A Day with Hay

The day before, Dappleshine had been named as mentor to her first apprentice since coming to WindClan. While part of her was excited to finally get to train a young cat, the other part was nervous - she was not as young as she had once been, and she could tell that she wasn't the same. The grief and pain of losing her cherished and beloved kits had been too much for her heart to bear, even with the reassurances from her parents that they were well and safe, taken care of in the stars. Her breathing would get too rapid, making her chest ache with the effort of keeping up. Perhaps some exercise would help though... Today she would find out. As she waited for her apprentice near the camp entrance, she lifted her head to gaze towards the silently glittering stars far above, fading quickly in the light of dawn. Dacedream was among them, so were the other two tiny kits that didn't even make it to apprentice-hood. A low, barely audible choke came from her throat, and she turned away before tears could return. Her misty eyes glanced over the camp, searching for the younger she-cat.

Haypaw wasn't any more prepared for this than her mentor was, crouching in the tall grass as her gaze trailed after Dappleshine. There were butterflies in her stomach as she claws at the ground, trying to fight the nervous energy that was rising in her. She...She could do this. This was going to be great! She...She hadn't left the camp in moons. The safety of the camp had been something of a comfort, knowing she didn't have to deal with any of the...Problems in the outside world. But... If she was going to be a WindClan cat, she had to act the part, didn't she?

With a sigh, she pushed herself to her paws and padded into the clearing proper, meeting Dappleshine's gaze as she gave her mentor a small, slightly forced smile. "I-I'm ready to go out!" she meowed, trying to hide how nervous she truly was. She...She didn't want to mess up but she had her doubts that this would come easy to her. It would maybe be an up hill battle but...It was worth a try, she supposed. Everybody had been so supportive so far, maybe she would be alright and Dappleshine wouldn't mind if she fumbled a few times trying to get the hang of...Whatever they were going to be learning today.

Dappleshine's eyes softened as her newest apprentice responded, the little stutter in her mew gave away her nervousness. Brushing her tail against her shoulder, she smiled before turning towards the camp entrance. "You'll do great, it's a lot to learn but I know you e got it in you. It just takes some practice!" Dappleshine mewed, trying to keep her voice light. She had once said similar words to her daughter when she was teaching her how to swim. Leading the way out of camp and into the territory beyond, she looked over her shoulder. "Is there anywhere in particular you want for go? Any place you've heard about and would love to see?"

Haypaw stiffed a little under the brush of Dappleshine's tail, but soon relaxed with the simple motherly touch that she had so greatly missed. Right, she...She at least had to try. She wanted to find her place here and she was certain it wasn't going to be found just being stuck in the nursery. Still, she wasn't sure what that would be...Her ears perked a little as Dappleshine questioned if there was anywhere she wanted to go, thinking upon it. "Um...Not...Really?" she meowed, giving her mentor a bit of a sheepish look. "I...I think I...I wanna avoid the black ground. Um...The...Thunderpath? I...I don't wanna go back there yet," she admitted. The path had been...Scary, but it had also where she had been abandoned. She had been left in a dangerous place and she didn't...She didn't want to face it again. Not yet. Not until she was certain that she wasn't going to be... Not until she was certain she had a place here in WindClan. "But just seeing the moor itself would be nice, I guess. Getting used to it and stuff. I'm not used to such...Openness."

Nodding in understanding, Dappleshine turned her paws towards the farthest side of WindClan's territory, the farthest away they could get from the Thunderpath. "Sounds good, we'll head to the opposite corner of WindClan's territory, and together you and I can explore it! We'll go all the way to the Gorge, which separates us from RiverClan, and then Fourtrees, and every in between. From there, we can head back to camp for a well-deserved rest, and continue in the morning. We'll wait for the Thunderpath until you're good and ready." She mewed, gazing at her apprentice warmly, trying to avoid seeing Dacedream's pelt pattern in the young she-cat's. As they walked, Dappleshine spoke once more. "The openness definitely takes some getting used to. The other clans seem to think that RiverClan also lives in the open, and that's not entirely true. We- I mean, they, have the reeds and river grasses for cover, as well as the water itself. Here on the moor, it's just.... wide open. It's unusual, and rather startling at first, but then you pick up on the little things. Like here, stop and listen with me." The breeze had picked up, ruffling the pelts of the two she-cats as it meandered over the moor, and with it came the scent of fish and water, and RiverClan. As it coursed through the grasses around them, a sound very akin to the softest of whispers surrounded them, almost as if the wind was attempting to share it's secrets with the two but unable to truly voice them. As the breeze passed, Dappleshine took a deep breath. "The wind is funny, and fickle. It can be here one moment, and gone the next, but it's always going to return. The wind travels through all of the territories, even those beyond the clans, carrying bits and pieces of all the places it goes with it as it moves on. The other clans don't get to hear it as well, since it's blocked by so many other things, but we get to hear it in it's truest, unhindered form." The silver coated queen looked to the blue sky, her eyes closing as she breathed in again. "And we know that those we have lost are able to watch over us with ease." By this point, the river crashing through the gorge could be heard echoing in the distance, and Dappleshine looked back down to her apprentice. "I hope that you will come to love WindClan as much as I do, even though we both came from very different places we both ended up here, together."

A soft sigh of relief escaped Haypaw as Dappleshine quickly accepted her desire to stay away from the Thunderpath and quickly found out a new route that would work. She bounded over her mentor as she contuined to talk, listening quietly as she talked about the moor and how...Open it was. The two soon stopped at a cusp of a hill, listening to the faint sounds that were carried on the breeze. Haypaw... Couldn't deny how good it felt to have the wind rustling her pelt, raising her head against the wind for a few blissful moments before it and the sounds it brought with it faded. Dappleshine's final sentence caught her ear, giving her mentor a blink of surprise as they carried on. [color=tan"Oh! You...Aren't from WindClan yourself?"[/color] she questioned, before she paused as she tried to remember if she knew that or not. She...Wasn't the best at remembering everything just yet - it was a lot of information that the details seemed weird still, trying to grasp their culture and beliefs. "...Why did you join WindClan then? A-And where are you from? ...If it doesn't hurt to tell," she added, her ears slicking back. "...I know it hurts me to think about where I came from and how I ended up here."

Dappleshine blinked at her apprentice for a few heartbeats before a small grin blossomed on her face. So they had reached a generation that did not know of her origin, only of her as a WindClan cat. It felt.... Nice, honestly. "I'm not from WindClan, no. I was born to RiverClan, on a distant shore following the flood that swept the clans away many moons ago. I came to WindClan because... Well, I fell in love. With Ravenstar, Raventail then. We had met on the journey home from the shore, and continued our friendship... Before I knew it, I realized that I had fallen for him. After thinking about it a long time, I went to my adopted father, Torrentstar, in an attempt to speak with him, to get his advice.... He was furious, and chased me out of RiverClan without giving me a chance to fully speak with him, or to explain to my remaining friends and family what had happened. The next day, I came upon Raventail, contemplating his own next steps, and together we came to WindClan, me for the first time, and Raventail returning home. Finchstar welcomed us home, and home it has been since."

Looking away to face the gorge, she smiled sadly. "It used to hurt. Some days it still does. Torrentstar is dead, struck down by StarClan for doing the very thing he condemned me for. Ravenstar and I were never together before I came to WindClan, I had gone to him as my father, as someone to turn to, to offer advice and guidance.... And only moons later, he mated with Thornstar, my adopted mother, of ShadowClan." She sighed, raising a webbed paw to show Haypaw. "The river runs through my veins, but the wind runs through my heart. It was a hard choice, and one that ended up being made for me, but you know? I wouldn't change a thing. I do miss Ivystar, and Honeytongue, and Stormbringer and so many others. But they have their place, and I have mine.... Even if I'm not the fastest, I can still provide for WindClan in my own way." She mewed, smiling down at the younger she-cat. "Perhaps some day your past won't hurt you as badly. If you ever need to chat, I'm here." The queen lowered her head to her apprentice's gently and brushed her nose to the younger.

Haypaw's eyes widen as Dappleshine start to explain her past, whiskers twitching. She used to be a RiverClan cat? It was a lot to take in, the tale of how she had fallen in love with Ravenstar only to be chased out of her Clan by her father. Only for him to be killed by StarClan - or...Was it The Righteous Few? She remembered both names being thrown around, with The Righteous Few being 'bad' StarClan or...Something. Was it good or bad StarClan that had killed him? She didn't dare to ask and instead listened as Dappleshine lamented about how she missed certain cats and that the choice hadn't fully been hers but it was still her place. She blinked as Dappleshine touched her nose with her's, meeting her eyes for a few heartbeats before a soft smile crossed her face.

"I...Thank you. I guess...I-I was never sure if WindClan was going to be my place cause I...It wasn't my choice to leave my old home. My momma and siblings... And I-I guess I was afraid that...I must have done something for me to be taken away, why my momma didn't fight to keep me... I don't wanna mess up here. Everybody here is so...Nice. I like it here, even if I am not sure how good of a...WindClan cat I'll be. I don't want to have to leave for one reason or another," she admitted, turning her gaze onto the horizon that stretched out around them. "But...You didn't get to fully make your choice either but...You did choose to stay. And...I choose to stay, so...Maybe...Maybe I'll find my place here. Be a true WindClan cat. I dunno how well I'll take to the lifestyle cause its so...Different from what I know, but I am willing to give it a shot and...That counts for something, right?"

"You're very welcome, Haypaw." Dappleshine purred as she pulled her nose back, smiling at her apprentice. As she continued, the she-cat listened intently, periodically nodding in understanding and empathy. A lot of what was running through Haypaw's mind were thoughts that had coursed through her own, and still did on occasion. Her heart ached at the expression on the younger she-cat's face, and she hesitated only a moment before wrapping her tail around her. "It counts for more than you may think, Haypaw. Sometimes.... Sometimes things don't go the way we want them to, the way they should. I can't speak for how or why you found yourself here, but I do know that sometimes these things just happen for a reason. Being a clan cat is far more than being the fastest, or strongest, or the best at hunting or battling.... It's also about the love and kindness towards your clanmates, your desire to live free in a place where you are surrounded by those who will care for you, just as you care for them."

She paused for a moment, following Haypaw's gaze to the horizon. "You know, sometimes, the path that you think you'll be on forever suddenly changes, and you're left floundering as you figure out what the next step should be. Sometimes, hearts change, and give way to new ideas and information. I do hope that your place is here in WindClan, and we'll walk side by side through your journey, but... If the day should come where you yearn to discover what lies beyond that line of the horizon, I will encourage you to follow your heart. I can't promise it won't bring constant happiness, times may be hard in that unknown territory, but... That's always been my thinking. Perhaps it's done more harm than good, but...." She sighed, eyes dropping to look at her apprentice. "I think everyone deserves to decide their path on their own terms."

As Dappleshine wrapped her tail around her, Haypaw took the opportunity to nestle a little closer to the she-cat's side, listening quietly as the she-cat explained what she thought being a true Clan cat was. And...She could live with that - maybe not being the most skilled or the best but just being loved and loving everybody back. They were her new family, she supposed. and she wanted to do by them the best she could. Her heart dropped a little thought as Dappleshine pressed her to always follow her own heart even if it did one day take her away from WindClan. She...She really hoped not, she had already lost one family. She wanted to be hopeful that she would find her place here but she suppose she just couldn't be sure.

Finally, she pulled away from Dappleshine as the she-cat finished, turning to look at her with smile. "Well, I-I suppose I should see what its like actually being a WindClan cat then!" she said, tail swishing as she straightened up. "I heard some things about being what the moor is like but I want to experience it for myself! So...Uh, where do we start?" she questioned, looking a little sheepish. "I mean, if I am going to become a warrior one day, I should start to figure out what is expected of me and how to do it, right?"

Purring at her response, Dappleshine stood and continued leading the way across the moor at an even pace. Before long the sound of the river had grown to a roar, and several tail lengths ahead was the drop off into the gorge, the far side empty of RiverClan patrols. Raising her voice over the road of the water rushing below, Dappleshine explained. "This is the gorge, it separates RiverClan from WindClan. Be very careful here, especially around the edges, they can crumble under you. You also have to be mindful hunting around this area, as sometimes rabbits and hares in their dash to survive will fall over the edge - you want to be sure you don't follow them. You also need to be aware of your surroundings, this area is open and you can encounter things like eagles or hawks if you're not paying attention."

Leading the way along to edge of the gorge towards the neutral territory between the two clans, she gestured towards it lightly. "This is agreed upon neutral territory between WindClan and RiverClan. Sometimes the patrols here will line up with RiverClan's, and we'll be here at the same time. Stay calm and don't do anything rash, Briarthorn once started a battle because he went too far one day." Turning to head farther into WindClan territory, Dappleshine jumped slightly at the shape that had come up behind them. "Fish scales..." she hissed as the long-necked bird let out a honk before dashing towards them. Placing herself between the bird and her apprentice, Dappleshine reared up on her kind paws before slashing at the goose. [color=#006699"First fighting lesson - aim for soft spots. You don't have to kill, just harm it enough to get away and report for now. Together we can easily take this, but there's no shame in running to get help, Haypaw. For now, aim for it's eyes, or belly. Maybe it has a nest nearby and we can take an egg back to camp."[/color]

A wild Goose appeared! Dappleshine used Rear-Up to Slash, dealing 17 damage and costing 15 SP.

Dappleshine:
100/100 HP
265/280 SP (-15)

Goose:
23/40 HP (-17)
130/130 SP

---

Goose used Beak Thrust on Dappleshine, dealing 20 damage and costing 40 SP.

Goose:
23/40 HP
90/130 SP (-40)

Dappleshine:
80/100 HP (-20)
265/280

As the sound of rushing water grew louder and louder, Haypaw slicked her ears back, peering at the large hole - the gorge, as Dappleshine called it, that seemed to stretch on for forever. She turned her ears to try to focus on her mentor's words, scanning the edge of the large ravine. It was...Dangerous. Alright. She made a note not to stray here then - it was to be better safe than sorry, she supposed. Her whiskers twitched as she heard Dappleshine turn, following after her mentor before she stumbled back as the she-cat jumped. "Wha?" she gasped, her own fur standing on edge as she scanned the area and saw a....What...

What was that?

It...Looked like a bird but it was huge and made such a weird noise. She titled her head before her eyes widen it charged at them, Dappleshine planting herself between her and the bird and mentioned fighting lessons as she slashed at the bird and it pecked at her. Wait, they were going to...But she didn't...! She could feel her blood pumping in her ears at the sudden rush of terror, eyes flickering back and forth between her mentor and the bird. "I..." she started before she swallowed. This...This was a life of a WindClan cat, she had heard all about the different fights that would happen. If she wanted to be a warrior... "Aim for the soft spots, got it!" she meowed, jumping to the side before she darted forward. She hissed as she unsheathed her claws, battering at the goose's stomach before she darted back to take refuge behind her mentor - a little afraid to get hurt herself.

Haypaw used Front Paw Strike on wild goose, dealing 6 damage and costing 10 stamina.

Haypaw:
20/20 HP
70/80 SP (-10 SP)

Dappleshine:
80/100 HP
265/280

Goose:
17/40 HP (-6 HP)
90/130 SP

"Well done Haypaw!," Dappleshine exclaimed as the goose struck at her again, wincing as the sharp beak struck her side. Hissing in rage, the older warrior rose on her hind paws, and before the goose could react brought them crashing down on its head, panting as she stepped aside. The world around her was spinning, and she couldn't figure out which way was up or down. Was that Dacedream just ahead, with Sedgekit at her side? Pale yellow fur caught her eye, and blue eyes met green. Slowly, the sound of the gorge at her back and the sight of the rolling moors returned, and there Haypaw was, having sheltered behind her. Shaking out her pelt quickly, she gave her apprentice a grin. "That was perfect, Haypaw. Very well done. Come on, let's get this goose home. I'll carry it if you want to bring the egg?"

Goose used Beak Thrust on Dappleshine, dealing 20 damage and costing 40 SP. Dappleshine retaliated by using Upright Lock, dealing 17 damage and costing 25 SP. The Goose can longer fight ever again.

Dappleshine:
60/100 HP (-20)
240/280 SP (-25)

Goose: K.O.
0/40 HP (-17)
50/130 SP (-40)

Haypaw:
20/20 HP
70/80 SP

Haypaw jolted as Dappleshine took another blow before she reared up and... She watched in mute horror as the warrior brought her paws down onto the bird's head. There was a long silence as Haypaw watched it and realized with a shock that it wasn't moving it. It was...It was... Her paws felt locked into place as her blood went cold, breath catching in her throat as the world seemed to slow down... Then Dappleshine's voice broke her out of it. Her mentor sounded so...Cheerful. Happy. Her breath shakily left her throat before she took a couple steps back, her chest now heaving as she suddenly found it slightly hard to breathe. "You...You killed it. Its...Its dead," she said numbly, ears slicking back as her tail wrapped around her back leg.

She...She had been horrified enough when she had been first brought prey - she had never thought about eating another...Living thing before. She had gotten slowly use to it but... "I...I've never...I didn't think... It was living. I..." It...It had to be done, didn't it? It was...It was attacking them, they had mentioned killing to protect themselves was allowed by the warrior code but... She...She would have to kill prey, wouldn't she? Never in her life had she thought about this being a possibility. "I..." her voice failed her as she stood there, trying to suddenly face her new reality.