juxtaposition. [pc/mc, currently private]

[Pyro]

[ all of our characters wouldn't fit in the title, even with shortened names. XD

Sparrowclaw, Elkstep, Shadepaw, Hawkstorm, Silverpaw ]

It was odd to be on patrol without his apprentice. Though they'd only had a short time together as mentor and apprentice, Elkstep had grown used to having the scamp right at his heels. Could it be that he actually missed having an apprentice around? Very strange, considering he'd been reluctant to accept one in the first place. If anything, he should have been happy to be rid of Fowpaw, if only for a short while, and yet he wasn't. Whether because he missed Foxpaw, or because just out of principle (losing Foxpaw, after all, had not been his decision), Elkstep wasn't quite sure. However, he was sure of one thing: the matter was not improving his mood. Yes, the gathering had passed and Cedarstar had pointedly not taken him, Hawkheart, Shrewstorm, or Foxpaw. Elkstep chaffed at the show of authority, small though it was. He was actually a little disappointed in himself in that respect. He'd been in a clan for too long now to be unpracticed in their ways. Too long to chaff so at another's authority. Surely he had more self control than that? Well...then again, he was Elkstep. He had a bit of a reputation for being loose-canon. Still, if he chaffed at Cedarstar's authority then he definitely chaffed at Sparrowclaw's. He had the distinct feeling that she thought ill of him (call it 'I've had people stab me in the back before'-intuition), and was slightly miffed at having been asked to go on patrol with her, by her. Words could not express how much he did not want to be there. There were plenty of things he didn't want to do, yes, and plenty of times he hadn't wanted to do something, but it was rare that it was actually a struggle for him to get up and go do it. This was one of those rare times. The she-cat was currently leading the patrol along the pineclan border, and Elkstep lagged at the back. Not just because he was near obsessed with rearguard, but because he was loathe to be on patrol for once. Well, you know, that and he had a pretty good view of Sparrowclaw's ass. It was a good one even if she was a bit hard to be around. No, no, no. noi thoughts like that about her. fffft, no. The tom shook his head, humming a gypsy tune he'd picked up in his travels to distract himself. [bg=d6d5ae][atrb=width,500,true] [atrb=border,0,true]

[megasaffe]

Shadepaw ran after the patrol, and finally caught up.

"Sparrowclaw, you said you'd wait for me.." He lasped into silence as he saw just who was accompanying the patrol, the cat of his dreams, Silverpaw. Self-conciously he licked his paw and washed it twice over his ears, and fell into step beside her.

[RiiRii]

the beautiful lean she-cat glanced towards her apprentice and then back up to where she was walking. "I know, and I'm sorry." she looked over towards Elkstep, lashing her tail and holding back a growl that wanted to rumble in her throat.

She only made this patrol because Cedarstar asked her to. her jade green gaze moved swiftly on towards the Pineclan border. This was where they were going to patrol and mark first, The borderline markers were getting old and definitely needed to be renewed. "This is your first border patrol, is it not?" She of course was asking her apprentice and twitching her wide ears.

[Pyro]

Not her first time out with Silverpaw, but the first time she'd been out alone with the apprentice. Hawkstorm was surprisingly jovial at having the she-cat to train. Silverpaw reminded her of her own kits...short time though she had them. The large tabby felt a pang of regret at having not done anything to prevent her twolegs from giving them away, but it soon left. What could she have done? Besides, the past was the past, and it wouldn't do her any good to dwell on it.

She was not a mother.

She was a warrior. And what was more, she had a job to do. Namely, beating Loonstep.

Hawkstorm glanced beside her, smiling slightly. "After this I might take you for a swim." Not a suggestion so much as a promise. Whether or not Silverpaw liked it, they were going to get some water training in. Word of Loonstep's attempts with Elmpaw had reached the she-cat's ears and well, she'd be damned if her apprentice couldn't fish, fight, and romp in the water with the best of any stream or swamp cat. But it wasn't all for the sake of a rivalry that Loonstep would probably never know existed (had she ever even talked to him?), oh no. There was sense in it. Who knew when Streamclan might get uppity again? It was best if everyone was familiar with fighting in marshy territory.

But enough about that. There was a Meadowclan patrol nearby.

"Heads up, eyes front, and senses alert, Silverpaw. And toe that border line. Don't want those grass-heads to think we're going to trespass."

[RiiRii]

[bg=e9e8e3][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] Swimming? Her mentor was comparing herself to Loonstep again. Laughing quietly to herself, she walked beside her mentor and gazed directly onwards. Of course, who was to say she didn't like the water? She had been trained in a water territory before, so things weren't a problem between them. As she listened to her mentor say about looking up and staying sharp, her eyes pressed to the Meadowclan border. There were four cats, she tilted her head slightly and twitched an ear, but then looked back up to her mentor. “They're mousebrained if they think we're doing anything bad.” There was sympathy and pity in her voice, her blue eyes blinking with curiosity and her light grey and white speckled fur quivering with the same curiosity her eyes had shown. Moving her gaze over each of the four cats, she could only pick one of them out. The Deputy of the clan. “Why is their deputy even there? Do they want to fight, I'm sure their precious Starclan mislead them again.” She nearly spat the words. Starclan, how she loathed the word, "Starclan". “speaking color.”

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[megasaffe]

Shadepaw looked quickly to Sparrowclaw.

"Well, yes, it is... Do you think those mousebrained non-believers want a fight? Or shall we be the civil ones?" He purred gently at the thought of Starclan, he just couldn't understand how anyone COULDN'T believe in them.

[Pyro]

Hawkstorm chuckled. "She's probably there because she leads patrols just like our Rabbitface does." The she-cat smiled at Silverpaw, winking, then said "And you might find yourself on one of those patrols one day." Not any time soon though. She'd like to train Silverpaw up a little more before then, lest she be shamed.

Hold up. Did that upstart across the border just call them mousebrained? "Watch your tongue, youngster. And you too, silverpaw." Hawkstorm couldn't say she believed in Starclan, having never known it, but she was aware that most cats in the forest did. It wouldn't be...smart to provoke them via their beliefs. Cats could get pretty heated in regards to them.

"If they want to fight then..." oh no. No, no, no. Silverpaw wasn't a fellow warrior, she was an untrained apprentice. She wasn't ready to help back up any threats Hawkstorm might make. The tabby growled low under her breath. Once again she was approaching a potentially dicey situation virtually alone. Best to play it cool. "Then we'll be civil as long as possible, and you'll go get back up if we need it." The last she muttered in Silverpaw's ear.

Louder she said, "how're things over there in Meadowclan, Sparrowclaw?"

[RiiRii]

Sparrowclaw, becoming curious on what Hawkstorm was telling her apprentice, perked her ear and tried to listen.
Realizing Hawkstorm was then talking to her, she quickly twitched her ear and then laughed softly. She may as well hide the disgust she had for the Pineclan cats, but they were at peace and there was no need for a fight. As much as she itched for one.

"Some kits became apprenticed." she meowed, her tail brushing up against Shadepaw's shoulder. "Prey running well, no thieving furballs taking anything..." she then sat up straight and looked directly into Hawkstorm's eyes with her own emerald eyes. "No bad omens from starclan."

Wrapping her tail neatly around her forepaws, she tilted her head to the side slightly and then smiled a kind smile, despite the disgust hidden behind the mask she was revealing. "How are things going for you Pineclan cats?" Her whiskers quivered as she tried hard not to tick. She was one for patience, but when it came to other clans the patience just seemed to not want to be there. It would rather walk off and stay hidden.

Looking towards her apprentice through the corner of her eyes, she wanted to see how curious he was about the whole thing. Then hesitantly she moved her gaze to Elkstep, that tom was quiet for once and not throwing any silly jokes or any pranks... Clearing her throat, she quickly snapped her attention back to the cat or cats who truly mattered and they were on the other side of the border.

[megasaffe]

Shadepaw regarded the Pineclan warrior and apprentice, being careful not to seem too flippant.

"I'm sorry I called you mousebrained, Hawkstorm. I judged you both before I met you. I apologise."

The apprentice looked back to his mentor silently, hoping he had not just made himself one very powerful enemy, and one very beautiful one. Waiting to see if his apology would be accepted, he gazed silently at the floor.

[Pyro]

"Ah hell. If someone's mousebrained you should tell em so. Better than talking behind their backs." He was tempted to call Sparrowclaw an uptight badger just to make a point, but he was in enough trouble already. And never having talked with her before, he couldn't be sure that she wouldn't kill him for making her lose face. So, in the end he just nodded along with her report of meadowclan's condition. His look soured though when she spoke of the apprentices, and soured even more at Shadepaw's wishy washy apology. Sheesh. Didn't he have any pride?

Foxpaw probably would have gone right into it with bigass what'sherface. Sigh.

"You haven't had any more trouble, have you?" If ms. Deputy could be civil, then so could he. Especially if it annoyed her. "Don't know why Streamclan would get so pushy. "

Aaaand now the conversation was about starclan. Well shit. Elkstep didn't believe in them either, so he was inclined to be sympathetic for the pineclanners. He shot Sparrowclaw a look, hoping she wouldn't try to lecture the Pineclanners. That's all they needed. Huh. "I'm sure they don't want to hear about starclan, do ya ladies? There's a lot more important things to worry about."

[RiiRii]

[bg=e9e8e3][atrb=width,400,true][atrb=border,0,true] Unsure of what to say or do, the young apprentice looked hesitantly towards her mentor then back at the three meadowclan cats. Hawkstorm and Sparrowclaw seemed to be quite civil with each other and then came the apprentice with an apology. Silverpaw took a step forward, being sure to stay on their side of the border and sat down, rasping her pink tongue over her white paw and brushing it over her ear. Looking quickly towards Elkstep, perhaps it was time to say something. “Yes, no discussion about Starclan for me thank you. I've already had enough of hearing that name” she quickly shifted her blue gaze towards her mentor to see if she was going to get scolded or even get given a warning look. Quickly looking towards Shadepaw, she tilted her head and realized that Sparrowclaw hadn't introduced him properly. “What is your apprentices name? Mine is Silverpaw. Would be nice to know their name when you introduce them, don't you think?” It didn't mean to seem cold or a challenge, she was just trying to seem realistic and polite, but was it hard.. The stench of dried grass alone wanted to make her puke, she even had to swallow back any gags. “speaking color.”

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[megasaffe]

Shadepaw had expected many things in that moment, when Silverpaw spoke to him; Perhaps birds flying overhead or his mentor and deputy screaming her approval from the metaphorical rooftops... But he was bought spinning back down to earth when he heard, and truely understood, the way in which she was speaking to him. It was like she only spoke to him because she had to, because she was curious about the mousebrain who BELIEVED in Starclan... All of a sudden, he realised that she was waiting for an answer. How much of a simple cat he must have seemed, obviously she'd put that down to faith in Starclan.

He hastily responded with a "H-Hello, I'm Shadepaw. It's nice to meet you, Silverpaw of Pineclan." He repeated this a couple of times in his head, but his mouth was still moving silently, as if he was trying to commit the name to memory.

"I'm... I'm sorry, you must think i'm a right klutz, huh?"

[Pyro]

Hawkstorm's eyes narrowed. "We're fine." She was quite sure that the other clans all approved of Streamclan's actions. Pineclan was the black sheep in the forest, the sheep everyone wanted to go away, or to at least attempt to be similar to the other clans. Nevermind that they followed the code with a near religious zeal. All the other clans would ever see was that most Pineclan cats did not believe in Starclan. Hawkstorm was one of them. Give her God anytime, but Starclan couldn't hold a candle. They might as well have been kit's tales. Hell, they were kit's tales, though certainly not the sort of tales you'd hear in grounded Pineclan.

"I admit, I've never given much thought to the benefits of begging the stars for help." she glanced at Silverpaw. "And my apprentice is right. I'd rather we leave them out of the discussion. Wouldn't want to get in a fight now would we?" Could she handle the two warriors? If Shadepaw was new, just like Silverpaw, then the little she-cat might have a chance. Hm. Better hope it didn't come to that, although, at this point, she doubted it would. She was just being paranoid.

"Oh you have new apprentices? What a coincidence. Pineclan has also been graced with a few new warriors-to-be." The large she-cat gave a nod to her apprentice. "Silverpaw's one of them. I suppose I should be lucky to be a mentor, though I was a bit surprised at Gingerstar's offer."

Shadepaw's apology brought a true smile to Hawkstorm's face. A gracious apprentice? How sweet. "Apology accepted, Shadepaw."

[RiiRii]

Sparrowclaw's ears perked as she watched Hawkstorm, having listened to Elkstep's act of mannerism and held back the quiver of her pelt. Was he trying to be funny? Shaking the thought off with her head, she looked down to Shadepaw.
"No need to keep apologising, Shadepaw. One time is enough, it would be time until they decided to accept it and they accepted it quickly." she shifted her gaze over to Silverpaw.

This apprentice was rather big for a new apprentice. "So, you were just mentored huh? Rather big for a young apprentice, wouldn't you agree?" there was a meow of laughter in her tone as she shifted her jade green eyes to the bigger warrior, Hawkstorm.
"How is Gingerstar anyway?" she tilted her head. still letting Fogclan get the best of them, I bet? she had heard about it from the gathering and she had to admit, it was rather amusing.

Ah, today was indeed a good day. She had to admit, though. Hawkstorm, she did kind of like. The warrior she-cat was certainly somebody she'd probably get along with, unlike Elkstep who was just somebody she couldn't even stand sharing the den with.

[megasaffe]

Shadepaw was inwardly relieved, though he didn't show this to the cats from the other clans. Self-conciously, he studied the other cats: Hawkstorm, the big powerful warrior. Silverpaw... well, there really was no way to describe her that wouldn't be unbelievably inappropriate, not only for the Pineclan cats but for his mentor also.

He admired them, though, because they were strong and well-heeled, despite having no belief in Starclan, and if it did indeed come to a fight, he would have definitely met his match, in the form of the Pineclan apprentice. He especially admired the way Hawkstorm's muscles rippled underneath her coat, positive proof at just how formidable she was as a warrior.

"Who is gingerstar?" The apprentice whispered the words to his mentor, trying not to look too embarrassed at not knowing. He was only a new apprentice after all, not too far into his training. He was sure he'd be lucky enough to go to a gathering soon, after all, all apprentices had to go, before they could even think of being warriors.

This thought sent him into another daydream: One day, he'd be given his warrior name, and his mentor would be so proud; he would be Shadebelly, on account of his looks. He would be THE BEST WARRIOR IN THE WHOLE CLAN. Except maybe his mentor Sparrowclaw, She'd always be the best warrior to him.