There Was a Sheep that Liked a Pine Tree (Closed)

Sheeppaw padded out of the apprentices' den, blinking the sleep out of her bright blue eyes. It was still early outside, and most of the ThunderClan cats weren't even awake yet. This was good for her, because she'd finally be able to have some time alone. She didn't bother to get anything from the fresh-kill pile, because she hadn't hunted or fed the elders and queens yet. They weren't even awake to be fed! She kicked up some dust with her front paw, wondering if she should go on a solo hunting trip and bring back some prey, so that when she returned, she could feed the elders and queens and eat something. All the while, she thought about Pinepaw. Sheeppaw managed to keep a straight face, though. It was easy. That apprentice had been staring at her, not anyone else, but her during Sheeppaw's apprentice ceremony. There were plenty of other cats to stare at! She shook her fur, scowling, before recomposing herself and heading for the camp's exit.

Pinepaw woke up with the same blank stare he had been having since his apprentice ceremony. Except that in this glance there was now a glitter of hope. He had fallen asleep late, his eyes fixed on Sheeppaw, a young apprentice that had just joined their ranks. The tom thought he had dozed of watching her, but he didn't really feel sleepy at all. His sister was stirring in her sleep, and her brother gave her a warm glance, breaking through the ice of his gaze. The apprentice padded out of the den, and just a few heartbeats away, he started in a trot, looking around warily at the seeming to be still asleep camp. But his sleek, brown body soon hit the fluffy body of Sheeppaw, and he stumbled back, glancing at her with his emerald eyes, surprised, but not quite as icy as always.

"Sheeppaw? I..." he began, then realized how childish and open he sounded and turned his gaze away from where it was fixed in the she-cat's eyes. "Didn't expect you to be awake." he said, looking warily at the ground between his paws, flexing his claws awkwardly.

It had all been peaceful until she felt another figure collide with hers. She stumbled forwards, catching herself before she tripped over her front paws. She whirled around, her expression not surprised or shocked, but angry. She then realized that the brown tom in front of her was Pinepaw. She rolled her crystal blue eyes, purposely wanting Pinepaw to see her annoyance. Of all the cats to wake up at this time of day, it was Pinepaw.
"Oh. It's just you, Pinepaw," She said, blankly. All the while, she was suddenly judging Pinepaw's sudden childishness. It wasn't like him to act like this, "Why wouldn't I be awake now? Early in the morning and late at night are the times that I get to be alone. Thanks for ruining it." Sheeppaw finished.

Pinepaw opened his mouth slightly, swallowing any apology he had prepared to show her he really cared, but eyes returning to his usual coldness, masking the disgust for himself and his actions. "I am afraid that we might be forced to share this time together, since those are my times, too." he said, starting in a slightly less confident trot. He turned his sleek head back towards the she-cat, his emerald eyes gazing into her icy ones, both like frost arrow thrust into each other and exploding between them.

"So, will you come along? Frozenflame will sure give me a break if he'll know that I took you out for hunting." he said, coldly, licking his chest fur blankly. He felt empty for being so cold to her, as if cats had come and tore him from the inside.

The she-cat let out an audible sigh, before answering, "I'll tag along," She began, "But I'm quite appalled that you're using me just to get the day off. You have the personality of a snake and a dormouse combined."
Sheeppaw didn't wait, she began to head towards the camp's exit, padding past Pinepaw, with her head held high. She didn't care if she was moons younger than Pinepaw, in her eyes, she was way more mature than he would ever be. Before she left, she turned her head back, her blue gaze meeting his, "Are you coming?" She called.

Pinepaw nodded, his eyes giving out nothing. "I believe your statement was wrong in some major points." he said, coldly andstarted to bad besides after looking at the camp exit, silent and un-moving.

The two apprentice padded through the forest, the cold morning air tickling their pelts. Pinepaw stared with his piercing glance into random spots, sniffing the air for prey.

The she-cat didn't respond to his comment, she just kept her icy blue gaze ahead, and scanned the territory around her as she padded through it. She then looked at Pinepaw, blinking, "I saw you staring at me during my apprentice ceremony," She said, "Care to explain why you were focusing on me the entire time, Pinepaw?" She asked, with a flick of her fluffy white tail.

OOC: Short post, sorry...

She sure knew how yo ask the best questions at the worst time. What was he supposed to say to that?Because I love you? To straight forward. And maybe it was just pure attraction, not love. He couldn't tell, since his romantic life has been... dry. No reason? Creepy. Just creepy. So should he not answer? No, that would have been worse.

"Do cats think my focus is so precious? I believed they thought my gaze was bone-chilling." he said, but before he could answer anything else, a terrible scent hit his nostrils. He flicked his tail over the she-cat's chest, signalling her to stop, and he sniffed the air again, to make sure he was right. But there was no way he was wrong.

"Fox." he hissed, keeping his eyes forward."Yku need to go bavk in camp and send some warriors, I'll stalk it and see what it does." he grolwed, pricking his ears. Sheeppaw was still a young apprentice, and he couldn't risk her being injured. The thought of her, tore apart by a fox's dirty fangs made him burn.

"Bone-chilling? If anything I-" She paused in the middle of her response to Pinepaw's comment, when she too could smell something odd. She couldn't identify it, though, since she hadn't been taught by her mentor what it was yet. She did know, very well, what a fox was. She imagined the snapping jaws of the red fox near her face and a shiver went through her spine.

She turned her head to look at Pinepaw, her face serious in attempts to mask her fear, I'm not leaving! I can stalk just as well as you can. If it attacks, I'll go then."
No, I won't.

Sure, she didn't know how to fight, but she could run. It was instinct. Only a crippled cat couldn't run. Sheeppaw lifted a paw before placing it on the ground forcefully in order to demonstrate that she was staying. No, she wasn't staying for Pinepaw's health, she was staying for the experience. After all, this could be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Then, when an older apprentice tried to taunt her, Sheeppaw's response would simply be 'I've fought a fox, have you?'

Pinepaw curled his lip, ready to snap at her to leave, but kept quiet, his eyes still forward and his tail hovering lightly over the ground as he crept forward, following the smell. "At least keep quiet. Please." he spoke silently, this time, turning his head, his emerald eyes fixed into hers, a hint of pleading into them. He knew Sheeppaw won't step back from the challenge, but at least maybe she'd be safer behind.

He stopped in the cover of a thick bush, the wind carrying chocking scent of fox towards them, mingled with the scent of the Thunderpath. We must be near... he thought and looked back to make sure the second apprentice was still there.

Sheeppaw knew her strengths and weaknesses. She couldn't fight now if she tried, so she stayed close to Pinepaw. She made sure not to seem as if she was depending completely on him to protect her, though. She crouched down low. She inwardly hissed, realizing that her pelt was the complete opposite of the foliage surrounding her and Pinepaw. At least when winter came she could stay hidden. Sheeppaw reluctantly followed the older apprentice's orders and stayed quiet.

Pinepaw looked at Sheeppaw. If anything happens to her,I won't forget myself. he thought before turning his head back. Through the bush, he could sight that the scent was of a pup's, which at first made his grit his teeth and lead them both back home to call for help of older warriors to deal with the mother. But the fox was thin and trembling, probably weak and hungry, so Pinepaw was reassured they'd make it through with a fight if they needed.

"It's a lone pup, probably his mother was hit by a monster, so we can make it go for the Thunderpath. Stay close and stay focused, don't look like prey." he ordered her quietly and charged in the clearing, growling at the startled fox cub, who was on it's feet and growling back, feebler.

Sheeppaw didn't hesitate, she leaped out into the clearing right after Pinepaw, arching her back and fluffing up her fur to make herself look two times bigger than she was. She unsheathed her claws and sank them into the grass and dirt, and began hissing vehemently. She didn't feel afraid, the fox was frail and scrawny, and it was just a cub. She lashed her tail like some sort of whip.
"You do not intimidate me! Your bones are showing through your fur!" She hissed, crouching low but still keeping her intimidating stance.

Pinepaw thought he could see the pup's confidence fail as Sheeppaw joined him, and he used the advantage to stride around it, so the two apprentices could easily herd the fox to the Thunderpath. He launched himself, aiming to claw it with his front claws, but the pup was keen to defend himself, and he knocked Pinepaw away and on the ground advancing on his weakened body to probably bite into it. He looked at Sheeppaw, hoping she will help him instead of running of. Bjt she was young, she should run.

The white apprentice let the fur that had fluffed up fall back to where it normally lay. Sheeppaw didn't flinch when the fox retaliated and knocked Pinepaw to the ground. She didn't meet the brown tom's glance, she simply darted forwards and yanked the pup's tail, sinking her teeth into the fur and flesh and not letting go. She made sure that she was out of range of the fox's back paws, just in case it tried to kick her. Hopefully pulling on the fox's tail would distract it from snapping at Pinepaw.