Big Dog, Little Fish [Semi - Open]

"Great Starclan, you reek of fish. Does that come out? Or is your pelt permanently going to smell like that?"

Houndpaw was quick to tease the supposed new apprentice. Really, it was the knowledge she came from Riverclan, and less the actual scent of the she-cat that spurred on his words. Insecurities had been born and bred inside the young apprentice since his birth. Recent events had only served to make him more unable to cope with his past, and even the present. It made him more, unpleasant. Unlike his father, Beartooth, the large-eared apprentice had a knack for speaking too much. He sought friendship and connection, but hardly knew how to get there and found comfort in keeping cats away with his unfavorable disposition. Perhaps it was ignorance that kept him from seeing this in himself, or maybe it was the innocence of youth. Either way, Houndpaw was known to be a rather difficult cat to be around. He wasn't a bad apprentice, and the elders seemed to enjoy him. Typically, he finished his duties with little complaint. But his mouth was something that still had to be tamed.

"I'm Houndpaw and I'm sure you've met him already, but Beartooth is my dad. So pretty much every cat knows me around here. It'd do you some good to hangout with me, I'm sure. What's your name, Fishbreath? Or should I just call you Fishbreath forever?"

The former-RiverClan cat cast one last short glance over her shoulder to see her father, Sparkfrost, slowly departing toward the medicine den with Oakstar, speaking soft words she couldn't understand from so far. Dacepaw knew he would be okay; he wouldn't have let her go off to see others if he wasn't okay, right? As long as she was right there when he needed her, it would be okay. When she looked back ahead of her again, a lean-bodied pale tabby tom was sitting up and staring with glinting eyes at her. Dacepaw wasn't sure how to read his expression, but the first words out of his mouth were, "Great StarClan, you reek of fish."

The pale tortoiseshell's response was an immediate giggle, and her thick-furred tail - which had been in the air but begun to droop slightly - shot straight upright, sturdy as a tree. "Oh, do I?" Dacepaw asked with a giggle, turning her head left and right to sniff at her shoulders curiously. Well, of course she couldn't figure out what he was smelling on her - she'd smelled like herself all her life! The gangly tom continued on asking if she'd smell like fish forever, and she responded brightly, "I'm not sure - I didn't even know I smelled like fish. I guess we'll see if it goes away!" She was genuine, almost curious with her response; the thought that he might be attempting to tease her didn't even exist in her mind.

Now Dacepaw stood before the ThunderClan tom, and she noticed once again how much larger this Clan cat was. She knew she was only barely no longer a kit, but she was always a little surprised by how small she was compared to others. Soon she'd get big and strong like her momma, she knew. The tom-cat introduced himself as Houndpaw, and he went on to speak proudly of his relation to Beartooth. Houndpaw even proclaimed his popularity within the Clan, and Dacepaw was immediately enthralled. When he stated, his boast undetected, that she might do well to spend time with him, the little apprentice let out a delighted squeak.

"Oh, yes please, Houndpaw! I'd like that a lot!" she answered, scampering up to stand by his side with her thick, glossy fur brushing his own sleek tabby pelt as if they were kithood friends. "My name is Dacepaw! My daddy's name is Sparkfrost - he went over to the medicine den because Oakstar said he should." It wasn't odd at all that the leader would send Dacepaw away before leading her father to a private area; no, it made perfect sense, adults did things like that all the time. Now Dacepaw looked with wonder at his ears, and she commented with awe, "I bet you heard my daddy, though. I bet you can hear all the way to the river."

A giggle. That was the first thing he ever heard from this strange Riverclan cat. He had insulted her and she greeted him with a giggle. The words that followed took a second to register because of how unprepared he was for her response. Houndpaw had walked up to this random cat, made fun of her fishy odor, and she had laughed. It was the most absurd thing that he had ever witnesses. Most cats wrote Houndpaw off, pushed him aside, or tried to correct him with a brief scolding but no cat had ever found humor in his abrasive speech before. For a moment, he just stared at her with blank eyes, stunned by what had just happened. There was comfort to be found in pushing cats away. Dealing with the frustrations, annoyance, and anger provoked by his speech was something he could do easily. But not this. Who was this strange cat? And why was she like this?

As he recovered, a genuine curiosity came over him. The question of how and why she had come to Thunderclan was intriguing. Riverclan was supposed to hate Thunderclan, and in his life, he had seen few cats move to other clans. He would never do it, at least. That was for sure. Maybe she was right though, maybe eventually the fishy scent that clung so desperately to her silken fur would eventually fade. He blinked finally, and his maw half opened to find a retort that didn't seem to come. But it seemed that she was only going to make things worse. She, wanted to hangout with him? Other than Galepaw, few cats spent their time with Houndpaw outside of patrols and daily tasks. Only the elders had ever requested his presence. He was only further frozen in place. As Dacepaw came up next to him, and affectionately brushed her coat to his, a hiss instinctively escaped his maw. That was unusual. The sensation of being pressed up against another cat was one he actively avoided. But he was slow to pull away, to his own surprise. At least, it seemed to stir his speech.

"Okay, Fis-Dacepaw, just don't do that anymore, alright?" His words were almost a soft snarl as he backed away slightly, finding himself drowning in the discomfort of not knowing how to handle this joyous and excitable, young creature. And yet there was something that kept him from running in the other direction. He decided that more cats should be as thrilled to be in his presence, to be his friend. It was something he lack, and craved so desperately: the love and appreciation of another cat. But with Oakstar, Dustcloud, Beartooth... he couldn't bring himself to let it be something he had. Houndpaw didn't think much of any of these things but tried to push away the desire to flee and lean into the idea that there was a cat who wanted to do something with him. Before any other cat could join them, he glanced towards the gorse tunnel, "Follow me."

Dacepaw was mildly startled when, as she brushed her fur amicably up against Houndpaw's, the large apprentice let out a hiss. She looked at him with an attentive, expectant expression, as if expecting him to explain what had made him so angry all of a sudden. In fact, he did so, and as he said her name and demanded she not "do that anymore", Houndpaw backed away, looking disgruntled and almost disgusted. "Okay, I won't," she promised, though she didn't know what she was promising to not do. Dacepaw blinked a few times, processing his behavior. Perhaps he didn't like fish, and since he had commented on how she smelled like it then it followed he wouldn't want her to get the scent from her pelt to his.

She was proud of her quick problem solving skills and even took a helpful step back to give Houndpaw space from her oily fur. That did seem to satisfy him, for after a moment of quiet thought, the tom's pale eyes flickered toward the entrance of camp - where Dacepaw had just entered with her father a short while ago - and he requested Dacepaw follow him. Dacepaw nodded agreeably and immediately took a step towards it, ready to go as soon he he lead the way.

"Where are you going?" Duskkit's voice was less accusatory and more curious, her small white paws placed perfectly together on the ground. She had been with ThunderClan for about a moon, exploring every bit of camp, and trying every prey. The cats here seemed nice enough, some would curl their whiskers in a smile as she pounced on their tails or sniffed at their meal. Others would whisper strangely about her, eyeing her and her sister with hunter's eyes. Duskkit thought this was funny. She wasn't a mouse. Bonewatcher remained here, oftentimes taking them out to play, or bringing more moss for their nests. He was nice, but with the change of scenery, questions grew in the small kit's mind. She wanted to know what nest her father had slept in. She wanted to ask Oakstar how many beasts he had killed. It must have been many. The big-warrior was large, with long claws. Duskkit wished hers were the same. Sometimes small-warriors or apprentices would fight one another in the clearing. The little kit would drag her sister along to watch, oftentimes testing the moves she observed on Hazelkit. While ThunderClan had proved interesting, she was bored. Before coming with Bonewatcher to his Clan, her and Hazelkit could go wherever they wanted. There were no stinky warriors to keep them from the forest. There were no mean apprentices that teased them. The desire to grow only heighted in Duskkit's mind. She wanted to fight like them, move like them. She wanted to explore the forest.

An opportunity arose when a big-eared tom and a weird smelling she-cat made their way towards the entrance. They didn't have the muscles of warriors, but they were tall. Duskkit was sure if any enemies came along, she'd be safe with them. Having asked her question, the cream-gray fluff wedged her way between the two apprentices, swinging her head from side to side to meet their eyes. "I'm coming with you!" She squeaked, fluffing out her already long fur to appear even larger. The forest had been calling for far to long, and Duskkit wanted to explore. "Are you going to go kill something? Maybe an owl? An owl killed my father. Bonewatcher tells me they're dangerous." Unaware of the gravity her words held, the kit simply marched on with the bigger apprentices, refusing to be deterred by the possibility of "no." The leaves sang songs and the branches clicked together. Today, she would explore.

The tom had begun to pad towards the entrance immediately. If this new apprentice was interested in giving him the time of day, then he was going to give her exactly that. They would explore the forest together, find something neat, and see what the territory had to offer. It was highly discouraged for apprentices to be out on their own. But that didn't deter Houndpaw from his mission. Beartooth was his father, after all, that had to account for something and provide some lead-way. Right before he could slip away from the bustle of camp, a kit joined them. She demanded attendance of their secret mission and wished to know if they would be killing anything. Like how her father had died from that owl. His gaze flickered away with a hidden discomfort as he remembered looking at the body. Flintfang. Mosspaw's father and the sire for this young kit as well. It wasn't pleasant to think about and made his pelt crawl with ants, as it had done moments earlier when Dacepaw pressed herself against him.

Well, the more the better. Houndpaw found himself excited for this endeavor. The risk of trouble, especially with such a young cat involved, did not phase him. He called her forward with a flick of his long tail. As he considered the answer to her other question, the tabby found himself unable to draw forth an answer. His own nervousness at the idea of death made him queasy but he would never let the she-cat's know that. Pressing though the gorse tunnel provided a distraction, and a good one at that. The tendrils raked at his fur, combing it back in one swift motion as he lean, lanky frame darted out into the open and down the ravine. Instead of charging forward, he trotted to the side and in the direction of Shadowclan territory. He'd never been out that way and he actually didn't intend to go too far. His gray gaze traced over the surroundings, forgetting about the camp behind and enjoying the rays of sunlight that poked through the treetops. They were just exploring.

"Since you're both new to this, I'll tell you everything you need to know! Thunderclan territory is full of trees and lots of prey and really everything. The elders said one time a fire burned everything and scared all the food away. You couldn't even tell now. I bet if I was there I could have stopped it, though." Houndpaw looked at the pair with an eager gaze, seeking awe-struck and enthusiastic responses. Even if he would never admit it, shaking away the discomfort of previous moments, the thought of having cats he could spend time with was thrilling and oddly comforting. When he realized his own joy, the apprentice frowned slightly before maintaining a neutral expression once more while he waited for their reactions.

Dacepaw and her new friend hadn't gotten very far before suddenly a small voice sounded from behind them, asking them where they were going. The pair of them both stopped and turned to investigate, and their eyes landed upon a pale gray-brown she-kit who was regarding them with bright curiosity. Dacepaw's response to the question was a big shrug that ruffled her pelt, and she looked to Houndpaw for an answer. He didn't respond, rather flicking his tail to beckon her forward. The small kit complied eagerly, proclaiming she was coming too as she squeezed between them. Dacepaw didn't mind the enthusiasm at all! Her tail reflexively brushed the newcomer's as she looked excitedly between them.

The kit began to chatter about killing something, going on immediately to suggest an owl - even saying that one killed her father, and that they were dangerous. Dacepaw didn't know what an owl was, nor what it meant to be "killed", but she had an uneasy feeling in her stomach that reminded her of the scene she'd left behind in RiverClan before understanding it. For reasons vaguely reminiscent to Houndpaw's own unspoken ones, the fluffy tortoiseshell was grateful when they stepped into the entrance tunnel and had to focus on padding through after her friend.

When they came out the other side, Dacepaw looked around wide-eyed to drink in the surroundings. They could hardly see the sky, there were so many trees! Houndpaw didn't lead them far before he slowed and began to dawdle, simply looking around for a moment. When he had considered things, Houndpaw turned to them and announced that he'd help them to learn everything about the territory since they were now. Dacepaw immediately turned to face him, listening eagerly to his explanation. Trees, yes, she could tell that. Prey, of course, had to be present. She wondered where they got fish from - or if they got any at all. Maybe ThunderClan didn't like fish, like Houndpaw?

The apprentice added that the forest had once burned down, and that he believed he could've stopped it. Dacepaw immediately turned to him with an expression of awe. "Wow! she replied in amazement. "You're so brave! My mommy never saw fire, but she told me everyone says it's dangerous. It'll take your fur, she said."

The walk through the thorny exit wasn't as painful for the kit as it was her counterparts. Gaps of sun filtered in through gaps in the bushes, and Duskkit sucked in a breath as she watched, sheltered between the pelts of her two guardians. The forest however was familiar, trees stretching upward, leaves cradling the roof with care. It seemed the two small-warriors were enthralled with it, but Duskkit simply wondered. It was here where she had first made the journey to ThunderClan. Bounding behind Bonewatcher. The little kit searched her brain for some sense of wisdom she held from the journey. She wasn't going to act scared for the big-eared cat's talk of fire. But the thought of the tom being able to stop it was intriguing indeed. The fishy she-cat voiced Duskkit's silent thoughts, speaking whimsy and excitement. Perhaps if the fire took the kit's fur she wouldn't be as hot in Greenleaf. Eyes wide, she stared at the apprentices a moment, tumbling over their words before pattering to a nearby tree stump. "Maybe they should call you Rainpaw, then. If you can stop fire." The kit clambered up onto the stump, cream-gray fur glowing white in the sun dapples. "Would you show me sometime? I want to be strong like you!" Duskkit mashed a stray beetle between her claws, watching as its black wings twisted on the bark. No blood. She sniffed it tentatively, then flicked it away, eyeing the fishy she-cat. Her little kit paws padded over grass and leaf mulch until she sat below the muted cat's head. "Why do you smell different? What's your name? I'm Duskkit. And he's Rainpaw." The fact that Rainpaw was not the tom's real name didn't seem to bother the kit. Nor did the fact that the weird-smelling she-cat probably knew his name already. None of it mattered. They were just exploring.

In the moments for an answer, Flintfang's daughter raised her little head to the sky, watching the leaves. Her creamy-gray fur stood tall as she wondered where the beasts lived. Maybe birds sat up in the branches as well. Her pelt prickled with anticipation. Some day she'd be a small-warrior as well. Some day all of the forest's secrets would be revealed. She wanted to explore every tree and every bramble. The kit sucked in a breath to ask, but stopped herself. Paws kneaded the dirt as she told herself to be independent. Bonewatcher didn't need any help. Oakstar didn't either. Duskkit didn't want to have to rely on others for her food or adventures. She wouldn't be mashed like a beetle. She'd fly. And of course have fun while doing it. She'd bring Hazelkit moths or feathers, and maybe even line her own nest with flowers or bug wings. Soon Duskkit would be a fighter like her father. And then no one could stop her from exploring.