sunnypaw | apprentice of canopyclan

News of his mentor’s fall came directly from Sunnypaw’s own lips to the clan. Most were surprised, seeing as how Canopyclan was trained specifically in the trees. Though no cat was a match for the roots that left their soil home to reach towards the skies.

And like a shell, washed onto the shore and forgotten by the ocean, he had seemed to slip under the watchful eye of the clan. While his mentor resided in the medicine cat’s den, Sunnypaw was invited to sit in on training sessions, and tailed patrols, though no real training was being done. Normally, he’d be upset that he wasn’t the center of attention, but since watching his mentor’s ego go to their head, he’s been humbled.

Sunnypaw knew it was late in the morning, the sun warming his pelt through the branches that covered Canopyclan’s camp. His whiskers twitched, an anticipation coursed through him that he didn’t quite understand. A twisted paw had a difficult prognosis; it would either cripple a warrior, or be set and can heal.

The murmurs from the clan cats going about their daily routines made his ear flick as his breathing remained steady. Long, hot breaths escaped his nostril, fueling puffs of condensation to gather. Though leafbare didn’t entail snow, the drier temperatures often chilled short-haired clanmates during the night, when the temperature would drop.

Sunnypaw was awake, though he refused to accept the fact. He could feel those around him shaking off their bedding, and their paws creaking on the bark of the large tree.

The young tom caught wind of her scent before the leader’s voice cut through the silence. As usual, her voice was powerful, captivating even. Though to Sunnypaw, she sounded like the shrill call of a hawk upon sinking its talons into its prey.

Eye opening slowly, he peeked at his leader. Her words dug into his pelt like thorns, making him flinch. ”N-no,” the tom stuttered, quickly getting to his paws and shaking his pelt from loose moss. ”I will be a great warrior! And your deputy one day,” he meowed, raising his head high. ”But...maybe after I wake up on time,” Sunnypaw lowered his head. ”I’m sorry,” he quickly added.

Coatistar ● beg and grovel

[attr="class","trying"]

sunnypaw | apprentice of canopyclan

Sunnypaw expected to be swatted across the ear, but instead, the she-cat snorted. Ears laying flat, he listened as she lightly scolded him for his bad habits. She was right, after all, he did purposely not get up that morning like the rest of the clan. Dawn patrol or not, Sunnypaw should've woken up.

His green eyes gleamed as the leader turned her back to him. Coatistar didn't say no or say he was being a bee-brain. Which meant there was hope.

Scampering behind her, he watched in awe as the limber leader climbed her way down the tree. At 6 moons, he was as skilled as a kit, though perhaps less bumbling. Stretching his first paw out, he felt the branch bend at his weight. So, instead of finding his own way down, he'd follow the path Coatistar set for him.

Jumping onto branch after branch, a sense of pride washed over the young apprentice. That was...until the final branch.

Cockiness resided in the tom's belly, and it weighed down his paws. A particularly soft part of the bark caused his claws not to sink in, making Sunnypaw lose his balance. A soft gasp escaped his lips as he miscalculated the step and fell the rest of the way down. Luckily, he was only a couple fox-lengths from the ground and could quickly readjust himself in the air. Landing with a not-so-graceful thump next to Coatistar, he looked up at her with a toothy grin, "I meant to do that."

Following his leader through the jungle, his paws paused at his leader's request. At 6 moons, just after his naming, he had absolutely no skill set. Sure he could pounce on a moss ball or tackle his siblings, but he didn't know how to hunt, track, nor any proper attack moves. "Oh, yeah....I---" Sunnypaw stammered, racking his brain for an idea. Heat crept up his neck, slowly spreading to his cheeks.

Coatistar ● he's a good boi, but a dumb one

[attr="class","trying"]

sunnypaw | apprentice of canopyclan

Sunnypaw's ears flatted to his skull, a small whine aching to escape his lips. If any other apprentice were in the same predicament, they'd have tucked tails. Everyone knew, if Coatistar had singled you out, you were probably in trouble. The she-cat had a way about her, like an elder with a hard-to-reach tick. While Sunnystar looked up to her, with her grace and power, he also feared her.

"Yes ma'am," he muttered under his breath, crouching down. Truthfully, Snowfall hadn't taught Sunnypaw very much. With his head in the stars over his first apprentice, he used it as bragging rights to his peers, rather than actually train Sunnypaw. All Sunnypaw was to him was a glorified hunt.

His hunting crouch was awkward. His limbs sprawled out, making his chest sink towards the ground and his hips move upward. His tail was ridged, and stuck out towards the canopy. Cheeks aflame, he glanced at his leader, knowing well what he was in for. He'd be assigned the most strict of a mentor, someone who'd finish a whole moon of training in a half-moon.

"I haven't gotten to hunt much," he admitted, still holding his pose. "But I have gotten a little training in tracking," Sunnypaw meowed, opening his jaws and lifting his chin slightly towards the sky. They were upwind, so it was hard to scent anything other than the pair, and possibly an old patrol. He hoped she wouldn't ask him to describe what he could scent.

Coatistar ● my dude is awkward