().() JointClan/MellowClan ().() Part Nine ().() The True Light -Updated-

((Lightningstripe it is, then.))

Fernclaw gave a short nod,and took a small bite of her mouse.
~~~
Stripepelt stood up, eyes gleaming. He was getting old, and he knew it, and it would probably be his very last apprentice. He touched noses with his apprentice, smiling slightly.

Sorapaw felt Stripepelt's nose touch his, and his ears grew hot. Larchstar nodded to Sorapaw, dismissing him. Sorapaw was slow to exit as well, and he sat at the foot of the Highrock glancing up at his littermates.

"And next: Rillpaw, please step forwards."

The quick smoky tom shook himself off and bounded up the Highrock like a chipmunk. Larchstar smiled, and then continued.

"Your eagerness will benefit you in your training. From this day forwards you will be known as Rillpaw; Lightningstripe will mentor this apprentice." Again, she turned to the warrior in the crowd, beckoning him.

--

Clawflower was silent as he finished his prey, but his tail flicked. He buried the bones but refused to move.

Raincloud could see some odd feeling in Stripepelt's eyes. She would ask him about it after the meeting... her tail twitched with worry, and she cast a solemn glance towards her mate.

***

Dawnfrost stiffened as she heard Croweyes beside her. Quickly, she whirled around, brushing his pelt. "We shouldn't be here," she told him, forgetting the yarrow.

With a puzzled twitch of his ears, Croweyes quickly picked up the stems and began to follow her. He stayed silent, but his eyes were narrowed. "What is it?" he asked, a slight growl in his voice.

Dawnfrost glanced back at him, quickly stopping. She scented the air, her green eyes distracted as she tried to search frantically for a scent of marigold. Quickly, the tabby padded towards some yellow stalks; they had always grown here. Maybe this would be enough... quickly, she tried to head back to camp, trying in vain not to show that she was bothered by something.

Noticing a meeting was going on, she beckoned to Croweyes. The two slipped into the medicine den, dropping off their meager stock, and sat near the back of the crowd to join the other warriors.

***

Lightningstripe padded up to meet Rillpaw. Calmly, he touched noses with the newly-named apprentice, feeling the same sensation that happened when he had just become an apprentice...

Stripepelt sat near his apprentice,smiling at the eager Rillpaw. His eyes were bright.

Fernclaw finished her food, and buried the bones quickly. She looked up, meeting Clawflower's gaze.

Clawflower watched Fernclaw until suddenly her grass-colored eyes met with his. His ears practically caught fire, and he looked away hurriedly. Why was she glancing at him like that?

--

Rillpaw smiled as his nose touched to Lightningstripe's; as soon as a heartbeat had passed he excitedly climbed down the Highrock.

"And finally: Willowkit, please step forward."

The black cat did as told; her eyes, colored like her father's, glimmered brightly.

"Your calmness will assist you in all battles.. and from now on you will be known as Willowpaw; Brackenheart will be your mentor." She turned her head to look over her shoulder at him.

The graceful, snow-white tom weaved around the crowd and climbed the Highrock with surprising agility. He touched noses with his kit; if Larchstar had chosen him as a mentor, she must think that he was worth it...

Willowpaw gazed up at her father, meeting his eyes. He didn't smile (as he almost never did), but she could tell that he was going to have a good time as her mentor. But she didn't really understand his quiet personality that much.

Brackenheart lowered himself from the Highrock and looked back at the black cat. She followed anxiously. "Are we going to start training soon?" she asked eagerly.

He responded with a nod and a near-silent "yes" and curved into the warriors' den.

Willowpaw narrowed her eyes. Was something troubling him?

"You can disperse to your dens now," Larchstar dismissed, and leaped down from the Highrock.

Fernclaw got the oddest feeling when she looked at Clawflower in those few heartbeats. Her ears burned, it felt as if they were on fire, and her heart seemed to skip a beat, and she could not understand it. She lowered her eyes, her ears stil burning, and gave a short nod, padding away quickly.
~~~
Stripepelt smiled at his apprentice, Sorapaw. "Probably should go make a nest in the apprentice den with your littermates," He instructed lightly.

Sorapaw looked at him and nodded. "All right," he said, but not exasperatedly, and turned towards the den. Maybe some other apprentices can help me! He detected another scent, and wasn't surprised to see Rillpaw's ash-colored coat streak by. Rillpaw giggled mischievously, and Sorapaw shook his head.

Willowpaw barely managed to catch up with her mother. She had so many questions! "Larchstar!" she called, even though she was right next to her.

The leader smiled. "What is it?" she asked gently.

"I wanna ask you some... stuff," Willowpaw said.

Larchstar giggled. "All right. You can follow me to the entrance of my den."

The kit grinned. "Cool!"
--

Clawflower only heard her footsteps as Fernclaw moved away. Nervously, he stalked over to the warriors' den. Now that he was going to be here for awhile, he might as well get comfortable..

Well, as soon as Clawflower had went into the warriors den, Fernclaw had no where to go. Her heart was still hammering. What was making her feel like this?

Stripepelt watched Sorapaw and Rillpaw dash to the apprentice den, and Willowpaw had followed Larchstar into her den. Stripepelt was still smiling the slightest bit.

Willowpaw watched Larchstar sit slowly, and copied her parent, only faster.

"What did you want to ask me about?" the black-and-white she-cat questioned.

"Is something bothering dad?" Willowpaw mewed. "He's awfully silent."

Larchstar smiled but shook her head. "No, he's always like that. You should see him in the middle of a battle if you think that's overly calm."

"Maybe he just tries to look good?"

"Well, for sure he might be stressed on the inside, but he always looks so relaxed."

"Why does he squint so much?"

"His eyes are just narrow like that. Why do you want to know all this."

"I think it's best I know my father more than I currently do."

Larchstar blinked in surprise. It's not that she didn't like chattering about Brackenheart, but Willowpaw wasn't usually one to ask so many questions. Maybe she idolized her mentor.

That immediately brought something into Larchstar's mind... another saying she had learned when she was younger.

You have someone in your life who you honor and revere so much that every hurt inflicted on them is inflicted on you as well... and the closer they are to you, the greater the pain...

She felt choked, and her heart burned a bit, but she paid no attention.

"Is something wrong with you?" Willowpaw asked.

"Nothing," Larchstar said slowly, staring at the ground. "You'll understand when you're older, I promise." She grinned a bit, tilting her head. Willowpaw appeared amused.

"That's all," the apprentice said, and whirled around before bounding away to join her brothers.

((Darn. I gotta go, I'll see you tomorrow! Pork Ramen. xDD))

(Nooooo! Okay, then. It's getting a bit late here too. Bye. :D

Also, recording my name as a sound and playing it backwards leads to why I got it.))

((No it's Pork O'Ramen - Eek!))

As soon as Larchstar called off the meeting, Raincloud padded towards Stripepelt, although he now seemed to be smiling. "Is there something bothering you?" she asked gently, her blue eyes slightly wide with concern.

Stripepelt shook his head. "No, no, I'm fine." He said.

Fernclaw had watched Clawflower disappear into the warriors den before the embarrassment washed over her. She felt so stupid.

[whats happening o-o]

((I don't know, I just came back from Oregon last night :P I think there's a new member in MellowClan [that would be me], but I don't know anything else going on.))

((Nothing really other then that. xD))

(NUUUU! DON'T DIE! THIS HASN'T BEEN POSTED ON SINCE LAST YEAR! :C))

[Awww. And Joint Clan has been alive PAST SINCE I FIRST JOINED RPC. With Raincloud, and I few others. DON'T DIE! -bangs fists on forum-]

((Hay don't let this die ! I can save it! OoO))

Dawnfrost was curled up in the medicine den, but kept changing positions. Eventually, she gave up on a nap and wandered out of the clearing, gazing outside. While she was in deep thought, her paws led her outside of the camp. As far as she knew, her mother and father had gone to meet in the Dawnfield, but her mother had been a medicine cat and wasn't supposed to have kits.

As for herself... Dawnfrost felt her pawsteps falling into the same pattern. Her ears constantly flicked around while she was listening. Whenever Croweyes was assigned to the same patrol as her, she got this weirdly excited feeling that immediately shot down to her paws like a bird's alarm call. She only hoped that no one had noticed... her eyes narrowed, and she sat in a smaller clearing, looking up at the sun through a narrow gap in the trees.

Stripepelt was curled up in the warriors den, sleeping soundly for now. He got to train his apprentice today, and he had been so excited last night, he hadn't really gotten to sleep 'til late. He hadn't had an apprentice in a while, a few moons actually, now that he came to think about it..

Fernclaw couldn't sleep, back in MelllowClan camp. Actually, she refused to sleep in the warriors den, so she had curled up in the back of Mellowstar's den in the middle of the night. It felt so childish, but Clawflower made her feel.. Odd. She just couldn't explain it.

((Ohmigosh, you guys. ^^ I'm glad you all care about JointClan so much, even if it does die constantly and is EXTREMELY old. =D IT makes me happy inside.. xD))

Clawflower was sleeping soundly, to say the least. He snored, but silently.

Fernclaw stared at the moon, wondering if Mellowstar would mind she had spent the night in here. Maybe if she left the den before she woke up, she'd never had to know..

((Anyone besides me thinking of a timeskip?))

Silver couldn't sleep. She constantly rolled over for nearly an hour before giving up with a silent scold and padding from the den. She sat down in the middle of the camp and stared at the stars.