To Know the Earth [open]

[Sunrise.]

ooc;; Warning to anybody that joins this post -- I will be gone and will not reply all that quickly!

In this world, there is a special field. A field that, in the daylight, under the suns hot rays, is just a normal field. Tall tan grasses hide numbers burrows. Life seeps through the seems of this field. However, it is as night, under the moon, when the real life awakens. Mothpaw pushed through the silver stalks of grass. They reached above her head in most places, creating her already striped coat even more striped with the contrast of the bright moonlight and the thick shadows. Her body slipped elegantly through the blades, and she kept as quiet as possible, as if not to disturb the endless cries of the crickets. Funny how the noise they make seems to be everywhere, seems to echo all around you from ever direction, but not once will you stumble upon one of these small creatures. They are phantoms of the night.

Occasionally, Mothpaw would find a small clearing in which the tall grass would fall short enough for her head and shoulders to peak through. It was in one of these small clearings that she decided to stop, for the only reason she had come out here was to find a nice place like this where she could simply think.

There was a rock in this certain clearing. A rock as smooth as water. Its surface shined not gray, but an enchanting silver under the moons light. A smile lie up Mothpaws face when she saw it with her own silver eyes. She slid a paw over its surface, and although it was probably just her imagination, she felt an energy pulsing from it.

Mothpaw climbed on top of this stone, feeling her body shake with the energy it emitted. She was fully aware of the cold and smooth solid beneath her toes.

Yes, that may sound odd, aren’t we all aware of what is beneath us? Yes, of course, but only to a certain extent. Have you ever truly felt the ground? Have you ever felt yourself sinking into the earth, only to have it catch you and in its soft hand and raise you up to the surface again? Have you ever felt the true power and beautiful of the ground itself, or have you only walked upon it, never really feeling it, and only taking it for granted. The earth has a mysterious power within it, but only for those who search for it. Mothpaw truly felt this rock. She felt her paws molding to its surface. She felt the power. She lowered her body until she was lying on the rock. Silver energy flowed into her bones, and into her blood, and into her heart. And all the black energy she had bottled up inside left into the dark night sky.

Mothpaw looked into this sky, this dark blue, almost black canvas. Stars were splashed all over its surface, making the sky not so dark, and not so alone after all. A single bird flew across it, cutting through the stars. Mothpaw wondered what It was like to fly. She wondered how many times birds lifted themselves into the air simply for pure joy. Something that cats could not do.

Each animal has its limits though. There is a fence defining that makes it so that cats cannot fly, and cannot know the freedom of the sky. However, it works in the opposite way for birds. Birds will never truly know the earth. They may land on it, they may touch it, but never will they feel connected to it, like Mothpaw felt.

There is a fence that separates those who know the earth, and those who know the sky. A barrier which cannot be crossed except in the most extreme conditions. Mothpaw, although she could not touch the highest limits of the sky, could know the deepest vibration of the earth.

[&& White Shadow]

A figure darted about the tall grasses, a tail poking out above only when it came through a shorter patch of grass. The she-cat was croutched low to the ground, darting here and there chasing....crickets? The apprentice was playing with the crickets. She stopped in one place and called out to the with a laugh and suddenly she was bombarded by a hoard of crickets jumping all around and on her. It was a sight, one that could scare younger kits. Though listening the apparentice was giggling and batting gently at them, seemingly speaking with them.

It was known to a few cats what Pebblepaw was capable of, what she could do. The thing was she never hid who she was, never flaunted it either. She didn't go around bragging that she could speak to any animal big or small, nor would she deny it. Most cats didn't realize this though, not unless they had been told, most though she was just a playful apprentice, too kit-like for her age. A strange one too that would not eat any of the fresh-kill but rather stuck to herbs, ones less used or not used by the medicine cats. She would hunt, as it was her duty to feed her clan, though she never would like it, being able to knoe exactly what her prey is murmering to itself in it's last moments.

As she was attacked by the crickets she saw the grass moving near her, standing she said her goodbyes to the crickets and, her curiosity getting her, headed through the grass to find out who it was. She lifted her head to sniff and she recognized AirClan scent, after a few moments she placed it to Mothpaw, one of the newer apprentices, and Hawkstar's only daughter. Her ears perked up as she headed for the small she-cat in hopes of making a new friend, she always was open to new friends. As she came into the shorter clearing of grass she let a soft mew. "Hello Mothpaw." She said with a smile, her voice ringing softly. As she took a few steps the bell on the ribbon around her neck bumped against the chest lightly, making a light ringing that matched the tone of her voice. She hadn't silenced it because it was night-time and she wouldn't be intterupting anyone's hunting or sleep, seeing as they weren't near camp. She sat at the base of the rock, looking up to Mothpaw with bright eyes, hoping she hadn't disturbed her.

[Sunrise.]

With the night air dancing warmly around her, and the stars dazzling before her eyes, it was hard not to fall into a trance-like state. The soft wind blew at the grass which moved like waves in an ocean in the moonlight. She listened to the crickets, and to the grass, and to an owl, but most of all she listened to the silence. Sometimes, if you listen hard enough you can hear the soft ringing of silence. That's what she focused on, and as she did so that stars became blurry and the no longer felt the wind tugging her fur as it picked up slightly. She didn't even hear the approaching pawsteps of another cat.

When Pebblepaw spoke, it was like a claw ripping at her ear. Mothpaw leapt into the air, her already puffy fur fluffing up more and her gray eyes so alarmed they seemed to pop out of her fur. The silence was gone and was replaced by jagged breaths from the frightened she-cat. She turned in a circle, before her eyes landed on Pebblepaw. At first, it was a stranger cat, and Mothpaws claws shot out of the safety of her paws, not that it would have done much good with her legs shaking so much. But after she settled slightly, and the wind brought the scent of AirClan to her nose, she let her eyes focus a bit better and she saw not the shape of a dangerous rogue which she had imagined, but the shape of kind Pebblepaw, with the bell collar clinging to her neck. The small ring it gave off soothed Mothpaw even more. It was a sharp knife to the night air, but a soft tone to Mothpaw's ear.

Her heart slowed and she relief sighed from her whole body. Her ears drooped, almost giving off a sign of exhaustion. "You made me jump out of my skin, Pebblepaw." She gave a small tired laugh and smiled ever so slightly at the older apprentice, whom she knew close to nothing about.

[&& White Shadow]

ooc// sorry it's really late, i've been distracted...>< and it's short too meh

Watching the young apprentice leap with such great fear and be so ready to fight even shaking so much made Pebblepaw giggle. She dipped her head slightly as she finished laughing with eyes that gave way to the fact she was sorry she'd scared her, but it had been funny. Pebblepaw's tail flicked slightly, only once as her whole expression was the same perky one that always seemed to occupy it. "Oh I'm sorry Mothpaw, I didn't want to scare you, I didn't even know you were here until the wind blew my way when I was just over in the taller grass." She said with a smile, her voice ringing out like the bell did, so happy and light, but very piercing. It could cut through any silence but would never been seen as rude, simply it's character, bringing happier thoughts. "What brings you out during the night Mothpaw? Won't you be training tomorrow?" She asked curiously, and very innocently.

Just then a cricket jumped onto Pebblepaw's shoulder chirping something in her ear as if it were talking with her. Pebblepaw laughed, ringing so sweetly. She turned a circle, the bell ringing a few times as she chased the cricket a bit in play. "Now go on Harley, go and find your sister, I think she's over towards those trees." She said witha smile, her tail pointing the way. She never thought it weird what she could do. She never imagined that others would think it odd either, to her it was normal, and even after it had been pointed out to her that it wasn't it just felt it so she tended to forget that it wasn't and that few even knew. As she watched the cricket hop off toward the trees she turned with that same happy, playful smile to Mothpaw waiting for her answer.

[Sunrise.]

ooc;; Meh, my post is a'coming... sometime... Hopefully soon...