An Outing (Open

[Yoko]

I shouldn't be here.

That was her first thought.

I won't be that long.

Was her second.

The calico she-cat crept rather slowly toward the rocky terrain. The sky overheard was a gray veil, brightly illuminated, yet the sun was nowhere to be seen above it. Raindrops fell steadily, in their plumpest, coldest, form. With a shiver, she shook herself and continued to move forward, her paws thoroughly stained with mud, and her fur weighed down to her sides.

She had come alone, this fine young apprentice, to solve nothing more than her own curiosity. For Patchpaw, nothing was loftier than the power of a strong mind. She was proud of her body too of course. She was growing, a little, and her muscles were sore from the rigorous training schedule her mentor had given her. But her mind was so restless these days she could hardly sit still. Without Lionclaw in the den, she had been driving the other apprentices crazy with her endless theories about the Sun, and the leaves, and why the Warrior Code is so necessary, and ideas for ThunderClan defense. She knew they did not care, but she liked to voice her reasoning! Was that so wrong?!

Patchpaw sighed, even Lionclaw's company had been little use. So here she was, continuing an old habit that she had let die to focus on training. Her mission was simple. She wanted to examine the skin of a snake. She wanted to see the markings of an adder for herself, rather than just hearing about it in elder tales. But she would have to move quickly, This place was awfully close to the Great Sycamore, and if a Hunting Patrol dropped by she might get in trouble.

These circumstances were so exciting! She grinned, climbing down to the first rock. She perked her ears, listening for the warning hiss. She kept her eyes alert, darting about for any sign of movement before moving another step. Her heart was pounding. Her senses screamed danger, but if she could just peek, she could leave feeling satisfied.

ooc: No big deal It's the holiday's Wiz.

[wizard]

Nettleclaw twitched his ears irritably, all that he could do, given that he was out in the pouring rain. Well, alright, so it wasn't exactly pouring, but still.... He narrowed his eyes and growled deep in his throat, wishing that he'd had the good common sense to stop by the elders den and check what the wether would be like first, before he'd gone out to get soaked hunting for prey. Still, he had caught something, although it was really no surprise there.

Stopping for a moment, he dropped the fat mouse to the ground and looked around, getting his berings. Over by snakerocks. Great, that meant he had another hour in the shower. He might as well keep on trudging along. He flicked his ears again and bent to pick up the mouse, when a movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. he forgot his prey for the moment, and focused on the form of a small cat poking its way through the Snakerocks. Now what cat would possibly be so mouse-brained as to risk getting bit by an adder?

He left his prey and stepped closer, keeping his eyes on the small cat. Lifting his nose, he smelt the light breeze and caught the faint scent of a ThunderClan cat. It had to be an apprentice. Creeping closer, he realized that it was Patchpaw, Tigerheart's apprentice. Just what was she doing here?

"Patchpaw, what in Starclan's name are you doing?" he growled.

[Yoko]

The calico apprentice crept in along the edge. So far, no sign of anything. What if snakes didn't come out in the rain? That would be interesting. It would certainly be helpful in leaf-bare when the Clan, strapped for food, might have to come out here and hunt. Or at least, that's what she had heard. She had been very young her first leaf-bare, and she expected to see many more in future. But not if she died of a snake bite.

She was finding this a bit disappointing. If no snakes come out, then she'll have to leave without having gained anything. Patchpaw was not a cat who dealt with failure well. She leaned further over the edge, stretching her neck to look down into the jagged crevices. Nothing moved by small streams of water. She wondered if the rain-snakes were hiding the hisses of adders with their own or-

"Patchpaw, what in Starclan's name are you doing?"

Heart racing, she twisted to look upward, her paw slipped. She scrambled for footing along the slippery stone. No hope. No chance. just a nasty fall and a hard landing on her side. Fear. Did she break anything? The calico apprentice slowly got to her pause. She ached, but could feel no sharp pains. She looked up at her accuser.

Nettleclaw? she wrinkled her nose. What's he doing out here?

"I'm fine," she hissed, unsure if she could be heard over the dribbling rain.

Despite her clear annoyance, she felt very fearful. Tigerheart would have her tail for sure! She would be changing bedding and picking ticks for months and-

hisssssssssssss

She froze. In her worry about punishments, she had forgotten where she was.

hisssssssss

Slowly, very cautiously, Patchpaw turned to see a snake uncolining, raising its head beneath its rocky shelter. The apprentice remained incredibly still in her fright. What should she do? It might be faster than she is.

[wizard]

Patchpaw whipped around to look at him--too quickly, perhaps. Her paw slipped beneath her, and she went tumbling down off the rock and out of sight. Nettleclaw's eyes widened and he bolted forward, bounding lightly from boulder to boulder, until he caught sight of her again, lying on the ground. He stopped, and barely managed to keep from joining her, as his own paws slipped on the treacherous rocks. He swayed slightly, catching his balance and crouched down on his perch, studying her as she looked up at him. Well, she looked alright...but it was probably best to make sure. "Are you alright?" he asked grudgingly.

"I'm fine,"

"Good. Now what are you doing here, trying to get bit?" he growled. He refused to admit that she had managed to scare him a little with her fall. As if to underscore his question, a hisssssss grabbed his attention and he swung his gaze to see the adder uncoiling and fully focused on Patchpaw. "If so, looks like you're going to get your wish. Don't move."

She turned her head. Nettleclaw sighed inwardly: Apprentices never listened. At least this one had the good common sense to remain still once she saw the threat. Keeping his gaze on the snake, he reached out a paw and snagged at her scruff. If he could get a paw-hold on her, maybe he could drag her safely away from the snake before it decided to strike.

[Yoko]

Patchpaw repressed a hiss of retaliation. Of course she didn't want to get bit, what a mouse-brained idea! All she wanted was a good look at a snakeskin and maybe a souvenoir. Maybe there was something shiny in Snake Rocks for her to collect. But by the looks of it, she would never know.

The angry adder slid out towards her, and now she decided it would be in her best interest to move. She slowly took a few pawsteps backwards. The calico got a good look at it though. It was a beautiful thing with big amber eyes and pale yellow scales. It was patterned with black diamonds and wow was it long! It was almost mesmerizing to look at. But she backed into a ledge.

As upset as she was that he had caught her, she would really appreciate Nettleclaw's help about now. Whipping around she scrambled up the slippery rock, only to find no grip to be found.

"Help!"

ooc: Sorry for the wait and the shortness. Just got in from NY. x3

[wizard]

Nettleclaw almost had her, when Patchpaw started to back away from the adder. He tried to keep his sigh of exasperation muffled as he shifted his position and headed around to get behind her. If she kept backing up, she'd back right into his paw-reach, and he could get her out of here.

She reached the limits of her space before he could get to his selected spot and Nettleclaw only hoped that she would stay put until he got there. But no, she she bumped into the ledge behind her, she whipped around and started trying to scramble up the slick rock. "Help!"

So much for common sense. Nettleclaw gritted his teeth and arrived at his pre-chosen place above her and reaching out, snagged at her scruff--successfully, this time. He drew her upwards, his muscles straining, until she was within reach of his mouth, then clamped his jaws gently but firmly around her neck and hauled her the rest of the way up, til she could get a paw-hold on the edge and help. "Hurry up." he grunted, his growl muffled by her fur in his mouth. He didn't know how much longer he could continue to bare her full weight for, nor did he want to find out. "Got it yet?"

[Yoko]

Patchpaw went on kicking and jumping. Her hindlegs flailed behind her desperately. She squealed a little as one of her hindclaws snagged while she was trying to get a good grip. The calico apprentice seemed to dangle forever, in her terrified mind and she looked behind her for the snake, only catching glimpses of its hide. When she looked up again, there was Nettleclaw.

He finally caught a hold of her neck scruff and like a kit she automatically went limp. But she wasn't as small as she used to be and Nettleclaw couldn't just lift her up like a two-moon old.

"Hurry up! Got it yet?"

The apprentice snapped back to attention. She lifted her legs up higher and pressed her paws against the side of the cliff and pushed herself up. Then putting her forelegs over the top and hauled herself up. She was not, Thank StarClan, bitten.

"Thanks," she breathed out, completely excited and totally soaked.

She just lay there, sprawled out on her belly and sore. And aside from a few invisible bruises. She could feel a little blood trickling from her torn claw.

[wizard]

Patchpaw finally got a paw-hold and helped heave herself up onto the ledge of rock. Nettleclaw released her from his grip and turned away, giving her more room to move away from the edge. His scar and shoulder muscles burned with a fierceness he hadn't felt in moons, and he knew he'd be showing a bad limp on the trek back to camp. He gingerly tested his leg by putting weight on it, then easing the weight off again. Yep, he'd be limping more than usual, all right.

He glanced over to where Patchpaw lay on her side, catching her breath. At least, he hoped that was what she was doing--that she hadn't wound up bitten."Feeling all right?" he asked gruffly. "Up to going back to camp now?"

That mouse of his was getting soaked, he thought. I'm going to have to get that mouse back to camp, quickly. Otherwise I might as well forget it--it'll be crow food. He shifted his weight a little, continuing to test his paw and leg as he waited for Patchpaw.

[Yoko]

At least he didn't sound too angry...Patchpaw figured she had better get moving before she irritated the warrior more. Unfortunately, in her hurry to get up and out of sight, she neglected her torn claw. A sharp gasp and she stood stalk still.

"I'm fine," she squeaked meekly.

She walked on her ankle for that paw. The rain at least was letting up. She would like nothing more than to be home in her nest, licking her claw. The trouble was, she wasn't quite sure what would happen once she got home.

"Ummm, Nettleclaw,"she murmured. "Are you going to tell my mentor about this...?"

[wizard]

(OOC: Sorry about the wait.)

Well, apparently he wouldn't be the only one limping home, today, Nettleclaw thought as he watched Patchpaw gimp about. Torn claws hurt, he knew, even though he'd never experienced one himself. Seeing as she was ready to head back, Nettleclaw wasted no time in leading the way back to where he had left his catch, and then toward home.

"Ummm, Nettleclaw,"she murmured. "Are you going to tell my mentor about this...?"

Nettleclaw snorted. Stopping to rest, he dropped the mouse to the ground and sat beside it, easing his weight off of his injured leg. He was probably going to be gimping til the middle of next week, the way it ached. He turned his attention back to her question. "Is there any sane reason that you can think of as to why I shouldn't?" he retorted.

[Yoko]

Patchpaw followed the warrior closely all the way back to camp. The calico apprentice crouched down, looking at her paws and shuffling the dirt beneath her paws as she waited for an answer. When she got it, it stung. He was very right. She had no right to ask him not to tell Tigerheart what she had done. Usually, she did not take snipes without prompt retorts, even from warriors but she was still very young and prone to kit-like tendencies. Like tears...

She sniffed and tried to hold them in. "Well, it's just...um...it's just," she started. Deep breaths, Patchpaw. Don't let 'em see you cry. She looked up boldly, trying to forget the clear droplets threatening to break out. "I'll do any punishment asked of me. Change nest bedding, get rid of elder ticks, but, I'd rather not have my mentor know that I....Well, that I attempted something so...mouse-brained."

It was tough to admit. She was a very proud cat. And nothing would hurt her more than having her mentor look down at her.

[wizard]

(OOC: Yeeeagh! Waaay to long since I last posted! Sorry about that!)

Great, were those tears? Yeah, they sure looked that way. Nettleclaw held back a sigh by sheer mental power. This might get a bit awkward, especially if she started to act all mushy on him. That was the last thing he needed.

"Well, it's just...um...it's just," she started.

"Ye-es?" He had a feeling that he was gunna regret this. "What is it 'just'?"

"I'll do any punishment asked of me. Change nest bedding, get rid of elder ticks, but, I'd rather not have my mentor know that I....Well, that I attempted something so...mouse-brained."

Oh boy. "Don't you think the poor guy deserves to know that you were--as you so correctly put it--'mouse-brained'?" Nettleclaw asked. "Seriously, for your own health, Patchpaw, you might consider letting him know. After all, in case you haven't noticed, there's not exactly an overabundance of you females around this camp. Simply put: we can't afford to lose you because you want to keep your mouse-brainedness a secret. Have you got that?" He asked.

Bending down again to retrieve his catch from the ground he added, "And I, for one, know what it's like to lose an apprentice." Not wishing to dwell on that subject, he snatched the mouse up from the ground, giving a flick of his tail letting her know it was time to keep moving.

[Yoko]

((Hahaha. This took longer. It can either close here, or you can call her back to make sure she says what she did))

Even embarrassed, Patchpaw felt a flash of anger along her pelt. She had learned her lesson! It wasn't as if she were going to do the same thing twice! But she wasn't exactly in a position to argue with the grouch either. And what was this "female" thing he was talking about? She knew there weren't many she-cats, but it had been that way her whole life. What was the big deal?!

"Yeah-?! well..." she started, somewhere between a mumble and a hiss. "I do the best I can. I'm not mouse-brained, you just caught me on a bad day!"

That wasn't a very good argument. She didn't really care. No way was she going to disappoint her mentor. Especially after learning her lesson already.

"And you certainly don't know what it's like to be watched your every little step because you happen to be a she-cat-!"

At his mention of losing his apprentice, Patchpaw paused. Now curiousity could make her an insensitive little thing. She could could really lash out and demand to know what he was talking about, but she was already fighting to hold her tongue. If he wanted to sulk than let him...

"Sorry," she grumbled, and started to edge off. Maybe if she stayed out of sight the whole day he'd forget the most bee-brained move she had ever made in her life.