The Verge of the Unknown [closed]

From the moment that Shallowpaw was born, he was reared with the expectancy that becoming a warrior was supposed to be one of the most awe-inspiring, honorable purposes in all of their lacking existence. They believed that this meager existence that confined them into a small space was all they were destined for. All the others whom resided within Clan traditions considered it noble to live a life that hundreds had already experienced- they lived, loved, and perished all while walking a well-worn path that countless others had padded. But to him it was no longer enough, not for now at least. For as long as he could remember, Shallowpaw had often did his best to stifle the restlessness that tugged at his soul, always merely pretending to be satisfied with the mundane cycle of Clanlife. He had always presumed that if he squashed the feelings of longing into a small enough space in the back of his mind, that it would simply just fade away with time.

Except it never truly did. He felt isolated within the mandated, repetitive life that he lead in Riverclan- he had never felt so alone despite the fact that he was surrounded by all of his kin and friends. So to hear Oakpaw confess to similar impulses was a breath of fresh air that he didn't even know he was craving so desperately. For night after night, the siblings had settled down close together and shared whispers about what they believed lay beyond the forest, often staying up until the moon was well above their head. Oakpaw had been more determined to actually go out and face the world than he initially had, but after a bit of apprehensive and snippy conversation, Shallowpaw had decided to go with his sister out on her adventure.

The rough, splintery wood that comprised the fence felt strange under Shallowpaw's pads, but it did little to quell the rapidly mounting excitement that surged eagerly within his veins. In front of him spanned an entirely new world- a world that so little cats had walked. He was about to visit places that others couldn't even dream of; a few splinters in his pads couldn't dampen that fact! Shuffling his weight once more, the young tom's gaze lifted to the dark sky that was now stained with the watery, weak light of the encroaching sunrise. The final glimpses of the dying starlight reflected in his wide eyes as he continued to stare up at the brightening sky- would the stars look the same wherever they ended up? Would their Warrior ancestors walk the new skies that they would be beneath? 'The skies are small- they'll go wherever we go.' He reassured himself, claws slipping from their sheathes to tightly embed themselves in the unnaturally smooth wood.

"C'mon Oakpaw! Try to not fall too far behind." He called teasingly, quickly throwing a glance over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of his sisters figure. Swinging his head around to stare at the slowly-stirring Twolegplace, Shallowpaw's strong muscles bunched under his sleek fur as he leaped from the fence and down to the rough, gravel-strewn alley. "We have a long days walking ahead of us!" He yowled gleefully, taking off in an eager gallop as he weaved his way through the rubbish that littered the foul-smelling alley. It was definitely a long day ahead of Shallowpaw and Oakpaw, but it was easily the most exciting day in their lives.

Oakpaw grumbled as she padded along the large wood platforms, splinters pricking at her paw pads as she walked, her brothers beckoning making her all the slightly more irritated. She had felt something prickle in her chest when he revealed that like her, he had a desire to leave the normalcy of clan-life behind them. She hadn't quite known what possessed her to admit to her brother of her desire, and what had over-come her to force him along.

Maybe her sub-conscious saw the opportunity to feed him to a dog or badger if they got into a pinch, she knew that the world they were entering was going to be vastly different from that of the clans. Oakpaw found that she enjoyed that aspect, she wouldn't have to worry about trying to be normal around them, even her father thought her strange for she expressed less than he.

Grunting at her brother conjoling her she heartily sped up and quickly disposed of him... by shoving him off the fence with a flat huff, her tail raising in the air with dominance in her steps. Shallowpaw thought himself mighty and strong, but he had emotions and that would get in the way eventually. Oakpaw, once wanting and curious on how other cats displayed themselves so vibrantly now wished to have nothing to do with them.