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redux-iterum · 6 days

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Oh yay! Apprentice asks!!! Can we get a small look at all the Kindling apprentices relationships with their mentors?

I'm going to just be doing the ThunderClan apprentices, because I have no idea on any of the other Clans, since they weren't relevant enough to design:

Tigerclaw and Sandpaw: Easily the most emotionally distant pair of mentor and apprentice out of the five. They didn't think too high or too low of each other - the pairing was decided by Bluestar with the specific intention of managing Sandpaw's temper and guiding her into a more sensible, calmer warrior. Tigerclaw was the cat everyone respected, to the point that even the cat with the worst attitude in the Clan (Darkstripe) submitted to him and enjoyed his company (not that Tigerclaw was super close to anyone at this point in time). That said, Tigerclaw hadn't really wanted another apprentice, but he knew he was the cat for the job, so he agreed to it. Sandpaw needed his discipline and stoic sternness to grow as a person and actually get some learning done. It worked out pretty well, I'd say.

Redtail and Dustpaw: Now these two, on the other hand, very much enjoyed being paired together. Dustpaw deeply admired the deputy of ThunderClan for his cool head and excellent work ethic, and Redtail was fond of his overly-rules-oriented little student who could use someone more casual and friendly to study from. Dustpaw was eager to learn and Redtail was eager to teach, and he saw great potential in Dustpaw that he hoped to channel into a leadership position one day. The only pair in this list more perfectly matched than them is the one below this paragraph!

Whitecloud and Ravenpaw: Whitecloud was not remotely surprised when Bluestar approached him and asked if he would mentor the scrawny, shaky little puffball of anxiety who took a full month more than the other kits to be coaxed out of the nursery. In fact, he'd been observing Ravenkit and felt a pang of sympathy every time the little guy flinched or ran away from someone who raised their voice just a bit too loud. Ravenpaw was still terrified when he had his ceremony, but he quickly found that Whitecloud was the first cat he could really relax around and feel...well, maybe not confident, but certainly less panicked and doubtful about his self-worth. Whitecloud never once raised his voice above a near-murmur around his apprentice or used anything but a gentle vocabulary, and it did wonders for helping Ravenpaw utilize his intelligence and learn more easily and quicker than everyone else. But Ravenpaw still needed a push to be able to speak to his fellow apprentices... luckily, a young kittypet with a soul as soft as down-feathers came along and helped Whitecloud out quite a bit with that. Safe to say that Whitecloud is incredibly proud of Ravenwing for having grown as much as he has since becoming a warrior, and Ravenwing is immeasurably grateful that Whitecloud was there to help him every step of the way.

Lionface and Greypaw: Discussed this here!

Bluestar and Firepaw: Well... we did see how that went from a first-person perspective. What Fireheart wasn't in the right head to see was that Bluestar had quite a bit of anxiety about him - she was very worried that she'd made a mistake and couldn't put her money where her mouth was to raise this very un-ThunderClan cat into a proper ThunderClan warrior. It took her a bit, as it took everyone else, to realize that Firepaw was going to be a perfectly fine warrior, but there was no way she could force him to be anywhere near as aggressive and distant as ThunderClan is famous for. In fact, more than anything, he seemed to be encouraging the younger cats to be as soft as he is! Bluestar had no idea where that was going, but despite her nervousness about it, she couldn't help but be interested in seeing where this little guy was going to go next.

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0gaudeamus-igitur0 · 5 months

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Into the Wild: Fire's glow AU

Previous parts: // 1

Lionheart entered Bluestar's den, moving gracefully but not silently. He announced his presence with a quiet greeting, one which his leader welcomed warmly. She had been expecting him to come by and report on the apprentice's progress, unaware of the additional news he was bringing. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dim den, the bit of dying light that peeked through the entrance washed both him and Bluestar in a warm glow.

He had already visited Spottedleaf and the medicine cat covered the shallow cut on his neck with a thin layer of cobwebs and yarrow for infection. It likely wouldn't leave a scar but his chest still had the reddish tint of blood, only more noticeable against his golden fur.

"Ah, Lionheart, I see you're back from the training session with the apprentices. How are-" Bluestar cut herself off when she turned around and noticed the stale blood on her deputy, her relaxed demeanor immediately becoming more alert and her eyes turning sharp.

"Has there been an accident?"

"No, the training has gone well. Or, it was going well until we were attacked."

Bluestar immediately rose to her paws, a concerned look on her face as she asked more urgently. "What? Was it one of the other clans? Is anyone else hurt?"

Lionheart shook his broad head, his demeanor stoic but not particularly troubled. "No, it wasn't any of the clans and nobody else is hurt. All my injuries are superficial as well, the fight was quickly resolved albeit unexpected so deep in our territory. We were attacked by a loner, she got the jump on us but Tigerclaw and I subdued her."

His leader visibly relaxed, her bristled fur laying flat once more as she let out a small sigh of relief.

"I see, I trust you had no problem chasing her out after."

He hesitated here, a fact Bluestar quickly picked up on. Her ears perked up in interest as well as a hint of suspicion. "You did chase her out?"

"It was more complicated than that. The loner, Maple, is Firepaw's kin. His aunt."

"Ah..." Bluestar murmured, a surprised look on her face. It wasn't often Thunderclan dealt with outsiders or kittypets beyond just chasing them out, but she was under the impression that kittypets are separated from their mother and kin as kits. She never thought Firepaw might have a family he was close with before he joined the clan. She eyed Lionheart curiously, taking a more thorough look at the cut on his neck as well as his scuffed fur.

"I've never heard of a kittypet aggressive enough to attack an entire patrol, especially with senior warriors like you and Tigerclaw present." It was very rare that even apprentices got into fights with kittypets, the majority of them got easily spooked and were easy to chase out. Even loners avoided patrols.

"She was under the impression I was attacking Firepaw and reacted defensively. The wind was blowing downstream so we didn't pick up on her scent until she attacked and pinned me down."

At this Bluestar was visibly surprised, her bright eyes wide. Lionheart is a strong warrior, one admired by all the clans for his strength and prowess. His injuries were minimal but the fact that the intruder had him pinned spoke a lot of their power.

"But- is she, not a kittypet? Has she received some kind of training?"

"According to Firepaw she hasn't been a kittypet for a long time but I don't believe she received any training." Lionheart began, remembering the encounter. "She has experience but her technique was... Basic and predictable, had it been a real fight things would have gone differently."

"Honestly it's her size that makes her different. Bluestar this cat is bigger and heavier than both Tigerclaw and me, that's how she pinned me down. I can't remember seeing any clan cat reach that bulk." Lionheart was a big tom but when he got tackled by Maple it felt like crashing into a boulder. He has never seen a cat of that size, neither in the Clans nor the twoleg place.

The silver cat remained silent for a moment, carefully thinking over his words. This was an unusual situation but thankfully nobody had gotten seriously hurt and if Lionheart's assessment was correct, which Bluestar believed it was, then this loner posed no threat. "You said you didn't chase her out? Where is she now?"

"She left willingly but not before making demands. Maple said she wants to see our camp and observe how we live so she can be assured that her nephew is safe." Lionheart shifted on his paws now, seeming uncomfortable with the idea. "I told her I would bring the message to you before giving her an answer. Tigerclaw was sent to shadow her to make sure she leaves our territory"

"You did the right thing. I must admit, I'm curious about this loner..." Bluestar meowed thoughtfully, a faraway look in her eyes as she considered the situation. It has been two moons since Firepaw joined Thunderclan and he is adapting as well as she could have hoped for, a promising but not unusual apprentice save for his origins. Spottedleaf's words still echoed in her head, 'Fire alone can save our clan' but what did it mean? Was the prophecy really about the young tom?

"Bluestar..." Lionheart sounded concerned, his golden eyes narrowing slightly. "Surely you aren't planning to invite another outsider into Thunderclan?" He sounded skeptical and for a moment she grew defensive.

"Firepaw is adapting well is he not? During your last report you praised his progress and hunting skills." She shot back, waiting for his response.

"Firepaw is still young, he joined when he was little more than a kit. He can learn, and grow loyal to Thunderclan but a fully-grown loner is different. We know nothing about this cat or her loyalties." His voice was steady and firm, while the deputy didn't mind and even liked Firepaw, it was different to invite more outsiders. The clan wouldn't be pleased about it either.

"I'm not planning anything, for now. But I'd still like to meet this loner or yours so I can tell for myself what kind of cat she is." Bluestar persisted and just by the look in her eyes Lionheart knew there was no changing her mind, he could only advise her as he always had.

"I trust your judgement Bluestar but some cats won't accept this easily."

"Leave those concerns to me. And rest, I don't want you agitating your wounds unnecessarily, I'll take Tigerclaw and Whitestorm with me tomorrow to find this loner"

Lionheart nodded, leaving the leader's den and entering the camp clearing. The evening hunting patrol had just arrived just as Tigerclaw also stalked back through the gorse tunnel. He looked to be in bad mood and the deputy could sympathize. Loners, no matter who their kin is, had no place intruding on their territory. Once Tigerclaw noticed him, he made his way over to the deputy with his head held high but his tail twitching in irritation.

"I followed her until she crossed the border. There weren't any incidents." The brown tabby seemed irritated by the fact which made Lionheart's whiskers twitch in amusement

"Yes, I'm sure you would have appreciated the opportunity to sink your claws into something other than Riverclan patrols." The deputy went over to the fresh kill pile, picking out a mouse while Tigerclaw grabbed a sparrow. The two of them settled by the bush to eat their prey with the rest of the warriors who came back from the patrol, although they sat a bit further away from the rest to keep their conversations private.

"A loner is not welcome in our territory, it doesn't matter if they have kin within the Clan." Tigerclaw grumbled but seemed calmer now that things had settled and he was in the presence of his old friend. He started to pluck his sparrow, his scarred muzzle full of feathers.

"Bluestar seems to disagree. She wants to meet with her tomorrow and she wants you and Whitestorm as escorts."

Tigerclaw's fur prickled again at this and he shot Lionheart a disbelieving look which looked somewhat comical with his face full of feathers.

"She can't be serious, tell me she isn't planning on inviting another kittypet into the clan?" He seemed upset by this, a notion the deputy could understand considering everything that had happened with Pinestar.

"She seems curious but nothing is certain yet." Lionheart mused, taking a bite of his mouse and savoring the taste of fresh prey, thankfully food wasn't scarce this time of the year.

"I don't understand what she's thinking, it's bad enough we have one kittypet weakening our clan. The way things are going Thunderclan will be a laughing stock." The warrior tore into his sparrow a bit more aggressively than necessary.

"Maple doesn't look or smell like a kittypet anymore, I doubt anyone will notice." Although he had his reservations Lionheart would support his leader and defend her actions. They could disagree and argue in private but the clan needed them as a unified front during these times.

"And we both know Thunderclan needs new blood. It will help keep the future generations strong and healthy." Tigerclaw grunted at that but didn't continue arguing, knowing that Lionheart was right, adding new blood to the clan became necessary after a while. However, that didn't make him like the idea any more.

"I still don't like it, Riverclan and Shadowclan are growing too bold lately. We cannot afford weakness while we're surrounded by enemies." The tabby tom grumbled, licking his muzzle clean. Lionheart agreed with the sentiment even if the two warriors had different reasons for their concerns.

"Let Bluestar worry about the other clans. The next gathering is approaching, we'll get a better idea of the situation then." The two toms finished their meal in silence, splitting up once their prey was finished. The camp was already bathed in the deep shadows and the last hints of the sun above the horizon were disappearing, they could worry about the future tomorrow.

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Fed and tired, the three apprentices were ready to settle down in their own den.

Ravenpaw settled down early, exhausted and bruised from the training. Firepaw couldn't help but feel sorry for his friend, battle training would probably be exhausting for him too if he had Tigerclaw as a mentor. The black apprentice actually did okay when his mentor wasn't breathing down his neck but whenever Tigerclaw tried engaging him in a fight it was almost as if he would freeze. His reactions became slower and his moves sloppy.

Graypaw's loud complaints about his paws hurting brought Firepaw back to reality, his ear twitching in amusement at his friend's antics.

"Maybe your paws would hurt less if you stopped tripping over them." He teased, chuckling when Graypaw gave him a betrayed look.

"S'not my fault, if you had big paws like me you'd be tripping too!" He protested as if his clumsiness was to be blamed on his awkward growing proportions. Getting a mischievous glint in his eyes, he leaned on Firepaw making the other apprentice yelp as he got buried beneath his weight and fur. "Not so nice is it?"

"You're suffocating me! Get off, you tub of lard!"

"What's that?" Greypaw grew curious now and that gave the ginger tom enough time to crawl out from underneath him. Before he could respond he heard Sandpaw hiss at them to quiet down from the other side of the den, sharing a disbained look with Dustpaw as they settled down to get some rest.

Firepaw's ears burned in embarrassment but Graypaw didn't seem bothered by their attitude. He didn't even look their way as he started lazily cleaning his fur. The Sun was completely gone now and most of the camp had settled to sleep, they should too if they wanted to rest for tomorrow's patrol and training.

Firepaw went to settle into his own nest for the night, although not before flicking one of Graypaw's ears in retaliation which earned him a displeased groan. He gave his friend one last teasing glance before laying down and tucking his tail around his body, letting his body relax for the first time since coming back to the camp.

Now that he was alone with his thoughts, the ginger apprentice couldn't help but think back on the chance meeting with Maple today. He never thought he'd see her again, or any of his kin for that matter, and now that he was reminded of her voice and scent, he couldn't help but feel incredibly lonely. The clan was starting to accept him, but he knew he'd never be one of them like Graypaw or Ravenpaw were, they weren't his kin.

It was a distressing thought, always being the outsider in the back of everyone's heads. He didn't like entertaining such doubts but he almost wished he could have asked Princess to come with him. When he closed his eyes he could imagine the meows of his siblings or his mother's comforting scent as they fought for her attention. Firepaw's thoughts started to drift as his limbs grew heavy and his breathing evened out, and when he fell asleep he dreamt of a heavy familiar body pressed against him as someone groomed his ears the way they did when he was a kit.

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//AN: Another chapter, I still don't think I'll turn this isn't a fic but it's kind of fun to do snippets

I know that canon Firepaw wasn't having these thoughts as much but I figured seeing a family member would trigger that same loneliness he got from seeing Princess in the books. It just happened a bit early here

I also hope I can make Tigerclaw seem more... Human I guess. I never really liked how the series portrayed him as an irredeemable villain because I felt like they could have made him more interesting. I want to put more emphasis on how close he is with cats from the clan and how much of a betrayal his actions really are.

#warrior cats #firestar #warriors au #warriors #fireheart #my art #firepaw #oc #bluestar #lionheart #tigerclaw #tigerstar #greypaw #greystripe #fic

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