A Ginger Breeze...(closed for Ash and I)

The she-cat shook out her pale, fluffy fur as she sat perched in a tree, tail dangling below. Gingerpaw was a good ten or so feet above the forest floor, bright blue eyes shining clearer than the cloudless sky above. Leaf Fall was coming soon, for the she-cat could see the leaves changing to bright colors. There was also a certain crispness in the air, different than Green Leaf. As the sun shone down on Gingerpaw, causing her to glow a beautiful cream color, she heard pawsteps approach from below. A familiar scent drifted toward her, one that she recognized from the nursery and apprentice's den. It was a clan mate, but she couldn't remember who it was.

Breezepaw needed to vent. He didn't get angry easily, but he was frustrated. His father never had time for him. He was always "busy". It was always "later". Whenever the gray tabby got to see him at all, that was. He knew leaders had to take care of things, but couldn't he make some time for his son? And Poppysong was always busy with Thornpaw. Pardon the pun, but since they had become apprentices, his brother had been nothing but a thorn in his paw. He had nothing, nobody except for his mentor. When they weren't training, Fawnsplash was always with the other warriors. Whenever he saw her, she'd tell him to go patrol or to help with herbs. Trying to impress her friends, he guessed.

So he had taken a walk out of camp. It had been peaceful until the crackling sound of leaves and branches above his head reached his ears. He looked up, yellow eyes startled, to see the youngest apprentice. Barely more than a kit. He had forgotten her name. Disappointed, he sat down on his muscly haunches. "Oh. Hello." This was a waste of time.

Gingerpaw peered down at the apprentice below her. He was older than her, and she suddenly felt like a kit again, weak and helpless and small. A small smile appeared on the she-cat's muzzle and her eyes shimmered. "Hey," she greeted sweetly. Gingerpaw could sense some sort of anger coming from the other apprentice. Why was he angry? "I'm Gingerpaw."

Breezepaw glanced up. Oh yeah, that was her name. "Breezepaw," he responded shortly. Did she not get the vibe that he wanted to be left alone?

Gingerpaw stood up and gracefully leapt down off of the branch, landing softly on her paws beside Breezepaw. She had been practicing this all day, and was greatful that she had finally perfected the move. She wanted to ask him if something was wrong, but didn't know how to. "It's a lovely day, isn't it? Speaking of which, how was your day today?" Her voice came out in a gentle purr as her fluffy tail swooshed behind her.

Breezepaw's yellow eyes were pained slits, averted from the young apprentice's lithe form. "I'm okay, I guess. I did come out here to be alone." His gray tabby tail was drawn tightly around his paws. He took a shaky breath, fighting back tears as he remembered his father, mother and brother brushing him off. He couldn't be weak. He needed to be strong.

Gingerpaw watched the grey apprentice with curiosity. He was a confusing tom to her; an incomplete puzzle that was missing a few pieces. She made it her goal to find those pieces and make Breezepaw whole again. How, she didn't know. Why, she didn't know either. The cream and ginger she-cat sat down, pressing close to him but not touching him. She wrapped her tail around her own paws, like how Breezepaw did, and locked her sparkling blue eyes onto his slitted yellow ones. "Breezepaw, it takes a coward to coop up his feelings inside of him, holding in every tear and brushing off every scar. Anybody can do that. It takes a truly strong cat to be brave enough to talk to someone, and let their feelings out. And guess what? It takes an even braver cat to do something about it, instead of just sitting back like a shivering kit and watching their life crumble. If you want to be strong, and brave, and a fierceom warrior, then you'd better gain control of your life and stop letting it control you." After she was done her sweet little rant, Gingerpaw stood up and started to pad away, her fluffy tail brushing against Breezepaw's side as she did so.

Breezepaw couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that this she-cat was judging him for having a hard life. She didn't even know why he was angry! His eyes widened in outrage as Gingerpaw started walking away. She had no idea what he was going through. He wanted to yell in her face, but he didn't want the tears to get out. Lashing his tail in anger, he stayed silent.