Stormpaw's New Mentor

Nettlefire walked into the clearing. This was to be her first official ceremony as deputy of the clan. Perhaps it was fitting that it was for her sibling from another a litter, and, more than that, her brother’s former apprentice…

My brother… For a moment she stopped walking, overcome by a wave of emotion. But no, no time for that now. The clan didn’t need her to be sad. It needed her to do her job. She didn’t have the time to...to think about this.

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting!”

The words, though she was so used to their sound, felt uncomfortably foreign in her own voice.

But she supposed she’d have to get used to that.

Stormpaw silently padded from the apprentices' den. She knew what was to come. Mistwalker was dead. Her mentor, her brother was gone. It was time she was reassigned a mentor. No kits were ready for a mentor, and no apprentices were ready to become warriors. She sat down silently, meeting nobody's gaze. Nothing made sense anymore.

It was strange hearing Nettlefire's voice ringing over the camp clearing, but it wasn't unpleasant or unwelcome. Dacedream immediately opened her green-hazel eyes and abandoned thoughts of a leaf-bare nap. Indeed, the new deputy stood atop the Highrock, her lush mane-framed silver face gazing down over ThunderClan's cats as they began to gather. Dacedream wondered what this meeting could be about; if it were something about the prophecy or more information from StarClan, or danger, surely it would be Oakstar on the rock. What, then, could Nettlefire have to say? Would it be a ceremony, then? For who?

A shadow moved in the corner of Dacedream's eyes, and as soon as she spotted Stormpaw dragging her paws out towards the gathering crowd realization struck her: Stormpaw must be getting a new mentor. Were there any circumstances in which receiving a new mentor was a good thing? It seemed unlikely, and this circumstance was likely one of the worst. Dacedream made a soft sympathetic hum for Stormpaw, but as she had done since Mistwalker's death, the apprentice simply looked at her paws with a blank, distant expression. The tortoiseshell queen moved to sit beside her, the fur of her pelt just barely brushing her friend's. She seemed to need space... Dacedream struggled to give space when it was needed, but she tried.

Nettlefire watched as her younger sister came into view, walking with an air of depressed silence.

The deputy looked grimly at the young she-cat. They had experienced the same set of recent shocks and tragedies. Perhaps she should try to reach out, connect…

...But she really wasn’t quite sure how to do that. It wasn’t that she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to understand the apprentice’s pain. It was...the opposite, really. And Nettlefire’s pains were her business. She would rather keep them locked away. Connecting with someone like that...she’d have to show vulnerability.. And if there was one thing Nettlefire never, ever did, it was show vulnerability. Even when she had had moons of time and opportunity stolen from her by the fire, she had kept a brave face on.

She knew she couldn’t help Stormpaw.

But she hoped someone else could.

“Stormpaw,” Nettlefire looked down at her, her gaze sympathetic, but without pity. “It is...time you receive a new mentor. Dacedream will finish your training. I am sure she will be able to guide you the rest of the way in...our brother’s absence,”

The gray she-cat gave a polite smile, betraying no real emotion, and promptly took her leave.

Stormpaw gaze was blank, emotionless. A couple days ago, she'd have been thrilled to be the apprentice of one of her best friends. Now, however, she just felt more of a burden. "Sorry to be a burden, Dacedream. I know your paws are probably busy with Jaypaw.." She whispered to the she-cat, voice dull and heavy. She turned and padded away, tail trailing on the ground behind her.

The deputy's grim, pale face was scanning over the crowd for a short time as it gathered. Dacedream felt hopeful that maybe receiving a new mentor could help Stormpaw rediscover her purpose - she was so close to finishing her training, she had the potential inside. She hadn't expected the mentor that Nettlefire chose to be Dacedream herself. The tortoiseshell queen perked up with a small chirp of confusion and interest. Two apprentices? was quickly overwhelmed with feelings of love, care, adoration for the she-cat to whom she'd been assigned. My best friend! Dacedream thought, and with sparkling eyes she turned to Stormpaw. "I'll do my best for you, Stormpaw!" she promised to her friend.

To Dacedream's disheartening surprise, though, Stormpaw simply muttered an apology about being a burden and then turned around, trekking heavily away. The apprentice was practically lifeless; she didn't care about her friend's excitement, nor her new mentor, nor anything. The warrior's plume of a tail dropped slightly, but she didn't want to discourage Stormpaw even further. She called after the smoky gray tabby with as much enthusiasm as she could manage, "O-Okay, Stormpaw, I'll just... see you later, then, and we'll come up with a training schedule when you're back." Where was Stormpaw going? Should Dacedream stop her? Her broad head swung to look back at Nettlefire with a silent plea for guidance, but already the silvery she-cat was gone from her perch and melding into the dispersing crowd. Dacedream blinked, wondering if she'd somehow caused the ceremony to go wrong.