as { long } as the { wolf } howls ☾

[aero]

The blackness was consuming. It was all around him, and seemed to squirm under his paws. But as hard as he searched, there was no defining his paws from that blackness, it all blended seamlessly together. So the tom stood frozen and uncomfortable, breathing in muggy air that seemed to condense in his lungs. Tall shapes encircled him, that of looming trees in shadow. From somewhere within the surrounding woods, an eerie moan escalated into a deep wailing. The fur along his spine began to rise as the pitch changed to mimic that of a low howl, ascending to fill the air until it seemed the echo bounced off the walls of his very skull.

Longshadow crouched in his hollow, clover green eyes opening to peer around the dark den. Not even a bark beetle stirred. Thin moon beams spilled into the mouth of the hole, splashing his front paws in silvery light. The hair along his spine was still stiff with the tension of his dream, but the howling had faded. Standing, the warrior moved to the edge of his hollow and leaped gracefully down onto the bare earth. The air was muggy, though not strangulating like the air in his sleep. A pale moon was rising in the sky, cloud wisps covering large expanses of Silverpelt. The black tom glanced around, looking towards the distant, darker trees as if a howling would echo off of their trunks, but only the sound of frogs and crickets chorused the night. Feeling as if the night terror was truly gone, Longshadow took a few steps in the fen's direction. Usually he would wander it and the forest restlessly, camp guards watching him go with narrowed eyes. But tonight a scheming thought raced his mind.

Turning back the tall tom circled the base of the ancient tree; snores and sleepy murmurs drifted down from the various dens, as well as quiet sighs and heavy breaths of dreamers. Tasting the air for a particular scent, the warrior expertly scaled the tree-side with only the light scratching of his nails on the dry bark making noise. He hoisted himself half way into a small den, front legs supporting most of his weight. "Wolfpaw!" He hissed sharply, hoping he wouldn't have to gingerly pick his way to the apprentice and prod him to his senses. "Wolfpaw wake up!" What in the world was Longshadow doing so late? A moon-high training session of course, what better time to train than on his time? Wolfpaw was his apprentice, however much the dark tom wished different. He was no good with young cats, well, any cats really. The tom was quite the queen with his moody attitude and self-loathing personality. A blind eye - Starclan forbid! Longshadow's own brother had adapted to a badly broken leg just fine. A throaty growl rumbled in the mentor's throat as his short patience began running thin. Would this worthless lump ever rise?

 

[Wolfie ☆]

As the dark colored tom was fast asleep. He was up at moonhigh yesterday with Ivypaw training then went on Dawn Patrol, then went hunting a bit. He was fast asleep with exhaustion.  He felt a growl grow from within his throat as his annoying mentor called forbhim. He could sense the annoyance in Longshadow words. Why had Dreamstar made tobill tempered tom mentor and apprentice.  It was clear neither tom cared in the slightest for each other. It was annoying for both of them. He hissed out, "What?! Done spending time with Dreamstar and remember you had an apprentice? " He snapped out and buried his face deeper into his tail and forepaws.


 "It is moonhigh! I am not on that patrol!  I have been on my paws all day, how hard is it to get a bit of sleep," he snarled as he stood up. His blue and yellow eye glowing in the moonlight. He pushed his way out of the apprentice den, and glare furiously at the cat called his mentor. "What do you want,"he growled. He sat on his hunches. His muscles tense and his ears were back. It was clear to see Wolfpaw was not a happy camper today.

[aero]

Longshadow's eyes narrowed at the apprentice's growl. The dark shape didn't seem to be moving, and instead hissed a retort that provoked a snarl from the warrior. Disrespectful little shit, he thought bitterly. "Quiet! You'll wake the entire camp with your pitiful mewling!" It was all the black tomcat could do to hiss his words lowly. If it had been daylight he really would have given the apprentice something to complain about! The tom leapt down from where he clung to the tree, height surpassing the younger cat's as he loomed over Wolfpaw like a menacing storm. "We're going to do some training. Quit complaining - how do you ever expect to be a warrior if you can't even be disturbed from your pitiful slumber? The forest could be on fire, or Vertigoclan warriors making a raid on camp. I suppose you'd just cower in your den and not trouble yourself by waking?" He spat, eyeing the other cat with a daggered glare.

It was no good fighting with the little fool, they'd best just get on with it Longshadow decided. "Come on," He snapped, jerking his head towards the camp exit. The lanky tom stalked past the guard, flicking his tail to Silvertide who only blinked frostily back in acknowledgment. She reminded him quite a bit of Dreamfeather, they were half sisters, but some moons younger and more aggressive. The dark grey stripe that ran down her back didn't even compare to the leader's beautiful spotted coat - then again nothing could. He sighed thinking of his beloved. If he didn't have this bad-tempered badger lumbering behind him the way to Dreamstar's den probably would have been his path, not the route out of camp. The warrior scolded himself silently for not thinking of the idea sooner. He'd much rather be in her grace than this mongrel's presence.

Throwing a glance over his shoulder, Longshadow wondered where they should go first. Personally he thought training by night was just as valuable as training by day. The landscape warped and creatures of the darkness took the place of those that roamed in the light. Knowing how to navigate the swampy land after dusk would no doubt one day prove useful for Wolfpaw, no matter how much the apprentice thought otherwise. With the slightest twitch of his whiskers the older tom chose the boggy forest. It was most challenging - and most dangerous - but Longshadow wasn't about to go easy on his pupil.

[Wolfpaw ☆]

Wolfpaw glared angrily up at Longshadow as his tail flickered at the older tom. He sneered up at him, "How do I expect to be a warrior with you as a mentor. Your off with Dreamstar and not helping me a bit! As for being quite you are the one who angerily came over here growling and mewling away, probably waking the other apprentices,  but knowing you, you do not care."


Wolfpaw stalked out after his mentor, his fur bristling with anger at the adult cat. He soon realized where they were going and growled under his breath. Seems like Longshadow was trying to get him harmed. He still had not mastered the day time marshy area with one eye, but no old wise one wanted him to try in the dark where the bigger deadlier beast wers. His frosty glares turned to Longshadow. He waited to figure out he wanted.

[➽ longshadow]

The black cat ignored the apprentice's taunts and sneering. His face was ugly enough without it, with that twisted expression was far too much for Longshadow to look at. Maybe he was being harsh, but hey he could have his opinions. He wasn't the nicest guy anyway. Taking to one of the mossy trails that wove through the dark wood, the warrior slowed his pace. It was hard to distinguish scents in the musty, swampy air. Each scent blurred the other, making it hard to tell what it was or when it was last here. Perfect to begin with. "What can you smell?" He asked, glancing at Wolfpaw through narrowed eyes. How he hated these redundant questions! He couldn't begin to see how some actually enjoyed mentoring. Having to put up with bratty attitudes and entertain pointless notions was more than enough to ruin his day, everyday. The moon was moving faster than Wolfpaw was replying. "Are you scentless too?" Longshadow hissed in annoyance.

[Wolfpaw ☆]

Wolfpaw glared at his mentor before tasting the air, he could smell the musky scent of the marshes, but the prey within. He smelt a mouse a not that far away and he could smell a water vole even farther away. At his mentors taunt he hissed. His slight might not be the best, but his hearing amd sense of smell were stronger then most due to lack of slight.


"Yes, that's right make fun of a cats disability, because your oh so great and perfect. You have the perfect life and mate. You know what you are flawed more then I am," he glared with disgust at the tom. "As for your answer, there is a mouse upwind and water vole even farther up, but I doubt your stinking nose could smell it!" Wolfpaw growled as he stood and stalked off to catch the vole.

[➽ longshadow]

"Yes, that's right make fun of a cats disability, because your oh so great and perfect. You have the perfect life and mate. You know what you are flawed more then I am," Longshadow rolled his eyes, lengthy tail lashing in annoyance. "You're pitiful, you really are." He spat, claws sheathing and unsheathing. "It seems like you're jealous of Dreamstar, you mention her so much. You don't have a disability, you have an excuse. And I don't feel sorry for you at all, so shut your mouth and do us both a favor." The lanky tom seethed anger, eyes hard and hateful. The warrior had been through more troubles and trials in his life than that piece of dirt could ever imagine. His life was far from perfect, and had always been. For Wolfpaw to accuse him of having it easy - that struck a cord with Longshadow.

"As for your answer, there is a mouse upwind and water vole even farther up, but I doubt your stinking nose could smell it!" Frustration pricked the mentor's mind like thorns. He watched the cocky apprentice stalk away, lips pulling back in a silent snarl. "Don't come back until you've caught them both!" He yowled after the tom, sneering as his words echoed the silent wood. It would probably scare away any nearby prey, which was just his intention. The warrior had not scented the water vole, but he didn't need to. He really didn't care at this point. He hated being a mentor. He hated training. He hated his apprentice. And if he didn't already love her he'd hate Dreamstar for giving him such a nuisance. Muttering countless curses under his breath, the tom silently padded into the shadows, seeming to disappear completely among them. He'd watch this brat and see if he had any skills at all.

[Wolfpaw ☆]

Wolfpaw glared at his mentor. Does he not see how negative he was? He growled in annoyance, "Jealous of her? No I pity her to have to put up with you. I will not shut up, just because you want me to." He sneered at Longshadow. "Only pitiful thing I see is you."


Wolfpaw didn't look back as he yowled back to the warrior. "Want the mouse so much, catch it yourself! !" He took off towards the vole,  completly skipping over the mouse. As he got closer he held still and waited for the creature to stir so he could see it. Once he did, he tried to keep his weight balanced so that he could catch the prey. He remembered Ivypaw words, and felt a pain of guilt. He had not talked to her since being caught by Dreamstar.  He shot forward towards the vole and felt a brush brush against his blind side. He felt it scratch his skin, but kept going. He had to prove he could catch this stinky vole. He pounced as the critter ran and barely caught it with his forepaws. He made the killing blow as he raised his head with the vole in his jaws. 

[➽ longshadow]

"Jealous of her? No I pity her to have to put up with you. I will not shut up, just because you want me to. Only pitiful thing I see is you." It was like he was making dirt with his mouth. Longshadow wouldn't entertain a minute more of it, and simply glared back silently. "Want the mouse so much, catch it yourself!" The beginnings of a fitful rage shot through his veins like fire. That was prey for the clan he was walking away from! If not for his mentor, did the younger tom not even have respect for his clan mates? Downwind the warrior stalked among the shadows, clover green eyes flashing every so often as he observed the apprentice. He could definitely scent the water vole now, and watched intently as Wolfpaw froze.

He'd seen it move as well, but well refrained from his own impulse to pounce. As the vole found itself on the tom's blind side, Longshadow was sure its escape was immanent. But to his surprise the hunter pursued, just managing to snag it and deliver a killing blow. He'd almost lost it, but hadn't. Grudgingly that deserved some recognition. "Well done." His smooth voice was monotone as the lanky cat slunk from the shadows, moonlight spilling over his inky pelt. "Your weight distribution needs work, and you need to better assess the angle you strike at, but otherwise...." The mentor eyed him warily. "It was alright." Ew, the fact that he had to pay him a compliment was almost disgusting. But it was only fair, he guessed. "Though the way you dismissed that mouse was inexcusable. The clan needs to be fed. Just because you don't feel like catching it or I told you to doesn't give you a whisker of a reason to not do it. One of the elders will wake up without any breakfast, when they could have had some if you had been more thoughtful." He growled, stern and serious. This brat needed to understand the warrior code and caring for his clan if he were ever going to be a successful member of Tempestclan.

"I'm going back for it. Watch my technique." The older tom snapped, whipping around and lightly padding off back in the direction they'd come. His jaw hung agape, nightly scents brushing his glands. Faint at first and then stronger the familiar odor of the rodent filled his senses. Crouching low in the brush, the only think that raised higher than his back were his pricked ears. A tiny scuffling in some soggy leaves grabbed his attention, the flash of a brown-grey body tensing his muscles. Painfully slow the black cat crept forward, keeping his steps so light it was as if his paws were feathers. All his weight was balanced in his haunches, keeping his presence and vibration hidden from the small creature. Another brief flash told him the time to pounce was now. Releasing the tension in his limbs he launched himself like an arrow straight at his prey. Slapping an unsheathed paw down, the mouse was caught in his grasp. Leaning down to strike the final blow, Longshadow gripped it by the neck between his sharp teeth, looking up to see if his apprentice had been paying attention.

[Wolfpaw ☆]

Wolfpaw smiled a bit as Longshadow praised him, more out of the fact that it seemed to kill his mentor a bit on the inside. "So how bad did that kill you on the inside, cause I find it amusing if it made you cringe inward!" Wolfpaw chuckled at his mentor expense. Then, frowned as he scold him for not catching the mouse. He was, sadly, right. It could have feed an elder. He let his head drop. "I am sorry for not trying for it. Not for you, but for the elders. It could have feed one."


His mentor spoke of going back for him and he watched the way his muscles tensed and paw steps were quiet. When it came to hunting he was heavy on his paws. He watched the tom pounce. Wolfpaw nodded and mimiced him, but pretended Longshadow was the mouse. His paw syeps were uneven and clumsy still, but quieter.