|tear you open wide, take a look inside — [mapleh]

[midnighthowl]

She wondered idly if the Clans had any idea yet what was waiting for them... the future was but a reaper, with arms wide, scythe in hand; a macabre horror here to stay. Though, Midnight wasn't one to ponder indolently, she had her questions. If they knew, they showed no signs of conception. Her pawsteps went unheard as she slipped swiftly through the marsh; Maplepaw was close behind, and the twisted, ebony she-cat was aware of her careless trampling. It was like a baby's rattle; exasperating. She was irritated, but she decided to approach their training with a different method. She had always assumed that an apprentice would already know the basics; as cats should always have common sense, but for training-sake, if they were presupposed irrational, then strict and stern encouragement and scolding would need to be present.

So be it. It was decided. Halting, she turned to wait for the monochrome she-cat to draw alongside. Her ocher gaze was remote as she beckoned the youthful ever closer with her broad, thick tail. "Hurry up. We have a schedule to cover." Midnight roughly ground out, before she continued onwards down the slight ravine. Maplepaw had a sharp mouth, she knew very well, but hopefully, after she had been scolded many times now, it would stay as civilly brusque as possible. With a single leap over a fallen log, she landed, with a thud, in the clearing before the Burnt Sycamore.

This was it. No Coterie today, it was time for training. Maybe ShadowClan would pay, and maybe they would feel hell breathing down their neck, but Maplepaw belonged to her, and she would train her in all ways possible. Not to fight for ShadowClan, but for Midnight instead. "Always be ready. Your enemies will want you diverted," Her claws remained sheathed, but that didn't mean they weren't itching to get out. The moment the black and white apprentice stepped foot into the flattened, pale-brown sphere, her mentor was advancing towards her, ready to scoop her into the air with a single, potent paw.

And then she aimed.

"They will use this to their advantage, and to your shortcoming." The black feline added after she skidded to a stop and turned to face Maplepaw. She deliberated catching her, but she wanted Maplepaw to learn the hard way. Strength wasn't made from weakness. From nothing, comes nothing.

"They will not wait for you to stabilize. Now, get up."

458

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[bg=03031F] a young black and white apprentice made her way through the marsh, following behind her mentor. well to her mentor it must have been considered slowly, when really, it wasn't. when they left camp midnight had been irritated, as if she had expected her to know everything there was to being a warrior. but how could she? she had been an apprentice for not yet two moons, and has already recycled through at least two mentors. they just couldn't handle her 'bratty attitude' and 'big mouth'. maplepaw rolled her eyes. did every warrior expect every apprentice to be quiet and obident? this isn't thunderclan, she thought briefly before noticing that she couldn't hear her mentor's paw steps anymore. she had come to a halt for a moment, so so did maplepaw alongside her mentor. the she-cat spoke to her in her unique deep voice. "Hurry up. We have a schedule to cover." she mewed before continuing on towards a ravine without looking back. yeah, hurry up. even though i'm four times smaller than you are, i should totally be keeping up with you paw step for paw step, she muttered, obviously frustrated. but none the less the black and white apprentice picked up her pace as she headed down into the clearing where midnight was waiting. "Always be ready. Your enemies will want you diverted," the voice reached her ears moments before she reached the clearing. when she did come in view of her obsidian mentor she was advancing at her, one paw slightly raised. immediately maplepaw tensed up, and tried to spring out of the way. she wasn't near fast nor strong enough to dodge midnight's single blow. with a paw, her mentor scooped maplepaw in to the air maplepaw landing painfully on her back. "They will not wait for you to stabilize. Now, get up."

[/i] the voice of her mentor was harsh. maplepaw got to her feet, twitching her ear in irritation. did midnight expect her to get everything immediately? she flared her nostrils in frustration trying to calm herself down. she knew that talking back and whining about it would get her absolutely no where with her mentor, so there was obviously no point to it.

so what was she supposed to say? 'i'm sorry, i'll try harder next time?' that hardly cut it. that was not her personality, nor did she even feel like saying it. er...okay. so how do i dodge it? she asked, shaking her pelt. she stared at her mentor with forest green orbs, waiting for an answer. and just in case it was in the form of another attack, she would be ready.





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notes;
muse; good [:
word count; 463
colors used; CC0066
comments; -rubs hands together- :3[/color]


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[midnighthowl]

Watching with amusement as Maplepaw fell to the ground on her back, the ebony she-cat let out a laugh. Did the little apprentice think that Midnighthowl was as soft as the other mentors? She was the one who asked for Midnighthowl to train her, and so, here they were: training. If it was not to her liking, who was she to complain? Beggars can't be choosers. Ocher gems flickered with appeal as the toneless she-cat got to her paws; shakily at first, but she grounded herself well a heartbeat later. Good, she's determined, her thoughts spoke favorably; she examined her claws for dirt, picking at them as Maplepaw meowed with gritted teeth. er...okay. so how do i dodge it? A quick glance confirmed that Maplepaw was prepared for an attack; she was already learning to be alert on a strict basis.

However, her mentor was disappointed. Had she heard a single thing Midnighthowl had said? If so, she was only acting based on what she'd experienced, showing no signs of understanding. No questions? Perhaps Midnighthowl should attack her more... she wanted to first teach her how to assess the enemy; and to be cautious even in her own territory. This knowledge, she knew, could not be attained through words, or in one single day even. It would have to become a part of Maplepaw, a natural instinct drilled into her skull. The only way to learn was to feel it first hand.

Experience was the best teacher, after all.

The sinister mass was a flicker as she side rolled into the dense undergrowth; her thick black pelt concealed almost entirely. She considered circling around Maplepaw, but instead decided to slip promptly to the other end, where she then traced back to her previous location. If the apprentice was smart, she would have kept herself in the same stance as when Midnighthowl saw her; or else suffer another flying blow. "Answer your own question," it was a shrill cackle; leaves crunched underpaw. Claws unsheathed then, she raked them down the bark of a young spruce. Yellow-green blood oozed from its trunk, and she could nearly feel it weeping.

So, how would she dodge Midnighthowl if she suddenly leaped into the training space once more, and aimed a crack for her side? Try to run, to outspeed her enemy, or counter, maybe even using her enemies strength against her? Her moonstones smoldered like embers, as she suddenly soared for the little she-cat; claws sheathed once again. Her movements were a flurry of rolls and pacing, and zig-zag battering at the ground- to confuse her. Then she rose to her hind legs, about to crash down on Maplepaw...

Of all things, the squawking of a bird in the distance could be heard over the sound of travel in the dirt below.

Move or be crushed. Your call.

517

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[bg=03031F] midnight let out a laugh as maplepaw got back to her feet. what was she laughing at? after maplepaw asked her question a look of disappointment flickered across her mentors face. maplepaw's must have reflected as confused. note: its bad to ask questions? she thought. since when was that bad? wouldn't questions make her learn easier? if not they would at least confirm what she already knew..right? or maybe what midnight meant was it was bad to not observe. to not see things for yourself. well that makes no sense, she thought flicking the thought out of her mind. her thinking was interrupted by her ebony mentor side rolling into the undergrowth. maplepaw's eyes widened in alarm. would she attack from the side, or catch her totally off guard and attack from behind. she swiveled her ear around, searching for any noise in the undergrowth that seemed to have totally engulf her mentor. she stood still, trying to located the black pelt of her mentor, but keeping her paws firmly in place. she was equipped to handle an attack from here no more than she was in a different stance. this took place in no more than a second. the young apprentice flicked her tail in impatience just as her mentor's voice sounded. "Answer your own question," her mentor's voice was followed by the sound of claws stratching against something. it was too loud of a scratch to be the ground, and too long to be a leaf, but the sound made the hair on maplepaw's back rise. her forest green eyes focused as her mentor as she shot out of the undergrowth zigzagging and rolling as of to confuse maplepaw. but the only thing the apprentice could think was are her claws still unsheathed? her fear made time slow down, her green eyes following the momvement's that the massive she-cat made. so when midnight reared on her hind paws for a moment she looked up at her mentor, before her instincts kicked in. her front paws moved sharply to the left, before going to the right where the rest of her body moved. it looked like she was trying to catch a cat's tail, but she meant it so that midnight couldn't change direction and land on top of her. maplepaw was going to leave it at that but she saw an opportunity. with all her strength, she bunched her muscled and aimed at her mentor, springing to knock her mentor off of her feet. in this world it was do or die. notes; muse; okay eh. ]: this post wasn't really that ic for her. /: word count; 435 colors used; none. [CC0066, when in dialog] comments; she's a risk taker xD

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[midnighthowl]

Just as she was prepared to crash down on the black and white apprentice; Maplepaw indecisively leaped out of the way... it was a very clever move to make, because Midnighthowl would have crushed her mercilessly. The Warriors ocher moonstones were smoldering as they followed the toneless she-cat... she saw her muscles bunching, her green eyes reflecting her blatant intentions... she won't be able to tackle me. And it was true. Her mentor would prove to heavy and strong to heave off of her feet. Midnight's only reply: a genuine snicker. Maplepaw was getting the hang of it... but just as she figured previously, it would take much more than a single day to master the art of assessing ones surroundings, and involuntarily acting on natural skill alone. There was little else she could teach Maplepaw aside from the battle moves, and after that, hunting would be a breeze.

To assess ones surroundings when conquering a meal, much more to work with, and better reward for success. She secretly dared the monochrome apprentice to try, with all her puny might, to blow her down... she won't graze me. Twisting to face her as she descended, she embraced Maplepaw in her large forearms upon impact, and instead of overthrowing her, the clearing was still. Just like she figured in the beginning, no luck... but she gave her an A for trying! It would take guts for an apprentice her age and size to attempt to defeat an opponent thrice her size. The ebony she-cats laugh was shrill as she burst. Very smugly she moved away from her apprentice and rose gradually to her feet, dusting herself off. "You learn faster than you walk," Her powerful voice was ever searing, although, in praise. She was probably wondering What now? and that was a good question... having put something in mind, her tail tip flicked to and fro. "Your speed was decent, but you can't second guess yourself in a fight. Next time, no leaf-grabbing," she scolded, referring to Maplepaws uncertainty on which way to go... it could have cost her a sore muscle.

"An enemy who is both stronger and heavier than you can result in a difficult fight to vanquish, and they will use all of the above to their advantage. You have to be ready, and act straight away. I don't ever want to see you hesitating like a starstruck fool again... likewise, barreling right into said enemy is dangerous. You can get yourself killed in a flash. Don't charge at me like that, especially since you're still very young and fragile. I could hurt you." She took a breath, recovering from her stretched critique and drilling. She was quite serious too, if Maplepaw tried to win with brute force, she would lose, and she would pay dearly. She had to realize that she was not a burly she-cat, and she may never be... a lithe and lean cat will always be a lithe and lean cat, just as a flower cannot become a tree. It will always stay a little bud. Her tone was very sharp and cold; gleaming eyes narrowed then. Now that she had reviewed their latest feat, lets continue.

"For someone your size," her chagrin became very debonair. She crouched offensively, shoulder balls rolling forwards and backwards as she stretched. "Leap onto my back- don't unsheathe your claws! If I catch you digging, I'll flip you silly. The Clans call this the 'Leap and Hold', and it is used for enemies larger than yourself... say you and another apprentice were battling a heavy warrior, you might use this in your defense." She paused then, glancing directly at her, "Go on." More like, hold on.

She hoped that Maplepaw really listened to what she said, because she did not fancy repeating herself.

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[bg=03031F] she could tell by the look in midnight's eyes that it had not been a good idea to spring at the she-cat. they were challenging, and as maplepaw was about to crash into midnight, the ebony she-cat braced her with her paws. with a smug look on her face she moved away from maplepaw, shaking the dust from her pelt. to maplepaw's surprise the she-cat laughed again, a laugh that cut through the silence in the marshes. "You learn faster than you walk,"

[/b][/i] maplepaw blinked up in surprise at her mentor. was that good? she thought, a gracious smile appearing on her face. now what?

midnight, however wasn't done speaking. "Your speed was decent, but you can't second guess yourself in a fight. Next time, no leaf-grabbing," she was referring to the maneuver she had done to prevent midnight from landing on top of her. perhaps it was a bit, in decisive, but she didn't see it as bad. still maplepaw nodded in understanding. "An enemy who is both stronger and heavier than you can result in a difficult fight to vanquish, and they will use all of the above to their advantage. You have to be ready, and act straight away. I don't ever want to see you hesitating like a starstruck fool again... likewise, barreling right into said enemy is dangerous. You can get yourself killed in a flash. Don't charge at me like that, especially since you're still very young and fragile. I could hurt you."

maplepaw looked down sheepishly. she had hesitated before moving, due to fear that paralyzed her body, but she wouldn't make that mistake again. midnight seemed generally concerned for her well being. i may be young and fragile, but i'm flexible, maplepaw thought smugly. if that didn't help her out in a bad situation she didn't know what would. she blinked, nodding again at her mentor so midnight knew that she was following. i'll always be small, the black and white she-cat thought. if that was going to change, then it would have long ago... "For someone your size,"[/color][/i] she pulled herself into a stretch.


"Leap onto my back- don't unsheathe your claws! If I catch you digging, I'll flip you silly. The Clans call this the 'Leap and Hold', and it is used for enemies larger than yourself... say you and another apprentice were battling a heavy warrior, you might use this in your defense." maplepaw looked at her mentor in confusion for a second. leap and hold? she vaguely remembered hearing it before...however, she couldn't quite remember what exactly it was. midnight flipped her gaze on maplepaw. "Go on,[/b][/i] she mewed. green eyes stared at her mentor for another second to contemplate how exactly to leap onto her and hold on without unsheathing her claws.

i guess i just have to try it, she thought, bunching her muscles and leaping on her mentor. careful to keep her claws sheathed, she tensed trying to keep her grip on her mentor's sleek black fur. well...here goes nothing,

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notes;
muse; crap.
word count; 357, mine. 529 with dialog.
colors used; none. [CC0066, when in dialog]
comments; well this is a piece of crap. Dx [/color]


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[midnighthowl]

(Sorry for the slight powerplaying. xD I needed something to work with.)

As Maplepaw leaped up onto her back, Midnighthowl grinned to herself with satisfaction. She wondered if she should make a twist for the apprentice, since it was vital that she get a good amount of training done as soon as possible... (especially since Maplepaw had gone on as an apprentice without proper training to begin with) Midnighthowl had learned the hard way herself when she was younger, and that included gripping instinct, a natural and very honest intuition to aid ones self when confronted with danger. It was all about knowing when to strike and when to hide, fight or flight. But hiding is cowardly, hm voice? She prodded silently, wishing for once that the small foreign intellect would make some appearance. It was growing quiet in the depths of her mind, too quiet. Like her sanity was returning.

Maplepaw tried to cling to her mentors back, but instead of gripping it with her paws, she continued to slide down until Midnighthowl felt the absence of weight, and heard the plop of the monochrome she-cat against the earth. Was it really that hard to hold on? Suddenly impatient, she turned on the apprentice; her ocher gaze was like hot ice. It smoldered under the shadow of her brow. "Maplepaw," she started slowly, trying to calm herself before she blew a bolt, "Ignore my previous statement: use your claws, if you absolutely must," Unsheathing her own, she crouched. "And use your wits to try to leap onto my back this time," her ashen daggers scored the soft soiled clearing, "because I will try to stop you."

Her haunches squared, rolling back and forth as she shifted her position. Circling Maplepaw, she curled her lips in a mock snarl. Now that Maplepaw had gotten the basic gist of reading an enemy, and outsmarting larger opponents, it might be almost even here. However, she lacked the knowledge of the skills that pressed ShadowClan on. Once more, the ebony warrior honed her claws against the floor of the burnt sycamore.

All the while, a couple thoughts flickered behind her gaze, Use your claws, silently uttered in a grim cackle, but if you hurt me, little she-cat, I will repay you.

"Or are you ah, scared? Hm? Prove your worth to me." An original taunt.

467

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[bg=03031F] it was much harder than it looked, that was for sure. maplepaw hadn't expected holding on being so, well hard. she assumed that simply by pushing her paws in they would stay in the same place. she poundered for a moment, in which maplepaw used to regrip, trying to hold onto her ebony mentors fur. if it was this hard before she started thrashing, how did she expect to stay on? lost in thought she didn't notice her paw begin to slip down minight's slick fur. well this is impossible she thought crossly, trying to regrip a second time. this time she lost her balance and she leaned dagerously to the left, hanging in the air for a moment before crashing to the ground embarrassment was the first thing she felt, leaping to her paws, ears twitching, eyes downcast. midnight hadn't moved an inch, and still maplepaw was unable to stay glued to her mentor's back. its because i'm not allowed to use my claws! she thought frustratingly, tail flicking in irritation. when she looked up, midnight had turned, her eyes peircing, she was obviously also irritated. this made maplepaw even more angry. eyes burning with defiance, head high she waited for her mentor to speak. when she did speak however, her voice was calm. not angry like the black and white apprentice has assumed. "Maplepaw,"

[/b][/color] she started slowly, as if speaking to maplepaw like she was dumb. the young cat was interpreting it the wrong way, of course. "Ignore my previous statement: use your claws, if you absolutely must," she stressed the word must, before sliping into a crouch, unsheathing her own claws. "And use your wits to try to leap onto my back this time," maplepaw's forest green eyes locked on the claws scoring the ground. not the claws again... she thought. but the rising fear in her was easily pushed back down with her anger against her mentor.

adrenaline...she was, well, excited to do this. to prove to her mentor that she could. "because I will try to stop you." with that her mentor began circling maplepaw. she rolled, scratching her claws on things, her mouth turned up into a snarl. "Or are you ah, scared? Hm? Prove your worth to me." these words made maplepaw mad for some reason. it made her want, even more, to leap on her mentor and not let go. it gave her the final push she needed to. you asked for it, she thought, her own lips turning into a smile.

she waited for a short time, her forest green eyes following her mentor before leaping at a time that she thought she would make it successfully on her mentors back. if she did, she would dig her claws into her ebony pelt and refuse to let go. if she didn't...well she'd figure that out later.


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notes;
muse; considering this took me close to two hours...
word count; 487
colors used; CC0066
comments; D:[/color]


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[midnighthowl]

There was nothing like training your apprentice - nothing quite like beating on them. No matter what Midnighthowl thought, it was evident that Maplepaw was inferior to her. Maybe one day she would match her in speed, in strength, in wits: that day was not today. She scratched on the ground, swiping the air, rolling around before Midnighthowls eyes; to distract her? It might have worked if her mentor had not learned by heart her very own teachings - examine the enemy. When the little monochrome she-cat pounced, the ebony warrior flipped onto her back, giving Maplepaw a merciless kick to the gut. From her throat, a laugh roared. "Much too obvious!" She spat, before she returned to her plump paws, and advanced on the tiny she-cat.

If Maplepaw couldn't perform a decent attack without making it completely evident to her opponent, then how was she going to match warriors in the future, warriors twice her size? She might as well jump into their claws, and beg for death. That would be the only thing they would give her. She would not receive pity for being outside the warrior code. She would be killed in its stead! If Maplepaw didn't care enough to learn how to defend herself properly and effectively, then Midnighthowl didn't care about what happened to her. She couldn't take her seriously if she did not get the same respect in return. "Remember what I said!" The warrior hissed, furious that Maplepaw hadn't leaped onto her back yet. Wasn't she aware by now that Midnighthowl had expectations?

She aimed to scoop her into the air, perchance taking her by the scruff in her jaws. She didn't want to injure the apprentice, because that would only degrade her worth, days before the attack. They didn't have time to dilly dawdle.

Ocher moonstones smoldering, she extended a paw full of sharpened thorns to hook the young cats hind leg, then she would pull back when the time was right. I'm not going to use the shoulder hook on her yet. Because... that would probably daze her for sunrises yet. There was too little time for too much to prepare. Though, if there was one thing Midnighthowl was good at, it was preparing herself for the worst, perhaps even her disciples as well. The Coterie couldn't attack with incompetent followers, now could it?

Motivation surged through her veins, drilling the illusion of killing ShadowClan cats behind her crispy, golden gaze. It tightened.

A bird cried in the distance. The wind blew.

465

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[bg=03031F] with her previous mentors maplepaw hadn't faced so much physical exertion. she could tell that in the morning she'd be sore from being battered around by her mentor but that thought was in the very back of her mind. at the current moment blood pounded in her ears as she launched herself at her mentor, claws extended teeth bared in a hope to land on her back. the point would be to land on midnight's ebony fur and sink her claws into it, refusing to let go. that didn't even come close to happening. midnight's eyes had been trained on her the whole time, and she seemed to know what maplepaw was doing before maplepaw even knew herself. she flipped onto her back, kicking maplepaw hard in the gut. and it wasn't a light kick either. she felt the air go out of her all at once, and landed on her side before quickly springing to her paws. midnight laughed, a sound that the black and white she-cat was not yet accustomed to. "Much too obvious!" she spat, flipping back onto her massive paws. i don't understand how to make it not obvious! maplepaw wailed in her mind, eyes narrowing with desperation. it just wasn't fair. she barley had time to take a breath of air before midnight began advancing on her. her expression turned angry as gears turned in her mind. "Remember what I said!" she growled seeming much more furious then before. what could she be so angry about? that maplepaw hadn't gotten it on the first try? that was hardly fair! maplepaw didn't have much more time to think about what was fair and what wasn't because by that time midnight was nearly in front of her. with narrowed eyes she tried to scrutinize what her next move would be. too late. she felt the hooked claws in her hind leg and her first instinct was to leap out of the way. i twas probably a bad move because she felt the claws rip out of her pelt, but she'd made the decision and she had to stick with it. hesitating for only a second before taking a risk. she ran under midnight, twisting out from under her and trying to leap onto her back. she could only hope it would work. notes; muse; i liked it. word count; 378? colors used; CC0066, if in dialog, white. comments; sorry if i left something out, i did the best i could xD maybe hawk & glen can join soon?

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[midnighthowl]

If Maplepaw couldn't complete such a simple task leaping onto another cats back using different methods, then she was hopeless. Doubt entered Midnight's mind, perhaps Maplepaw was too weak. After all! No enemy Warrior would hesitate to leap onto her back, now would they? Oh no, not when they realized what was going on here. This conspiracy, this uprise. The black she-cats ocher gaze darted around the clearing, watching the monochrome figure rock to and fro, moving to different directions in her attempt to confuse her mentor.

And then there it was. "Oh!" She felt the movement beneath her and before she could look or roll, there was a weight about her back that was foreign. "Finally you get it," She snickered in her thick, hoarse voice, but there was a praise to it. Some edge that was less downcast than other portions. The warrior shook Maplepaw to the floor before she flicked her tail over the apprentices pink nose. Not quite something Midnight even liked to do, praise was for the Lilly-livered, but for teaching the youth, it was somewhat necessary. "Wasn't so hard now was it?" More scornful than the last. Scanning the trees, she made sure there were no signs of an intruder; she wasn't a very big fan of spying, but that was... hypocritical in her case.

When she was satisfied and convinced that they were alone, she turned to Maplepaw with an expectant eye, as if she were waiting for some cue. Maplepaw knew the importance of their mission; to them, they who cared for others more deeply than the Clans, felt this was their goal. It wasn't exactly on Midnight's top list of priority's, though (of all things she liked, even), another hypocritical undertow, but the rogues and loners of the area had softened. They needed to take a stand and fight the Clans, a good show to watch. "We attack in two days." She whispered, otherwise unmoving. You better be ready.

382 This was really bad but I haven't used her in a long time. xD

[ello]

[bg=03031F] she could only hope that the not so simple move she had tried would work. if she was more flexible than most other cats than certainly midnight couldn't not have seen this move before. hopefully she wouldn't be expecting it. maplepaw was beyond surprised when her claws made contact with her mentor's ebony fur, it had worked! oh! midnight grunted, seeming just as surprised as maplepaw was. the young black and white she-cat allowed herself a triumphant smile, the feeling of pride welling up in her chest, finally she had got it right! and it'd been something she'd come up with on her own. "Finally you get it," her mentor snickered, her voice still rough with a hint of what maplepaw interpreted as amusement. the massive warrior shook maplepaw off her back, before flicking maplepaw's nose with the tip of her tail. is she proud of me? maplepaw though in bewilderment. no, it couldn't be, midnight hadn't shown pride in anything maplepaw had tried to do yet, perhaps this really was a milestone. "Wasn't so hard now was it?" midnight said, sort of mockingly. maplepaw's eyes narrowed in annoyance. if it'd been a moon back, maplepaw would have said some smart remark, or talked back, but now that was unheard of. the only place that would get her was with midnight's claws in her fur. she didn't want that. so she'd limited herself to facial expressions, and sometimes biting her tongue so hard she could feel the blood welling in her mouth. she straightened up, staring at her mentor as she did so, and flicking her tail impatiently as if waiting for the next lesson. her forest green eyes begged the question, what now? her answer came in the form of a whisper. "We attack in two days." the words sent a thrill through the young she-cat as well as a wave of anxiety. what had she gotten herself into when she'd pleaded to be midnight's mentor? the answer was something that would be impossible to get out of without her dying, which at the moment she had no interest to. not that she wasn't loyal to midnight, of course she was! she wanted to be as good as midnight, as powerful, and maybe someday as scary. but if it meant killing cats of her own clan..? she shook the thought out of her mind. now wasn't the time to have doubts, not in front of midnight, instead she welcomed the excitement that came with the anxiety. it was like being involved in the best secret ever. who are we attacking? she murrmured. her green eyes glittering with excitement. two days! just two days, that was no time at all! was she ready? notes; muse; good [: word count; 447 colors used; CC0066 comments; meep

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[midnighthowl]

oh the joys of being powerful! midnight couldn't remember ever having felt more strength than this. no, not the kind you slice your enemies with, or the kind you speak with - a different kind of slicing, yes? no. this was supremacy. she was like a deity in beggars clothing; aha but who was the selfish prince in this scenario then? was it the Clans? because they were selfish indeed.

"In the dead vast and middle of the night," she cackled, reciting the quote as if she were the first to speak it. it rolled off of her long, pink tongue like baby's milk. or blood - down victims gullets. but it fit so nicely, like a corset wound around the pretty ladies torso, or a noose, around the guilty mans throat.

all the while, her speckled claws flexed in and out, tearing up the earth. the clearing redolent of thaw signs, it was the mildew that caught her attention first. who are we attacking? maplepaw's question broke midnight from her private deliberations, no matter how irrelevant they were in the first place. the answer was easy, effortless; midnight didn't even need to look at her apprentice to speak. "shadowclan. this will be what we have been working for."

the tone in which she spoke lacked sourness, or scorn; it was warm. a rarity, quite. laced with conceit, sprinkled with confidence. if it were a chefs specialty, they might name it Vain Deluxe. and it was served hot, fresh from the oven... "don't chicken out, now." she chuckled, her ocher moonstones gleaming with amusement as she glanced at the black and white she-cat; "i'm very proud of your improvement... but don't think i'm going soft!" she growled then, hoping the point sunk in far enough that she wasn't one for applause.

and that was that. your training better pay off.

white 426