Hazey Smokey Skies (CLOSED PATROL)

Hazepaw had just been apprenticed, she was anxious to get out of camp and explore the territory more. Glancing at her paws, she sighed, seeing that there weren't any others nearby at the moment, or so she thought.

Walking over to Hazepaw, his half-relative, Smokepelt let out a soft purr. "Hello," the deputy meowed softly with a smile. Every time he looked at the apprentice, her pelt reminded him of his father's pelt and left him with a mixture of happy and depressed feelings. But, this was no time to be sulking around, so he pushed those thoughts away for the time being. "Want to go on a patrol?" he figured he might as well take the apprentice on a patrol, seeing her mentor wasn't around.

A Patrol! Hazepaw tried to keep herself from bouncing off her paws and darting out of the camp. Instead, she kept her cool, and looked up at the older tom with big eyes. "I'd love too! Nightheart hasn't done much yet, so it'd be great to get out of camp!" She went on, excited to go somewhere with Smokepelt.

Glad to see the small cat's enthusiasm, Smokepelt flicked his tail towards the entrance and started padding towards it. Opening his jaw to speak, he was about to ask how she was liking clan life but realized that she was probably too young when Nightheart adopted her to remember anything other than clan life, so he kept quiet. "So, uh, you like being apprentice?" the deputy asked in an awkward sort of way, his nervousness around she-cat's he admired kicking in.

She nodded happily, "Yup! Though, I haven't done too much yet, so I've still got a lot to look forward to! That's why I'm glad you offered to take me on a patrol." She stated, obviously overjoyed to be out and about with such a well-known, good looking tom. The other she's would be so jealous, she thought jokingly.

Though, she guessed she wouldn't be able to be with him though, he was so busy with his duties, and he didn't see him too often. She hoped at least they could be close as friends. As she walked, she didn't realize their pelts brushed every so often.

"Well, I'm glad I'm able to help," he replied happily, always happy to be of service to his clan-mates. Walking next to the apprentice, they reached the Thunderpath and he made his way a few foxlengths away from her to mark the territory. Padding back to her with a rather random cheery feeling, he nudged her on the shoulder with his head and bounced playfully past her. "Last one to the moor is a piece of crowfood!" he yelled and started running towards the moor, not too fast so she'd be able to catch up. It'd been a while since he'd ever had some genuine fun and being with Hazepaw gave him a nice sense freedom.

Hazepaw watched as Smokepelt left and returned, only moments later, she felt him nudge her. Hazepaw pelt a prickly sensation crawl up her spine, and she began to bubble with excitement. "You're on!" She mewed, and quickly pelted after him. Given her shorter legs that had yet to grow, it was hard to keep pace with the older, leaner tom she had given chase on.

Looking over his shoulder, he was surprised at how fast Hazepaw was. Well then, he'd need to give her an even greater challenge! Picking up the pace, his long legs drummed against the earth as the two cats raced through the tall moor grass, adrenaline flowing through his veins. For a few moments they ran without stopping until the deputy forgot to watch his footing.

Tripping over a rock, Smokepelt came to an abrupt halt and tumbled to the ground, in which Hazepaw was close enough behind him that she fell too. Rolling on the ground and a bit dazed from what happened, Smokepelt laid on his back to see Hazepaw on top of him. Not able to hold it back, the deputy burst into laughter. "Wow, you're pretty fast!" he meowed, gasping for air between his laughs. He hadn't had this much fun in what seemed like ages!

In a flash Hazepaw felt her body loose balance and get thrown against the ground. Only moments before had she been gracefully racing behind the deputy.

She opened her eyes, a mad blush spreading across her muzzle at the sight below her. Yet, her uneasiness was soothed at the sound of Smokepelts laughter, and she quickly joined in. "Yeah, you bet I am!" She replied happily, a small competitive glint in her pale yellow eyes. After a moments pause, she clambered off the larger tom.

A bit embarrassed, Smokepelt waited for Hazepaw to get off and stood up, shaking his pelt to rid it of any dust. "Guess that's expected of WindClan cats," he pointed out. Breathing heavily from the intense running, the deputy looked to Hazepaw, a happy look on his muzzle, which was surprising given everything that'd been happening. "Want to go up to that hill?" he meowed, flicking his tail to the top of a small hill that sat near the center of the territory. It was a relaxing spot with a nice view and there was something he needed to tell the apprentice, in which a nice view would help set the mood.

Hazepaw followed his gaze, which lead to the nearby small hill. "Sure! I bet you can see the entire territory from up there." She said excitedly, not really bothering to shake out her pelt after the tumble she and Smokepelt took.

"Can we walk though? Wouldn't want another fall!" She suggested in a easy tone, not exactly wanting the same thing to happen again, even though it was nice being so close.

Agreeing to her question, the deputy gave a nod and the two walked up to the hill. After a few moments, Smokepelt sat down with Hazepaw next to him. His pelt touched her's and as if it was a sign, he knew what he needed to do. There was no other moment better than this and although he was nervous, Smokepelt needed to say what he wanted to say. Looking down to Hazepaw, he held a small, nervous smile upon his grey muzzle. "Hazepaw, there is something I must tell you," he started, taking a gulp and trying to hide his fear scent. He wasn't scared of being rejected, but the fact that he was considerably older than her and although she was adopted into Nightheart's family, the apprentice was still "related" to him. Would she be alright with what he was about to ask of her?

"I've been thinking about this for a while now, and I'd like to ask... will you be my mate?" the tom asked softly, preparing himself for anything. It'd taken him a quite a few sunrises to think this over, him being so close to another she-cat that would've made a wonderful mate as well. But, as time went on, he knew that the Warrior Code would never permit them to be together and he just simply had to accept it. Besides, what would his mother have thought of him if they had gotten caught?

So here he was, dedicating his life to another wonderful and sweet she-cat. Ever since Hazepaw had been adopted into his family, he'd always been relatively close to her, being able to train and teach her the ways of becoming a warrior. Maybe he'd always had feelings for her or maybe they were random and new, but either way, he loved this apprentice and would go to the ends of the earth for her love.

"I'm sorry if it seems out of the blue, but after a long while, I just needed to ask you and now seemed like a good time," Smokepelt added softly, a somewhat awkward feeling settling between the two of them. Please let everything be alright, he prayed silently, waiting for her reply.

Slightly shocked, Hazepaw didn't quite register his question at first. Like he said, it was so out of the blue, she would have never expected some cat like him to ask a cat like her that question.

After a moments pause, she looked up at him, a small smile beginning to inch its way over her short muzzle. "Of course, Smokepelt." She said, her voice smooth with honesty. Then, glancing to the sky, she continued. "Honestly, I would have never expected you to ask that, but I'm so glad you did." Hazepaw closed her eyes for a brief moment before looking at him again, a certain softness to her pale yellow gaze. "I had admired you from afar, ever since I became an apprentice. Yet of course, I never said anything, too worried you'd brush me off..." She paused, figuring her words were much too saddening for a moment like this. Instead, she kept quite, and pressed closer. All she wanted to do right now, was drink in the moment.

With his heart racing and muscles tense, Hazepaw's words meant all the world to him and he relaxed, feeling like mush after being so nervous. "I'd never brush you off," he reassured her, nudging the top of her head with his muzzle. After the long while of not having a mate and being alone, he'd never felt more alive and like a kit seeing the camp for its first time, was bubbling with happiness. "Hazepaw, I'm so glad you've come into my life," Smokepelt meowed softly, their pelts touching. Looking off onto the moor, the deputy was proud to be a WindClan cat, and a lucky WindClan cat at that.

Hzepaw smiled up at him, a certain excitement and fuzziness creeping up her fur. It was good to know he wouldn't brush her off, especially considering how many other she-cats there were in the clan. "I'm glad you've come into my life as well." She restated, making sure he knew she meant what she said.