Halfpaw's warrior ceremony was due.
It was a truth that hit her suddenly one day, either mid - chew of her breakfast or mid - step of a patrol. Whilst her head had been turned to Sneezepaw; small, sniveling, inexplicably... pacifist, Halfpaw had gone on to twelve moons, unbothered by the things that he had been, a fine hunter, a fine combatant... While Sharpshadow couldn't have been more annoyed the day Halfpaw was given to her, today, as she leads the two - toned molly deeper into ShadowClan's territory, she desperately claws for the relief that would come the moment she passes her assessment... Relief that she wasn't doomed to trained late - failures like she had been, for the rest of time. Would Smogstar's eyes glimmer just the same, seeing his daughter live long enough to be named by his tongue? Not like she cared what Smogstar thought, but... the clan deserved to see him be something other than annoying, for once.
The moon hangs high in the sky, that odd shape it took on between the half moon and the gathering's full swell. She takes them further than she was really comfortable going... but she needed unambiguous, sharpened proof. The proof that she made a warrior, one that would not be cut down the moment she takes a step outside of camp on her own. She couldn't get that by holding onto Halfpaw's scruff.
They arrive near the western border, where the Thunderpath stink is apparent, but nighttime leaves the monster's that run its path few and far between. Her broken tail rustles the grass. She lets out a breath. " Okay... " He turns to his apprentice, the paleness of her coat not - so - noticeable under darkness. " I know you can fight, " he says. " It's Greenleaf... You could obviously catch plenty of prey if you wanted to. So... here's what we're gonna do: "
He shifts his stance — already somewhat slouched — into one of a predator, low and hunkered and the sheathes of his claws left loose. Midnight quills rise to make him look larger than he really was. Darkness takes to him in a way that it never possibly could for Halfpaw, but as a ShadowClanner, she should still do it better than any other clan could... " I'm... a rogue, " Sharpshadow says. Maybe it didn't take much to make him look like one... " I'm here to... To take your kits. To kill your apprentices, " Maybe that was too much — too close to home, but... he just wanted her to be ready. " And if I see a cat that could get in my way, I have no problem with... with slitting their throat. " His eyes flicker to the soft down of Halfpaw's coat, pale and easy to be outlined by blood.
" Be the best fighter in the forest, if I catch you off - guard, you're probably gonna lose, " he grunts. " Catch me first, and... um, you get it, right? " Briefly, he looks to find Halfpaw's eyes.
" The Thunderpath will make it hard to smell me, " maybe the reminder is overkill, but she's already done it, so... " Sit here for... For um... Think about one of your dad's speeches? Like, that long, and then you can move. " He blinks. " If you find me before I find you, you pass, Okay? " Obviously, in the real world Halfpaw wouldn't have this forewarning, but its something isn't it? Sharpshadow awaits her confirmation. Standing strange and stilted as she always did, for once, in this role, she felt that she fit in.
Once she's sure that Halfpaw understands, she slips into the shadows, pine cover hiding what little moonlight there was to see her by.
It was a truth that hit her suddenly one day, either mid - chew of her breakfast or mid - step of a patrol. Whilst her head had been turned to Sneezepaw; small, sniveling, inexplicably... pacifist, Halfpaw had gone on to twelve moons, unbothered by the things that he had been, a fine hunter, a fine combatant... While Sharpshadow couldn't have been more annoyed the day Halfpaw was given to her, today, as she leads the two - toned molly deeper into ShadowClan's territory, she desperately claws for the relief that would come the moment she passes her assessment... Relief that she wasn't doomed to trained late - failures like she had been, for the rest of time. Would Smogstar's eyes glimmer just the same, seeing his daughter live long enough to be named by his tongue? Not like she cared what Smogstar thought, but... the clan deserved to see him be something other than annoying, for once.
The moon hangs high in the sky, that odd shape it took on between the half moon and the gathering's full swell. She takes them further than she was really comfortable going... but she needed unambiguous, sharpened proof. The proof that she made a warrior, one that would not be cut down the moment she takes a step outside of camp on her own. She couldn't get that by holding onto Halfpaw's scruff.
They arrive near the western border, where the Thunderpath stink is apparent, but nighttime leaves the monster's that run its path few and far between. Her broken tail rustles the grass. She lets out a breath. " Okay... " He turns to his apprentice, the paleness of her coat not - so - noticeable under darkness. " I know you can fight, " he says. " It's Greenleaf... You could obviously catch plenty of prey if you wanted to. So... here's what we're gonna do: "
He shifts his stance — already somewhat slouched — into one of a predator, low and hunkered and the sheathes of his claws left loose. Midnight quills rise to make him look larger than he really was. Darkness takes to him in a way that it never possibly could for Halfpaw, but as a ShadowClanner, she should still do it better than any other clan could... " I'm... a rogue, " Sharpshadow says. Maybe it didn't take much to make him look like one... " I'm here to... To take your kits. To kill your apprentices, " Maybe that was too much — too close to home, but... he just wanted her to be ready. " And if I see a cat that could get in my way, I have no problem with... with slitting their throat. " His eyes flicker to the soft down of Halfpaw's coat, pale and easy to be outlined by blood.
" Be the best fighter in the forest, if I catch you off - guard, you're probably gonna lose, " he grunts. " Catch me first, and... um, you get it, right? " Briefly, he looks to find Halfpaw's eyes.
" The Thunderpath will make it hard to smell me, " maybe the reminder is overkill, but she's already done it, so... " Sit here for... For um... Think about one of your dad's speeches? Like, that long, and then you can move. " He blinks. " If you find me before I find you, you pass, Okay? " Obviously, in the real world Halfpaw wouldn't have this forewarning, but its something isn't it? Sharpshadow awaits her confirmation. Standing strange and stilted as she always did, for once, in this role, she felt that she fit in.
Once she's sure that Halfpaw understands, she slips into the shadows, pine cover hiding what little moonlight there was to see her by.