A day out in the world[TR-Frostpaw]

[rivaxorus]

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[atrb=background,http://i559.photobucket.com/albums/ss40/Milkyface4455/Table2-1.jpg] The night was more over the better way to begin things. Kestrelstar had memories in the back of her mind, with the fact of her sister, how they used to take midnight walks all the time. They were the best of friends, not to mention the best of sisters all in all. The leader had a reputation, the cat who had lost not only her mate but her stillborn kits. And yet, she still told stories, and let herself give out the kindness, without the bitterness of emotion shown that gave itself out. Kestrelstar had called Frostpaw out, hoping that she could do a little but of bonding with her apprentices. After all, it was a job as a mentor to guide Frostpaw on the right track was it not? The she-cat had so much potential, more then she was given credit for and Kestrelstar wanted to show her the world in a new way during the night. As the sky as clear, the land moist from last night's rain, and the shining moon giving off light. The slight noise of critters gave a sense of security to all cats. Kestrelstar loved the voices of the night. Kestrelstar was always an out going leader, besides for her story telling, it was an excellent way to relieve stress and get out into shape. The camp was silent, besides for the few warriors up for guard, and maybe one or two apprentices. Including Frostpaw in which Kestrelstar had poked her head in earlier to summon. The beautiful she-cat stood at the crevice in which bordered the entrance of their camp of dens made from mud and roots. Which was warm when the outside was cold and cool when the outside was hot, which was just perfect. Kestrelstar smiled, looking up at silverpelt with her intense blue eyes. She was actually happy, anticipating the adventure ahead with a new friend, a new apprentice. The youth of today, the future of tomorrow that could hold more promise then any cat could know. Starclan never puts a stone in your path you cannot pass Kestrelstar thought.

[Foxpaw]

The tiny white she-cat laid peacefully in her bed, body curled into a tight little ball. She could just barely feel her sisters pelt brushing her's from her place beside her. At the sound of their leader's call, however, both she-cat's heads shot up. Frostpaw blinked sleepily as her mentor left, waiting for the words to register in her mind. When they did, she leaped to her paws, mismatched eyes wide, paws prickling. She dared to spare Emberpaw a glance, and felt her earlier excitement leave with a giant whoosh. The look that she was giving her was nothing short of nasty, and she knew why. Besides the fact that Emberpaw hadn't been trained herself yet, there was also the factor that Frostpaw had the clan leader to teach her. It was a strange twist of events, and while at first she was excited to have such an amazing mentor, to be so special it seemed, now she dreaded being called out for training since Emberpaw would surely be worse than ever the next day.

As she padded out of the den, she could feel Emberpaw's gaze burning a hole in her pelt, and for a moment, she was completely oblivious to the beautiful night. But after a moment, she gave a little surprised start, looking from silverpelt to the glowing silver that seemed to furnish the land with light, making it look far different than it did in the daylight. For a few heartbeats, she was utterly at peace. But that was shattered she took sight of Kestralstar. She made a striking, intimidating vision waiting at the camp entrence, nature as her backdrop. The young leader was truly the embodiment of everything Frostpaw wanted to be-beautiful, intelligent, confident, kind. She seemed to pass obstacles with a single bound and keep running. She admired the cat, not the title, unlike her sister.

On instinct, the young apprentice slunk into her defensive posture. Head down, ears flattened to her head, tail dragging the ground, shoulders hunched. Rather than an apprentice coming to see her mentor, or even a cat coming to see her leader, she looked like she was faced with the task of facing down a fox or a horde of ShadowClan warriors all alone. It wasn't so much the leader herself as it was an ingrown habit from kithood that had neither been broken nor soothed out of her. It was far more noticeable, however, when she wasn't hiding behind her sister. When she finally got to Kestralstar, she looked up at her for a moment before dipping her head politely and murmuring a quiet "hello".

[rivaxorus]

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[atrb=background,http://i559.photobucket.com/albums/ss40/Milkyface4455/Table2-1.jpg] Kestrelstar's beauty might match up to her personality, but no one had seen her bad side had they? The devil inside of her, what she used to be like around her brother as a kit. It was all hell in hell, so that was what made it to the point where you say one bad thing about Riverclan, and her claws would be spilling blood, even if it was a mild joke, she could get a bit intense when it came to the loyalty she had for her clan. Even not as a leader, she would still do what she was doing, to add to her duties, it wasn't as much as the title offered, as to where she got visits to Starclan and more, to cats to her command, it was the trustful bond she had with her cats, and that she wished to keep. Frostpaw looked outright ready to fight anything that came near her at the moment, like some sort of threat was coming towards her. Kestrelstar couldn't help but to flick her ears, in a motion to keep her from chuckling, it was down right cute. The young she-cat had so much to learn. And her own white pelt and different colored eyes, shined like bright snow on a leaf bare's night, one of Kestrelstar's favorite things was snow, it was so bright, just like the apprentice's fur. As she came up to the leader, Kestrelstar pulled herself up and crouched down to her level for a moment. "I'm sorry for dragging you out so late, if you'd like, we can do this another time. Of course though, this is a perfect night for me to show you." Kestrelstar whispered. The territory of Riverclan held many secrets in the night, most cats didn't know about. They all curled up in their den. The clan territory wasn't just a marshland of mud and streams, there was so much more to look at. If you knew how beautiful the land was at night, both during the day, it was just something to learn. Tonight, the fireflies should be out, the night time birds, and more, to calm the senses. Exactly, calming the senses. Kestrelstar wasn't all just kind, she knew how to fight, and scent fairly well. Some say she could hear a butterfly flapping it's wings, although not true, because every cat had their flaws, specially this she-cat with the grudge she kept holding in her heart, for more then just her mate and kits, for her brother no doubt. She knew how to be a good warrior, and that's how it was, she had her stories to keep her unique, but she was no less different from Frostpaw in ways when she was young.

[Foxpaw]

Frostpaw struggled not to flinch away as the leader crouched down to eye level with her. Instead, she steeled herself, looking her in the eye, although her own bright, mismatched eyes were skittish and worried for no apparent reason. Perhaps her mentor would help her with that though. She couldn't help but feel more than a little hopeful that this would go well. "N-no, no, of course I want to go!" she mewed almost too quickly, eyes widening comically in alarm.

If there was one thing Frostpaw wasn't it was lazy. Not to mention unpersistent. Once she set her mind to something or she was serious about it, it would be hard for even Emberpaw to force her to give up. And she was serious about training and becoming a strong warrior. It wasn't as if she enjoyed being skittish and walked all over. If she could change it, she would. Looking at Kestralstar, she thought that she saw a thread of hope for that dream. If there was one cat who could make her into a strong warrior, it was her.

[rivaxorus]

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[atrb=background,http://i559.photobucket.com/albums/ss40/Milkyface4455/Table2-1.jpg] Kestrelstar looked at the apprentice, with a soft smile. Frostpaw reminded her of her sister in the younger years. Kestrelstar was more of a rebel back then, even when she had her fights as a kit with her brother. It just seemed, times changed a cat, but it didn't mean none of them could grow strong. A cat could learn from everyday experiences and decide on their own what to do with it. Could they choose friendship, loyalty, or qualities that look to strength, and honesty. Though with all the trouble Kestrelstar got into, and all the cats that thought she was perfect, on the inside, it was still a wide problem that her unknown heart still held close to her in the night of youth. Her eyes searched the emotions of the young cat, her potential was a lot larger then she took herself credit for. She would protect her apprentice, and if any of the others pressed themselves against her, or made fun of her, they would get the most out of the leader about what the clan as a whole was. It wasn't her clan, it was everyone and they had to trust each other in the lights ahead, for their lives to count to live to the fullest. The she-cat raised her head with pride, and tapped the back of the apprentice with her soft and fluffy tail, as she signified to follow her as she exited the camp. Giving a nod to the guard at the entrance. Her proud stance carrying on, as she took a left right then and headed up into the open fields near the bridge, which was a ways away, but that was not their destination. Kestrelstar looked behind her to make sure Frostpaw was still there a few times. Her paw prints planting into the dirt, making perfectly round paw prints. Kestrelstar stopped, as the marsh land gave away a bit, it wasn't near the border, it was more towards the middle. Yet, the fields here just looked, so clean. The light blue glow of the starlight shined on the grass. As the leader's eyes twitched, looking down at Frostpaw as she lowered her head. "Watch, this." The leader took a step forward and a wave of green light erupted from the ground. As the little dots scattered, it became more apparent that the bugs swam around like in the ocean. Across the sky, as the fireflies flew around. One landed on Kestrelstar's tail, which she brought close to Frostpaw. "Riverclan is full of wonders during the night, the same as the day. But, these Fireflies have always been something special to me, do you want to hear the story about them?" Kestrelstar told the she-cat. This was a nice place to relax as ever as well. As the firefly left her tail. The leader splayed herself out some on the grass, to watch the little bugs. Her warm fur open for Frostpaw to sit next to, on how warm she was as well. Stories, they were Kestrelstar's specialty, but this one, was a special story, a story that was one in a million, about what these fireflies represented, and why they came here in the first place.

[Foxpaw]

Frostpaw ducked her head shyly at Kestralstar's smile, although her eyes lit up slightly. The young she-cat had always been just a bit attention starved, even as a kit. With the death of her mother, and her father's attention focused purely on Emberpaw before he also died, it had never been something that she got much of. Emberpaw always seemed to effortlessly steal the spotlight from her-not that she didn't deserve it, in Frostpaw's opinion. The other she-cat seemed her superior in every way.

She followed the older cat through the territory, looking around curiously as she did so. She wondered just what exactly she planned to show her in the night like this. Was it a battle move? A special hunting technique? She couldn't really imagine. But her questions were answered rather quickly. She tilted her head slightly as the older cat mewed to her, getting her attention and kept her eyes glued on her curiously.

"Wow..." she breathed, eyes widening and practically glowing. It was truly the most amazing thing she'd ever seen. She couldn't help but lead from her sitting position to her paws, head swiveling as she tried to drink it all in, mouth gaping slightly. Finally, she turned her attention back to the RiverClan leader. "This place is beautiful..." she commented, eyes watching the firefly as it landed on her tail with almost a kit-like fascination. She nodded quickluYin response to her questions, eyes seeming to grow more bright at the prospect of a story. A bit uncertainly, she stretched out beside her mentor, trying to stifle the light purr that budded in her chest. Really, it wasn't as hard as cats might think to gain the young apprentice's affections, and once you did, she was an eternally loyal, sweet friend.

[rivaxorus]

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[atrb=background,http://i559.photobucket.com/albums/ss40/Milkyface4455/Table2-1.jpg] "There was once a young cat, much like you Frostpaw, who didn't have everything go her way. She had an older brother who had everything, fame, ladies, attention. No matter how much the cat tried, she could never get to be as much as a match to her brother. So she went out every night, to this very spot, to see the fireflies. They were beautiful just like the clear white fur across her pelt, that shined in the moonlight like clouds in a clear sky. One night, The young cat got into a fight with her brother, it was so bad she stormed out of camp and started to talk with the Fireflies. 'Why can't I be as good as my brother' She said. 'Nothing I do seems to match up to how great he is' She said. Although the fireflies did not answer, they got close to her, and seemed to whisper in her ear. So night after night the young cat returned telling the fireflies everything, until finally her brother became the leader of the clan, and she was tired of being out done by him. The fireflies appeared in front of her, in the shape of a cat. The cat did not say a word, but the young she-cat followed this cat made of fireflies, near to the lake. The young she-cat looked at her reflection then back at the shape, but it was gone. Soon she had found her brother in the lake not breathing, pulling him out, she managed to get help and her brother survived. After that, the fireflies never spoke to her again. But, it showed that they had listened no matter how she was, and showed her, no matter what her brothers was, the only thing she could be, was her, and that was the best in the world."

[/b]

Kestrelstar told the story with such emotion just as she did always. Her tail flicked as she looked at the fireflies. The moral of the story was that the fireflies showed the truth behind a cat and who they really were. The she-cat was a hero, and even though she felt out done by her brother, there was something she could do right, and that was create her own path and be herself. The leader looked at her apprentice for a moment and stood up, rolling over she flicked her tail in a playful way.

"The basic point is Frostpaw, no matter who you are, you are you and you shouldn't want to be someone your not, even if they have something you don't You have something they don't. My mother always told me, no matter how much a cat hates you, you help them out, because Riverclan is your family."

The leader jumped up and the fireflies scattered, the moonlight shining against her fur as she bolted across the field into the middle. She sat for a moment, waiting for her apprentice to join her.Looking at the view that they had of the other territories up here, it was easy to see them.

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[Foxpaw]

Frostpaw's listened to her mentor, feeling a sharp stab as she described the she-cat. She could relate, and she supposed that's what Kestralstar wanted. She really was excellent at weaving together a story, and she found herself more and more drawn in as it went along. Her eyes were wide with amazement, glued on the RiverClan leader, completely enthralled. Afterwards, she looked out at the beautiful scene before her, bemused.

The white she-cat felt a swell of pride for her clan and her leader, not to mention a newfound warmth and confidence. Kestralstar was, of course, completely right, and despite the she-cats usually sharp mind, most of what she had said had never even crossed her mind. She stayed down for a moment before finally rising to her paws and coming to stand beside the leader. She looked up at her, a warmth shining in her eyes and went she sat down, she didn't hunch over or look around uneasily. She was, for once, at peace. "Thank you, Kestralstar..." she murmured, voice full of gratefulness.

[rivaxorus]

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[atrb=background,http://i559.photobucket.com/albums/ss40/Milkyface4455/Table2-1.jpg] Kestrelstar giggled a small bit and opened her mouth closing it again to look at the apprentice. The sight was beautiful, a once in the life time sort of thing unless you actually paid attention to the world. The leader stood tall and felt the wind breeze against her fur, her eyes drifted as the fireflies floated to the left where the wind took them. Kestrelstar smiled and swayed her head back and forth mildly. She hummed a bit of a tune, a fast one, but with the cause of a bit of mystery in it. The she-cat had heard this lullaby from her sister before. Although it wasn't quiet silent, as it was a fun beat to dance to. The fireflies moved on with the music, up and down, or at least that was how it seemed. When Kestrelstar stopped she crouched down and took in a deep breath, letting her chest take in as much air as it could and let it out. Stopping and pulling her ears forward as she closed her eyes, and let the world come to her. It was a few moment, before the darkness in her mind, became an array of colors. The fireflies had their scent, but also Kestrelstar could hear Frostpaw's heartbeat, feeling the earth underneath her, it all was quiet during the night. There was a small bird to her left, but it was best not to bother it. It wasn't just from scent, it was from her ears, any ordinary cat could learn this, so that in the smelliest of places they could pull out prey. It was the thought of blocking everything out, and it made a cat more agile within themselves. "Copy my movement, concentrate, and see what you can find." Kestrelstar whispered to Frostpaw in a soft voice, more of a instruction. What kind of mentor would she be if she didn't teach Frostpaw anything at all on an adventure like this no less, it would be the most stupid thing she had ever done that was for sure.

[Foxpaw]

Frostpaw watched the fireflies and listened to Kestralstar's humming, a soft smile on her face. She felt another stab of pride for her leader and her clan. This beautiful land was her home, and she'd fight for it, for her clanmates. She wanted her kits to grow up and see this place, to love it like she did. This certainly wasn't a night she'd forget anytime soon.

The white she-cat watched her mentor carefully, trying her hardest to take in everything she was doing. She followed her instructions quickly. She closed her eyes and tried to use her newfound peace to concentrate. Usually, her mind was a whirlwind of worry and nervousness but here with her mentor, she felt better than she had in ages. Her closed eyes knitted in frustration as she tried to pinpoint something, anything. Finally, there it was. Just barely she could hear some kind of creature, and her eyes shot open excitedly.

[rivaxorus]

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[atrb=background,http://i559.photobucket.com/albums/ss40/Milkyface4455/Table2-1.jpg] Kestrelstar smiled at her apprentice. She learned quick and that was a good sign. The leader raised her head as the small bird fluttered into the air and flew off into the night. What everything in nature could show them, was so interesting and true. "You can learn alot from just listening, not just from stories, but the things around you. Animals, bugs, all of it, they have their own way to live and if we learn that, we survive better and become stronger" Kestrelstar explained to the small she-cat. Flicking her tail she turned towards the fireflies. "So what do you think of your home so far?" After all Frostpaw hadn't spoken much, not as much as her mentor that was for sure. Kestrelstar believed in listening as well as telling.

[Foxpaw]

Frostpaw nodded intently, still thoughtful. She could see that. It was an interesting theory, to say the least. She could hear her sister scoffing at it now, but, for once, she didn't care. And Kestralstar was the smartest cat she had ever met.

At this, the usually shy apprentice perked. It was a question she had never been asked in her short life, so it had taken her a bit by surprise, but she was eager to answer. "I love it! Its got to be the most beautiful and amazing of the four territories. Talk about something worth fighting for," she purred, mismatches eyes bright.

[rivaxorus]

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[atrb=background,http://i559.photobucket.com/albums/ss40/Milkyface4455/Table2-1.jpg] Kestrelstar laughed a bit, lowering her body. "It isn't just the territory you have to protect, it's your family. No matter how excluding anyone may be, they are what make you, you. And I surely believe that you will be the best warrior you can ever be. If you ever need anything, don't be afraid to ask." The leader raised her head finally and took in a deep breath. Letting the wind carry her fur, the moon shined on her like a spotlight. As the fireflies gathered around her. Kestrelstar began to sing a soft lullaby song. "I remember tears streaming down your face When I said, I'll never let you go When all those shadows almost killed your light I remember you said, Don't leave me here alone But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight Just close your eyes The sun is going down You'll be alright No one can hurt you now Come morning light You and I'll be safe and sound" Kestrelstar stopped and jumped forward, making the fireflies scatter around, as she skipped across the fields. She stopped at the edge of a rifting streams. Where she turned and went back a little bit to make sure she was still in the fields. The fireflies made the top of the hill glow, a green illumination glow. Kestrelstar, leader, and protector of Riverclan.

[Foxpaw]

My family... It was a new realization to the she-cat. She wasn't alone. She didn't just have Emberpaw left. Every cat in RiverClan was part of her family, her's to protect, to fight for, to die for. A fierce determination settled in her heart. Again, her mentor was right. These cats did make her who she was, and they were her family. How could she ask for anything better? Because right now, being her was pretty good in a way it had never been before. She saw her life in a whole new light. She wouldn't change over night. It would take longer for her to become the cat she was meant to be. But this was a start.

Frostpaw listened to her mentor's song, eyelids drooping slightly. Of course, she startled awake when she jumped up, and she watched her run admiringly. After a couple heartbeats, she bounded after her, skipping to a halt a few steps in front of where she stopped. She paused for a moment, looking from firefly to firefly and going cross-eyed as one landed on her nose.

[rivaxorus]

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[atrb=background,http://i559.photobucket.com/albums/ss40/Milkyface4455/Table2-1.jpg] Kestrelstar watched the apprentice and laughed as the firefly landed on her nose. Before blowing on her and looking towards the way to camp. It was getting late and Frostpaw would need her sleep. Beside's, they would need to do more training later on and Kestrelstar wanted to show her some fighting moves before moving on to others things. The leader would have to let her sleep in, but she was completely fine with that. The leader stopped for a moment, and stepped forward. "We better get home, we need our rest for tomorrow. Don't want to go without sleeping, it's bad for your health" Kestrelstar commented. As she began walking back over the hill to take the turn towards the territory. The leader looked back to make sure Frostpaw was following.