Does The Sand Burn Your Paws, Love? [closed for burning]

The night was muggy, heavy with humidity, and the treetops gave little relief. Try as he may, Sandpaw couldn't sleep. Maybe it was the heat, and maybe it was Swallowpaw and Maplepaw rolling around on top of him. In the end, he had certain other things on his mind.

Life was rough, having two attractive brothers to compete with. Swallowpaw was egregiously flirtatious, and Lightpaw was always more well-groomed. Sandpaw, however, had a natural charm. He was the funny one, so his siblings could both shove it. He was second only to Maplepaw, but she was her own special breed. He decided early on that he'd always be at war with them over their pick of mates, so the obvious choice was to get a jump start. Burningpaw really was beautiful, if he was honest. However, that wasn't why he had his sights set on her. He just knew that if he didn't leap for it, as he would a sparrow or a finch, his brother Lightpaw would snatch her out from under him. He had to try, or else never get the chance.

Stepping carefully over the other apprentices, he approached the bright ginger she-cat who was sleeping rather soundly. Lightpaw was near her, the poor bugger. He licked his tail in preparation, feathering it meticulously to ensure he looked his best, and nudged her side with his nose. As his round blue eyes met her odd-colored ones, he grinned widely and made a hushing noise. "Don't wake anybody up," he whispered, crouching closer. "Come with me, Burningpaw. I want to go to the creek, but my lame siblings won't come with me. You know you want to. We're leaving camp... so don't get caught."

He led her out of the apprentice den in absolute silence, glancing behind him every few steps to send her a mischievous smile. We're invincible, the smile declared, look at this naughty thing we're doing. He lead the she-cat up through the treetops, and when they found themselves far enough from camp, he began to laugh and howl with glee as he ran from branch to branch. The world was dark, Silverpelt glimmered high above him. All the prey in the world felt like his for the taking.He whipped around to face Burningpaw. "Only the stars can see us now," he mused with a smirk, taking a few well-placed steps toward her. Perfectly poised, smiling, and dripping with poetics. He had her hooked on his very claws, and he really was having fun. More fun than usual, in fact... How strange.

Burningpaw was innocently sleeping in her nest when she felt a nudge to her size. With a half asleep mumble, Burningpaw rolled over to find the face of Sandpaw, and his bright blue eyes peering down at her. Instantly, she was hushed and she felt the wave of confidence the tom exuded. Without a second thought, the she-cat slipped out of her nest and followed the tan apprentice.

Burningpaw was a little confused as they exited the den, but decided she would roll with it. His quiet but mysterious demeanor drew her in, and she felt entranced following him out into the world. It was so dangerous out here at night, especially during Greenleaf with all of the predators. What if a fox attacked? What about... dogs? The terrible scene flashed before her eyes, but she shook them away. She should focus on the moment at hand, and only this moment.

However, as soon as they made it to the treetops, Burningpaw really began to feel free. She let out a loud howl, joining Sandpaw in the joyous noise. Nobody could hear them, and they were alone. Suddenly, Sandpaw stopped and stepped toward her on a large branch. Her usual buzz of anxiety rejoined her, as she took a slight step back, carefully placing her paws as if not to fall. But he took more steps towards her, until they were only whispers apart. Her pelt buzzed with... something new. "W-would they... approve?" Burningpaw whispered, for once at a loss of words and quiet. The usually loud and outspoken she-cat seemed to be gone, and replaced with a shadow of her mentor. That was all Sandpaw. She... Liked it. Following his lead.

"Hey StarClan!" Sandpaw called into the night sky, "Break this branch right out from under my paws if you have some kinda problem!" A few quiet seconds passed by, and his eyes remained locked on Burningpaw, giggling to himself. The branch did not so much as creak with the wind. "I think that's the go-ahead, scaredy-paws." He bumped Burningpaw's shoulder playfully and continued on his way.

He couldn't imagine living anywhere else than in the trees. He loved the thrill of testing a new climbing place, never knowing if the branch would bend under his weight or remain steady. He hated steadiness. He didn't much miss the mountains anymore. When they finally reached the creek, he was pleased to see that the heat hadn't dried up the bed. The effects of the flood he had heard so much about remained clear in the forest. It was pretty, with the moon hanging low and casting an endless shimmer down the water's expanse. He climbed down from his place and sat on a patch of moss at the edge. He motioned for Burningpaw to sit beside him, and he stretched out comfortably. Sandpaw reached into the creek and swiped his paw across, splashing himself and the ginger she-cat with much-needed water, laughing heartily. The wet heat was soaking into their pelts, and the creek water gave the tabby much relief.

"Is Sunflower a good mentor?" he asked as he began to wind down from the youthful rowdiness he had just exhibited. "He seems softer than his dad is... y'know, emotionally or whatever. I don't think Tinystar likes me too much, or at least he wasn't in the mood to have an apprentice. Apparently his mate dying kind of mucked up the works, but whatever." He tentatively let his feathery tail brush against Burningpaw's own as he spoke.

Burningpaw quietly giggled as Sandpaw called out to StarClan. She almost half expected the branch to crack beneath her paws! But it didn't, and it stayed firm. She let out a breath of relief, only to be forced to grip the wood as Sandpaw bumped into her. "Are you trying to knock me off?" she teasingly called as he walked away. Burningpaw followed Sandpaw through the trees until they reached the creek.

Settling down next to him, Burningpaw let out a high pitched yelp as the cool water splashed her warm fur. After recovering from the shock, she flicked her paw and splashed him back, before settling down next to him- the stark differences of their pelts looked interesting to her, and she studied them until Sandpaw spoke up. "I like Sunflower. He's really quiet though. It's kind of hard to hear him sometimes." She froze for a second as his tail brushed hers. Slowly, she inched closer so their pelts brushed. The moonlight, gently filtered through the trees, cast interesting patterns on them. "Losing your mate would be like losing a part of yourself. I can't imagine feeling the loss he feels. I wonder if I will ever be loved as much as he loved her." Burningpaw lifted her eyes to meet Sandpaw's. I want to... Echoed the tiny voice in her head.

"I'm sure it's not as rare as it seems, Burningpaw," he said tactfully. "You're a pretty she-cat. You're nice. You're a good hunter, and you're not scared of fighting. They oughta call you Burningclaw, 'cause you don't back down." Aspenpaw put his head on his front paws and stared pensively into the creek, at the moon that reflected off of it. The image rippled and distorted with the movement of the water.

"Do you remember the mountains?" he asked without prior thought. "I know they found you up there. I was born there with my brothers and Maplepaw. I still dream about it. All I ever want to do is climb to the top..." Sandpaw had not intended to speak so deeply, but the sereneness of the stream and the trustworthy company of Burningpaw spurred him on. He shuffled closer to it. "There's not a tree in this forest tall enough for me. I just want to go up, higher and higher, until I brush whiskers with StarClan. And when I come down, and people ask my what I saw up there, I'll just smile and not say a word." The dreamy look in the tom's eyes wore off and he frowned. He blew it. He totally, one hundred percent blew it. He looked like a freak. Oh, StarClan, why him? He had to say something smooth to salvage it.

He coughed. "Or something." Ah, foxdung.

Burningpaw mimicked Sandpaw's posture and faced the creek with her nose. A soft breeze picked up, ruffling her firey fur slightly. Burningclaw. She didn't mind that name, and she let out a soft laugh. To be quite honest, the compliments from the handsome tom made her pelt heat up. "They should call me Burningpelt if you keep giving me those compliments." She let the joke be taken away with the breeze as Sandpaw continued.

Then, he brought up the mountains. Immediately she could picture the rocky expanse. Feel the hard stone beneath her paws. She had just begun to venture out of the cave when SkyClan left, but the views, and the rushing sound of the waterfall. However, something confused Burningpaw. "What do you mean 'found me'? I was born to Daylily. I was born up there, just like you." Something in her made her feel defensive. As if he was accusing her of something she didn't know. Who would question Daylily has her mother? That was just rude. However, she let Sandpaw's gentle voice carry her back to the memory of the mountains. "I love climbing the trees. I can see everything- I just wish I could see above the trees too, like we could on the mountains." The apprentice could tell Sandpaw was embarrassed. With a small purr, Burningpaw pressed firmly against the tom, her breath catching in her chest.