Closed Thread [Closed] Something New (12FF20) - semi-private

Dovepaw tried not to pant as she came up behind Mistyleaf and managed not to flop down as she made the best of the rest period her mentor was giving her. Her still kit-length legs burned with fatigue and she tried not to let it show that the mottled new apprentice was feeling a tad overwhelmed at what was being asked of her. She had been a kit this morning and now she was an apprentice and being shown the territory. Dovepaw knew all apprentices had to take the tour- they had to know the boundaries of Thunderclan after all! But Starclan, was that territory big and her legs short!

"It's big." She puffed, though her breathing was already starting to even out and she wasn't about to admit she was any troubles keeping up. "I didn't know Thunderclan was so big." She had tried to soak up all the info her mentor was giving her- tried to remember the scents, the locations, the borders, everything she had been shown so far. Dovepaw didn't know how much she had taken in though, and she hoped that all the warriors would be willing to help her until she knew what from where. 

Green eyes looked around, curious and eager but with a little trepidation. Mistyleaf seemed like she was starting to feel better after being announced as a mentor, but Dovepaw had seen how anxious the older she-cat had been initially. Grey and cream ears twitched uncertainly and there was a shadow of unease in her green gaze before the apprentice raised her gaze to lock with Mistyleaf's.

Taking a deep breath, she decided she was just going to plunge into the question that had been nagging at her. "If I ask a question, will you be honest with me?" The apprentice waited another long moment, ears turned towards the warrior before she continued, not wanting to loose her nerve, all but blurting out. "Did you really want to be my mentor?"

"I asked for honesty, it's only respectful that I don't breath a word of it." Dovepaw vowed softly as she watched her mentor look around to make sure they were alone. Mistyleaf's tail twitched and swished as she spoke and Dovepaw watched it thoughtfully as she listened to the older she-cat.

When Mistyleaf admitted how she had felt initially at being made an apprentice, the blue-cream apprentice relaxed visibly. Honestly, she thought maybe it was because Mistyleaf had hoped for one of her siblings instead of her.

"The elders have served their time and are old, except for Bravesong. But you seem like you're still really young. Not a senior warrior." Her tone wasn't disrespectful, merely matter-of-fact. Funny enough, with as much energy as she always seemed to have, Dovepaw was pleased with how focused she was able to stay and how still she was able to sit. Her tail twitched slightly before curling around her paws.

Green eyes looked at the torbie thoughtfully before she spoke up. "With how surprised you looked when he called you to be my mentor, it made me think Moosestar hadn't actually talked to you about being a mentor first. Isn't that normally what a leader does is ask if a cat feels reafy to be a mentor?"

Again, she lapsed into quiet as she thought of what else to say to her mentor- the surprised, young mentor who didn't feel like one or that she was ready for one.

"If you want, we don't have to be mentor and apprentice." She spoke slowly, carefully, wanting to offer a compromise that might help Mistyleaf get over what Dovepaw saw as being overwhlemed. "Maybe think of me as a sibling? Or a friend? Someone you want to the territory to, show off hunting moves and prey caught to, to pal around at Gatherings with, but not necessarily teach? I like being shown things. I like trying things out myself. But I might need to ask questions sometimes to make sure I do things right. And some advice on how to improve things you show me might be nice."

"Even if we're not necessarily mentor and apprentice, as long as I am still able to get my training complete, I honestly don't care how we go about it." Dovepaw replied, perking as Mistyleaf's tail became animated and almost excited and she looked up at the sky. "But I will ask questions if I have them."

She glanced up at the sky as well, tail uncurling from her paws to wave gently above her back. Her green eyes remained thoughtful before she looked back at her mentor. "Well, even if you're new to this, and I'm still pitifully lacking from only being a kit until just earlier today, I'm glad I have you for a mentor. Already, you're willing to listen and speak with me on my troubles and concerns. This experience is new to both of us, but you're willing to work with me so we can make this work."

"To be honest, I think having Moosestar for a mentor would have been kind of intimidating. He might be a new leader and all, but just being a leader's apprentice would have to be a bit nerve-wracking. You'd have to always mind your whiskers being a leader's apprentice. A lot of pressure." Her fur fluffed out slightly and she shivered as she thought of who her other options had been. Shaking herself, Dovepaw reached down to smooth her chest fur. "And I don't think I would have done well if Wrentalon had been my mentor. No offense to him, but he's younger than you and, if I'm honestly, he.... gets my tail in a bit of a kink. From what I've seen around camp, he's a bit full of himself and not exactly the friendliest. I don't think we would have clicked very well." 

Her ears twitched as she fell silent, listening to the birds singing on either side of them and, despite their conversation, the mottled apprentice could scent squirrels and mice around them. Her stomach was growling quietly and she realized that her breakfast seemed so far away. But their talk was currently more important to her so she ignored the empty feeling in her belly for the time being.

Dovepaw felt like things would be alright between them now. That they had managed to smooth over this rough patch that they had just come across. At least she didn't get scolded for what she said about Wrentalon. After all, he was a warrior and he was Tigerrush's brother. However, when she heard Mistyleaf's comment about being the leader's apprentice, she tilted her head. "Were you a difficult apprentice?" She mewed curiously, not quite able to believe it. "Or did you not get along with your mentor?"

Dovepaw's own tail twitched lightly as she listened to her mentor explain what she thought she was like as an apprentice. She opened her mouth to say something when her belly gave a loud growl and the mottled apprentice flattened her ears in embarrassment. "I know you were wanting to show me the territory, but since we aren't on a hunting patrol, can we maybe catch something to eat quick before we continue on?" She shifted her forepaws sheepishly, but her tone was hopeful. "Breakfast seems a long time ago and then I'll have more energy to help me keep up to finish the tour of the territory." Her ears and nose could still pick up the sounds and scents of prey animals around them.

Dovepaw swear she had heard from other patrols that you couldn't eat on hunting patrols but if you did border patrols you could. With her anxiety about her mentor not being sorry for having her as an apprentice having been quelled, the next item on her list was to fill her belly. With it being empty, it made temper a bit thin. When she heard Mistyleaf's words, the mottled apprentice gave an exasperated sigh and laid her ears back, barely managed to bite back a growl. 

"Fine. Whatever. If we're not going to eat, then let's just finish the tour. Or if you still think we should hunt instead, fine. Either way, let's get it over. How many pieces of prey do you think will be enough?"

"I'm not exactly upset. I'm just hungry." Dovepaw grumbled and heaved herself to her feet. She was still getting tired but now that she had been able to catch her breath and rest for a short time, she was ready to continue on. Taking a moment to stretch her legs and back to limber back up, she decided to see what her mentor thought of the area they were getting ready to head. "If you think it best to start hunting at Sunningrocks, that's fine. Is that a good place to hunt? I know the elders like to sun themselves there, but what kind of prey should we expect to find there?"

"Yes, they do quite like to," Mistyleaf mewed about elders sunning themselves. "Of course, it's not only elders who enjoy it. Mice and voles are often there amongst the rocks, and this sort of weather can yield good hunting." She was glad Dovepaw did want to continue the tour. If they did catch anything, they could drop it off at camp too.

"The Stream Clearing might be promising as well," she added. If nothing else, the water would be nice.