Wisdom from a broken heart:

It was slightly before dawn. Crowfur hadn't been able to sleep too well the past few nights. So many raging thoughts and burning memories haunted his sleep away. The old warrior had lost most of his spark. It would be totally lost if his remaining family was taken from him by Starclan. He had lost so many. Most of his kits hadn't lived to receive their warrior names and the ones that did were followers of the wretched Lichenmask. Those died during the battle. He only had brothers, nieces, nephews, a daughter, and grandkits left. Despite the big list of relatives, there aren't many in each category. His family was running thin. It scared him. What if he was the last alive? What if he outlived his brother Scorchstar who had more lives than him? The dark-furred cat shivered at the thought. There was no need to bring that type of mentality. Today, he was to start Sorrelpaw's training for Starclan's sake! He couldn't be seen by the younger with a storm cloud above his miserable self! He had to pull himself together for the apprentice. For his remaining family. For Shadowclan.

Dawn had finally come. Crowfur got up from his nest and stretched his limbs. He then quietly padded out of the warrior's den and began to head to the direction of the apprentice's. The large warrior stepped inside and looked for Sorrelpaw's pelt. Once he spotted the youngster, he made his way over to his sleeping form and gently prodded him with a paw. "It's time to awaken Sorrelpaw. I understand it is very early but it's best to get training over with earlier so you may have the rest of the day to yourself. Meet me outside the den." With that, the warrior exited and sat down near the den's entrance then began to wait for the apprentice.

Sorrelpaw's excitement hadn't left him, even after his apprentice ceremony. Adrenaline had rushed through his veins as the Clan congratulated his new title, and even though the ginger tom wasn't used to the praise, he found it to be enjoyable. Finding the ability to sleep that night had been rather difficult, which was a rare thing for him. Sleep was something that his body usually looked forward to. He had spent the night in his nest, his wide eyes open and ready for adventure. He wanted to learn. He was ready to spend more time with his mentor, training to become a warrior of the Clan. He had only managed to close his eyes for what seemed like a heartbeat, before he felt something gently prod his side. He sleepily lifted his head, glancing up at his mentor and saying nothing. Waking up this early wasn't something that Sorrelpaw was used to, but he supposed it was necessary, and having the rest of the day off sounded like a fair deal.

After rising to his paws and shaking his pelt, the ginger tom silently made his way out of the den, attempting to not wake up any of his sleeping denmates. He managed to put on a smile once Crowfur came into view, again.
"Hi, Crowfur," He politely greeted the older tom, "I'm ready to go."

OOC: Most posts from now on will be short and slightly crappy since they'll be done at school. I'm doing this to cut a lot of wait time for you and others. :) I hope it's okay with ya!

IC: The dark-furred tom nodded and got up from where he sat. He then beckoned the apprentice to follow. Before they passed the fresh-kill pile, the tom stopped them both and began walking to the pile. "Let us quickly eat before we go. We will bring back more prey to restock. We need the energy and full belly to successfully accomplish tasks today." The warrior grabbed a mouse and sat down to eat. He looked over at the apprentice and signaled that he may grab something.

ooc; no worries! (:

ic; Sorrelpaw didn't hesitate to scamper after his mentor, his ginger ears pricked in wonder and amazement, and his eyes aglow. Upon being stopped, the tom let his ears flatten upon his head. He hadn't expected to receive any fresh-kill this morning, and he let out the tiniest sigh of relief when Crowfur made it clear that it was fine to eat. Sorrelpaw approached the fresh-kill pile, pulling out the first bit of prey that he saw, a vole, and beginning to eat it with delicate yet quick bites. He didn't warn to scarf it all down, after all. He certainly was excited to begin, but he had no intention of acting like an impatient kit in front of his mentor. When he was finished with his share, he looked up at Crowfur to let him know that he was done. He tried his hardest to hide any signs or hints that indicated his excitement. He was an apprentice, now, and maturity had to be something that came naturally to him.