Tinders of Remembrance (Open for All!)

The reeds hung solemnly over large, comprising logs. Blackpaw sighed, as the grass was glazed by an indigo sky. The moon affixed to the sky, shafting rods of resplendent silver light casting across dull granite stones. Blackpaw glanced down wearily. His paws stepped tactfully and slowly in their wake. His blue eyes seemed fluorescent in the night, complimenting his small tri-colored dapples, that adorned his pelt beautifully. He did not seem harmful, more gentle and reassuring, as he thought of sorrowful ordeals that the night swiftly brought. He shivered tormentedly at the thought.

Blackpaw's eyes caught a lithe silhouette that undulated with each careful movement. This did not come across as vexatious to Blackpaw, in fact, he was alleviated by the opposing cat's presence. He did not make it clear that he was visible, however, and his pelt created an illusion in the night. He gasped as he stumbled a bit.

His first thought was instinct, he unsheathed his claws and leapt to all fours. Yet he relaxed and let his fur lay flat when he recognized that it was only ThunderClan. He squinted to adjust his gaze, and figure out who this cat was.

Pinepaw has been out... well, thinking, not hunting. He had been pondering and pondering all day. He liked being away from camp, away from other cats, away from Amberpaw... away from all that StarClan nonsense. He knew cats had seen his look at his apprentice ceremony, the look he had given when he had been named under StarClan's blessing. He knew what they'd soon think of him.

The apprentice that doesn't believe in StarClan.

A full clan cat, yet he did not understand.

Why did they have to bow to StarClan, when they could bow to anyone.

When they could bow to him!

Lost in thought, Pinepaw wondered right into an apprentice. He snarled at first, but thought to straighten his face at the sight of the apprentice that had attended his and his sister's apprentice ceremony. He studied him with his piercing emerald eyes, without speaking.

"Hello," Blackpaw meowed emotionlessly. "You're Pinepaw, aren't you? I'm Blackpaw." The moon shed slivers of light onto Blackpaw's raven pelt. His gaze softened as it met the younger apprentice's. He dipped his head curtly, but for quite a short time. The rocks shone with a silver finish. In front of the cascades of light, Blackpaw seemed different than his tone usually implied.

Pinepaw nodded, pleasant that this was just a cold encounter. Maybe it will stay like that. But the apprentice's tone seemed stiff and cold, so he was pushed by his curiosity and wish to know to find out.

"What is happening to you. You seem off." he said, cold and straight forward.

Blackpaw mused something to himself, before his gaze quickly returned to the younger apprentice's. "Alright." He decided, tone silky and stubborn. His eyes gave off a vibe of disheartened sorrow. "My mentor died a few nights ago," Blackpaw explained quietly, continuing on. "I need to get a new one now, but I don't think it will be the same." Blackpaw finally glanced up, as opposed to his downcast, blue orbs just a couple of heartbeats ago.

Pinepaw listened to Blackpaw's words with patience. Apprentices found losing their mentor harsh, probably, but he didn't understand that either. Ah, how little he could understand, and these were things that any kit could think. Well, he was different from other cats, but they started to notice.

"Well, it's not about the mentor, it's the apprentice that matter. It will be the same, though they will treat you with pity and care." he said coldly, his emerald eyes staring long away from the tom.

(mind if I hop in? sneaking out of camp at night is Mosspaw's thing)

The two cats talking didn't notice a third shadow slipping through the trees, small and fluffy, vibrant eyes, the color of her namesake, glimmering in the darkness. She didn't have time for sleep, this energetic apprentice. And while coming out here at night had lost its rebellious taste since she had become an apprentice, she enjoyed it nonetheless, still knowing she was here when others weren't. That wasn't the case tonight.

Mosspaw's ears perked up at the sound of Blackpaw and Pinepaw's conversation. She had never seen either of them on her nightly walks through ThunderClan territory. Blackpaw, that older apprentice, was such a stickler to the rules. How boring! It surprised her to see he was awake at this hour out here, even though it technically wasn't against the code. Pinepaw, on the other hand, was strange. Scoffing, cold and hostile, he never was excited about anything. She had begun to grow suspicious of him lately.

She silently padded up to the two, intending to give them a fright. Sure, they would probably scent her first, but still. She crept through the trees,and leapt out at them.

"BOO!" She tried to muffle her howling laughter as she tackled Blackpaw to the ground.
"What are you two doing out here? I usually get ThunderClan territory to myself at night."

Blackpaw had opened his mouth to answer Pinepaw's response calmly, yet he felt paws crash into his back and he toppled over. He turned over, and smiled a bit. "Okay, Mossstar," teased Blackpaw. "ThunderClan territory is all yours again," he mock threw his paws up into the air, feign retreating. He then zoomed out of the bramble thickets, springing at the younger apprentice, tackling her to the ground with sheathed claws. "Not," he added with a mischievous smirk.

Pinepaw didn't even flinch as the apprentice he remembered as Mosspaw, DArkstar's apprentice, sprang out of the bushes, tackling Blackpaw. He watched them absently yet interested, his usual piercing glare that only wanted to suggest how ittle he cared about the given moment. "I don't usually go out at night, but my sister was trashing again in the den, and I thought I'd better get out until she wakes up and wants to talk to me." he said in a low but firm voice.

He watched the two cats tackle each other as if he was watching two ants shuffling with a piece of stolen two-leg food, just plain boredom. "Are you two done kit-playing?" he muttered, annoyance clear in his voice.

Mosspaw batted Blackpaw away with her paw, snorting. She couldn't help but be surprised at how enthusiastic he was with their little fight. "I have a lovely little walk through here every night, and I can't say I was expecting company. I prefer to come on my own and think. Or scare cats like him!" She smirked at the two toms. "I see Blackpaw was here contemplating the meaning of life and death or something, and you seemed to be the little ray of sunshine you always are." Mosspaw smiled sarcastically, knowing it would annoy Pinepaw.

Blackpaw attempted to concentrate on the two voices at once, yet ended out snorting with a small bit of laughter. "Oh my StarClan, just..." he was once again in a fit of laughter, that didn't see, to amuse the ever-so-serious Pinepaw. His attempts to stifle his laughter always proved futile.

Pinepaw looked at Mosspaw as if he could see through her, his face as blank as usual, despite of the joke Mosspaw had made on him, and the laughter the came from the a few minutes ago so sad Blackpaw. "I shall make a guess and suppose you have been taught such jokes by Darkstar?" he asked coldly and moved his head so he could look at the moon rising above the apprentices.

"How about we go hunting?" he asked his clanmates, althought he was mostly suggesting that because he wanted to hunt, not to spend time with them. Why would he spend time with them, those who couldn't understand that his mind was different? After all, that's why he had left his sister so much time ago, preffering to live life alone.

One would be surprised at how many ways there are to avoid someone in your own clan.

Not like she had tried to follow him.

Blackpaw seemed unaware of the silhouette rising up behind him, yet he quickened his pace and felt weary. "Alright," Blackpaw mewed, trying to snap out of his joyous mood... To what? Please Pinepaw? "Let me guess. 'At least there's a bit of finesse in hunting,' Am I right?" Blackpaw joked to himself.

"There won't be much prey at night, so it's not really worth the effort." Mosspaw shrugged, ignoring his previous remark. "If you want to head back, though, that's fine. I'm going to wander around a bit. I've taught myself almost every nook and cranny of our territory at night - and you're welcome to come along, both of you."

Pinepaw wrinkled his nose at the two cats remarks. He had to chose between going back to camp where he might come upon his sister, which would be unbearabely uncomfortable, or ander around with a bunch of apprentices he didn't really like. Not that he 'liked' any cat, so it was maybe the best choice.

"I'm coming. But I'm not saving you from random badgers." he growled to make clear that he wasn't going because he liked her or wanted to be heroic. "It's not like I have better things to do in camp."