Searching Through The Trees [QuailxSilver]

[MONSTER <3]

Searching for herbs again, wonderful. The larger tom thought to himself. His paws lead him outside the medicine cat's den, and he felt a bit anxious about this upcoming search- because he was instructed to go on this search with another apprentice. Why? He wasn't quite sure. Maybe Crowflower thought it would better him to go with another cat while he was busy, instead of by himself. Either way, he was not looking forward to this outing.

He was told to grab Silverpaw, but was not sure why this cat was chosen. Not that it mattered- any cat that went with him would probably hate it as much as he was going to. He sighed a bit and just padded over to the she-cat, hoping that this would go as painlessly and quickly as possible. " Hello Silverpaw. Ive been told to take you with me on a hunt for medicine herbs. We should leave now, if thats alright with you. " He mewed calmly, still feeling anxiety pull at his belly. He wished he could have just talked his way out of taking any cat at all- but sadly, that was one skill he did not possess.

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[RiiRii]

[bg=e9e8e3][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] I never wanted to volunteer to help quailpaw... Silverpaw's eyes narrowed slightly as she listened to the cats discuss with her mentor before turning her blue eyes towards Quailpaw. Hoorah! Here he comes now. " Hello Silverpaw. Ive been told to take you with me on a hunt for medicine herbs. We should leave now, if thats alright with you. " Silverpaw's ears flattened to her scalp as she stared at Quailpaw before taking slow deep breaths and running her tongue against her white maw. No way was she going to let herself get put in this against her will. “Oh certainly, Quailpaw. Just, while we hunt for your herbs; I want to explore the territory too. Surely you, an apprentice would want that too.” He probably already has, he's an apprentice to Crowflower Silverpaw sighed, looking at Quailpaw before her expression softened. It seemed Quailpaw did not want to do this either; instantly pity filled the young she-cat and she tilted her head. Sadly, she knew he was a medicine-cat apprentice very well and there was some extent to that she did not like. Even if most of the Pineclan did not believe in 'stars, that did not mean all of them did. Perhaps Medicine cats did, and that thought made her belly feel acidic and sick. “speaking color.”

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[MONSTER <3]

Quailpaw watched his fellow apprentice, noticing that she seemed just as displeased about this assignment. Or, at least she did for a moment, then she seemed to relax a bit- or maybe she just hid it. .?

" Oh certainly, Quailpaw. Just, while we hunt for your herbs; I want to explore the territory too. Surely you, an apprentice would want that too. "

[/s]

He didn't want to make this journey any longer than it had to be. . but he guessed that it didnt matter much. they would still be out for a good amount of time, so why not let her at least enjoy it some? He nodded to the she-cat " Of course. We will explore a bit while we do so. " he mewed calmly, before turning towards the entrance to camp and looking back at the she-cat. " Shall we? " he mewed calmly, before padding over the pine needles out of the camp.

As he began padding along, he wondered if he would be able to spot many herbs today. He, as well as Crowflower, knew that it was hard to find many- and the few that there were might need to wait to be grabbed. If they took them too soon, it would kill off the whole plant and leave them without a possibly life saving medicine.

Keeping his paws steady, he continued his pace. He kept his ears open, along with his eyes. Missing one herb might cost them a few cats. As morbid as it sounded, it was true. It still made him a bit uncomfortable to think about- knowing that they were the ones keeping many cats alive and healthy. Without them many cats would perish. The lives of so many were held in their paws. . sometimes he wondered if he was truly ready for this position. Thinking about it- he knew he wasn't. Not quite yet. But thats what his training was for! Isn't it? He wondered.

Being an apprentice is to prepare young cats for whatever lies in their path. Weather it be the path oi a warrior or medicine cat, wasn't it all the same? Questioning the reason for being an apprentice at all intrigued him- normally it was something he did in his spare time. Think. Keeping his eyes aware, he slowly began tailing off his original mental thought, as if he himself was blending into the woods.[/center][/size]

[RiiRii]

[bg=e9e8e3][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] She watched Quailpaw as he left for the territory, staying silent she then proceeded to follow and eventually caught up to him. As they walked onwards, she carefully placed her paws down just in case she stood on herbs. Sniffing the air, her blue eyes gazed around the area and eventually she sighed. All she could smell was pine and frost, no herbs. During Green-leaf, she could smell everything a lot better; now it was all moist and hard to get at. "You have the better nose," she meowed softly, looking towards Quailpaw with firm eyes. “Why don't you give everything a good sniff?” her eyes glistened with mischief. Since the walk was going to be a long and boring one, may as well as have a few laughs and brighten up the mood. Who knows, her and Quailpaw could become good friends. “Quailpaw...” She glanced towards her fellow apprentice, smiling slightly. “Do you believe in stars? Or are you a cat who dislikes them?" Okay, a bit blunt, but oh well. “speaking color.”

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[MONSTER <3]

The tom continued to think about his questions, when suddenly, a voice interrupted his thoughts.

" You have the better nose, Why don't you give everything a good sniff? "

After cutting off his thoughts so abruptly, he had to take a moment to regroup what was going on. He was quite the tracker, out of all the things he could do- which wasn't much in the first place. Taking a moment to pause, he sniffed the air, and listened to the sounds of the forest that he had become accustomed to hearing. He could smell the forest, that was for sure. Here and there was the hint of prey, and maybe an occasional old trail from a fellow Pineclan feline. So far, there was no sign of herbs, but he knew there would be some farther on. There had to be. " No herbs yet. Im sure we'll find some somewhere though. " He mewed shortly. He was certainly not skilled in speaking and befriending cats- that was for sure.

" Quailpaw... "

He heard her voice again, and he flicked his ears a bit. He wondered what she had to say now. He never knew what to say, and the fact that she somehow came up with things confused him a bit- more so because he didn't know what he should say back half the time anyway.

" Do you believe in stars? Or are you a cat who dislikes them? "

[/i]

Physically, he continued to look exactly how he was. Calm, walking an even pace, and looking around for any signs of useful plants. Mentally, he had just done a double take and was utterly shocked by her abrupt question. Because Pineclan was so uninterested in beliefs, it was almost never brought up unless talking about another clan. Being a medicine cat, it was a question every once in awhile- but not one he had been asked before. He padded silently, wondering what he should say- and fast. If he took too long to reply, she might think he was lying. If he responded to quickly, she might also think that he's lying. But. . why lie?

" Those are some strong and open words for such a young cat. " He mewed, continuing his same pace as he has just a few moments ago.[/center][/size]

[RiiRii]

[bg=e9e8e3][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] She blinked, gazing towards Quailpaw as he spoke in such a wise manner. Everything went silent, just for several seconds before she burst into laughter and tilted her head back. “Do not act wise, Quailpaw.” She murred with amusement, snapping her gaze towards him and smiling. “You have a lot to learn from Crowfeather and age before becoming a wise medicine cat...” She gazed onwards, kicking up a leaf and gazing at a root. It was brown and thick and smelt of a strong odour. “Will you need this?” She asked, gazing towards Quailpaw and pointing with her paw to the root. Slowly, she began to pull at the root until it gave away to reveal yellow tendrils grasping the ground before finding nothing and swaying in the small breeze. “It tastes like a herb I had when I was sick... Do you recognise it at all?” the taste was bitter and strong, it made her want to be sick and at the same time spit out. The seeping liquid dripped down onto her tongue, causing her to drop it and taking slow deep breaths to remove the nasty taste. “It's disgusting!.” ((Btw, it's meant to be burdock root if that's okay.)) “speaking color.”

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[MONSTER <3]

Quailpaw continued to walk along, waiting for her to question him once again about his beliefs- but instead, the she-cat threw her head back and laughed. This, was something he had not expected at all. He glanced at her, a confused mask placed cleanly on his fur.

Do not act wise, Quailpaw. You have a lot to learn from Crowfeather and age before becoming a wise medicine cat...

[/i]

Suddenly a bit embarrassed by his mere comment, he felt himself grow a bit warm under his fur. He hadn't meant to sound like anything. But yet, he had sounded wise to her? And. . it was amusing? He could not understand the connection between these two thoughts. If he sounded wise, was that not good? If she was so amused, then was he really not wise at all? His thoughts swirled, and he knew fully well that he wasn't wise. If he could not comprehend a simple comment, then how was he to be such a 'wise' medicine cat apprentice? Apprentice! He was only an apprentice!

" Will you need this? "

Taken off guard once again, he looked over at Silverpaw. She had pointed out a root that laid in front of her paws. Taking a moment to cycle through his herb memory, he sniffed the air to aid him. The smell that had been covered by leaves was now open- and flooding his nose with its scent. Yes, that was a Burdock root. That was used to fight infections- something that could possibly be of use to them during this leafbare. In Pineclan territory, they were not the easiest things to find. They were usually covered by pine needles, leaves, and sometimes even pinecones. Mixed with this, and the scent of so many things in the territory, he was not usually the one to find any of these roots.

" It tastes like a herb I had when I was sick... Do you recognize it at all? "[/i]

" Yes, that is a Burdock root. " He mewed as she pulled the root from the ground, holding it in her jaws. " They are often used to fight off infections. More than likely, you tasted it when you were grooming as the medicine cats were treating you for an infection- or maybe to try and prevent one even. " He could see a growing disgust growing in her expression, and couldn't help but smile a little bit at her next mew.

" It's disgusting! "

" Quite. Thats why its used for infections. " The tiny smile that formed around his muzzle was unnatural for him- something that he obviously did not do often. During his regular days, he might smile once, maybe twice if he was having a nice day. Nothing to eventful, cheery, or amusing would normally happen during his day- so he really didn't have much to smile at. " You can leave the Burdock root near the tall pine over there. " He mewed, his tail flicking towards one of their natural Pineclan trees on their left. " It won't be very fun to carry around, and im sure i'll scent it on our way back. " [/size][/center]

[RiiRii]

[bg=e9e8e3][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] Listening to him, she nodded and blinked. Tilting her head and perking an ear. “Why not just do this?” She dug a hole, dropping the root in so it kept its moisture beneath the damp earth, covering it up with a mound of dirt and adding dropping some sticks in a pile. “There.” She mused. “We will not lose it this way.” Heading onwards, looking around she was feeling proud of smelling that above all else. If anything, it was an accident. She had kicked the leaf because she was bored, not intentionally finding the burdock root. Finally, the rotten taste of that bitter herb had left her mouth and she proceeded to examine the area. “The reason I am so talkative is because I hate awkward silences, which we just seem to be having. Why don't you just talk some more and not make me look like a bad guy? ” She laughed softly, leaping over a leaf and batting it into the air. Watching it float high she instantly became amused by this and leaped up to catch it between her paws and pound it against the ground with a mighty thud. As it hit the ground it broke between her paws and there were just remnants everywhere. “speaking color.”

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[MONSTER <3]

His eyes focused on Silverpaw as she watched him speak, tilting her head a bit as she did so. After he finished speaking, she seemed to look around and get an idea.

" Why not just do this? "

His eyes watched as she began digging a whole, moving the leaves and needles out of the way to expose the little grass and dirt that hid below that layer. Her claws dug into the ground, and easily made a small hole. Picking up the root, she places it into the ground and covered it once again with dirt and the surrounding area. Afterwards, she added a pile of sticks, something that made an obvious marker compared to the flat and usual terrain of Pineclan.

" There. We will not lose it this way. "

Well, yea, i guess not. He thought to himself, before they continued to move on. It was quiet, and he knew it wasn't exactly the comfortable silence either. He tried to rack his brain for something to say, but he wasn't quite sure what he should say. He was never one to bring up a conversation- and he was almost always the one to end a conversation. So, to him, it was unfamiliar territory- and the last thing he was going to do is embarrass himself again. Oh no, not on purpose he wouldn't. That was the last thing he wanted to do right now. He was out here to get herbs. That was it.

" The reason I am so talkative is because I hate awkward silences, which we just seem to be having. Why don't you just talk some more and not make me look like a bad guy? "

Hearing her laugh follow her words, Quailpaw felt confused and mixed up. Flustered, the larger tom blinked and began to stutter " I-I didn't mean to make you seem like a bad guy. I just- i-i- cant come up with words. i mean conversations. Im not a social feline. it just not- i mean-" He clamped his jaw down- cutting off his stuttered speech as she chased after a simple leaf. He watched as a common kit and apprentice act came to life before his eyes. He remembered all of the other kits playing this simple game, but he never joined in. He much rather preferred sitting by himself, or simply watching. His sister had always joined in, if she was not busy bothering him anyhow. Suddenly, the simple game ended as Silverpaw pounced on the leaf- crumbling the fragile leaf into so many pieces that it looked impossible to place back together.

[RiiRii]

[bg=e9e8e3][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] Again, the conversation had died. Perhaps she could bring out his social side out by letting him talk about himself and she knew just the way. As she walked closer to him, close enough her nose almost touched his; her expression softened and revealed the kind self. As she sat down, her light grey and white body ruffled softly in the wind and her blue eyes gazed directly into his. Slowly, she took a deep breath and meowed in a soft voice, “Why not talk about yourself, tell me about you. What do you like doing and dislike? I don't bite, you can trust me Quailpaw. I want to become your friend.” She tilted her head softly, gazing up at the older apprentice and then smiled a kind smile. “I may not talk to you as much as I do the other apprentices, but if you ever need help or want somebody to lean on; I am here for you, Quailpaw.” As the bi-polar she-cat held her breath, she began to hope that he would answer and bring in a new beautiful relationship between the two; one where they could become good friends. That was what Silverpaw had wanted, a proper friend she could count on. Her brother, Darkpaw was not a tom that could be trusted; he would always cause havoc. Where was he now? She was not sure, he had left with her mother. She wanted to stay, now that pang of emptiness sunk to her heart and she tried to keep the smile, but it faded slowly. After a few heartbeats she let the faltered smile come back, despite the cringe that focused in the corner of her lips. How she hated her mother for leaving her to go and adventure for her mate, not believing he was dead even though his corpse was right there and Darkpaw believing in his mother. “speaking color.”

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[MONSTER <3]

As the silence settled around him, he felt a bit more relaxed. Well, this isn't going as badly as i had thought it would. After a few more moments in the wonderful silence, he glanced at Silverpaw- just in time to see her get closer to him than almost any cat besides his family had. His eyes widened a bit, and he felt as if he would fall over with the next step he took. Him and space were close friends- and it had been breached in a moment of surprise. He began analyzing the situation as he always did- but he was still shocked from just a moment ago, so it was a tad bit more difficult than normal.

He saw her eyes change, and her body seemed to relax into a more. . soft state. It startled him a bit, and he was curious as to what this she-cat was thinking. Her moods and words seemed to change before he knew what had changed in the first place- exactly the reason why he had usually stayed on his own. He was not used to interaction with other cats, and usually preferred it that way. But, he did feel a bit more comfortable with Silverpaw than the other mentors- well, anyone other than the apprentices that used to tease him about being a loner were better. The she-cat sat down, and looked him dead in the eyes- something he also was not used to in the least bit.

" Why not talk about yourself, tell me about you. What do you like doing and dislike? "

[/s]

Once again, she had taken him by surprise. Talk about himself? What he liked to do? What he disliked in general? Why? His mind searched for the answer- why would a cat care about who he was? He was not a cat to talk about himself either- so this would be a difficult task, at least for him it would be.

" I don't bite, you can trust me Quailpaw. I want to become your friend. "

Trust?! The word had completely taken him out of his comfort zone. Him and trust didn't go too well together. He didnt trust other cats- well, there were an exception here or there, but it still didn't just happen! The only cats he could really think that he trusted were Gingerstar and Crowflower! But that was more because Gingerstar was his leader, and Crowflower was his mentor. But. . she didn't look like she would deceive him. Not like the other apprentices always had seemed to.

" I may not talk to you as much as I do the other apprentices, but if you ever need help or want somebody to lean on; I am here for you, Quailpaw. "

Quailpaw stood there quietly as the she-cat watched him. He was unsure of what to think of all this. For most of his life, he had been on his own. Only his mother seemed to be the one to care about him. But this she-cat didnt even know him yet! He felt confused. He wanted to be friendly though, so he decided that he would at least try. He might not let her all the way into his very sanctuary, but him talking to another cat was better than anything he had done before socially, in all of its honesty. " You're one of the first to really try and talk to me, actually. " He mewed, starting off with something not all cats would expect. Maybe it was a little too soon to tell her that he was such a loner in his own clan, only because of who he was? Well, if she got that, then good for her. He couldn't take the words back now.

Alright, talk about himself a bit. That is what she wanted, correct? Well, he would try his best. " Im a new medicine cat apprentice within Pineclan. I am mostly a loner, and enjoy the comforts of being on my own most of the time. Its not that i don't like being around other cats, but i just- i don't get along with others very well. " Well, that sounded quite weird, and he didn't think that half of it was said correctly- or how he wanted it to sound- but it was better than what he expected out of himself. " I dislike most interactions with cats, and love being in the forest- even if its just searching for herbs. Something about the tall trees, and the pine needles under my paws just feels comforting. " He mewed, once again partially proud and shocked at himself for saying something like that.

He felt himself just listen to the forest around them for a moment, and felt the perfect example for his words. It was just on the edge of silent and quiet, mixed with the almost mute sound of distant birds and the wind shifting its way through the leaves far above them. A small smile hinted in his face, and he sat down just as Silverpaw had. Refocusing on the she-cat, he saw her smile falter for a moment before it came back- something was different about it. Had something crossed her mind? " Well, Silverpaw, im here for you in the same way. Im not one to open up to cats. . so, yea. Im here for you too. " His mew escaped past his tongue, and sounded pretty awkward at the same time. He felt slightly embarrassed about it, but hey, he tried his best.
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[RiiRii]

[bg=e9e8e3][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] As she had listened intently to the young medicine cat, she became interested in his preferences and somehow amazed they were similar to her own. As the time passed and he finished with an awkward mew, she laughed a soft and kind laugh. She wasn't generally this kind, but she didn't exactly like other apprentices being left out in the games and things they would do together. “That was not hard now, was it?” She asked, tilting her head to the side. “You told me about yourself and I liked what I heard. You actually have quite a nice voice..” Was she being sincere? She couldn't believe what she was saying, she was being sincere. She could be shy but never sincere. Her eyes widened slightly, but then she hid the surprised emotion with a cool mew. “Because you're a loner huh? Just because you prefer to be alone doesn't make you a loner; it makes you unique. Something most of us cats don't have.” She nodded to her words of wisdom and then lashed her tail over the ground. “Like the grass, each one is a different shape and each one is unique.” She picked up a frosted brown blade of grass with the sides jutting in like it had been cut, placing it down she picked another, the grass was tinged blue with the cold frost and it sparkled too with the fragments of ice that clung to its thin and narrow body and then thirdly she picked a fresh green blade of grass and placed it between to the two she had picked before. “Do you see?” she questioned, “These pieces of grass all grow together, but are completely different. Some patches of grass are loners and some are all bundled up; but since they are all under the same group they work together to keep the earth rich and too keep on growing. " She felt her fur prickle with pride, she had stole this off her mother when she'd tell her and Darkpaw kit stories and tell them about individuals. Shaking her head, she tried to blank the image of her mother out and then licked her paw to swipe her ears and eyes. Muttering quietly under her breath. Suddenly, she realized she wasn't by herself and shook her head one last time before looking at Quailpaw. “Lets proceed to find more herbs, Darkpaw - I mean Quailpaw.” She flicked her tail with an embarrassed expression and lowered her head slightly. She could feel Quailpaw's eyes burn into her back and she paused to look back. “Well? You coming?.” “speaking color.”

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[MONSTER <3]

After a few moments, he heard her laugh fill the silence. But this one seemed to be different, perhaps filled with. . a soft sort of feeling. It echoed through their conversation, and through the empty territory around them. He would not have been surprised if it had gathered the attention of singing birds as well.

" That was not hard now, was it? "

[/s]

You could assume that. The tom's mind echoed.

" You told me about yourself and I liked what I heard. You actually have quite a nice voice.. "

Wait, what did he just hear? He blinked a few times, unsure if he had heard her correctly. She liked what she heard? He was a lone, antisocial, tom that liked to look for herbs and be alone- and she liked it? Well, that was something he also never expected. Then again, this whole search for herbs has been unexpected for him. To actually speak with her would have been odd, but actually befriending another cat? a she-cat at that! who would have ever expected something like that? certainly not him!

Wait, what was that about his voice?

" Because you're a loner huh? Just because you prefer to be alone doesn't make you a loner; it makes you unique. Something most of us cats don't have. "[/i]

He was sure different- that was one thing he agreed with her on. But if most cats didn't have it, did he really want it then? Didn't he want a normal life? Him being on his own a lot didn't feel like a negative to him though. To him, it was quite a plus. He could always enjoy himself, and relied on no other cat besides himself. If anything, more cats relied on him. It wasn't a bad way of life, he had to say that much.

" Like the grass, each one is a different shape and each one is unique. "

His eyes followed her gaze, as she gestured to the ground around them. A few pieces of grass were poking through, and he was a tad bit confused on how grass related to cats- but he understood her analysis. All of the cats he knew looked different. Some were thin, some were more muscled, some were obvious fighters, while others were more suited to hunting prey. All of them were smaller than him- or at least, most of them were, if they didn't end up matching his size instead. Silverpaw had laid out several pieces of grass in front of him, and began speaking- sounding so sure in her words.

" Do you see? These pieces of grass all grow together, but are completely different. Some patches of grass are loners and some are all bundled up; but since they are all under the same group they work together to keep the earth rich and too keep on growing. "[/i]

Watching the grass curiously, he slowly was able to understand what she meant. Even though it was still grass, and he was still a cat- he understood her underlining words. They might all be different, but they all helped the same cause. One another. They were a clan, and they were all in the same place. Though, he didn't exactly know how being compared to grass was supposed to make him feel better. He walked over the grass everyday. He heard a murmur come from his fellow apprentice, and he looked up at her- barley able to catch something change in her face before she spoke once again.

" Lets proceed to find more herbs, Darkpaw - I mean Quailpaw. "[/i]

His eyes began mixing with confusion, and noticed the sudden change in her appearance and attitude. Darkpaw? he considered the name, but could not really recall a cat that matched the name- none that he remembered anyhow. She turned away, and seemed to curl up in her own thoughts for a moment.

" Well? You coming? "[/i]

The larger tom nodded, getting to his paws and began walking near his clanmate. Something seemed off about her now, and he was curious as to what was bothering the cat that had talked to him so kindly and cheerfully just but a few moments ago. " Whats on your mind, Silverpaw? " He asked as simply as he could manage. Like he had mentioned earlier, he was not one for conversation, but he had told her about him- so what about her? What was Silverpaw all about? " What about you, Silverpaw? What do you like? Dislike? Tell me about yourself now. " The larger tom said in a soft voice, something that he would use with someone he cared about. Maybe he didn't quite know her enough to really care about her at all yet, but she was still his clanmate and perhaps even his friend- so he cared. Simple as that.[/center][/size]

[RiiRii]

[bg=e9e8e3][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] What about you, Silverpaw? She now knew how he felt, questions coming out of nowhere. Ones you least expect too. She lashed her tail, walking onwards and taking a deep breath she sighed. “My mother and brother are on my mind...” she lowered her head slightly, nobody knew about this so why tell Quailpaw the full detail? “They both left me believing my father was still alive when he was killed by a fox and her child.” She finished it at that, walking onwards and then stopping to glance at him as he asked her the next question, or series of questions. " What about you, Silverpaw? What do you like? Dislike? Tell me about yourself now. "

[/i]

She turned her head to gaze away from him and suddenly halted, lifting her head to look up at the sky and closed her eyes for several seconds before opening them.
“I love to walk around during the night, when everything is so peaceful, I hate clan cats who think they deserve all the special attention because of traumas in their life, some cats have had worse. I like hunting, my skills are better at hunting then fighting. As you can see I am relatively a small cat, so most cats like to use me as targets, but I guess that can't be helped even if I still have some growing to do...” She took a slow deep breath and her eyes looked as if they were going to tear up even if she couldn't cry. “I hate being left alone, which is why I crowd with other cats.” She laughed softly, looking towards him and rolling her eyes.

“and of course I like making friends.”

“speaking color.”[/size][/blockquote][/color][/td][/tr][/table][/center]

[MONSTER <3]

The shy tom watched the she-cat as she walked, and seemed unsure how to answer the questions- just as he had felt just moment ago, he was sure. It was not as easy as it sounded- and now she knew exactly what he had meant. He waited patiently as the she-cat seemed to fight with herself just a bit- maybe she was trying to decide if she wanted to tell the truth, or to lie.

" My mother and brother are on my mind... "

He flicked his ears forward, and wondered what had been going on in her family. He had to admit, his family life had not been the best either. Between his odd relationship with his sister, along with the death of both of his parents- there wasn't much 'family' life left. He almost never heard a word from his sister- even though they shared the same clan. It was different from most cats lives, he had guessed, but it seemed normal to him. A normal he didn't exactly feel comfortable around, but normal all the same.

" They both left me believing my father was still alive when he was killed by a fox and her child. "

[/i]

Believed that he was alive? How was that possible? Had they not believed the clan when they told them the news? Had there been no proof? Had her father just disappeared, and they assumed the worst? Many questions were flooding his mind, and he didn't know if he should ask, but he decided to take the chance. After all- she had wanted him to speak, right? " Why did they go looking for him? Did they not believe he had died? " His voice held some confusion. His words about who she was seemed to shock her, or at least stun her for a moment- because she had stopped. Her paws had halted, and she looked away from him, to the sky above them. She seemed to be looking for answers within her own mind, and eventually spoke.

" I love to walk around during the night, when everything is so peaceful, I hate clan cats who think they deserve all the special attention because of traumas in their life, some cats have had worse. I like hunting, my skills are better at hunting then fighting. As you can see I am relatively a small cat, so most cats like to use me as targets, but I guess that can't be helped even if I still have some growing to do... "

Quailpaw listened closely to every word she spoke. He did not blame her for loving to walk around at night- and he actually agreed. It was quite wonderful, that he was sure of. Though, he usually decided to get sleep rather than wander the calm nightlife of the Pineclan territory. He also saw her ideas about the other cats- some did have it worse. It just depended on how they acted on their past that changed how others viewed them- either way though, cats were usually judged. He completely understood the 'better-at-hunting-than-fighting' thing- sense that was basically who he was as well. They used her as targets? the idea confused him, but he did not interrupt her words, and simply let her continue.

" I hate being left alone, which is why I crowd with other cats. "[/i]

The words hung around his mind, along with the vision of how she looked in this moment. This was something important to her, something she didn't share. He could tell by the way that she acted, and how she left it for last. He was surprised that she had let him in, and yet expected it, in a way. All of his other thoughts and questions vanished as she looked at him, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy and sadness for this she-cat. She had been left alone, and that mere issue had changed her. Possibly for the rest of her life. " Well. . you wont be alone Silverpaw. Im here for you if you need me. Ill be your friend. " He mewed kindly, smiling a bit at the she-cat.

" and of course I like making friends. "[/i]

Her words had made him smile a tad bit. He could tell by the way she acted the whole time during the herb patrol- she always spoke, and didn't like the silences. He wondered if this meant that they could be friends- or would be maybe. He knew that under normal circumstances they would probably have never talked to each other much, or at all perhaps. But thanks to Crowflower and his decision to make him socialize- even as much as he hated it -had maybe helped him more than he would ever really know. " I can see that. You've seemed to make a friend out of me. If thats okay with you. "[/center][/size]