Some people are too lazy to come up with titles...

[.* Hidden *.]

((...Like me. =P))

The green leaves shimmered in the early morning sun. The previous nights, in one of the last frosts of the season, they had been coated in a thin layer of sparkling water crystals. The first rays of sunlight had transformed the Orange Grove into a beautiful shimmering forest. The light breeze which gently rattled the leaves had only made it even more beautiful, but the sun had quickly melted the ice into water. Every now and then a thick drop of water would fall to the ground and land with a barely audible thud.

The creatures of the forest were just awakening, making small rustling sounds in the grass as they went about their business. One, however, padded along silently, her eyes narrowed against the reflected light. For the most part she relied on her smell and hearing to detect prey, and she hoped that whatever she was going to stalk was doing the same; her pelt seemed to be especially light-reflective. She had always assumed that she had inherited it from her grandmother, Nightlight, who had also been a silver tabby. Whenever she stood in direct moonlight, her pelt had lit up like a beacon; her mother Violetlight had described it as beautiful but impractical, as it alerted both cats and prey of her location. Silverpaw's pelt didn't glow the way that Nightlight's had, but it was still enough to give her away to attentive prey.

The apprentice paused and tilted her head to one side, listening. She flinched and scowled as a big drop of water landed in her ear. Shaking her head to clear it, she continued walking. It didn't take long for her to find a rabbit grazing hear a bush. Silverpaw dropped down into a crouch and crept forward silently, the wet grass soaking her belly fur. She bit her tongue to keep herself from shivering.

The breeze picked up again. Silverpaw froze, realizing that she was upwind of the rabbit. The fluffy creature's nose twitched, then it bounded off in the direction opposite to her. She hissed frustratedly under her breath, knowing it was useless to try to chase after it. When it came to chasing prey she was certainly fast enough, as were all WillowClan cats, but she wasn't the most stealthy.

The apprentice sighed and flopped down onto her side. Right into a puddle of mud. She yipped and scrambled to her paws, getting herself even more muddy in the process. Wonderful, she thought sarcastically. She padded a ways away and checked the ground carefully before sitting down to wash herself. Yuck. She made a face. Maybe it would be better to go for a swim instead of trying to lick it off.

The wind shifted slightly, and a new scent reached her. "Oh no," she groaned softly. How was she supposed to impress her mentor when he left her alone for one day only to find her covered in mud just after sunrise?

['.'.' Leafstorm'.'.']

Unbeknownst to his apprentice, Fadingsteps had seen her entire hunting display. He chuckled to himself as she layed down, and quickly stood up again, part of her silver coat now mysteriously brown. Shaking his head when she sat down, taking on the task of cleaning herself. He finally made his presence known as she moved upwind of him.

I didn't know mud bathes were in season so soon. He said, approaching her with a smile on his face. No, he wasn't mad at his apprentice, he knew more than a few puddles he himself had been ensnared in as an apprentice. So that's a no on the rabbit, huh? He asked, a twinkle in his eye. Somehow, even though she'd let the prey go, he didn't feel the annoyance that might have casuse on another day. But today, he felt relaxed. He wasn't too clear on the reasons for his attitude, but it felt good.

So, you gonna sit there all day with that disgusted look on your face, or do you want to go swimming?

Fadingsteps stepped back from his apprentice, looking at her. She was certainly old enough to become a warrior. Hope Mintleaf will remember. He though sadly as he blinked in the early morning light. His leader was known for her forgetful mind he knew, and more and more she had seemed off balance to him. Not that she was that steady when she was Chosen. Not that he'd ever dream of taking the clan by force. He was true to the code, and knew his duty as Deputy was to assist and make his leader look as strong as possible in the eyes of others.

ooc//Well, that is one sucky post. And shorter than most. Ah well. It'll do, right? I don't even know if there's a stream around here. ^.^

[.* Hidden *.]

"I didn't know mud bathes were in season so soon."

Groaning inwardly, Silverpaw turned to face her mentor. She had known it was too much to hope that he hadn't noticed her. The apprentice gave a small shrug; by that point there was no way she could regain her dignity aside from pretending she wasn't embarrassed. Luckily Silverpaw had always been good at hiding her feelings, and unlike many apprentices, she was able to hold Fadingsteps' gaze evenly. "Well, I guess for once you're learning something from me," she said pertly. "Usually this whole teaching thing is very one-sided."

"So that's a no on the rabbit, huh?"

The gray she-cat eyed her mentor, carefully gauging his mood. Silverpaw knew from experience that he got irritated when she didn't even try to catch a piece of prey, but that time he seemed to be taking it fairly well. "I figured it would be easier to just find something else, considering it's Newleaf and all," she realized that it sounded like she was just being lazy, and added quickly, "I mean, tromping through bushes chasing a rabbit is kinda loud, so I thought it would be better to go for something that I could catch without making so much noise." If she'd had fingers, they would have been crossed. She looked at her mentor in a humble sort of way, as though asking whether she had done the right thing.

"So, you gonna sit there all day with that disgusted look on your face, or do you want to go swimming?"

"Hmm... well," she pretended to pause and consider her options. "Sitting is here quite lovely, but I think I'd rather swim." Silverpaw stood, paused for a moment to glance at her mentor challengingly, then shot off in the direction of the eastern stream. There were two rivers that ran through the Orange Grove; one was on the east and the other was on the west. They weren't far from the western stream, but the eastern stream was deeper and had clearer water. Going there meant that they would have to cross the entire Orange Grove; Silverpaw both wanted to see how fast her mentor could run, and show him how fast she could go. Maybe he'll consider recommending me as a warrior to Mintleaf, she thought hopefully, then silently chastised herself. He'll make me a warrior when he thinks I'm ready.

((I just made up the rivers. Maybe I'll add them to the description of the sub-board when I get around to writing it. If I ever do..))

[J A D E phobia(:]

ooc - is there going to be silver x faded? =D that would be adorable.

[.* Hidden *.]

((I wasn't planning anything... That thought honestly hadn't ever crossed my mind. =P))

['.'.' Leafstorm'.'.']

ooc// Me neither...But now that it has been brought up.... hm.... =P

'I figured it would be easier to just find something else, considering it's Newleaf and all.'

He heard the words, and nodded. You're probably right- Then stopped again as she clarified, smiling.

Fadingsteps just looked at his apprentice then decided to let the prey issue drop. There was already plenty of time to work on strict training, and it looked like Silverpaw could use a bit of fun. So when she started challengingly towards the eastern river, he shook his head and followed, stretching out to a comfortable pace as he matched strides with her. She keeps up well. He noted in the back of his mind, also reminding himself to talk to Mintleaf after they got back.

Speeding up now, enjoying the race, he playfully tapped her on the nose with his tail as he went past, wanting to see for himself the extent of her running abilities. The smell of the orange blossoms filled the wind that ran past his nostrils, adding to the Newleaf feel of the day. It's nice to be able to run. He thought, taking a deep refreshing breath as he once again picked up the pace, now running flat out, streaking through the orange grove on his way to the cool water he could hear rushing down the terrain.

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[.* Hidden *.]

Silverpaw glanced over her shoulder, then grudgingly fell into step beside her mentor. Can we run already? she asked silently. At that moment Fadingsteps sprinted past her. Grinning, Silverpaw increased her pace. Below her, the ground whizzed by. It had been awhile since she had had a good run, and it felt nice to stretch her legs. She squinted against the air which buffeted her face and noticed that the mud on her side was beginning to dry. That'll be annoying to get off of me, she thought, then remembered where they were going.

Swimming, she purred mentally. It had also been awhile since she had gotten herself thoroughly soaked. Since Newleaf had finally arrived, it seemed like the perfect time. Silverpaw, like so many other Clan cats, had grown up as a loner. Her family had chosen to settle near the Twisting River in the old OceanClan territory. Silverpaw looked back on those days fondly, swimming in the river and playing with her siblings or bugging Eclipse.

Eclipse, she thought darkly, a stab of pity and apprehension filling her belly. The once-kind she-cat was clearly mad. It was true that she had killed Silverpaw's brother, but she had also tried to kill her and Fadingsteps. The memory of Icefire sent a tingle down her spine. Her brother had tortured and killed both of their parents, and probably would have done the same to Silverpaw and her sister.

Pushing those thoughts away, the she-cat focused on what she was doing and realized that Fadingsteps was a fair distance ahead of her. Putting on a burst of speed, she started to gain on him and had almost caught up when they reached the river. Part of the bank was a large flat rock that went out over the river. Silverpaw knew that beyond it was deep water and a fairly strong current, although neither had ever given her any trouble. She grinned mischievously as an idea occurred to her. Without pausing to consult her better judgement, she bowled into her mentor, hoping to send them both tumbling into the water.

['.'.' Leafstorm'.'.']

Fadingsteps looked behind him, chuckling as Silverpaw sped up to catch up with him. He could hear the water rushing past, getting closer with every stride he took. I'm gonna win this. He thought, a smile coming to his face. Now he could see the thin line of the river, approaching his sight line. As he got closer, he slowed, confidant he could get there before his apprentice. But she can definitely run, I'll give her that. He stopped at the river's edge on a large rock that reached past the bank looking into the water, and looked back at his streaking apprentice, expecting her to stop. And probably say something about me cheating or something. He grinned, then his eyes widened as she came closer and closer, but she didn't seem to be slowing. Wa- He managed to get out, as Silverpaw bowled into him, sending him into the deep blue current with a yowl.

The cool water crashed over his head and he spun for a second as the world became blue. Rushing filled his ears and his vision was blocked by a cascade of bubbles. When he got his bearings once more, he headed towards the surface, breaking it a moment later with a splash, his legs treading water. Now that he was centered again, he looked around for Silverpaw, determined to get revenge. Hey! He yowled, shaking his head to clear the extra water from his eyes and ears. Stopping, he got an idea. Paddling over to her, he shook his head at her, letting the rest of the water there onto her head, before giving her a friendly swat on the ear. What was that for? He inquired, a tone of mock anger in his voice as she got herself together.

The water, now that he was used to it, was actually quite nice, taking away the heat that he had noticed on the run. Dipping his head once under water, until his head was quite drenched, he shook his head again as his apprentice, a smile coming to his face as he wondered what in the world had encouraged her to do that.

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[.* Hidden *.]

Silverpaw smirked as the two of them tumbled through the air for a split second. The she-cat landed upside down with a jolt, but she immediately bobbed back to the surface. The coldness of the water seeped into her pelt, but somehow she didn't become waterlogged. She looked around for her mentor and, when she didn't immediately see him, a horrible thought occurred to her. Could Fadingsteps swim? Of course he can, she reassured herself, still looking around frantically. He's a warrior, isn't he? All WillowClan warriors can swim, right?

The current at the spot where she had pushed him in was a bit strong; maybe he was still underwater. The apprentice ducked underwater and opened her eyes, but couldn't see anything. She abandoned that idea and surfaced again, only to take a breath that was more water than air. She shook her head, coughing and sputtering, and realized that her mentor was right beside her.

"What was that for?" she echoed his question, pretending to glare at him. Then she paddled more strongly with her front paws and soft of jumped out of the water, making as big of a splash on the way down as she could. "Oops," she said sarcastically. "I am so sorry, I didn't mean to splash you."

((>.> Sucky post...))

['.'.' Leafstorm'.'.']

ooc// Yay Apprentice/Mentor bonding time! It's adorable! And FUN!

Fadingsteps choked as a rush of water fell over him, thoroughly soaking his already wet fur. 'Oh. now you're asking for it!' He told her, his mouth set in grim determination while his eyes sparkled. Flipping over onto his belly, he kicked out in her direction, making water go everywhere. A smug smile adorned his face as he turned and proceeded to go under, gently pulling on one of her legs from beneath. Darting to the surface a little distance away, now safely out of range, he looked towards the sky and realized it was a little past sun-high. Hey! Silverpaw, it's getting a bit late. Wanna start heading back? He knew they would have to get back soon, but he had enjoyed the time they'd spent together. He felt free, being able to have fun and play in the water without having to think about deputy duties and the like. But they had been gone for a while now, and Willowclan was probably wondering where in Starclan's name the two of them were. 'They probably assume we're training. But just look at us, playing in the water like a couple of kits. Well it's nice to relax anyway, every once and awhile. I'll have to remember that I like swimming.' He smiled then, just happy to enjoy the still peacefulness of the day.

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[.* Hidden *.]

Silverpaw squealed and held her breath as water washed over her. A gentle pull tugged at her paw, dragging her underwater. Silverpaw didn't mind; she grinned at her mentor while they were both underwater, then surfaced just in time to heard Fadingsteps say it was time to go. That was fun, she thought, taking a deep breath as quietly as she could before diving underwater again. The apprentice opened her eyes and saw the tom's paws churning the water. She was careful to go deep enough to clear him completely before making her way to the other side of the river, still underwater. She let herself drift a bit downstream, then surfaced, taking a welcome breath of air. Doing that sort of thing had been much easier when she'd lived next to a river; she was a bit out of shape when it came to swimming. I'll have to come back here more often, she thought. I want to be able to swim well.

The she-cat left the water as silently as possible and padded back upstream to where Fadingsteps was. She sat down and curled her tail over her paws. "Well, what are you waiting for?" she called, trying to look as though she had been waiting for him for quite some time, although the pretense was slightly undermined by the fact that she was still soaking wet.

['.'.' Leafstorm'.'.']

ooc//yay! Finally!

Fadingsteps smiled as he watched his apprentice glide under the water, coming up a little downstream. She's like a fish, that one. A grin surfaced on his mouth as Silverpaw padded towards him, now above him and out of the water. Swimming to the bank himself, he stepped from the water, giving his pelt a good shake. His fur now damp and fluffy, he ran up to Silverpaw, batting her upside the head gently. C'mon then. If your so impatient all of a sudden. He laughed then, and with a burst of energy, hauled himself up the nearest orange tree, spring-boarding off the other side and racing ahead. Ahah! Let's see her beat that one! He thought, the wind combing through his now damply raised pelt as he sprinted off towards their camp.

ooc//URGH! So shoooort. I am starting to fail at posts again. woo. And yes, I've actually seen my cat do that exact thing...off a wall. He's crazy.

[.* Hidden *.]

((Don't worry, this will be even shorter.))

Silverpaw laughed as her mentor literally bounced off the side of a tree. He sure is kit-like for a Clan deputy, she thought, shaking her head and grinning as she ran after him.

TO: The Meeting Place

((Beautiful, huh?))

['.'.' Leafstorm'.'.']

ooc// Haha. Very.

TO-same