The Moon (open)

[lakeripple]

hiddenpaw

You're a dreamer, girl
But don't forget
That not all dreams
Come true

Hiddenpaw loved the moon. She loved the way it shone, the patterns the trees traced over it; the way it was always was changing. She wished her mother had named her Moon. But then again, she had a sister named Moonrise, and a grandmother named Moonrise, and she knew about that FireClan warrior named Moonlitice. And there were bound to be countless other cats with “moon” somewhere in their name. How many cats named Hidden did you know? But she still loved the moon.

Looking down at the ground, Hiddenpaw replayed the time she had spent with her brother. Burning was incredible; she wished that she had grown up with him. But no, she had been born with her grandfather’s figure matched with the blue eyes of her uncle and cousin. All her siblings had blue eyes! It was the family blue eyes! And yet she was the only one to be abandoned.

No, she reminded herself. She wasn’t abandoned. Her mother had protected her. And she loved EarthClan. How could she even know if her birthplace was right for her? Anyway, Forestfur had been born a rogue too and his mother had brought him back to Clans as it grew obvious it was right for him. Maybe EarthClan was right for her. But if it was… why did she feel so miserable?

[moondust]

Rrrrbbbt A toad's throat seemed to erupt the silent sound that surrounded the sleeping camp. A dark maroon and white cat crept in the shadows swishing carefully. Amberpaw bunched up her legs and then sprang foreward, careful not to throw anything back with her hind legs. The toad jumped out of the way, making Amberpaw crash onto the ground on her nose, filling it with dirt. She looked up hissing as the creature hopped away into the tall grass.

Whatever. Amberpaw wrinkled her nose, then looked around the clearing. She saw another figure looking up. She stood up fluffing her coat free of small clumps of dirt and looked up at the piercing white in the sky. Amberpaw winced Why does the moon always have to be so bright

She jogged quickly with her slightly stubby legs up to the figure, Hey what'cha looking at? Amberpaw said questioningly happy, Nothing up there but the moon. she said smiling.

[wolfwarrior4jesus]

A pair of shining blue eyes peered through the thick foliage, shaded by a large elm tree. Burning had chosen this spot because it would best hide his striking ginger fur, so like that of his mother. The air was sweet with smells of the forest, but it wasn't that that the tom was concentrating on. It was the face of his dear sister, whom he'd finally met, after she'd stumbled upon the High Hills Band. He'd been hoping to have more time to talk with her- but movement to his left stopped him from bursting out and leaping upon her. If he was found on Earthclan territory, not only would the clan cats be extremely unhappy with him, but he'd probably get an earful from his Tribe. After all..times were dangerous, and skulking around very tense clans was not a smart idea. But Burning had just reconnected with his long lost sister- he wasn't about to pretend that it had never happened and let her forget about him. He purred quietly to himself, laughing at the memories of when they'd last played. He'd always felt like something had been missing....something off...and now he knew why. He silently watched as another Earthclanner approached his sister..

[lakeripple]

Hiddenpaw looked up as Amberpaw approached. She smiled at the other apprentice, glad for once to have someone her own age come up to her. Lilypaw sometimes came, and there was always Flashpaw... but her best friend would have to be Starpaw, a FireClan cat. Talking with Starpaw made her realize that not all FireClan cats supported Foxcloud. She wished that Starpaw had been born EarthClan. In fact, she wished that she had been born EarthClan, so that she wouldn't have so many mixed emotions as to where she belonged. It gave her too much of a headache.

Amberpaw's question surprised her. "That's what I'm looking at!" she said, her voice raised as if asking a question herself. "Is that... odd?" She looked up at the sky again, calm leaking into her bones as she looked up at the shining orb. "It just... always makes me feel better."' Her mind was reeling. How could someone not find the moon magical, not love it with all of their being? The idea was... laughable!

She froze as a new scent wafted towards her. High Hills Band... Tasting the air discretely, a surge of happiness flashed across her pelt. Burning! Her brother had come to see her! She looked at Amberpaw, suddenly annoyed that the apprentice was near her. But Burning wouldn't come out anyway. Even though the band and her Clan were allies, things were still tense and he could be attacked before someone realized what his scent spoke of. She had to hide that he was there. What a mousebrain!

"How's training going?" she asked Amberpaw, actually curious for once. She didn't have a mentor, just got taken out by whoever was available. Hiddenpaw wanted a mentor of her own, but that seemed like wishful thinking now. There were just too few warriors.

[moondust]

Amberpaw looked at the ground smiling, I can't look at the moon. It hurt's my eyes too much. she said embarrassed, But if there is water around after it rains I can look at it! she said trying to cover up and convince herself that there was nothing to be embarrassed about. Amberpaw's far from intelligent mind didn't even notice the new sent in the air.

Training... Her eyes somewhat into a glaze. When was the last time she had trained. After a few moments of silence, Amberpaw remembered Hiddenpaw, Uh..Well..I-It's been great! she lied. She didn't even know her mentor anymore. Have you trained at all? Amberpaw asked, pushing the subject away from her. She stared at Hiddenpaw waiting for an answer, giving a small smile.

[lakeripple]

Sadness enveloped Hiddenpaw's heart as she heard that Amberpaw could look at the moon. Hurts her eyes? How awful! It made Hiddenpaw feel sorry for the other apprentice. Such a fate: how could she live? The moon was beautiful, wonderful, alive! It was something that all creatures of the earth had in common. They all had the same moon. Not being able to look at the moon... that was just so terrible.

She also felt bad when she saw Amberpaw's eyes darken with the mention of training. Was there something wrong? Wasn't Treestar her mentor? She had a great mentor! She should be having fun! Why did she look so sad at the mention of training?

Hiddenpaw pushed away her questions at Amberpaw's lie. She didn't want to pry. "Ummm, not really. I don't have a mentor, see. There is no one to take me on. Sometimes I go out with Forestfur and Flashpaw, sometimes Songpaw and Leaffur too, but that's rare. Usually I just tag along with patrols where I can. It's hard though. I really wish we had more warriors. Not that I want Flashpaw when he gets his name... that'd just be too awkward. But if a senior warrior got freed up... That'd be great." She sighed, wondering why she had to be the youngest and too late to get a mentor.

[moondust]

Mentor, mentor, mentor...Amberpaw thought half listening to Hiddenpaw hearing most of her words. Flashpaw? she said curiously; not that she knew Songpaw either. Probably the only two cat's she talked to were Hiddenpaw now, and Treest-

AH! Amberpaw's ear's went strait into the air, and her smile widened, knowning now that Treestar was her mentor; it had been a while. Not just a while, a long time. Maybe I should ask the next time we train should be. she thought, though the nice 'vacation' was nice.

I'm so lazy.[/b] Amberpaw thought to herself, trying not to laugh; listening to what Hiddenpaw would say.[/color]

[lakeripple]

Hiddenpaw blinked at Amberpaw slowly, trying to take in all the body language she was getting. Did the other apprentice not know Flashpaw? Flashpaw was her cousin! He was another one of Treestar's grandchildren! Not that Amberpaw could know that... no one could know that. That was a secret. Her entire family was a secret. She was a secret, just as her name implied. Hiddenpaw. Hidden in EarthClan.

"Yeah, Flashpaw. He's been an apprentice forever. I've heard a rumor that Treestar's gonna make him a warrior soon, because, you know, it's been moons. But all the leaders are behind on ceremonies, or so's the word at the gatherings. So much tension that they just... forget." Hiddenpaw kneaded the ground with her claws out. If Flashpaw and Songpaw were made into warriors... maybe she could get one of their mentors! Or if Amberpaw was made a warrior... Hiddenpaw glanced at her fellow apprentice. She had been an apprentice for a long time too. It would be great to have Treestar as a mentor. Her grandfather. She grinned.

"So, how's Treestar?" She was seriously worried. The leader had been sick. Everyone knew it. She hoped that Amberpaw wouldn't get all weird again. It was normal to ask. He was her leader! And grandfather... Hiddenpaw couldn't stop saying that.

[moondust]

Amberpaw gave half a smile, I don't know. I haven't trained much either. she admitted. Then her ears flattened, remembering their first training day, But he is so...ugh! she said her fur on edge looking angry, Right after hunting, he 'attacked' me as a test, and he told me that my sensing skills had failed, and before that told me to attack him, and just... Amberpaw flattened her ears. She hated failing with a passion, which showed that she wasn't angry with Treestar, she was angry at herself. Every time she did something wrong she wanted to jump into a fox nest and be torn apart.

But he did say I was good at a few things, like being stealthful. Amberpaw smiled, looking at the ground losing train of thought, That was nice. her tail curled around her resting near her chin, blood pounding.

Such niceness. Compliments.
And from the leader.
Amberpaw shook her head, her fur fluffing up and down, Uhm! But yeah...sick..yeah...I'm sad. trying to get things on track.

Again.

[wolfwarrior4jesus]

Burning was surprised to hear that his sister had not yet gotten a mentor...Not enough warriors? Couldn't mom secretly train her then? No....I guess not...Mom always says to stay out of the Clans and thier business...but.. she's my sister! He sighed softly, his blue eyes fixed on the two cats mere feet away from him. He started- Hiddenpaw had obviously recognized something..oops... Burning grimaced. The wind had changed, blowing his scent towards the cats- He knew Hiddenpaw could tell...and....if she could.. He tried to shrink further into the bushes as quietly as he could. He wasn't going to simply leave He just had to get to a safer place.. He didn't want all of Earthclan rallying against the "intruder" He accidentally stepped on a branch, which snapped loudly..

(ouch... way to go Burning.. you klutz! haha I've missed you guys!!)

[Glyph]

Quickpaw's ears flicked back, and he flushed beneath his snowy white coat as he listened to the she-cats' conversation.

The young apprentice was hidden in a thick patch of brush, its leafy scent heavy in his nose; he couldn't smell anything, which was bad, but he recognized the owners of the voices as two fellow apprentices. Older apprentices, but apprentices of EarthClan none-the-less. And they were talking about their mentors, or rather, the lack there of, which he could relate to perfectly. By StarClan, he'd only been made an apprentice a short time ago, and he was well past six moons old; he knew all too well of the chaos in the Clan at the moment.

That made the little tom feel a bit better, but he still wasn't sure what to do; he didn't want to interrupt them, but he didn't like eavesdropping, either. Maybe he should just leave...

[lakeripple]

The tale of Treestar's training methods amused Hiddenpaw. She chuckled slightly, but not loud enough to be heard. He was... unconventional. Perhaps it ran in the family. StarClan knew that she was unconventional. StarClan knew her mother was. Hmph. Three generations of crazy.

She froze as she heard a twig snap. That mousebrain! she thought, trying not to give away that whoever snapped the branch may not be a Clanmate. She licked her paw slightly and glanced in the direction she had smelt her brother slyly. There was a little bit of orange fur showing. A growl rumbled at the back of her throat. He would get himself killed someday if he went around Clan territories like this.

"Well, it's nice that he compliments you," Hiddenpaw said, smiling. Surely Amberpaw couldn't be too upset if he was so nice! They had always seemed so close...

Hiddenpaw breathed in deeply and caught another scent. Her head snapped towards a bush and she breathed in again. It was heard to smell anything inside that bush but... a slight showing of white fur. "Quickpaw?" The gray she-cat thingyed her head, wondering if it really was her denmate. "Why are you hiding over there?"

[Glyph]

Quickpaw winced, grimacing apologetically as he popped his head out from the bush's branches. "... Maybe?"

Sheepishly, the white apprentice crept from beneath the leaves until he was in plain sight of the two she-cats. "Sorry. I was just wandering when I heard you talking. Couldn't sleep..." The tom ducked his head, ears flushing. "I wasn't trying to listen in or anything."

[lakeripple]

Hiddenpaw was laughing inside at the younger apprentice's insecurity. Yes, he was younger than her... pretty much the only one though. Another apprentice without a mentor. She grimaced. Flashpaw, Songpaw, and Amberpaw better become warriors soon, or she would just explode with impatience. She deserved a mentor, and she deserved one now. So did Quickpaw. It would just be so much better if everything was working the way it was supposed to.

She grinned at the tom. "I believe you. And it wouldn't matter if you had been listening in. We weren't talking about anything important." The she-cat glanced around the camp again, her gaze resting for just an instant on the patch of her brother's pelt. He really was a mousebrain.

"Sucks that you couldn't sleep, Quickpaw. Hope you don't have dawn patrol tomorrow. That would just be terrible." She tilted her head slightly, waiting for an answer to her unspoken question. Hiddenpaw wanted to know if someone was taking him out tomorrow. She was bored, so bored. And she'd never become a warrior like this.

[wolfwarrior4jesus]

(Burning: ....IMMA MOUSEBRAIN! Me:...*headdesk*)

Burning winced at Hiddenpaw's glare, and the growl he knew was meant for him. Could he help it if he was bored in the High Hills and missed her? He sighed inwardly. It just wasn't his day.. Then, much to his dismay, yet another Earthclan apprentice joined in. Geez, you'd think this was the gathering place for all of Earthclan! He thought to himself. Then he struggled to hide a purr. Perhaps it was his sister- a classic magnet for company. He grinned and tried to hide his burning ginger fur. ...To no avail. He found himself completely...utterly..and embarrassingly stuck...He sighed to himself again. He was a mousebrain...All his squirming had gotten his pelt, short though it was, stuck in the brambles and branches of the bush. If he ever got out of this, there was no way he was ever going near a bramble bush again.
Rats...He thought, wiggling his ears- some of the only thing he was really able to move. Despite his grave situation though, Burning couldn't help but find his situation...rather amusing. He could be caught by Earthclan, chased or attacked by them, get his fur ripped off by an offending bramble bush, and get scolded by his mother, but....it was...it was still kind of funny...After all, he must look like a right fool stuck here...He wondered if Hiddenpaw could see his predicament. He actually hoped she would. If it made her laugh, thats all that mattered....

[moondust]

Amberpaw watched Hiddenpaw and Swiftpaw speak, holding a small "listening" smile, but everything was drowned out and she was distracted. Her eyes lowered trying to figure out what had her attention, until she breathed. Amberpaw blinked several times, Does...anyone else smell something? she said curiously; finding no threat to the smell.

Just dumb curiosity.

[lakeripple]

It was so sad. It was so sad. Hiddenpaw bit her lip, holding back a giggle. He was stuck in the brambles. He was stuck in the brambles. It was just too funny, too perfect! She finally couldn't hold it in anymore. She laughed. Loudly. Swiping her tail over her mouth, Hiddenpaw blushed. That was so unladylike. To Amberpaw and Quickpaw it would seem uncalled for. But for Burning... he'd feel triumphant. He probably had been wanting her to laugh. Well, she had done it. And it probably wasn't a good thing.

But when Amberpaw asked if she smelled something... Hiddenpaw was suddenly serious. Her fellow apprentice had caught her brother's scent. Dang! She shot a dangerous look towards the bush, hoping that he'd catch it, get untangled, and leave. Yes, she was glad that he had come to see her. But he could just not be here. This was her home. He didn't belong.

"Just some mouse..." Hiddenpaw answered blandly, lamely, hoping that Amberpaw would let it go. Please let it go! she begged inwardly. It would be so bad for Treestar if his grandson was found here. It would be bad for her too. She was here so that Foxcloud wouldn't guess the secret. If rumors about Burning visiting an EarthClan apprentice that had the same eyes as her, Flashpaw, and Forestfur, and was the known son of Sunset, then... it would be very, very bad.

[wolfwarrior4jesus]

Burning grinned as Hiddenpaw's laughter rang out. Oh yeah, who was the master? He laughed to himself- getting stuck in these bushes had not been without it's perks after all! His blue eyes gleamed happily. He loved making Hiddenpaw laugh, but his exhilaration faded as Hiddenpaw suddenly gave him a hard stare. Oops...He'd better make himself scare. He winced, thinking of what the brambles were going to do, and knew he wouldn't be able to lay down for at least a moon, if not more.. But... he managed to shrug. It was all worth it! Sucking in his breath to try and make himself smaller, Burning wriggled around in the bush. Gotta make this fast... he thought, eyeing the other apprentices by his sister. If I get caught, I'm sooo dead.. Grunting quietly he pulled against the bushes, biting his lip when the brambles dug into his pelt. He sank in his claws and pulled even harder, and nearly flew out of the bush and into a nearby tree when the brambles suddenly gave up resisting him. He wryly noted the clumps of ginger fur now hanging in the bush, a badge to the ferocity of the brambles. He shook his pelt vigorously, the long scratches stinging. He hoped the other apprentices wouldn't notice... No time to run now...he darted up a large pine tree, hoping it's scent would hide his own, and limit visibility to him, while still enabling him to see. He was nothing if not tenacious. He'd come here to talk to Hiddenpaw- he wasn't leaving til then!

[lakeripple]

OOC: Waiting for Glyph

[Glyph]

"Dawn patrol... Yeah." About that... He'd thought about tagging along--because certainly no one had asked him, not that he could really blame them--but the look on his face was a lot more honest than his words. "... Well, I do know that I'm not going to sit around camp tomorrow." He'd follow one of the mentors and their apprentice, or join a hunting patrol, something. Quickpaw wasn't going to lay around useless when there was something he could do about it.

Then the white cat flinched, eyes widening at the rustling in the brush nearby and at the muffled, painful thump that followed. "Well then. That must be one huge mouse."