Sparking a Conversation (c)

Sparkpaw was sitting by the creek, fluffy tail curled neatly around his paws as he gazed into the clear waters. He blinked as a leaf blew into the water and was carried away by the current. Before it got very far, water pooled into the curled center of the leaf, and it sank below the surface. The apprentice sighed and looked up to examine the sky.

It was dusk, and the clouds were lit up with beautiful colors from the dying light of the sun. Everything was quiet...calm. However, Sparkpaw knew there was an Asylum cat nearby. Despite the near silence of the territory around him, he could smell the other cat. Not one he could recognize by smell alone. It was a shame that he couldn't be truly alone in his home, always stalked after and spied on by those Starclan cursed cats of the Asylum.

Unfortunately, Sparkpaw had to play nice. His life and possibly others would be in danger if he crossed a line. A line he didn't know the distance of. He didn't know what was safe to do and what might put him in harm's way. Moreover, it wasn't exactly like he could just leave. The Asylum was in every clan. Besides, he could never leave his family or his clanmates.

A frown grew on the young tom's face, and he returned to admiring the scenery around him. It was better than getting lost in thought. He'd been too hard on himself lately. Ever since the fight with Dawnhawk, Sparkpaw couldn't bear to forgive himself for giving up too soon. Luckily, a spider caught Sparkpaw's eye, drawing him from the depths of his mind. It was poised to strike at any moment, but it looked completely still and relaxed. Resting on a beautiful web that glowed in the golden light of the sunset, it reminded Sparkpaw of himself.

He needed to be like that spider, calm, and ready to strike when the opportunity presented itself. He had no venom, but he had his claws and teeth to work with. Of course, Sparkpaw hoped never to need to use them. Who wanted to draw blood? He just wanted to get close to Dawnhawk. Become a cat those in the Asylum thought they could trust. Not to betray them, but to sway them perhaps? Try to convince them to leave. Sparkpaw grimaced at the thought, knowing how unlikely it would be that the intruders would depart without a fight. So if it came down to it, Sparkpaw wouldn't shy away from getting his paws dirty.

Informants had reached Dawnhawk's ears of the whereabouts o his apprentice. Sparkpaw had gone off on his own through the territory. While it wasn't normally alright for an apprentice to do that, Dawnhawk shrugged of the news until he was done with his current task. Sparkpaw could handle himself, or he would pay the price of wandering without his mentor via a predator's claws and teeth. He had just finished speaking with a Standard, learning the news of Iniko's death in Shadowclan. A captain has died... Not just any captain, but the very same cat that had recruited Dawnhawk in the first place. The pale tom was a Nightstriker, not a Standard, but the news still bothered him. Iniko he had liked, far more than even his own captain.

The calico tom had died defending a Shadowclan cat from a badger... While the news wasn't ideal, it would at least further the Asylum's cause as far as Shadowclan went. It would bring another clan closer to the Asylum... though from what he had heard, Flintstar hardly put up a fight when the Asylum came. Perhaps they were already as conquered as they would ever be.

With that report finished, Dawnhawk loped off to go find his apprentice. It didn't take long, as he had Asylum cats leading him there the whole way. The young tom was doing nothing wrong, but Dawnhawk didn't expect him to be misbehaving anyway. He was generally a well-behaved apprentice.

"Are you doing alright?" He asked him softly as he approached. The pale tom say beside his apprentice next to the water. Dawnhawk too stared at the sky, wondering if he ought to say anything about Iniko in a sort of prayer. Starclan wouldn't take an outsider even if Dawnhawk hadn't cursed them his whole life and dragged their followers and beliefs through mud. So instead, Dawnhawk said nothing. Thought nothing. Maybe nothing was what happened to those that died...

Sparkpaw was none too surprised when he heard pawsteps approaching from behind. The scent of Dawnhawk greeted his nose and the apprentice glanced at his mentor from the corner of his eye before fixing his gaze on the sky. The sun was steadily lowering in the sky, shadows growing longer with each moment that passed. A bird called out from somewhere beyond Sparkpaw's view and he snapped back into focus.

He let the silence hang between the two of them for a few moments before finally deciding on what to say."I-I think so...I'm not sure." Honestly would be the best way to go. Dawnhawk seemed to have the uncanny ability to know what Sparkpaw was thinking and feeling at all times. It was confusing, to know he should hate Dawnhawk and yet being unable to. He knew he wanted the Asylum gone...but Dawnhawk had been good to him so far. Even during that fight not long ago, Dawnhawk had kept his word.

"I'm just confused. My brother says I should hate you...and the Asylum cats." Sparkpaw paused to look at Dawnhawk to gauge his reaction, then continued. "But I don't think I can. You all seem like good cats to me." All of this was true. Sparkpaw did think this, he just knew he wouldn't let it change how he felt about the Asylum remaining on clan territory. Of course, that wasn't something Dawnhawk needed to hear or know if he didn't already.

Sparkpaw paused to gather his thoughts and shrugged. "You did come out here to check on me after all. No one else knows I'm here." The white and ginger tom shot an indifferent look out into the trees and frowned. "Though I'm willing to bet that you only knew because of the Asylum cat that's been tailing me since I left." Sparkpaw couldn't keep the bitterness out of his voice this time. He'd not experienced true solitude since his birth. It wasn't something the young tom missed, but more of something that he yearned for.

When Sparkpaw first answered, Dawnhawk looked down at him but didn't press for more information. He didn't need to. The young tom began to speak again and Dawnhawk allowed him to talk as much as he wanted uninterrupted. Dawnhawk himself was in no rush to answer, giving some thought before he responded in turn.

"Your brother does what his mother tells him and never questions anything beyond the first words about something that he hears. He may be a warrior in name, but he is very much a kit still in mind." Maybe it was harsh, but it was a truthful comparison regardless. "The concept of good and evil is gray most of the time and rarely an obvious black or white. The clan cats think I am evil, well a lot of them at this point not all. I think Starclan is evil. We can't both be right, but who can say who is? Only you can, Sparkpaw. Observe and draw your own conclusions and then never apologize for them. It's what intelligent cats do. Your brother is no such cat." On his next words, Dawnhawk gave him a half smile and a shrug.

"There are a lot of cats in this clan. I only have two eyes. I can't watch everyone, so unfortunately yes, you'll all be followed for now. Once I feel like Skyclan is trustworthy, I will report it to my Captain who in turn will report it to the leader. Once that is established, the Asylum will move on to other territories. They have done this countless times." He wasn't about to get into it yet again about how everyone in Asylum was at peace and happy with one another. That much was obvious anyway.

"I imagine you'll earn your warrior name soon too. Since Wolfstar is ill, I would normally be the one to do it but it seems like Beechface has taken over doing ceremonies instead. If that's what she needs to do to feel like she has a little bit of control, I will allow it. I'm hoping it will calm her down enough that we can try to work something out calmly later." Though I doubt it. He paused for a moment, betraying none of his negative emotions on his face.

"I will be there for it. I'll even take you on your first hunting patrol as a warrior if you'd like. If you'd rather me not, I won't be offended."

Sparkpaw nodded thoughtfully. Dawnhawk had a point. A good one...several honestly. To be a good warrior, he needed to think for himself. That didn't mean he would do as he wanted all the time, a little bit of free-thinking was good. It was as Dawnhawk said. Having his own opinions was a good thing; he didn't need to listen to everyone else's thoughts and agree with them. There was a grey area that he needed to operate in. Take the time to draw his own conclusions without forgetting to take other's thoughts into consideration.

He wanted Dawnhawk to think of him as a bright cat...he didn't think the older tom had chosen to mentor him thinking that he'd be a meek little mouse. Sparkpaw had to be strong. At Dawnhawk's severe words against his brother, Sparkpaw narrowed his eyes at the ground. His mentor's words were a little harsh, but it wasn't worth arguing about. Especially when there was a bit of truth in his words.

The ginger-striped apprentice was silent for the rest of Dawnhawk's little speech, opting instead to listen and soak in the advice and information. Like moss. He extended a friendly smile to the warrior but didn't meet his gaze. "Right. Thanks for the erm...the advice." He wasn't thrilled to be saying this, but keeping Dawnhawk close in the future might be a good idea. "And, believe it or not...I actually sort of like your company. You've taught me things no-one else has and despite what my brother may think...most of Skyclan really...you're still just a cat. Like us."

Sparkpaw was emboldened by his mentor's words. For the first time, he felt that he might actually know what to say that was semi-true and would please Dawnhawk. "So I'd like that...going on my first patrol as a warrior with you I mean. And if Beechface wasn't so intent on performing the ceremonies, I wouldn't mind you doing mine at all." Sparkpaw hesitated at this next bit, but steeled himself, green eyes bright with determination. "You could tell our clanmates that it was at my request? I think some cats like the Asylum well enough, they're just too afraid of what our clanmates might think to say anything. Keeping what you told me in mind, I don't think I should be afraid to express my opinion."

It was a risky game to play, that was for sure, but Sparkpaw felt it was necessary to help Skyclan. Maybe they wouldn't understand it at first...maybe they would hate him. But it would be a small price to pay for the greater good. Assuming he actually got far enough to do anything.