Critical Roles [p]

[Oceanstar]

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I'm half-crazy all for the love of you. It wont be a stylish marriage, I can't afford a carriage. But you'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two.

Shadowpaw

"Find me when you're ready" Jackalfrost whispered into Shadowpaw's ear, then disappeared out the entrance. He hadn't wanted to wake the apprentice, but if he had then it was no large problem. Without waiting for the apprentice Jackalfrost left the camp.

He picked his paws up high, shaking off clumps of snow as he bounded away. He'd unfortunately leave a much clearer trail in the snow than he would normally through the plains of Fireclan, but that was ok. It wasn't as if he wanted Shadowpaw to become lost.

When he'd found the area he was looking for, stopped. Using his tail, he dusted away a patch of snow as best he could then sat, rolling his eyes at the uncomfortable cold feeling. The tortoiseshell sighed and straightened his back. His eyes slowly narrowed as he fell into a parade rest to await Shadowpaw. He was curious to see how long it would take his apprentice to find him on his own in the foreign territory. At this point he was assuming Shadowpaw hadn't had time to explore deep into Fireclan territory being the new apprentice that he was.

MEL @ ADOX

[Shadowpaw]

Not surprisingly, Shadow had found it difficult to sleep, this being the first night he'd spent without the warmth of his sister's fur to remind him of her ongoing presence. He'd become accustomed to waking up everytime her presence was lacking, and not going back to sleep until it was returned, considering just how close they were. He'd always felt an ongoing admiration for his littermate, and it saddened him that she couldn't be an apprentice by his side. It wasn't like they'd be sharing a nest in here either, anyway. It disappointed him, not that he'd ever admit it. And so, Shadow was glad he hadn't exerted himself much yesterday, even when he'd wandered a little ways into the territory. He knew he wasn't supposed to go without his mentor, especially so soon after his ceremony, but he hadn't been ready to retire to his den yet, and with his new name he had more freedom than he'd ever had before. Yet he'd returned almost immediately.

As it was, Shadow found himself clinging to the final whispers of the sleep that had managed to sweep over him sometime during his restful night when a slight murmur of noise caught his attention. His ear twitches slightly, straining to make out one of the words as well as their identity. Another apprentice? 'No...that's not it...' Whoever it was, they wanted him to meet them. Had his mind not been so groggy, perhaps he would have recognised them, or maybe even reacted sooner. As it was, they had enough time to make it to the camp entrance, no further, but probably giving them a good head start. However, they hadn't seemed to be in any hurry to gain his presence.

Scrambling out into the early morning light, Shadow allows his gaze to take a quick sweep of the camp, yet saw no one awaiting him expectantly. Sighing irritably, the apprentice trots over to the fresh kill pile and all but inhales a mouse in his hurry to catch up with who he now assumed could only be his new mentor. Peering around one more time, Shadow puffs his coat up against the cold an drew heads over to the exit, managing to pick up a reasonably fresh hint of his mentor's scent. He wasn't overly adept at tracking, yet he knew the basics so it didn't take him too long to find a trail. A little while of following this particular trail led him to paw prints, which were certainly a whole lot more welcoming than freezing his nose whilst sniffing through the thin layer of snow. With high stepping paws, Shadow bounds off in the direction his mentor had seemingly taken, not wanting to delay training any further.

Fortunately, he managed to follow the trail pretty easily, and he'd marvelled at the landscape the day before, so he did well in ignoring it and the constant biting cold. Soon enough he found the scent of Fireclan's deputy was stronger than before, and he keeps his face neutral as he sights the warrior nearby. Flicking some snow of his left ear, Shadow bounds over to Jackalfrost and dips his head in greeting, not bothering to sit as well. He hoped he hadn't kept his mentor long, though he wasn't really sure if any disappointment from a cat he hardly knew would really effect him much. "Sorry for any delay" He offers calmly, just in case. He didn't want to start off on the wrong paw. He'd only taken one wrong turn, and as soon as he'd realised he'd lost the trail he'd returned to where he'd had it last and found where it continued. He didn't think the detour had effected his over all time much.

[Oceanstar]

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I'm half-crazy all for the love of you. It wont be a stylish marriage, I can't afford a carriage. But you'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two.

Shadowpaw

Jackalfrost's ears twitched back and forth as signs of life began breaking through the morning frost. The sun was slowly starting to rise, which meant hopefully Shadowpaw would be arriving soon.
Almost perfectly on cue a louder crackle of snow made his ears twitch, and the mottled tom turned his head minutely to the sound. He tracked Shadowpaw's approach - since the apprentice didn't seem to be masking his steps it was easy enough - with his eyes closed. Only after Shadowpaw spoke did he fix his blue gaze on the dark apprentice.

"Not at all. In fact, you're about exactly when I expected you." With that settled he stood, stretching out his long limbs, which had grown stiff with cold. "The cold sets in fast when you become idle," Jackalfrost murmured by way of invitation,before sweeping off to the left of the field. "So today we will be walking without much rest. I hope you can handle it."

He was pleased that Shadowpaw had apparently awoken and found him so promptly. He'd known apprentices to simply continue sleeping. When his mentor had done the same to him, he had slept half the day away before deciding he was ready to begin his training. Not lazy, just stubborn. Shadowpaw in the least seemed eager to learn. "What do you know of Fireclan? Of any of the clans, for that matter? Anything of value?" The deputy quizzed over his shoulder as he walked.

MEL @ ADOX

[Shadowpaw]

Shadow certainly hoped he and his mentor would get along, hence why he'd decided to head after him the second he was awoken. That and he always had this buzzing curiosity he couldn't always ignore, despite his best attempts. In fact, unlike most emotions and desires, this was one he couldn't date. Though admittedly, he'd never tried too hard. Yet he'd always quieted the urge to know more in form of exploring, by listening instead. He'd always been one to listen in and observe, causing his vocabulary to be a bit more extensive then even older kits, and supplying him with a vast degree of knowledge about his clan and its beliefs. Not that he was sure just yet if he truly believed them, though the warrior code was another story, and he'd follow it as well as he could.

The young tom is broken out of his thoughts by his mentor's words, and he offers a calm nod. Of course his mentor had expected him, though Shadow was surprised he hadn't assumed he'd been later. Yet then again, he could have been impossibly early and the sound of his pawsteps crunching unfamiliarly through the snow would have given Jackalfrost enough alert to know of his presence. He made not to walk quieter from now on, especially if he was to learn and hunt. And so he allows himself to observe exactly how the warrior moves, making slight notes to himself and putting his learnings to the test. He's always been quick and cooperative as a learner, and tended to self imply his lessons.

Shadow allowed himself only now to make a quick observation of their surroundings, noting landmarks and directions to help him find his way back here, along with scents to familiarise himself with the area, before following along behind him mentor at a reasonably steady pace, already putting into practice the deputy's quiet way of movement, similar to that of any other warrior. And yet, despite these distractions, he was not caught of guard by the question about his knowledge. Again, he silently applauded himself for quietly observing the warriors and apprentices around camp, ignoring rumours incited by kits and younger apprentices. "I'll admit, not as much as I'd like to know" He starts, whiskers twitching slightly in thought and keeping his expression perfectly neutral. "I know that Fireclan is the fastest clan, known for being light on our feet, which of course is helpful for catching the rabbits that live here." The apprentice nods slightly to himself, hoping this information pleases the deputy, before mulling over what he knows of the other clans.

"Treeclan lives in a forest, and are well accustomed to climbing trees and hunting things such as birds and squirrels which dwell there. They're not as fast as us thanks to being a little more confined, but they're used to fighting and hunting in confined spaces and make use of the trees as well as they can. Iceclan live on the mountain, so they're hardier than us when it comes to colder temperatures, they also know how to swim and fish, which would come in handy where they live. Though I've heard it mentioned that something bad happened, an avalanche or something, and they've moved somewhere else, right?" Shadow tilts his head to one side slightly, peering off toward the mountain and wondering just how much of this information is true. Then he returns his gaze forward, his attention flickering back to the task at hand. "I don't know much about Rockclan, but I heard that they can dig, and aren't as rich in prey as some places because they're mostly rocky terrain, which I suppose wouldn't be overly ideal for most types of prey which would prefer the forest and prairie where all the nuts, seeds and grains are." He can't help his slight disappointment over his lack of knowledge about the other clans, but he's here to learn, right?

[Oceanstar]

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I'm half-crazy all for the love of you. It wont be a stylish marriage, I can't afford a carriage. But you'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two.

Shadowpaw

The information Shadowpaw could tell him was pretty standard, but Jackalfrost was pleased. It seemed that he knew how to listen, which was a valuable skill. Even more so, he had said that he wanted to know more, and that made Jackal happier than anything else Shadowpaw could have said. There were a few lax apprentices in the clan already and it was a relief not to have one of them to teach.

"Not bad," he mused. "Rockclan is a rather elusive clan, the fact that you know less about them is not unusual." He supposed his position gave him an advantage in this aspect of training, since he was required to know about all of the clans in order to take care of his own. "Rockclan is the smallest of the four clans, led by Cloverstar. They typically hunt a collection of prey, simply whatever wanders in. Rabbits from Fireclan, mice and rats from Treeclan; most usually though, predatory birds that fly from the base of the mountain."

The dark tom hummed thoughtfully as he mulled over Shadowpaw's words, deciding which parts exactly he wanted to reply to. He was adverse to filling Shadowpaw's head with too much information straight away when they still had so much to do. "Yes, Iceclan had an avalanche a few moons ago. We helped with some rescue attempts, though two of their cats still died sadly. At the moment they're working on returning home. That was around the same time Fireclan flooded, from the avalanche snow melting off. Though our crisis did not last too long thankfully."

He turned his head as they walked back the Hunter's Claw, a large, curved rock that jutted out of the prairie like a cat's claw. 'This is one of our landmarks, if you ever find yourself lost," he explained with a flick of his tail. "It is quite close to the Rockclan border. We'll be there shortly."

MEL @ ADOX

[Shadowpaw]

Shadow felt a slight swell of pride at his mentor's compliment. He knew he didn't know much, this much was obvious. However, apparently his mentor was pleased by the knowledge he'd obtained thus far. However, despite his pride, he merely dipped his head in simple acknowledgement to the deputy's praise, and allowed a slight smile to show that this has pleased him. Though he re-gathers his mask once again rather quickly, still not knowing his mentor incredibly well. For all he knew the deputy would be less than impressed about him showing even a hint of pride over his far from vast amount of knowledge. And so he kept his expression carefully neutral with a clear hint of interest as he listened.

At the mention of predatory birds, the young tom couldn't help his peak in curiosity, ears flickering slightly as he peered up at his mentor. "Predator birds? I didn't know a cat could hunt those. It must take quite a bit of skill and training. Certainly more than one warrior" He muses thoughtfully, peering in what he assumed was the direction of Rockclan. How curious. He carefully levels his thoughts again and returns his full attention to his mentor as he seemingly assesses exactly what information to give him. The young tom still notes carefully the way his deputy moves through the snow, mirroring his technique quite well by this point, showing just how fast a learner he can be.

"I don't think I was born yet when either event happened. I would have liked to be able to help out with the rescue missions had I been a warrior around then." He allows this thought to flood into his mind, asking himself carefully whether he truly would have wished to help another clan. 'Yes' he assures himself with utmost certainty, before scanning the area around him. There is a rock nearby, certainly a strange landmark, yet no less interesting. He makes sure to memorise it as they approach, that and the area around it. He would do well to remember his way back here lest he need to. He can't help the flicker of surprise as Jackalfrost hits his thoughts on the head, yet he keeps his expression neutral and nods in acknowledgement to this, casting one more glance at the strange landmark before following his mentor toward the ever approaching border. He can almost catch its scent by now, he's sure.

[Oceanstar]

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I'm half-crazy all for the love of you. It wont be a stylish marriage, I can't afford a carriage. But you'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two.

Shadowpaaw

Jackalfrost nodded at Shadowpaw's logic as they passed under the shadow of the clawed rock. "You are correct. Rockclan specialize in team hunting when in comes to predatory birds. By working together they are able to take down much larger kills and remain safe." He'd never tried hunting the large birds himself, but had been curious in trying. Unfortunately it was very rare that such creatures ventured into Fireclan territory, and simply walking into Rockclan for lessons was apparently frowned upon.

The snow started to thicken as the grass thinned out, sloping to a flatter terrain where it jutted out in sparse clumps. In the distance ahead rocks began rising out of the ground, blocking off a good deal of the view of Rockclan territory. "As you said, Rockclan cats are primarily diggers. Their territory is something of a maze. If you don't know where you're going and don't have an escort, you'll probably stay lost for quite a long time."

He sat down, content to let Shadowpaw have his own brief exploration of the border and Rockclan's unique scent. 'It is led by Cloverstar and Flamepath. They are the smallest clan, and the most secretive. In the past they've had a strong relationship with Iceclan, but not so much with us. We're not exactly enemies, but certainly not allies either."

MEL @ ADOX

[Shadowpaw]

(Sort of just pictured Jackalfrost strolling into Rockclan for bird catching lessons. lol, I could totally imagine that)

Shadow finds himself quite liking the mentor he'd received, and not because he was the deputy. No, he liked his mentor because he seemed to know a great deal about their clan and all the other clans, and Shadow was always thirtsty for knowledge. His ears perk up slightly as the deputy confirms his suspicions, and he finds himself admiring the other clans alleged ability to work as a team to hunt such a large and dangerous prey. No doubt they'd get a lot of food from them, too. The young tom peers in the border's direction, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of these elusive prey birds. However, he finds himself to be disappointed in this aspect, and instead returns his attention to his mentor's teachings.

Shadow found himself impressed with the deputy's extensive knowledge about this - the most secretive clan in the forest. As the snow began to thicken beneath his paws, the apprentice peers curiously towards the border which has now come into sight. Unfortunately, there is precious little he can see past all the rocks that have seemingly risen from the ground to barricade their clan from prying eyes. No doubt much like the trees of Treeclan. It would appear that Fireclan is probably the only clan you can see far across from the borders.

Once they reach the border, Shadow takes it upon himself to walk along a little ways, familiarising himself with the other clan's scent and effectively exploring a little whilst he kept one ear pricked to catch the deputy's words. Once he's gotten a good recollection of their scent, Shadow turns back toward his mentor and stands calmly at the warrior's side, never allowing his attention to stray too far from Rockclan lest a patrol happens by. Yet whilst their scent is strong, it is not strong enough for a border patrol, so he peers at his mentor instead. "Who are our allies then? It would make sense to have at least one clan lest something happen." His ears twitch toward Jackalfrost, yet he allows his gaze to stray over the border once more, trying to pick up any extra details.

[Oceanstar]

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I'm half-crazy all for the love of you. It wont be a stylish marriage, I can't afford a carriage. But you'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two.

Shadowpaw

- Ahaha and Jack would absolutely love doing that too! -

Jackalfrost remained quiet as Shadowpaw had his exploration, content to let him do his own thin for a time. He was happy to not throw too much information at Shadowpaw, mainly because the apprentice seemed so attentive and interested. It looked like he was actually listening to what Jackalfrost was saying, and that was enough.

When Shadowpaw returned to his side, the tortoiseshell stood up and began moving immediately. He followed the length of the Rockclan border to the left. "Well, while we are not enemies with Rockclan, we are not exactly close, as I said. With Iceclan we have a long-buried tension, built seasons upon seasons ago when we went to war with one another. Our relationship has healed over time, but it is not strong." The knowledge-hungry tom fell quiet, considering. "We have held good alliances with Treeclan over the seasons though. When we are in trouble, it is generally to them that we turn."

When the grass began to pop up again in tussocks Jackalfrost turned away from the Rockclan border and headed back, deeper into Fireclan territory. "You'll find that Darkstar is.....far from diplomatic," he murmured uneasily. "She is not exactly an easy individual to ally with." He was one of the only individuals that knew why her devotion to the alliance with Treeclan remained so strong, and that was not information he needed to share.

MEL @ ADOX

[Shadowpaw]

Shadow pricks his ears slightly and follows his mentor as he leads the way back along the border. He still finds his gaze wandering over to the other clan at times, yet he keeps his attention mostly focused on Jackalfrost as he speaks. He opens his mouth to speak, yet the words die upon his tongue and he closes his mouth once more, finding himself rather content with simply listening anyway. At the mention of Treeclan as an ally, the young tom tilts his head slightly to consider this, curious. Perhaps Treeclan's leader is merely more negotiable, or maybe there haven't been any battles between them. Either way, he offers a slight nod in acknowledgement to this, and follows his mentor away from the border an drew further into Fireclan territory.

As the deputy goes on to speak about Darkstar, the younger tom's eyes widen ever so slightly. Did he just...insult the clan leader? Shadow finds himself curious about the relationship between the two, yet he knows it's none of his business, so he merely nods in understanding and carefully settles his expression once more. "So...what are we seeing next?" He asks, changing the subject quickly having realised they both seem a little reluctant to talk about Fireclan's leader. Perhaps the deputy knows something...more. Yet Shadow knows well it is not his place to ask, so he merely glances around before peering curiously up at Jackalfrost.

(Lol, Shadow's just like..."what the...? Did he just insult his leader...? Umm, what to do?? Change the subject! Always works, right?" Best reaction ever, finally found a subject he's not comfortable talking about.)

[Oceanstar]

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I'm half-crazy all for the love of you. It wont be a stylish marriage, I can't afford a carriage. But you'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two.

Shadowpaw

Jackalfrost had always been a blunt individual. He often came off as rude, simply because he would always say exactly what he was thinking. His words about Darkstar, he knew to be truths, and so he wasn't bothered by them. For a moment it seemed like Shadowpaw was though, just a moment, and then it passed. Still, just in case he had made his apprentice uneasy, Jackalfrost decided not to mention their strange leader again.

"We're about to hit a......Ah, here it is." Jackalfrost paused on the banks of a stream, peering into the clear water. "This is Fireclan's main water source. It begins high in Iceclan's mountains, then becomes a waterfall. That waterfall is actually the border between Iceclan and Rockclan," He informed Shadowpaw. The deputy paused to lean over and lap up a few mouthfuls, his throat a little parched from all the talking.

Collecting his haunches beneath him, Jackalfrost leaped, springing over the stream and landing on the other side. He turned to wait for Shadowpaw. "The water becomes a stream, running through Rockclan territory and then into ours." He flicked an ear, hoping Shadowpaw was trying  his best to take all this in. 'From here, we're heading to Treeclan, the other clan we share a border with. It isn't too far now."

MEL @ ADOX

[Shadowpaw]

(Gah, all the clans just need a thread in the territory that's like, a map. Or an explanation of what the borders are and where, and like where all the landmarks are and main water source and everything, and then those need to be all the things warriors have to include in a territory tour. Sounds better then the usual territory tour when you have no idea what to put so you go back to your one and just teach what they taught. Hehe. Also, I just noticed how similar these two are, like, incredibly so when it comes to knowledge and blunt honesty etc.)

Shadow found himself glad the deputy didn't continue the conversation about Darkstar. Yet then again, he also happened to be rather curious about tpwhat he might have said had he continued. His ears twitch slightly, and he reminds himself never to simply interrupt just because he feels uneasy about the subject, always let them speak their mind. It'd be a much better course for gaining knowledge anyway, besides he might have found out something useful. He also found himself appreciating his mentor's bluntness, even if it was about the clan leader. He always found himself using blunt honesty where perhaps another might sugarcoat, yet nothing truly bad has ever come out of it other than one apprentice being snarky at him until they calmed down. Perhaps they are more similar than he'd first assumed, and he already had decided he wpquite likes his mentor.

His ears twitch slightly as they come upon a stream weaving its way through their territory from Iceclan and Rockclan. Her blinks, before peering at his mentor to listen as they approach. He finds himself almost hanging off every word before offering a slight nod. Of course their main water source would come from Iceclan, it makes the most sense after all unless it came from another mountain of course. In his opinion rivers and streams are just melted snow from the mountains carving itself a course into the land. Well, it's also what he's overheard too, though not many speak of such trivialities seeing as water is water and it tends to matter little where it comes from so long as it's safe to drink. As his mentor takes a drink Shadow takes this as an invitation to do the same, so he bows his head and laps up a few mouthfuls before watching his mentor spring to the other side.

Noting exactly how his mentor jumped over the stream Shadow makes sure to take a bigger jump to compensate for his size before almost perfectly mimicking the warrior. It's not much of a feat. He may not jump things much but he's not foolish enough to think it's anything to celebrate. He listens to everything his mentor has to say carefully before nodding his acknowledgement, making not to think about following its course from border to border one day. "Where does it lead?" He asks as he heads after his mentor, noting their position and where their going next for directional reference. He'll no doubt travel the territory on his own soon and it'll be good to know exactly where he's going. Yet for now its good to have a guide.

[Oceanstar]

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I'm half-crazy all for the love of you. It wont be a stylish marriage, I can't afford a carriage. But you'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two.

sHADOWPAW

- I agree, it is very difficult! We do have a set territory, but we've never had a map drawn up for it sadly. Everyone's interpretation keeps changing because of that xD The version Jackalfrost is teaching Shadowpaw though, is the official landscape that the staff members set out.
They are very similar! I hope they can become friends -

Jackalfrost craned his neck back to check the stream again thoughtfully. "You know, I'm not sure. I've followed it to the edges of our territory but no farther. I imagine it dwindles somewhere, or perhaps runs into a lake." If he had more time and less responsibilities he would have surely explored it thoroughly by now. When things caught his curiosity he almost always followed them through until sated. Unfortunately, he became deputy at the same time he became a warrior, and he'd never had time to simply run off and adventure.

'At the end of leafbare when the snows in Iceclan begin to melt, the water levels often rise. Once or twice we've even had some stray fish in there, though you won't find many Fireclanner's that know how to catch them." The only ones he could think of were Thymefrost and Wingpaw, though he'd always wanted to learn himself.

Fairly quickly the prairie grass began to dwindle again in much the same way as before. To the right, a large patch of prairie grass is noticeably greener and younger than the rest, while the ground is black. Jackalfrost paused by the border, frowning slightly at the stale scent. It seemed that Iceclan still weren't back home then. Perhaps he'd have to investigate. "This is our border with Iceclan. You probably can't get too much of their scent right now. It doesn't appear anyone has been by to refresh the borders."

Struck by a sudden curiosity, Jackalfrost looked down at Shadowpaw. "Tell me, if you led this clan, and Iceclan had disappeared for moons because of tragedy, what would you do? Take a piece of their territory while they were weak? Offer aid?"

MEL @ ADOX

[Shadowpaw]

Shadow dips his head in a slight nod, contemplating. If he got the time between training and chores he'd follow the stream, and find out where it stopped. That is if it doesn't merely lead into someone else's territory. His ears twitch slightly, curious. He's always been a little more curious of things than he's willing to admit. An unstated wanderlust he can't quite cap off. Yet he's good at disguising it, and he can ignore it to an extent. Besides, it's not hard to find excuses to do stuff and look at stuff now that he's an apprentice. He shrugs the thoughts away and returns his full attention to Jackalfrost. No sense in losing focus now.

Peering up at the deputy he allows the words to twine around him, ducking into his memory lest he need it, though he finds that fish aren't all important. However, he would be interested in learning how to catch them. Perhaps he'd see into meeting one of these two felines? 'Thymefrost and Wingpaw...' He notes, ears twitching slightly. 'It would certainly be interesting to know how to fish. Certainly another good source of prey in a shortage." He nods as though assuring himself of this, peering over his shoulder briefly before looking on toward the fast approaching border. The mountains seem to rear up before them, and he can't help but feel a twinge of excitement. He's always been curious about this clan, especially since they've been missing his whole life. He masks the emotion perfectly and purely peers on with barely concealed interest to the naked eye.

The young tom peers around at the fading prairie an drew blackened ground. One area is the usual soft and healthy green, whilst the rest is seemingly dead. His curiosity peeks, hyper he can't find any way to put his questions into words. So he keeps his mouth shut and instead listens. At the mention of Iceclan's scent the apprentice narrows his eyes and frowns at the border. He sniffs around, picking up a light trace of their scent, stale and unchecked. He'd thought they might at least have been checking their borders incentives in a while, yet it seemed they hadn't been back yet. How long had they been away? He opens his mouth to ask something, not sure what's it is yet, but Jackalfrost beats him to it. He closes his mouth and listens.

'Clan leader?!' The questions startles him slightly, yet it only shows in the slight widening of his eyes, which he instantly rectifies. He listens carefully to the question, then replays it once more in his mind before sitting down to mull over it. He thinks back to what he'd said about healing tension between the two clans, that and Darkstar's seeming distaste for alliances. Then he peers over the border. After a moment of thinking he returns his attention to the deputy and lifts his head slightly. "I would not steal their territory, for upon their return that would only set grounds for another war. Were I leader of this clan, in the instance is would offer aid to Iceclan. You said there is tension, that the relationship is weak. Yet it's still there, healing, isn't it? Offering aid could set an alliance between our clans that could be helpful in the future, especially if something were to happen to either of us. We've given them aid before, so it certainly couldn't do much harm." His ears prick slightly and he looks up at Jackalfrost, curious if he'll approve his judgement upon the situation. 'Is this some sort of test?'

[Oceanstar]

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I'm half-crazy all for the love of you. It wont be a stylish marriage, I can't afford a carriage. But you'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two.

Shadowpaw

Jackalfrost nodded in agreement with his apprentice. While Iceclan was really the only clan known for their fishing, and really the only ones with access to fish, there was no such thing as wasted knowledge. If Shadowpaw learned to fish it would make him highly sought after in times of strife. That was Jackalfrost's goal, to make his apprentice as useful and strong as possible.

He stayed quiet as Shadowpaw continued investigating, though couldn't help but chuckle at his apprentice's reaction. Minimal as it was, he'd seen a slight hesitation in Shadowpaw's demeanor. That was surprising enough, considering Shadowpaw so far had appeared perfectly stoic. He supposed he had just kind of thrown the question on him without much warning. Though, he'd been curious to see how he'd react.
"Oh?" He murmured, somewhat surprised. He wasn't pleased or displeased by the answer, merely curious. He didn't think there was a particular wrong answer Shadowpaw could have given him. He was simply wanting to know where his apprentice stood. It was interesting. "You have a point. Though, considering Iceclan has been living outside their territory for moons, do you really believe they'd be in a fit state to go to war?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. "Remember, some old Fireclan cats are still quite bitter about the war seasons ago. Though honestly, I'm not even entirely sure why. Iceclan stole a kit from us during a raid, but she was returned ages ago." Heck, she didn't even live in Fireclan anymore. He supposed the stolen kit was just an excuse.

Jackalfrost turned away from the border and stalked on. He smiled as he stepped into the fresher patch of grass, enjoying the soft stalks against his fur. "Is there anything else you were curious about, before we head on?"

MEL @ ADOX