A Check-In

Murkystrike had sent out the patrols, deciding to give herself one for later in the night... There was something she wanted to do before joining the border patrol. It was her duty to apprentice kits that came to age, and though Flintstar was the one to decide if they were ready to become warriors after consulting with their mentors... Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to talk to the apprentices themselves to hear what they'd like to see, or do, more of. How they were getting along with their training in their own eyes, what they thought of their mentors. Poking her head into the apprentice den, she blinked and smiled, trying to look welcoming as her eyes searched the nests. She could scent Ravenpaw's and Hopepaw's nests, and she hoped they would be willing to join in as well. "Hi, everyone. I know this is rather sudden, but... I was thinking that I would love to hear how your training was coming along, and if there's anything I can do to help any of you. I'll be waiting just outside if you'd like to talk to me, okay? Oh, and... If you're uncomfortable doing it now, please don't hesitate to approach me, ever. I'll do whatever I can to get you whatever help or support you need, alright?" She mewed before pulling her head out of the den and backing away a few steps to wait. Hopefully at least a couple of the apprentices would take her up on her offer... She would love to hear what they had to share.

Smokepaw was lying in her nest, taking full advantage of her extra time. Her ears flicked lazily as someone entered the den. Her eyes snapped open, and she scrambled to her paws. StarClan, now Murkystrike would think she was lazy. Thankfully, the deputy seemed to be focusing on all the apprentices equally, and quickly withdrew from the den.

Talk to her? Umm… that was… Smokepaw began grooming herself with a nonchalant air, tail slowly twitching. If one of the other apprentices went out and started talking, maybe she’d follow. Maybe.

Mothpaw was also in her nest, and decided it was thoughtful that Murkystrike was checking in with them. She knew she wouldn't have much to tell the ShadowClan deputy, but interacting with her Clanmates was always a good opportunity.

She glanced over at Smokepaw and noticed her ears flicking. The other apprentice seemed to be waiting to go outside. Maybe she would follow Mothpaw out?

Mothpaw got up, her lithe calico body shivering as she stretched, her claws digging into her nest. She let out a sigh at how small she was. She knew she would grow, but as the youngest apprentice she was pitifully smaller than everyone else! She had also been the last kit in the nursery, truly the smallest cat in the clan.

Mothpaw ducked out of the apprentices den, she had never spoke to or interacted with Murkystrike outside of her recent apprentice ceremony.

She dipped her head respectfully to the deputy. "Hello Murkystrike, how are you?"

If Mothpaw was brave enough to talk to the deputy, Smokepaw was too. She trailed after the younger apprentice and poked her head out of the apprentice den.

“What she said,” she mumbled. Why, oh why did she think this was a good idea?

Webpaw had been awake for quite some time now, but the heat from the day was more than enough to keep him inside the den. He had plenty of time to let it simmer off before someone came and got him, so he was content to curl into himself and enjoy the quiet, cool dark for a moment longer. He dozed off, lapsing in and out of sleep, but it wasn't long before things started to stir.

Murkystrike came first, her quiet voice calling to them. A check-in? He huffed, curling his tail over his nose. It was nice of her, really, but he didn't have anything to say to her, not that he could think of. Soon enough there were more voices and paws shuffling, and he was decidedly awake for the night. With a sigh, he stretched out his limbs and got to his paws, following Mothpaw and Smokepaw into the open.

Maybe he should just let them do the talking– Mothpaw seemed more than ready to handle it for all of them, after all. The tabby gave Murkystrike a curt nod, sitting down carefully a few steps away from the others. Well... he did have questions of his own, and his mouth worked faster than his brain could convince him to stay quiet. "What made you want to check on us?" His tail-tip flicked, and he tilted his head to the side as he regarded the deputy. Maybe she thought they weren't making good progress?

Murkystrike smiled as a couple of the younger apprentices emerged, and she returned their respectful nods in kind. They were the future of the clan, and though they were young, Murkystrike believed that they were deserving of the same respect as any other warrior. They were training, yes, but they worked hard, and cared for the elders as part of their duties, which she knew from experience was no easy task. Until they would show her otherwise, she would treat them with the same respect she asked of them. Mothpaw's question was a pleasant surprise, and she smiled as she responded. "I'm doing fairly well, now that things have settled into a bit of a routine. I'm sure you guys noticed the shift in responsibilities and expectations once you became apprentices, I faced the same shift when I took on the position of deputy." She explained, greeting Webpaw as he emerged behind the younger apprentices. He was nearing his warrior ceremony, quite swiftly actually. She wouldn't be surprised if Flintstar's summons sounded for his warrior ceremony any day now. He settled a little farther away, and she turned to face him as she heard his voice. What made her check on them? Her paw shuffled slightly as she shifted her weight a little bit. "Well, I realized that I haven't been paying that much attention to how trainings are going. I didn't know how well each one of you were progressing beyond what I overheard from others, and... Well, I decided that I wanted to do better than that. I needed to do better than that, not for me, but for all of you. You are the future of this clan, and I want to be sure that you are comfortable with what you're learning and how you feel you're progressing... And I also want to know what I can do to help each one of you on your journey to becoming a warrior. I... Should have done this much sooner, but here I am now. If there's anything you need, or want to discuss, or even if you just want to get to know me more, I'm here for it." She explained, an ear flicking slightly in embarrassment at her confession.

Smokepaw’s ears flattened slightly as Webpaw spoke. He was right. Did Murkystrike think they weren’t warrior material? She listened closely as the deputy spoke, and heaved a small sigh of relief. Good. They weren’t in trouble. She padded out of the den and sat near the other two apprentices.

Future of the Clan? “No pressure, huh,” she muttered softly. She hadn’t really thought of that. Could she live up to the legacies of Flintstar, of Murkystrike, of the leaders and deputies before them? StarClan, no, she couldn’t. Who could? Being the best warrior wasn’t really her goal, however. She wanted to know everything, and Fangsnap knew far more than any other ShadowClan cat.

“My training’s taught me a lot,” she volunteered. “Me and Mo- Mothpaw and I hunted for a bit the other night.”

Ravenpaw was asleep when Murkystrike had entered the den. She opened her eyes when the deputy spoke, her mind taking a moment to catch up. She watched a few apprentices leave before realizing that Murkystrike had asked to speak to them. She stretched and yawned, feeling well rested, and walked out to join the small group of cats. She approached just in time to hear the tail end of Murkystrike's words. She listened as Smokepaw spoke, and looked to the other apprentices, seeing if they would speak up first. She knew she could come to Murkystrike for anything if she needed her, and it was more important for the other apprentices to talk to her first.