Conquer your [Fear] or it shall swallow you whole

[Dansen[Mouse]]

~[Brackenpaw]~

The large apprentice sat on the shore but near the shallow end of the lake. She knew that had been depressed far too long and that she also needed to face her fears, especially her fear of water. She swallowed a large lump and made sure no one was around before slowly moving towards the waters edge, almost as if she was stalking a mouse. She took a good look at it before dabbing it a couple of times with her and then moments later, creeping into it until it covered her paws, the water lapping at her fur.

Her mind raced as she remembered the awful things that happened here and the outcome of it all. The first time her and her brother came to see the water falling over the cliffs. Her brother drowned because he got to close to the waters edge. Because of that her father left the Clan in search of their mother who had left claiming that StarClan was calling her. She had always blamed herself for it.

The second time was more resent and it devastated the whole Clan. Amethyststar's death. After that, Brackenpaw went into a depression, having mood swings that even got her own mentor scowling at her for. She knew that she was going to be made a warrior soon, but she was hoping to at least try to come over her fear of water first. It would be no good for her to be afraid of it all her life. So she decided to at least try and do something about it. Sticking close to the shallow end, she started to wad a bit, trying to get used to the water first.

Ooc:// Reserved for Shade-Puzzlepaw
We need to rp them together xD

[SHADE. :D]

puzzlepaw

The tom's pawsteps crunched the dry leaves beneath his paws, the leaves left behind from last year's winter. The footsteps belonged to Puzzlepaw. The apprentice had grown in size since his apprentice ceremony, certainly. His shoulders were broader, his legs longer, his ears taller. The tom's coat had grown into long tufts, still the same confusing mass of ebony, smoke and snow tabby stripes. The tom's eyes were the only thing that had not changed in the slightest. Still wide, still that odd, eerie amber colour, like beacons glowing through a thickly shadowed night. Puzzlepaw was ten moons old, and reaching the end of his training. He was happy to be out alone, hunting. He had already buried a sparrow somewhere back in the bracken, taking advantage of the late summer's bounty. He could feel a slight chill in the air. Autumn was approaching. Soon winter would be here. Puzzlepaw fluffed out his thick coat. He had been born in spring, and had never experienced a winter before. But he had heard enough stories to know that winter was not the best season.

The tom caught a familiar scent and began to track it. Sure, hunting alone was pretty peaceful, but hunting with a friend was more fun. And he could smell a friend - Brackenpaw. The tabby apprentice emerged near the Eclipse Lake, to see the silver tabby she-cat wading into the water. "Are you mad?" he joked, his enigmatic tones as dreamy as always.

[Dansen[Mouse]]

~[Brackenpaw]~

I'm calling you out and I'm glad you came.
My heart races everytime I see you.
Now what are you going to do about it?

'OK, paddle one, paddle two. The she-cat finally felt like she was finally getting it when a voice called to her from shore and she suddenly slipped and plunged under the water. It took her a moment and a load of work to suppress the panic that wanted to over take her, but she got her head back above water and she wadded back to shore, half embarrassed and half mad at whoever startled her. She was ready to claw whoever it was before looking up and seeing Puzzlepaw. All the rage immediately vanished and now she was just embarrassed.

"Puzzlepaw!" She shook her massive coat free of much of the water, but her pelt being so thick it still held much of the water. A cool breeze hit her making her shiver. Maybe it was time for some hunting. She padded over to her fellow apprentice."What are you doing out here, hunting?"

[/blockquote][/color]

[SHADE. :D]

puzzlepaw

The apprentice looked guilty, though slightly amused, as Brackenpaw started, slipping under the water. He padded towards his floundering friend, intending to help her, but she got up herself before he reached her. Puzzlepaw took a step back as he noticed the anger in her eyes. It seemed to clear after she recognized him. The tom sat back on his haunches, his eerie amber eyes smiling at her. "Sorry if I startled you," he mewed genuinely, dipping his head slightly. He then looked up again, his eyes flashing like fire. "I thought you were going to claw my eyes out!" Puzzlepaw got to his paws and shook himself, stretching his forelegs and flexing his toes. The black, grey and white tom nodded at her question, tipping his head slightly to one side. "I could ask you the same question!" he joked. "Yes, I was hunting. But it would be an altogether more pleasent experience if you were to join me."

[Dansen[Mouse]]

~[Brackenpaw]~

I'm so embarrassed, but thats alright.
I know you love me and thats all the matters.
Now I just have to tell you so.

A faint smile crossed the large apprentices maw. She almost replied to his first comment by saying that if it was any other cat, she might have clawed their eyes out. But she held back and just smiled, too embarrassed to say anything else and she laughed when he joked about her hunting.

She looked at the fellow apprentice and realized that she was still slightly bigger then him. She just hoped that she wasn't going to grow any more, many of the other she-cats made fun of how big she was and how she would never have a mate because toms like to be bigger then their mate. She wondered how he felt about her. Maybe one day she would ask.

"I'd love to go hunting with you." Her fur tingled, realizing that he had said it would be a more pleasant experience if she were to join him. Not another cat, just her. She wondered if that was what he really meant.

[/blockquote][/color]

[SHADE. :D]

puzzlepaw

The tom turned, padding towards the trees, his bottle-brush tail held high. He turned to look over his shoulder at Brackenpaw, his wide, eerie eyes fixed on her's. "You coming?" The tom's soft, calm tones bounced across the clearing towards her. He smiled his usual pleasent smile as the large silver tabby began to follow him. He set off beneath the trees, his wide paws thudding the fallen leaves that had littered the ground since the previous winter. The black, white and grey tabby tom, positioned himself behind a large rock, crouching. He stayed perfectly still, his claws sliding out. He waited. And waited. Until a sparrow flew from a low aspen branch. He still did not move. Puzzlepaw's intelligent amber eyes were fixed on a large bird perched in a tree high above them. It was a pigeon. The sparrow dug it's beak into the earth, pulling free a large worm. The pigeon flew down, beating the sparrow away with it's wings, tugging the smaller bird's prize away. The ruffled and disgruntled sparrow took flight.

Puzzlepaw pounced. He caught the pigeon by it's neck and shook it once. The bird stopped struggling and fell still. Puzzlepaw dragged it back to Brackenpaw. The sparrow, not to deterred, flew down to collect the worm,staying on the ground to eat it.

[Dansen[Mouse]]

~[Brackenpaw]~

I'm coming, I'm Coming.

The she-cat followed and crouched down to wait with Puzzlepaw, but she was a few tail lengths behind him so she wouldn't disturb his hunting. She watched as he waited there for a few minutes before the birds finally flew down. She was awed by his patience, she never would have had the patience to just sit there and wait for the prey to come to her.

She smiled as he came back with the fat pigeon. She almost congratulated him when she noticed the sparrow coming back for the worm. Staying low, she slowly stalked towards it. It was clear that the bird was about to take flight, the moment the bird was off the ground, Brackenpaw had already pounced. It didn't even have time to squeak as she cut it off, bringing it back to Puzzlepaw. She dropped the bird with disgust, she had bitten the worm also when she caught the bird. "Eck, I don't understand why bird like those slimy things."

Ooc:// I think we both have had a lot of muse this whole time XD

[SHADE. :D]

puzzlepaw

Puzzlepaw quickly dug a shallow hole in the earth, and rolled the pigeon's limp body inside. He then scraped a covering of fallen leaves and dead grass over the hole to cover the dappled grey feathers. When the apprentice looked up again, he felt Brackenpaw's tufty silver pelt brush his own as she slunk past. He narrowed his eyes, realising she was after the sparrow. He waited. She waited. Then she pounced. Puzzlepaw purred in congratulations, padding up to her and flicking her shoulder with his fluffy tail. "Great catch," he mewed, smiling mysteriously at her. The tom shook himself, his thick coat swinging around him, then leapt neatly up onto a tree stump. There he sat, waiting for Brackenpaw to bury her sparrow with his pigeon. At her words he smiled again. "The birds probably wonder how we can stand to eat them," he mewed, turning his head slightly to one side. "It goes both ways."

Puzzlepaw jumped down from the tree stump, his wide, silky paws making no sound on the grass. He continued, his head swinging from side to side so he could taste the air.

// Yeah. xD

[Dansen[Mouse]]

Ooc:// I'd thought I'd make this a little interesting xD

~[Brackenpaw]~

Your the missing piece I need,
The song inside of me,
I need to find you,
Got to find you.

Brackenpaw was never one for sharing her emotions, but she started to think think that maybe it was about time she did. She quickly buried her bird next to Puzzlepaw's before padding over to him. "Um, Puzzlepaw? I have something I...I want to share with you." But a new scent suddenly hit her scent glands like a mallet. 'Oh no!' She thought as a bright bronze tabby she-cat suddenly busted through the bushes and landed up jumping on top of Brackenpaw.

"Brother! I thought I scented you!" Rainbowpaw looked down and just suddenly realized that she landed on top of Brackenpaw. "Brackenpaw! So what are you doing here?" She then turned her head up to Puzzlepaw. "So brother, is this the she-cat you've had a cru-ahhh!!!" She squeaked as Brackenpaw threw her off her back, causing her to land on top of the bush she had just jumped over. She had almost asked Puzzlepaw if Brackenpaw was the cat that he had been crushing on.

Brackenpaw Bit her tongue to try and keep back the things she had so wanted to yowl at the apprentice if Puzzlepaw wasn't here, and she would if he wasn't. "So nice of you to join us, Rainbowpaw." She forced out.

But I'm too cool
Yeah I'm too cool to know you
Don't take it personal
Don't get emotional
You know it's the truth
I'm too cool for you

*Rainbowpaw*

[SHADE. :D]

puzzlepaw

Puzzlepaw turned to look at Brackenpaw as the large silver tabby buried her catch next to his. The tom blinked his eerie amber eyes. He always knew what to do, what to say, but now he couldn't describe the feelings in his stomach. He felt so close to Brackenpaw, closer to her than anybody, even his siblings. He felt like she understood him the best, and she was just always there. And she seemed to depend on him in the same way. Puzzlepaw's body tingled as Brackenpaw spoke. What was she going to say...? The tom waited, eyes fixed on her's. The tom took a step forward, but before he could say a word a loud voice crushed the atmosphere between them. It was Rainbowpaw. Puzzlepaw did not often get narked, but now he fixed his sister with a narrow-eyed glare of irritation. Of all the times to interrupt him... Puzzlepaw's eyes grew wide and he shook his head as she started to speak. He shook his head wildly at her, embarrased, but Brackenpaw threw her off before she could say a word.

Yes, he did have a crush on Brackenpaw, but he would reveal it when he chose to, not when his annoyingly chilidish little sister decided to. "Aren't you supposed to be training?" he mewed quizzically. He was too nice to tell her straight to go away, but he desperately wanted her to leave.

[Dansen[Mouse]]

~[Brackenpaw]~

Shalala my oh my,
Looks like the boy too shy,
Ain't gonna kiss the girl.

Brackenpaw really hoped that Rainbowpaw really had training or would at least take the hint, but her heart sank as the bubbly apprentice refused to take the bait. "Nope! I was told to go hunting, and what do you know! I come across my brother and his friend!" She sat and waited for either of the two to reply.

Brackenpaw merely starred at her, daggers shooting from her eyes. "Well we were just heading back, so why don't you find another patrol to pes...I mean go with."

Rainbowpaw looked back at the buried fresh-kill and gave the tabby apprentice a 'I ain't that stupid' look. "Right." She sarcastically mewed.

I'll be your go to girl,
the one that you can run to,
Anytime you need me I'll be there.

*Rainbowpaw*

[SHADE. :D]

puzzlepaw

The black, grey and white tabby tom sighed as Rainbowpaw steamrolled on. It seemed she was just too airheaded to take the hint. He scraped at the corners of his mind, trying to find a reason to put Rainbowpaw off hunting with them. Then Brackenpaw spoke. Puzzlepaw shut his eyes. That was exactly the wrong thing to say to Rainbowpaw. He heard the frost in his sister's reply. He could feel the hostility thickening the air around them. He hated it. He hated this. "Er, I just remembered, Scrawltale said she'd take me training..." he said awkwardly. "See you, Brackenpaw." He waved his shaggy tail at his friend, before turning and running, a little too quickly, into the trees. Thoughts rushed through his brain. Brackenpaw would hate him so much for leaving her. But he couldn't stand the tension, knowing that Rainbowpaw might tell her any moment that he had a crush on her...

[Dansen[Mouse]]

~[Brackenpaw]~

Look at you
Look at me
There's never any us
Can't you see all we can become
We can shine like the sun

Brackenpaw gave Puzzlepaw a glance as he sped off. No, she wasn't mad at him. She was made at his bubbleheaded sister. Then she smiled. Nothing was holding her back now. "You Mousebrained, why can't you just take a hint! We wanted you to leave."

"Why? You have a crush on my brother or something?" she asked, prodding the larger apprentice in the side with her paw.

'Boy, she is really asking for it!' Brackenpaw thought as her claws slid out. No!...maybe, I don't know, but its none of your business!"

"He's my brother, of course its my business!" Now Rainbowpaw started to get mad, she too let her claws slid out.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realize that he needed protection from his bubble brained sister."

That hit Rainbowpaw's last string as she lunched herself at the larger apprentice. Brackenpaw was surprised for a moment by the sudden attack as Rainbowpaw knocked her over. "Take it back!! She yowled.

"Never!" The two began there tussle.

Hasta la vista
We'll all be going seperate ways
Say everything you didn't say
This is your moment, before you go
Come on now get up and show them

*Rainbowpaw*

Ooc:// Calling in a warrior xD

[&&R.A.V.E.N :3]

*Glacierfrost

soft as snow

cold as ice

[/color] Glacierfrost's strong voice growled before he pulled Rainbowpaw away from Brackenpaw, his eyes narrowing again. He placed down the apprentice in his jaws before turning to put himself between them. "Give me one good reason why you two were fighting." The large tom growled through his clenched teeth.
[/ul][/size]

[SHADE. :D]

scrawltale

A wiry shape padded through the dense undergrowth of the EclipseClan territory. Scrawltale's huge, pointed ears twitched as they strained to hear any sounds. She had abnormally good hearing due to their size. She could hear voices in the distance, but didn't want to interrupt what could've been a private conversation. But as took a couple more steps forward, a cat nearly collided with her. Scrawltale leapt back, hissing and puffing out the little fur that covered her body. She prepared to attack, until she recognized Puzzlepaw. "Puzzlepaw!" she mewed, only somewhat angrily. "I expect better of you!" She tutted at the tom's profound apologies, and padded on. In truth, she was looking for Brackenpaw. She had tried to be patient with her depressed apprentice, but she had just lost her temper. Scrawltale heard yowls in the distance, and the rapid flapping of frightened birds. She ran in the direction of the noise.

Scrawltale arrived just after Glacierfrost. Her dark yellow eyes narrowed and clouded with fury as she gathered what had happened. "Brackenpaw! Get up at once!" The Rex she-cat stood beside Glacierfrost, dwarfed by him, but looking no less formidable, her fierce gaze demanding an explanation.

[Dansen[Mouse]]

~[Brackenpaw]~

If I decide,
I'm the girl to change the world
I can do it any time.
Opportunity right in front of me
And the choice is all mine

The two she-cats were pulled apart by Glacierfrost. Brackenpaw had a cut next to her left eyes that was bleeding, and Rainbowpaw had a nick on her ear, but both were heavily panting. Brackenpaw stood as she watched the apprentice suddenly start washing her ears as if nothing happened, and she almost lept at her again when Scrawltale's angered yowl made the apprentice sit on her rump, refusing to answer any questions.

"She started it!" Rainbowpaw angrily mewed.

"You attacked me first." Brackenpaw pointed out, clearly having the higher ground.

"She was calling me names!" The apprentice didn't realize how kit-like that sounded until it came out of her muzzle. "She just got mad because I wanted to join her and Puzzlepaw in hunting."

Hasta la vista
We'll all be going seperate ways
Say everything you didn't say
This is your moment, before you go
Come on now get up and show them

*Rainbowpaw*

[&&R.A.V.E.N :3]

*Glacierfrost

soft as snow

cold as ice

[/color] The large, black and white tom said through his clenched teeth. It was a wonder he hadn't tried to rip either of they're fur off. "Let's try this a differnt way. Rainbowpaw, go with Scrawltale. Brackenpaw, come with me" Glacierfrost said, glancing at the older warrioress to see if she objected to his suggestion.
[/ul][/size]

[SHADE. :D]

scrawltale

The Rex she-cat stared at the two apprentices with narrowed eyes. She noticed Brackenpaw's reaction to Rainbowpaw's obvious indifference, and her fur rose. Both apprentices needed their heads knocked together! She turned her glare onto Rainbowpaw as the she-cat muttered something angrily, and suddenly the two were spitting at eachother. Losing her temper, Scrawltale lashed her tail. "Silence! Both of you!" She bared her teeth at Rainbowpaw and Brackenpaw, her fur bristling all over. She turned to look at Glacierfrost as the tom began to speak. She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She nodded at the tom's words, and flicked her tail at Rainbowpaw. "Come with me, now," she mewed curtly, turning and padding back into the trees. She didn't even spare Brackenpaw a glance. She was severely disappointed with her apprentice.

[Dansen[Mouse]]

~[Brackenpaw]~

The two she-cats gave each other a quick glare before turning around to follow the warriors. Brackenpaw didn't even look at Scrawltale, she knew that her mentor was disappointed in her apprentice and the more the apprentice thought about it, the more it hurt her. She was an apprentice no mentor would want.

Her tail drooped and dragged on the ground when they were hidden by the underbrush from Scrawltale and Rainbowpaw. She was most likely a dissapointment to her whole Clan.

Rainbowpaw on the other paw was glad to get away from the larger apprentice but she really didn't look forward to seeing her brother again. She knew she must have hurt him, pulling her little stunt. Maybe when she got back to camp she could fix things between them...

*Rainbowpaw*