Why????

[icekit]

Icepaw skidded to a stop in a pile of leaves.

"Why do the leaves turn brown and gold as it gets colder are all the trees dieing?"

She watched a leaf as it fluttered down toward the ground. Reaching up she batted at it playfully.

[Shadow Spirit]

Shadowstreak smiled a little sadly. She was remembering a fond time from when she was a kit.

"Once when I was little, my mother told me that the leaves turn brown and fall off because the trees need to conserve energy..." she began. "When leafbare comes, its too bitterly cold and dry for the trees to feed their leaves, so they drop them to store food up for themselves and when the time of newleaf comes, baby leaves sprout again..." "It is a constant cycle of death and rebirth, sacrifice and renewal...its hard to understand when you are young, but when you grow more...you will see that all of the world works this way..."

Shadowstreak gave Icepaw a moment to take in what she'd said, though she hoped she hadn't worried the kit with her speech.

[icekit]

Icekit paused and answered slowly,

"Wow, thats pretty cool that leaves fall off to conserve energy."

She changed the subject.

"So hows this for a hunting crouch?"

Icepaw was sticking her tail up so high that its white fur could have been seen from a mile a way. Her blue eyes were wild with excitement as she pathetically tried to impress her mentor.

[Shadow Spirit]

Shadowstreak shook her head, amused and slightly embarassed.

"Not like that little one, watch me..." she told Icepaw and demonstrated a perfect stalking position. She aligned her body parallel to the ground, her tail held low and taut. Her steps were silent and stirred little more than the soil beneath her paws. She aligned her head toward her target, a barn mouse that had wandered out into the open to search for food. She advanced toward it, hoping her apprentice would remain silent.

[icekit]

Icepaw was trying to mimic Shadowstreak when she caught a slight sent on the breeze. She pricked her ears toward her mentor and watched as Shadowstreak carefully stalked in the grass.

Perhaps I should stalk with her just for practice

Icepaw stalked beside her mentor ever so cautiously as she waited for Shadowstreak to pounce.

[Shadow Spirit]

Shadowstreak supressed the laugh that came to her lips when she saw Icepaw wiggling around, trying to get into the right stance. Creeping up to just inches from the mouse, she leapt and came down upon it. Being a merciful cat, she broke its neck with her bite, saving it the agony of a slow death.

[sapho]

Icepaw watched as Shadowstreak killed her prey.

"Cool! I want to do that."

She hopped around excitedly as she anticipated what she would learn in later trainings.

"Could I catch one today to bring back for Lilystar?" she asked, "Please?!?"

[Shadow Spirit]

Shadowstreak set the still-warm morsel down and covered it with earth.

"Of course you can!" she exclaimed, proud that her apprentice was already thinking of pleasing her leader. "She's sure to be hungry and a warrior's duty is to bring back as much fresh kill as possible, to keep the clan fed!" She set out again, creeping further into the forest. "Its your turn now, keep quiet and try to scent some prey..."

[Doubleheart]

[ if i should die within this hour ]

ooc :: hope im not interuppting too terribly (: need to get back into roleplaying here.

Double hadn't ever really been particularly bothered by this thing called "loneliness" in his time, being quite a strong and silent tom - but lately, the lack of company was beginning to get to him something terrible. The wise creature would often be found talking to himself, usually of things of little or no importance, his ramblings making little sense to anyone, not even himself. He'd taken to a hobby of batting leaves about like a kittypet and it's toy, but only when he was sure to be unseen; when in view of others, he was a silent spectre, gazing over the situation before him with those oddly mismatched eyes. The handsome warrior was deprived of conversation and of company, and he was beginning to feel distinctly unused and out of place.

Double - or Doubleheart, as MistClan knew him - was the sort of cat that needed to be wanted, and wanted to be needed. His kithood had allowed for no mistakes and led him down the straight and narrow path of the warriors; he had been born and raised for nothing but. But here, in this Clan of wise speakers and neat thinkers, his skill had been left rotting under the pieces of wood and rock he now enjoyed flipping over randomly.

It was easy to say, indeed, that the tom was not himself lately.

Four paws reached the ground gracefully, as Double returned from a rather exciting escapade up a nearby tree, a plain brown feathered bird held tightly in his jaws as he began to saunter proudly across the field, wondering wether he should take the kill back to camp or not. His white tail was held high behind him, like some sort of white flag so that others could find him, should he get lost (well, you never really knew when you might lose your way, he reasoned); and for a moment he closed his eyes as he walked and began to bop ever so slightly, as if dancing, his legs kicking out as he went.

Needless to say, the odd tom failed to notice the two other cats in the area - a fellow warrior of his (but no doubt that she wouldn't recognise him) and her young apprentice, and so he upheld his odd little jive across the grasses, held held high with the bird in tow.

[ i have lived to die when i desire ]

[Shadow Spirit]

Shadowstreak stopped her stalking when she detected a new scent in the air. She lifted her head from its crouched position and looked around the surrounding area. She recongized the cat that was unceremoniously padding through their hunting lesson.

"Doubleheart, we'd wondered where you went!" she called to him.

[Doubleheart]

[ if i should die within this hour ]

There was a voice that suddenly called his name, and poor Double stopped dead, opening his eyes once more and dropping the bird in surprise. Was he hearing things, or did somebody remember his name?

Naturally, as soon as he turned his head (and dropped his paw to the ground, so he was seen in his typically proud and well gathered stance) he spotted the two, and imediately felt more than a little bit silly, having not only interuppted their lesson, but done it in the most ridiculous way possible. He had danced into it.

Coughing slightly, Double's eyes dropped the ground to confirm the presence of his catch, before looking over to the cat who had called him, blinking at her through blue and golden blurrs. He was sure that he had seen her before, perhaps even shared a few words with her - hadn't she been at the Gathering with himself, Lillystar, and a few selected others? Like Trillium, his thoughts mulled vaguely, remembering the she-cat he had very nearly signed a friendship with.

But off he went, his thought train wandering - he must attend to the matter at paw, and as he watched the cat silently for a moment, her name sprang into his head with a force he had not thought possible of a mere thought. "Hallo, Shadowstreak!" He called cheerfully, as if to illustrate his "good memory", before continuing. "I had gone for a small exporation, but I had not meant to have been gone so long. I think that rather long Gathering fried my sense of time." The tom smiled, and placed a paw behind his kill, batting it towads the two. "Looks like we've all been hunting!"

[ i have lived to die when i desire ]

[sapho]

Icepaw started to sniff but poked her white head out of the tall brown grass when she heard Dubleheart.

"Hi Dubleheart! I'm going to catch my first insignificant little critter today, A.K.A. prey. I'm really really excited if you didn't notice." She paused to take a breath, "I'm going to bring back a big fat juicy something for Lilystar tonight I don't know what yet though."

Icepaw continued bouncing around in the leaves obviously having a ball.

[Shadow Spirit]

Shadowstreak nodded in acknowledgment of the other warrior's catchand smiled at her exuberant apprentice. She was surprised that Double hadn't noticed them sooner, but she had to admit that her own brain was a little frazzled after the Gathering as well.

"Poor Lillystar had to deal with 6 newcomers just as soon as we got back!" Shadowstreak told the tom, pity clear in her voice. "Those two little troublemakers: Giddy and Droplet, two apparent sisters of Bristlekit, a she-cat called Andromeda and a little one named Ringkit that I spotted asleep outside the entrance..." Shadowstreak had said a mouthful and paused to draw a breath. "Would you like to accompany us?" she asked Double. "We could use some extra paws as we have so many mouths to feed now!"

[Doubleheart]

[ if i should die within this hour ]

Double grinned brightly at the excited Apprentice, and watched her bounce around for a moment before speaking kindly; "Oh, I am sure you will make the most fantastic of catches, little one!" The tom stifled a laugh as he shook his head lightly in mirth and amusement.

Looking back at Shadowstreak, the tip of his tail quivering and twitching as he stood still, Double listened to the other Warrior in surprise. "Six!" He yowled in reply. "Thats a mighty fine number!" Six necwomers! Why it was enough to go down in history, particularly after the last 'extended' Gathering. His expression changed slightly when the young Giddykit was mentioned; Double had been present when the kit had first arrived without warning, and since then, he had not liked the look of the youngster. It was not pleasing news to hear that the kit would now be becoming an Apprentice, and there was a small chance that Double may end up having to mentor him.

But, those foods for thought were best left alone for the time being, and Double simled again as he was invited to join the two, and his chest swelled with pride. He would not interrupt the lesson, but he was happy to help hunt for the newly enlarged Clan. "It would be my pleasure," the handsome tom beamed. "Shall I take a stroll and see what I can find?"

[ i have lived to die when i desire ]

[Shadow Spirit]

Shadowstreak smiled in gratitude.

"Yes, that'd be very helpful, so I can get my apprentice back on track..." she said, sliding her gaze to the playful Icepaw. "Come Icepaw, there's much to still do!" With that she flicked her tail in farewell to Double and led her apprentice off into the undergrowth.

[icekit]

Icepaw flicked her tail and dipped her head to Dubleheart as she scamped after Shadowstreak.

"I smell something."she mewed softly "It smells like that mouse you caught! Oh I want to catch it! can you show me how?"

Icepaw tried to step very softly as she followed her mentor deeper into the undergrowth waiting for reply.

[Shadow Spirit]

Shadowstreak watched her apprentice's movements.

"That's pretty good, but keep your rear down and make your pawsteps as silent as possible...you can't let the prey or an enemy know you're there..." she said quietly to Icepaw. "If you do...you could lose your catch...or your life..."

[icekit]

Icepaw could feel her ear hair vibrate as the mouse's tiny heart beat. She listened to Shadowstreak's instructions and stopped waving her tail in the air. Creeping closer she bunched her haunches and prepared to catch her first prey. Icepaw leaped and killed swiftly.

"I caught it!" Icepaw exclaimed "I really caught it!"

The apprentices eyes glowed with amazement and pride.

[Shadow Spirit]

Shadowstreak looked up to see her apprentice. She was very happy to see that she'd made her first catch so well.

"Very good Icepaw!" she exclaimed. "Now cover that with earth and let's catch some more, two mice will not feed many cats!" Then she padded off again, creeping into the tallest part of the grass and hoping she could come upon a bird or a squirrel.

[icekit]

Icepaw kicked up dirt to cover her prey. As she turned to follow Shadowstreak a white flake caught her eye as it floated to the ground.

"It's... it's...." she paused puzzled "What is it?"