Post by pinewhisker on May 28, 2014 22:15:22 GMT -6
stick to our guns and
each step that brought the tom farther away from tigerpaw put a little ease into the leader. it was as if tension slowly drifted from the muscles and evaporated into the air around him. each breath slowed a little more until they were just long inhales and longer exhales. the forest was a blur around him but the path he traveled was not an unfamiliar one. from hillclan border he only really had two options. to turn back to camp or to head toward creekclan. seeing as camp was currently not a place he wanted to be, it was the second option that he decided on within that brief second before walking away from his apprentice. though the walking away probably would have worked best had the young tom not decided to follow him back into the depths of the forest. he pretended to ignore the paw steps that echoed his own. after a few minutes they disappeared into the forest behind him and pinewhisker continued as if they were never there at all.
though the sound of undergrowth parting behind him announced that the tom had again decided to follow but this time those steps were accompanied with a voice. one that echoed the same tone that pinewhisker had only recently attempted to use on tigerpaw that had quite obviously failed as instead of heading back to camp he was following behind the leader now. the older cat slowed his steps but it took a few more steps and plenty of distance between the two cats before he finally stopped and turned to face the younger tabby again. while the look of a much older cat was donned on the young cat's face it was not what pinewhisker had seen that had caused him to remain there. it was that brief flash of pain, of anguish, and of defeat that had left the cat waiting for the words that the apprentice promised to continue with. or at least, that was what pinewhisker assumed would happen, what was coming next. it wouldn't have made any sense any other way.
though the leader had to admit they were certainly not the words he was expecting, he did not discourage the tom from speaking in any way though nor did he respond to the comment. at least, not at first. sun stained orbs over looked the brown tabby before him that offered the sticky string-like substance that was wrapped around his tail. the cobwebs were for his scratch on his flank... of course they were. but why did tigerpaw feel the need to take care of it? it was not like he first of all needed the help. twas but a scratch and it would stop bleeding eventually. besides that, he saw no point in worrying about such a silly little scratch on his side. he would be fine with a little rest - probably a good nights sleep. but it appeared that he would not shake the young tom off so easily because the second he went to open his mouth or shake his head in protest, tigerpaw was speaking again, though the tone of the conversation changed and again the leader remained silent.
"i never said i did not believe you."
the sentence came out with a sigh as the older top slowly lowered himself down to his haunches and curled his tail slowly around his paws. the tip of it flicked slowly back and forth but he did not speak again for several moments. it was difficult to try to explain to tigerpaw the concern he felt for his apprentice because if there was one thing pinewhisker had avoided over the last several moons of his life it was concern for other cats. certainly it was one thing concerning for the well-fare of his warriors such as how they were doing physically but mentally was something he'd never really considered. it had been such a strange thing for pinewhisker to consider... that someone may feel this amount of pain about this silly little breathing problem. but then again that silly little problem was what was preventing him from becoming a real warrior. so then again, yes, he supposed it did make sense - at least a little bit - for him to be upset.
"you claim you do not want to kill anyone. but i have to ask you that if that is true, do you know when to stop? and how can you guarantee that they will know when to stop? that they will not get themselves killed by your fighting techniques because they think they will be all right? or worse you get yourself killed because you think you can handle it. as your mentor, it is my job to teach you how to fight properly. and as difficult as it may seem now, I know you are capable of it. you're stronger than you give yourself credit for, tigerpaw."
again there was a strange softness in the words of pinewhisker. the voice that was usually only resolved for those who were closest to him such as his family. though lately with less and less of that to go around this side of pinewhisker had been buried so deep that even he forgot what it was like. though a part of him wondered if he were capable of this kind of... kindness all the time the other part said if he showed it there would be too much kindness for Treeclan to handle. the cats of his clan expected his arrogant ways and up until now not a single cat outside of birchfall, tree, and aspenfeather had seen that soft side. that and his kits, but they were not of treeclan. it made the leader feel awkward to look at a cat that was not in his family and take this time to assure him of the things he knew were true. while tigerpaw probably would have tried to deny it, pinewhisker wouldn't stand for it. he'd simply shake his head and tell him that he would see in time. that only time would prove him wrong.
"i have no doubt you are trying, tigerpaw. i push you because you are trying and i push you harder to show you that you can handle more. and just when you think you can't take it anymore, I push harder still because I know that you'd give up if I'd let you. that you'd happily become a warrior before you're time because it would be another step in your life that you could say you mastered. but you're not ready because you haven't mastered it. not yet. i know it seems harsh, but i know you can do it and i know you know it too. you'll see that soon enough."
but he did not speak again and instead simply nodded when the cat gestured toward him with the cobweb and locked away, waiting for the apprentice to dress the wound the way he had wanted to.
love like battleships