Apprentice Cernenomy (long overdue, sorry)

[WildpawJade]

[glow=Purple,5,300]Wildpaw turned to face Shawowfire and Dragonstar, her fur standing up. That was an offensive retort! She had been a kittypet before she joined the clan, and Flare had just as much right to be here as she did. Her dappled shoulder fur bristled and her tail swept back and forth. "Don't tell Flare what to do, Shadowfire!" she spat, immediatly wishing she hadn't. Had she just made things worst? She shunk back, looking at her paws, her fur feeling hot with waves of embarrasment. Wildpaw felt very small, and wondered what Dragonstar would do to her. At least she hadn't interrupted him, right?[/glow]

[Badgersoul]

Fallen leave, fallen leaves, fallen leaves on the ground

Bluepaw's eyes grew wide at the accusations that were being thrown at Flare. Her excitement for a new mentor turned into surprise as things were said that she didn't know before. Like Flarepaw being a kittypet. If he was a kittypet, didn't that mean that Dragonstar had all the rights to throw him out? Then again, many cats these days were kittypets. Silently, Bluepaw thanked Starclan for her Riverclan blood. Pulling herself closer to Streampelt; who's hackles were fluffing out as far as they would go, the she-cat closed her blue eyes.

Besides Bluepaw; Firelyric had begun to bristle. Making the Siamese shiver. Yowls of protest rose. " How dare you question the word of our leader! " Nightcloud cried out. " He is your son! Aren't you proud of him?! " Streampelt cried out, more confused the angry. A lash whipped across Bluepaw's chest; glancing up she noticed that Firelyric was no on his paws. His tail lashing so hard is was hitting her tan pelt. Bluepaw knew the tom would have jumped Shadowfire if it wasn't for his ceremony.

Pressing herself next to Streampelt's silver pelt, but keeping her head up. The she-cat watched as Dragonstar jumped from where he stood to confront the dark warrior. Flarepaw being a kittypet was pretty bad, but wasn't he worse for mating with one. Shaking herself Bluepaw decided that she shouldn't get into the argument and plundged her head back into Streampelt's fluff.

Bluepaw

[Cinder.and.Flightfall]

Silentpaw

[/color]&Sleetpaw[/color][/center]

Silentpaw, sitting beside Honeystripe, couldn't believe the scene she was witnessing. Her ears flattened self-consciously. She wasn't Clanborn either, as many of the RiverClanners were. The fae glared at Shadowfire, feeling her pelt begin to ruffle with hostility. Her father had been no picnic, but Shadowfire was saying that his son couldn't even become a true apprentice. That was an outrage! Silentpaw looked up at Honeystripe, hearing the fae's outraged cries that her apprentice, Tigerpaw, soon joined in with. All Silentpaw could do to show her anger was stand tall with a bristling pelt and unsheathed claws. Icy blue eyes glared daggers at Shadowfire, wishing she could rip the arrogant tom to shreds.

Would there be confrontation between Dragonstar and Shadowfire? Though the thought was interesting, Silentpaw hoped that wouldn't be the case. The Clan needed to pull together in these times, not fall apart. Still, Shadowfire needed some sense knocked into him. A silent snarl ripped through her, and she cast a sympathetic look toward Flare. Poor little tom. He didn't deserve this. What could Shadowfire possibly have against his own son?

Sleetpaw, on the other hand, was enjoying this whole situation. He purred, lashing his tail eagerly. Oh, poor little weak Flare. The Clan would realize what a worthless addition the tom was soon enough. Shadowfire was the only cat in this whole Clan, other then Sleetpaw of course, that had any common sense at all. Flare couldn't be an apprentice. If his own father said so, then that had to be the case. Sleetpaw looked at flare, his mouth twisted in a gloating smirk and his sky blue eyes narrowed in a glare. That would teach the little kittypet. Maybe he'd finally scurry away and find some other Clan to irritate. Or he'd fall off the gorge and die, in fact that scenario was way better. Sleetpaw stood tall, raising his voice.

"Shadowfire, in my opinion, is totally right," he mewed. "Before you all shoot insults at me, just look at Flare. He hasn't, and never will, accomplish anything here. He's worthless scum that's just overpopulating our Clan." His stinging words would probably get him a few angry shouts and cries, but at this moment he didn't care. He could sleep with the fact that he was a loyal apprentice, and Flare was not.

[~All I Need]

Can't you see that you're smothering me
Holding too tightly, afraid to lose control

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The din that filled the RiverClan clearing filled Flare's ears, also. The tom flinched away as if the words against his father were like whiplashes. He never asked for any of this, never! And now all of Shadowfire's stupid actions crashed upon his shoulders, pressing him to the ground with its unimaginable weight. The young apprentice cowered, his belly fur brushing the soil while he trembled with fear. His wide eyes were wide with panic and his heart fluttered like a bird's rapidly in his chest. Shadowfire was going to make him pay for everyone's encouragement. He had to become his father's apprentice and isolate himself if he wanted to live... If he didn't want to live under the pure, unadulterated fury of his father forever...
" Don't tell Flare what to do, Shadowfire! "
" He is your son! Aren't you proud of him?! "
Flare winced. No... He'll never be proud of me... No matter what I do.

[/color]
" How dare you question the word of our leader! "
" Shadowfire, in my opinion, is totally right. Before you all shoot insults at me, just look at Flare. He hasn't, and never will, accomplish anything here. He's worthless scum that's just overpopulating our Clan. "
The tom looked at his rival and looked away, pain glistening in his eyes. He wasn't wanted here and never would be. No one would really care for him. His own father, his own flesh and blood, hated him more than anything else in the forest. Wouldn't everyone else hate him then? The yowls of protest from his fellow Clanmates were those of supporting the Warrior Code, not supporting an unpure kittypet.
Tears leeking out of the corners of his eyes, Flare stood up and padded forward until he was in the middle of the hostile circle, the fur along his broad shoulders bristling. Stretching up on his wide paws, the young tom looked Dragonstar in the eye, ignoring Shadowfire's seething glares.
" No, Dragonstar... It-- " the tom held back a sob of defeat. He would not be seen as a complete weakling. No. He would endure his father's hatred, not fight it. " I want to be Shadowfire's apprentice. I-I find it an honor "--wince--" to be his apprentice. " But not to be his son, the tom finished silently. He would never be Shadowfire's kin because his father would never think of him as his child, as his blessing.[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

Cause everything that you thought I would be
Has fallen apart right in front of you

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[Dragonstar :: Doodle]

[glow=red,2,300]Dragonstar stared in astonishment at Flare. He wants to be Shadowfire's apprentice??? He couldn't fathom it. Maybe he wants to prove his worth to his father. Dragonstar's eyes thawed from their ice cold state as sympathy replaced anger in their emerald depths. Flare doesn't deserve this, he should have a father who loves him unconditionally. Automatically he sought out his own son, now a proud warrior, an asset to his clan, he hoped that Doodlepelt understood the look. It said, I'll love you, no matter what. He turned to face Flare, quietly, with concern seeping through his tone he asked,
"Are you sure this is what you want? I can give you another mentor if you would prefer, you don't have to be your father's apprentice. If you don't want to be."


Doodlepelt had watched the precedings with a steadily rising pride in his father, and a growing contempt for Shadowfire. Who does he think is, anyway, to challenge Dad? He thought, seething that anyone could even think of doing such a thing. What is Flare doing??? Does he want to be miserable...He caught the gaze directed at him from his father and understood that Dragonstar would never behave that way towards him. Doodlepelt smiled, I'm lucky. [/glow][/color][/size]

[~All I Need]

Can't you see that you're smothering me
Holding too tightly, afraid to lose control

If there was anything that Flare wasn't expecting, it was the gasps of shock that filled the RiverClan camp. The striped tom was expecting something along the lines of contempt or smugness. Didn't everybody think that he should suffer by continually being tormented by his father? Now the tom felt like he was about to be swept off his feet in confusion. Was there the chance that he might matter in this Clan?
" Are you sure this is what you want? I can give you another mentor if you would prefer, you don't have to be your father's apprentice. If you don't want to be. "
Flare slightly flinched, afraid that he might say what he was thinking, what he wished with all of his heart that he could say without suffering the consequences. If only I didn't have to live under my father's ominous shadow, Dragonstar. If only...

[/color]
Hiding the tangible pain in his voice, Flare spoke loud enough for every Clan member to hear.
" Members of RiverClan! I speak before you to tell you that what my father says is true.... " The apprentice broke off as mutters of shock and disbelief overruled his forced speech. " I am a kittypet and I don't deserve a true apprentice name or mentor. " Flare's voice threatened to fail him, making the ginger and white cat clamp his mouth shut and wait for Dragonstar's response.

Honeystripe watched with growing horror and silence as young Flare condemed himself to his wretched father's wrath. How could such a young and pure being be born into the world with so much burden and expectations on his fragile shoulders? Shadowfire should rot for all eternity for making his own son suffer like that.
Not really having true control over herself, the RiverClan medicine cat stalked forward until she stood right by Dragonstar, her pelt bristling viciously all along her spine. " Don't you dare let this happen to Flare, Dragonstar. You and I both know that there is no concievable way that this young cat would want someone as vile as Shadowfire to be his mentor. " The velvety venom that was in Honeystripe's voice was so uncharacteristic of her that a few young kits nearby stopped dead in their tracks to stare flabbergasted.[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[☼ Wildpaw ~ Jade ☼]

Wildpaw's blue eyes grew wide in disbelief. "Don't say that, Flare! You deserve a name as much as I do!" Wildpaw howled, slapping her tail over her mouth. She had been a kittypet as a kit before going to the clans in search of her father. She remembered the wasted journey as he died infront of her, coughing violenty. It was true; Flare deserved more than her. Thinking to herself, she realized that the only reason she was still here was because of the niceness of RiverClan, and the whisper of breeze in her pelt. She loved it here, and she knew that Flare didn't want to go down the road he was aiming.