Private Thread I Know You Are But What Am I? [13CF2020]

The aim of an argument is not victory, but progress
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 Sootpaw was crouched in the reeds of grass to her left - possibly deeper in muck than most cats would be comfortable with, his yellow eyes gleaming with curiosity rather than aggression. Perhaps not the correct reaction to a trespasser, but it didn't cross his mind in the moment.

He paused his stalking - debating how to approach the situation. He recognized her as the Thunderclan apprentice that had sassed the leaders. Based on what he had heard last gathering she was also the Leader's apprentice.

Obviously she would be expecting aggression, so he decided to do the exact opposite.

"Hiya!" He didn't so much as appear from the reeds as pop out, only his head visible for a moment before disappearing again playfully. He strode through the murk, aware that he wasn't being stealthy - if she wanted to she could easily follow his movement through the grass. He stopped a few lengths from his last appearance, and popped his head out again. "You're Thunderclan, right?"

Adventurous hearts, wild and free, dance to the rhythm of destiny
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It turns out, Brindlepaw didn't have to wait long before her blunder was discovered. A form popped out from the reeds seemingly out of nowhere, causing the she-apprentice to splinter. The length of her tail stuck out, fanning none too discreetly as she was instantly startled by the muck-born creature who only vaguely smelled cat-like.

" 'Hiya'?! " Brindlepaw's maw twitched into a incredulous snarl, not believing what she heard. Was this Shadowclan clan absolutely mentally unhinged? Tail still fluffed out, she prowled diligently after him, treating him as if he were the instigator in this situation, not herself. Body low, her hunter's crouch, head low and nostril searching finally found the black and white offender.

Balking with amusement, Brindlepaw decided to indulge him, if only for a moment. Who knew if this strange behavior was being taught to all of Shadowclan - some manipulation tactic that tried to put her at ease before they inevitably struck, claws unsheathed and flailing. Every muscle in her body looked poised to retaliate, keeping the balls of her pads fluid on the loamy terrain.

"Yeah, whats'it to ya? You gunna try and chase me over the border, or what?"

The aim of an argument is not victory, but progress
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 Sootpaw laughed at her snarl. When all was said and done, he wasn't afraid of her - not really. After a moment he tilted her head at her reply.

"I'm supposed to aren't I?" He considered the notion for a moment. "I could. But, we are talking and I would much rather just chat and maybe walk in the direction of Thunderpath, than run up to it. What if a Monster came by and hit you? I would feel awful." He finally emerged from the reeds, his long legs stained with mud up to his elbows.

"You were at the last gathering with Thunderclan. I heard from my brother who heard from a warrior who heard from that Savage fellow that you're the leader's apprentice." He padded up beside her, waiting expectantly for her to match his stride on the way back to the border. "How's that going?" Sootpaw wanted to know if all leaders were as smart as Palestar. That Moosestar didn't seem all that witty but maybe she could prove him wrong.

"I'm Sootpaw by the way. We never got to talk at the gathering with all the excitment."

Adventurous hearts, wild and free, dance to the rhythm of destiny
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 Feeling a tad exasperated, Brindlepaw heaved a long, drawn out sigh as if she were being pestered by her sisters. An eye rolled sealed the deal as her tail smoothed down, feeling more or less contained once more. It could have been worse, she could have been forced over the thunderpath by a shadowclan warrior and not this overly friendly apprentice. She gave him that grace at least. Running headlong over the thunderpath wasn't such a good idea.

"I didn't really do anything wrong, just chased a thunderclan squirrel over the border - so I guess it's yours now. You're welcome." She reiderated slowly as if this apprentice - this Sootpaw - was slow. And absolutely filthy hunting starclan knew what. Her eyes barely contained her distain for the mostly white tomcat, but they flashed to curiosity once he mentioned that someone clued him in to who her mentor was as if it hadn't been obvious or tracable.

"I'm Brindlepaw." It would have been nice to talk to some apprentices at the Gathering, but Moosestar nearly left Fourtrees before a word could even get out, and by then, everyone was so caught up in the drama she didn't get a chance to. "Oh, I'm sure I'll be getting my warrior name early. I've been hard at work learning everything I can to be the best." Her eyes flicked to the wooded border before the thunderpath and her eyes glittered.

Turning back to Sootpaw, her tail lashed, her smaller frame poised as she padded a bit back and forth. "I can show you. Bet your too mouse-hearted to try and beat me in a race. Up the shadowclan border, until your hit the side stream there and touch the water with your toes." A bold proposition coming from an outsider.

Adventurous hearts, wild and free, dance to the rhythm of destiny
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 Brindlepaw was glad that this lout wasn't in charge of naming her. Brindleclimber was a mouthfull, and her mind staggered just trying to list it off in her head. Giving a pointed sniff in his direction, she mewed. "Climbing trees is a rather important skill in Thunderclan. Half the prey hides in them." She recalled Wildcry's preference for young birds still in their nests, how tender their flesh had been when she tasted one!

Sootpaw seemed eager to race, but she found it strange and suspicious that he bounded towards her first. Not to say she wasn't prepared for a sudden shift in intent - she was still on her guard about trusting a shadowclan cat this far. Disregarding any semblance of fairness, the tom used her to leverage an advantage - but her feet were planted firm, and shifted forward to meet him, hoping to jostle him right back.

There was no way she'd let him win, especially not after that stunt, and without a word took off after him at top sprint, breathing evenly through her nose as she was taught. Yet at the last moment she held her breath as she bounced ahead and knocked a pawful of sand in his direction, the dust clouding around them. Even if his vision wasn't hampered, inhaling a mouthful of sand would disrupt his breathing. Knock him down a few pegs. Brindlepaw continued to make a beeline for the sidestream, body utilizing her natural lithe frame to move with the wind.

Adventurous hearts, wild and free, dance to the rhythm of destiny
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 Brindlepaw's eyes were slitted in focus, maw screwed tight as nostrils flared to keep up with her breathing. Ahead lay a pitfall of a trap; scours of muddy earth that would soak into her toes and threaten to suction her down, decelerating her approach. She might have taken the longer way around, but a shortcut was a shortcut and stubbornly she sped up. Making gains as claws cut through the loamy earth before she leaped forward, hoping to span some of the entirety of the muddy slope ahead. She soared through the air, a blur of dilute creams and blues which offered the perfect camouflage in the thunderclan forest, but it seemed fit for the murky greys and earthy hues of the swamp just as well.

While she may arched impressively over most of the muddy span, she landed hard into the muck, sending a wave of water logged debris in her wake. Brindlepaw grunted, pulling her shoulders to free herself before continuing forward, but she had lost most of her momentum even if she nearly was free of it herself, which gave Sootpaw an opportunity to catch up.

Adventurous hearts, wild and free, dance to the rhythm of destiny
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 Catching her breath, she nearly didn't see the tom come up and snatch her scruff, giving her the boost she needed to lift herself out of the mire. "Don't think that'll make me take it easy on you!" She howled with a fierce cantor, but there was a smile on her face. Brindlepaw woudln't admit it to Bravesong, certainly not her sisters, but she was having fun. With a smirk, she took after Sootpaw was just as much zeal.

While Sootpaw seemed to slip his claws from the overturned log, she confidently ran forward. It wasn't as if she could be even more embarrassed about messing up her pelt than she already was. With a leap, arms splayed, she half hugged the wood. As she hauled herself over, she could feel the weight of the wood slipping, but she skittered and held tight like she would have climbing up a tree. Haha, more things she was good at!

Once she was over, she hopped down onto dry ground - well, dry enough anyway. The loamy earth felt purchases beneath her paws as she took off towards sidestream. It was so close now! Just a final sprint towards the finish line - even if she ended up neck and neck with this upstart tom, she refused to lose!