'You can test the water, you might as well jump in
We all know where we'll end up, might as well begin
Memories you're making, frame inside in your heart
In the middle of a nowhere is a somewhere you can start'
- Life's What You Make It (Graham Colton)
~~Chapter 10~~
Time marched on and the NewLeaf days gradually inched closer towards GreenLeaf, the days becoming just that little bit longer and warmer as the new season approached.
It would soon be another full moon soon since LionClan was victorious and Ruby would learn another important aspect to Clan life, other than what she had learnt about the half moon's significance that happened some days ago. Firestar mused on this fact with slight surprise. The days seemed to go by quicker than he expected. It seemed that peace brought with it the swiftness that fear and uncertainty lacked. He observed with growing interest (as did Sandstorm) what was currently going on in a relatively clear area of the camp. Others watched too, secretly intrigued despite their initial distrust of the rogue's presence.
Ruby spat out a mouthful of dust as she fell for what seemed like the 100th time since she first attempted to learn the hunting crouch that morning. It was truly frustrating, and the little remarks that Bramblepaw gave her weren't helping matters either.
"...And that's not how you do the hunting crouch... You're leaning too much on your left side there."
Jeez thanks. Like I didn't already know that...
The young dark tabby's voice grated on her nerves as he tried to correct her yet again. He padded towards her and pushed her hind legs further apart to better balance her weight on each side. Ruby shifted awkwardly in the position it put her in but did her best to adjust herself to it. This was how it was meant to be, right? It had to be correct...
How many times had he told her this already? It seemed to be an eternal struggle indeed. Ruby and the youngest apprentices were practicing here in a clear section of the camp, so that they could learn the right technique to use for hunting when the time came to demonstrate their skills for the clan. And as the oldest apprentice, Bramblepaw had offered to help them. Ruby honestly didn't know why she agreed to do this when asked. Wasn't her stumbling performance here making it perfectly obvious that she wasn't suited for such a task?
You would think so...
Rainpaw looked at her with an encouraging smile from where his own crouch was taking place. The small grey tabby's pelt was ruffled with clumps of dust and fallen petals from where his own failings had left a mark and yet he still found it within himself to smile at Ruby. It was truly remarkable really.
"Come on Ruby, you can do it! just try again, I've fallen loads of times!"
He sneezed and snuffled as the dust and pollen went into his nose. Sorrelpaw and Sootpaw giggled from nearby at the sight, pushing each other over so that they matched Rainpaw in regards to the mess.
"Now we're all dusty! Yay!" The small tortoiseshell spat out a squashed petal she inhaled.
Bramblepaw looked so done with all this as he rolled his amber eyes at the silliness in front of him. Didn't he know what he was getting into when he volunteered to do this?
"Does anyone want to learn this or not?" He asked with impatience building up in his mew.
Ruby just shrugged her shoulders in response. What could she say? The younger apprentices were bored - that much was clear.
Sorrelpaw then had to put her foot in her mouth when she asked Bramblepaw whether he ever had any fun at all, to the shock of the older tabby.
"Of course I have!" He spluttered and the tips of his ears reddened at the question.
Sorrelpaw just flicked her tail in reply and bumped his side with a friendly nudge. "Oh of course you have, how silly of me."
She batted her eyes at him playfully and jumped out of the way when Bramblepaw jabbed a paw at her. Ruby wasn't sure she could take much more of this, whatever this thing was between the two apprentices in front of her. They seemed to know each other very well, if this interaction were any indication. The older apprentice cleared his throat awkwardly as the moment pass and tried to get them all back on track with the impromptu session.
It seemed to only be marginally successful in the fact that Ruby and Sootpaw got back into position, while Sorrelpaw and Rainpaw persisted in swiping sheathed paws at each other like energetic kits. It seemed so peaceful to Ruby, them messing around like this as if nothing was remise. Clan life was starting to grow on here with these little moments and reminders of everyday life going on. It made her start to imagine it wouldn't be hard staying here and helping out the Clan, as well as getting to know the various roles one would learn as a proper member of ThunderClan like Firestar talked about.
So she crouched lower and spread her legs apart in the way that Bramblepaw did, wanting to show that she could learn something that benefitted the camp surrounding her. Judging by the look he gave her, it was finally going somewhere in terms of improvement. He nodded at her in approval.
"That's more like it. Not bad."
Ruby sat up with a pleased expression and let out a sigh of relief. "Phew! I thought I'd never get it."
"It does take some longer than others occasionally. It just depends on each cat, don't worry." Bramblepaw told her with a twitch of his ears as he glanced towards the two sparring apprentice siblings. "I just wonder how long it'll take those two to learn it if they're not concentrating so well now..." His mew trailed off into nothingness.
Ruby paused, not knowing what to say to that. He sounded more mature than his age, much older than these other apprentices that were not long from being kits.
Sootpaw called out to him then from where he was trying his own version of the hunting crouch, and it looked to be going in the right direction from what Ruby could see.
"Look Bramblepaw, I'm able to do it too! I bet I'll catch loads of fat mice this way!" He staggered and flopped forward as he leaned too far in front, ears flat in embarrassment. "Oh oops."
Bramblepaw snapped out of his mood and tried to hide a smile at the sight. "Well you might be able to catch them if they're a bit lopsided and sleepy?"
"Nu-uh! I'll catch every kind of mice, just you wait!"
"Sure, sure. As you say." Bramblepaw exchanged an amused glance with Ruby which she tentatively returned.
Kits will be kits I suppose.
He moved on to the next thing that managed to catch all their attention. "How about you test out what you've learnt for real, and play a catching game here in the camp? Pick out what will be your prey and do your best to pounce on it, in a way that would benefit you for real prey. But keep in mind, only objects around camp will count, so don't try and ambush any warriors or Firestar!"
Ruby and the others eagerly agreed. It might be pretty fun to try out the crouch for an actual purpose, even if it was for some mindless teaching game! It may also benefit them when the chance came to hunt actual creatures out in the forest...
So all the younger apprentices and her spread out, ready to track down the nearest fake prey of their choosing while Bramblepaw counted down the time they had until the game began.
"3, 2, 1... Start hunting!"
They took off, and all the while Ruby made sure she listed in her head all the places she'd learned were in the camp the other day. It was best to arm herself with as much knowledge as possible in a situation like this. She may need the info after all.
Spotting her first target in the corner of her eye, she lowered herself to the ground and sneaked careful steps towards it. She had to be light and as silent as the night itself to make this work.
Ruby got close enough and leapt.
"...And that new cat Ruby did pretty well! She eventually got the hang of it and executed a perfect hunting pounce on those clump of nettles near the Apprentices' Den. You should have seen it!" Bramblepaw was reporting to his mentor Firestar how the training game had gone, reluctant (but growing) respect and admiration for the Clan's guest gleaming in his eyes. It seemed that Firestar's idea for getting Ruby involved in some social activities had turned out to be a successful endeavor after all!
Firestar purred at the news. "That's great, Bramblepaw! I was thinking that would be the right method to use in order to build up some confidence in her and get some of the clanmates to work alongside her. She seemed like she needed the encouragement in order to pursue and succeed."
He paused for a moment, thinking on any plans he may have had for what to do next. Maybe he should take Bramblepaw out... It would be good to test the young tabby's skills and see how he's coming along, after all he won't be an apprentice for too much longer. It would be good to devote as much time as he can spare into training, as he didn't want any cat to think he neglected his apprentice from his duties as a leader. There was also the issue of bringing Bramblepaw along with him to the MoonStone at some stage as well - every apprentice needed to make the journey before becoming warriors, and Firestar's own would be no exception to this tradition.
He nodded to himself, meeting his apprentice's eyes, and was about to speak when his train of thought was interrupted without warning.
"There are traces of BloodClan scent on the TallCut Pines border!"
Everyone pricked their ears and froze, as if the air itself had stilled with shock.
And Ruby could feel the words muffling into silence around her, could feel herself slipping back into the nothingness that the panic-attack brought, along with its breathless clutches.
Too much was happening all over again.
Yet... Something else was also inviting their own presence into the camp with a rustle of the gorse barrier being a clear indication, along with the scent of something familiar. Something so familiar that Firestar tried to pick it up with the use of his scent glands. The answer soon came without preamble, pushing their heads through the leafy tunnel with a sense of ease and urgency.
And there stood Ravenpaw and Barley, with flanks heaving from exertion and a sense of wary caution woven into their coats from whence they came. There was surely news to share, this would prove.
It seemed that the Clan's gradual lull into a time of peace was over far too soon after all.