New Shadows [C]

Pantherpaw was…in camp. Again. Lying on a warm rock soaking up the heat it still retained from the sun, to be exact. Through half-lidded eyes, she watched the camp. She really should be out, practicing, getting better at… everything, but… she was lonely. She hated to admit it, even to herself, but… Cheetahpaw wasn’t worth a mouse-tail as a supportive friend, and… she just wanted somecat to patrol with, have fun with. Maybe even two cats. Her throat suddenly tightened, and she quickly hid her face. Why so emotional? Why… she missed her mother. She missed the cat she thought her sister was as a kit. Everycat else seemed to have friends. Something she’d never wished for as a kit. Something she… did, now. She resettled herself to think about this logically. For friends, she had a lot of choices. Even the younger kits were scant moons younger than she. The younger warriors weren’t too much older. Like everything she did, she attempted to face this logically. Kits? She… didn’t know about… befriending kits. Was th- yes, this was something that would be good for her. She knew her father got along well with Mistyfalcon and Rosethorn, and he seemed to enjoy that… perhaps she’d better befriend an apprentice… she didn’t know. She didn’t know, and that was annoying. Her tail thumped on the rock. She’d have to work harder at this… maybe ask her father. Pantherpaw settled down, thinking.

Condorkit had wandered out on his own, today, while his siblings were taking a nap. He wasn't even tired, he didn't understand how they could sleep so much! Oh well, more playtime for him at least! If they wanted to be sticks in the mud and waste all this time, that was on them!

As he made his way around the camp, he couldn't help but notice Pantherpaw all by herself, and he walked up to her with a smile. "Hiya Pantherpaw! Why is your face all scrunched up all weird like that? Is your brain doing the worky thingy? That's boring! Hey, do ya think you can teach me how to fight like you? That would be loads more fun! And Loudkit will get so jealous, teach him to take a lame nap!"

A veritable waterfall of talking penetrated Pantherpaw’s thoughts. Her head shot up, alarmed, but it was only a kit- one of Murkystrike’s, she thought. Her mouth opened to tell the kit to go play somewhere else, but… was this her chance? To befriend this… exceedingly talkative kit? They’d shared the nursery for scant sunrises, if at all, and… she wasn’t sure if… talking, was… she would give it a try. Constraining a sign, Pantherpaw set her head on her paws, looking at the kit- Condorkit, she thought. That or Vulturekit, and Murkystrike would’ve clawed Mistyfalcon’s ears off before one of her kits was named a vulture. It took a few seconds to digest all of what he had said. ”Naps aren’t lame,” she pointed out. ”They replenish energy. I don’t know if I should teach you fighting moves yet… don’t want your mother to claw my ears off. Maybe… how does a hunting crouch sound? Your mentor would be surprised.”

She hoped that was good. She wasn’t exactly an… expert at this. All of this. She might look lazy, lying around in camp, but she was conserving energy for when she needed it. Not even the Clan’s strictest warriors could complain about the prey she brought back. Maybe this kit would be grateful, and… don’t think like Cheetahpaw. You’re trying to make friends, not allies. Hopefully this… Condorkit would be interested. She did dearly hope he’d grow up soon, though, if she was to make friends. All that talking… Ugh.

At the sound of being taught a hunting crouch, Condorkit's eyes lit up. "Would you really teach me? Oh, that would be awesome! Thank you Pantherpaw! My mentor is going to be so impressed when I become an apprentice!" The smoke tom was grinning from ear to ear as he sat down, eager to watch Pantherpaw's example. Oh Loudkit was so going to be jealous! Although Pantherpaw was wrong on one thing. Naps were very lame.

Pantherpaw stretched, then settled into a hunting crouch for the young tom. “You want to balance your weight on all your paws, evenly as you can, since our territory is marshy and it’s easy to sink. Tail needs to be high enough to not drag in the mud and low enough so prey doesn’t spot it. You’re holding energy, if that makes sense, waiting to spring forwards and-“ Pantherpaw shot forwards and landed squarely on a leaf, pinning it below her paws. She looked to Condorkit, and with a flick of her tail beckoned him to try. Leaves were good to practice on. She was vaguely interested in how he’d do.