[clouds-move-on]

Welcome to Rise!
Rise is an adoptable based on Warrior Cats and focused around world building and character development.
Please make sure that you read the main thread so that you understand limits and levels!

To enter, you must own a founder and be at level 1, or must not have a founder form submitted and can adopt this cat as your founder!

Here's another story telling prompt! You are to write a story based off of this sentence: but there was nothing in the darkness. This can be literal or figurative speech, up to you! You may adapt the sentence if you put into the tale you weave, but it need not be there, so long as the theme of the sentence or some semblance of it remains!

You also have to include at least two of these words: thrill, lonely, friend and promise! Please bold were you use the word. Words that have several versions for past, future or present tense can be altered like, example, promised and thrilling.

You have 2,000 words to work with and this ends December 1st at 6:00 pm est. I will only do extensions to hours within the same day.

Code: Select all

[b]Username:[/b]
[b]Cat Name:[/b]
[b]Clan:[/b]
[b]Rank:[/b]

[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Prompt:[/b]

Username: AstroCat
Cat Name: Adderstripe
Clan: The Clan of the Woods
Rank: Warrior

Gender: Tom
Age: 20 Moons
Description: black classic tabby with minimal white and hazel eyes

Other Features:
Siblings: None Living

------------------------------------------ SSS: Foundation
----------------- SS: Foundation
------------------------------------------ SSD: Foundation
Father: Foundation
------------------------------------------ SDS: Foundation
----------------- SD: Foundation
------------------------------------------ SDD: Foundation

------------------------------------------ DSS: Foundation
----------------- DS: Foundation
------------------------------------------ DSD: Foundation
Dam: Foundation
------------------------------------------ DDS: Foundation
----------------- DD: Foundation
------------------------------------------ DDD: Foundation

[Wolfiedog3]

Username:
Cat Name:
Clan:
Rank:

Gender:
Age:
Prompt:

[cyberdragon725]

Res!

[NaCl]

Username: NaCl
Cat Name: Feathertrance
Clan: Fadedclan
Rank: Warrior

Gender: male
Age: 40 moons
Prompt:
Cranedream - med cat npc
Lark - npc
Bluestone - deputy npc
Stepping out of the camp into the cold morning air, Feathertrance took a deep breath and took in his surroundings. The trees itself were thin yet the bushes underneath were thick, the dark brown tabby pushed through the bushes. He was out early to do some hunting, like he did every morning. He liked going out alone, to get hunting done on his accord and Riverstar seemed fine with it. The air was still and there were only a handful of birds calling in the morning air. The oak leaves blew in the early morning breeze and yet, the thick pine trees were still and mostly unmoving. He blinked, shaking himself out of his trance as he stepped forward into the thick layer of bushes. “South towards the proving island” he muttered as he pushed past each and every bush with practiced paws.
Feathertrance took in the scents around him and the scent of a lark caught his attention as he carefully glanced around to try and spot it, once his eyes connected with the brown feathers of the bird he carefully moved to where it might not be able to detect him. His heart began to pound as he crouched down, the thrill of the hunt finally starting to set in as he watched and waited. After what seemed like forever but in reality was only a moment, he pounced upwards toward the bird and as soon as claws met feathers….
There was nothing but darkness
Feathertrance whipped around, his eyes wide with fear as he saw nothing infront of him, beside him, behind him, below him, or above him. It was just… Nothing. He suddenly felt the urge to search for someone he once knew, he began to call their name as he ran and skidded to a stop as he saw the cream colored cat with two brown feathers tucked behind their ears. “Lark!” he called, dashing forward again and yet, Lark didn’t get any closer, only further away. His legs began to burn from running, his throat burning from calling the other cat’s name, it seemed useless to continue. He didn’t want to lose his friend again, he felt bad for leaving Lark behind the first time but he wasn’t going to do it again. Feathertrance collapsed, Lark still facing away from him still at the same painfully far off distance he was at when he first saw the cream and white cat. The darker tom curled up as his legs and throat continued to burn, his hope for seeing his friend again, was lost. He closed his eyes, hoping sleep would take this all away, that he would wake up in the warrior’s den and start his day again.
Once his eyes opened again he was standing in a bush, a dead lark under his paws, his eyes went wide and he blinked a few times to make sure everything was real. Once he finally had a firm grasp on reality he plucked three feathers from the wings of the bird and tucked them behind his right ear. He picked up the lark and began to walk back to camp, he would usually bring back much more but he was visibly shaken from the experience of being plunged into nightmare like darkness, running after someone he abandoned long ago. With his eyes cast down he walked back into camp and all his clan members seemed to notice his distance and shaken nature. “Feathertrance? Are you feeling alrigh?” Cranedream, the young medicine cat asked as Feathertrance dropped the lark on top of the fresh kill pile, pushing it back up as it began to fall off. “I’m fine, Crane- actually I’m not” he snapped and shook his head. “Would… Would you like to join me in my den to talk?” he asked, pulling a squirrel from the bottom of the pile and Feathertrance reached out to stop the rest of the prey from falling out of the somewhat carefully arranged pieces of prey. “Uh, yeah, actually…” Feathertrance’s tail began to sway back and forth from a little bit of embarrassment, asking for help from a cat who was twenty eight moons younger than him. The white bengal cat simply nodded and gestured with his tail for Feathertrance to follow as the squirrel hung by the tail from slightly taller cat’s mouth.
As soon as they pushed bass the hanging moss into Cranedream’s den he put down the piece of prey and settled himself onto his soft moss bed, swiping a paw over the other arangement of moss somewhat across from him. Feathertrance settled himself down and sighed, the medicine cat tilted his head. “You took some lark feathers off of the bird you brought back” he said calmly, setting his head on his paws. “Uh, yeah, I did” he mumbled, shifting from where he was sitting. “Tell me, what is troubling you? You are usually out of camp for a while, hunting, and bringing back your catches. You only just left. What caused you to return so early?” Cranedream narrowed his eyes and Feathertrance sighed. “Before I came to the clan, I was traveling with a friend, his name was Lark. I caught a lark today and I was sent into some sort of nightmarish state. He was there, I tried to run after him and call his name, but he wasn’t getting closer or further away. I ran and called until my legs and throat burned. I collapsed, and when I opened my eyes I was standing with the lark under my paws” Feathertrance had taken a deep breath before he spoke quickly, Cranedream only nodded. “I’m asuming you left Lark behind to join the clan?” was his only question, his voice smooth and calm like always despite being so young Cranedream was wise. “Yes. I… I feel bad now. I left him by Dead Cat’s Bridge, on the side of the dead forest…” he was speaking slower now, looking away from the medicine cat as he began to paw at the ground under him. “I feel lonely without him, he was my best friend, we promised to travel together until the very end and I left him!” the dark tom was angry now, staring down at the ground where he had dug his claws in and began to scratch. “It sounds like, perhaps, Starclan is telling you Lark is looking for you or you should look for Lark” Cranedream mused, watching Feathertrance with curious eyes. “But where!? There was nothing but darkness!” Feathertrance cried, searching the features of the white medicine cat for any sign of knowing. “Where you left him. Travel over to Dead Cat’s Bridge. You did it once, I believe you can do it again” Cranedream stood, giving the warrior a reassuring nudge as Feathertrance stood up. “Should I tell Riverstar?” he mumbled and the medicine cat nodded. “And Bluestone as well so he knows not to assign you to any late patrols” Cranedream added as the warrior padded forward to push past the hanging moss. “Thank you… Cranedream. I made a promise that I never should have broken”
[1188/2000]

[este11e]

Username: 1 1 : 1 1
Cat Name: wolfstep
Clan: twilightclan
Rank: warrior

Gender: tom
Age: thirty moons
Prompt: from the perspective of a former clanmate, silentsong
intimidating. that's all silentsong saw when her eyes met wolfstep. from his massive size to the darkness of his coat, she was always intrigued by him, but too afraid to say a single word. she simply watched him from afar while the two grew up together in the nursery, noticing the way he went about his daily life. the way he moved and acted around others, and the way he was while he was alone.

she wanted something from him, but she never knew what it was.

perhaps she wanted to fix him? he always seemed so broken, carrying himself with a certain darkness inside him and sheltering himself from the world. he was always alone, most of the cats in the clan avoided him, and that's why silentsong was so interested. how could one cat be such a mystery? such an enigma?

perhaps she wanted to be special. she wanted to be the first cat to become his friend.
WIP!!

[clarke,]

Username: clarke kom skaikru
Cat Name: bearpaw - to be bearspirit
Clan: drizzleclan
Rank: medicine cat apprentice

Gender: male
Age: 8 moons
Prompt:

silence. it was his greatest fear; for the world to settle and become so still that everything was quiet. his ears were ringing so loud that it silenced every other noise; the wailing of the cats who were in pain, the rabid growling of the bear who frothed at the mouth. his adrenaline pumped through his veins but still he could not stand up, not after having been knocked into the ground by the beast. he watched, fading in and out of the darkness that held nothing, as his mother was grabbed by the jaws of the massive animal. it flung her and he let out a cry, pushing himself to his paws. but he could not move. his back legs wouldn't stand, despite every ounce of strength he put into it. he could only watch uselessly as his mother rose to her paws, a determined look on her face, before weakly padding toward the edge of the cliff, baiting the bear. it's massive paws shook the ground as she hissed at him, making the rocks on the edge more unstable. a giant rock came crashing down atop of the hill, smashing into the bear and pushing it off of the cliff with momentum. it was the last he saw of his mother. despite the pain coursing through his body like fire in his veins, he felt nothing but loneliness, emptiness, and fear as the land settled once more and everything went still.

he must have passed out, because when he woke up he was no where he recognized. he could hear the faint bubbling of water as it crashed against the shore. the sound was alluring, lulling him to sleep as his eyelids got heavy. a rustling sounded behind him and his head snapped up toward the reeds hanging from the top of a cave mouth. a she-cat with soft, young features and a kind eyes approached him, her blue fur brushing the wall of the cave. he noticed that around her neck hung a twine decorated with shells and pearls. "hi there. you've been asleep for some time now." the molly told him, glancing behind her shoulder.
"who are you?" he croaked, his throat feeling dry. she pushed a soaking wet moss ball toward him, ducking her head shyly as he began to lap at it carefully.
"i'm minnowpaw," she introduced herself, shaking her blue fur. "my mother and i found you on a cliff. we carried you back here and she used some of her knowledge to heal you." minnowpaw meowed proudly, puffing out her chest. he winced as he talked about her mother, the events of however long ago settling into his memories. she glanced at him sympathetically. "what's wrong?"
"my mother... she died." he told her quietly, flattening his dark brown ears against his head. the blue she-cat frowned before gently touching his shoulder with her long tail.
"well, it's all going to be okay now, i promise." she reassured him. "don't you want to get up and get some fresh air?" minnowpaw suggested, tilting her head. the tom nodded and pushed his upper body up with his front legs, trying to move his hind quarters. he let out a cry of pain and collapsed back into the reed bed.
"oh." minnowpaw said dumbly, sniffing the tom's legs. he tried to pull away from her. "sorry. i'll go get my mother," she told him, disappearing outside of the cave again. but he didn't need another cat to tell him what was wrong; he couldn't feel his back, or his hind legs. he was paralyzed. the reed rustled again as minnowpaw accompanied by a tortoiseshell molly entered the den, their heads together as they had a hushed conversation.
"hello," the tortoiseshell meowed, blinking her eyes. "i'm hollowstar, minnowpaw's mother. what's your name?" hollowstar inquired. the tom didn't reply for a moment. he did have a name, but 'mouse' didn't seem to fit him anymore. so he swallowed the knot in his throat.
"bear. my name is bear." he told them, dipping his head respectfully at hollowstar. "thank you for rescuing me."
"of course." the tortoiseshell meowed, a small smile across her muzzle. "you can stay with us, if you'd like. join our clan."
"what's a clan?" bear asked curiously, his nose twitching as he inhaled the tangy salty scent of the sea.
"it's a group of cats that provide for each other and follow a warrior code. if you joined, you would be an apprentice with my daughter minnowpaw. we would call you bearpaw, until you got your warrior name." she explained to him.
"could i pick my warrior name?" he asked shyly, watching as minnowpaw and hollowstar exchanged glances.
"apprentices don't usually pick their names, but you can if you'd like." the tortoiseshell murmured. minnowpaw let out a mock gasp of feigned pain, receiving a smack from her mother over her ears.
"i just want to be name after my mother, spirit. she died saving me." he confessed quickly, his eyes casting downward.
"i understand, little one. welcome to the clan." hollowstar welcomed him enthusiastically. bearpaw's heart swelled as he thought of having a new home and a new family; somehow feeling that his mother had both died to save him and give him a new, secure life.

[ 883 words ]

[Yellow.]

Username: Yellow.
Cat Name: Batsight
Clan: Ridgeclan
Rank: warrior

Gender: tom
Age: 37 moons
Prompt:
“Mom why do we have to move, what was wrong with where we where?” Shadow asked the dark colored molly, to young to understand why they couldn’t stay somewhere that twolegs were coming closer to and prey was becoming scarcer, but old enough to be able to catch his own prey when I came around.

“Twolegs are moving to close to our territory and they are scaring all the prey away, if we don’t move now by the time we do it will be to late.” The older molly answered, her ears perked forward as they walked through unknow territory.

They’d been traveling for two days already, just heading in on direction through the mountains, his mother saying there would be better land on the other side. Shadow didn’t know if he believed that, but apparently she’d been over there before, there where cats who could help them she’d said. Shadow had found it strange though considering she’d always told him to stay clear of other cats and now they where going to some for help? Apparently she had a friend there who’d promised she could come back if she ever needed.

“We’re going to need to find shelter soon mom, the weathers turning bad.” Shadow commented as he looked up at the quickly darkening sky.

“We are almost to the cave that will cut through the mountains and take us to the clan. If we can make it there we’ll be out of the storm.” His mother answered answered simply, starting to walking faster to make it before the rain.

They didn’t end up making it before the rain started, hard and fast with wind raging through the mountains, the current created from them growing stronger by the moment. The sun was quickly blacked out, darkness settling over the mountains, both cats lowering there body’s to the ground to keep the wind from pushing them over.

“Mom we have to stop, we can’t keep moving in this rain!” Shadow called out over the rain but his mother never responded. It was then that he realized he couldn’t see her anymore, peering out into the rain to look for her he expected to see her form around the rain, but there was nothing in the darkness. For the next couple of hours Shadow called for her, yelling over the rain until his voice gave out and then still searching more. In the end he found the caves before his mother, waiting for her right at the mouth in hopes that she would find the caves she so desperately wanted to get to.

If took over a week before Shadow moved from the mouth of the cave to do anything but hunt and get water. Making up his mind to go through the cave to try and find the clan, holding onto the hope that his mother was ahead of him. It was the only thing keeping him going through the lonelyness.

————

Shadow spent an unknown amount of time wondering the caves, he couldn’t tell time with the lack of light in the caves. In time he learned how to survive in the cave system, his eyes getting used to the darkness and his ears learning how to pick out the sounds that echoed amount the walls. In time it was a thrill to learn new things in the caves, how to hunt the creatures that lived there while still trying to find his way out.

There was no sign of his mother or any other cat in the caves, no scent that anyone had been there in a long time. He still held on hope that he would find his mother if he could find the clan and no matter how lonely he got he used that to keep him going.

It was some time before Shadow saw light again, his eyes burning at the sight although he still moved towards it. He’d managed to make it to the other side of the mountain, he could smell the cats to. Having to close his eyes to keep the light from blinding him he could only sit at the mouth and let the sun warm his fur, realizing just then how long it had been since he’d felt the sun on his body.

“I did it mom,” he whispered slowly opening his eyes to the light, the burn still there but not as bad as before. “I promise I’ll find the clan, just like you wanted.”

————

“Welcome to Ridgeclan Batsight, your mother would be proud of you,” Kestrelstar greeted the new warrior, welcoming the tom into the clan.

“Thank you Kestrelstar I’ll do my best to serve the clan.” Batsight answered firmly.

[yellowpip1]

Username: Yellowpip1
Cat Name: Silenteyes
Clan: OrchardClan
Rank: Warrior

Gender: Tom
Age: 56 moons
Prompt:
WIP

[mynameisbacon]

Username: mynameisbacon
Cat Name: Crowpelt
Clan: Winterclan
Rank: Warrior

Gender: male
Age: 16 moons
Prompt:

The day began normally.
Crowpelt heaved himself out of the warriors' den and padded over to the fresh kill pile for a bite to eat before he went on dawn patrol. Dawnstripe came up to him.
"What're you doing?" Her voice startled Crowpelt. He nodded towards his fresh-kill before gulping it down. Dawnstripe nudged Crowpelt up while he groaned.
"Time for dawn patrol!" Dawnstripe chirped. Crowpelt followed her and the rest of the patrol out the camp just as the birds began waking up and prey began running around.
The sun began to peer over the horizon, and Crowpelt shivered in the early morning air. He wished the sun would rise faster. His paws trudged through the snow and the patrol stopped to mark the border to the neighboring clan. Crowpelt squinted. A small round gray blob-looking thing sat neatly on the snow. He left the patrol to get a good look at it. It was a cavern.
Crowpelt peered into the cavern, hoping to get a glimpse of something, but there was nothing in the darkness. He staggered through the musty air as he entered. The cave was lonely and smelled of rot-meat. Crowpelt gagged, But the thrill of discovering something new kept him going farther into the cave.

Crowpelt ventured even farther.

ew this is a major wipppp

[AstroCat]

Username: AstroCat
Cat Name: Adderstripe
Clan: The Clan of the Woods
Rank: Warrior (will become Bishop in the future)

Gender: Tom
Age: 20 Moons
Prompt:

Adderpaw settled down in his new nest, thrilled that he was finally an apprentice. His paws ached after exploring the territory with his mentor, but he still felt full of energy. He forced his eyes closed, hoping sleep would come to him soon. Just before he drifted off, the entrance to the den rustled, startling Adderpaw awake.
"Hey, Adderkit!"
Adderpaw looked up to see Mudpaw standing above him. The Bishop's apprentice had been Adderpaw's best friend ever since he had to spend a moon in the healer's den after a bout of sickness when he was younger.
"You know I’m Adderpaw now!" he said, playfully rolling on his back and batting at the older apprentice.
"Are you sure? You're acting a lot like a kit right now," Mudpaw teased, halfheartedly swiping back at him.
"You say that like you didn't cheer my name the loudest," Adderpaw retorted, sitting up in his nest.
"Whatever," Mudpaw rolled his eyes. "So, are you going to tell me about your day or what?"

****four moons later****

Adderpaw padded beside Mudpaw as the two followed Adderpaw's mentor, Webstripe, toward Hawk's Point, the towering rock formation that was home to an herb that the Bishop desperately needed. They were looking for a certain type of red flower that would cure the sickness one of the elders, Daisyfur, had come down with. The sun had already disappeared under the horizon before the rain had stopped. Clouds still lurked in the sky, covering the moon and the stars.
"Remember to be very careful, the rocks will be slick after all the rain." Webstripe meowed, glancing back at the two apprentices to be sure they were listening.
"Yeah, we get it," Adderpaw muttered under his breath. "You've only said that five times now."
"What was that?" Webstripe asked, angling his ears towards the apprentices. The older warrior seemed to have trouble hearing many things nowadays, much to Adderpaw's advantage.
"Be nice!" Mudpaw whispered as he bumped his shoulder into Adderpaw's, whiskers twitching in amusement. "He said we'll be extra careful, Webstripe."
Webstripe nodded, continuing on. Soon the small patrol reached Hawk's Point and slowly climbed up the side of the rock. Mudpaw stopped them when they were about halfway up, glancing around. "There should be a patch growing on the ledge over here," he said, signaling with his tail for the other two to wait where they were. Mudpaw crept forward slowly along a narrow pathway towards the ledge, then lashed his tail in frustration. "The rain must have washed the red flowers away." Mudpaw returned to the group, glancing up at the peak of Hawk's Point. "We’ll have to go up there. It's the only other place the flowers grow."

*****

Webstripe anxiously watched the two apprentices climb up to the top of Hawk's Point. The older warrior had begun to struggle to catch his breath while climbing and had been ordered by Mudpaw to stay put before he overexerted himself. The two apprentices disappeared from sight as they climbed up to the top of the rock.
"Ugh, it's really muddy up here," Adderpaw complained as they reached the top. "You must feel right at home, Mudpaw."
"Shut up!" Mudpaw laughed, then shook his head. "Okay, focus on the mission. There!" Mudpaw flicked his tail towards a small patch of red flowers barely visible under the mud, ominously close to the edge of the peak. "Wait here, I'll get them."
Before Adderpaw could stop him, Mudpaw began to make his way forward. "Mudpaw, wait-"
Adderpaw's heart stopped as he watched Mudpaw lose his grip and slip towards the edge of the rock. The apprentice struggled to regain his footing, but only managed to slip further away.
"Stop, don't move!" Adderpaw shouted. Terror was etched on Mudpaw's face as he stopped moving and looked over at Adderpaw.
"No, I have to get the flowers, Daisyfur will die without them!"
"Mudpaw, please! It's too dangerous, just come back to me," Adderpaw pleaded as Mudpaw steadied himself and stubbornly made his way towards the flowers.
"It's okay, I-"
Adderpaw could only watch as Mudpaw slipped and disappeared over the edge of the peak. Adderpaw remained frozen for a few heartbeats, staring at the spot where Mudpaw had fallen. Webstripe's voice brought him back to reality as the warrior shouted up to him. "Did you find the flowers?"
"Mudpaw, he fell! We have to find him!" Adderpaw raced back to his mentor recklessly, slipping and crashing into the old tom and knocking him down.
"Oh Spirits, no," Webstripe whispered a small prayer under his breath. "Let's check the ledge, he could have landed down there."
Adderpaw raced down, ignoring Webstripe shouting after him to be careful. He reached the side and braced himself. His heart pounding, Adderpaw looked down, hoping to see his friend's bright eyes peering back up at him, but there was nothing in the darkness. He inhaled a shaky breath as he stepped back, his mind trying to process what had happened. Mudpaw was gone, there was no way he could have survived the fall.
"Adderpaw! Did you see him?" Webstripe had finally caught up to him; the old tom gasped for breath as he approached.
Adderpaw could only shake his head before pushing past Webstripe and making his way down the rock face. Small raindrops began to fall from the clouds that covered the moon and stars, as though they were weeping along with Adderpaw.

***three moons later***

"Adderstripe!" "Adderstripe!"
Adderstripe glanced up at the sky as the Clan cheered his new warrior name. He wondered if Mudpaw was up there among the stars, cheering for him as well.
The next day, Adderstripe curled into his next, exhausted after keeping vigil that night. He closed his eyes, letting sleep overtake him. When he opened his eyes, he seemed to be in the middle of the forest, but as he looked closer, the ground and the trees shimmered with stardust.
"Hey, Adderpaw!"
Adderstripe froze as he heard Mudpaw's voice behind him. He turned to see his old friend, looking as cheerful and bright as Adderstripe remembered. Mudpaw padded up to him, smiling brightly. Adderstripe couldn't help the grin that spread across his muzzle.
"You know I'm Adderstripe now."
"I know. I cheered for you the loudest." Mudpaw said, then looked down, the joy vanishing from his expression. "Adderstripe, please don’t be mad about what I’m going to say."
"What are you talking about?"
"The Bishop, Willowfur, she...isn't well. I’m afraid she only has a few moons before she joins the Spirits." Mudpaw said sadly. "And since I died, she has no replacement. The Clan is in danger of having no healer."
"But why are you telling me?" Adderstripe asked, though in the back of his mind he had already figured out what Mudpaw was going to say.
"I know you always wanted to be a warrior, and someday even a leader," Mudpaw began timidly. "So I know you're going to be upset when I say this. Adderstripe, I want you to become the Bishop when Willowfur dies."
"But why me?" Adderstripe challenged, the fur on his back bristling in anger. "Why not any of the other cats? I want to be a warrior!"
"They would say the same thing!" Mudpaw replied in exasperation. "Don't you think they all want to be warriors too?"
"Of course they do!" Adderstripe shot back. "Why should any of us be forced to be something we don't want to be?"
"Not all of us get to choose our fate," Mudpaw said bitterly, casting his gaze aside for a moment. "Do you think I wanted to die?"
"No! I'm sorry, Mudpaw, you didn't deserve that."
"I know that. I also know that you were my best friend, Adderstripe. I'm asking you to do this for me. Please." Mudpaw met Adderstripe's gaze, his eyes clouded with emotion. "Please become the Bishop’s apprentice."
Adderstripe took a deep breath, knowing that his life would never be the same. He would never be a warrior or a leader like he always dreamed of. He had to do this, for the Clan. And for his best friend. "Okay. Fine, I'll do it. For you."
"Thank you, Adderstripe, you have no idea how much this means to me," Mudpaw breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll be with you, every pawstep of the way."
"Promise?"
"Promise."