Where do we go from here? (INTRO)

"Smalltail, please try and sit still." Chrysalispaw let out a heavy sigh as she lightly scolded the elder before her, a ball of mouse bile held delicately in her teeth. The male NPC elder before her was notorious for getting ticks even during the colder moons of leaf-bare, though how that was possible the apprentice could never figure out. "I'm almost done and then I'll bring you juicy prey to help you feel better." Her words were sincere, and rather warm despite the young she-cats usually cold demeanor. Though it wasn't a secret that the hard willed apprentice had a soft spot for the elders of the clan, they had practically raised her after all. After her parents passed away, she and her sister had no queens to care for them, so the elders let them spend time in their den, something the Russian blue was deeply grateful for. So whenever the other apprentices mumbled in annoyance when it came to caring for the older members of the camp, Chysralispaw would do her share and more. 

Once she was done, she would carefully deposit her moss ball in a hole she had dug just for this occasion and then wiped her paws in the snow to rid herself of the smell. How the medicine ats dealt with that odor was beyond her. With a shrug of her shoulders in response to her inner thoughts, the twelve moon old would bound towards the fresh-kill pile to pick a meal for Smalltail and the others. Hopefully, there was enough o she would have to go hunting again. 

Padding back into camp with heavy paws, Nettlepaw made a beeline for the fresh-kill pile. The apprentice had been hunting the whole day so far, and all she had to show for it was one scrawny mouse. She could blame it on leaf-bare and prey being much harder to find, but she knew deep down it was because she was terrible at hunting. If she didn't learn to move more quietly, she doubted she'd ever become a warrior. 

Once she'd deposited her pitiful offering, she glanced up to see Chyrsalispaw approaching. "Hey! Been busy?" Nettlepaw asked, a bright smile on her face. The dilute tortie knew the answer was probably 'yes'; the other apprentice was very dedicated from what she could tell. However, she still asked as she thought a conversation would be fun. 

"speech" 

Chrysalispaws' ear would twitch as the sound of pawsteps approached, and she turned her pine green gaze towards a familiar face. Offering a tiny smile that for her was rare, Chrys would blink to her denmate as she responded, "About as busy as usual. Looks like your hunt was successful. Well done." She would motion with her head towards Nettlepaws' catch and continue, "Mind if I give that to the elders? It's warm still so it'll be easier for them to eat." 

Chrysalispaw thought she'd done well at hunting? Nettlepaw's mood was immediately boosted as the praise made her feel all warm despite the leaf-bare cold. The other apprentice's small smile only added to her delight, and she couldn't help but grin back. Seeing Chrys motion towards her little mouse, Nettlepaw nodded. "Of course!" she replied. If Chrys thought that Nettlepaw's meagre offering was worthy of giving the elders, then who was she to stop her? "I can hunt some more if you think they need more fresh-kill?" she asked. Her excitement at receiving praise from Chrys had caused her to completely forget her earlier struggles. She would do whatever it took to see Chrys smile like that again.

"speech" 

A small spark of amusement would touch her gaze as her denmates mood seemed to improve at her praise. It was sweet, in an innocent way. "How about we hunt together? I haven't been out of camp all day and I need to stretch my legs." She would grab the mouse before tilting her head, "If you don't mind my company of course." 

MUSHROOM ✶
thunderclan - kit - male - 3 moons - tags

― "i hope you two weren't thinking about leaving without me!" an annoying, bossy voice spoke up as the matted-furred tom came over with his tail in the air, his chest swelled with pride and his attempt to look badass. he was still getting used to the clan rules, such as the fact that he wasn't technically allowed to leave camp. but he considered himself big and bad; he had been alone for a bit before finding the clan, after all! hell, even if coalstar told him not to leave he would still leave anyways. he was such a great listener, truly.

"i can show you to how to really catch some good prey." the only prey that mushroom ever caught was butterflies and some roadkill. he had never been actually hunting before but he would never let them know that. they would be so impressed, since he was young, they'd think he was just amazing, a god. what was their god again? some stupid cats in the sky? yeah. he was the leader of them. "what do you two ladies say?" a quick whip around of his head to munch on some fleas on his flank that were pissing him off.

Chrysalispaw wanted to spend time with her? Nettlepaw's day was just getting better and better! "I'd love to! Should we go straight away?" the apprentice asked, completely forgetting that they'd need to drop the mouse off with the elders first. She was just buzzing with excitement at the prospect of spending time with the other apprentice.

She was so focused on Chrys that Nettlepaw almost didn't hear Mushroom at first. Turning to face the kit, she frowned slightly. "I thought kits weren't meant to go out of camp?" she asked, confusion clear on her face. "You're too small." If he really did know how to hunt, he might be better at it than she was, and that just wasn't allowed. She couldn't let a kit beat her in front of Chrysalispaw!

"speech" 

Chrysalispaw would wave her tail for Nettlepaw to wait a moment while she delivered the mouse, but as she returned she would catch Mushroomkits' words and her whiskers would twitch lightly in amusement, "Nettlepaw is correct. You are still a kit and have to stay in camp. Do you have hunting experience?" The question wasn't condescending or anything of that manner. In fact, the apprentice was genuinely curious as to the kitten's past. She knew he was not clan born, and although he was only three moons old, she wondered if he remembered anything before finding Thunderclan. She would move to stand beside Nettlepaw and sharing a soft look with her as she waited for Mushroomkits' response. 

MUSHROOM ✶
thunderclan - kit - male - 3 moons - tags

― "you piece of dung-!" mushroom spat irritably whenever nettlepaw called him small. his greasy, matted fur rose in spikes along his back as he prepared to battle her to the death. "i can take down foxes, no - i can take down bears! triple your size!" he continued with the lies to make himself seem tough, absolutely agitated that this molly had the audacity to belittle him as she had done. and then chrysalispaw continued and said something nicer, but still, belittling him by telling him he was a kit. he was not a kit! why did people keep calling him that?! "yes i have hunting experience..." he breathed heavily, trying to hold back his anger. "i'm the best hunter."