Shadepaw's ears momentarily flattened back against his skull because of his mentor's scolding, but he quickly got over his embarras.sment at the prospect of getting out of the crowded hollow, even if it meant stepping out into the icy mush that littered the ground in ugly patches, like frozen scabs. "If only there was a herb to fix the ground's wounds, Kestrelwing. How wonderful living on this mountain would be!" he exclaimed as he darted out to her side. Through the filter of his optimistic youthfulness he saw only beauty in the forsaken scenery before them. "What will we be searching for? Besides prey I mean. Is anyone sick?"

Back under the rocky outcropping Stonestar settled back on her haunches, content to let her capable, if a bit blunt, deputy handle the majority of the organization of the day's patrols. Whitestripe, on the other hand, was about to protest Aspfang's sleep command when she caught Stonestar's eye. The sandy she-cat slunk away towards the back in defeat, unwilling to argue with both her leader and deputy. On her way she stopped briefly at Windpaw's side to lick the small apprentice fondly on the head. "Time to wake, sleepy one. Go find Tanear. He will be looking for you." With that the reluctantly tired warrior sunk down and buried her sleepy eyes under her paws.

Nearby, Cottonpaw had finished his morning routine and was listening carefully to the conversation between the two cats. This wasn't anything unusual; Cottonpaw listened to anything that had anything to do with Windpaw. Embarra.ssed and self-conscious as she drew near, Cottonpaw turned his face away and scratched at the ground, purposely ignoring her. As soon as she had pa.ssed he stood, stretched with an obnoxiously casual yawn, and trotted over to Snakeheart. "So, hunting, huh?" he crowed, making sure he was within Windpaw's hearing distance. "Piece of cake. I'll bring back enough fresh-kill to feed the whole Clan!"

Stonestar heard him and rolled her gray eyes but chose to ignore it. Let his mentor deal with him. If anyone could, it was Snakeheart, which was one of the reasons she had decided on that particular pairing. Was that really only six short moons ago? It felt like a lifetime-- no, nine lifetimes. "Aspfang," she murmured close to his ear because of their close proximity to Graytail, "I need you to keep a close eye on Smallkit. He seems all right for now, but I'm worried what this cold will do to his system. There was a freeze many leaf-bares ago, before you were kitted, that took the life of a kitten of much the same stature as Smallkit. I know you will find a way of keeping him warm without alarming Graytail." There was a brief pause as Stonestar leaned down to lick a loose tuft of fur on her chest, and then she continued in a tone that was less hushed," Would you be all right here without me for a while? It's a bit of a risk to send so many out at once with kits in the cave, but I want to scout ahead to see if there's a place farther down the path we could set our sights on. We can't stay here forever."

As she finished speaking, Tanear trotted through the cave mouth. Stonestar started in surprise, for he had not been sent out. In fact, she hadn't yet realized he was missing. After he had paused to nose his kits back toward their mother, Tanear turned to Stonestar and Aspfang and drawled in his deep voice, "I apologize for leaving the cave; I woke early this morning and felt the need for some fresh air."

Stonestar eyed the tan tom's stoic face with slight suspicion, but said nothing except, "That was a bit of a risk out here, Tanear. I would have thought you knew better." Then she turned back to Aspfang and confirmed, "You and Tanear will be all right here on your own?"

Ooc; Haha, no worries, Sona x3

Okay, that's good ^-^ I felt like I had so many more than you D: I suppose I could go back and do bios for the others, then. Maybe later x3

"Preparation," Kestrelwing meowed seriously. "If we looked for herbs only when there was a sick cat, it would only add to our anxiety. And up in this mountain, Starclan knows we'll need to have a good stock." Glancing over to her left Kestrelwing's eyes lit up at the site of a tall tree clinging to the mountainside. Hanging from its branches were large leaves. "See over there?" she mewed. "That tree's leaves are what we can use to wrap up our herbs in neat carrying packets."

Before she could look around again for some familiar plants, Shadepaw's comment caught her off-guard. "The earth isn't hurt little one," she purred with amusement, though his words brought back her thoughts from when she was just choosing an apprentice. Shadepaw always had a different way of looking at things that gave Kestrelwing a fresh perspective. Him referring to the harsh land as being wounded made it seem less frightening. "Now, why don't you tell me if you can see any familiar healing plants?" she prodded gently.

Snakeheart snorted with disapproval. "Show some respect to the prey," he rumbled in a serious voice not usual to the typically laidback tom. "There's always room for improvement Cottonpaw. If you become too proud of yourself you'll start slipping." Shaking his head ruefully at his cheeky apprentice Snakeheart dipped his head at Stonestar and Aspfang before herding his apprentice out of the hollow. Hunting in this rough terrain would hopefully temper Cottonpaw's attitude. 

Rolling his shoulders and loosening his muscles Snakeheart let out a jawsplitting yawn. Ears twitching he glanced around the area, determing which way to go. Obviously heading in Kestrelwing's direction was redundant, as she would be focusing on other things and their two groups would get in the way of each other. After a heartbeat Snakeheart sat down, realizing they had to wait for Ashwhisker too. Luckily the dusky she-cat had already heard and was heading in their direction with a resolute look on her muzzle.

"Good morning," she mewed doggedly, slipping up beside Cottonpaw and Snakeheart. "Thanks for waiting," she added in a dry voice, yellow eyes amused. Noting that Snakeheart was looking for somewhere to hunt, she added silently, "Cottonpaw, go fetch Goldenpaw for me please. I don't think she's woken yet." Knowing that there was a fairly large chance the cocky apprentice would refuse, she turned her yellow gaze on him sternly, brooking no argument.

Windpaw snorted with disdain at Cottonpaw's loud comment and flounced over to her mentor, eyes impatient. "Are we staying here?" she meowed in a heartbroken tone, glancing at Cottonpaw with jealousy in her eyes. Aspfang nodded abruptly. "You'll do as you're told, Windpaw," he meowed harshly, then softened a bit. "We'll be traveling again soon enough. You can run about then, so long as you're careful." Ducking her head with embarra.ssment Windpaw sighed. "Yes Aspfang. Can I go help with Graytail's kittens then?"

Aspfang, pleased that his dilemma about aiding Smallkit was solved. "If Tanear is alright with that, it's perfectly fine Windpaw. Also, if you do go, could you do me a favor and try to warm Smallkit up? The poor scrap isn't withstanding these conditions too well."

Windpaw's chest swelled with the importance of the task. Afterall, it was nearly like a warrior's mission. Turning pleading eyes on Tanear she prepare to plead her case to him.

Looking back at Stonestar, Aspfang nodded. "I'm perfectly fine with that, Stonestar. We should be alright. Just take care out there. We need our leader now more than ever." 

Shadepaw nodded in approval of his mentor's wise words. How many times had she sent him on foraging missions back when they had a place to call their own? It made sense to gather before a need arose. Bounding over to the drooping tree, he bit through several of the low-hanging, bitter stems. It was fortunate, he thought to himself, that it was so early into leaf-bare; the mountain trees were hardy and still had good leaves that would be of use to the medicine cat and her apprentice.

"Now we haf to find somfing to fill dem wif!" he exclaimed through a mouthful of stems. Setting the leaves down, he clambered up on a stone that rose a bit higher than the rest of the landscape in order to get a better view of his surroundings. "Let's see. What herbs would have a chance against this weather?" He ruffled his black fur to illustrate his dislike for the bitter cold. "Cobwebs, of course, are good for any time of year. We should probably look for poppies for the seeds; they always last well into leaf-bare. Catnip is more likely than coltsfoot, and chickweed would be even more likely than catnip. Marigold would die almost immediately in this cold... Um... Let's see... Oh!" Leaping down from his perch, his nosed his way over to a scraggly, low-lying bush. By pushing back a couple of spiky leaves with his paw, Shadepaw revealed several dark purple berries. "A juniper bush! That's good if any cats get sick, right Kestrelwing?"

Cottonpaw shrank back a little at his mentor's stern scolding. Despite the white apprentice's careless attitude, he really looked up to Snakeheart, and it hurt to think he might have disappointed him. Ashwhisker, on the other hand, he felt no such loyalty to. However, the cheeky reply on the tip of his pink tongue was quelled by the stern look in the gray Warrior's eye, so Cottonpaw dashed off with nothing more insolent than an annoyed flick of his tail.

Goldenpaw was, in fact, already awake, but the ditsy she-cat, having lost sight of her mentor, was now staring around the fast-emptying overhang with a bemused look on her face. Cottonpaw rolled his green eyes and stomped up to the golden tabby. "Ashwhisker is outside already, Goldenpaw," he huffed.

"Really?" She let out a shocked gasp, as if he had told her StarClan was going to drop in to share tongues. "Oh no, she'll be looking for me! Coming, Ashwhisker!"

Cottonpaw followed the tawny, twitching tail back to the place where the two mentors were waiting. "Can we hunt now? Please?" Cottonpaw's tone made it obvious that he'd be happy doing anything, as long as it got him away from Goldenpaw.

Stonestar was also already outside the cave, but she took neither the path of the warriors or of the medicine cats; instead, she headed towards the path that sloped upwards, away into unknown territory. She knew, of course, that to get through the mountains, that they would have to go over them; heading back down would lead only to the rest of the Clan being slaughtered by the mad cats that awaited them there.

Once out of sight around a rocky bend, the enormous she-cat sat and thoughtfully gazed around. The cold here halfway up was unpleasant, but bearable; however, there were too many predators in this region to even consider trying to find permanent residence here. Stonestar preferred being the hunter, not the hunted. 

So the only other option was to persevere, but could they make it even higher into the frigid peaks? Smallkit's well-being worried her enough as it was, and the rest of the Clan wasn't exactly healthy, with their ribs poking out from beneath their pelts; one wrong move on Stonestar's part and the whole Clan could wind up spiraling in circles before they died of cold and hunger.

"StarClan, show me what to do!" she cried, overwhelmed by a wave of hopelessness that threatened to crush her spirit.

Suddenly, something caught her eye; in a nearby snowbank lay a round, smooth, gray pebble.

Which ordinarily wouldn't have meant much, but the way it was placed, so neatly on the surface of the fresh snow... She stalked over to it with her tail held high and her nose scenting the air carefully. As she reached it, out of the corner of the eye, she spotted another, identical pebble on a bank a bit farther down the path... And another... And another...

Following the trail in amazement, she finally reached what appeared to be a shallow cave with a very narrow entrance; only wide enough for one cat to slip through at a time. Sniffing carefully, she caught no scent of danger, so she poked her head inside and was delighted to find it completely sheltered from the wind and snow. If they could make it here, they could rest for as long as they needed, as long a decent stock of fresh-kill could be maintained. Smallkit could build up the strength he needed to make it the rest of the way through the mountains.

Retracing her steps back to the original overhanging took much longer than Stonestar expected; she had been so wrapped up in following the trail StarClan left for her than she had let time slip by unnoticed. It was growing dark when she finally slipped into the crowded hollow. She took a moment to feel pleased that a sufficient fresh-kill pile had accumulated throughout the day. It wasn't nearly as much as they could have gotten back home, but then again, they had less cats now then they did before. Then she jumped through the crowd to the back of the space which, due to the moutinside slope, was slightly higher than the rest of the ground. That, coupled with her size, meant that everyone could see her. "I have found the next stop on our journey!" she announced in her typical calm, slow voice, though this time it was easy to sense the excitement underneath the smooth words. "Or, rather, StarClan has shown it to me. It is a place where we can all rest in safety until we are strong enough to move again." Stonestar's gray eyes flitted to Graytail, who was purring in relief and happily nudging her kits. "It's about half a day's journey, so eat as much fresh-kill as you can and get a good night's sleep. We leave at first light."

Then Stonestar stepped down from her perch amidst the buzz of chatter that was rumbling though the cats like thunder on a warm Newleaf's eve.

Ooc; By the way, the stuff Shadepaw said about the herbs lasting/not lasting was true; I looked it up x3 Feel free to use that info to make any future herb searches/findings accurate ^-^

Kestrelwing let out a loud purr of affection as Shadepaw rattled off this information. "You're coming along well," she meowed with approval. "Now, searching for catnip would be nice but last night it snowed and catnip can't survive the frost well. And their roots are nigh useless so there's no point in expending energy in searching for them specifically." Glancing around she let out a mreowr of delight at Shadepaw's find. "Excellent. Juniper is good for bellyache, as I haven't told you this yet, but they taste bitter. If we can gather enough we can dole them out in small doses if we get too hungry. There's a lot of nutrition in them for a short while." Biting off a stem neatly between her teeth Kestrelwing dropped it on one of the broad leaves Shadepaw had collected. "Gathering stems is easier than gathering individuel berries," she meowed.

"Since we have Frostkit and Smallkit to worry about, keep a special eye out for colstfoot. Hopefully some of the plants will have survived last night's weather." Eyes worried she scanned over the area, letting out a meow of delight at her finding. "Can you see that small green patch?" she asked her apprentice. "That's feverfew. Do you know what it's good for?"

"There you are," Ashwhisker purred happily at her apprentice's appearance. As usual the small she-cat looked completely confused. "We're to go hunting now, but so far we haven't decided where." Snakeheart glanced up and nodded. "Cottonpaw, why don't you choose an area? Make your decision carefully though."

Ashwisker flicked her whiskers. "Goldenpaw, tell me why Cottonpaw chose that place afterwards." Knowing that Cottopaw might make a rash decision, the sly she-cat was forcing the hotheaded tom to either choose well or be made a fool of. And since he had such a large ego, it was a fairly easy decision.

--TIMESKIP--

Windpaw had had a fun time snuggling up to Smallkit, who had a very sweet nature. Purring as she stood up at Stonestar's appearance she thanked Graytail for allowing her to be with Smallkit and padded closer to hear the news. Eyes wide at Stonestar's proclomation, Windpaw jumped a little with joy. "We get to move on!" she meowed brightly at her mentor.

Tail flicking he gave Stonestar a thankful look. Now they wouldn't have to deal with tired cats who were sick of their current shelter. Giving Windpaw an amused look the deputy rose to his paws and padded over to Stonestar. "You should tell Kestrelwing about the sign. I think she's near given up on Starclan," he advised in a low tone so only the leader could hear. 

"Feverfew, feverfew...Um... Oh, of course! 'Fever'few for fever. With any luck, we won't have to use it." Shadepaw bustled about gathering the medicine as his mentor looked on. Because his mind was so quick, he often concentrated on his work and other things simultaneously. While he gathered, he pondered a dilemna that had been bothering him since they left their cozy camp back home and came trekking up here. What are we going to do when it's time to move on? There are too many supplies to always carry in our mouths, and Kestrelwing and I have enough to worry about as it is without dragging along a million leaf packets. There has to be a better way! The rest of the day he stayed quiet while ideas popped into his head, only to be rejected because of their impracticality. Finally he thought of something that might work, but he decided to wait until Stonestar returned to ask Kestrelwing about it. As far as he knew, nothing like this had ever been done before. Shadepaw wasn't even sure it would work.

Cottonpaw, on the other hand, was always much more sure of himself. His chest puffing out at Ashwhisker's subtle test of his skills, he quickly replied, "Over in the rocks; the prey would want to take shelter from this ridiculous wind."

Goldenpaw looked more confused than ever. "But Cottonpaw, the rocks don't have enough foliage to sustain prey. What would they eat?"

"Are you challenging my judgement?" Cottonpaw hissed, crouching as if he were going to pounce on Goldenpaw.

The golden apprentice was fully immune to Cottonpaw's temper-tantrums. With a roll of her amber eyes, she replied calmly, "We should hunt in the grassy area across from Kestrelwing and Shadepaw. There are enough hiding spaces that the prey would have been able to remain there, right Ashwhisker?"

Before either of the mentor's could reply, Cottonpaw snarled, "Fine! You hunt there, and I'll hunt in the right place, and we'll see who comes back with the most fresh-kill." Without another word, he dashed away and disappeared among some rocky boulders.

--------------------

Everyone was just beginning to get edgy (except the grumpy Cottonpaw, who was still sulking over his defeat at the hands of Goldenpaw) when Stonestar finally reappeared. Her presence calmed their spirits, only to have them riled back up again by her words. Hushed whispers fluttered throughout the group.

Moving? We're finally moving on?

Where will we go?

How will we make it over the mountains?

Stonestar smiled gently at each curious cat, but she had no time to explain the details to each of them now. They would just have to trust her for the time being. Right now, it would seem, she had a doubtful medicine cat to reassure.

"Kestrelwing!" She smiled as she approached the gingery she-cat with a purr and rubbed up against her flank. "You would not believe the day I've had. A sign sent from StarClan themselves! I was feeling so lost, so cut off from them when we left our usual routines behind. Then I looked up, and there before my eyes was a small, perfectly round little stone. I knew it was their way of getting my attention. And then, just beyond that was another identical stone, and another... Until finally I was led to the next stop on our journey. It was wonderful to be so confident in StarClan again."

Shadepaw, who had been standing anxiously to one side as if he wasn't sure when to jump in to the conversation, suddenly asked, "Stonestar, Kestrelwing, may I show you something?"

Stonestar was a bit surprised, as she had no idea what the young apprentice might have to show her, but she was curious, so she replied with a purr, "Of course, Shadepaw."

The dark tom scuttled back towards the rock wall where their medicine supplies were stored and pulled out one of the leaf bundles, along with a sturdy circle of thick, pliable bramble. With his small, quick paws, he manipulated the two objects in an odd way while Stonestar looked on in confusion.

"Ta-da!" he stepped back, proud of his creation.

"Um, Shadepaw... What is it supposed to be?" Stonestar went up and sniffed it, but it still just looked like a pile of leaf and vine. Cats were intelligent, but any foreign item or idea was often regarded with suspicion until it could be fully explained.

Shadepaw suddenly looked unsure of himself. "It's... a new way for us to carry supplies. We never had to worry about it back home, because it was never far to walk back to camp with them in our mouths. But it will waste a lot of energy up here having all the cats lug nasty herbs around, so I tried to think of a solution." Noticing that Stonestar still looked confused, Shadepaw dipped his nose to the ground and pushed the vine up and over his muzzle and ears until it finally landed around his neck.

Finally, the picture clicked. "Why, that's quite smart of you, Shadepaw!" Stonestar exclaimed proudly, pacing around him to examine his handiwork. The bramble had been threaded through the leaf packet in such a way that that when the smooth bramble wrapped around Shadepaw's neck, the leaf packet hung neatly against his chest. "Kestrelwing, you're the expert: will these bramble-leaf devices take off some of the strain of carrying your medicines around with you?"

Kestrelwing purred happily as her apprentice figured out what the use for feverfew was and quickly gathered the small plant quickly and efficiently, standing back to allow him more room. When they were done with their task Kestrelwing led them back to the overhang, leaping gracefully from rock spur to rock spur, feeling the warmth of the uncovered sunlight hit her brown-furred pelt. Blood running by the time they made it back Kestrelwing and Shadepaw padded into the large group of cats. As Stonestar approached Kestrelwing purred in return and licked the leader's cheek affectionatly. "Starclan has returned?" the medicine cat asked in shock after they finished greeting each other, dropping a packet of herbs in surprise. Hurriedly neatening them into a pile by her paws Kestrelwing sat down and listened to the rest of Stonestar's words. "I am thankful they did not leave us," she meowed gravely, allowing a small pinprick of hope to well up in her chest. "And to have a place to go! This will certainly heighten the moral of the Clan." Nudging Stonestar in congratulations Kestrelwing stood again, stooping to pick up her herbs before mumbling over them. "We found some feverfew," she mewed in a muffled tone, "and other useful herbs."

At her apprentice's meow Kestrelwing turned around and regarded him curiously. "Yes Shadepaw?" she meowed softly, dropping the herbs yet again as she waited for him to continue. When the apprentice was done with his demonstration Kestrelwing's eyes widened. She had grasped the concept more quickly than the leader and she contemplated the odd design. Nodding at Shadepaw's captivating scheme and Stonestar's question she answered carefully. "It should," she began, her voice slightly uncertain. Blinking and shaking her head slightly with a rueful purr Kestrelwing amended her statement. "No, it will. It won't lessen the strain, not overly so. But it will distribute the weight and we'll be able to carry thrice as much." Eyes brightening she licked her apprentice's forehead tenderly. "Once we find our new home you'll be getting your warrior name, love," she stated in a proud voice. "And I'm certain Stonestar will agree with me. Now, before we set out we'll get the apprentices to make some of these once they're back."

As Kestrelwing said this the apprentices and their mentors were nearly done hunting.

Ashwhisker hissed with frustration as Cottonpaw dashed off, her fur bristling at his foolish move. "Snakeheart, watch Goldenpaw please? I'm faster so I'll get after Cottonpaw." When the brown warrior nodded in quiet agreement, his own eyes darkening, Ashwhisker whirled around and bound after Cottonpaw. The fleet-footed she-cat made good time and eventually she caught up to the white-furred apprentice, her eyes blazing with fury. "You will come back immediately," she growled as she spun around on the rocky ground in front of Cottonpaw, tail flicking with barely contained anger. "What were you thinking Cottonpaw? Running off like a foolish kit without even a warrior to accompany you?" Hissing under her breath she bundled the tom back up the slope towards where Goldenpaw and Snakeheart were waiting, ears laid back.

"We're going back," she snapped at the older tom, padding ahead of the small group. A few minutes of walking and Ashwhisker had finally calmed down, pouring her energy into navigating the rocky terrain. Snakeheart remained behind the two apprentices, as quiet as ever as he sedately followed the apprentices.

As they entered the den Snakeheart padded ahead, his duty as senior warrior of the group to report back to Aspfang. Locating his littermate, who was calmly washing himself near Stonestar and Kestrelwing, Snakeheart sighed heavily and headed over to him. "It was a bust," he began in a heavy tone of voice, settling down next to the nigh identical tom. "Cottonpaw ran off in anger, Ashwhisker found him and we came back. I don't even think we got any prey."

Aspfang looked up with sharp eyes. "I'll have to punish him now," Aspfang meowed in a grim voice and got up stiffly, padding over to Cottonpaw, Goldenpaw and Ashwhisker. "What have you to say for yourself?" he asked in a quiet tone, his eyes telling the entire story. Cottonpaw would not get off lightly for such a display of anger and disobedience. 

"Excellent," smiled Stonestar as Shadepaw's tail shot straight up in the air, obviously electrified at the thought of receiving his Warrior name. Leaving the bundle of excitement in Kestrelwing's capable paws, Stonestar wandered away quietly until she found herself outside the overhang under the now starry sky. As she stared up at the twinkling light of their ancestors watching over them, she heaved a sigh. "I hope you know what you're doing, StarClan."

Unbeknownst to her, Tanear sat a little ways away, half concealed behind a rock, watching his leader closely with an unblinking green gaze. However, his thoughts were undecipherable, even if anyone happened to notice his silent vigil.

Back under the overhang where the warmth of so many bodies helped to keep the chill away, Cottonpaw was crouched low to the ground under the weight of his deputy's harsh tone. His eyes were respectfully downcast, but they were also burning with withheld anger and humiliation. "I didn't mean any harm, Aspfang," he muttered under his breath, unwilling to delve into any details as to why he acted the way he did. Eager to pin the blame on anyone but himself, he added, "I just wanted to catch some fresh-kill for the Clan, but Ashwhisker stopped me. I was only trying to help!"

Any cats within hearing range of the conversation simply shook their heads in disgust or frustration, both at his words and his tone. The Clan was used to outbursts like this from Cottonpaw, but that didn't mean they had to like them or accept them. What other cat would dare to speak to their deputy that way, especially in such troubling times? The feeling throughout the group was mutual; Cottonpaw needed to learn some respect. However, things were rough, and they would need every strong cat they could get; what could Aspfang do that would tame Cottonpaw's wild nature and make him as useful as possible at the same time?

((Blah, short. But it's a post! o3o))

Aspfang's eyes narrowed, though he reminded himself that Cottonpaw was simply a fiery tom who had a spirited personality. "You have trangressed the orders of your seniors and you speak disrespectfully." As the anger and frustration took hold of the deputy his eyes darkened, as cold and hard as slate. "We will deal with you once we get to the new resting spot. However, you will miss Shadepaw's naming ceremony and you will act as last lookout each night for three sunrises, understood?" Aspfang knew that missing the first ceremony in moons was going to be hard on the tom, but it was the next best thing to Cottonpaw missing a Clan meeting. "Also, you will formally apologize to Snakeheart and Ashwhisker. Any more behavior like this and I'll take harsher measures." Flicking his tail to indicate he was finished Aspfang got up abruptly and walked away before the apprentice could protest. He needed to consult with Stonestar about the penalty he'd meeted on the white tom and plan their movement. Passing by Ashwhisker he meowed quietly in her ear, "Go explain to him why he was wrong to run off please, he's no doubt scared witless of me at the moment." Whiskers twitcing with amusement Aspfang headed for Stonestar, brown pelt slipping easily through the small group of cats.

"Stonestar," he meowed formally, dipping his head respectfully. "I just punished Cottonpaw but I would like a second opinion. He's been acting up this entire trip and I thought it for the best that the harshest punishmen would take place now, rather than once he got comfortable in the new territory and wished to explore." Sighing and taking a breath Aspfang sat down and curled his tail around his paws. "I put him on last watch for the next three sunrises and he will miss Shadepaw's naming ceremony. That wasn't too harsh?" Aspfang, due to his rather austere personality, rarely considered the feelings of others when allocating chatisement. The thought of Cottonpaw brought Aspfang's mind to his former apprentice Hollypaw, wincing at the image of her warm face staring at him.

Ashwhisker, shaking her head with a sigh in response, trotted away to the poor apprentice. "Snakeheart will talk to you in a moment," she meowed in a gentle voice, eyes kind now that her anger had abated. His mentor was a large figure in Cottonpaw's life, and Snakeheart needed to step up every now and then. Turning away she nudged Snakeheart in the tom's direction.

Grumbling under his breath Snakeheart paused by his apprentice and sat down with a heavy breath, his eyes shadowed and showing no emotion. "You know what you did was wrong," Snakeheart began, tail twitching nervously. "And nothing you will excuse it. But...the fact you had the Clan in mind is admirable. Aspfang was harsh, but you know that we all need to depend on each other. What would we do if you ran off and got injured or killed?"

Eyes wide Windpaw scampered up to her mentor, glancing at Cottonpaw every few moments. "What happened?" she asked in a small voice, shrinking back slightly when Aspfang slid past her, a scowl on his muzzle. 

Cottonpaw deflated so quickly that he looked like someone had poked him with their claw to release all the built-up pride. Shadepaw was one of the few cats Cottonpaw was actually civil towards, because (though you wouldn’t catch Cottonpaw admitting it) Shadepaw had once saved his life. After a nasty run in with a weasel, Cottonpaw, only nine moons at the time, and Shadepaw, only seven, had (due to a stroke of bad luck and terrible timing) been stranded alone and bleeding without a Warrior to aid them. Cottonpaw’s wounds were the worst, and might have proven deadly if Shadepaw’s sharp mind hadn’t somehow known to press cobwebs into the gash to stop the bleeding.

Cottonpaw’s disappointment hung so thick in the air that it was almost tangible. He didn’t mind standing lookout for a couple of days, but to miss Shadepaw’s ceremony when the rest of the Clan would be there to support him? It was tantamount to sheer torture. Cottonpaw didn’t even have the bravado left to argue with the gruff tom. He sat obediently while his head hung dejectedly as Ashwhisker and Snakeheart spoke to him. Even Snakeheart’s reluctant praise, so difficult to obtain, got no reaction out of the fluffy apprentice. “I’m very sorry for the trouble I caused,” he murmured to the two warriors. With a subdued noise that sounded like a mix between a huff and a sigh, Cottonpaw turned and huddled against the rocky wall with his back to the world.

Stonestar looked on from a distance with sad eyes. “I know what you’re feeling, Aspfang, but Cottonpaw must be taught a lesson. I think your punishment was more than fair, especially considering the tight spot we’re in right now.” She turned her soft gray eyes on her deputy and added, “However, I would advise with every punishment you dole out you sprinkle your words with a bit of compassion. A leader must be strong and firm, yes, but leaders must be understanding as well. I believe Cottonpaw has the Clan’s best interests at heart, even if he is a bit too stubborn and willful for his own good.” Stonestar's deep throaty chuckle reverberated through the night, startling a nesting starling out of a nearby bush. Stonestar jumped a little at the noise, then shook her head ruefully and smiled at her own edginess. “Come. We’ll need to get some sleep if we’re to go on with our journey tomorrow.”

Tanear was surprised by the young apprentice as she came bounding up to him. He had been very intent on what he was doing before she joined him. He didn’t look unwelcoming to her, though. “Cottonpaw disobeyed the warriors he went hunting with today,” the sandy tom replied in his deep, steady voice. “Though I believe he was only trying to help… And perhaps trying to impress certain members of the Clan.” Tanear chuckled at this notion as he stared fondly down at his young, clueless apprentice. “However, rules are rules, and Aspfang had to punish him. Which is exactly what I’m going to have to do to you if you don’t scuttle off to bed,” he laughed, nudging Windpaw with his nose towards the rest of the cats. “Go on now, get some sleep, and keep an eye on my kits for me. I will be taking the first watch.”

((ooc; Timeskip? o3o))

[Sure thing :D]

Aspfang felt his shoulders sag. He'd know that, of course, but no matter how he phrased it in his mind it sounded silly and unneeded. "I understand, Stonestar," he meowed after a moment, amber eyes repentant. "But kindness has never been strong suit, no matter how I try." Aspfang neglected to mention he didn't try so hard, especially when teaching errant apprentices to be respectful. In his time apprentices sat up and did what they were told, before they were even asked to do something.

Feeling a bit grumpy he let out a sigh. "I think Snakeheart's the one with the compassion," he added, looking at his brother as the other tom gently told Cottonpaw that he had been admirable in his interest for the Clan, but not in his actions. "I got the ambition, he got the caring attitude that gets an ambitious cat far." After this sobering statemnt the deputy nodded his head in agreement. "We'll need as much as we can, to be certain. A long journey awaits." Dipping his head at Stonestar Aspfang got up with a grunt and padded over to the small nests the Clan had scraped out of the ground, his paws feeling leaden with fatigue. Settling into the small dip Aspfang closed his eyes, letting sleep wash over him.

"Why would he be impressing others?" Windpaw asked in innocent confusion, gold eyes wide. "I mean, just do you best, right?" Shaking her head at her denmate's folly she purred and nuzzled her mentor fondly before trotting off the bed, stopping by Cottonpaw with a heavy, drawn-out sigh. "You look so dejected," she announced, cocking her head. "Cheer up a little! I know you're missing Shadepaw's naming ceremony but I promise to tell you everything! Now, you need sleep. Come on." Nudging her friend impatiently she realized she was slightly too small to budge the larger apprentice, and this caused a frown to tug at her face.

Ashwhisker, having given up on Cottonpaw and his sulking, sighed and went to bed, curling up next to Aspfang with a growl of impatience. "Toms," she mewed loudly enough for him to hear. Snorting at the answering growl she tucked her nose under her tail and was sound asleep in moments. 

At loss of what to do with his apprentice Snakeheart allowed the ever-clueless Windpaw to take over. It was a running joke in the Clan on how she never seemed to notice Cottonpaw's adoring looks. Hopefully her somewhat kind words would jolt the tom out of his depression.