Story[]
Nightpaw yawned loudly, even though it was midday he was still slaking around in the apprentice den, just hoping that he would receive some kind of mission or something to do. Even though he was just a new apprentice, he wish he had a mission to do instead of normal patrols like everyone else. Amberpaw sauntered into the den. It was a day after the gathering. Her claws itched at the thought of raking her claws down a wolf's pelt. Quite worked up at the thought, her tail thrashed rapidly for a few seconds, like it always did when she was mad, and then stopped. Then, as she sat on her haunches, she noticed Nightpaw. "Nightpaw, don't you have anything better to do than just lazing around in here? We can go catch a mouse or two or something." She suggested. There really isn't that much to do right now... Digging my claws into a mouse would do some good, though. Nightpaw stretched his legs wrinkling his snout at the idea. More tedious patrols, out in the forest looking for a mouse or even a fish. Despite his thoughts he agreed in the same bored tone as ever, "That actually sounds like a good idea!." Casting his misty blue eyes on his fellow apprentice, Amberpaw. He looked like he had many more moons of knowledge than he really had. Raising one paw he began licking it clean, and in between licks began talking. "So where are we going to hunt? Down by the lake?" Asked Nightpaw, moving on to his other paw waving his tail, nonchalantly. Oakclaw, the young brown tabby warrior with muscular shoulders, walked into the apprentice den, looking for his apprentice, Smallpaw."Hey Amberpaw, have you seen Smallpaw? I want her to do some battle training." Amberpaw watched annoyed as the lazy apprentice started to groom himself. His 'All Knowing Stare' also made her a bit jumpy. However, she replied in a nice, controlled tone. "We're going down to the lake, if Jadeclaw'll come with us. Maybe you should bring Smallpaw, too." She suggested. "More cats, more fish." As she watched on, she sighed, still quite annoyed. "Are you done yet?" Nightpaw snickered inwardly. It was his job to keep the apprentices in place with his sarcasm. "Not quite," Nightpaw could tell that Amberpaw was getting annoyed, aggravating people was what he did best, next to hunting. Putting his tail in up to his muzzle he licked the tip clean. "Now I'm done. I haven't seen Smallpaw, Oakclaw. But when you find her can you bring her over to the lake to hunt with us?" Waving his tail for Amberpaw to follow him to the lake. "Just see if you can keep up Amberpaw." Amberpaw snorted as Nightpaw finally finished. However, she became even more annoyed when he insisted on leading. "I know my own way around the territory, thanks!" She spat, thrusting herself in front of Nightpaw. What an arrogant apprentice! I've been an apprentice longer than him and he thinks he can lead me anywhere he wants! She thought angrily. "Now you try to keep up!" She yowled behind her as she broke into a run. A new light opened up in her heart, making her faster. The thrill nearly made her feel like a bird. Nightpaw sat down for a second, giving his companion a head start... And then broke into a wild dash. He could still see Amberpaw ahead of him, but just barely. His competitive attitude thrust him into even higher speeds, the forest around him was just a blur, he almost forgot why he was even running. but the figure of Amberpaw getting closer and closer continued to remind him. But about now his small frame was tired. He wished he could just flop down and eat a big juicy fish, but wasn't that why he was running? Amberpaw was running so fast, all she cared about was getting to the lake first. She could tell Nightpaw was right on her heels. She started to run faster as she scented the lake: A clear, crisp smell, layered with the scents of the plantlife within the lake. The bushes were thinning out, and soon she had to screech to a halt to stop herself from falling into the cold water. However, she moved aside at the last second. She grinned, hoping that Nightpaw would fall in. Nightpaw ran with his head down trying to keep his paws from getting tripped up. Unfortunately that's exactly what happened at full speed he finally broke his dash, flailing his paws like mad, he landed head first into the freezing waters of the lake. For a few heart stopping seconds he had completely disappeared, until he finally surfaced soaking wet. Crawling up to shore he gave Amberpaw a villainous glare, and then proceeded to lick himself clean once again. "Stupid lake..." Amberpaw couldn't help but purr with laughter. "I hope that cooled your head down a bit!" She called to him as he cleaned himself on the shore. Something struck Amberpaw like a thorn, however. Now that Nightpaw's fallen in this part of the river, the fish will be all scared off! She realized with a jolt, now feeling guilty she had stepped aside. "Eh." She muttered to herself, lowering her head but not her guard, in case Nightpaw wanted revenge. Jadeclaw heard a loud splash and ran to the lake, as usual he would have to teach who ever was down at the lake a few manners, especially when he had come so close to the mouse he was hunting. It's probably Amberpaw again. When he arrived, he was surprised to see another cat wet instead of Amberpaw. I shouldn't have assumed that... Jadeclaw realized the other scent from earlier was now the clump of wet fur known as Nightpaw. He padded toward them, shaking his head. "Smooth move. You scared away my prey with your big paws and now you've scared all the fish." Nightpaw growled irritably at Amberpaw "Hahaha, laugh all you, do you know how long it's going to take to clean this pelt." said Nightpaw continuing his obsession with grooming himself. Until he noticed a newcomer, Jadeclaw. "The fish couldn't have gotten too far, we'll just have to search the lake, and it's not my fault, it's Amberpaw's!" Nightpaw snapped, still agitated by the fact that he was sopping wet, and starving. He walked along the shore of the lake keeping watch for any fish at all. Amberpaw merely snorted. "You're a RIVERCLAN cat! You should be used to getting your fur wet." She snapped. Her ear flicked. She turned around to see Jadeclaw. "Heh. Sorry, Jadeclaw." She edged away from the edge of the lake slowly. "No, it WASN'T my fault! It was your fault for not being able to stop running!" She spat as soon as the words were out of Nightpaw's mouth. Her tail flopped angrily on the ground, and she bared her teeth for a second. I should probably seperate them, but a little rivalry can be good... Jadeclaw smiled for a moment. He remembered his first rivalry. They had always competed against everything. And then, like a smack in the face, remembered what happened to him, and Jadeclaw stopped his grinning. Oh well... "I'm going to the other side of the lake. You two stay here and look." He ignored any replies and went to the other side. "Don't leave me alone with her, she'd feed me to the wolves for a couple of mousetails!" In truth he did expect to wake up one night surrounded by wolves. He had had that dream a couple of times too. And if Jadeclaw left them alone, maybe she would do something worse. But he was way to hungry to fight back anymore, looking into the lake he could see his reflection mingled with a small fish. "LUNCH!" He muttered to himself licking his lips, and waiting a few seconds for it to get closer. "Hmpf." Amberpaw blinket as Jadeclaw slid into the water. She bowed her head at Nightpaw's words. No, I wouldn't feed you to the wolves. She thought, however replied much differently. "No, you're wrong. I'd give you to the wolves in half a heart beat!" However she stopped as she saw Nightpaw see fish in the water. She padded over to the side of the lake, making sure her shadow didn't fall accross the water. She stared at a particular silver dart, and with much concentration, her fiery furred paw lashed out, struck the fish into the air, and watched as it landed on the bank. She smiled as she cornered the fish, making sure it wouldn't flop back into the water. She bit it's throat, and savored the small, sweet taste that lay on her tongue. However she had to feed her Clan first. Now onto another fish, they were few fish that were on the shore of the lake, frightened to the center by Nightpaw's fall. Nightpaw wagged his tail anxiously, wishing that a fish would just hop into his jaws, until he finally found one, a small fish but a fish indeed. Stepping back and easing his paw into the water, he unsheathed his claw and stabbed into the fish, flipping onto the grass around the lake. He wished he could just bite into the fish now, and gobble it down, but it was already dead and he needed to feed the clan first. And now that he had matched Amberpaw, he was certain he could catch twice as much fish as her. Proud of her catch, she turned to Nightpaw. She sensed rivalry in his eyes. She nodded absent-mindedly, and then turned to the shore once more. Keeping back, her forepaw flashed, and another fish kicked the bucket. But on her third attempt, the fish darted away. She glared up at the sky, and saw that the clouds had shifted. She grunted impatiently and shifted her position, so that her shadow did not fall on the water. Afterwards, she caught two more fish, a big one and a small one. However, before she could kill the big one, it flopped back into the water. "Fox-dung!" She hissed under her breath as water droplets clung to her whiskers from the fish's drop. She saw the fish swim away very slowly. Blood was streaming from a gash in it's side. However, she was too far away to reach it. She didn't know what to do. But you're a RiverClan cat! She wailed inwardly, ashamed she had lost such a fat fish. Still walking along the shoreline, and also keeping a few paw lengths away from the water so that he could see the fish and they couldn't see him. Left and right he continued catching fish until he had a total of four, sadly they were all small, it was kind of strange that the fish didn't seem to grow anymore. He peered a little closer in to the water, there was a lot of fish, but the bigger ones were farther away. He thought for a second wondering he could swim into the water and catch one of the bigger fish, but that would be a waste of time. Creeping as close as possible without falling in, he unsheathed his claws a gain and raked a fish closer to him, before he grabbed it with his teeth the tossed it into the air killing it with a single throat bite. Amberpaw shook her head, and then continued on with fishing. She watched a fish drift closer, and then, quick as lightning, she caught the fish and killed it. It was agonizingly small. She sighed heavily. She needed more excitement then this! Jadeclaw padded back toward the two apprentices. He had been watching them, hoping for an amusing show of rivalry, but instead, they seemed to be acting......mature! He laid his catch down nera the shore - A small fish and fish nearly as long as Jadeclaw's tail. "How are you two doing?" "My fish are bigger and, much juicer than yours!" Nightpaw's tail flicked up superioly "Yeah right, There all water and no fish." Amberpaw mewed. "YOU WANNA BET!" Nightpaw growled furiously! "Bring it on you mousebrained, shrimp!" Amberpaw yowled angrily.