Little Russet-y Ray of Sunshine! (closed)

With the recent events, Silverwing just felt like a fool. Her friends hadn't abandoned her to the degree she had thought they did, and though Windclan had left her out there, they had given her a new apprentice as an apology! It made those nasty feeling retreat entirely, lifting her spirits exponentially! With a bounce in her step, the silver she-cat trotted over to her cute little apprentice. "Russetpaw, Russetpaw! Wanna hang out with your lovely, amazing mentor for a bit?" It was back, the joy and excitement that usually filled her voice had returned! It felt so right being back to normal, stars she missed feeling this way! "We can talk for a bit, or maybe go out for a hunt? Or if you're feeling really spicy then we could get a little spar in!" Silverwing swiped at empty air, showing the apprentice that maybe that last one wasn't a good idea. "Or we could take a walk around the territory, there's a giant crack in the ground!"

Russetpaw had been making a nice lil’ mossball. The materials to make them were much easier to come by at Fourtrees than back home, and she wasn’t about to pass up this opportunity. She’d already made some friends with other apprentices, playing mossball-like, and that was good! But mostly it was fun, and she was already an expert.

A familiar voice hit her ears and her head snapped up, already grinning like a hare-brain. Most of the words kinda floated over her head, but she wasn’t disagreeing with what she heard. In fact, she wouldn’t really disagree with anything Silverwing said, at this point. She- it- well, it was just nice to be reassured that Fuzzkit (she refused to call him by his apprentice name, he wasn’t really an apprentice, this was just a temporary thing) hadn’t taken her spot as Silverwing’s apprentice. He was… he was just a tag-along! The comedic relief.

“A giant crack in t’ ground?!?” Russetpaw sprang to her paws (nearly tripping over her own tail and face-planting, but that part wasn’t important). “Oh my stars, did anyone fall down ‘t? I wanna see, i wanna see!” They had to get away from Fourtrees as quickly as possible. Russetpaw didn’t want anyone, not even her best friend Sleepypaw, joining them on this expedition. This was just her, and Silverwing, ‘cause she was Silverwing’s apprentice, not Fuzzbutt.

Seeing the apprentice's absolute enthusiasm reminded Silverwing of someone, someone very familiar, but long since forgotten. She couldn't help but giggle at Russetpaw's near fall, she really wanted to get out of Fourtrees didn't she? "No one fell in, at least I'm pretty sure they didn't, but we should be very careful when we get there. The ground might still be a little weak there." The more she spoke about it the more she wanted to stay away from the giant crack. It had been fine upon her first solitary expedition, but that could always change. Still, she had said it, and Russetpaw really wanted to see it. "If you fall in I won't forgive you Russetpaw, be aware of every step!" Turning toward Windclan territory, Silverwing set off with Russetpaw in tow. "If we have time, I can even take you to the flower field! It's really pretty out there, almost as pretty as you, but not quite. I'm sure you'd love it!" Silverwing did want to show the area off to Russetpaw, but there was another reason for wanting to go out there.

“Okay okay okay okay,” Russetpaw rushed after her mentor, tail flicking in the wind. She didn’t want to fall down a giant crack in t’ ground, but she did want to be able to say she’d seen it! Maybe when she got real old ‘n’ cranky ‘n’ stuff she could tell kits she’d been around since before the ground cracked! Though she didn’t want to be all old ‘n’ cranky, if she had to be she might as well tell the best stories this side a’ Highstones!

At Silverwing’s next words Russetpaw nodded with all the serious-ity-ness she could muster. Fuzzbutt would probably fall down there, but Russetpaw, Silverwing’s best (and only) apprentice, would never do such a thing.

“Oooh! Ooh! I’d lovelovelove ta see t’ Flower Fields! Is that what where sumcats get their flow’r’s from? The ones what are so pretty-like?” She seen a few cats around camp, particularly a black tom, with flowers woven into their fur, and wasn’t that so pretty? The red-pelted apprentice picked up the pace- she just had to make sure they had time for the fields.

"Mhm, I know Flutterpetal goes there often, I totally get why! All the different kinds of flowers are super pretty, I think when Leaf-Bare comes they're all gonna start to die though." Stars, Leaf-Bare! If the flowers did start to die off because of the weather that could mean bad news for her plan. There was nothing else she could use, it had to be flowers! "Let's try not to take too long with the crevice, I really want to go to the flower field." There was a hint of urgency in her voice as she spoke. Her supplies had already been out here this long, she needed to retrieve them as soon as possible.

As the pit finally came into sight, Silverwing slowed down. It was really creepy. She had come by once while searching the territory for her clan, one look down was enough to spook her. It had seemed to go on forever, anyone or anything that fell in might not ever make it back. "Take a good look Russetpaw, I don't want you coming over here again. It's dangerous, and creepy!"

‘lutterpeta’, right, that was ‘is name. Stars, they were getting closer to leaf-bare, weren’t they? Russetpaw, born in early leaf-fall, was accustomed to the chill that made her fur stand on end as she followed her mentor across the moor- but it would get worse, she knew, and there would be Snow- like ‘nowpaw! Snow sounded like fun- she wondered if Silverwing had seen it? Although her mentor was obviously the best in t’ Clan, she was also a pretty young warrior, ‘s far as warriors went, wasn’t she?

They reached the crevice. One peek over the edge was more ‘n’ enough for Russetpaw, who took a few steps back. “Aye aye, Silverwing,” she mewed, more than ready ta get away from it. Stars- stars, wow, what- it was so big and deep. Who knew what monsters dwelled within its depths?

Watching Russetpaw get so close to that creepy hole had Silverwing fighting back the urge to grab her apprentice's scruff and pull her back. She was so close, one misplaced paw and Russetpaw might not be coming back to camp, or Fourtrees. Luckily, the reddish apprentice backed away on her own. "Alright alright, let's get out of here." Silverwing lead her apprentice further into the territory once more, every step further from the hole feeling like a blessing from Starclan. She would need to talk to Smallbean about that thing, it was really dangerous to leave like that. Not like she had any idea on how to fix it, but something had to be done.

Finally, the two had reached their true destination, the vast colors of the flowers in front of them still shocking to Silverwing despite already seeing them. Suddenly her mission felt ridiculous. There wasn't a point in reclaiming old flowers. Right now, she just wanted to share the sight with Russetpaw. "It's so pretty out here, next time we should bring Sleepypaw and Blazefang too." By the time a moment like that would come around the flowers would all be covered in snow, victims of leaf-bare. Silverwing hadn't been able to experience the season yet, but from what she heard it was utterly miserable.

Russetpaw perked up as Silverwing led the way away from the creepy hole of creepiness. “Maybe that’s where ShadowClan’s muck monsters come from? Maybe we’ll ‘ave muck monsters too now? ‘though methinks if they were gonna come, they would’ve already done it…” the red-pelted apprentice followed behind her mentor, bounding along like an excited hare. The wind that rustled the moor-grass and her whiskers was getting colder by the day… how much colder would it get? How much colder could it get? And what about “snow”? Actually, Snowpaw might know what snow was like… she should ask, sometime.

They crested a rise, and there, in front of Russetpaw, was StarClan.

Or at least the closest thing she’d ever gotten to it.

There were so many flowers! Of all different colors! And shapes, and sizes- how had she never seen this before? It took her breath away, for a moment, awe making her fur stand on end. She’d heard her brother tell stories about the flowers, but the ones he’d brought back to camp were never this vibrant, this alive. It was beautiful…

Russetpaw drew her paw across her face. Dang allergies which definitely existed. “Yes, yes yes yes! Sleeps will love this! Can I run down there an’ jump in the flowers, Silverwing? Pretty please?” she didn’t think her mentor would refuse, but she should be respectful, and thankful! Silverwing had brought her out here after all.