Fate [closed]

Chin resting heavily upon his extended forepaw, Lichenpaw's form was slowly being swallowed up by the shadows that were quickly yawning across the camp. The final dying rays of the setting sun only just managed to catch the tops of the protective reed barrier that encircled the camp, offering the occasional blinding flash of honey-colored light as the late evening breeze stirred the heart of the territory. The young tom's unusual bright gaze gleamed sharply from within the dark fur of his face, gleaming occasionally in the stray flashes of dying sun. He had initially thought that earning his apprentice name would be...a bit more exciting. Now that he had come to realize the tediousness of it all, he had felt more discouraged than he had thought would be possible.

OOC: Sorry to keep you waiting! Had college stuff piling on my shoulders!

IC: Sleepy blue-green eyes opened, attempting to adjust to the diminishing light outside. Duskpaw got up from her nest and stretched her body. She was done napping for that day. The apprentice was more of a night lover. That didn't mean she skipped the whole day and did nothing. It just meant that she was a tiny bit more productive under the evening sun. The she-cat looked around for something to do, only to spot a figure lying nearby. She determined they were one of the newer apprentices. The sleek she-cat walked up to the tom with a friendly gaze and sat next to him. "Hello there! My name's Duskpaw. What's your name?" asked the apprentice with her soft yet chipper voice. Her gaze turned to look at what the tom was staring at while she waited for any type of response.

The carefully woven reeds that encircled the camp swayed precariously within the late evening breeze, the lush, brightly colored tips of the foliage gently swaying. Mindlessly focusing on the gentle movements of the undergrowth that sparsely dotted the clearing, Lichenpaw hardly noticed Duskpaw's quiet approach. Only the sound of her voice seemed to stir him from the leisurely trance that had befallen him. Shifting his gleaming gaze up to face the oddly patterned she-cat, he blinked up at the vaguely familiar feature of his denmate. "My name is Lichenpaw. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

The she-cat nodded with a hum as a quick response. The apprentice made herself comfortable before speaking again, "So Lichenpaw, do you like being an apprentice? Who's your mentor by the way?" The Bengal she-cat couldn't stop herself from asking questions. She was a bit too curious sometimes. Duskpaw gave the tom a friendly closed-eye smile as a follow-up to her questions. She enjoyed conversations from time to time. It distracted her from the tough training and the boring chores. It also brought her closer to her clan-mates. That was always a good thing, to have special relationships with each and every one of them.

Carefully adjusting his weight so that his cheek rested more heavily upon the lean flesh of his forepaw, Lichenpaw continued to glance up at Duskpaw with his unusually bright gaze. At her friendly questioning, the younger tom's features pulled into a slightly discontented frown. Truth be told, his apprenticeship thus far had been incredibly tumultuous compared to the experiences that his denmates were often put through. "It's been alright so far," Lichenpaw cautiously relented, unsure of how much he could truly say without coming across as pessimistic, "Silverfang is my mentor, but she's a bit... unusual compared to most."

OOC: I'm very sorry for my late reply! Had to do errands and college work!

IC: Duskpaw purred in amusement. She had seen Silverfang train her apprentices and Duskpaw believed she was truly lucky to have not gotten the grumpy warrior. "From what I've seen of her with other apprentices, I feel real bad for you. I wouldn't be surprised if Starclan had meant her to be in Shadowclan. Or maybe she was supposed to be a fox?" Duskpaw joked, those last two sentences spoken as quietly as she could to where only Lichenpaw could hear her. Duskpaw didn't want to feel the wrath of the warrior if she happened to have heard her. The apprentice shook her head and giggled. "Anyway, what type warrior do you think you'll become? Are you going to be the best hunter? The greatest fighter? Or maybe good at both? I want to be Riverclan's best hunter! Although, I do love to battle. I just see myself bringing back loads of good prey to feed the clan for moons!"

The friendly question on Duskpaw's behalf only resulted in a slight frown cresting upon Lichenpaw's features.What did he want to be? Silverfang, however rigorous and cruel of a mentor she tended to be, certainly had trained him to easily excel in skills as universally mastered as the art of hunting or the finesse of battle. No, he wanted to be something more. He knew he would be something more- after all, why would StarClan constantly plague him with visions if he wasn't destined for something greater than the average life of a Warrior? But instead of voicing this rattling realizations in a storm of fiery, self-absorbed passion, he merely gave Duskpaw a slight shrug and a shadow of a grin.

"I think I'd like to be Leader one day." But not like Jaystar, the nagging voice within the back of his mind urged, Like Ivystar or Fishstar, or the great Leaders of old.

OOC: Another late post due to college stuff :/

IC: Duskpaw's eyes lit up and she giggled softly. "I like how you think! Keep having that goal in mind and eventually you'll achieve it. I'll be there to motivate you.~" The Bengal apprentice rested her head on her paws before continuing, "What type of leader do you think you'll be? I've heard that Ivystar was a fierce leader and Fishstar was a wise leader. Jaystar seems to be the type of leader that has both qualities but a bit on the softer side ya know? Like I say, the clan is as good as the leader. Maybe the other clans believe Riverclan has gotten bit softer because that's the way they think Jaystar runs it. What do you think?" Who knew what the other clans thought of them. Duskpaw couldn't help but wonder. She wasn't a prideful apprentice, ready to step up and defend her clan's honor. She usually left that to her rowdy den-mates. She was a thinker, one that stayed back and eavesdropped into random conversations so she may be more knowledgeable. Duskpaw appreciated wisdom but also strength. Riverclan needed a leader with balanced qualities.