Goldenclaw stretched in the early morning sunlight to loosen his muscles before the hunt. It was a lovely day for it, the sky was clear and the birds were already making their calls as they surfed across the ocean beside the camp. But today, Ashstar had decided to go out with a hunting patrol… and Goldenclaw was on it. If it weren’t for the illness he had, he wouldn’t find this quite so daunting. A cough started to rise in his throat and he swallowed against it, doing his best not to throw up any blood. He managed this time, but he knew as time went on it would get worse.
Most of the other cats in WaveClan were still asleep, as it was only dawn and the seagulls had literally just come out to start their own hunting. So for now it was just Ashstar and Goldenclaw trekking out to the River Pool, where they’d be searching for prey. Few comments were made on the way, and when they arrived Goldenclaw took up a post beside the river with his paw raised, ready to lash out with his claws and catch a fish the second he saw one.
While he was waiting for a fish to pass by, he glanced at Ashstar out of the corner of his eye and meowed, “I’ve been thinking about something lately, Ashstar. As much as I love being a warrior, I feel like I could do much more for this Clan if I became a medicine cat. We don’t have a medicine cat apprentice right now… so I was wondering if, maybe, you’d allow me to start training under (Medicine Cat)? I know it’s a bit strange for me to ask, but… I really would like to try to heal the Clan when they need it.”
To say Ashstar was excited to be an understatement. It had been much too long since she had last stepped foot out of camp with such freedom. Just for the day, she had delegating most of her duties to her deputy, allowing her to lead a hunting patrol out to the river for some well-earned time away from her responsibilities to the clan. For a few hours today, she could be a normal warrior again, and the very thought caused a faint smile to spread across her lips.
Meeting the rest of her patrol at the camp entrance, she padded along silently besides Goldenclaw, one of her clan's best warriors. His calm temperament and impressive fighting skills had no gone unnoticed by his clan mates, and there were the occasional whisper about him becoming deputy in the future. Of course, while Ashstar had considered the possibility, she had ultimately decided that it would be a decision for Goldenclaw himself if it ever came down to it.
Reaching the edge of the river, Ashstar scanned the terrain for a good place to settle in and start fishing. Finding the perfect perch, she trotted over and sat there, lying in wait as Goldenclaw situated himself next to her. Staring down at the water intently, Ashstar watched and waited for the telltale sparkle of fish scales underwater when Goldenclaw began to speak. “I’ve been thinking about something lately, Ashstar. As much as I love being a warrior, I feel like I could do much more for this Clan if I became a medicine cat. We don’t have a medicine cat apprentice right now… so I was wondering if, maybe, you’d allow me to start training under (Medicine Cat)? I know it’s a bit strange for me to ask, but… I really would like to try to heal the Clan when they need it.”
Startled, Ashstar glanced away from the river and narrowed her eyes at Goldenclaw's request. Here he was, a healthy young tom of twenty-two moons, right in his prime, asking to step down from his warrior status and become a medicine cat apprentice. It was unconceivable! Moreover, while she'd like to entertain his query if he honestly meant it, with the bad blood between Waveclan and Leafclan, she'd prefer it if her clan's manpower was at its greatest. This was no time for one of the best warriors in the clan to give up his post!
Forgetting entirely about fishing for the time being, Ashstar turned to face Goldenclaw, eyes appraising as she met his gaze intently. "What brought this on, Goldenclaw?" She asked, voice leaving no room for anything but a truthful answer, yet gentle enough to convey that she was no upset with him. "You're a good warrior. The entire clan thinks so. Why would you want to become a medicine cat apprentice now, when you've never expressed interest in this area before?"
The air was thick with moisture as Rabbitpaw's jaws parted in a dramatic yawn. The young Tom shook himself in an attempt to wake up. With his Warrior ceramony only two moons away he knew it was best to stay prepared and eager to work. The scents of the ocean were always comforting, and nothing seemed to work better to lull him. Giving himself a moment to stretch out before standing, the older apprentice pulled himself free of his slightly damp nest and stepped into the morning light. Salty waves splashed rythmatically against the shore of camp and Rabbitpaw smiled. His favorite thing was always the first thing he got to see every day. It was paradise. Despite the looming threat of war, Rabbitpaw usually held an unbreakable cheerful demeanor. He had never really experienced war on a large scale, but he had heard about what had transpired between LeafClan and WaveClan. Terrible business it was, the slaughter of Leaders. Ferretstar had lost his life fighting against WaveClan. The young tom's fur puffed up proudly. He was never one to be happy to see another cat die, but if it meant protecting his own it was different. WaveClan had enough to deal with already; with DarkClan's food shortage they had been overstepping their boundaries into WaveClan territory again. Ashstar had taken every procaution to step up patrols on both borders. Speaking of Ashstar, the young tom's eyes drifted over to his Leader and Goldenclaw as they began to head out. Rabbitpaw felt an undeniable urge to run after them, but reconsidered. They may be talking privately. Instead he meowed a greeting at the two powerful cats with a respectful head dip. "Good morning, Ashstar. You too, Goldenclaw. I hope the prey is plentiful today."
RABBITPAW Played by: Twi Words:304 || Dialog || Tagged: GoldenclawAshstar
Last Edit: Aug 22, 2016 6:56:38 GMT -7 by Rabbitpaw
WaveClan
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A wolf in sheep's clothing is more than a warning...
Goldenclaw tried to remain in position to catch a fish, but the stare of his leader made him lower his paw and sigh, turning towards her. This was a tough conversation for him to have. Up until now, he had only told their medicine cat about his illness. Now he would have to tell Ashstar, too, even though he wished desperately this meeting had never come to pass. Shifting uneasily under her gaze, he cast his eyes down to consider his next words when another voice joined them.
It was Rabbitpaw, the tabby and white apprentice. He thought perhaps this might be a good way to get out of telling Ashstar about his illness, but the idea left a bad taste in the back of his throat. Goldenclaw couldn’t keep hiding this. But was Rabbitpaw trustworthy enough to tell? It was true that the apprentice was wildly curious, and that he would probably come over to join in one the conversation if given positive feedback. He struggled a moment, trying to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided to leave the decision up to his Clan leader, because she would know best whether or not sensitive topics could be spoken of in front of Rabbitpaw.
“Good morning, Rabbitpaw. We’ve just started, but hopefully it will be! Give us one second, okay?” he called back, his head swiveling to look at Ashstar with a startled expression plastered on his face.
“Can Rabbitpaw be trusted with delicate situations? Because that’s what this is, and I don’t want to turn him away when he’s just arrived,” he explained quickly under his breath, making sure only Ashstar would be able to hear him. This was truly turning out to be a rough day already. Explaining why he wanted to become a medicine cat apprentice would not be an easy thing to get off his chest.