Watch out for those holly bushes (Open)

[heatherjaw`]

the gray tabby gave a soft purr with shadedpaw's enthusiasm over... everything. wasn't being so excited all the time tiring? heatherjaw nearly laughed aloud at how much of a crotchety old lady she sounded like with thoughts like that- she was more than happy to listen to the young she-cat chatter and babble with the thrills of life. hollybreeze seemed similarly amused- the two friendly females really did make a great pair. the deputy could only imagine how smoothly their relationship would go over the course of shadedpaw's apprenticeship. they would be great friends, surely.

the deputy nodded her welcome to the apprentice over the meal, and leaned back a bit to lay on her side- far more comfortable on her sore legs. she felt rather at peace in the company of two such friendly clanmates, chattering softly. suddenly the attention was back on her though, and she blinked- owl like- at the barrage of questions she suddenly faced at the inquiring face of shadedpaw.

"it's a lot of work," the tabby admitted with a rueful grin, "but i love it, of course. it's what i always wanted- she's fine, hollybreeze," heatherjaw assured the warrior with a dip of her head.

"i'm neither scared nor excited. my position is just important to the clan as yours or hollybreezes, understand? without doting warriors and apprentices there would be no deputy. so in a way, it is very similar to becoming a warrior. all new responsibilities and people yelling at you," she chuckled softly. "but also lots of congratulations, and the work is fulfilling. would you like to be deputy someday?"

[Hollybreeze ☆]

Hollybreeze watched the two interact and loved that her apprentice felt at ease around the deputy. It would do her good to talk to Heatherjaw, and it looked like Heatherjaw did not mind the millions of question. She let and purring chuckle, "You do realize she will never stop aski g questions now that you encouraged it. Not that it is a bad thing. Curiosity will do her wonders and it help me understand if she understand s what I taught her, cause she won't ask questions about what I just taught to her." Hollybreeze flicked her tail at the Shadedpaw. She rested her head on her paws as she listened on their conversation. She was happy to see her apprentice so relaxed around cats older then her. Most apprentices seem terrified to talk to the old warriors.

[Deleted]

The small grey apprentice licked her paws away from all the meat she consumed. She flicked her ears down when Hollybreeze tried to have her stay silent. Shadedpaw always had a question for something. She always wanted to know everything. When Heatherjaw began telling her feelings about being deputy, Shadedpaw held onto every word. She started to purr when Heatherjaw started telling Shadedpaw all of the clan importance.

'Would you like to be deputy someday?'

Shadedpaw's fur fluffed up in excitement.

"Oh, Heatherjaw, I would love to be deputy. That would be amazing. Even maybe one day...leader. It's silly, I know, to dream that maybe I could lead the clan....but...I just would love to be of more value than maybe even I give myself credit for, you know? Even if it's a long time before that would happen, it's still a nice dream to think I could amount to that much."

She let out a small sigh of happiness just daydreaming about leading the clan. Maybe she could even be the deputy to Heatherstar. She shivered with excitement, but then slowly brought herself back to the real world.

[heatherjaw`]

the deputy nodded briefly at the tortoiseshell she-cat, "questions are wonderful. i'd let this young lady interrogate me all day if it weren't for all the time i have to spend organizing patrols," her tail curled a bit more tightly in amusement- especially at the brightness shining upon the apprentice's little silver face. the quiet ambition that sparkled in her green gaze greatly pleased heatherjaw- she loved to see young cats be a bit less complacent. some individuals were just so simply satisfied in being warriors- just good warriors, thats it. heatherjaw couldn't imagine. of course if she wasn't on the path to leading vertigoclan, she would be raising many litters of kits- job she found just as important (and surely just as difficult). she suspected this was the path that hollybreeze would someday choose as well.

"its not silly, shadedpaw," heatherjaw mewed somewhat sternly, meeting the young she-cat's gaze calmly, "your ambition will get you far as long as it does not cloud your good judgement. someone of your generation will need to lead this clan- why not you?" she twitched her whiskers and lightly and batted the apprentice's ear with her tail.

[Hollybreeze ☆]

Hollybreeze smiled at the two. "Well, good, cause she won't stop now," mewed with affection. She looked at Shadedpaw. "Don't doubt yourself. I do not doubt your abilities nor should you." She told her apprentice, before licking her ear. She looked back at Heatherjaw. "I will leave it to you two on the whole leading the clan. That is not my path, plus f it was I doubt the clan wants to be lead by a rogue born." Hollybreeze was too motherly to be a leader. She wants her own kits one day. She just hopes she does not have to wait to long.

[Deleted]

When Heatherjaw told Shadedpaw about someone of her generation becoming deputy, Shadedpaw's eyes grew full of excitement. 

"Well, with Hollybreeze as my mentor, I know I'll learn so much there is to know about being a warrior, but I like to learn from other cats too. I just want to learn as much as I can, you know? Like what if you had a limited amount of knowledge you could consume in a lifetime? I'd hate that." Shadedpaw sighed.

The little grey she-cat felt Heatherjaw's tail flick over her ear. Maybe there was a chance Shadedpaw could become deputy. Possibly under Heatherstar. But that was too far into the future to think about, plus she dreaded Flamingstar ever leaving them to join StarClan.

Shadedpaw glanced over at Hollybreeze and purred at her mentor. "Plus, Hollybreeze is a lot more motherly, maybe she can teach me how to be a softie." Of course Shadedpaw was only kidding. She loved Hollybreeze so much. And she knew that Hollybreeze was a skilled fighter and warrior. Shadedpaw held a deep respect for her tortoiseshell mentor and had never doubted in her.

"I'm just kidding. I know she could pin me faster than I could shriek." She laughed, flicking her tail over to Hollybreeze's paws, playfully.

[heatherjaw`]

the deputy flicked her tail with mild pleasure as hollybreeze affirmed what she had just told the young she-cat- the more emphasis on the apprentice's confidence, the more likely she was to retain and build it. heatherjaw always admired confidence in young cats because it often seemed so hard to come by. apprentices seemed too shy or to cocky, and never touched the golden spot in between. shadedpaw seemed to be bursting with potential- and excitement- though, and heatherjaw smiled before lifting her soft green gaze to hollybreeze when the tortoiseshell spoke. "well flamingstar was partially trained by rogues of the vicious type, and her mate- or whatever she calls him currently- is a full rogue, and i've supposedly murdered my own kin. i dont think it would kill vertigoclan to take on someone born outside of the clan as a leader," the deputy's meow was dry but her gaze glittered with a spark of humor to accompany such a bitter statement.

"but i agree. at some point every cat learns their own path. when i was young, i'll admit, i wanted absolutely nothing more than to be a mother. when i learned that would never happen for me, i understood that i was to become the mother of vertigoclan itself," she confessed, surprised at her own openness- she had not told many of her barren womb. "as you grow older, your path may change. but of course i wish you both luck. you would make an excellent mother hollybreeze," she told the young multicolored warrior with a soft purr.

"and you," heatherjaw flicked shadedpaw's nose lightly with the tip of her tail, "will make an excellent whatever-you-choose-to-be. i agree though, i'm in the same place really. if i had to stop learning, i think i'd die." the gray tabby chuckled.

[Hollybreeze ☆]

Hollybreeze nodded her head at knowledgement of Flamingstar being raised by rogue and her killing a kin. Her glaze soften, "I would never want that kond of path. I believe my path leads to the nursery one day if possible, " she mewed gently. She reated her tail Heatherjaw's side. "Well you will be a great mother to the clan. You are honorable. And thank you," she spoke.


Then, her glaze shifted to Shadedpaw. "You will be great at anything you do as long as you believe you can. Believing makes anything possible, Shadedpaw," she purred, "After hunting tomorrow we will battle practice and I will show you how much a softie I am."