Mentor; Friend [closed]

Eaglepaw looked horrified for a moment before 'stealing' the bird back and taking a bite. "No thanks," she said with a mouthful of food, "I am quite happy just hunting, patroling and learning how to fight. The other aprentices can serve their old cats, I want to learn to be a warrior as best as I can in case something attacks the clan at the camp or even at our borders." she swallowed the mouthful of bird that she had taken earlier. "Please don't make me care for the nursery and the elder's, all they do is complain." she begged.

The impact of Clovertwist's words on Eaglepaw was immediately apparent, and he could only grin broadly, purring with amusement. His apprentice snagged the bird back and declared a disinterest in the idea of cleaning the elders' den like her fellow apprentices. Clovertwist smirked at her, perfectly able to sympathize with and understand her thinking; however, it really wouldn't do for his own apprentice to think only of battle as a way to care for her Clanmates. When Eaglepaw whined about how elders only complained, Clovertwist's face glowed with impish humor again and he declared pointedly, "Sounds like an apprentice I know." His kinked tail twitched, and he nudged Eaglepaw good-naturedly. "To tell you the truth, the best warriors are the ones who care for their Clanmates everywhere - not just at the border. Did you know I was in the medicine den for nearly a whole season when I first became an apprentice?"

His kinked tail flicked, twitching awkwardly where the tip had been broken and the bones had been bent and crushed and healed strangely. Clovertwist meowed, "My siblings, Mistypaw, Quailpaw, and Goldenpaw - you know her as Goldengale now - all got to out and keep training, but I was attacked by a dog when I was on an herb patrol with Aspenheart. I almost died... and it took a long time for me to be able to leave the den again." He snorted a little, then laughed as he added, "Admittedly, yeah, I complained a lot. But my siblings were getting trained, getting their warrior names, without me. Of course I complained. I was... lonely. And scared. Scared I'd never be a warrior like my family. Scared I'd never get to help my Clan. When my siblings visited me - when any of the apprentices visited me - it gave me hope. It made me feel loved, and it... it helped me get strong."

He shrugged, adding, "I doubt the other apprentices liked coming to see me, helping to get me water and change my bedding and everything. I know I complained. But I wouldn't have made it without the support of my Clan. You'll never who which of your Clanmates might need you like that, too." He hoped it didn't seem like he was chiding her - he really wasn't. Eaglepaw wasn't a mean cat by any means, she was just dutifully focused on warriorhood. She needed to focus on what it meant to be a Clan cat more than what it meant to be a warrior - she was already a natural at the latter.

Eaglepaw flicked her tail. "Well, maybe." she said. She noted that Clovertwist wasn't chiding her, just merely telling her his back story. "well, you are very lucky to actually have siblings and parents who love you." she said sadly and then shook her head. "But that doesn't matter, even if I do have siblings, I will be the best of Windclan."

Clovertwist's expression turned a little more sad as Eaglepaw somewhat dismissively replied to his wisdom, assuring she'd be the best in WindClan no matter her family circumstances. "Well, you're right, it doesn't matter - whether I'd had my kin with me or not, it was all of WindClan that took care of me. And because of the kindness, care, and concern of every cat, I was able to go on to be the warrior I am today. You'll be able to be the best in WindClan, too. You've just gotta be able to care about your Clanmates everywhere, and in every way. The sick ones, the old ones, and the pregnant ones." He chuckled a little. He, himself, felt pretty uncomfortable around recently-kitted queens, but it was still a proud honor to be able to take care of them as they helped to grow the Clan.

Eaglepaw cringed as Clovertwist added that last part. "I can care for the sick ones and the old ones but the pregnant ones?" she cringed again as she said that last part outloud, really loud in fact. "I-um..." she hadn't pretended that she would like a mate someday, but it was just to weird for her teenage brain to think about such things when a giant battle had just happened and they had fought for their lives. "I want a mate, but I am scared to make a mistake!" she blurted. She did in fact, blurt out quite a lot of things to her mentor, but he was her father figure, the closest thing that she had actually had to family.

Clovertwist laughed a little harder than he maybe should have at Eaglepaw's dismayed question. "I get it, I totally do, but yes," he replied with a chuckle. He had been horrified when his sister was heavily pregnant and had stayed far from the nursery when her kitting began. The thought of kits and pregnancy was admittedly a little bit repulsive to him, and he was grateful he'd never have to deal with it. Suddenly Eaglepaw blurted that she was afraid of messing up, and Clovertwist's amusement was immediately reigned in to understanding. "Well, hey, Eaglepaw, you're young - really young, you don't have to worry about that until you're ready!" he assured her.

Eaglepaw muttered something and then cleared her throat again to say it a little louder. "But what if I don't know when I am ready?" she asked. "No tom as every taken interest in me, but I think that I am ready, but I don't know when I am ready!" she said with wide golden eyes. She flicked her tail in her anxiety as she waited for Clovertwist to respond her to question.

Clovertwist laughed. "Eaglepaw, you don't want a mate right now. Trust me. Think about how much time you spend on learning and training and how much you've already grown since becoming my apprentice. Every apprentice is going through what you're going through. You don't have the time to focus on a mate: this is the most important time to focus on you," the warrior explained to his apprentice. "Even fully grown warriors sometimes have to learn more about themselves before they can find their partners."

Eaglepaw huffed. "But I feel as if the queens in this camp want all the young she-cats to take a mate, settle down and have kits. If that is what is best for the clan why not do that?" she challenged. "We all need to do our part, and sometimes the elders put a lot of pressure on she-cats to produce kits, but I want to find the right mate first." she said sadly, "But I am afraid that will never happen." she meowed sadly, took the robin and ate a bite. "But in the meanwhile, I can fight for my clan." she said instantly perking up at the thought of digging her claws into a trespasser.

Clovertwist snorted, thinking to himself, Spotlake's only one queen; she wouldn't be pressuring anyone. Where's she getting this weird idea from? Eaglepaw explained it was from the elders, and the silver warrior's tail twitched jerkily and he sighed. "You really are too young for a mate, and so are the other apprentices who are probably concerned just like you. You don't need to worry about kits - especially not right now, but really not ever, Eaglepaw. I'm not going to have kits. I might not even have a mate. That doesn't make me a bad warrior. Like you said, I can fight for my Clan. I can fight for my Clan and hunt for my Clan, and I can care for them. I can care for the sick, the elderly, the young, and the pregnant, and the Clan gets to be like my kits. If you're too concerned, think of the Clan like your kits until you feel more ready to have your own." He leaned in an added, "But, uh, honestly, if you're worried about kits it might be better to talk to a she-cat. Maybe my sister or Spotlake or someone."

Eaglepaw twitched her whiskers and looked at her mentor. "Clovertwist, are you blushing?" she asked as Clovertwist leaned towards her awkwardly and suggested that she talk to his sister or Spotlake or some other she-cat. She purred and blinked her eyes micheviously.