&| or so i was told - [OPEN]

[folf]

&| THiSTLE


Thistlepaw, for one who was in the process of apparently leaving in a huff, held a surprisingly good mood. She stalked out of the Apprentice's Den and it's ferny confines to the sunlight dappled Clearing. Billowing clouds of dust appeared in the wake of her stomping steps, floating into oblivion as they rose higher and higher. The grains of sand on the wind were the sole movement in the camp, and it was a terribly sad thing that they were so. Thistlepaw desperately needed a sign of movement from a living thing, most preferably a feline that would be willing to listen to her awaiting flood of chatter. But her pale green eyes could detect none, at least, none that lay outside the Apprentice's Den.

She sat down heavily, letting all her weight smack upon the ground at once. When you add in the fact her mouth was open and trying to release a sigh...well, it was a bit of a mistake. Clouds of sand were already bursting upwards, and they wasted no time before burrowing into her exposed throat.
"Gahhga!" Thistlepaw spat, but the attack was not over yet. Grains embedded in her eyes just moments later. Shutting them was a terrible mistake as well, as the added pressure of her eyelids pushing against the little invaders caused even more pain to well up. Oh, why did this have to ruin her carefully arranged, aloof-looking run-away! Her clanmates still in the Den could probably hear her choking (on sand no less); the she-cat could just imagine them rolling about, laughing. At her. She couldn't stop the shame form bleeding into her formerly light mood.

And she had been feeling so proud, too! She hadn't cuffed those darn cats on the ear, like she could have! And through she hadn't exactly solved the predicament with words, as others kept advising her to do, she had been close enough!
...Well, maybe she had babbled like a fish out of water a bit. But, that didn't matter! She had controlled her temper. This was an accomplishment, since they had done one (possibly two!) things wrong. First, that were telling her rumors (or was it teasing?) of her mentor to-be. They wouldn't stop caterwauling about what a thick-headed cat it must be, and then they kept giving her different names! They knew that would confuse her! Whether it was interesting or not, rumors and gossip were wrong. Thistlepaw's mother had told her that, so it surely must be true. Also, she had the slightest idea that the apprentices may had been pulling her tail. They always did that! As the last grains of sand escaped from her body to the air at last, the apprentice could not help but give a little quiver of anger. The very notion of her clanmates doing that again always riled her up.

"Hmph! Well, just they watch! Next time their ears won't be so...so..." Thistlepaw paused, face furrowed in deep concentration as she tried to find a good word.
"Uhmm...oh! Their ears won't be so non-flat! Yes! Ha!" The she-cat puffed out her chest in triumph. That was definitely a good word! She would have to save it for later!
"Oh, and just they watch again! I'm gonna get the best mentor ever, and then they'll be the...uh, the uh...non-happy ones!" The apprentice felt even lighter, and she hummed a triumphant little tune. Who need those other apprentices? She was going about just fine on her own.
Besides, she was on a roll with these word things today!

[c e d a r *]

Large white paws carefully danced their way out of the medicine cat's den, a scent of herbs wafting after her. Pointed, triangular ears were pricked and her white-grey fur shone in the sunlight as her bodice moved out of the den, a feathered tan and grey tail trailing behind her. Blue optics shone brilliantly in the sunlight and her pointed head met her white paws wet pink nose almost touching the ground as she stretched magnificently. A yawn split her mouth open, small, sharp canines showing, their ivory finish dully glinting in the strong morning sun. Blinking slowly, her hind legs were brought to the ground and she sat with a huff. Curling her tail around her perfectly placed paws, she allowed her ice-blue optics rake their way around the clearing, searching for any sign of morning life.

Ears flicked and optics flashed as she heard a noise. The medicine cat turned her head sharply to gaze at the apprentice talking to herself in the clearing. Long whiskers twitched happily as she watched the apprentice coughing on the last bit of dust remaining from when she had sat herself down. Seeing the apprentice's eyes blinking uncomfortably, Cedarclaw got to her paws, optics suddenly turning from happy to serious with a small hint of sympathy. Her paws thudded the ground unevenly as she slowly made her way to the apprentice, coming to a stop only when Thistlepaw stopped her talking. Tilting her head, the medicine cat frowned and looked at the apprentice. Dust granules were still resting on the outer visible area of her pelt, and she sighed.

Sitting down next to the apprentice, the she-cat opened her mouth and accidentally yawned. Because Newleaf was on it's way out of the world, she was stressing, going over the herbs she needed and didn't need to restock. She smiled and looked at Thistlepaw, making sure the apprentice was there. "I see you've had a little problem with our dusty, sandy clearing?" she asked quietly, her voice not one to ring around the clearing. It felt so because of the emptiness of the morning. No one seemed to stir with her quiet voice, which made her relax. Lowering her voice, the she-cat asked another simple question. "Is anything irritable?" She was curious and she..well..everything had been slow lately. Nothing big. She wanted to know if she could help in some way.

[folf]

&| THiSTLE

Though the question is always "What is the sound of one hand clapping?", in Thistlepaw's case it was the sound of one paw patting oneself on the back. And apparently this was a very loud, distracting sound, because the young cat did not notice the presence of the other cat until she was literally right above her. Suddenly the paw that was patting her back sent a harsh cuff to her ear. The apprentice knew she deserved the mental discipline; the cat hadn't exactly been sneaking about in the shadows as she approached.

"O-oh...Cedarclaw!" She meowed what could be loosely called a greeting. Thistlepaw had remembered the cat's name as soon as the scent of herbs had wafted by her nose. Every Clan cat knew that smell as well as their own mother's. Even Thistlepaw was not exempted from this rule. But after just having a monotone in the middle of the clearing, and after just learning another cat had overheard the entire thing...well, she was feeling none too social. In fact, after her haphazard hello, the apprentice's thoughts were something like this:
"This is just...just great! She probably thinks I'm crazier then a Two-leg!"
Even if the cat was the compassionate and understanding Cedarclaw.

But, Thistlepaw was not about to disrespect the medicine cat by pulling an Oh-I-Just-Realized-I-Was-Busy-The-Moment-You-Arrived escape. So she plastered a pleasant expression on her muzzle and listened. Nod to the problem with the dust, shaking of the head to the question. Simple as that. But, she had forgotten to calculate in the sulence that followed. Even the embarrassed apprentice couldn't stand the lack of noise that ate away at her. It took just a few moments for her to start panicing.
"Uh, uh, uhm...think, Thistlepaw! Say something funny...yes, funny!"

"I...I almost liked the mud better!" Thistlepaw was worried the words were going to come out heavier then rocks. But instead, they floated on by, kept afloat by a small, but genuine, giggle that followed them.

[MOTHER NATURE]

A thunder storm begins to brew and the rain starts to pour down. It doesn't look like the storm shows any signs of stopping any time soon.

[c e d a r *]

The medicine cat was about to speak but was cut off by a large crack of thunder. Looking up to the sky, her eyes widened. So much for getting herbs. Large, dark thunderheads were almost on top of the camp, and a big, fat raindrop pelted her in between the ears. Shaking her head, she narrowed her eyes at the sky. "Typical for Greenleaf. Can't say I'm surprised," she muttered. Looking back at Thistlepaw, she tilted her head, confused at what the apprentice had just said. Something about mud...

Oh, how she missed Mudpaw.

But there were more important things on her mind. The she-cat smiled ad looked to the apprentices den. "I'd suppose we should get under cover," she meowed, looking back up to the sky, her blue optics shining. Another raindrop pelted the ground at her white paws, and startled, the she-cat took a shaky step back. She loved thunderstorms, but large ones could easily do damage, lightning striking off branches and falling into the camp. Luckily, the medicine cat had very little injuries to tend to, no recent battles, so her herb stock was fairly full.

Gathering. That would be very soon. She had no apprentice to bring with her now. Whatever had happened to poor Mudpaw..she did not know. Cedarclaw flattened her ears and took a step toward Thistlepaw, looking once more to the apprentices den. "Would you like me to take you to your den?" she asked the apprentice. They were in the middle of the camp, so they could each go their own ways, but still, it was something kind to say and it gave her something to do.

Rain starting to fall more heavily, the she-cat didn't know what to do. She loved sitting in the rain, but she didn't want to look too...engrossed, did she? Her blue optics raled the empty clearing, everyone was already holed up in their warm dens. Who didn't love the rain? It felt nice on humid days like these. She sighed and closed her eyes, momentarily forgetting that she was in the clearing of ThunderClan. "Well?" she asked quietly to Thistlepaw. Surely the apprentice would decline. She probably sounded odd asking to escort an apprentice across the clearing. Oh well.

[Silvercloud]

Icepaw dashed into camp with all of the speed he dared use as he ran blindly through the woods and into camp. The arctic white apprentice slowed down once the familiar scents of camp wafted over his pale pink nose. His thick boned body was trembling with fear and exhaustion.

The long haired apprentice had panicked when a loud clap of thunder shook the forest around him and rain began to pound the Earth. He had sneaked out of camp alone for some privacy and to train some by the old Two-leg nest when the storm hit.

"Stupid StarClan! If they hadn't cursed me with this I wouldn't have run in here like a scared little kit."

Icepaw quickly shut his mouth and said no more once he took in his surroundings. Less than three tail lengths away stood Cedarclaw and...he paused to take another quick sniff. Thistlepaw. Great, they had probably seen the whole thing and was wondering why he was in such a hurry and heard him. Great! Mouse-brain! How could he let himself just ramble on like that? Where had his brain gone?

Icepaw felt a growl rumbling in his throat and a snarl painted upon his features as he continued to fume. He knew that he had to get into bed quickly before they questioned him. He did not need help and especially not from a Medicine Cat. He knew that his retarded long and thick pelt had taken the forest with him, how embarrassing! How could it get any worse? What had he done to deserve this.? Did StarClan have a grudge against him or something?

"Well what are you looking at!"Icepaw snarled at them. Icepaw was cold and prickly most of the time but watch out when he is on a rampage! Currently he happened to be on one and everyone and anyone was going to take some verbal abuse. The panting apprentice had himself in a defensive stance with his claws unsheathed and bristling in furry. He attempted to fix them with his blazing pools of icy blue, one, forgetting though that he couldn't see and two, that he didn't want many cats to notice that his eyes were no longer clear but cloudy.

(Sorry for thrusting Icepaw in here, he needed something to do. Sorry for the dumb post, I need to get my muse up with him.)

[folf]

&| THiSTLE


Thistlepaw couldn't help but wince. The thunder seemed so loud, as if the very heavens were shattering into a million pieces. The young cat couldn't help but wonder what that would mean for StarClan. Would...they just fall back down? The idea of hundreds of cats falling from the sky pushed away her fear.
...Though it was raining hard enough to actually happen. Annoyance rose up in Thistlepaw as fast as the storm had come on, which was the problem itself. Since when did the weather have any right to do that? Everything was just fine (if a tad dusty) before the rain/deceased cats had began plummeting to earth. The apprentice frowned crossly, watching her paws become prickled with raindrops to damp to wet to soaking in a matter of seconds.

"I'd suppose we should get under cover, would you like me to take you to your den?"

Thistlepaw jerked her head away from the ground to look at Cedarclaw, the medicine cat looking at her as she meowed her proposition. It didn't take long for the apprentice to decide, with the rain drumming against her body and her fur becoming colder as it dampened further.
"Sure...yes! Let's go!" She meowed quickly, the words stringing together and stumbling. While rising to her paws, her ears pricked as the sounds of a cat snarling and yowling reached the camp. She couldn't make out the words in the rising storm, but Thistlepaw knew that voice anywhere. Icepaw had driven her up a tree (figuratively) more times then an entire Clan's worth of paws, and, oh, how she wanted to give him a good cuff...or even a nip. Her fur would have prickled if it wasn't so damp and Cedarclaw wasn't standing right behind her.

"Act civil, just let him come with you and Cedarclaw, don't cause anything..." Thistlepaw reminded herself as Icepaw stalked into the clearing. The apprentice could see how ruffled his fur was even from here, and a low growl came from the tom. She could only lash her short, scarred tail in annoyance. Did he really have to act like ants were crawling through his pelt constantly? Even she wasn't that bad...or, at least not as bad, right? Shaking her head to drive the distracting thoughts away, the she-cat got it over with.

"Heh, Icepaw! Come with us to get some cover!" She yowled, already turning towards the Apprentice's Den. Unconsciously her claws flexed in and out, in and out, as she fought against the wind and her mood dropped further.

[c e d a r *]

Cedarclaw sighed. Icepaw was always there to interfere with everything. Feeling the need to snap at the tom, she kept her mouth shut and let her tail sway unhappily side to side. She snapped her head to the side, narrowing her wide eyes. "Icepaw, no one was looking at you, so please, please stop being so self-absorbed. What do you think we were looking at? We heard you, and I certainly did not look at you just because you were yowling," she meowed in a huff, narrowing her eyes. StarClan forbid, did she just yell at an apprentice? Well, she had things n her mind, so it was alright, she supposed.

Really, she missed Mudpaw so much. Thinking about her apprentice disappearing really just took a toll on the Medicine Cat. She supposed she would have to move on, but really, she did not want to deal with Icepaw for much longer. What was with his attitude, anyways? He was never in a good mood, and on a day like this, moods like that really affected the way the she-cat thought. She would blame it on her mind, and everything that was going on. Forgetting about Mudpaw and focusing her attention back on the long-haired apprentice.

"I don't know why you're always in such a bad mood, but you'd better stop it," she meowed stiffly, feeling a growl rise up in the back of her throat. She couldn't help but allow it to escape her and she felt slightly bad about it; not as much as she normally would have been. "If you're going to start blaming people about looking at you, I suppose you should just keep yourself in the apprentices den," she snapped. Turning her head toward Thistlepaw, the medicine cat nudged the she-cat. "Let's go to my den, it's much more comfortable," she meowed softly, her blue optics raking across the shady sky.

She let a sigh escape her maw as she felt her shoulders visibly relax. She let her mind wander to other things, like the storm at hand and her herbs. She didn't want Thistlepaw to go back to the apprentices den, but she realized maybe the she-cat didn't want to be holed up in of all places, the Medicine Cats Den. "I apologize, Thistlepaw, you could go back to the apprentices den if you'd like," she meowed.

[folf]

&| THiSTLE



The prodding paw of Cedarclaw was nearly lost on Thistlepaw. With the rain and wind drumming against her fur, it felt as if a million cats were beckoning for her attention simultaneously. A couple seconds too late she turned around to see the medicine cat looking...out of sorts? And now so was the apprentice. Had Cedarclaw asked her a question? She had certainly missed it; Thistlepaw knew that even as her mind raked itself over for a memory. Luckily, as becoming a heap of fur and water wasn't one of her lifetime goals, something clicked. She had been heading towards the Apprentice's Den, not the Medicine Cat's! No wonder Cedarclaw looked a tad confused.

If it hadn't been dragging against the ground and collecting a fair amount of mud, Thistlepaw would have used her tail to tap the medicine cat back. She chose to (slightly clumsily) bump into Cedarclaw instead, meowing, "Sorry there, of 'course you're right!" Heading off to the slender crack that marked the entrance to the den, the apprentice probably left more confusion in her wake then she could imagine. Thistlepaw was too busy making a little list of reasons she would prefer the comfortable cave.

"Sure," she thought.
"The Apprentice's Den lets me see the forest much better, but it also lets so much rain in! No sirree, I'm not getting...wet! Plus, Icepaw shouldn't be coming..." Thistlepaw paused by the entrance to the den, looking over her shoulder and through the rain to Cedarclaw.
"You coming, Cedarclaw?"


--

ooc; I'm so sorry this is late. :x

[Silvercloud]

Icepaw narrowed his eyes, he certainly rubbed the medicine cat the wrong way. He was stunned by her words actually. His mouth hung open a little. The frigid rain hammering him on the back quickly made him snap out of it.

He hadn't meant for his actions to be so aggressive. He was just scared, and confused. So much had changed in just a short while and he was still trying to take it all in. "Sorry"

He muttered loud enough for them to hear and turned away. It sounded like Cedarclaw and Thistlepaw were going to go to the Medicine Cat's den. He didn't want to join and he figured that they didn't want him. Perhaps this was best. He didn't to calm down anyway and sort through the days events.

Icepaw turned away for them sadly. His thick, long fur was sodden and sticking in various directions making it heard to tell that the white tom was crestfallen and scared. He didn't like to show his emotions or admit them either. Now where was the den?

The stupid thunder messed with his sensitive hearing and the rain made his sense of smell and feel next to nothing. His anger was returning as he realized that he must look rather stupid wondering about in the rain and that he had been so nasty to the two she-cats. They hadn't done anything to him, yet he had lashed out at them. Stupid StarClan. It was all their fault. If they hadn't taken away his sight he would have been fine and perhaps nicer in general. At leats Rainefrost wouldn't take him training in this.