Races (open)

[**Liz**]

It's going to take patience and time, I got my mind set on you. Having seen the territory, he found that the best place to hunt and not catch anything was the twoleg paths. He came here anyways.
Suddenly a small mouse caught his eye and, without thinking, slashed out-killing it.
He wasn't doing anything in particular so the dark tom figured he could just eat it there.
But the clan does need fresh kill, he thought. So he buried it, and settled down in the sun. It was early morning, and he doubted that any cat knew he was out. He though he was all alone, so he began to groom himself.
Suddenly, his ears perked up, hearing some noise.
Darkpaw growled deeply.
" Who's there?"

[Sasha]

"Woah, kiddo. You're fine." Silversun peeked out from the undergrowth behind him, grinning. Was she hunting? Not really, no. She'd been taking a nonchalant walk through the forest, a routine she did as a loner when she would wake up before the rest of them. Other cats were up when she'd risen, of course, but she was more fond of hunting when night began to fall, just before sleep. Didn't matter either way, she guessed. But all the little creatures came out at night.

She stretched in the early-morning light, her thick gray fur damp with dew from leaves she'd brushed against. The warrior eyed him for a moment, blinking with realization. "Darkpaw, aint'cha?" She asked. "Star's friend, right?"

[**Liz**]

Darkpw scoffed.
" Fine? FINE!? You-you just sneak up on some one and say' You're FINE'? Ha! Oh no, it's okay, my HEAD HAS JUST BEEN CUT OFF! I'll be fine! " His fur was still electrified as he stood, wrongly yelling at this warrior. He realized who he'd been talking to, and sighed.
He said slowly.
" ...Silversun, right? I am so sorry.Y-you just scared the living lights out of me." He dipped his head respectfully, not submissively, but apologetically. His dark fur lay flat. " Yes, my name is Darkpaw." He licked his chest nervously. " And, you mean Stargazer, right? I know her. She's sweet...although we haven't talked in a while. Talks a lot about you though," he stared out at the sky, a small cloud was floating across a vibrantly blue sky. " I am very, truly sorry. I'll get out of your fur, you're probably cross with me now." He did feel horrible and it showed as he, tail drooped, eyes averted, awaited her reply.

[Sasha]

Silversun leaped back, her ears flattening to her skull as the apprentice shouted at her. Uncommon? From Stargazer's 'sweet, adorable little cat,' yes. Loners, no. Either way, her eyes narrowed with dissapproval.
"Jittery lil' thing, aren't ya?" She asked, her fur flattening as his did. His attitude changed completely, though her ears stayed low. "Talks a lot about me, does she?" Silversun mused, chuckling. "She's a quiet kit, not many friends. Glad she found one in you, actually." She smiled.

"Cross with you? No!" Silversun laughed. "You're calm now, 'long as you don't spaz again, we're good for now. Out huntin' alone? Wouldn't mind company? I've been a tad lonely this mornin'."

[**Liz**]

Darkpaws tail shot straight up, his eyes glinting.
He counted his blessings.
1. She wasn't cross
2. She would take him hunting!
3. And, most importantly, she was glad he befriended her friend.
No matter what, it always felt good to be accepted, although he wouldn't have let her opinion change his mind about being friends with the sweet she-cat.
" Thank you Silversun." he bowed his head respectfully. " Actually, this is the first time hunting." When he was temporarily a loner, he'd stolen food from kittypets and two-legs crowfood. " I don't have a mentor, yet, so it would be nice to learn from an actual warrior!" He could barely contain his excitement.

[Sasha]

Silversun's ears rose to attention, her eyes lighting up. A mentorless apprentice! She glanced around without moving her head, her smile growing. Great, I can prove somethin' to that ole' Ravenstar, she thought. Even if he wasn't around to see it, maybe word would go around. By her tongue, obviously. Vain, maybe, sometimes you had to be. She chuckled mentally, watching the young tom.

"Well now," she began, rising to her paws. "I'd have t'say I'd be about honored to train you this mornin', Darkpaw." She settled to her haunches then, returning his respectful head bow with a nod of her own, though it was very slight. "First things first; you catch anything yet?"

[**Liz**]

The mouse had been sitting underground a while now, incredibly confused about where it was and how it got there.
It seems that Darkpaw, although his intentions were to kill, had only but dazed the poor little thing. Which was now covered in a thin layer of dirt and, as Darkpaw went over to retrieve it, made a daring dash for the open...

Darkpaw hissed. " Fox dung!" He watched the mouse's fat little bottom bounce away into the forest, it's thin little tail streaming in behind, as the mouse itself made little squeaking noises of terror. He had nodded to Silversun, told her he had indeed made a daring catch which was now, much to his dismay, running off into the woods.
He felt ashamed and embarrassed. After all, she had been honored to teach him.
Darkpaw sighed,
" Guess I didn't, catch anything 't all..."

[Sasha]

Silversun laughed as the mouse darted away into the underbrush; it was not an unkind laugh. She turned toward the dissapointed young tom, his tone hinting embarrassment. "No worries, kiddo," she said, flicking his shoulder with her tail as she walked past. "Come on with me. We'll find a mouse for you t'catch yet."

Ahead of the two cats was a clearing; Silversun paused suddenly, glancing back as if to tell the tom to stop. The smell of live squirrels nearly wafted from the area; a lucky spot. "Now," she said quietly. "These'ren't easy to catch, but they're fun all right. Squirrels are fast and hear well, but stupid. Watch." She took a step foward, purposly snapping a twig. A few chattering squirrels froze, leaping to the treetops a second later.
She motioned for him to stay silent, to wait. Five or six minutes later, the squirrels leaped to the ground again, chittering away.
"Think you're fast enough?" She teased, taking a step back. "Don't give up if ya'don't catch one at first."

[**Liz**]

Well, he shrugged, at least she wasn't making fun of me. Darkpaw nodded to the warrior gratefully. Where he came from, failure of any kind was a horrible offense punishable by any means. Humiliation was just a warning, second time was public thrashing and the third time was most likely death (or close to).
Which was why he flinched as Silversun flicked his shoulder.

As they reached the clearing, Darkpaw halted. Was that...
" Squirrel?" He whispered. Although, he found it quite amusing that they came back after a few minutes of being scared off.
" They're lazy too." He mused, dropping into a crouch and skirting forward. There was one squirrel, closer to him than anything else.
It sat on its haunches eating a nut, chattering away at something.
Getting closer he stopped, and went into the hunters crouch.
He pounced-
It was too fast. He chased it all around the clearing, and had grabbed onto it's tail twice, but couldn't get any skin. Only fur. It scurried up one of the oaks, where all the other squirrels were, Darkpaw tried to follow, but was no climber, and fell hard on his behind.

And, as if to add insult to injury, the furry little jokers began throwing nuts and tree bits down at him, Darkpaw's ears now flattened with disgust and dismay.
He scurried back over to Silversun, panting. His tail was thrashing slightly, as he growled,
" Stupid squirrels."

[Sasha]

As he returned with a growl, Silversun gave him a reassuring smile. "It's a'right, Darkpaw. You almost got it a couple'a times, I saw." She rose to her paws, peering through the undergrowth. "Maybe we should practice with other things, first." She murmured, looking over the young tom. It was his first hunt,she thought, and flicked her tail, motioning for him to follow.

They were near the path again, and Silversun stopped in her tracks. "Okay," she whispered, "smell the air. Y'smell that? A couple'a mice, o'er there, I think." She pointed with her paw. "You nearly caught that other mouse, yeah? Try it again. It can't smell us from here."

[**Liz**]

His fur fluffed out, the black tom felt a cold, clutching feeling at his chest and the back of his mind; failure. Too many scars had Darkpaw to show for all his failures as a young apprentice.
He flinched once more as Silversun turned to speak to him, feeling rather stupid for he knew somehow that Silversun would hardly ever hurt him because of one silly failure.
He nodded his head slightly at her praise and followed the she-cat to the path.

Glad to smell mouse once more, he listened only half heartedly, intent on catching this one mouse.
" Right, can't smell us, got it." He wriggled his bottom with anticipation.
There it was. He left Silversun far behind in his mind, and suddenly there was the mouse. Only the mouse. It's wiry tail flicked as it searched for seeds and other things.
It moved closer.
It's whiskers flicking-
Darkpaw's hind legs thrust him forward, he pushed harder than he ever thought possible, and was sure the mouse did not see him coming as he flew on top of it.
But, keeping the squirming mouse still, he was still unsure what to do with it.
He remembered watching one of the warriors...he couldn't remember who, biting down on the neck.
He tried. It let out a horrifying blood chilling scream before it finally died. He stepped away, horrified.
" I-I killed it...Silversun, was it-did I hurt it?" he'd never wanted it to suffer. His heart sank, ears drooped, as he sent a silent prayer of thanks to Starclan, wishing the mouse good journeys in where ever fresh kill went after it died. Almost to the point of tears, he said sadly,
" I never wanted it to suffer."

[Sasha]

She smiled as the young tom bit down on the mouse, killing it. Silversun walked to him, not noticing the apprentice's look. "Y'did great, Darkpaw! You've got a bit a technique there, even, and--" she paused as he spoke, his voice shaky and uneven.
"Of course y'killed it," she said slowly, finally turning her eyes to him. "That's--"
The look on his face caused her to pause, sucking in a breath. She'd never once known a cat to feel for a mouse; even if Stargazer didn't like the killing, she hardly blinked an eye herself when she went hunting.
Did it hurt? What would she tell him? 'Of course it hurt, y'nitwit, y'killed it, didn't ya?' No. She needed to talk to him the same way she talked to Stargazer.

"Oh, hun. I'll be honest, now..." she began. "I'm sure it felt somethin', but not much. Y'got it's neck, it's not gonna feel too much pain. Don't you worry. It's death was quick, and think of it this way, now: if you hadn't killed it, quick an' all, somethin' might've come along and nearly tortured it. But you did well," Silversun finished. "That was a good hunt." She pressed her nose to his cheek playfully, giving him a reassuring smile.

[**Liz**]

Darkpaw looked down at the mouse once more, Silversun's words slipping off his ears like rocks on an ice pond.
Suddenly her tone changed, and that got his attention. He looked up at her, seeing the shock of the fact that he felt remorse for killing the mouse. But he did.
When she said something else would have tortured it, that it's death was quick, made him feel a little better.
" Thanks Silversun... it's just that I-I've never killed, anything, before... " he sighed sadly, his eyes wrought with pain and memories of his early apprentice-hood, and his friends death which he could not seem to just let go.
He smiled back up at her, though, it was meek.
" It was okay, I guess..."
Darkpaw shut his eyes tightly.
He felt horrible still, and had to crouch down for a minute or so before being able to continue.

[Sasha]

"There, there," she purred, grooming his shoulders as he took a moment to breath. "First kills'r hard. Think about it, too, like this: it's got a good purpose, y'know? You're feeding the clan." She paused. "But if you're hungry, y'know, y'can eat it. I won't tell a soul." she teased, grinning.

Poor thing, she thought, kneading the ground. She remembered back to her first kill, then; she hadn't really flinched. Had Stargazer? Silversun couldn't remember.
Star's first cat, she blinked. Star's first cat; Stargazer had flinched. She'd cried for nights after.
What a flinch.

[**Liz**]

Worthless! You worthless little piece of mouse dung, I can't believe I once called you son!
Go. Away. Father.
No! Not until you learn to kill, not until you learn to die-
You were insane, father, why should I ever listen to you?
I was your father, your mentor, your leader, Darkpaw. You'd dishonor me by-by grieving for a mouse? You are nothing to me, to me and your clan-
I am not! And I have a clan now, Thunderclan. And I'll be warrior, soon.
You'll never be a warrior, Darkpaw. You are a dishonor on the clans, and cat kind... PROVE. ME. WRONG!

Suddenly Darkpaw took to his paws, his eyes blazing and dark, as he turned his head toward Silversun.
" I do not need anyones pity, Silversun, thank you." He growled softly.
Seeing a squirrel, he dropped into a hunters crouch. Its large tail flicked.
Go, boy, go!
Darkpaw scuttled forward, catching it by surprise. It squealed, it's paws lashing out in fury and fear-
KILL IT.
He bit down. Hard. It squirmed no more. Darkpaw turned around, pleased with himself, to face Silversun.
" Got it." He growled, his fangs dripping with blood.
Something was wrong. Horribly wrong. For a moment, Darkpaw did not look, act or sound like Darkpaw.
For a moment, Deathfang stood on the path, his tail swishing.