{Pantherpaw x Wasppaw} Two Black Cats

[magnadearel]

belloblossom

Yay! I got a start! XD

The sleek black apprentice carefully washed her face and her ears in the dawn light. Slight flicks of her skin sent off the dew trying to collect upon her fur. Her mentor would probably take her hunting again today. She didn’t mind it too much, supplying prey for the camp. Wasppaw rather preferred doing patrols and fighting rival clans. She liked using her claws, and she couldn’t really do that catching prey. Not if she didn’t want complaints about the status of her contribution.

Wasppaw lifted her head to look up at the sky. It looked like it would be a fairly sunny day, perhaps a few clouds. At least it wouldn’t be raining on her today. The young apprentice looked around to see if her mentor had arrived yet. When she didn’t see Talonfang, her tail twitched.  

[belloblossom]

Pantherpaw shivered. While the sun was finally poking its head out of the clouds, there was still snow on the ground. Being a kit in leaf-bare had been rough, even with her black pelt. As she came trotting from the apprentice's den, looking around expectantly for her mentor, Minnowflash, she spotted instead her sister, Wasppaw.

"Wasppaw!" She mewed and ran forward, skidding to a halt just in front of her sister, so she didn't barrel into her. "Hello! How're you?" She blurted out, before she shivered. "Ugh, I hate leaf-bare! No prey, no warmth!" She glared up at the sun through the sky. "And even though I can see the sun-ow." She quickly looked down and blinked rapidly. Maybe she shouldn't have stared at the sun. "Even though it's out, I still feel cold!" She grumbled.

"I can't wait for new-leaf! Minnowflash says new-leaf will be full of greenery and the snow will melt so more prey will return!" She grinned at her sister. "I can hardly wait! So, what're you waiting around for? Your mentor? Who did you get assigned again?" She chattered on, barely pausing for breath. "I can't keep track of mentors very well. I know that Spiderpaw got lucky and got Darktail, ugh, I'm so jealous. You probably got a strong mentor too, right? I got Minnowflash." She rolled her eyes. "Lame, right?" She finally took a breath and let it out in an exasperated sigh. "Do you like your mentor, whoever they are?" She asked curiously.

magnadearel

It's still leaf-bare/winter IC, so I tried to incooperate that into what descriptions you gave. Hope that's okay! sweatdrop

 

[magnadearel]

belloblossom

Yes thank you! Forgot that. I can change it to read snow instead of rain.

She turned her head at the sound of her name. It wasn't her mentor who's called to her though. It was Pantherpaw, one of her many siblings in Riverclan. Wasppaw braced herself, but relaxed when her sister managed not to bowl her over. "There's prey if you know where to find it," she meowed. Granted she'd been told it was a lot harder to find prey in leaf-bare than say green-leaf. She was looking forward to possibly easy pickings.

Wasppaw tried not to roll her eyes at her sister's non-stop chatter. She booped Pantherpaw on the nose in a friendly fashion. "When we get moving we'll be warm enough." The apprentice looked around, trying to imagine the world covered all in the green of evergreens and bare of snow. She shook her head, unable to do it. Her attention returned to her sister who'd started talking about mentors.

"Talonfang," Wasppaw mewed softly. "Why was Spiderpaw lucky?" What was so good about Darktail? She tilted her head as she thought about her mentor. The tom was just about as stubborn as she was, and they tended to butt heads, but otherwise she felt they got along alright. "He's alright. Do you not get along with Minnowflash?"  

[belloblossom]

Pantherpaw let out a long, exasperated sigh when her sister revealed that she had gotten Talonfang. Had all of her siblings gotten a cool mentor except for her? This had to be some sort of test Shadowstar put her on, she reasoned. She had to see how Pantherpaw would work around her mentor and still come out an excellent and dedicated warrior, despite Minnowflash, who was holding her back from her true potential. After all, who really needed to know how to fish? No, fighting was a warrior's true calling! And Pantherpaw was ready to rise to it!

"Of course you got another good mentor." She replied and then stared hard at Wasppaw at her follow-up question. "Are you kidding? Darktail is like, a super strong warrior! Everyone in RiverClan knows that! Probably everyone in ForestClan! I went on a training session with him and Spiderpaw and he knew exactly how to train an apprentice, with a routine and everything! Spiderpaw's gonna become a warrior the fastest out of all of us, I bet, since he's her mentor."

"It's not that I don't get along with Minnowflash." She shook her head. "I mean, he's friendly enough, but he's so... Minnowflash." She sighed again. "Honestly he feels more like another apprentice than a warrior. Most of the time I feel like I'm doing all the work, getting him up to go train, telling him how to train me and having to be the one to take charge all the time." She shook her head. "I don't mind being given the choice to make up my own mind, but it would be nice if I didn't have to do everything. That said, I feel like if he ever did take charge, we'd just end up fishing for the whole day. Uuuugh." She rubbed a paw across her muzzle and rolled her eyes.

"Buuut, you know." Pantherpaw mewed suddenly, her eyes darting around the camp. "Neither of our mentors are here right now. Wanna go out into the territory ourselves?" She suggested eagerly.

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

belloblossom

Wasppaw flicked her ears as Pantherpaw called her mentor good. She silently thought of all the times Talonfang and herself had butted heads over something. The tom was equally as stubborn as she was, which meant they usually arrived at a suitable compromise. Was that what made him a good mentor? "Well I'm sure you could ask Darktail to give you some extra sparring lessons on the side. If he's that good, he shouldn't mind."

She got a sly look and leaned closer to her sister and whispered. "Or do something naught and hint to Minnowflash that he should train you as punishment, and how you'd absolutely hate it." Wasppaw laughed, "Well of course he's Minnowflash. It'd be kind of awkward if he wasn't now wouldn't it?"

She wrinkled her nose. "I'd say enjoy it. Talonfang decides we should do stuff that I don't like doing. Like caring for the elders, or endless hunting." She hated combing the patchy elder's fur. If some of them weren't so scraggly, it wouldn't be that bad. "Fishing? In this weather? Ugh!" She made face then snorted. She pittied the poor cat who had to dip their paws into the half frozen water.

Wasppaw sat quietly for a moment as she considered her sister's suggestion. Her yellow eyes slowly scanning the camp to confirm that both mentors were absent. "Another border patrol might not be a bad idea." Now the question. Should they tell someone? Just drop it casually they were going out? Maybe another apprentice, someone who couldn't stop them.  

[belloblossom]

Pantherpaw let out a sigh, her expression longing.
"I wonder if Darktail would go for something like that." She mewed. "But it took so long to get him to agree to train me with Spiderpaw... Still... maybe if it was just him and me..." She curled her tail in delight. "Maybe I'll try it. No, I will try it! Thanks for the idea, Wasppaw!"

She laughed a little at her sister's next suggestion and shook her head.
"I don't think that will work. Minnowflash isn't the type to punish my behavior. He's never even raised his voice at me before. He stutters sometimes though. That's sort of like the opposite of raising his mew, heh."

"Ew, he makes you fish too? Fishing is awful!" She agreed. "Minnowflash is, like, all about fishing." She flattened her ears; rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I wish someone would've told him that just because he's named after a fish, doesn't mean he has to be obsessed with them." She scoffed, before perking her ears.

"Yeah, a border patrol!" She agreed. "I've been on a few with Minnowflash. They're always so cool! Even though if nothing really exciting happens." She shrugged. "Maybe we'll get lucky and have something exciting happen on ours!" She looked around and shrugged. "I don't think we have to bother anyone with the fact that we're leaving. Besides, we won't be too long." She mewed with a twinkle in her eye. "Come on, let's go!" She mewed and darted towards the Clan entrance.

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

belloblossom

She gave a purr as her sister took up the idea. "I can ask Talonfang if you can train with us too," she offered. That way Darktail might not get suspicious. Wasppaw settled herself down and tucked her paws under her chest as she snorted with envy. "I wish Talonfang was that laid back. I could go do whatever I wanted then. You should take advantage." She eyed her sister thoughtfully. "If I had your mentor I'd just assign myself to patrols every day."

"Not every day. But often enough." She didn't like her paws wet, or cold. And fishing she was both. At least when she was actually hunting she felt useful. Wasppaw snickered. "I'd be in double trouble then! Never knowing if I'd get the talon or the fang!"

Quickly she jumped to her paws and raced after her sister. Oh yes! This was going to be much more fun than fishing or hunting! Wasppaw nose quickly through the reeds that guarded the entrance to camp. In several dainty hops she crossed the river with only a slight wetting of her toes.  

[belloblossom]

Pantherpaw grinned at her sister's offer and nodded excitedly.
"Yeah! Please do! I would love to train with you! And maybe Talonfang can convince Minnowflash to actually act like a mentor for a change!" She agreed with a wide smile.

Then, they were out in the territory. She had to prevent herself from letting out a whoop of excitement. With a powerful jump, she tried to clear the river in one leap, but ended up splashing down into it instead. Her whoop of would-be excitement turned to one of shock and she quickly followed her sister out onto the land.

"O-one of these days!" She stammered to her sister. "One-one of these days I'll be able to jump over that whole thing! And Shadowstar will see and make me her deputy right away! Or the new leader, right like that on the spot!" She declared as she shook out her pelt, turning her into a cold, black puffball. "A-Anyway, let's go on. A little water never hurt anyone, right?" She mewed. "And hey, if we smell any prey-scent, we can catch it and eat it, cause we're doing a border patrol instead of a hunting one!" She added. "Which is good, cause I'm hungry!" Maybe she should've remembered to eat before she left... Oh well. It was time to put food on hold and enjoy her patrol!

magnadearel

 

[magnadearel]

belloblossom

Wasppaw made a note to ask her mentor. It wouldn't hurt and might even be fun. Her sister would appreciate it, and then she'd owe her. She wasn't quite sure why her sister was so focused upon her mentor acting like one, or what she thought one should act like, but it wasn't her problem.

She laughed as her sister tried to conquer the river in just one bound and didn't make it. A couple flicks of her paws and she was good to go! "I hope not. If you can make it any cat from another clan could make it too." And that would mean they were attacking the camp. It would be something exciting though. She could prove her battle prowess in battle! Wasppaw flicked her tail at her sister. "You're gonna have to try harder than that to become deputy or leader!"

She nodded. "Lets go downstream and make sure no one is trying to come upstream." Doing a little hunting sounded wonderful too. They hadn't had time to eat, lest their mentors make a belated appearance and order them off on another boring hunting patrol.