In Between (closed)

Spottedleap walked through the territory with Flowerpaw following. Tinystar's announcement to step down had been made just before they left camp. He'd be leaving for the Highstones that night, but for now, the day hadn't ended and there was still work to be done. Truthfully, ever since the deputy had been told of Tinystar's plans, he'd been reluctant to accept the responsibility being thrust upon his shoulders. StarClan, he'd been deputy for maybe half a moon! Everything was moving too quickly; Clanmates were still grieving Mistyrain. Warriors had gone missing on patrol. Apprentices weren't getting the training they needed. Spottedleap couldn't help but wonder if his position as deputy was dragging SkyClan into the dust, and it made him feel anxious and insecure like he'd never felt before. But leaders were guided by StarClan, right? They didn't let their elected ones fall. hey had to be in complete control. This is what occupied the spotted tom's mind as he traipsed between the pine trees.

"Okay, Flowerpaw." He meowed when he reached a sufficiently secluded place to train. There would be enough peace away from the confusion of camp and dangers of the borders to focus on training. The subject he was about to broach would be sore for any apprentice who lost their mentor - he wasn't happy at all when Condorshade went missing, even though he was a fully fledged warrior at the time. "I... don't know what Mistyrain taught you. For what it's worth, I'm sorry about it all."

Flowerpaw followed behind Spottedleap. She almost didn't want to come out of the camp with the tom. After everything that happened she held some resentment towards the now leader of Skyclan she guessed. She was very tempted to laugh in his face and tell him no when he told he was taking her to train. But she knew she needed the training. She knew that she had to make it to be a warrior. For Mistyrain.

Once they finally stopped at a good place to train, her dull blue eyes finally looked at the deputy. She froze at his words, anger rising in her chest. "Sorry doesn't bring her back!" She growled out. "She should be the one here training me not you!" Despite the anger that was laced in her words there was no brightness in her eyes. No life no motivation. She hated it. She hated being stuck in this clan that forgot about her. "It should be her, going to get her nine lives tonight. Not. You." She said lowly, hoping the emphasis on her words would hit a nerve somewhere. She wanted to fight, she wanted to yell, she wanted to scream.

Spottedleap froze, not expecting the angered outburst from Flowerpaw. All he wanted was to express sympathy... he was perhaps the last cat pleased at Mistyrain's death, and the realization that she would be facing leadership rather than him was not new. That would even be preferable to the circumstances he now found himself in. But he could hardly be to blame for her accident - StarClan, maybe, but not the poor sap dragged in to replace her. "I already know that!" He snapped, growing defensive at her verbal attacks. "Being mad at me isn't going to raise her from the dead either. I don't have time for criticisms, Flowerpaw, just show me that you can get into a hunting crouch and go catch something." He huffed. His temper was getting the best of him, but Spottedleap never knew of another instance where an apprentice dared criticize a deputy for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He could understand the shock of losing a mentor, but if Flowerpaw wanted to go on the offensive, he would respond just as harshly.

"I know me being angry isn't going to bring her back." The apprentice growled out. "But it's going to make sure she isn't forgotten, and it is going to make sure I'm not forgotten either, like the clan seems so set on doing." She told the tom walking away from him set on doing what she needed to do. Despite the chance to finally get out what she had been holding in, this was still training. She had a warrior name she needed to get.

She just had to push away the fact that Foxfire was too busy being a warrior to help her, that Sagelight was too busy with his own training to deal with her. Everyone was too busy to help her until now.. The white apprentice followed after a scent not caring if Spottedleap was following or not. She was going to hunt whether or not the tom returned to camp after the fight they just had. Her lifeless blue eyes settled on a bird picking at some seeds by the root of the tree. It wasn't the typical hunting in a tree but this would do. Something to feed the clan that didn't care about her. She crept slowly but confidently towards the bird. Once she felt she was close enough she pounced. As soon as she had trapped the bird underneath her paws she swiftly killed it with a bite. Picking up the bird in her mouth she took a quick look around. Should she wait on the to-be leader see if he had more harsh words for her or, on a slim chance, some praise? Or should she just continue to hunt?

Flowerpaw attempted to catch a bird: Succesful

Flowerpaw:
77/80 Sp

The member 'Reaper King' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'Hunting Dice' : 7

Spottedleap stared after the apprentice, wondering if it was all about him failing to assign her a new mentor after Mistyrain's death. Of course he'd ruined that; he hadn't though to look past his own apprentice at the time, Foxfire, and see that other apprentices were relying on him. Well, he was here now, wasn't he? 'And I'll keep being here. I won't let her feel forgotten... All of SkyClan is my responsibility and I won't let them down like Tinystar.' A surge of defiance filled his chest. He followed Flowerpaw from a distance, giving her space to track her prey, and watched her catch the bird. There was no denying that she could hunt well.

He approached, purposely making enough noise to not sneak up on her, and addressed her with a firm nod. He was considerably calmer than before. "That was good, Flowerpaw." Maybe she was trying to hurt him wither her words before, but it was probably because she was already hurt. All Spottedleap wanted was SkyClan to be unified after the trials rocked their world over and over again. "Why don't we look for more prey?" He asked, tilting his head slightly.

Dull blue eyes looked up at the to-be leader as he approached her. A part of her was surprised that he was still here, that he didn't decide to forget about her and let her hunt on her own. She let out a small grunt through the birds feathers. A noise to acknowledge his praise. Her eyes turning away from the tom shortly after. His praise causing sadness to pang in her heart, reminding her of Mistyrain's praise whenever she caught something.

She walked over to the base of the tree, creating a small nook in the ground before stashing the bird there. Hard to reach so nothing else would steal it. "Okay." Was her response to his question. Her voice softer than before, as if the anger had melted away in the short amount of time, replaced by yet another emotion that she didn't want to bother with. A voice to maybe match how small and worthless she felt.

Shaking her head to delay the emotions stirring inside her once again, she quickly leapt up into the tree, before making her way higher. She just needed to hunt. Hunt and get her mind of things. She stalked lowly through the trees. Her weight even, trying not to shake the branches too much. She didn't want to disturb any potential prey. She moved quickly and quietly once she caught scent of a squirrel. Her eyes quickly finding it standing near the trunk of the tree. She would have to be careful with this one.

A soft thunk could be heard as she collided with the trunk of the tree overshooting the squirrel. "Mouse-brain..." She cursed herself softly. She should have been able to catch that one easily... How could she miss that? With a small huff she adjusted on the branch once again ready to track down another piece of prey.

Flowerpaw attempted to catch a squirrel: Failed

Flowerpaw:
74/80 SP

The member 'Reaper King' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'Hunting Dice' : 9

Frankly, he'd expected her to yell some more. Maybe things would actually work out. She wasn't happy, that was certain, but Spottedleap hoped maybe some time to process everything that happened would do her some good. Actually, it would do all of them some good to take a step back and figure out what was going on. He needed that perhaps the most, but he wouldn't be afforded a break. He had a journey to make.

Splitting off from the apprentice, Spottedleap decided to take some aggression out on any prey he could find. It was better to bring in fresh-kill than strike a clanmate, and he wasn't above slapping a cat if they pushed him too far. Fortunatly that seemed avoidable this day. He caught the scent of a squirrel and tracked it to a low branch. He stalked slowly, sitting beneath the branch with his eyes fixed almost hypnotically on his oblivious target. He sprang, kicking straight upward with his powerful hind legs, and snagged the quirrel by its dangling tail. Spottedleap fell back down to the ground, twisting mid-air, and killed his prey by slamming it against the ground. It produced a satisfying crunch as its neck broke, and he carried it back to bury it with Flowerpaw's catch. He'd seen her miss her newest target, but said nothing. Mistakes happened.

277/280 SP

The member 'Sun' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'Hunting Dice' : 7

Flowerpaw turned in time to see the to-be leader add something to the pile she had started.. So he had seen her miss.. Hopefully he wouldn't use that against her later.. If he did, then she wouldn't hold back her anger like she did this time. She would take the exile for attacking her new leader. It would be better than dealing with him holding a miss over her head..

The white apprentice walked further into the trees. The branches feeling pleasent under her paws. Her claws able to dig into the bark as needed when a strong gust managed to get through the trees. Finally she encountered another bird, chirping happily on a solid branch not to far from where she was hidden. She crouched low. Muscles bunching in her hind legs ready to spring at the bird. She felt her teeth sink into the bird before she really saw it. Instinct she close her jaws breaking the birds neck. Another clean catch. She kept her moment from her leap to go forward a few branches to steady herself in the trees once again. Short after she regained herself she moved to add her bird to the pile.

Flowerpaw attempted to catch a bird: Successful

Flowerpaw:
71/80 SP

The member 'Reaper King' has done the following action : Dices roll

---

'Hunting Dice' : 1

Two birds and a squirrel. A meal each for Sagelight, Murkpelt, and Leaftwirl. Spottedleap noted the progress the sun had made toward the treeline and figured they'd done well for the time they'd spent hunting, at least well enough to feed some of the busier and weaker cats in the clan. He nodded to Flowerpaw and motioned towards the prey pile with his tail, a cue that it was time to return to camp. "You've done well, Flowerpaw. I'll make sure you keep doing well." Spottedleap disguised his promise to train her as a gentle challenge. Maybe she didn't want to think of him as her new mentor, maybe thinking of him as more of an overseer would keep the painful feelings away. He picked up the squirrel and started back towards camp, allowing her to proudly bring in her two birds. Time would only tell if he could repair the damage he'd done.

When she returned to the prey pile Spottedleap was waiting for her, his tail motioning towards the pile for her to pick up her other bird. Her eyes looking to the sky noticing just now how much the sun had moved. Oh right.. He needed to name a deputy and get to his ceremony... Of course.

His words broke through the usual sound of the forest around them. Her lifeless eyes turning towards her to-be leader as he spoke. Her head tilting in slight confusion from his words. He will make sure she kept doing well? Was that a promise or a threat? She didn't really know how to take it. Was he going to keep an eye on her because she snapped at him? Or was he actually going to start caring for her well being again? To actually remember her? She didn't know. She wanted to think she didn't care but she did. Another grunt left her through the bird's feathers. Thankful she had prey in her mouth. If she had to use her words, she didn't think she would be able to find anything to say. She quickly grabbed the other bird in her mouth, before following after the tom.