{sweet serendipity}open

[Bast]

I’m always landing on my feet
In the nic of time
And by the skin of my teeth
I ain’t gonna stress
Cause the worst ain’t happened yet
Somethings watching over me

HOW anybody could stay in camp on a day like today was beyond Daypaw. Birds chirped in the trees, a playful breeze tumbled through the skies and pushed fluffy white clouds across a stunningly blue sky. Daypaw couldn't take it anymore, after her morning training she'd snuck away from the other apprentices and bounded off into the forest. She had to make the most of today before springtime rains rolled in and made everything grey and droopy. Right now everything was so fully of life and energy that Daypaw simply couldn't ignore it. She'd done some of her practice with Blazeheart while Dragonstar was way taking care of a solo dawn patrol. He hadn't said why she couldn't come, only that she was to stay in camp until he came and got her. Daypaw had practiced some stalking moves, namely using Blazeheart's tail as her target. He hadn't been too happy and had sent her off to clean the elders den. Well, with that job done, Daypaw had found a chance to sneak off and have some fun.

BOUNDING through the foliage, she, for once, thanked StarClan for her small size. Being petite allowed her to slip through the dense TigerClan foliage, her paws barely making a sound as she wove through forests of ferns, dense growths of trees and tangles of vines. It was fun, pretending she was on a patrol and stalking enemies that clung to the shadows. Daypaw pretended she was the brave leader of TigerClan, creeping through the foliage with an escort of a few select warriors, stalking trespassers. She practiced her crouch, carefully placing her paws as she crept through the moss and leaf litter, determiend not to make a sound as she and her invisible patrol stalked their equally invisible enemies. Creeping up behind a huge fern, Daypaw narrowed her eyes in concentration, tail whipping through the air as she wiggled her rump in anticipation to leap, carefully judging the distance and determined to capture the "enemy" hiding behind the fern's big fronds.

"GOTCHA!" Daypaw growled, leaping at the ferns green leaves.

NATURALLY her body weight broke through the leaves and sent the little apprentice tumbling tail over whiskers. What she hadn't realized was that there was a small creek beyond the fern, too focused on her stalking to notice that she'd gotten so close to a creek. So little Daypaw tumbled down the embankment and splashed into the shallow creek. She was nowhere near drowning, the water not even coming up to her nose as she landed sprawled on her belly in the water.

"OOMPH!" Daypaw gasped, the air forced out her lungs as she splashed into the water.

SITTING up and giving her head a shake, droplets of water clinging to her whiskers like diamonds, Daypaw cast a quick glance around, hoping none of her "enemies" had spied her tumble. Satisfied she was indeed alone, Daypaw got up and gave herself a shake. It was more just to fling water around and watch them whirl through the air and glitter in the dappled sunlight that fell through the gaps in the forest's canopy than to really get dry. Being a tiger, Daypaw had no problems with getting wet and actually enjoyed it quite a bit. Playing in water, well, that was a whole other matter. That was simply addicting.

GRINNING to herself the young apprentice began to stalk the tiny fish that flitted between the riverbed stones and the newts that made their homes under rocks. She splashed through the water, occasionally raking her paw through the water just to watch it fly and splash. Little rainbows occasionally were cast over the water, making Daypaw giggle in delight. Swiping her tongue around her maw to get the water drops off her whiskers, Daypaw stood in the creek and grinned at her rippling reflection. Her fur stuck up at odd angles thanks to her play but there was a happy light in her hazel eyes an innocence in her grin that she hoped never to lose.

LAYING down in the creek again, water rushing around her sides and surging over her paws, Daypaw giggled and lapped up a drink of the cool creekwater.

YES, today was simply too beautiful to stay in camp.

[/justify]

Tagged;; Open
Word Count;; 710
Background Song;; "Live Like You Were Dying" by Kris Allen
Notes;;

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[crush]

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[atrb=background,http://i52.tinypic.com/2ql4pdw.jpg] Dragonstar had been distracted, meandering along the border at a slower pace than normal, than doubling back, half hoping there would be claw marks on the trees. He'd turned away before he got there, though. He shouldn't be hoping for them, and he knew that. He had an apprentice to train now, after all. He wasn't quite sure why he'd taken on the little furball, considering he'd never quite know what to do with young cats. Apprentices, for the most part, he could manage as long as they just did what they were told and didn't bother him. Kits, on the other hand, or the apprentices that still reminded him of kits, like Daypaw, those he wasn't sure about anything. He couldn't get mad at them, or even around them really, which he supposed was a good thing, but he didn't really know how to be consciously caring, only indifferent. They never meant much to him, they were never more than warriors-to-be in his mind because he held no connection to them. They stayed away like everyone else. Maybe if they didn't, he'd be kinder, or he'd learn how to let loose and relax now and then. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Always maybes. He was never daring enough to see what really would happen, prefer to stick to the multiple theories of what could. He paused in the brush as he heard rustling. It was soft, a smaller creature who didn't have the weight to be too noisy, though the feline wasn't exactly trying to hide the noise. He flinched back in sudden shock at the loud yell and tumble, taking a moment to realize it was Daypaw's voice. He was upwind, he'd never have scented her even if he tried. Then there was a soft splash as she landed in the stream, now in his sight, and for a moment he just watched, wondering. He'd never been like that, never given himself a break. It was always training and sleeping alternating back and forth with no change in the routine, except the varying lengths he did each. He wasn't even sure if he'd be able to be so relaxed like that, mind always jumping to the question of if someone was watching from the shadows. Paranoia, some called it, but he knew it didn't go that far. It was simple, trained caution. When she settled back down into the water, he finally slipped out quietly, looking down at her, though not with anger or disappointment like one might expect of him. Stories always got exaggerated anyway, so it shouldn't be much of a surprise when he wasn't as bad as they said. I do believe I told you to wait in camp for me unless another warrior took you out. He murmured softly, a soft growl in his words that wasn't threatening, just an annoyance that she hadn't listened. He would go and land himself with one who went against orders, though. It was just his type of luck. Not that he'd done it on purpose. He'd just sort of thought maybe he should have another apprentice, something to keep him busy, something to keep him connected to his clan before he pulled away entirely and ended up leaving. He needed a tie or two, just like everyone else. He just didn't seem like he did. And his only tie right now, it was not within the clan itself, but within lionclan. In his mind, this was Daypaw's purpose. Not to learn and grow and become a strong, good, loyal warrior. No, he simply wanted her there so that he would stay. If it didn't help... well, nothing else would, he didn't think.

[Bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i55.tinypic.com/2qjvhg1.jpg ] DAYPAW caught the scent of her a moment before he descended upon her, slithering from the shadows like a silent white ghost, until he spoke. "I do believe I told you to wait in camp for me unless another warrior took you out." Uh-oh. Flinching just a touch and laying her ears flat against her head in a manner proper for an indolent apprentice, Daypaw slowly got to her feet and turned to look at her mentor. Like always he was hard to read. There was no laughter in his eyes, nor anger or any other real emotion. He looked a bit annoyed but otherwise it seemed like she could have taken a flying leap off of a fifty foot cliff and he wouldn't have noticed. Daypaw had no idea what to do with her mentor...she'd heard all the stories and seen him around camp, she knew he was difficult and emotionally withdrawn but she was only an apprentice and a new one at that! How did she handle someone like Dragonstar? Right now she'd just have to go with the apologetic apprentice act. She wasn't sorry. It was a beautiful day, not a day to be holed up in camp waiting for her mentor to come back, and who knew how long that would take? If she'd known he'd been closer or he'd just taken her with him, she wouldn't have had to break the rules so really Daypaw didn't see how she was in the wrong here. Most apprentices practically lived in their mentor's shadows but Dragonstar never seemed...interested in her and, well, that didn't do a lot for Daypaw's ego, not that she'd let anyone know that it kind of hurt. "I'M sorry Dragonstar," Daypaw mumbled, looking at the water rushing around her paws and shuffling her feet on the river stones. "Its just...it was nice out and, well, everybody was busy doing things and I felt silly sitting in camp by myself...I didn't know when you would be back so I thought..." THOUGHT what? Daypaw stalled. Thought she'd catch a big prey and impress her mentor with her hunting skills? Track and fight a loner and impress everyone with her strength and cunning? "...I thought I would practice my hunting, I didn't mean to go so far from camp," Daypaw finished somewhat lamely. IF she told Dragonstar she'd just wanted to enjoy the nice weather, he probably would have scoffed and never looked at her again. She'd probably then spend the rest of her apprenticeship cleaning the elders den and fetching water or babysitting kits when the queens got antsy. Daypaw loved kits and she loved elders but that wasn't how she wanted to spend her apprenticeship. She wanted to learn to fight, to track, to climb, to hunt. She wanted all of these skills that Dragonstar was known for so that someday she too could become a great TigerClan leader and be strong and smart, and hopefully pretty, and know everything she needed to know to make the best decisions. If she told the truth, Dragonstar wouldn't teach her a thing because he'd just think she was a silly kit-brained she-cat that couldn't follow orders and wasn't worth teaching anything. "IT won't happen again," Daypaw promised, looking up earnestly at her mentor, willing him to believe her even though she knew it was probably a lie. All the older apprentices went hunting at night sometimes or lounged in the trees instead of patrolling when their mentors let them go alone, she knew someday the temptation would come upon her and being a creature of temptation, Daypaw would probably not always adhere to Dragonstar's rules. If he ignored her all the time, it could only be fair that she ignore him sometimes too. Tagged;; Dragonstar <3 Word Count;; 627 Background Song;; "She's a Wild One" by Faith Hill Notes;; :3

[crush]

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[atrb=background,http://i52.tinypic.com/2ql4pdw.jpg] He watched the reaction with little emotion, just reading her as best he knew how, still trying to sort out what kind of tiger she was. Her personality, her values. He had yet to find out, and he needed to. By the end of this apprenticeship, he intended to know her just as well as she knew herself, if not better. He waited and patiently let her try to explain. She seemed scared, or at least nervous. Like she thought he'd get angry, yell or hit her or something. Some sort of punishment. He intended to do nothing of the sort, of course. After all, what better way to judge another than by leaving them gaping for answers and finding none, then watch and see how they reacted with nothing to go off of? However, he relented, and finally gave her something, something small. The slightest look of approval, though he didn't believe a word of it. The point was she had the guts to try and lie to him. Many didn't. Then you won't mind demonstrating and catching us something small to snack on before we do some training.. He wasn't going to let her get away with her little lie. Sure, she had sort of been practicing hunting, but not seriously and that made all the difference. He wouldn't openly tell her her knew, of course. That would spoil the fun, and if she noticed it would prove her to be observant and intelligent, at least to a degree. It could all be a test, every little thing. And she'd get used to it, if she ever realized. He settled back on his haunches as he waited for her response, watching expectantly. He wondered if she'd take it, if she'd be embarrassed and tell him the truth, or if she'd complain. Or perhaps something else. He wasn't sure yet, but he'd like to see. His attention was fully on her, though he seemed like he hardly cared, like he wasn't really paying much attention. If she wanted to know anything about how he was truly thinking, she'd have to earn it. Willowleaf had by not turning and walking away, at least not without her being the angry, or upset, one. He wasn't beyond pushing even his own apprentice away if she would let him. It wouldn't be intentional, of course. It would start one day, small, hardly noticeable. Then, a moon later, maybe two, he'd look back and realize she'd walked away, as much as she could until she was made a warrior anyway. He'd be sad, for a moment, and then he'd move on, like he always did. It was the circle of his life, a never ending cycle that just repeated itself time and time again. Except once, one special time it had been different. And perhaps that made all the difference, seeing as he found himself vaguely optimistic, something that hadn't happened in quite some time.

[Bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i55.tinypic.com/2qjvhg1.jpg ] "THEN you won't mind demonstrating and catching us something small to snack on before we do some training." "UHH..." Daypaw stammered, blinking in surprise. She'd expected Dragonstar to be...at least angry with her for disobeying. At least right now he didn't look mad so, Daypaw decided to do as he said, even though her last attempt at hunting had ended with her missing her prey by a mile. "Okay, I'll do that then," Daypaw meowed with a firm nod, determined to make Dragonstar at least not think she was incompatent. LEAPING out of the water, Daystar knew she would have to go a little bit from the water after all the noise she'd made. Half hoping Dragonstar wouldn't follow and embarrass her, Daypaw set off into the ferns and trees. She tried to keep her steps as silent as possible. With all the stuff on the forest floor, sticks and leaves and such, it was really hard. Still Daypaw was determined to try so she kept her belly close to the ground and tried to step over the clusters of dry leaves or brittle twigs. It was hard to remember to avoid all of the noisy foliage while trying to find a prey scent. For several minutes, Daypaw snooped through the undergrowth in search of prey until she caught the scent of a deer, a fawn or yearling maybe. Swiping her tongue around her maw, Daypaw snuck closer to a wall of ferns and droped to the ground in a hunter crouch. PEEKING through the fronds of the ferns, the young apprentice looked for the deer. It stood amongst bushes, one full of berries serving to sate the deer's hunger as it munched from the plant. It was small, a young deer. Excitement zipped through Daypaw as she anticipated the hunt. This would certainly show Dragonstar how good of a huntress she was. It was perfect! SPRINGING through the undergrowth Daypaw shot toward the unsuspecting prey. The deer gave a terrified bleat, wheeled away and started to run. Daypaw's leap fell short but as soon as her paws hit the ground, she was running after the deer. She had to do this! Dragonstar had said small game but this, Daypaw was determined to catch it. The fawn wasn't as fast as an adult, but neither was Daypaw as fast as an adult tiger. Through the undergrowth, the pair ran as fast as they could. Daypaw breathed hard and her muscles burned with the thrill of the hunt as she slowly gained ground. Leaping up to try and latch on to the deer's haunch, her claws sank into the tough fur and skin but her grip didn't hold as the deer bleated in pain and wheeled to the right. Daypaw was sent flying. THE tigress hit the ground and rolled through the foliage until a sturdy tree trunk brought her to an unpleasant halt. All the air in Daypaw's lungs rushed out in a loud huff as she laid sprawled on her belly, splay-legged with her head spinning, dizzy from the tumble and collision with the tree. Groaning, Daypaw told herself she was supposed to get up and find something but as soon as she raised her head, the world lurched and spun so she put it back down on the ground and closed her eyes, focusing instead on the feel of the tree bark against her fur and the springy moss and tough roots she was sprawled on. Tagged;; Dragonstar <3 Word Count;; 578 Background Song;; "Behind Blue Eyes" by The Who Notes;; :3

[crush]

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[atrb=background,http://i52.tinypic.com/2ql4pdw.jpg] Choosing to follow through with the request was a foolhardy option, even he knew her hunting skills currently lacked finesse, which was certainly needed. Every six moon old apprentice, even himself, was never really that good. They could show promise, certainly, with how fast they got better and their initial idea of technique, but that did not make them anywhere near good. Though, she still might be able to catch herself a rabbit or something of that general size. She was large enough that she should be faster by enough of a degree to catch something that small without assistance. Still, he had to give her points for sticking to her word even if it had been a lie. He let her slip away, let her think he was not following. Only then did he slip through the undergrowth after her, staying downwind where he could scent her, but not her him. He stalked her like she was prey, knowing he would be the most silent that way. Of course, his hunting skills often transferred over to other things. It was perhaps what made him so brilliant in battle, for he never used actual battle moves consistently. He opted instead to treat them like game, to battle with them through hunting techniques and it confused others enough to give him a clear advantage. He paused near her, though not within sight unless she was looking for him, as she spotted the deer. Well. That was a bad idea. Fawns, although slower, also had much more boundless energy, much more fight, just like cubs. Although it could not escape her through speed, the pure fear it would have as she settled upon it, that would make the creature dangerous and unpredictable. Even the strongest grip could potentially be shaken. With the older deer, they stayed in a straight line, making it a simple matter of holding on. The young ones, not so much. Still, he said nothing and she bolted after the creature. He following, loping along behind her, close enough to watch but not to interfere. She was gaining, but he'd known she would. The deer was not old enough to be faster, not yet. He was surprised it was alone, of course, but that meant little. Just like tiger cubs, fawns sometimes drifted away from their mothers and their groups. Had it not been a prey-predator relationship, Daypaw and this fawn probably would have been similar in enough ways to be friends. Well, provided they could communicate as well, of course. He watched as she leaped, though too soon. If she'd held off for just a few more moments, she would have landed more upon the shoulders and the fawn, under her weight, would have fallen or tired quickly. It would have been easier to grip, as well, as she'd have use of both fore and hind paws. He'd have to remind her of that. Then, she slid away and went flying as the fawn spun, just as he'd figured it would. Had he not wanted her to learn a lesson she would have learned at some point anyway, he would have been running to the right to keep the deer in line and given the poor apprentice a fighting chance. But she would not learn well enough if he were that kind. He was harsh, yes, but it was effective. They learned quicker, and then all they had to do was practice to make their technique perfect. The sooner they learned, the more time they had to do just that. He slowed as he neared her, watching her as he padded over and she tried to rise. She collapsed again though, and he came closer, a gentle paw on her shoulders to make sure she stayed down, at least for now, and then he took his paw off. He wasn't intending to hurt her, after all. To encourage her to stayed, he flopped down next to her, a little less gracefully than one would imagine, but he didn't care. Stay down, let the world right itself. You won't catch it now anyway, so panicked it's zigzagging around. He murmured, keeping his voice soft in case she'd hit her head. He knew how too hard of a hit to the head could skew things, make them more drastic than they were and make it consequently painful to hear loud voices, see bright lights, and such things as that. He settled his head down on his paws, eyes closing as he rested, though he hardly needed it. You jumped too soon. The rush makes you want to leap, I know, but you have to learn to ignore it and listen to sense. You wouldn't have overshot, you'd have hit its head before that happened. It's best to aim for the shoulders. It off balances, giving you more space to hold on, and allows you to be close enough to sink your teeth in around its neck. If it throws you then, it snaps its own neck as a result, providing you keep a hold with your teeth.

[Bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i55.tinypic.com/2qjvhg1.jpg ] THE feeling of Dragonstar's heavy paw roused Daypaw a bit but she didn't try to get up this time, opting instead to take her mentor's advice and let the world figure itself out. She felt bad for not catching the deer, she should have known the game was too big. The only problem was that if she'd settled for a rabbit or something small like he'd suggested, Daypaw knew she wouldn't have felt the challenge or the rush to hunt. She wouldn't have felt like she accomplished anything. She might have had more success, but it wouldn't have felt the same. In the end, Daypaw would have just felt like she'd taken the easy way out. Even as she laid over the tree roots and listened to her mentor give her a lecture about how she'd done things wrong and what she should do to fix it, Daypaw's hazel-green eyes fixed on his sideways figure. Her ears were perked up and alert as her mind absorbed Dragonstar's advice. As he said it, it was obvious in Daypaw's mind all the things she'd done wrong. SHE should have been more patient, planned her attack a little more instead of just rush it and get thrown. It didn't help much that even as an apprentice, she was a touch on the small side. Even if she'd gotten a good hold on the deer's neck and it had thrown her, her weight probably would not have broken its neck. Regardless Daypaw stored the thought away for when she actually grew into her big paws and gained some weight and muscle. Someday she would be able to take down deer with ease, the way Dragonstar and the other warriors always seemed to do. IF she didn't become a good huntress, how would Daypaw ever achieve her dream of becoming TigerClan's leader? She wouldn't. A leader had to be like Dragonstar and all the leaders before him, powerful fighters, stealthy hunters, sharp-nosed trackers. All of those things were important because a leader had to be the strongest, smartest, wisest cat in the clan in order to lead everyone. Daypaw couldn't imagine how Dragonstar did it but she wanted to learn. Being a little apprentice that couldn't even bring down a fawn was just not going to cut it in the future. Daypaw needed to be strong and capable like her mentor. So, she laid quietly and absorbed his teaching, storing it in her memory. She would make him proud, make him happy he took her under his wing. EVEN now Daypaw could clearly remember the excitement of just getting named an apprentice. She'd wanted a strong, capable warrior, one that would test her and make her better. Never in all her wildest dreams had Daypaw imagined Dragonstar would take her as his own apprentice. All the other apprentices had told her he was mean and didn't like apprentices or kits, that all he did was growl and skulk through the forest like he had something to hide. They'd told her he wasn't a very nice cat to know and not to even think about him as a possible mentor. When he'd said it at the ceremony, Daypaw could clearly remember fluffing up with excitement and grinning so hard her face hurt. She knew he didn't take many apprentices so Daypaw was determined to be the best apprentice ever for him. "I'LL do better next time," Daypaw informed her mentor, not a hint of hesitation in her voice. Unlike most apprentices, she refused to let one failure shake her. Failure wouldn't always happen. It just wasn't optional. Next time, she would get her prey. Determination lit the young eyes as Daypaw carefully sat up and grinned when the world didn't tilt or whirl and her belly didn't roll unpleasantly. Despite her tumble, she felt ready for more, her paws tingling with the need to be on the move and her nose again filling with the smells of potential prey. "Can I try again? Please?" She looked up at her stoic mentor, hazel eyes big and pleading, striped tail fluffed up in her excitement to try again. Tagged;; Dragonstar <3 Word Count;; 674 Background Song;; "Shout" by Tears for Fears Notes;; :3

[crush]

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[atrb=background,http://i52.tinypic.com/2ql4pdw.jpg] He watched her watching him as he spoke, even though he never turned his head to look at her, just used his peripherals. With her words. sure and confidant, he knew instantly she was right, that she would remember everything he said and use it to her advantage. She wasn't headstrong like some, determined she was right. She knew he had gotten to his position through pure hard work, and she was willing to accept that he knew more than her, and she wanted to know it all. The perfect attitude for learning, which was perhaps what he'd seen in her eyes that had made him change his mind about giving her to another. He wasn't actually sure, mind you, and he didn't think he ever would be. Then, she asked him, begged him even. He finally turned his head to look at her, watching her for a moment, eyes skimming over her, judging how much she'd been injured in the fall. As far as he could tell, she'd just been stunned and winded, though he'd certainly ask Nightshadow to keep an eye on her for the next day or two to make sure. Not that he'd tell Daypaw that, of course. She didn't need to know he was worried; he didn't quite trust her to know he cared. It could be used against him in the end, and he'd always been cautious with that sort of thing anyway. By now it was habit. He stood up again, ears flicking around a moment, scenting the wind, then nodding. Alright. There were some smaller deer this way earlier this morning; I doubt they've gone far. He understood it was a matter of pride to catch something larger; he hoped that one larger catch would satisfy her until she perfected her technique on smaller prey and grew a bit more. Due to her smaller size right now, larger prey was made all the more difficult. He had little doubt she realized that, somewhere in her mind. He just hoped she'd listen to that realization. He didn't need her getting herself killed, and she very well could with the larger creatures. Still, he said nothing of this to her as he took a few steps in the indicated direction, then paused, waiting for her to follow. If she looked off, he didn't care what her pride told her. He was helping, and she'd deal with it. If she seemed fine, he was content to let her try to take it down herself. For now, though, the main priority was to actually find prey to hunt. With the morning hunting party having already gone out, it would be a little more difficult, but not impossible. If they found nothing... No. He stopped himself from that thought. Taking her out of the territory and into rogue lands wouldn't be a wise thought, even though the prey was more plentiful there. He didn't trust her to keep her mouth shut about it, though she didn't seem too talkative. Yet, anyway.

[Bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i55.tinypic.com/2qjvhg1.jpg ] NEW energy settled into Daypaw's bones causing the young apprentice to hop to her feet without giving a thought to it. For a moment she got a bit of a head rush but shook it off, determined to show Dragonstar that she wasn't completely stupid and that she could become a great huntress. Nobody knew that it was her ambition to become a great leader someday, not even her mentor, and Daypaw sort of wanted to keep it that way. In some ways it would be like a grand surprise. Swiping her tongue around her maw, the little tigress gave herself a shake to get rid of any dust or grass in her pelt. Suddenly bounding with energy, Daypaw had to force herself not to take off in the direction her mentor indicated. She'd rushed last time, he'd told her that. Hunting required patience and even if it was hard she had to learn. Daypaw almost wished they would go ahead and start with fighting or maybe just tour the territory simply because patience was something Daypaw was still trying to get a handle on but she would have to learn this anyway. SNIFFING around for a few moments to try and find a deer scent, Daypaw found one that was slightly stale but with any luck, the pair of tigers would be able to track down the prey. Dropping low, Daypaw slunk through the foliage. This time she knew for sure Dragonstar would follow her, after the fiasco of last time. Daypaw tried not to focus too much on the fact that Dragonstar was slinking along behind her, she had to focus on the hunt and the scent. IT was difficult trying to avoid twigs and other noisy foliage. With the forest being in full bloom, large leaves from ferns and towering trees provided shadows for Daypaw to keep to but rains often brought down leaves and hard winds tended to break small branches so even though it was a growing season, the forest floor was a minefield of potentially noisy objects. Once her paw came down on a twig causing it to snap in two. The sharp snapping sound made her freeze in place, ears twitching, afraid to hear the sounds of a fleeing prey. For several long heartbeats she stood completely still and just listened, straining her ears to find out if she'd been discovered. For several minutes there was nothing. Silently letting out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, Daypaw slunk forward again until she came around a large tree and spotted a doe and its spot-furred fawn. ANOTHER shot of excitement fired through Daypaw. Her claws flexed in the springy moss and she nearly leaped right then and there, barely managing to stop herself. She forced herself to remember what Dragonstar had said, that she'd jumped too early last time and it had gottne her thrown. She had had a poor grip and not enough force in her leap. She had to be patient. But it was hard. Carefully placing one paw in front of the other, Daypaw tried to slink forward. A fern frond slid along her side, just barely loud enough to hear, making the young apprentice stop again. The doe raised its head, large dark eyes sweeping the clearing. Daypaw didn't dare to breathe. Not a muscle on her body twitched. From somewhere behind her, Daypaw heard a bird give an echoing call that shattered the quiet of the afternoon forest. A cautious mother, the doe began to nudge her fawn along, their quiet footfalls making Daypaw's ears twitch. She knew she should lunge and try to salvage the hunt before the doe and fawn vanished, but she couldn't make herself move. Her paws were rooted to the ground. The doe and its fawn slipped off into the denser portion of the forest. Clenching her jaw, Daypaw began to move again. She had to get that fawn! Maybe if she was lucky she oculd get a good grip on the mother but it was unlikely. Still, she could dream, right? IT took several minutes for Daypaw to get the fawn and its mother into sight again. Even more cautious than ever to not make a sound, Daypaw kept herself low to the ground and carefully placed her paws as she moved closer and closer to the grazing mother. The fawn was nearby, snufling through some plants, not quite old enough to try eating them yet. Thankfully there were a few feet between mother and baby. Not a lot of space but maybe Daypaw could just get a good hold on the baby before the mother realized what was going on. Daypaw took a step forward, the last step she needed before she would be close enough to spring. As her paw moved, her toes caught the very edge of a pebble and caust it to flip over. ALREADY wary from before, the doe took no chances this time. With a bleat of warning to its fawn, it began moving deeper still into the forest. The fawn didn't hesitate to follow, their graceful strides creating a vast distance in heartbeats. Desperate to salvage her hunt, Daypaw didn't think before she moved. In the blink of an eye the young tigress was leaping from her hiding place and bounding after the fleeing deer. For a few moments she chased them, no hope of catching them, before she finally stopped. Dejected and discouraged, Daypaw sat back heavily on her haunches and stared after the fleeing deer. She'd never do anything if this kept happening! She'd be lucky to be made a warrior! Tagged;; Dragonstar <3 Word Count;; 939 Background Song;; "Heart Like Memphis" by the Carter Twins Notes;; :3

[crush]

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[atrb=background,http://i52.tinypic.com/2ql4pdw.jpg] Dragonstar followed along, noting how she noticed each mistake she made. Even though he would have waited until after, he had nothing to say. She sorted it all out herself, from her movements after. So, he just followed, silently. At the second failed attempt, he raised his head as she bolted after them, but he didn't move any faster. She wouldn't catch them. The outright chase was for cheetahs in the open plains, not tigers in the jungles. He took his time catching up to her, she wasn't going anywhere. He paused, noticing how her mood had shifted. He remembered failure making him try even harder each and every time. But, then again, he'd always known one snippet of wisdom that he wasn't sure she did. And so, he came closer, tail tip flicking to rest on her shoulder as he looked down at her, not bothering to sit. He waited until she looked at him before speaking, even though she'd listen anyway. We learn from our mistakes, not our successes. The more mistakes you make, the more you will learn, provided you are open to the opportunity to change. His tail tip fell away and he stalked away a few steps, then paused, glancing back at her, watching her for a moment. He was silent as he sorted out exactly what to do next. He already knew what to focus on, of course, it was a matter of how. In a way, he already knew that too, it was just a matter of solidifying the details. Finally, he settled down on his haunches, eyes still on her entirely, having never left her to begin with. Your form is excellent, your speed will get better, as will your strength. Your problem is in your awareness. When you are aware, you avoid the noise, it is when that awareness slips. You must learn to focus more on being silent than on catching your prey; If you master to former, the latter will come all on its own. Close your eyes. He waited a moment, expecting some sort of shocked response, a why. Even if it didn't come, she would still need an explanation. It was an exercise he himself had done as an apprentice, though not because his mentor told him to. He had tried it all on his own, figuring it couldn't hurt, and it hadn't. In fact, it had helped. He had much the same problem, not quite realizing where his surroundings were. Not until he'd learned to focus, to see without his eyes. He would teach the same to her, if she would let him.

[Bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i55.tinypic.com/2qjvhg1.jpg ] WHEN she heard Dragonstar approach, Daypaw's ears laid flat against her head. Another failed hunt. She half expected him to explode and call her a mousebrained idiot and send her back to camp. When he didn't, she looked up just out of shock, his white tail resting against her shoulder. Ears flicking forward, the young she-cat met her mentor's gaze as he told her about learning from mistakes instead of success. It was surprising to hear a tom like him tell her these things. She'd expected him to be mad since everyone always said he was grumpy and mean and didn't like failure. This was...completely different. Daypaw sat up a bit straighter and pondered her mentor's advice. He had to be right, he was a warrior, a leader, a good hunter. She was still small, inexperienced but she would try harder next time to make her catch, and the next time and the time after that. Yes. Soon she would be able to drag whole deer into camp to show her mentor and feed the elders. She would make him proud, one way or the other. DRAGONSTAR was right about the awareness thing, that was for sure. She'd thought she'd been doing good at keeping track of so many things at once but apprently it wasn't so. If it had been true she'd have a dead deer at her paws. How would she learn to focus on so many things at once and not let her awareness slip in the heat of a hunt? Did it just take time? What if she never learned? Poor hunters didn't become leaders. Poor hunters just got stuck on boring patrols day after day because they were useless in gathering prey. Being a bad huntress just wasn't an option. If she asked Dragonstar how to fix it, would he call her stupid and tell her to figure it out on her own? "CLOSE your eyes." BLINKING in surprise, Daypaw stared at her mentor for a moment until she shrugged and did as she was told. This probably wouldn't be the weirdest thing she did under Dragonstar's teaching. She felt silly though, sitting there with her eyes closed. A bird cried on her right making her ear twitch and a gust of wind ruffled the fronds of the ferns, caressing Daypaw's sides and skimming through her short striped fur. Wrapping her tail around her paws, she hoped Dragonstar wouldn't just walk away and leave her looking stupid...it would be a cruel joke but she'd heard of mentors doing worse things. She hoped those were just stories. Tagged;; Dragonstar <3 Word Count;; 431 Background Song;; "I've got a Dream" from Tangled Notes;; waaaaaa short post >.<

[crush]

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[atrb=background,http://i52.tinypic.com/2ql4pdw.jpg] He chuffed softly, happy as her ear twitched. There. She was already beginning to notice more. It was just a matter of honing that concentration, and learning to keep it whether her eyes were open or not. It was always easier once you took one sense away, of course, no matter how good your concentration and awareness was. He stayed perfectly still for a moment, watching her only a vague part of his concept of the world. Once you had your prey, or apprentice in this case, in sight, you need not focus most of your attention on keeping it there. You could predict the movements based on the sounds and smells, and eyes needed far less focus to see what was right there. Finally, though, he picked out the perfect start; a filtering of smells through the clearing. Simpler than he would have liked, but they needed to start somewhere. Alight. Now tell list off every creature that has passed through this clearing, including the names of which clan members have come here recently. He murmured softly, filtering through the smells himself. Deer, obviously, as well as them. Blazeheart and Thistledown were in there too, with Copperpelt's scent almost gone but there nonetheless, provided you focused. Probably stalking the warthog that had passed through; the scents were of about the same wavering strength. Then there were the little things, like rabbits and mice and sparrows. A falcon, even, which was surprising. He didn't expect her to get that one; he didn't even know if she knew what a falcon smelled like, so that wouldn't be fair. Picking it out, of course, would be excellent on its own. As he waited, he closed his eyes, mind flickering back to his apprenticeship, his own personal time training himself through this exact procedure. They'd all thought him crazy for doing it, but look where it had gotten him. Of course, it didn't take long for his mind to drift to what he'd always intended his training to be for; revenge. That had been pushed aside, for the most part, though not entirely. If he heard of the rogues being around, he'd go after them. Or so he thought. Perhaps he'd be stopped - by Willowleaf of course. No other would be able to stop him, but she had managed last time and he had little doubt it would only be easier for her next time. Revenge was not as sweet as the possibility of meeting his birth mother. He snapped his eyes back open. Focus. He had to focus. He was training an apprentice, not daydreaming and fantasizing all the wonderful things that could come of meeting his mother, or seeing Willowleaf again. Somehow, along the way, she'd fallen into that category of things he told no one about but thought on often. There weren't many of those things; and he didn't think he was about to tell her this fact either. She didn't need to know. But there he went again, mind wandering. He shook his head, bringing himself fully back to the present, and he realized that he didn't even know if Daypaw had spoken. He'd been far too caught up in his own thoughts. Apparently, he couldn't scold anyone on being unable to concentrate, not without becoming a hypocrite. He nearly laughed at that, but didn't. This was Daypaw, not Willowleaf. It just wasn't the same.

[Bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i55.tinypic.com/2qjvhg1.jpg ] PERKING her ears when Daypaw heard Dragonstar tell her what to do she took a deep breath through her nose, determined to find every scent there was to find. There were the normal plant smells that dominated the clearing, rotting leaves, musty herbs, sharp pine needles, woodsy oak trees, pungent mud from the last rains. Trying to push past those plant smells the young she-cat tried to find the living, breathing creatures that had passed through the clearing. A bird taking off on her right made Daypaw jump and lose track of the scents, the loud rattle of its wings as it leaped off the branch derailing her train of thought with painful ease. Blushing under her fur, embarrassed to have been unfocused so easily, Daypaw tried to hone her mind and filter through the scents under all the rain and plant smells. THE first scents she found were the freshest ones, deer scents from the mother and fawn. The mother had a sligthly milky scent, still nursing her fawn. Scents coming from the air instead of the ground included birds that had passed through the clearing lately, swooping hither and thither in search of mice, worms and bugs or whatever else it was that birds ate. She couldn't tell the exact kinds of birds except for a few sorts that she'd eaten in camp when her mother had shared morsels of meat when she'd been cutting her teeth. None of those smells were very fresh but they were there. TRYING to find the older smells, she picked up on the scents of Blazeheart and Thistledown, the morning patrol. Taking in another deep breath, puffing out her chest a bit, she tried to find more prey scents. TigerClan territory was known for being lush in prey so it was impossible that only a deer and some birds had come through the clearing. A stale warthog stink prickled at the she-cat's nose making her wrinkle her nose in distaste. She'd never cared much for warthog. The warthog scent was nearly faded out, covered by the scent of another TigerClan warrior. Copperpelt maybe? Other than those scents, Daypaw couldn't find much else. A rabbit and maybe some mice but nothing significant. "UMM...I smell Thistledown, Blazeheart and Copperpelt," Daypaw began, "and some birds...the deer...mice...a rabbit and a warthog." Fairly certain her analysis was complete, Daypaw's hazel eyes popped open and she grinned at her mentor, expecting some kind of praise. WHAT Daypaw actually saw surprised her to the point that her jaw dropped open. DRAGONSTAR was sitting where he had been, facing her but his eyes were closed. She thought for a moment he might have been doing the same exercise, trying to find out if she was listing the same things that he smelled. Then she realized he was still sitting still. Moments ticked by and he didn't open his eyes. He didn't say anything about if she was right or wrong. Adrenaline spiked through Daypaw. Was he having some sort of StarClan vision? Hazel eyes widened slightly at the thought. What should she do? Talk to him? Wait? Should she go get Blazeheart or Nightshadow? What if it was important? Was Dragonstar sick? Did this kind of thing happen a lot? OPENING her mouth to call out to her mentor, Daypaw was about to speak again when Dragonstar opened his eyes and looked around...guiltily? What was going on? Why would Dragonstar of all cats look guilty? An idea sparked in Daypaw's mind. What if he was thinking about a she-cat? Thistledown had once joked about Blazeheart, saying the older tiger had a she-cat on the brain when he'd been staring off into space one afternoon in camp. Maybe that was what was wrong with Dragonstar? "DRAGONSTAR?" Daypaw asked timidly, shuffling her paws uncertainly. "Are you okay? Did you have a vision or something?" Tagged;; Dragonstar <3 Word Count;; 642 Background Song;; "Homeless Heart" by Jennette McCurdy Notes;; aww Dragonstar's lovestruck! Not that he'll admit it of course

[crush]

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[atrb=background,http://i52.tinypic.com/2ql4pdw.jpg] When she spoke, it became clear she'd already listed off what she'd scented, and he only managed to look guiltier at that, particularly when she asked if he was okay. He felt his fur prickle a bit, embarrassed, but trying desperately not to show it. Embarrassed not because of who he'd been thinking about, but that he'd gone off and outright ignored her, even if that hadn't been on purpose. He felt like an apprentice again for a moment, called out on not focusing for long enough and his ears flattened slightly. Ah, no. Just thinking about various things. Nothing you need to worry about, though. He replied, hoping she wouldn't ask. But she was young and curious, so even though he hoped she wouldn't, he figured she probably would. His mind ran through ways to stop her, besides outright refusing to answer, considering he'd done that many times and it had only led to chasing the others away from him. Thoughts flickered through, as they often did, but only one stuck. Distraction - a return to the prior topic. So what was it you scented, then? If she couldn't remember, he'd be fine to wait again. He promised he wouldn't let his thoughts drift again, at least not to that degree. This was a training exercise, and for now she could take all the time she needed. She'd get to the point where she was faster. It would just take time and patience, like everything else in training did. --- it's terrible, sorry >.< ---

[Bast]

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[atrb=background,http://i55.tinypic.com/2qjvhg1.jpg ] IT would have been obvious to a mouse that Dragonstar didn't want her to pursue the subject. Too bad for her mentor that Daypaw was, well, Daypaw. She wasn't intentionally annoying, well, she didn't try to be but she was young and curious and well, she never passed up an opprotunity to tease. Daypaw didn't do it for malice, she did it just because she was an apprentice and really what else did she have to make life a little fun? She might as well play with her mentor a little, she'd be stuck with him for moons until he dubbed her worthy of being made a full warrior. If he was going to try pushing her away with stuff like this, well, Daypaw was just going to be more determined to find out what was going through his mind. She wanted to know because she wanted to be like him. She wanted to know what things a leader thought about, no matter how odd it may seem. Surely they didn't just sit around plotting patrols and thinking about scents, right? Nobody focused as hard as Dragonstar had been when it was just a scent, unless it was maybe a rogue or trespasser scent. CLOSING her eyes, the young tigress breathed in deep, so deep her little white chest puffed out and her belly swelled a little. She dug through the scents, discarding the ones she'd found earlier, looking for even the faintest hint that something wasn't right. A bad scent could make Dragonstar unhappy after all, so maybe it was something she'd missed? Finding nothing after a full two minutes of smelling, Daypaw opened her eyes and shot a look at her mentor. Bouncing to her feet, the little tigress bounded around her mentor like a kit, sliding to a stop in front of him, paws sliding on the moss and grass. Rearing onto her hind paws, Daypaw planted her front paws on Dragonstar's chest so she could look him in the eye, half hoping he wouldn't swat her like a fly and send her flying. GRINNING wickedly, Daypaw got almost nose to nose with her white-furred mentor. "You're thinking about a she-cat aren't you!" Daypaw goaded playfully, tail waving from side to side in excitement. "I heard Thistledown tease Blazeheart about something like that, I bet you are! I bet she's pretty if you like her!" Purring in amusement, more teasing than genuinely knowing what she was talking about, Daypaw bounced away from her mentor just in case he decided to take a swing at her. "I bet she's smart and has pretty eyes," Daypaw teased, whirling around to face her mentor, a grin on her maw. "What's her name? I don't know a lot of warriors, but if you tell me I swear I won't tell! Or if she's a loner I'll probably never meet her anyway so it'll be okay!" IN all reality, Daypaw had no idea if Dragonstar had really been thinking about a girl. In fact she sincerely doubted it but she wanted to see how Dragonstar would react to being teased. Would he play along? Get flustered? Be mad and tell her to go back to camp? Her former timid attitude toawrd him evaporated like rain in the height of summer. She wanted to see what he would do, even if he got mad. After all, he was an adult, adults didn't stay mad for long, right? Surely his wrath was something she could bear. Encouraged by that thought, Daypaw sat back on her haunches in a patch of sunlight and wrapped her tail around her paws. She angled her head and ears in just a way that she looked as cute as possible, looking sweetly innocent and ready to keep any secret Dragonstar had. He'd probably be mad that she implied he might be thinking of a lone tigress, especially since he was a leader. Such alligations were a bit more...severe when one had a higher rank. It would be like saying a medicine cat and a cat in another clan had had kits together. Daypaw would get in so much trouble. That is, if he reacted badly. Tagged;; Dragonstar <3 Word Count;; 696 Background Song;; "If You Believe" from The Prince of Egypt Notes;; -cuddles guilty dragon- so cute!