literature

Skating Lessons

Deviation Actions

Published: Jan 21, 2014

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Literature Text

_{= mod2amaryllis
= Nashi-Hime

Cricketleap shivered as her paws fell deep into the fresh, powdery snow of leaf bare. Her thick fur kept out the brunt of the cold, but her sensitive nose and pads weren't so well protected. Through the black tree branches shone the light of the moon. Briefly, the warrior looked up at the nigh sky, feeling a twinge of sadness as she thought, Dad's probably looking down at me right now... She shook it off, trying to make herself focus on the task at hand. Right. Hunting. I'm hunting. It was then that she realized how close she had come to the RiverClan border. She tilted her head curiously as she gazed across, her ears pricked and eyes peeled for any movement.

Flurries whipped up by the wind swirled around a sturdy dark figure as she seemed to glide across the snowy river. In an almost playful manner, Otterpaw slid across the solid, frozen water. It was the closest thing to fun she had had since the death of her sister, Coralpaw and the sudden illness of her mentor. Her progression to a warrior had been delayed while he was recovering and the overgrown apprentice was beginning to feel her age. But tonight was a night for well-deserved freedom and maybe a little bit of fun.

A slight giggle could be heard from the she-cat's throat as she slid into the bank and knocked extra snow onto the river. Her paws, strong and protected from reoccurring swimming adventures, were not bothered by all the snow and she happily flung it further down the stream. It didn't cross her mind that she had strayed dangerously close to the Shadowclan territory.

As Cricketleap inspected the enemy territory, she heard an odd scratching sound. She was careful to watch her step as she picked her way down the riverbank, eyes searching the water's snowy, frozen surface. She bit back a surprised gasp when she saw that there was another cat further down the river. The cat seemed to be...sliding? Cricketleap blinked curiously, stepping further out onto the ice to try and get a better look. As soon as she set a paw down, the ice beneath it cracked and broke, sending her leg into the freezing water. She let out a sharp yelp and jumped away from the hole, falling on her stomach and sliding closer to where the other cat was. She looked up in alarm, trying desperately to regain her footing before the enemy cat could have the chance to react.

Blissfully unaware of her surroundings, Otterpaw skittered and slid across the ice until she heard the distinctive, unmistakable sound of ice creaking. She immediately hopped away from the spot she was at, afraid the ice was cracking under her paws. Her head tilted in surprise as she realized the ice was intact, then her eyes widened in surprise as she heard a yelp, looked up, and saw another cat sliding towards her. "Ahhh!" She let out a squeak as she tried to dart away and failed.

The stranger cat slammed into Otterpaw softly, but enough to send Otterpaw sprawling flat on her stomach. She came to a stop next to the bank, out of breath and wide-eyed.

Cricketleap let out a grunt as she crashed into the other cat. The impact slowed her to a stop, and she quickly forced herself upright. Breathing heavily, she looked at the other cat, who had toppled over onto the ice. She was a pretty brown tabby, not much younger than herself, and gave off the strong scent of fish. So it was a RiverClan cat, Cricketleap thought absently. She knew she wouldn't be able to make a break for her territory if she was skidding on the ice, so she simply stood still and waited for the she-cat to regain her balance, her ears burning from embarrassment. "Oh StarClan, I-I'm sorry, I wasn't trespassing or anything I was just looking and I slipped and..."

The Riverclan apprentice shook off the snow from her whiskers then averted her fiery eyes to her attacker. Her "attacker" didn't look like an enemy at all. Otterpaw's gaze took in the stranger from nose to paw, trying to remember if she had ever met her before. She noticed the nonthreatening pose and the scars that marked the stranger's otherwise masculine yet appealing face. Either the cat had been in many battles and was strong, or the cat had lost a battle and was weak. Either way, Otterpaw didn't sense threat from the cat who sent her skidding and she couldn't place a name with this she-cat's face.

Finally, she stood and pierced the she-cat with her amber eyes, but there was friendliness in her tone when she spoke. Otterpaw interrupted the apology.

"... There there, Stranger!" She breathed in the other cat's scent and recalled the musky smell of pines and marshes. Shadowclan. "No harm done here." She included a small purr of humour at the end to emphasize her point.

Cricketleap couldn't help but smile and sigh in relief, her body relaxing at the friendliness in the she-cat's tone. As she relaxed, she lost her footing again, the front half of her body falling the ground with a thud. Her ears burned even more as she scrabbled back up and hissed, "Sorry, sorry! I'm, uh, not usually this clumsy..." It was her first leaf bare spent as a fully fledged warrior, so she still wasn't very accustomed to ice.

Still blushing, she glanced up at the other cat. She couldn't remember whether or not they'd met at Gatherings. "You're from RiverClan, right?" she mewed, turning her ears forward.

Otterpaw tried to resist chuckling at the Shadowclan cat as she lost her step to the slippery ice. Her whiskers twitched regardless. Most cats were clumsy on the ice if they weren't raised in Riverclan.

The Riverclan apprentice nodded to Cricketleap's question. "I'm Otterpaw, apprentice, but soon to be warrior, of Riverclan." She gave a slight grin and took a graceful slide towards the Shadowclan warrior. "And who might you be?" Closer to the she-cat, Otterpaw could now notice the blush on her face and she felt herself beginning to blush as well.

Cricketleap resisted the urge to try and back away as Otterpaw slid closer--any movement would've probably made her fall again. "I'm Cricketleap, from ShadowClan." Her embarrassed blush deepened as she explained, "B-but I'm not trying to trespass or anything, I just slipped." She didn't want this friendly encounter to turn into a scuffle, especially not on the ice. The warrior would be at an obvious disadvantage.

"Oh, It's alright!" Otterpaw's amber eyes sparkled as she trilled the words. "Like I said, no harm done." The apprentice lifted a forepaw and licked it quickly, sliding it over her head. She hoped she looked her best, but the water made a better mirror when it wasn't frozen over.

"If you'd like, I could teach you how to slid on the ice so you won't fall." Otterpaw offered, wondering if she could keep this interesting she-cat around a little while longer. She was beginning to warm up to the stranger's presence and for the first time since her sister's death, she was beginning to feel a spark of life. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

Cricketleap's ears perked up at the offer. Most of her clanmates would probably have the same trouble on ice she was having--perhaps she could show them all a thing or two. Narrowing her eyes kindly, she mewed, "Actually, I'd love that, if you don't mind." She looked sheepishly down at her paws, offering an embarrassed smile. "I mean, I'd at least like to be able to get back to my territory without falling." She'd made a fool of herself enough for one night.

The Riverclan she-cat couldn't help but smile a smile that lit up her face casting light into the shadows of her features. "Well then let Ole' Otterpaw show you how it's done!" She began to move her paws in a simple, sliding motion, sending her sturdy body around Cricketleap. She circled the Shadowclan cat, trying not to become flustered.

"It's not as hard as you would think." Otterpaw came to a stop on the right side of Cricketleap. Her side was almost touching the other cat's fur and this sent a shiver up Otterpaw's spine. "Um... " She stuttered slightly then regained her confidence. "When you start moving, just slide your paws out slightly. If you slide out too much, you will fall and if you don't slide out enough you won't go anywhere and you will probably fall then too." She stopped for a breath.

Cricketleap's brow was knitted in concentration as she studied the apprentice's movements--Otterpaw was sliding circles around her, but every now and then her feet would seem to falter. At one point, the tabby's side pressed slightly against the warrior's, as if she'd momentarily lost her balance. She chuckled lightly and raised one eyebrow, mewing, "I don't know, it seems pretty tricky to me."

After the RiverClan cat stopped, Cricketleap tensed her jaw. "Ok. I'm ready to try it." She trained a determined eye on Otterpaw and muttered, "Do you think you could stay close? In case I lose my balance?

Otterpaw met Cricketleap's eyes and nodded quickly in response to her question. "Of course." She added after a moment's hesitation, "I will be right here if you start to fall." By 'right here' Otterpaw meant just a mouse length away from Cricketleap's side.

The apprentice took a step back and blushed as she studied the she-cat, waiting to help with her technique. Or maybe she just liked looking at the Shadowclan cat. It was hard to determine which.

Letting out a hard breath, Cricketleap took a sliding stride forward. The ice bit at her paws, but her slow movements were making it slightly easier to keep her balance. "So far so good," she chuckled nervously, glancing at Otterpaw. The apprentice was close enough that the tips of their fur brushed. Weird...the only cats I'm ever this close to are Phantomscream and Batshade, she realized. She took a few more steps, gaining more and more confidence as she picked up speed. "Well it's definitely getting easier..." Just as the words had left her mouth, her claws caught on a crack in the ice. She let out a small squeal as she lost her balance and tumbled to the side, bringing Otterpaw down with her.

"You're doing great!" Otterpaw squeaked excitedly as Cricketleap began to slide along the top of the icy river. She spoke the words too soon; as soon as she said them she saw the crack that Cricketleap found. The world flashed around her in a blur as Cricketleap tumbled down, causing both she-cats fell and slide along the ice.

Otterpaw shook her head to clear her vision and opened her pumpkin eyes to see the face of the Shadowclan warrior directly below her. There noses were almost touching. "You fell..." She spoke softly and nervously.

Cricketleap gritted her teeth against the ache that came from falling on the ice. When she opened her eyes, she saw Otterpaw had fallen on top of her. Her amber gaze was bearing into her, and the small blush on the apprentice's face didn't escape her notice. The warrior, recognizing that look of blissful surprise, suddenly realized something startling. Oh, she thought, swallowing uncomfortably. Well this is clearly getting away from me...

Perhaps a bit too hastily, Cricketleap squirmed out from under the RiverClan cat and forced out an embarrassed laugh. Once she was back on her paws she faced Otterpaw and mewed, "Uh, sorry about that, didn't mean to make you fall." Be careful with your words, she told herself, not meeting Otterpaw's eyes. Foxdung, why'd I end up giving her the wrong idea...?

Immensely embarrassed to have lingered on top of the she-cat, Otterpaw scuffled the ice with her forepaw. Her claws raked along the dusty ice in an ancy way. "It's alright. You didn't get hurt did you?" She kept her gaze to the ground, looking up only once to see Cricketleap avoiding looking at her.

Otterpaw felt the heat of embarrassment wash over her face. She had been stupid to get attached so quickly to a warrior from another clan! It's not like they had anything in common.

"No, no, I'm fine." Cricketleap felt a stab of guilt as she glanced at Otterpaw's hunched, embarrassed form. The apprentice had seemed so happy and open, but now she was retreating back into herself. Come to think of it, the warrior mused, When she was by herself on the ice before, she looked so...lonely. Maybe there was more to the RiverClan cat's unhappiness than just unrequited feelings.

"Uh...hey," Cricketleap muttered, feeling a bit awkward. Are...are things ok? Over in RiverClan?"

Guilt flickered over the Riverclan cat's face as she heard the question. Giving away anything that might make her clan seem week was far beyond Otterpaw's comfort level. In truth, life was getting worse by the day as cats were dying. The death rate was steady and many cats were unable to hunt or patrol the borders due to the unusual plague that had infected the clans. Of course, Otterpaw didn't know if the other clans had been affected by the sickness. Otterpaw's sister had already died of the disease and her mentor, Tornadoclaw was in the medicine cat's den riddled with disease.

Otterpaw cleared her throat and tried to sound confident. "Everything's fine in Riverclan! Plenty of prey and my assessment to become a warrior is coming up very soon." At least the last part was true. Otterpaw awkwardly swished her tail.

"Warrior assessment, eh? Good luck." Cricketleap smiled at Otterpaw, but she could still see darkness hiding behind the apprentice's yellow eyes. The secretive sadness was familiar to the warrior...she'd been hiding her despair ever since the plague had hit her Clan.

Don't betray any of ShadowClan's weakness! a voice inside hissed. But Cricketleap felt an odd tenderness for the brown tabby, and she wanted to do something, anything, to offer whatever comfort she had. "There's um...a sickness going around ShadowClan." Her voice faltered a bit as an image of her father flashed through her mind. "Has there been anything like that across the river...?"

Otterpaw tried to accept the first phrase with a cheerful look but it probably came across as broody. She flicked her tufted ear at first then both ears darted forward as Cricketleap mentioned a sickness in Shadowclan. Should I mention that to Badgerstar? She thought quickly. It would be the right thing to do.

But then Otterpaw met the eyes of the female warrior in front of her. She felt a tugging that started at her paws and she knew she wouldn't be able to tell a secret that could result in this cat getting hurt. The tabby murmured a reply, "There is... Some sort of illness affecting a couple of cats.." Of course it was more than a couple. "They get scaly, patches of skin that lose fur. And none of the normal herbs work." She released a breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding. "It...It took the life of my sister, Coralpaw." Otterpaw didn't know why she blurted this out to a stranger, but saying the words lifted a weight off of her chest.

Otterpaw's confession made Cricketleap realize why she'd felt so much empathy for the younger she-cat. She was all too familiar with that cold, empty pain of losing a family member. Something inside of her must have recognized that she and the RiverClan cat shared the same sorrows. Hesitating, the warrior reached out to place a light paw over the apprentice's. Her eyes were trained on the dark ice as she mewed quietly, "...I know how you feel. I lost my father recently." She turned her head to meet the she-cat's eyes and continued, "His skin was scaly, too." Feeling a touch of despair at the news that the plague was affecting more than just her clan, she shook her head at the stars above. "What is happening...?" she wondered out loud.

Otterpaw barely felt the paw on her own as she shivered. The cold had finally broken through the she-cat's sleek fur. So Cricketleap had lost her father... Otterpaw didn't feel relief at the shared misfortune, but instead she felt a little more hollow. "Does Starclan not care for us at all?" She whispered as she looked into Cricketleap's eyes.

It took Cricketleap a few moments to answer. Otterpaw's fearful whisper made her own buried worries surface. She didn't want to consider it...but what if StarClan was punishing them for some reason? What if the clans truly were forsaken...? She couldn't voice these horrors to the apprentice, not when she'd already suffered so much. The ShadowClanner ducked her head for a moment, trying to think of how to offer comfort. "Even...even if our ancestors aren't watching us," she began carefully, "Our loved ones are up there now. We know they'll be taking care of us, at least."

The tabby felt her eyes begin to water as she recalled her sister's beautiful calico fur and dancing green eyes that always lit up when they saw her. Otterpaw trembled at the memories that would never happen again. At least not while she was in the clans...

Otterpaw's eyes flashed open, the cold drops of water still wetting her cheeks. "Why didn't Starclan take me too!" She wasn't talking to Cricketleap anymore. Otterpaw stared angrily into the sky. "Why don't you just take me too!" She gripped the ice with her front claws as she yelled.

Even though she'd only just met the she-cat, Cricketleap felt a twinge of fear at Otterpaw's suicidal declaration to the sky. With her eyes hard, she gave the apprentice's shoulder a sharp nip to get her attention and hissed, "Don't talk like that! You're almost a warrior, you have so much to live for. What would your sister think of you throwing that away?" Tears were stinging her own eyes now. She remembered having similarly hopeless thoughts as she sat vigil by her father's body. She missed him so fiercely that for a brief moment, she fantasized about meeting him once again. But then she thought to all the things she had yet to accomplish, and she knew she couldn't leave. Still glaring at Otterpaw, she continued, with a voice weighted by emotion, "Think about RiverClan! They need you now more than ever, how could you possibly think of abandoning them?"

Otterpaw flinched at the bite to her shoulder, the pain sending her thoughts back to the present. Guilt riddled the tabby's face as she sheepishly looked up at Cricketleap. Otterpaw didn't want to die, she was just tired of feeling alone. It seemed like every cat she ever cared for was either dead or the equivalent. "I...." Otterpaw breathed out the words to the stranger she just met. "...I better go..."

Otterpaw felt stupid for saying all those things to the Shadowclan warrior and she still regretted the attraction she felt for her. There was no way Cricketleap would ever feel the same way, she was a she-cat and from another clan. The Riverclan apprentice began to turn around on the ice then looked over her shoulder. "Do... Do you need some help getting back to Shadowclan?" She was thinking about earlier when Cricketleap fell onto the ice.

Cricketleap blinked away the angry tears from her eyes as Otterpaw offered her help. "Y-yeah, that'd be nice." They'd been out in the cold for a long time, and with her paws as raw as her emotions, nothing sounded better than curling up and going to sleep beside her mate. As she turned toward the ShadowClan side of the river, she bowed her head for a moment. "I mean it, Otterpaw," she growled, her voice a bit husky. "Don't give up yet. Hold on a little longer." Like I am, she thought sadly. Forcing a smile, she lifted her head and looked back at the apprentice. "This winter is going to end. I'm sure of it."

Otterpaw thought about the she-cat's words as she skated upon the ice by her side. "All things end eventually..." She finally whispered. When they got to the edge of the frozen river, Otterpaw stood apart from Cricketleap. She took in a deep breath, murmured a goodbye, then took a running leap. She landed awkwardly on the ice but regaining her balance quickly. With the momentum from her jump, she slid fast back towards Riverclan. Otterpaw hoped the Shadowclan warrior didn't see the tears frozen to the tabby's cheeks.}

_{This was an awesome RP with Nashi-Hime's beautiful character Otterpaw! The two of them ended up bonding over the victims of the scale plague--I hope they stay friends. ;u;

Otterpaw (c) Nashi-Hime
Cricketleap (c) me}

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Nashi-Hime

Jan 22, 2014

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Skating Lessons

Deviation Actions

Literature Text

Weekly Quest: Nanook's Solitude