.an overdue return. | 1x1 .reptile. & .saige.

[saige.]

You trick your lovers
That you're wicked and divine
You may be a sinner
But your innocence is mine

Please me
Show me how it's done
Tease me
You are the one

≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍

The all-too familiar meows of his new Apprentice burned in his ears as her voice carried and settled into the den. Ashice drew in a breath and turned, biting his tongue back to hold back any retorts he wanted to yowl at his self-centered Apprentice. Glaring down at the she-cat with hard blue eyes, the Deputy sighed and swished his tail as she continued to rant, leaving Shadowfrost to escape quickly and tend to Valorpaw. Swallowing back his burning remarks, Ashice kept a stolid expression and flatly replied, "Very well, but this is going to be a pair training. I'll go find another Apprentice so you two can-" "Ashice!" The call of a more gentle voice soothed the tabby's rising temper towards Spiderpaw, but her timing was both a pleasant one and an untimely one.

The blue-eyed tabby Tom watched as the soft white figure of Hollypaw appeared at the entrance of the Medicine Cat's den, her deep blue eyes lit to match the gentle smile on her blackened muzzle. Glancing at Spiderpaw and ushering her out of the quickly cramping den with his tail, Ashice stepped out in the morning light, now more bright with the passing amount of time since his arrival at Shadowfrost's and Sablepaw's den so early in the morning. His eyes flickered up to the sky briefly, forgetting for a flashing moment that Hollypaw stood nearby patiently waiting for him to respond to her previous call. Without looking to meet her gaze, he spoke, "Is there something you need, Hollypaw?" He asked, aware of what he had originally told Spiderpaw about the pair training he had mentioned a mere few moments ago. "I was just wondering if you had seen Wolfhowl this morning," she mewed with a shuffle of her paws as her eyes averted to the ground. Ashice pulled his gaze away from the heavens above to look down at Hollypaw, expression questioning to her actions. "Well, he should still be in the Warriors den unless he left. But, I have something in mind. You're close to becoming a Warrior yourself, only a few more days, and it would do some good if you helped in teaching Spiderpaw some moves that you've acquired through your time training. Once we find Wolfhowl, that is." Ashice could feel the excitement coming off in vibrant waves from the white she-cat, but her shy expression hid it as she sheepishly stared at the ground.

Looking up towards the Warrior's den, his own den, Ashice glanced at both she-cat Apprentices, "Come on, let's go see where he is," he meowed with a flick of his tail, moving on forward with Hollypaw at his side. Though she was as old as any young Warrior, she still retained the smaller stature of an Apprentice; something that can easily throw off any newcomer or even older cats who tend to forget who she is or how old she actually is. Her youthful looks are likely to remain for a while yet.

{Crappier post, sorry Dx Oh and I have some plans in mind for the little training session x3}

[Reptile]

s p i d e r p a w

"You like a story with a twist

Conflict, you cannot resist"

A huff of arrogance escaped the she-cat as her chest puffed out, amber eyes glaring in the path that her mentor had taken. Now he was giving attention to an Apprentice that wasn't his own! Rather, Hollypaw was trained by the cat most known for their strange and erotic behaviours that often ended in violent consequences. Wolfhowl. Spiderpaw grit her teeth out of frustration as she slowly trudged along behind Ashice, stopping abruptly and purposely tripping over a small pebble of the ground. The tumble caused her to hit the tom's right flank, a bit of a small smile forming upon her muzzle. She knew this had to attract some attention, and she weren't going to waste the moment. Anyways, who would want to go out in a training pair with the two worst cats of the Clan? They made her mentor stray away from her, so they're just another two pieces of worthless trash in the territory. How dare they take the cat she learns and feeds attention off of away?

"Oops... Ow, ow! I think... I think I broke my paw! Look!" Though it was obvious that she was feigning her injury, Spiderpaw continued along with her plan and rose a paw into the air, dangling it like it was unusable and worthless. At the mentioning of the two going out to search for Wolfhowl, the white-ginger tabby instantly stopped out of fear. Only a fool would be so stupid around the tom, for he wished death upon everyone in the Clan already. No need to shove him to the limits of actually causing the demise of multiple Warriors. Quickly, Spiderpaw caught up to her mentor and mewed out her thoughts of his whereabouts; she did happen to pass by the gray-white tom after all. "Last time I saw him, he was with Hawkice... Sorta. Maybe he's still near the Warrior den?" With a gulp, the young Apprentice slowed down her pace. The wretched stench of the tom's scent was picked up by her now scrunched-up gray nose. That only meant one thing; he was nearby and had heard them speaking of his name on a search.

"I am needed for what, Ashice?" The deep scratchy voice of Wolfhowl sent Spiderpaw's fur into a bristling state, causing her to slowly slink away into the shadows of the other Apprentice and her mentor. Suddenly the figure of the large tom came forward, yellow eyes stained with bloodshot crevices and staring straight through the Deputy. What Spiderpaw noticed was the small bit of affection that formed in Wolfhowl's usually blank face when he glanced down at his Apprentice Hollypaw. Confused, the she-cat decided to make her appearance again, earning a glare of distaste from the Warrior. "Why is this following you around like a motherless kit pleading for attention? She deserves a smack in the head for realization to set in." It was odd how Wolfhowl spoke this time around. Though the usual anger intermingled with his voice, it was a bit more careless and friendly than the normal. Why was this?

[I can see where this is going a bit. |D;]

[saige.]

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

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Hollypaw shot a glance in Spiderpaw's direction, but no matter how hard she wanted to be or how hard she tried, she couldn't look as nearly as menacing as her mentor. Head filled with dismay, the young she-cat lowered her head and continued walking. Almost instantly, her head perked up and she smiled as Wolfhowl appeared before them, his voice sharp and bloodshot eyes intimidating, though edged with softness as his golden hues gazed upon her. Hollypaw smiled and shuffled her paws shyly like she always did, looking down as Ashice spoke back to the older Tom.

"Well, I figured that Spiderpaw could do well to test her own skills against the oldest Apprentice we have and see how she fairs in a fight against an older and more experienced opponent. Needless to say I wouldn't set her up against a Warrior, so Hollypaw fits the bit perfectly. Besides-" "I'm going to be a Warrior soon!" Hollypaw bit her tongue as soon as she let that slip, swallowing hard as her fur began to feel hot with the sense of stares peering through her body. The Deputy looked at the white she-cat for a moment longer before coughing to clear away the awkward rise in the cool air. "Er, right. So uh, what do you say, Wolfhowl? Up to aiding a paired up training session?" he asked, blinking his bright blue eyes that dulled with concern. The vibe he picked up between Hollypaw and Wolfhowl was just...strange. Inappropriate even. He had felt something like this with Grayfern when she was still around, but...not nearly as sinister and ominous as this.

Hollypaw looked up at her mentor with large eyes, the irises gleaming with plead for him to agree so that not only would they get out of camp and enjoy a bit of fresh air rather than being cooped up like mice, but also she'd get a chance to show the others what he had taught her! All the tricks and tactics, she'd prove that she was ready to be a Warrior in just a few short sunrises to come.

{Hope this is enough ^^; I'll add more if you want me to.
By ze way, an overdue return? More like overdue reply /shot}

[Reptile]

w o l f h o w l

"They're one in the same, I must isolate you

Isolate you from yourself"

A demonic smile spread wide across the large tom's face at the approach of a training session with both of the toms and their apprentices. It wasn't that the thrill of pitting Hollypaw against the young Spiderpaw within a match to test their skills that drove the enthusiasm through Wolfhowl. No. Rather, it was how gruesome the outcome could be with just how much of a fox dunged she-cat that Ashice's apprentice happened to be. Violent, gory... The multiple ending situations circulated through the tom's mind as his unsheathed paws continued to knead into the grounds below them, completely forgetting until last second that he had a question to reply to.

"That'd be a great idea. Let's just hope that matters don't slip out of our paws. Now... Shall we?" With a flick of his short tail, Wolfhowl slowly began to drag himself towards the training grounds. Looking back every few seconds to make sure the others were following behind, his yellow gaze swept upon Spiderpaw with yet another distasteful grudge lingering within their cold depths. He knew she was going to say something rhetorical. Maybe yet another sentence that would prove how vain her sole existence is. A bit of a confused conscious began to prod at Wolfhowl as he looked away until the unwelcoming meow of the Apprentice finally rang within the air.

"When did I agree to this, huh? I really don't care about Hollypaw tagging along, but Wolfhowl? Of all the fox-brained cats, you pick him? He probably doesn't even follow under the light of StarClan!" It was tempting for the tom to make a clever retort back at the she-cat, but he merely snickered and smiled malevolently at the comment. She was right. He didn't believe in StarClan, nor did he do much good for the Clan overall. Rather, it seemed as though the cats were afraid to chase him out; Wolfhowl was the largest out of them, after all.

[Nah, that's fine. xD
Sorry for suckish post. Don't know what to say. :c]

[saige.]

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍

Hollypaw's grin stretched as her mentor agreed to tag along, despite Spiderpaw's unwanted presence. Ashice didn't utter a word loud enough for anyone really to catch, but he gave Wolfhowl a nod and moved onwards towards the Training Grounds, the rest of the party in tow. The black-muzzled Apprentice drew close to the yellow-eyed Tom, keeping little space between them as she retained the heat emitting off his body, though his soul typically kept a frigid sense. It didn't matter to her, she was nearly a Warrior and that much closer to being beside her soon-to-be old mentor. Her blue gaze followed his, watching as it fell upon Spiderpaw though the look was not with kind of hardness he gave to everyone else in the Clan, it was more stark cold, like the leaf-bare season that posed with the draft from the lingering snow-topped mountains in the near distance.

The retort and remarks of Spiderpaw brought Hollypaw's attention from her thoughts about Spiderpaw to the actual body and voice of the younger tabby. Her jaw parted slightly in shock, though in reality she shouldn't have been at all. Wolfhowl did get a lot of harsh comments and glances from his fellow Clanmates, but to hear one strike up not only in front of him, but in from of her, the only cat in the Clan he probably likes and likes him back; in more ways than should properly be allowed.

Hollypaw halted her steps, the snowy-white pelt of hers that is usually smoothed over and soft, was now prickled like new thistle outstretched from the earth of green-leaf. Eyes half-closed as they turned to look at the ground, she drew in a sharp breath and flipped around to glare at the other Apprentice, realizing that even though she was the older Apprentice and Spiderpaw was the younger, their sizes roughly matched. "Why should it matter what you think, huh?! You're the youngest one in this group and your mentor is the Deputy! For StarClan's sake just do what he, and everyone else older than you, says for once without complaint! The stars don't sit in your paws!"

Ashice stared at the normally kind and soft-spoken white she-cat with wide and puzzled eyes. Was she even capable of producing any remote amount of anger, no matter how little? Maybe Wolfhowl had taught her something. The Deputy directed his attention from Hollypaw to Wolfhowl, wondering what he had to say about that. Hollypaw, on the other hand, gulped and retreated a paw step back towards her mentor, taking comfort in the edge of his shadow.

[Reptile]

w o l f h o w l

"They're one in the same, I must isolate you

Isolate you from yourself"

The anger that flooded through the large she-cat was obvious. Spiderpaw's ears pressed against the back of her head as they flattened back, appearing as though they merged into her head. Unsheathed claws dug into the grassy terrain below them as the young Apprentice pulled herself forward, shoving her face into Hollypaw's. "At least there's more stars at the very tips of my claws than there ever will be within your mentor's entire path combined, pest." As a growl split between Spiderpaw's gritting teeth, Wolfhowl gave a small chuckle before wrapping one of his paws around the small white she-cat. He pulled her closer to him as to protect her from any more lashing that the partial tabby could give.

"Now now, Spiderpaw. That will be enough harsh remarks coming out of your gaping trap, you hear?" Wolfhowl's eyes froze upon the petite- or small compared to himself- body of the Deputy's Apprentice, face expressionless and void as though all hatred were drained out of it for a moment and replaced with a form of disgust. If you truly despise sweet Hollypaw here, then how about you prove that? Your ignorance is exactly the key flaw in a fight of yours, and you could help it by at least bringing forth a small tension of revenge." Gently shoving his Apprentice away, the large gray-white Warrior stepped over towards a large rock before clawing up to the top. Though paws scattered constantly and balance was continually lost, Wolfhowl was finally able to sit still on top of it at the end. His yellow gaze focused upon the tabby build of Ashice, a flick of his tail showing the bit of annoyance that sprung within his being.

"Come on, let's get started already! I want to get this over with as soon as possible so I don't have to waste any more time with you mouse-brains!" The Apprentice bounced around in anticipation before finally standing her ground, nervously digging into the dirt below. "For Ashice's sake, don't draw blood. This is more to test your skills on another Apprentice rather than maul them to death. Speaking of Ashice..." With a small fake cough, Wolfhowl closed his eyes and rests his head upon his dangling paws. "Why don't you start them off and take the calls? I'm mighty tired myself, and I would much rather see how an experienced Tom would behave."

[saige.]

You trick your lovers
That you're wicked and divine
You may be a sinner
But your innocence is mine

Please me
Show me how it's done
Tease me
You are the one

≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍

Ashice looked from the two young cats that stood with their claws sunken into the grassy terrain with anger rising from them like heat into the air, over to the older Tom who said casually at the top of a rock which took him a drawn out minute to clamber up and lay upon. His eyes drew narrow, the bright blue sheen colliding as it met the devilish golden hue of Wolfhowl's eyes that illuminated with red rings from bloodshot works. The manner in which the Warrior acted was all very...ominous to say the least. The way he spoke, heck, even the way he looked made nervous chills shiver down his spine and made doubt move in where confidence should be. Is this supposed to happen?

"Uh, are you sure letting them have a practice battle now is such a good idea?" He asked, a quiver of uncertainty scratching at his throat. What was wrong with him? Such cowardice shouldn't be present in someone like him, someone who is also the Deputy of a Clan! And not just any Clan, ScarletClan. The Clan who bravely broke away from their roots to join together in order to find peace. A Clan to be proud of. And here he was, cowering before a Tom who was below his rank.

"I have to prove I'm ready to take on an angry attacker, don't I, Ashice? Wolfhowl is right. He's always right," mewed Hollypaw firmly, her entire persona having changed in just a mere short minutes, her settled temper that never broke to the surface now boiling and shot. What exactly had Wolfhowl taught her in order to make her temper ripe enough to break and flare like this? But a better question is, what has she allowed herself to be taught as right? Her idolization for this Tom...does she even think StarClan is her guide anymore?

Ashice drew in a breath and parted his jaw to speak again, but his mouth was filled first with a sweet scent, then by the light words of a cat that was quickly approaching, the steps silent aside from the distraction of the scene that rested before his bewildered blue eyes. The gray Deputy turned his head, the distinct coloration of an all too familiar she-cat came into view quickly, "Oh darling Ashice, you have got to come back to camp! You're needed at the moment." Her smile was flirty and devilish all at once. Her motives were the same to each and every Tom who was her age or older, but there was something else. What it was, Ashice could never detect what it was, though it carried an odd allure that both pulled him close and caused him to want to pack up and run.

"Needed for what exactly-" "Oh Shadowfrost said it was about your son or something like that," She interrupted with a wave of her tail and an unamused look placed up on her face. But, that got him. Ashice looked back towards Hollypaw, Spiderpaw, and Wolfhowl. "I have to go but I'll be back as soon as I can. I just need to talk to Shadowfrost and I'll come right back. I promise! I just need to make sure my son is okay," he meowed hurriedly, bowing his head apologetically to them all, especially Spiderpaw since he knows he'd get an earful when he got back, he swiveled his paws around and dashed off, kicking up dust with each hurried step.

Emberleaf lingered behind, flashing a smirk and a wink over at Wolfhowl before treading after Ashice more slowly, her figure disappearing over the rise in due time.

{I think this is right ;w;}

[Reptile]

w o l f h o w l

"They're one in the same, I must isolate you

Isolate you from yourself"

How Hollypaw's entire approach upon the situation took place brought a devilish smile upon the large gray tom. He had taken such an innocent young cat and transformed her into a monster; a monster that would shine through upon his queue. That didn't mean the young gray she-cat was entirely evil, though. It had meant that he had manipulated the innocence of hers and transformed it into something greater. Something that could help in his path of terrorizing the others. Wolfhowl could have done that entirely himself though, especially with the Deputy himself cowering at his claws. That drained the fun out of it. What wasn't an extra soul to blame, especially one so delicate and once fragile?

The tom was quickly dragged out of his thoughts once the voice of Emberleaf rang into the air. What he knew her as was a flirt; one that a bunch of toms would spend nights with and still remain unfertile, ready for the next. A shiver of disgust ran down his spine as Wolfhowl faked his responsive expression to her wink. An unsheathed paw outstretched forward as a wide grin formed upon his white muzzle, yellow eyes narrowed and hiding any hatred he had for the Warrior. "Is that all you're gonna do all day? Sit there and flirt with every single she-cat that passed by?" The growl of Spiderpaw broke the peace that was blanketed over the tension. Wolfhowl's head snapped toward the Apprentice and fixated a death glare upon the large half-tabby before the tom actually stepped down from his place.

"If you find me keeping guard and waiting for you two to begin boring and undeserving of your presence, then take your leave." Fear struck the she-cat once again, forcing her to stand her ground and 'bravely' face the large Warrior. Feeling intimidated from the cold stare, Spiderpaw gave a small gulp and nod before scurrying off to the main campgrounds, following behind Ashice's tracks. A malevolent smile formed as Wolfhowl turned to face his Apprentice, a small purr out of accomplishment rumbling within him. "Hey, Hollypaw... How about I show you something? It's... It's a bit farther from here, and no one else knows exactly what."

With a few calm steps forward, the tom brushed his short bushy tail against the side of Hollypaw before moving forward, keeping a slow pace as to wait for her to catch up.

[SUCKISH POST YAY]

[saige.]

If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍≍

Her lips remained sealed shut while Wolfhowl spoke, keeping his words and taking them to heart to remember at a later time, perhaps when confronted with Spiderpaw again. The bulky Tom made quick work of the pestering she-cat, sending her scurrying along after Ashice where he once tread a mere moment ago. With a smile of small triumph, Hollypaw turned to face her mentor when he spoke to her, telling her of a place where he wanted to show her something. Her and her alone for no one else to see. But what could it be? Was it a piece of land where prey ran like there was to be no sunrise tomorrow? Or maybe it was a secret waterfall! The possibilities were endless and her mind, now glowing with curiosity and it reflected in her dark blue eyes. "Well what are we still waiting here for?" she squeaked, quickly rushing after her slow-moving mentor and keeping by his side as she moved onwards towards the unknown.

----------

"So Emberleaf, did Shadowfrost say exactly what was wrong with Valorpaw?' Asked Ashice innocently for about the tenth time since their departure, earning himself a tail to lash across his muzzle to silence the worrying Deputy. "For the last time, Ashice, I don't know. She just sent me to get you and that's the end of story. Why bother waiting around to hear details I won't even listen to?" She replied with a hiss, not bothering to turn around and look behind her at him like she had done previously. Ashice sighed and shifted his eyes to the ground, following his pawsteps and occasionally Emberleaf's if they came into view.

Within a few dragged out minutes, the pair was inside the camp and Emberleaf spent no time lingering around with the gray tabby Tom and moved off to her next target, only to have her brother head her off and intervene like he tried to. Seeing his sister shack up with multiple Toms on a near-daily basis must be hard for him, mainly to have to realize his kin isn't someone to be proud to call his sister.

Ignoring that and pushing it to the back of his mind, Ashice made a beeline for the Medicine Cat's den, catching Sablepaw as she moved out of the den with some herbs tucked in her jaw to be sent to someone else for whatever reason. Can't imagine what Shadowfrost has her do that causes her to constantly have a bundle of herbs and berries in her mouth. Surely not to keep her quiet; she's a well-behaved Apprentice. He mused, his mind having drifted off to a random thought bubble. Shaking his head, the bright-eyed Tom peered into the den, clearing his throat to announce his presence before taking it upon himself to enter."Shadowfrost? Is Valorpaw alright? Why did you call for me?"

[Reptile]

s h a d o w f r o s t

"It's much better to face these kinds of things with

a sense of poisoned rationality"

The swipe of a lick across her front left leg finalized Shadowfrost's self grooming; something that was hard to get into a schedule as tight as a Medicine Cat's, especially with Warriors constantly becoming injured and her Apprentice's need of training. Thankfully, she had ushered Sablepaw out of the den for a small amount of time, giving her a small chance to herself. Of course that quickly faded as the rustling of paw steps grew close to her den. A flush of embarrassment washed over Shadowfrost as the familiar voice of a panicking Ashice filled the air, her ears folding back slightly out of a small bit of nervousness. "Oh... Hey there, Ashice."

That's when it came to her. She had not called for the Deputy. Whoever had told him to go to her must have wanted to enjoy the view of her trembling in nervousness and an unreachable want. Shadowfrost, the cat who stands under StarClan as the loyal Medicine Cat, the one who made an oath to a young tom Apprentice who had met his demise and brought her to decide her current-day role, had a crush on him. It was something that was not to be proud of, as it got in the way of both her promises and important role within ScarletClan; it was also something she would never reveal. But... Who? Who had sent him? "I-if you don't mind me asking... Who had told you to come?" Mulling over the question for a moment, Shadowfrost awkwardly shuffled her paws before looking over towards the direction of the nest in which Valorpaw was almost always found resting within. That was another thing. Valorpaw was perfectly fine, yet there he was, panicking and rushing upon the non-existent scene. What was going on?

Well, she couldn't blame the tom for being over-protective of his son; the Apprentice was the last thing he had of the beautiful she-cat he was once with. Someone she could never be as good as... Shaking her head violently, Shadowfrost snapped out of her trail of thoughts and faced Ashice once again. "Your son is also in good condition at the moment. He has been all day."