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Post by Nyxie on Feb 6, 2019 6:07:05 GMT
Shadow Apprentice of Lakeclan
It was a dilemma, really, and a hard one to solve. She didn’t want to leave the camp alone - honestly, she wasn’t really supposed to do so - however, she also didn’t want company. Or to be in camp. Well, she didn’t really know what she wanted. Except from her littermate. They were the only one she was ever close to. If they could just always be together, she would be content. But her sibling was out training right now, and she was all alone. And so, the small black and gold vixen crouched next to a bush near the lakeshore, huddled small and insignificant as she watched the goings on of camp with wary eyes and listened with swivelling ears. Sometimes a friendly or piteous glance would be cast her way, yet those instances had grown less and less the longer she’d been doing this. She’d gotten a little more confident now, though. She had a little burrow that only she or maybe her sibling would go in - everyone else respected it was hers, one that a concerned queen had requested be dug for her near the apprentice den. She was too scared to sleep with the other apprentices, but the clan didn’t want her out in the open, unprotected. It used to be that she would spend most of her time hiding there, or cowering nervously by her sibling’s side. Eventually she’d ventured out and taken to laying near the entrance, and had been growing closer and closer to the main camp ever since. The only time she really ventured further though was on very cold nights, or when she had to venture to get her own food. Like right now. With her ears partially back, and her head and tail low, the apprentice rose and slunk her way across the camp, weaving amongst foxes that danced around her and politely gave her space, before snatching up a mouse. Only to be blocked on her way back. Realising she couldn’t get anywhere, the little vixen froze and rose her head to stare uncertainly up at the roadblock. Only to flinch at the angry voices of the foxes blocking her path. They were arguing. What if they fought! What if they hurt each other? Or her? With a frightened squeak as one of them raised their voice particularly loud, the young vixen abruptly dropped her mouse, shot between their legs like a startled hare, and plunged into her little burrow, ears pressed flat back as she huddled in the den section of the hole with her eyes screwed tight. It was stupid, she knew....yet she couldn’t help it! Tag: Rosa
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Post by Rosa on Feb 6, 2019 6:35:48 GMT
WC: 462
Shadow's so adorable oh my gosh | It seemed there was never any shortage of activity in the camp, no matter how cold the weather got. Though it had been early when she left for patrol, Willow had heard the quiet squeaks of kits and the soft murmurings of their mothers. At the other end of the camp had been a few other warriors and their apprentices, stretching out stiff limbs before getting their day started. It was no different when she had returned, settling heavily onto the ground to share a shrew with a clanmate and rest her aching paws. There she still was, not too long after, surveying the clearing with bright and interested eyes. After all, she had done her work; she'd managed to bring back a couple of fish despite the freezing temperatures. So she was taking a well-deserved rest, though perhaps she'd have to go out again if the demand for food required it. Hmph. Sighing, she glanced at the pile with a slight frown. How many were there? An elder here, a warrior there and-
Ah. Perking her ears, she tilted her head in curiosity as one of the youngest of the clan, a small apprentice Willow herself had yet to speak with, darted out. Though they had not spoken the older vixen had seen her. Or, at least, heard of her. It seemed that so far the little one seemed...hesitant to trust any of them. Something only made clearer as a sudden loud noise seemed to almost startle Shadow out of her skin and force her to abandon her lunch for what had to be safety.
At that moment the warrior made up her mind and, excusing herself from her clanmate, trotted towards the abandoned mouse. This apprentice obviously needed help and she could do so. "Sorry, that's mine," She called to an opportunistic warrior who had sniffed the food. "I already patrolled. You haven't." Not bothering to listen to the complaint she received in return, she simply scooped up the mouse and headed for the den. If they had an issue, the could take it up with their leaders.
She had bigger problems. Slowing as she approached the den, the warrior hesitated. How could this best be handled? It was a small spot, definitely, and obviously built for privacy. The apprentice didn't know her. She certainly didn't trust her. She wouldn't take too kindly to a full-grown fox face invading her space.
After a moment of indecision, Willow carefully placed the mouse as close to the den mouth as she dared and used a paw to push it in slowly, just enough so the skittish apprentice could see it. Hopefully she wouldn't get a smack on the paw for her trouble.
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Post by Nyxie on Feb 6, 2019 7:13:35 GMT
Shadow Apprentice of Lakeclan
A the sound of approaching pawsteps, Shadow blinked open wide her golden eyes, but she couldn’t see anything just yet. Soon, though a shadow fell over the little den, and Shadow shrunk further into herself. A scent flooded into the den, washing over her, but it wasn’t too familiar. She could recognise it, for she spent much time simply observing, noting the goings on of camp and all the scents and faces. Alongside the scent, was the scent of mouse, and she sniffed at the scent hopefully, ears twitching warily forward. Rather than what she expected, a head did not intrude her space with the mouse in jaw. Instead, the mouse seemingly entered the den on its own, swiftly followed by a paw that nudged it a little further. Shadow kept herself pressed firm against the rare wall of the den, until the paw moved away. Then, she waited a moment before slinking toward the mouse. At first, she gave it a careful sniff, before pausing as she caught the scent on it.... her scent. Had someone come and brought her mouse to her? Despite her wariness, she knew it was polite to thank her clanmate for going out of their way and being so kind. So, cautiously, she crept forward she she lay in the entrance, visible, but ready to duck back inside at a moments notice. Crouching close in on herself, she lay the mouse at her paws and rose her head high enough from the mouse to give the warrior a wide-eyed, grateful blink. Still, she didn’t say a word. She never did. ‘Willow, Willow, Willow...’ the same word echoed through the little vixen’s mind as she stared at the dark pelted fox. That was her name, wasn’t it? She couldn’t remember the full of it, but she was sure it shortened to Willow. Even now, Shadow didn’t get the whole long name thing, and they were so difficult to remember! Maybe that was why they kept the names of her and her sibling so short and simple. Or maybe it was to honour what their mother had named them in her dying breaths. The thought made her shudder, the only break from the tension within every single muscle where she crouched. Tag: Rosa
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Post by Rosa on Feb 6, 2019 18:44:41 GMT
WC: 344
N/A | Willow wasn't entirely sure what to do now that the mouse was delivered. She knew better than to just stand there like an eager kit looking for praise. That would only server to make things more awkward. Still, she didn't want to just abandon the scared apprentice. That wouldn't be the right message to send either - that the mouse was delivered just for the sake of keeping a potential fight from happening.
Before she could decide what to do, however, her ears instinctively swiveled forward as she caught the faint sounds of shuffling from the yawning hole in front of her. Quickly she fixed what she hoped was a friendly smile on her face and took a step back so as not to tower over Shadow. The warrior didn't want to appear intimidating and, from what she'd seen, it didn't take much to send the little fox into hiding. "Just thought you might want that." She said quietly when she got the stare, dipping her head briefly in return. This might all be for nothing. The mouse could very easily just be snatched and hidden away again, and the pair would be back where they started - strangers who happened to share a clan. Or, perhaps things would be different. The delivery could help prove they were friendly and, as such, safe to be around. Maybe at the very least she could help the other feel a bit more at ease in the place she called home. No one deserved to be holed up away from civilization and the few hours of sunlight they were given daily during this season.
Still, the smile faded slightly as Shadow seemed to fold in on herself even more. Glancing away for a moment, Willow brightened once more as she took a couple of steps back and lowered herself to her belly, almost eye level now. Tail still swaying behind her in a gesture of friendliness, she questioned, "Too close? I'm sorry." Careful and slow. She could do that. She could have patience.
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Post by Nyxie on Feb 7, 2019 5:54:04 GMT
Shadow Apprentice of Lakeclan
As the other spoke, Shadow couldn’t help but flinch just slightly, before she forced herself to relax again and lift her ears. Not many really...talked to her. Not that she blamed them. How could one have a conversation with someone who never talked themselves? Still, she wanted to trust them, yet for some reason she just couldn’t. She didn’t get it. She didn’t understand why. How come this place couldn’t just feel right?Casting her thoughts aside, certainly not wanting to dwell on memories that could possibly bring about the answer, the young fox watched as the older backed away. Her ears twitched forward at the apology, and her eyes followed as the other lowered herself to the ground. She didn’t move beyond the, beyond her wide eyes and the slight shift of her chin. Her tail and legs remained tucked close, and for a moment she just lay there, frozen. The other fox came no closer. What was she so afraid of? Determination lighting her gaze just slightly, the little fox crawled just an inch closer, so the mouse was in a comfortable place to eat. Then, as though she was trying to watch Willow even whilst she ate, she took a bite into the small meal, ears twitching as she listened warily to the sounds of camp. After a moment, she realised something was missing - those foxes arguing had stopped. They’d stopped not long after she’d left, yet she already knew it wasn’t because of her. Hesitantly, Shadow paused in her meal, and blinked questioningly at the older fox. Yet still, as always, she didn’t speak a word. Tag: Rosa
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Post by Rosa on Feb 7, 2019 13:47:41 GMT
WC: 462
N/A | Watching now with eyes bright but making sure to break the eye contact every now and then as she didn't want to seem like she was challenging the little apprentice (for what, exactly, Willow didn't know. But she wanted to be prepared.), she tried not to get too excited as Shadow didn't immediately dart back into the safety of the den. That counted as progress, didn't it? Delivering the mouse had been a decent idea then, bless The Council.
Regardless, it didn't seem as if this would be anything other than an uphill battle. Fortunately, at least for the moment, the warrior was a fox of her word. Once she had decided something, she would stick to it, no matter how long the task took to be completed. That, and the mad dash earlier had tugged at her heartstrings in a way few things had the last few moons. At the very least she could try and be an individual that Shadow could be a little less worried around.
For a brief moment she glanced back at the apprentice, wondering what exactly was the history there behind the eyes. Yes, she had heard the rumors. Had heard the stories passed around in whispers and sidelong looks. It had been one of the few subjects that the clan had talked about for a couple of moons. How much of it she could trust, Willow wasn't sure. But bits and pieces, such as this little one's difficulty with speaking and trust...She could see with her own eyes that parts of these stories had been true, for better or for worse.
Oh how she hoped some were wrong.
Distracted from her thoughts by movement, she blinked and glanced at Shadow again, surprised to see her just a tiny bit further out of the small cave. It wasn't much; maybe a mouselength at most. But it was something. Taking a slow breath, the warrior crept forward an inch herself, a questioning look on her face. Hopefully this wouldn't be too much. Now though it seemed something else had caught Shadow's attention and, looking up herself, Willow felt her brow furrow. What was...? Oh.
"Quieter now, huh?" She said in a conversational tone, deciding to take a chance and easing down onto her side so she was facing the younger vixen. "Sometimes they get loud. The clan gets loud too. Everyone gets loud. You'll see when the next ceremony rolls around." Who she was talking for the vixen no longer knew at this point. Oh well. A little conversation wouldn't hurt. "That'll be the next couple of moons when some of the older apprentices are ready to take their full names. Then they'll be warriors even before The Council."
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Post by Nyxie on Feb 8, 2019 10:46:00 GMT
Shadow Apprentice of Lakeclan
Warily, Shadow watched the other fox as she moved, noting every little sign. A breath was taken, slow and cautious, and then the older fox moved just an inch closer, the slightest wriggle as though to imitate her own. For a moment, Shadow set her ears slightly lower, waiting for more movement, faster movement, louder movement. None came. The other fox had relaxed again with gentle eyes. This time the breath taken was Shadow’s own, and she let her ears drift forward slightly once more as she took another cautious bite of the mouse. She could feel the flavours dancing on her tongue, aiming to distract her. She wouldn’t let them. Then the look of the other’s face changed, but it was soon clear she was puzzling out what Shadow was trying to get across. Shadow didn’t think she’d get it. No one ever did. However, apprently this Willow was different. As she settled back down on her side again the words from her maw, while drawing twitching gold marked ears at their sound, where right on the mark. Quieter. Vaguely, perhaps imperceptibly, Shadow gave a nod. It was quieter. She preferred the quiet. Though, the fox didn’t seem to like quiet. She went on, still talking. Loud happens. Lakeclan is loud. Foxes are loud. Ceremonies are loud. Why must everything be loud? Shadow didn’t like loud, she like peaceful and quiet and sweet berries and tasty mice and....and mom. No mom anymore, though. Mom was gone and slowly her gentle voice and soothing tongue were fading. Not that she’d ever talked much. After all, she’d heard her name more times in a moon here, than the one time in five she’d ever heard it from her mother. Her little Shadow. Take care of her. Chasing the thought from her mind, the distraction, Shadow blinked. Council? With the last word hanging in the air between them, tugging at her mind, Shadow couldn’t help but tilt her head softly with a timid, questioning look after swallowing another bite of mouse. She’d heard speak of the Council. Gone foxes in the sky? She would have looked at the sky if her eyes weren’t glued, whenever they didn’t rove beyond the other. She would keep her focus, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t fin out, right? Part of her, even though she didn’t get the idea at all, wanted to know more about the strange concept of Council and where she would supposedly find her mother. Could she go there now, go to see her? Despite herself, the slightest glimmer of hope touched her gaze. Then it died. Willow understood one silent question. What were the chances of two at once, one much harder to decipher? Tag: Rosa
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Post by Rosa on Feb 8, 2019 22:49:48 GMT
WC: 369
N/A | Slow movements and quiet words. The first was easy enough; when pressed, Willow could be patient and let the world pass her by. Usually it was while she was fishing, staring into the depths of the water and hardly breathing, simply sitting still and waiting. Though, if she thought about it, dealing with nervous clanmates could be similar at times. It was simply taking moons-old practice from one situation and applying it to another. The second, however, would be more difficult. A fox of many words, the vixen could talk from moonrise to sunrise without more than a couple of pauses. It had more often than not driven partners from the night watch, no one too eager to sit with someone who prattled on and on in the dark. Thus, when she had a quiet partner, filling the silence left between them was her natural inclination. Here though, they may not be the best.
Flicking her tail as she glanced out over her clanmates and the little apprentice ate in silence, it took Willow a couple of moments to notice she was being watched once more. It seemed, from the look Shadow sported, that she had said something to peak the apprentice's attention. That or she had simply overwhelmed the younger fox with the waterfall of words. Considering the expression seemed closer to what she'd had before and not one of panic nor utter bewilderment, the warrior was going to hazard a guess it was the former. Or, The Council willing, it wouldn't be the completely wrong decision.
But if that was the case, which set of words was it? A slight frown crossed the black-furred muzzle as she ran over the past spill in her head. There was...more than one topic there. All related, of course, but maybe only one had made Shadow curious. Looking to her companion once more, she took another breath and asked, "Ceremonies? They happen often. Births, announcements, promotions. You'll see many of them. Every apprentice gets one...you're still young but it'll be while." She paused once more, adjusting her weight. There was something else, wasn't there? "It's important, your full name. Lets The Council recognize you and your presence through many moons." |
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Post by Nyxie on Feb 9, 2019 23:30:56 GMT
Shadow Apprentice of Lakeclan
Unsurprisngly, the guess the warrior made was wrong. Abruptly, Shadow shook her head, before glancing nervously down at her paws as the warrior went on. The mouse was vaguely forgotten for a moment, though ts tantalising smell still toyed with the young apprentice as her twitching black and gold ears listened. The warrior liked to talk, it would seem. She supposed she was definitely part of the loud. Maybe she was talking because Shadow didn’t talk? Well,she supposed this time she’d prompted her. Part of her, despite her nervousness and wariness and most everything else of her nature, enjoyed just listening to Willow. She supposed, while it didn’t answer the right question, it did answer one of her many. There were many ceremonies, and in one she would get a longer name like the warriors. Would that be what marked her as an adult? She hoped she wouldn’t struggle to remember her name like she struggled with everyone else’s. However, she supposed it didn’t matter. Most just used their shorter name anyway. SHe hoped her short name would still be Shadow, else she’d never know what she was called. As the word Council was brought up again, the little apprentice perked up. This time, she willed herself to be a little more obvious, focusing on that soul word as she cocked her head, curious eyes fixated on the warrior. Her muscles were still tense, and she was still huddled tight in the entrance to her little den. However, for a moment she held the warrior’s gaze in the hopes of getting her point across, before using taking a bite of the mouse as an excuse to let her gaze nervously skitter away again. She didn’t like staring, it felt confrontational, and like it might make someone else angry or too bold. Unease pricked her pelt, but part of her still was hopeful that maybe Willow would understand this time. Maybe. Tag: Rosa
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Post by Rosa on Feb 10, 2019 2:59:57 GMT
WC: 405
N/A | It seemed Willow had missed the mark much as she might miss a fish, jaws closing on air just as she saw the downward turn of the apprentice's gaze once more. Unfortunately, she might have more to learn about picking apart what exactly Shadow wanted to listen to if not exactly talk about. For a moment, she wondered why she hadn't said anything. Was she not able to? Had she been born without the ability, without the words in her throat? Or was it simply the trauma she'd suffered so young, the days that none of the clan had seen nor would ever know about. Either way, it made conversation a bit difficult.
But not impossible, the warrior realized, ears perking up as she realized she had full attention again. Frantically she ran through the words once more, picturing them in her mind as she tried to pinpoint what had caught her attention. If it hadn't been the ceremonies, and it hadn't been the apprentices, what had she wanted to hear about? Then, thinking of the last subject, she felt a grin start to spread once more across her muzzle. Aha, that's it!
"The Council? Do you know what they are? Is that what you wanted to know about?" She inquired curiously, glancing away after a moment once she realized Shadow wasn't just looking away because of the meal that lay between her paws. She wasn't just hungry; she would've scarfed down the mouse already if she was, manners forgotten in the hungry days of leafbare. No, it was something more. Something Willow could tell by the tense, sharp lines of the apprentice's frame, how her gaze skittered around the clan as if she were afraid to linger too long on any one individual. It was that same fear that had sent her running for shelter when the warriors argued in the middle of the clearing, the clan as their witnesses to their problems. While others had watched, curious as to whether this would end sensibly or with snarls and blows to grimacing muzzles, Shadow had fled. It only made sense now that the younger vixen was afraid to spend too much time around one individual, or even lock eyes with them. Eye contact meant arguing, and arguing meant loud words and raised voices. No wonder she was nervous around Willow, someone who was more than happy to speak and watch. |
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Post by Nyxie on Feb 14, 2019 6:45:58 GMT
Shadow Apprentice of Lakeclan
While Shadow’s eyes had glowed with satisfaction in her lowered head as the older vixen got it right, she soon noticed the other had fallen silent. A complete absence of noise from the other. If she hadn’t known there was no movement, if she couldn’t see the other from the corner of her eye, she would have thought Willow had left. Instead, she was just silent. It seemed....strange. Someone that was talking so much suddenly wasn’t talking at all. Not that Shadow was one to complain. Still, part of her wasn’t certain what to make of it, how to feel about it. A lack of talking made it easier to listen, to watch and focus. However, it was less distraction. It made the other less predictable. There was a lot one could decipher from words and tone, and when one was never speaking and always listening, it became easier and easier to understand all these little cues. Now she could hear the murmurs going on around the clearing. Most were unrelated - they’d lost interest in Shadow by now. However, the little apprentice shifted uneasily at the pair of amber eyes fixed upon her, before the watcher turned subconsciously back to their friend. Blinking, the little vixen turned her head back to Willow. She supposed she felt less wary around her. She may have stopped talking now, frayed the little vixen’s concentration from her to spread out amongst the clearing once more. However, she was still and patient. Well, at least for now. Though Shadow knew within every rigid muscle that a sudden movement would have den walls between them once again. Shadow took another nibble at her mouse, then paused, and realised she hadn’t responded. Raising her head again, she lifted her gaze uncertainly, gave a quick uncertain not, then ducked her chin once more. The mouse was nearly gone. She never did eat much, and perhaps that showed in her progress though the mouse despite her obvious distraction and nerves. She hoped she hadn’t waited so long to respond that Willow would no longer understand the nod. Yet then again, she seemed the type to just ask again. Maybe. Tag: Rosa
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