make your nest now?"

[Reed]

Timberpaw nodded. "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, right?" Though even an elder in a bad mood was hardly a "worst", "Worst" would be more along the line of the camp catching fire or an earthquake tearing down everything...but how often did that happen? Once, maybe twice in a lifetime?

When she had finished, Rowanpaw asked if she wanted to make her own nest now. She nodded, purring. "Oh yes! I hope there's a good spot available..." She looked everything over to make sure she was done with the elders' nests, and then headed back out of their den.

[Venom]

"There is plenty of room." He assured his friend with a half smile. He matched her steps. "I can't wait to be a warrior." He said with pride. He knew that his assessment wasn't very far off. At that point, his future seemed the only thing of importance, despite all the worrisome things happening in their world. He couldn't wait to have a family and hopefully climb the ladder of the hierarchy and become leader some day. He could wish right? "I think I'd like to become leader some day. Maybe. And have a family eventually." He said openly, he didn't really have a family and would like to experience the feeling of loving you and you loving them back. "What do you want to do with your future?" He asked Timberpaw, slightly curious.

[Reed]

Timberpaw purred when he assured he there was still room. She didn't doubt that the absolute best spots had been taken already, but that didn't bother her. As long as she had room to be comfortable, she'd be all right.

He continued to speak, and she nodded. "Me either, though I'll be an apprentice for a while, yet." Still, adulthood and achieving the warrior rank were both things to look forward to. She listened as he voiced his desire to become leader someday and have a family. "You'll have to really impress everyone to be considered for deputy, and then wait a bit. I'm sure you have the ability and everything, but it could take some time before you're made a leader." And as cool as that would be, she didn't want to see the current leader or deputy die. "Starting a family will be the easier of those goals. I bet you'll have about all the single she-cats hoping you pick them over all the others." After all, he was nice...and handsome, but personality trumped looks where Timberpaw was concerned.

Then he asked what she wanted to do. She thought for a moment before responding. "I'd like to start a family, too. And train an apprentice or two." Or more, but that was up to the leader at the time. "I guess my own goals aren't quite as grand."

[Venom]

"I know it will be a while before I'm ever slightly considered, but it could happen." He said, blinking in a slightly mischievous way. "The size of a dream doesn't matter." Rowanpaw said in reply to Timberpaw's words.. "You just have to keep trying at it and working hard." Rowanpaw entered the apprentice's den. There were nests, but it was nowhere near full. "You can make a nest next to mine if you'd like." The tom felt slightly embarrased saying that. He met Timberpaw's eyes and remembered what she had said about the she-cats wanting his attention. It had embarrased him too, but in a completely different way. He didn't want just any she-cat, he wanted someone special and someone who cares for him in the same way. "Or anywhere you'd like really. It doesn't matter." He continued sort of muttering.

[Reed]

She purred when he acknowledged that it would be a while before he'd even be considered for the position of leader, but that it could happen. "Oh, it could definitely happen." Someday. Hopefully, their current leader would be alive for quite some time.

She nodded when he said the size of the dream didn't matter and that they'd just have to try at it and work hard. "I plan to. Even with staying as a warrior and queen all my life, I still want to be a cat my clan can be proud of." And StarClan, too, but that aspiration was a little beyond her at this point. "Maybe, after I've trained a bit, I can develop a specialty. You know, like Featherdance before...well..." She let her voice trail off there. She felt bad for the older she-cat, who was still trying to be a warrior even with her sight slowly going. Still, the old warrior seemed happy and she did manage to bring prey back after most of her hunts.

They entered the apprentice den and he offered her a spot next to his nest. She purred at that and tried to sniff out his nest. It was surprisingly difficult with all the other scents intermingling in the den. "I'd love to take a spot next to yours, but...aheh...which one's yours?"

[Venom]

"I'm sure you will." Rowanpaw replied to Timberpaw with a smile. He knew she would be a great warrior or queen or what ever she chose to be. He pointed to a nest near the middle. There was a space next to it. "That one is mine."

(lazy post.Want to make a new one now that he's a warrior?)

[Reed]

She purred at the praise. It was always nice to have someone she respected believe in her.

She looked where the tom indicated and walked over to the space, circling it to make sure it'd fit her large-for-her-age frame. Once she was confident it would hold her, she began to make her nest. It was a really good spot, and she was surprised it was open. Maybe one of the young warriors had had it in their time and no apprentices came into the den since then to claim it.

"This is all really exciting." She was sure she had said that, already, but it was. "It almost feels like I'm a warrior already." She yawned, and then realized how tired she was. It had been a long day, but also a good one. "Thanks again for all the help."

((Sure. ^.^))