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Post by venus on Oct 15, 2023 8:24:13 GMT -6
#s://i~pinimg~com/564x/ae/d5/78/aed578895bf301df41bd72ac1959331d~jpg | cinderflame Nobility isn't being superior to others, but being superior to your former self. |
Cinderflame was a ball of thick fur, his head under his bushy tail and his paws shoved halfway under his chest. He wasn't granted Ashtail's warmth; they had been at odds as of late for her questionable political stance. However, he was pleased that his sister had still decided to stay in RidgeClan.
Slowly, he would lift his head, blinking as he tried to wake himself up. Not for the dawn patrol, but for a very special reason. He was a mentor now! In the process of abandoning the clan of her kin, Cherrynose had also left an apprentice. Mushroomstar had quickly reassigned the she-kit to him, to which he promised to do his absolute best. It took all his strength to stifle a cry of joy. He'd wanted to be a mentor for quite some time now.
Today, he planned to assess Shrikepaw in her fighting skills to see where she was at in her training. As a Guardian, it was his specialty. Cherrynose was as well, so CInderflame expected the young cat to be quite skilled in combat already, but he wouldn't let her on to that. With a stretch of his long body, the tom would pad out of the den, inhaling the cool air of the morning. It was a great day for training.
Approaching the apprentice den, he would stick his big head into the entrance, searching for his student. "Shrikepaw?" He mewed gently. "Get yourself up and meet me outside." With that, he would sit down outside, watching the sky as it grew brighter.
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Post by absurdjinx on Oct 17, 2023 3:49:00 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/HC9DWHV/shrike~jpg | shrikepaw, "how quickly though, life can turn around
one step forward, two steps back"
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Shrikepaw had barely slept. Her denmate, Burdockpaw, had kept her up all night, whispering silly jokes that fell flat and just trying to get her to engage in conversation with him. She’d fallen for it, of course, but instead of reacting in a friendly way, she’d chosen to reply with mean comments. He hadn’t been wounded by her words and had only chuckled quietly in response to every sharp retort. They’d stayed up late into the night, Burdockpaw attempting to make her smile or laugh while Shrikepaw insulted him at every chance she got. They’d probably gotten no more than two or three hours of sleep. So when the sound of her mentor’s voice flooded her ears, she woke with a tired groan. And when he told her to meet him outside, she released an even louder groan in hopes that Cinderflame would hear how much she didn’t want to do that. With a sigh, Shrikepaw pushed herself to her feet. She felt so heavy this morning, like she had to stand up with something massive draped over her back. Somehow, she managed to sit up and simply lingered there for a moment, blinking the sleep from her eyes. Finally, she stood up, yawning as she woke herself up with a satisfying stretch. The last thing she wanted to do today was train. She’d rather work on chores, which she could do at her own pace so long as she completed them by the end of the day. Sometimes, Shrikepaw could even convince other apprentices or eager kits to help her with her duties. It was always the best when she could recruit others to assist her, decreasing the amount of work she had to do. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be a possibility today since Cinderflame thought training at dawn on very little sleep was appropriate. She made her way out of the den, careful not to step on any of her denmates’ tails or trip over anyone. Shrikepaw stretched her jaws wide in another yawn as she emerged from the apprentice den, scanning the camp in search of her mentor. There was a crowd of warriors gathered around Toadfeather as he assigned the day’s patrols and some cats were still crossing the clearing to join them. Otherwise, the camp was empty. Except for Cinderflame, of course, who was waiting for her nearby. Shrikepaw dragged her paws as she moved toward him and when she was within earshot, she whined, “ Do we really have to get up so early? I barely slept last night! Can’t we train later today?” Her eyes were pleading, silently begging him to allow her to take the morning off so she could get more rest. Deep down, she knew she’d made her bed and now she had to lie in it, but she thought it was worth a shot. |
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Post by venus on Dec 9, 2023 19:29:04 GMT -6
#s://i~pinimg~com/564x/ae/d5/78/aed578895bf301df41bd72ac1959331d~jpg | cinderflame Nobility isn't being superior to others, but being superior to your former self. |
As he stepped out of camp, he shook out his pelt against the cold air, his breath fogging before his muzzle. Turning back to his apprentice, he smiled once more. "Come, I'll race you to the rapids. It's the fastest way to wake you up and get your blood pumping." Without waiting for her to respond, the large tom took off, his paws pounding the pine-needles that blanketed the ground. He suspected the young cat may be able to catch up quite easily, as his more bulky figure made him significantly slower than other clanmates who were more agile.
Before long, Cinderflame would make it to the rapids, the sound of rushing water sending a chill down his spine. Panting, he would pause a moment before continuing downstream toward the island.
absurdjinx
feel free to have her beat him in the race lol |
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Post by absurdjinx on Dec 12, 2023 9:20:46 GMT -6
#s://i~ibb~co/HC9DWHV/shrike~jpg | shrikepaw, "how quickly though, life can turn around
one step forward, two steps back"
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Cinderflame’s amused smile and soft tone caught Shrikepaw off guard. She was used to Cherrynose’s cold words and sharp glares, which Shrikepaw never failed to match. She’d known her mother, Pigeonscreech, and Cherrynose hadn’t had the best relationship, and Cherrynose’s anger toward Pigeonscreech had been taken out on Shrikepaw. However, she hadn’t been the easiest apprentice for Cherrynose, either. She must’ve reminded her former mentor of Pigeonscreech. Part of Shrikepaw wished she could’ve had a healthy mentor-apprentice bond with Cherrynose, but the other half of her that was ruled by Pigeonscreech thought of Cherrynose as a traitor and a coward. It helped that her previous mentor hadn’t exactly been kind to her and vice versa, which only fueled the resentment they had for each other. As Cinderflame whirled around and padded in the direction of the camp’s exit, beckoning her with a flick of his tail, Shrikepaw could only stand there for a few heartbeats, frozen by surprise. She’d definitely expected Cinderflame to send a harsh retort her way after she’d complained about waking up early, and to receive the opposite reaction was quite shocking. She recovered quickly, though, and hurried to follow her new mentor, slipping through the camp entrance right behind him. As she stepped outside camp, she realized she’d been so surprised by Cinderflame’s warmth that she’d never responded to his promise of a nap at a later time. Shrikepaw hoped he was the type of cat who took his word seriously. If she was denied a nap later, she very well might have some words for him. The moment Cinderflame mentioned a race to the rapids, Shrikepaw started buzzing with excitement. She was still a tad tired, but the thought of potentially beating her mentor in a race was too thrilling to ignore. Cinderflame took off without any hesitation and Shrikepaw bolted after him with a bark of laughter. She was smaller than her mentor, but much more agile, and so she easily passed him. She was so focused on beating Cinderflame to the rapids that it didn’t even occur to her to wonder why that was their destination. Only once they arrived at the rapids - Shrikepaw first, of course - and they both slowed to a halt did Shrikepaw wonder what Cinderflame had planned for her. The two of them took a moment to recover from the race before walking in the direction of the island. Instead of letting herself puzzle about what Cinderflame had planned, she decided to simply ask, “ What are we doing today? What kind of assessments do you have in mind?” |
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