Grrrr.... (Open)

[Naruto]

Grah! That stupid pigeon! Anger radiated from Hollypaw's pelt as she gingerly licked her paw, which was throbbing steadily. The pain had subsided, but it was an unpleasant sensation. She growled, her tail-tip twitching. That stupid bird had pecked her paw! Since when did pigeons fight back!? Now she was going to have to think of an excuse for Thrushflame. She sighed. It was a nice fat one too...

It was getting harder to find prey. The canyon was flooded. Not even the largest boulders were visible above the water anymore. Most of the available prey had either drowned or starved to death. The best she'd managed to find was a scrawny vole. And that had almost been taken away by a hawk! She stared over at the fresh-kill pile. Not much to choose from... Only a rabbit, a couple of thrushes and other small birds, and her vole. The Clan was going to starve!

Hollypaw dug her claws into the rock. If Thrushflame would teach me, then I wouldn't be such a lousy hunter! she thought darkly, cleaning the sheaths of her claws absently.

[Member]

"Something troubling you?" Littlestar, who had padded up silently to her, asked with a tilt of his head. She seemed angered as she stared at the fresh-kill, he was afraid she was going to rip it all to shreds. He didn't know how he could help, if she wanted him to. He could only add his small assurance.

OOC: Pushing. Past. Chore.

[Naruto]

Hollypaw looked up at Littlestar, surprised. "Oh, Littlestar!" she mewed, kind of shocked. Had she been making such a big deal out of one missed catch that her leader had noticed? Well, then again... Her eyes roamed over the empty clearing. She had chosen quite a time to fuss over a pigeon. "Er, I missed a pigeon." she meowed quickly.

[Member]

"A pigeon?" Littlestar chuckled and smiled. All of this over a little pigeon? "Hollypaw, it's just a pigeon, don't worry about it, it's fine. There's more prey to be caught!" Yes, there was! They just had to search for it.... A lot. If anyone was going to get mad over missing a pigeon it should be him, but... how many pigeons had he seen since the start of the moon? Not many, not many at all. But ah, he would make up for it, no?

[Naruto]

Hollypaw lowered her head, feeling ashamed. "But it would have fed all of the elders!" she protested, avoiding his gaze. She didn't want to tell him about her mentor. He was the leader. He had enough on his paws. What with the starving Clan and all. He didn't need to hear that he'd chosen a bad mentor for her.

[Member]

"And the seed feeds all the mice, but when the mice lose a piece they don't fret. Instead they look for more! And this is good for us! Because if a mouse strays..." We catch it! He finished in his mind. "The elders can eat this food as well!" He didn't think they were that particular.

[Naruto]

The black she-cat looked up, eyes shining. It's no use to argue with him... "A-Alright. I'll try harder!" she promised, still not meeting his gaze.

OOC:MUSE GONE FOR HOLLY!

[Member]

Littlestar grinned. He didn't think he did much, but maybe he did. "Now, get some food for yourself and follow me." He flicked his tail and walked towards the large boulder that he gave his speeches on. He bounded to the top and looked down at Hollypaw, waiting for her to come on. He laid down on what would be the perfect sunning spot, had not been for the fact that the camp was in a cave.

[Naruto]

Hollypaw stared after her leader for a moment before realizing that he still spoke to her. "OK!" She went over to the fresh-kill pile and chose her scrawny vole, trotting up to the boulder and looking up from the bottom. She bunched her muscles and leaped, scrabbling her way up beside her leader.

[Member]

"Lay down," he mewed, tapping the stone surface with his tail."Isn't this a great view?" He asked her, some excitement filling his voice. "I still feel like an apprentice who's breaking a rule everytime a walk up here." Touching Earth he wasn't allowed to touch. It was so amazing. It was splendor. He felt greedy, keeping it to himself. But... wasn't it what he was supposed to do?

[Naruto]

She followed her leader's gaze, eyes wide. She was surprised that she had never noticed how grand the camp looked. Maybe because she'd always spent time so near the muddy soil? Hollypaw smiled, still looking out across the camp. "Wow!" she breathed. She'd always taken it for granted. Mainly because, ever since she'd been apprenticed, it'd been raining. She had never experienced the beauty of the camp and the forest first-hand, instead dreading each day she'd have to slosh through the mud just to enter the forest.

[Member]

It was great. A beautiful view. Even in the worst storms, it showed him that life was still going on. Cats were still leaving, and cats were still coming back. It reassured him. He wasn't completely failing. "So, let me ask you," he started, "how is your training going?"

[Naruto]

Oh no.... She should have known this would happen. Should have known he'd ask eventually. "Well, er," she started awkwardly, crossing her paws and twitching her ears. She couldn't say it wasn't going well, could she? Her mentor seemed to hate her, but if she told the leader he was a horrible mentor, then he'd hate her more. But she couldn't lie and say it was going good either.

Hollypaw blinked. "To tell the truth," she began. "I haven't been in one training session. I don't think Thrushflame has the time to train me. He's always out hunting for he Clan. And I don't want to bother him by asking to train. Plus, I think my skills are good enough for now, anyway. Lilacpaw's been helping me train." There. It took a moment of stuttering to get it exactly right, but she'd told as much of the truth as she'd desired to tell without making Thrushflame out as a bad cat.

Plus, she might get Lilacpaw, her best friend next to Houndpaw in the Clan, promoted to a warrior. StarClan knew she deserved it.

[Member]

Littlestar was silent for a moment. So.. Thrushflame was not training her, but Lilacpaw was. He really thought Hollypaw was doing well, too. She always had some good prey with her. This was problem, and he could tell she was worried to tell him anyways. This was an easy fix, he thought.

"Well, let's try this. How about you try asking him for a training session, and if he says no you tell me. Okay? If he doesn't than I'll see about you training with me and Crowpaw, and Lilacpaw could help too if Crypticspark allows her to." Crypticspark.

[Naruto]

"O-Okay." Really? The leader is going to train me? Hollypaw hid her excitement with a cool mew. "Thanks, Littlestar." Realy, she was surprised. Normally some warrior would have shooed her away by now, irritated that she was confiding her problems with them.

[Member]

"But only if he says no, remember that." Littlestar waved his tail in a fun little circle. Now... what was he going to do with Thrushflame if he said no? A mentor had to train their apprentice, if they didn't, there would be no need. And no need for a bond. He didn't think it was very strong with those two. He had to think the issue over. He needed something reasonable, btu not too light.

[Naruto]

Hollypaw dipped her head. "I know," she purred, slight amusement in her voice. Did the leader seriously think she'd forget that minor fact? Then she noticed the vole. Still sitting there, drenched in rain. "Er?"

[Member]

"Aren't you going to eat that?" Littlestar asked her, coming out of his thoughts. If she wasn't, he would. You can't have prey go to waste, even if it was all boney like that one. Food was food, you don't waste it.

[Naruto]

"Um, you can have it. I have to go track down that pigeon." Hollypaw smiled and waved her tail. The leader wasn't all that bad of a cat! Littlestar was nice and friendly. Unlike the cat she'd thought he'd be. It was rare to see him around camp.

[Member]

Littlestar looked at the pigeon. He wasn't that hungry. "I'll eat it later," he decided after thinking it over. The day was nice, even with the rain, but they were dry inside, unless they had just recently gone out. It's why he loved this cave more than the other camps. It was more sheltered. Instead of having muddy ground, they were given the small and cool breeze of the outside rain.

[Riber~]

ooc- I feel like I should post here... xD

[Member]

OOC: Then post! XD

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