Overnight Dew In Woods[C]

Copperpaw had settled down to her new... role. Apprenticeship certainly brought new challenges, but what way was there but forward? And so, she had returned to her old habits, waking early before the sun rose to find a well-hidden corner to sit and observe. And observe she did. How each cat walked, who they talked to, the first thing they did when they woke... it was all so fascinating. How she could see a little bit of herself in every cat, and yet they were completely different; like some, she would drop subtle hints of her achievement in hopes of being praised, and what had once filled her with shame was now yet another memory to ponder about as she watched others do exactly the same.

Today, her eyes quickly sought out a flaming ginger coat. Fawnkit had mentioned Amberpaw in her conversation with the other kits once, and Shrewpaw and Cedarpaw had told her about him too. It had sounded like Amberpaw was quite the interesting character. Everyone was, but there was bound to be the few that were more so than others. Copperpaw looked down at the small flower at her paws: small, heart-shaped white petals, with last night's dew still on it's leaves. It had become a custom, to present a flower of her choosing before meeting a new cat. White flowers were the easiest to match- perhaps when she got to understand their character better she might choose another flower to symbolize their friendship, but for now a white one would have to do.

Picking up the small white "jewel" in her mouth, the small tortoiseshell approached the apprentice as soon as he was out of the den. "Hello, I'm Copperpaw. I don't believe we've met," Copperpaw mewed, her voice soft from lack of use.

OOC: Fawnkit yayyy >:)

IC:

Stars, he had missed the sunrise!

Amberpaw knew apprentices worked hard, but he hadn't realized they worked this much. Since his ceremony, Thundercaln's newest apprentice had been completing a monster load of camp-keeping duties, plus daily training with Briarrose. But, Briarrose had given Amberpaw the day off, as a reward for his hard work. The flame-colored tom had planned to start his day off by watching the sunrise - his favorite pastime. But, exhaustion had seemingly taken over Amberpaw's body, and he unwillingly slept in. I suppose sleeping in isn't the worst thing to do on a day off, the tom thought, realizing that he probably needed the extra rest anyway.

With a sigh, Amberpaw groomed down his sleep-tousled fluff before exiting the apprentice den into the morning's golden light. But, before he had a chance to enjoy the sweet taste of the morning air, a small pretty-faced figure appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Was there something in her appearance that reminded Amberpaw of Shrewpaw? He couldn't say for sure, because clearly this she-cat was little like his energetic, talkative friend. Nonetheless, Amberpaw recognized the stranger as Shrewpaw's sister, Copperpaw, whom Shrewpaw always talked about. This was confirmed by Copperpaw's introduction. It was a wonder they had never met before, being that Amberpaw was so close to Shrewpaw. 

The tom paused to observe the dilute tortoiseshell - he noted her silent gait, green eyes, long tail, and...was that a flower in her maw? Interesting. The red tabby dipped his fluffy head in a reserved, polite greeting. "Amberpaw," he introduced, deep voice coming out as a gentle purr. His amber eyes seemed to ask - "You're Shrewpaw's sister, right?" but he didn't voice this unnecessary question. Instead, he hoped that Copperpaw would read the inquiry in his expression.

The apprentice's voice was rich, and soothing. Copperpaw's ears twitched at the pleasent sound. It's no wonder Fawnkit loved to listen to him so much. Pity Amberpaw didn't seem the type to talk much. A curious expression, and a little hint of expectation, showed on his face. "Sister of Shrewpaw and Cloudypaw," Copperpaw added, hoping to have answered the tom.

She leaned forward to gently tuck the flower behind the tom's ears. Despite her being the older one, she had always been small, so she had to stretch a bit to reach Amberpaw's head, but it was worth it. The snow-white of the petals brought out his liquid-flame eyes. As soon as she was done, Copperpaw took a small step back to give the tom some personal space. "Cedarpaw and Shrewpaw have told me much about you," She continued, watching the tom's reaction carefully.

Amberpaw stiffened as the older apprentice leaned in close. He wasn't one of those touchy-feely cats: the touch of others made him uncomfortable. Even Shrewpaw and Cedarpaw's affectionate nuzzles made him feel discomfited, but less so than others. Nonetheless, the fire-furred cat stood still and let Copperpaw place her flower. He even crouched a little, making it easier for the she-cat to reach. He supposed she was rather small, and he was rather large - that is, large for his age. He still had some growing to do. Copperpaw's simple yet thoughtful gesture warmed Amberpaw's heart in a way akin to witnessing Shrewpaw's benevolent nature toward baby birds and the like. They are both so...thoughtful. So...insightful? Compassionate? Amberpaw couldn't think of the right word. Perhaps they were a mixture of all those things.

When the cream-frosted gray she-cat stepped back and peered at him with her observant grassy gaze, Amberpaw couldn't help but subconsciously paw at the ground - an escape of the social anxiety boiling in his chest. Well, what was he supposed to say to that? The tom was tempted to keep silent for lack of words and just brush Copperpaw off with a nod, but he knew that was the impolite thing to do. Besides, he was intrigued by the curious character that was Copperpaw and felt an urge to become friends with her. Keeping the rest of his anxiety hidden behind a reserved expression, Amberpaw began with a simple "thank you," then continued the conversation Copperpaw had started.

"Have they?" He asked humbly, a hint of wonder in his tone. He personally didn't think that he was impressive enough to talk about. "Shrewpaw talks about you all the time, as well. Affectionately, I might add."

Anxiety shifted to a light wonder as the conversation wore on. Copperpaw watched the tom's expressions with a slight hint of amusement. It was like watching a show, or playing a guessing game. And it was all too easy to see herself doing the exact same thing. "Fawnkit mentioned you as well," Copperpaw added. A silence filled the air between the two of them for a while. The need to break the sentence burned her tongue with many questions, but they were all useless, and she didn't need every apprentice to think poorly of herself.

"What... what did Shrewpaw say about me?" Copperpaw tried to ask as casually as she could. Her insides burned. Affectionately, was the word Amberpaw had used... was Shrewpaw really naive enough to belief Copperpaw was a good cat? No, not naive. She was a good cat, a gift from Starclan, and would never do anything but the best. And she expected everyone else to be the same. Perhaps everyone else was the same. It was just Copperpaw... only she would be fake enough to have to force a smile. No other cat had to try to be themselves, just her. None of her internal thoughts on her face. Instead, a small, expectant smile grace her lips as she waited for Amberpaw's answer, her head tipped slightly to the side in an almost-cute manner.

Fawnkit. Amberpaw's expression changed slightly at the mention of the she-kit's name. He let a small, affectionate smile tug at his lips. Ahh, yes, Fawnkit - his best friend, a welcomed companion amidst his lonely spells throughout kithood. "Did she?" He asked, not expecting a detailed answer. He could already guess what Fawnkit would've said about him. To Amberpaw, this was somehow more expected than his apprentice friends talking about him. He and Fawnkit were best buds, after all.

Then, awkward silence: the bane of Amberpaw's existence. His mind raced with topics to bring up, or other mutual friends to mention. He couldn't form a solid conversation starter. To his relief, Copperpaw brought up another question. He was somewhat amused at Copperpaw's inquiry. She hid her inner thoughts well, and Amberpaw read little into her innocent smile and head tilt. "Only good things, I assure you." His gentle voice meant to put the she-cat at ease. Truly, all he had ever heard about Copperpaw was how wonderful she was and how she liked to gift flowers. He anticipated another spell of silence, so to avoid this, he began moving toward the camp's entrance.

"Yesterday, I noticed the clan's stores of moss were getting low. Today's my day off, but I thought I'd go out and gather some anyway. I figured I could make a nice walk through the forest out of it, too. You should come along - I'm still learning the territory, and you probably know it well by now." With a pause, he added, "Briarrose gave me permission to do so, already." Amberpaw was a big stickler about rule-following, so he always made sure to get permission to leave camp...unless he was dealing with urgent Birdclan matters, of course. "The other day, I saw a big patch of flowers not too far from camp. I could show you if you'd like." That was the other thing - Amberpaw wanted to ask Copperpaw about the significance of her flower gifts. Perhaps now that their initial introductions were over, he would find the chance to bring it up. It would do good to fill the awkward silence.

Amberpaw's answer was vague, far too vague. But already the conversation had moved on, and there was nothing Copperpaw could say now. She trailed after the tom, only half-listening to Amberpaw. The mention of flowers brought a smile to her, though. Amberpaw wasn't that different from Shrewpaw... they were both far too sweet.

OOC: sorry for the short post

The ginger-furred tabby lead Copperpaw out of camp. Each pawstep was soft and deliberate, carrying the large Maine coon quietly through the forest toward the flower patch he knew. "So..." he began, thinking how to put the question he had so as not to offend Copperpaw. He was probably just overthinking it. "Erm...thank you again for the flower. It's very lovely." He could imagine the delicate plant tucked into his ear, the bright white of its petals boldening the amber of his pelt. "Do you gift flowers often?"

Amberpaw's gait was soft, almost gentle. Copperpaw couldn't help but notice this as the large tom weaved through the forest as graceful as a fish in water. Her own paws were often stepping on twigs or knocking against roots. Her pelt burned with shame-- Amberpaw was larger, and less experienced, but even he could manage the territory properly. She, in the meantime, was barely able to breathe in the suffocating forest of Thunderclan territory. Amberpaw was a true Thunderclan cat, while she... was not.

"I gift flowers to cats when I first meet them. I guess it helps me decide that I'm really going to have a conversation," Copperpaw admitted it. As soon as the words were spoken, her insides curled with distaste. I'm probably only saying that Amberpaw would pity me and comfort me... so what? It's not like other cats don't do the same. She pushed away her thoughts with a flash of anger, but even that deflated as quickly as it came.

Snap! Crack! Amberpaw deliberately ignored Copperpaw's twig-snapping and clumsier footfalls. Amberpaw was, after all, fully Thunderclan - forest live pulsed through his veins, tuning his instincts to the frequency of the woods. Plus, he already had plenty of experience walking quietly. During kithood, Amperpaw and his father used to play this game, where they would take turns trying to sneak up on and scare each other. The ginger tom was suddenly thankful for such silly games - he was now realizing that they had greater purposes.

Copperpaw's explanation touched Amberpaw. He thought the flower gifting was a clever, unique idea. Besides, he all too well knew the struggle of trying to start a conversation with someone, let alone a new cat. "Copperpaw..." Amberpaw's heart burned with both kindness, respect, and understanding, but he didn't know how to translate these emotions into words. "That's brilliant," he finally blurted, voice filled with awe. His platonic fondness for Copperpaw grew the more he learned about her. However, was that a brief explosion of discomfort he sensed in her? I wouldn't want to be barraged with personal questions, Amberpaw thought. So, he stayed silent, letting Copperpaw decide if she wanted to elaborate more about flowers or give herself a break and focus the conversation on Amberpaw.

It was pretty obvious that Amberpaw could hear her clumsy moves as they walked further. Copperpaw's ears flattened against her head, and instinctivly her head lowered and her tail wrapped around her hindlegs. Maybe she shouldn't have talked to Amberpaw after all... she was saying everything wrong, and now her junior will think poorly of her. She managed a small purr at the tom's compliment. He wasn't mean, but he was less... naive than Shrewpaw. A bit like Cedarpaw. She should probably move the conversation to him. They had talked about her for far too long, and it would seem self-centered if she continued. But still, no other cat had seemed so interested in her flowers...

"Flowers remind me of the moor Blazefang told me about when I was a kit. I think having such open lands would be amazing, and so flowers always appeared in my dreams. Flowers are like cats... they can be grouped as the same, but they all have their own perks. So I give them to cats..." Copperpaw's voice trailed off. Had she said too much? She hadn't even realized any of that until she said it... it couldn't be fake, could it? Surely she didn't make it up on the spot just for attention? She didn't feel as passionate about flowers as she had made it out to be... was it all just a lie, then?

She suddenly realized what she had said. "Not that Thunderclan territory is any worse! I'm glad I was raised here, and I met so many nice cats!" Copperpaw quickly corrected her mistake, soft voice raising to almost a shout. "Besides, I wouldn't want to sleep next to cats like that who go revealing secrets at a gathering!" She added almost desperately. Her mews sounded pathetic even to her own ears, and Copperpaw shrank back even more. Great. Just great.

So insightful, Amberpaw thought at Copperpaw's comparison of flowers to cats. I wish I could see the world through her eyes. She has such a unique understanding of the world. But, Amberpaw stiffened as Copperpaw dove into discussing her...connection...to Windclan.

Amberpaw's chest ignited into vicious loyalty to Thunderclan and Mottlestar. Did Copperpaw have loyalties to Windclan? Distaste flooded Amberpaw's mind. However, he quickly scolded himself. Mottlestar has allowed Blazefang into Thunderclan. Besides, Copperpaw was born and raised in Thunderclan. She is a Thunderclan cat. But...Mottlestar did break the warrior code. Should her judgement really be trusted? The all-familiar turmoil prickled at Amberpaw's mind. He thought about Mottlestar's betrayal of the Warrior Code often, not knowing what to make of it. On one paw, the young apprentice esteemed the Warrior Code above all else, as a cat should. On the other paw, he was loyal to his clan and, by default, its leader. What was he supposed to do when the loyalties diverged from each other? Now's not the time to think of this. 


Amberpaw kept this inner battle hidden under a calm, reserved expression. In the end, Amberpaw's kindhearted nature defied all prejudices against the other clans and questionable loyalties. "I'm glad you were raised here, too," Amberpaw purred kindly. "Because you're turning out to be a good friend." And, he truly meant that. Then, he decided to change the topic. "Can I confess something to you?" He had something he had wanted to share to somebody for a while, but decided that nobody else would understand. Not even Fawnkit, who was too young and immature still. However, Copperpaw seemed like the type that would get him.

Was that rage that flashed in the tom's eyes? Or was it hesitance? Distaste, perhaps? Copperpaw's eyes flickered across Amberpaw's form nervously. She didn't think that the apprentice would be so against the other clans. Mentioning Windclan was a bad move... but he seemed for forgive her for it. Copperpaw tipped her head to the side at the tom's words. Curiousty mingled with wariness. What did he have to say?

"I'm listening," Copperpaw answered, trying her best to keep her voice light.

"Sometimes I feel like...like life is happening right before my eyes, but I am merely a lone observer. Like...like just a kit listening to an elder's story. I feel so...detached from reality. I feel...like nobody can reach me here. I feel alone, even though I'm not alone...I have Shrewpaw and Cedarpaw and Fawnkit. But I just feel like they can't truly understand me." Amberpaw didn't know why he was confessing this to Copperpaw. He didn't know why he was confessing this to anyone. He hated talking about his feelings. In fact, it was hard for him to do so now. Painful, even. But it felt like a heavy burden were being lifted from his chest.

He wasn't looking for sympathy. He just wanted someone to finally understand him. He wanted someone who felt the same way. Would that be Copperpaw?

Copperpaw listened to Amberpaw in silence. He wouldn't want her to comfort him, so what did he really want? "Like everything you do isn't as sincere as everyone else, and you don't know whether you really meant it afterall? And no matter how you try to explain it, words never seem enough?" Copperpaw suggested when the tom paused. She could understand it, to a certain extend. Like she said, she could see herself in other's paws often, and this was no exception.