To Feel the Sun [Open]

[xxdarky.]

Paws padded heavily on the earth floor, not caring whether prety around them heard the tomcat or not. Ghostpaw was in no mood for hunting right now anyway. Above him, a strong wind rustled to leaves of the Oak Trees. The forest was pretty dark for it being daylight, the canopy was doing its job of blocking out the light that should be falling through to the ground.

As he walked, Ghostpaw scuffed the ground with his paws. Boredom engulfed him, and he didn't exactly feel like hunting at the moment, hunting was something he avoided. The wind whipped at his semi-long dark gray fur as he walked, trying desperately to find something to do. Everything seemed quiet, and still except for the birds that chirped high in the trees, away from the ground where claws could end their lives. Ghostpaw tilted his head up, his gray eyes gazing upwards at the dark canopy above. Here and there were small pockets of light, some of them getting all the way down to the forest floor to make a little sun patch. The apprentice itched to warm his fur in the bright sunlight, but the spots were to small to do it properly.

Then the thought came. Would he be able to get to the light through the canopy? He thought of what he could see if he sat up there. The trees would look amazing, all their leaves underneath him instead of above him. The idea caught him like a hook, and in a matter of no time he was careening himself up the trunk of a tree, his claws digging into the bark.

When he made it to the first branch, he paused and looked up, seeing how far he would have to go. There were a few more branches until he would get into some thick leaves and then probably a few after that until he was up and over. The tom gave a quick nod, telling himself that this would be a peice of cake. He then bunched his muscles, and lept to the next branch, his claws scrabbling to get a hold on the bark to keep him up.

Ghostpaw kept jumping from branch to branch, sometimes using the trunk to move himself upward instead. Soon enough he was in clusters of leaves. Twigs and sticks jabbed at him as he carefully picked his way through the mess. He was on a mission to get to the top and he wouldn't stop just because some spike was jabbing at him. Ghostpaw kept moving upwards. The sunlight was becoming more and more and Ghostpaw could see the end, the light! But there were no branches that reached that high without having leaves shade him from the sun. Ghostpaw grunted and looked around, his eyes feircly trying to find a branch that would let him lay and soak the sun in his fur. There were none.

With an angry look on his face, Ghostpaw plopped down on the branch he was on. His front paws hung over the edge, and his tail swayed limply behind him. He mine as well get some sunlight after that journey all the way up here.

[89darkthorn89]

Bloodkiss had been bored, to bored. She had left camp, planning to go hunting, but, instead, she had found an apprentice. Bloodkiss decided to track him, see how much her tracking skills had deteriorated. But the grey apprentice had soon made it clear that he wasn't hunting either, seeing how much noise he made. Bloodkiss had tracked him easily tell she got to the tree.

Bloodkiss looked up, wandering if she had been correct, or if she was just seeing things. If she had been correct, he must've gone quite high, because her keen eyes couldn't pick anything out among the gloominess. Silently she cursed herself. She didn't know anyone's names! She had been there for nearly a moon, and she didn't know anyone's names. Except for Faintstar, she liked him.

"Errrr... Hello?" Bloodkiss called awkwardly to the leaves swaying above her. She leapt up to the first branch, still looking upward, her scarlet tail swinging below her. She scrambled up a few more branches, quietly wonder if she was just making a fool of herself, if the apprentice had discovered her tracking and was playing a prank. She sighed. Well, I guess I just won't know then! She thought determinedly, clawing her way up. She sat to rest a moment. She remembered climbing with her old clan, climbing was good. Getting stuck in a tree wasn't. To her disliking, she had discovered these differences many times.

[xxdarky.]

Ghostpaw hadn't expected a vistor. As soon as the voice flew up the tree to his ears, Ghostpaw stiffened. It wasn't that he didn't want any company, it was more that he didn't recognize that the voice had called out the soft Hello. The gray tom opened his mouth and scented the air. There was a bit of StormClan, but something else mixed in, something familier...

Then it came to him, the cat that had joined the clan not to long ago. What was her name? Bloodkiss. It was her scent that lingered in the air around him. He could hear her coming up the tree now, her claws scraping, she was moving upwards fast. Ghostpaw flicked his ears, and hoped to StarClan he had the name right. "Bloodkiss?" he called, his voice questioning. His eyes peered down through the thick coverage, but he couldn't see anything, yet. The apprentice latched his claws onto the branch and strained his neck further, just a glimpse of the figure could tell him if he was right or not, but he couldn't make out anything but the dark leaves.

[89darkthorn89]

Bloodkiss blanched in surprise. She didn't even dream to think anyone knew her name, she was surprised when someone even noticed she existed! 'Ummm... Yea," She mewed quietly, starting to claw her way upthe tree again. She was delighted, someone knew her name, AND she wasn't being pranked! It was getting sunnier, Bloodkiss missed the sun.

Soon the apprentice was in sight. She huffed herself to the branch directly in front of him. She sat there for a couple seconds, just enjoying the sun on her face and pelt. The branches were thinning here, and for a fleeting second she wondered if the branch could support her weight. She waved the thought away, she was slender enough for this branch to support her and the apprentice, the fact she had just started eating properly also helped her dilemma. A still-open wound in her back leg started bothering her, but she pushed that concept away to. She was peaceful.

"So, do all Stormclan cats climb trees? You're the first I've seen doing this. Also, I believe I'll have to ask your name." She only opened her eyes to focus on the grey cat in front of her when she mentioned the name. She tried to monitor her feelings enough that none of her embarrassment showed in her eyes. She tried not to focus on his eyes, her hazel eyes sometimes seemed to unnerve cats, and she just wanted to talk to the tom.

[xxdarky.]

The leaves rustled, and the ginger she-cat appeared in front of Ghostpaw's face. The tom smiled slightly, letting his gray eyes follow her as she settled on the branch next to him. He could feel something coming off her fur, was it excitement? Ghostpaw shrugged the thought away, he wouldn't probe at the she-cats feelings.

"I'm Ghostpaw," he said, not caring that she didn't know his name. It was easy for the gray apprentice to memorize her name, there was only one of her, now for Bloodkiss, it must be hard. There were many cats in the clan that she would have to learn the names and faces of. The apprentice didn't blame her for being at a loss for his calling.

"I wouldn't exactly say all StormClan cats climb trees, I mean, of course they can, but it's not something we do often," Ghostpaw said in reply to the she-cat warrior's question. There was a small note of chuckle in his voice, a happiness that was always surrounding the apprentice. He always tried to wear a smile, and he found that when he did, not only was he happy the majority of his time, but that the cats that surrounded him were happy as well.

"So, it must be hard coming into the clan. How are you getting along?" he asked, making small talk for the time being. He pricked his ears, he was interested in her reply. He had been born in StormClan, while many other cats had ventured here from far away. He didn't know what it was like to adapt to a new setting. He wanted to know. He sat eagerly awaiting her answer, his gray eyes probing her.

[A.K.A [Dez]]

OOC: Mind if I join? ^^;;

f l i c k e r p a w



One paw in front of the other; steady...
Flickerpaw was stalking a mouse, ears pricked to detect its movemens and whiskers twitching slightly. This wasn't just practice, this was her own personal test so she could gauge her skills. If she could catch this, she'd know she was on the right path. Every piece of prey Flickerpaw tracked was caught in this manner; it was just a habit of hers. But what she hadn't planned for was the wind to change. A sudden breeze blew towards the mouse, carrying cat scent with it. It had been so humid and still lately, she hadn't expected the winds to return and get in the way of her hunting. The mouse took off, making the leaf litter rustle. Flickerpaw, upset by nature's interference, sped after it. The prey dived into a hole at the base of a tree, and, unable to stop, Flickerpaw collided with the trunk face-first. "Ooh, ouch..." she mumbled, backing up. A few stray leaves fluttered to the ground, shaken loose by her out-of-control crash into the tree. Pricking up her ears, Flickerpaw thought she heard something from up above. It sounded like voices, familiar ones at that. She called, "Hullo? Are StormClan cats up there?"

[xxdarky.]

The voice brought up the tree's trunk was familiar, and Ghostpaw was able to identify it right away. Flickerpaw was below them, and hearing her voice made the smile on his face widen.

Flickerpaw, Sparrowpaw, Heartpaw and Ghostpaw were probably the tightest group of apprentices in the clan. Close-knit, the four stuck together through the worst of things and the best of things. Ghostpaw couldn't remember a moment when the four of them didn't help each other through their troubles and weren't there for the others. So, when Flickerpaw's voice found its way up to Ghostpaw's ears, the apprentice was happy to see his friend hanging around. He had left the camp this morning without saying good morning, and it was good to see Flickerpaw up and about.

"Flickerpaw!" Ghostpaw called down, his voice showing his friendliness. "It's Ghostpaw," he said, and then quickly added, "And Bloodkiss." The gray apprentice switched his gaze from looking down into the tree canopy to the cat that sat near him. He gave her a smile and then looked down once more, waiting for his friends reply.

[ooc;; I said that they were friends from our little plot idea, if we don't want it to work that way, I can edit the post.]

[A.K.A [Dez]]

Flickerpaw blinked, trying to see past the sunlight that was starting to blaze down from the canopy. She heard a voice, and knew for sure who it was...
"Oyyy! Ghostpaw! Did you turn into a squirrel without me noticing?" she yowled, starting to scramble up the tree trunk. Flickerpaw wasn't the best climber of the bunch, but she hung on stubbornly until she made it to a branch where she could pause for a moment. "Hello, Bloodkiss. I had no idea that you two were up here!" she mewed, looking around. "Speaking of which...what are you guys doing here?" Flickerpaw knew that Bloodkiss had joined StormClan a little while ago, but she hadn't talked to her very much...besides the warrior-apprentice gap, she wasn't sure what her personality was like in the first place. Nearly everyone else in the Clan she had known from birth, like Ghostpaw. Flickerpaw worked her way up the tree some more, coming to rest on a branch opposite her friend. Looking down at the groud, she gulped and then turned her attention back to the two other cats. A head for heights was one thing she didn't have.

[Your Raveneshness 0.o]

Ooc-Mind if I join? ^_*

Ravenstreak was taking a walk. He sniffed, hard, and sent a mouse scurrying out of a bush. Ravenstreak quickly bunched his mucles up, his glossy pelt shining in the sunlight. He pounced, and just missed. He snuffed, sticking his tail strait up and briskly trotting away, trying to act like a deputy, and not an apprentice. He sniffed again, quietly this time, and smelled some cats. He dropped into a stalk, slowly creeping forward through the thick undergrowth. He stopped at a tree, looking up he spotted Bloodkiss and Ghostpaw.

"Why, hello up there! Having fun?"

Ravenstreak purred. His green eyes were sparkling with enthusiasim, and he had a sudden temptation to leap up the tree and join their conversation. Then he looked over his shoulder and spotted Flickerpaw. He flicked his tail at the young apprentice.

"Well, this is quite the little group you guys have got here!"

Ravenstreak's black tabby tail swished over the soft ground, like an answer to his friendly statement, sending leaves flying everywhere. Suddenly, a paw flashed out, and one of the leaves flew up and leanded next to Bloodkiss.

"Well, opps! Sorry..."

Ravenstreak mumbled, embarresed. He looked up at the two cats, with amusement now glinting in his eyes. This was a perfect day. Suddenly, the thought struck him.

"Would any of you like to go on the sunhigh patrol with me?"

Ravenstreak called, his voice swaying from tone to tone like the wind chourusing with the trees. He was exited, too exited. He hoped no one noticed that his paws were twitching, like they were trying there hardest to send him dashing through the Oak Grove until he reached camp. But, being deputy, he had to resist that temptation.

[89darkthorn89]

Bloodkiss sighed, she didn't know half these cats, though she tucked Ghostpaw's name away for further notice, she liked the grey tom. She sat for a few more seconds, resting her tired muscles, she still wasn't recuperated enough to be running around all day, but she liked it. She enjoyed the sun for another moment, raising her face to it's rays. Se reluctantly opened her eyes, also opening her mind to the world again after her peaceful break. She blinked apologetically. "Well, I liked talking to you, Ghostpaw, I'll leave you in good paws then." She meowed, raising to her feet. She leaped nimbly down from the branches, she had climbed a lot in her past, and enjoyed it, it was one of her skills.

She hit the ground silently, somewhat resentful that so many cats had been hunting, and had interrupted her conversation. She didn't feel that comfortable around all the Stormclan cats right now. And she had enjoyed learning about them, and chatting to someone who'd been born there, someone who cared. She opened her eyes, not realizing she'd shut them, and padded towards the black cat that stood in front of her. She sighed, "Well, how long is this patrol? I should be getting back to camp." But she had already made up her mind,and was trotting opposite from the tall tree she had shared her first conversation in. She looked back at the tom, "Well, coming?" She mewed playfully, starting to walk again. Then she looked back, tilting her head and peering at Ravenstreak through squinted piercing eyes.

"You're the Deputy, aren't you?"

[A.K.A [Dez]]

Flickerpaw blinked, wondering whether the she-cat didn't like all the company. She supposed it had just been Ghostpaw and Bloodkiss before she showed up. Hmph. Ghostpaw was her friend, after all, there was no reason she shouldn't have come to talk. Flickerpaw leaped down from branch to branch, thudding to the ground on four paws. "I can come if you need an extra cat to help out." she mewed, padding forward and yawning slightly. The heat of the day was making her a little sleepy, but a bit of good excersize should clear that up. "Well, it was very peaceful until we showed up, Ravenstreak!" she exclaimed jokingly. "I think we're the third wheels in this situation." Flickerpaw stretched, arching her spine into a curve. She was half-wondering if that was true, but decided to stash that thought away for later. Sparrowpaw was the one who liked long discussions and complicated situations ("The plot thickens!" was pretty much his catchphrase), not her. Flickerpaw looked back up at Ghostpaw, flicking her tail expectantly. "You wanna come along as well, Ghostpaw? It'd actually be more fun if we all went." She glanced over at Ravenstreak and Bloodkiss, bliking at them with round green eyes. She hoped it'd be okay; she loved being with friends.

[Your Raveneshness 0.o]

Ravenstreak sighed. "Yes, I am the deputy. MY name is Ravenstreak, and you, " Ravenstreak pointed at Bloodkiss with a front paw, "must be Bloodkiss? So, would any of you like to go on the sunhigh patrol? UNless...nevermind." Ravenstreak was going on and on, and he could see that he was embarresing himself. Ravenstreak thought that he wasn't being the best deputy. He thought that no one would think that he was deputy. He shook his head slightly. HJIs eyes were dull, and his fur now ragged and dirty-looking. It was smuthered in mud, making him blend in with the tree. RAvenstreak started pacing, noding his head like he was thinking or giving the signal that the cats here could give an answer.

[xxdarky.]

Just as the cats started to arive, Bloodkiss decided to leave. Ghostpaw could feel the uncomfortable feeling that rested on her fur. He understood, she didn't trust all the clan cats yet. Empathy grew inside of his chest, and the young apprentice wondered what it would be like if he hadn't been born in the clan, and hadn't known almost all of the cats here from his birth. The gray tom shook the thought away though when Ravenstreak spoke of the patrol. His ears pricked up and he got to his paws, the thin branch swaying beneath him a bit.

A patrol would be great. Something to do instead of just soaking up the sun in his fur. Maybe something exciting would happen, although he doubted it. Ghostpaw, his paws already ready to dash off brought him down the tree, leaping from one branch to another, his claws digging in before he landed roughly on the ground, his large clumsy paws stumbling a bit underneath him. He hope no cats were hoping to hunt here, because he just scared all the prey away.

Ghostpaw straightened himself, and flexed his shoulders, his muscles--that were large for an apprentice of his age--rolling under his coat. A smile was on his face like usual, and his eyes sparkled in anticipation for the patrol. "Yeah, I'd love to go!" he said, his voice showing off his pleasure.

[89darkthorn89]

Bloodkiss was horrified, all these cats!! But really it was only two she didn't know, and she had just volunteered to go with one! Seh finally convinced herself, it couldn't be that bad, and she needed to learn about them anyway! She dropped back as they all started walking forward, back to... Ghostpaw? Yes, it was Ghostpaw. "In answer to your question, Ghostpaw, it's fine, but so confusing!" She flashed him a genuine grin and padded forward, back to her place behind Ravenstreak.


"Sooo... where to?"

Yes, I do know that was pathetically short, but I couldn't think of anything else. =P

[Your Raveneshness 0.o]

Ravenstreak looked up at Ghostpaw and chuckled when he saw the smile on his face. It was quite amusing. The deputy looked at Bloodkiss, sensing the uncomortable feeling that came with her. Then he looked at Flickerpaw. He asked her, since she just came from camp, "Flickerpaw, have you seen Heartpaw lately? I would like to speak with her about training." And while, at the same time as he had all of this enthusiasim, he could understand Bloodkiss's uncomfortable feeling. All of these cats, young appretnices and a young warriror, Ravenstreak suddenly felt the burden of taking care of the entire clan like a leader.

Although Ravenstreak was the first runner-up, or whatecer you wnated to call it, he would be leader some day unless he died. He shuddered of the thought. As he slowly came back into reality, Ravenstreak realized that he had wandered around the tree and into a totally different place! He got an idea. "Are you guys coming?" He called over his shoulder. "Oh, Bloodkiss, we are going on a border patrol, maybe we will go on Ravenclan's territory...? Where were you planning on wanting to go?" Ravenstreak's voice called back again to Bloodkiss.