*~ShiningClan and GlowClan: The Iridescent Forest~*

As Brightpaw passed Redpaw, she quickly rolled over onto her back and attempted to kick him as she dodged, but he was too fast; she noticed he never hit her. I wonder if he's not trying because he thinks I'm too weak, she immediately worried. Maybe he's not hitting me cause he knows he could easily beat me. Oh, no, shut up, Brightpaw. You're probably just good at this move. Maybe? Hopefully? She jumped back up to her paws.

To his relief, Redpaw never felt himself hit Brightpaw. He breathed a sigh when he looked back and saw her on her paws. Her dodge must've been really quick! I hardly even noticed when we passed each other; she's great! Am I supposed to be disappointed that I missed? It was hard for him to focus on that. "Nice one," he panted.

"Very good!" Silversky called out, pleased. "That was some fine evasion, Brightpaw. See if you can avoid a strike from her now, Redpaw," she instructed. Brightpaw, you've got this, she silently cheered her apprentice on.

Redpaw nodded and crouched to run again, preparing to duck and twist this time. The apprentices dashed toward each other once again, but when he was over a tail-length from reaching Brightpaw, Redpaw suddenly lost his footing on a pebble, and his paws slipped underneath him. His tail whipped as he fell, hitting some fallen leaves and scattering them onto him. He lay on the ground in front of Brightpaw, and when he looked up at her he instantly burst out laughing. It was too unexpected and funny; he didn't even think to feel embarrassed, yet.

Raventhorn couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. "It's okay Redpaw, just get back up and try again!" he called out. He was proud of his apprentice, he didn't even seem like he was embarrassed.

Stormkit sat near the entrance of the nursery with his paws tucked under him. Looking out the opening, he watched as GlowClan's warriors in the clearing went about the day. Seeing them move with purpose, he wished that he too had something important to do. He glanced back at the nest he shared with his mother and brother, wondering if they were awake.

Briarkit opened his eyes and peeked around the den. He noticed that his brother, Stormkit was awake. "Good morning, Stormkit," he yawned. The young kit's fur was fluffed up from when he was sleeping, irritating him instantly. Beginning to attempt to shake the fluffiness out of his fur, Briarkit remembered that his father had the same fur.
"Brother," he began mewing, "when will daddy come home?"

Stormkit was taken by surprise at Briarkit's question. This was something he had thought about often, but talking about it with his brother was difficult of course, and seemed to make it hurt more. He looked down and was silent for a few moments, before finally answering,"I don't know; I wish for the answer to that just as much as you do. I think I may have even heard mother once say that he's... dead," he choked out. She didn't say it directly to me. Maybe it's not true. Please let me have heard wrong!

Briarkit's eyes filled with sorrow. "W-why? Why did Starclan have to take away our happiness? It just- isn't fair!" he yelled out, he never really understood why or what was happening. He didn't know his father could be as far as...dead. He didn't fully understand death either, at times he wasn't even sure what it means for a cat to be dead.

Stormkit met Briarkit's eyes and sighed, sharing his pain. "It really isn't," he mewed softly. He rested his tail on his brother's shoulder, trying to be reassuring.

Irisfall had overheard her kits' conversation and felt troubled by it. They were still so young, and she deeply wished that they didn't have to worry about such things. Things they could not control, the results of her decisions and weakness. She wanted to change the subject and bring thoughts away from the matter, as if they were never there. She approached her sons and faked a stretch. "Good morning, boys," she said, making a point to smile. "How about we see if the fresh-kill pile has a new kind of prey for you to get a taste of today? That would be a nice treat."

✦*Cometstar*✦ wrote:To his relief, Redpaw never felt himself hit Brightpaw. He breathed a sigh when he looked back and saw her on her paws. Her dodge must've been really quick! I hardly even noticed when we passed each other; she's great! Am I supposed to be disappointed that I missed? It was hard for him to focus on that. "Nice one," he panted.

"Very good!" Silversky called out, pleased. "That was some fine evasion, Brightpaw. See if you can avoid a strike from her now, Redpaw," she instructed. Brightpaw, you've got this, she silently cheered her apprentice on.

Redpaw nodded and crouched to run again, preparing to duck and twist this time. The apprentices dashed toward each other once again, but when he was over a tail-length from reaching Brightpaw, Redpaw suddenly lost his footing on a pebble, and his paws slipped underneath him. His tail whipped as he fell, hitting some fallen leaves and scattering them onto him. He lay on the ground in front of Brightpaw, and when he looked up at her he instantly burst out laughing. It was too unexpected and funny; he didn't even think to feel embarrassed, yet.

Brightpaw skidded to a stop; dust clouded around her paws as her heart pounded in her ears. "Are you okay?!" she yelped as Redpaw fell hard on the ground in front of her. Panicking, she leaned down to see if he was alright. Oh no. Oh no. He better not be hurt. What if he like...scraped himself, and it gets infected, and then he gets a sickness, and then he DIES and oh STARCLAN it would be all my fault, I shouldn't have agreed to train with him or it never would've happened!!
She watched him look up at her, and their eyes met. Suddenly, he was cracking up; the sudden sound of his cheerful laughter made her jump in shock. For a moment, she speechlessly stared at him as he continued to laugh. But then, although she wasn't quite sure why, she began to smile too, and then was quietly giggling, and soon she was laughing along with him.

Redpaw was trying to get his laughter under control, which was even more difficult when he noticed that, to his surprise, Brightpaw had joined in! As his chuckling finally died down, he couldn't help but think about how nice it was seeing her like this.
Remembering he was on the ground, Redpaw cursed under his breath and quickly rose to his paws. "I, uh, I'm okay!" He awkwardly brushed the leaves off his pelt and licked his shoulder a couple times. "Sorry about that. Didn't even give you a chance to try a strike at me! But I'll dodge it for real this time!" he joked. Can't believe that just happened, in front of all of them. But everyone makes mistakes, right? And at least it doesn't seem like Brightpaw thinks I'm lame for it.  "Ready to give it another go?" He closed his eyes and grinned.

Brightpaw smiled, nodding. "Um, yeah, uh...sure!" Huh, we seem to be getting along pretty well...this is...fun! Maybe he doesn't hate me. But...am I really sure I can trust him anyway? Do I really know him that well?
She backed up until she was somewhat far away from him, and then began sprinting forwards again.

I wish we'd been training together like this since we'd first been apprenticed. I like this, was Redpaw's thought before he dashed forward as well. Once the apprentices neared one another, Redpaw ducked and rolled over, then jumped back to his paws, skidding slightly and narrowly avoiding Brightpaw's hit. Eyes shining, he looked back at Raventhorn for approval. "Ah now that's what I meant to do," Redpaw panted.

(Sense Drift isn't around at the moment, might as well involve myself with the apprentices)

Nightbranch was returning from a border patrol, when she heard the apprentices in the distance. She broke off from the patrol, and trotted towards the training grounds. As she was going a bit off trail, she quickly encountered the mightiest of foes... Brambles... She lowered her head, and pushed her way in, muttering curses under her breath as she felt the thorns ripping at her pelt until she broke free of their clutches. She shook herself off, and with an ungrateful huff, and a twitching tail, she stalked towards the apprentices, placing herself close to their mentors. "Hey." She greeted quickly. Not really much for conversation, she was silent after that -unless directly addressed, of course, she wasn't...THAT... rude-. She watched the two young cats of the clan in which she happened to live with interest.

(She could've gone and noticed him in GlowClan's river but that's okay xD Maybe she still could after)

"Nice! Just a couple more tries and they should have the move mastered," Silversky purred beside Raventhorn. Then she was aware of a clanmate approaching and turned her attention from the apprentices for a moment. "Oh hi, Nightbranch," she said upon recognizing the warrior. "Are those thorns in your pelt? That's got to hurt." She winched.

(Ahhh I didn't notice/forgot he was by the river.)

Nightbranch sighed. "Yep. The brambles by hill there picked a fight with me." she swished her tail towards the brambles she had clawed her way through to get to the clearing.

She turned her attention back to the apprentices, surprised at how far along they'd come in such a short time

Raventhorn, watching the apprentices carefully, decided that it was time to call it a day. "All right you two," Raventhorn called, "you've been training long enough. I thinks it's time you both treat yourselves to some fresh kill!" Raventhorn let out a purr as he finished. He really was proud of both of them, Redpaw especially.

With, that, he led the two apprentices home.

Stopping, Redpaw purred, "Thanks, Raventhorn!" Admittedly, he was a bit exhausted now. He followed their group back to camp, in a cheerful mood from how well today has been going.

Silversky smiled at Brightpaw, really pleased with her apprentice's effort and attitude today. As they walked, Silversky, still limping slightly, turned briefly to Nightbranch. "Ah I know it's kinda a pain, but you might want to get your pelt looked at by the medicine cats if you have any scratches," she suggested.

Nightbranch rolled her eyes without thinking. "I think I could feel if I had any serious scratches. I just have a few thorn pricks." She of course realized she was being a bit rude to a clanmate who was just trying to help. But did she care? No, not really. "I don't really need the clan anyway." She narrowed her eyes rebelliously as the thought crossed her mind. Honestly the only reason she stayed with the clan of her birth was because of her glowing pelt. It rendered sleeping without a guard impossible.

She silently walked alongside Silversky. All the mood to talk drained out of her in one instant. I'm sure the thought of abandoning the home you were expected to stay in your whole life would render you in a sour mood too.