Defying Gravity { aw

[Ink]

He took small simple steps, the grass combing his belly fur aside. Raveling in the spike of grass whispering against his skin, the feline continued on his soundless journey. Ginger frame at odds with the surrounding green, the tom stepped unobtrusively across his lands. The world held silence, and little else. As uneasy as it made him feel, Embergale also shivered with glee. Twilight held its sway across the land, nothing seemed real in the fading light. Purple and orange streaked the sky, the artist's brush fading into blackness the farther it rose. The dome of the atmosphere glowed with the winking stars. Everything held in perfect silence. Times like these, with the wind whispering in his ears, he wondered how peace was not constant.

But then peace could never be so. For peace could not exist with out war, just as the night and day fought every twilight. Twining fingers held the earth in constant balance, black and white shivering together into differing shades of gray. It claimed the world in its confusion, singing the song of praise and death in a single whisper. He stared into oblivion, blue eyes wide with appreciation. This was the world in its purest form, and he watched captivated as he moved. Face lifted to Moonclan he prayed for more nights like this. For that's what it was becoming, the fangs of darkness swallowing the sun. Pink fading to purple, purple fading to violet. Darkness encroached on every last bit of light and finally everything winked out. And there he stood, head tilted back to stare in utter awe at the flaming sky.

He felt as if the glowing stars were brushing his whiskers back, their glowing fingers petting his face with gentle flames. Sky set a light by the moon, the world lost for a moment in the blackness once again became light. Sapphire stained ice blue, his eyes did little other then widen as he stood still. Tail raised high over his copper back, Embergale stared in silence at the heavens. Nothing entered his mind, nothing but peace. Things he dreamed and woke with tepid thoughts, they whispered in his heart. Simple silence. Things he wondered and dreamed. As if the ancestors spoke to his being, their silent cries filling his curved aerial's with deafening sounds. Glowing orbs slowly coming to a close, the man basked in the light.

Chin tilted as far back as it could go, the felidae found it had to believe that he was anchored to the earth. He felt as if he could lift himself into the air. As if he could defy gravity, as if his paws would peel away from their flora hidden place to step into the air. Star light glimmered off of them in his mind, as he slowly strode into the sky. He'd sooner defy gravity then return to the earth, his eyes closing all the tighter. He wouldn't let his mind bring him back down. Whispering out a silent prayer to his lost family he whispered in a low heavy voice. "Let me dream, Moonclan. Please let me see the star light a little longer" With a small sigh, he let his eyes open. Ears twisted back against his skull, the man tilted his crown. Staring out around himself, he watched the high grass curl in the late winds.

The night was beautiful, as beautiful as the waking world could be.

[spottie]

At first, Glitterpaw's hiding spot was quiet. Quiet didn't suit the apprentice very well, though. Yet, she silently watched her mentor do something. She wasn't really quite certain what he was doing in the first place anyway. She guessed that he was praying--in the fields?--but she didn't have the faintest clue why. Maybe he was hoping for a prey plentiful season? She never really could understand toms anyway, much less older ones.

She was tempted to leap out and tackle him playfully--except that he was much larger than she was, and all she would probably do was make a fool of herself. And since she was determined to not do that (especially not early in the day), she refrained. The blades around the tiny young cat rustled for a moment. Then, a tiny ball of gray fur popped out of the towering greens.

"Whatcha doing?" She mewed cheerfully, appearing beside her puzzling mentor. One day, maybe a long time from now, she would figure him out. But until then...

[Ink]

The slight rustle took him by surprise. Ears cocking to the side, Embergale turned to blink in surprise at the ball of fur before him. Blinking wide sapphire eyes the man shook his head once to rid himself of his stupid wants. Turning a warm smile on the little cat he offered a good place to sit. Whisking his tail across the dirt next to him, Embergale couldn't stop a small chuckle that bubbled up from his throat. Poor little Glitterpaw looked as if the grass was eating her. Turning his eyes back to the dark sky he mewed a soft answer to her. "Watching, and listening. " Tilting his head to look at her, the man took a shuffling seat. "Observing" he mewed cheerily. Nodding to the himself, having decided that was what he had really been doing, Embergale turned to stare up at the sky.

Such beauty, it was the kind of thing one only conjured up in a dream. Purring softly, he narrowed his eyes at the sky. Moon light glimmered across the meadow, its open expanse glowing with the silver light. He wondered quietly what Glitterpaw was out here for, but he refrained asking her. No point in trying to start up some useless conversation. Flicking his ears forward to strain towards the sky he set another warm smile on his muzzle. Mouthing another prayer the man let his jaws slide shut once more. Moonclan had better things to listen to then a sad little masked warrior wishing on a star. Sighing softly, Embergale turned once more to stare down at his apprentice. When Purestar had given her to him he had been so excited, pride had swelled in him like a terrified dove. Wings beating at his throat as its warmth over took him.

He could still remember striding forward, his legs trembling to touch noses with the little girl. Its something apprentices don't think about in their moment of pride and shyness. Mentor's feel the same way. They walk forward to touch their new apprentices and it seems as if that bird is about to burst from their maws. Its like finding a new child. Like getting a chance to be a new father and train a child in the ways of the world. Smiling in awe at the tiny cat, Embergale vowed once again that he would be the best mentor he could be. He hoped that Glitterpaw would agree. "How are you tonight, Glitterpaw? Having a walk are we?"

[spottie]

Watching and listening were never exactly Glitterpaw's strong points. She didn't like sitting still, which was required to watch and listen carefully. Observing--now that she could do well. Observations were just something she picked up, the way some cats attract brambles to their pelt. Whenever she observed, though, it was never quietly. She just couldn't master that ability. She would always ask questions, which usually originated from whatever she had observed.

Speaking of quiet; that was exactly why Glitterpaw ran off on a little adventure. Well, technically, she didn't run off on her own. She knew she would eventually catch up with her mentor, and therefore she wouldn't be alone anymore. She opened her mouth, and a ramble of words and questions came out:

"Camp was too quiet." She scrunched up her nose a little, disliking even the word. After a second thought, she added, "Everyone was sleeping. And sleeping is boring."

She switched topics as quickly as it had started. "Is that what you were doing? Taking a walk?"

[Ink]

Laughter curled up from his rumbling chest. So she had found herself alone- the only cat awake and had thought the outside world better? He could just see her doing that. The little apprentice seemed so chock full of energy, sometimes he was unsure of what to do when he was around her. He himself had always been calm, though his temper had bit at his heels the entire time. Like an angry ocelot, that red haze had nipped at the end of his tail sense he was little. Now he had learned to control it, and he presumed that the little spunky feline beside him would need to learn to control her energy just as he had. Though thankfully her energy wasn't the dark haze his had been.

Embergale grinned down at his apprentice, he could agree. Sleep was boring, and useless. Only brought about by ones inability to keep going. Ringed tail flicking about to curl around his white toes the tom twitched his whiskers at the little girl. He could guess what had happened. After her friends had slipped into the dream land Glitterpaw had paused, looking around and in a huff of annoyance bounced out of camp. The girl must have become bored with the snore drowned camp and followed his scent into the twilight. "Yes" he piped an answer to her jumble of words. "I was taking a good long walk" Tilting his head slightly, Embergale looked at his little friend with blue eyed interest. If she had been bored in camp, hen wouldn't she be bored just speaking with him?

Standing with a flurry of intention, the warrior turned a wide stare on Glitterpaw. "Would you like to go on a night patrol with me?" Curling his ringed tail in the air above his copper back, the man smiled at Glitterpaw. Her fluffy gray pelt looked so at end in the green grass, though everything looked gray under the dark light that the moon presented. "I could show you a few stalking techniques on the way around our borders?" A good long border patrol would do the girl good. Energy to spare had seemed to become her norm, and it would be nice to have worn some of that power out.

[spottie]

Those words seemed to light up her entire world, momentarily, of course. Glitterpaw would have eagerly traded sleeping for a night patrol anytime. She already could imagine it--grass crunching beneath her paws, the excitement rushing through her fur like wind... Her tail was swishing around eagerly, disturbing the tall grass surrounding her.

She bobbed her head eagerly. "Yes, please! A night patrol sounds like fun!"

Her mind turned back to the camp, and her snoring friends. Ha! I'll be patrolling while they're sleeping. To her, the experience was far more exciting than the apprentices' den. Glitterpaw was already wondering where they would be going, what things Embergale would teach her...etc. The thoughts, and the possibilities, were endless. So was her energy and eagerness.

[Ink]

A smile danced upon his lips. A grin of childish wonderment. How good it was to see this apprentice so ready to move, so good to know she had such spirit in her. She would be the best warrior she could be, and he her mentor would forever be proud. Nodding off towards the fringes of the high grass the man took off. Let her keep up! Large muscular legs propelled him rocket like through the tufts of grass slapping against his body. He sped forth, ignoring the waspy buzz of insects nipping at his ears, ignoring the push of momentum against his broad chest. The night was his medium and he sprang through it with ease. Warm heart thumping with his exertion the man cast one swift glance over his shoulder to try to catch movement in chase.

Endurance was a test taught early. A thing learned as swiftly as possible. His flying limbs where a teacher, their claw tipped ends ripping into the dirt to propel him forward in neat even strokes. Blue eyes narrowed against the stalks and wind that curled into his whiskers, the man sprang towards their border. He could smell the ashen expanses that Great Fire Clan called home. Personally Embergale thought them mad, living in such a place. But they did live, and he supposed that was a good thing. They could live where ever they wished, if it meant that stayed on their side of the border. That's all he cared about, stay on your side little fire demons. Stay on your side.

Siding up along the border he bounded a few fox lengths along the saplings that announced the edge of Cinderstar's lands before coming to a muscle locking stop. Letting his jaws part ere so slightly the ginger coated tom turned a wide eyed sapphire stare on his young apprentice. Wondering how easily she had followed the man nodded to her before turning back to the border. "This place is Great Fire Clan land. Can you smell them? One day you might sent them coming into our lands. Take a good wiff now" Standing with his tail curling high above his back the man stared mistrustfully into the darkening forest. Flames licked at those lands like greedy little tongues in search of a good bit of salt. It made him uncomfortable. How easily they spread...

Lashing his tail at his own pathetic worries he peered at Glitterpaw out of one luminous orb. In the night the forest could appear ghoulish and he wondered if it frightened her. Embergale snorted at that, he doubted she would show any fear, even if she did feel it. She wanted to continue this patrol far too much. Twitching his ears to his left Embergale turned his snout and struck out once again. Striding easily through this bit where the grass was shorter and saplings cast weak little stripes of shadow admits the night gloom, Embergale closed his eyes and took in a long strand of scent. Nothing important came to his attention so he loward his head and continued on in silence. He could count on young Glitterpaw to form some new conversation.

[spottie]

Glitterpaw was determined to not be left behind. She hated that feeling, but then, who wouldn't? It was sort of like the phrase 'being left behind' had done some personal wrong to the young cat. In an indirect way, it had. When she was a kit in the nursery (though, that wasn't a long time ago), her den mates were always larger and stronger. Glitterpaw was always a small cat in size. Always. She was always the smallest of the bunch, and it made her feel...well, small. Insignifigant. Like a shrew or a mouse.

Of course, if she ever voiced those thoughts, she would be rubuked immediately. "No one in the clan is 'insignifigant!'", or, whatever it was her elders would say. Still, nevertheless, she had good reason to not want to be left behind. Besides, good things come out of the bad. It just made her more determinted to be quicker.

Truthfully she was a little unprepared when Embergale took off so quickly. But the thought of a challenge just made her more enthusiastic and excited. Glitterpaw was only a fraction of time behind him. And when he--finally--stopped racing from who knows what, she was right behind him. She shot him a triumphant look, which basically translated to: trying to loose me so soon?

She heard his question, and inhaled the air deeply; almost amusingly overdramatic about it. Glitterpaw wrinkled her small pink nose. "They smell funny!" She blanched slightly. "Why would they want to live there? It's so...so...black! If I were a shrew or something, I would never go in there."

Glitterpaw paused. She continued, "I wouldn't want to be a shrew, though.... It'd be so cool if I were a parrot! Then I could fly!"

[Ink]

Smiling his approval he flicked his apprentice with one neat stroke of his long ginger tail. "good job, my dear" he purred, nodding towards her. She had kept up beautifully, and had not missed a beat after coming to a halt. Standing tall he smirked with real pride. She would be a good warrior one day, and when he was an elder and she brought her own apprentice to great him he would be privileged. Turning to stare into the healing trees he couldn't help but chuckle at her next sentence. They smell she said. They smell! Pulling back his laughter and merely twitching his whiskers at the young feline he nodded. "They do have that scent about them, huh?" Smiling into the darkness he couldn't help but wonder if this easily excitable kitten would be able to consecrate long enough to train another.

He listened with pricked ears to the rest of her words and with a grin answered them. "If you where a shrew I would be tempted to catch you!" He blinked playfully at her, always one for jokes. Even if his heart wasn't fully into them. Curling his tail above his back he yawned slightly, letting his jaws slacken before he pulled them back together. "and maybe they think we are bird brained for wanting to live on our open fields. To his her own." he nodded in the direction of the long gone sun. "Let us move on. We'll pass by the kopoka tree and head back to camp." he mewed, turning to look towards the gathering place. what an odd tree it was, but what beauty. what beauty.

ooc:// sorry its so short D: my muse is dead

[spottie]

To his her own. Glitterpaw had never heard that phrase used before. Then again, that wasn't saying much, was it? She would try to remember that. It made sense, and it sounded smart. In other words, she would try to remember it but she would probably forget it the second her tiny paws ran around tomorrow.

She padded after her mentor. Her black tipped tail was proudly swishing around and disturbing everything around her. I'll probably scare off all the prey... Still, she couldn't help but feel proud that she was actually walking beside her mentor to the kopoka tree. Even if they were supposed to be asleep. Even if Glitterpaw didn't entirely understand Embergale.

She stopped in her tracks as the aforementioned confusing tom was gazing at the tree. What went through her mind was not, it's so beautiful! What really went through it was:

Am I allowed to think it's ugly?