slivers of light -- open!

[solace]

There wasn't much to do in the SouthClan camp, or at least nothing for the young apprentice to do. Granted, he was the medicine cat apprentice so he should have been spending his time wisely to mull over the various herbs and their uses. But that was what the tom had been doing for the whole morning since dawn.

Since his presence there wasn't needed at the moment, Swallowpaw decided to take a quick travel into the forest. He was embarking on a mini-adventure of what little SouthClan territory had to offer. Songs of prey and trees awakened to life by a waning breeze greeted him and Swallowpaw inhaled deeply, the familiar scents wafting around him. Chartreuse eyes gleamed in remembrance of the towering trees and he padded deeper into the dark forest.

The name held true to the landscape as sunlight barely slipped through the dense thickets. Veins of leaves were traced by faint touches of the golden rays, offering a thin concealment of light. Although most of the weather proved to be humid, inside the dark forest, it was somewhat cool and shady. Along with the small peeks of light, heat brushed the forest floor with the slightest contact, like a soft tickle, of humidity.

Swallowpaw stifled a sigh, looking around the shady settings. It seemed as though there wasn't much to do here as well. A fog of irritation and disinterest shrouded him as the medicine cat apprentice conceded with sitting down and waiting for whatever came by.

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[cloudskye]

---Cloudheart

The dark forest. It really lived up to it's name, didn't it? It was dark and ominous, for it being daylight out. It made Cloudheart's pelt stand out, like a black cat during the middle of a leafbare snowstorm. The place had always frightened Cloudheart, but, it was a good place to think; she knew she wouldn't find many cats around.

This day, however, would prove to be different. As Cloudheart was walking, she came across the medicine cat apprentice, Swallowpaw. 'What's he doing here?' she thought to herself. This didn't seem like a good place to find any herbs.

"Swallowpaw!" the white she-cat called to her clanmate. "What are you doing here? Why would Shadowclaw send you to look for herbs in a place like this?"

[solace]

Apparently it was futile for the apprentice to even sit in the middle of the forest as nothing interesting had happened so far...much to his dismay. To be honest, Swallowpaw wasn't sure what else he was waiting for. He was hoping that another cat would come along but then again not many ventured into the dark forest for company.

Olive green eyes blinked in revelation. Ah, he was a mousebrain. Who would come to the towering trees, where light barely slipped in, for a conversation? The apprentice shook his head; nothing was waiting for him anyway, might as well go back to camp. He slowly rose to his paws and was just turning when he heard it. His name.

His head swung over to find a familiar white cat; Cloudheart. Swallowpaw jumped slightly at her questions and shuffled back slightly, eyes wide.

"C-Cloudheart," he murmured dipping his head in quick respect to the warrior. "I um...I was just taking a walk."

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[cloudskye]

---Cloudheart

Cloudheart dipped her head in response. She owed just as much respect to the medicine cat apprentice as he did to her as a warrior. It was something she didn't really understand, but, it came naturally - like hunting or fighting.

"A walk, huh? In a place like this? Although I will admit it does help you clear your head." The white she-cat's ears flicked, and she looked around. This place, although a bit creepy, provided the SouthClan warrior with peace of mind. "It's really quiet here... Some days I come here to think... Why do you come here?"

[solace]

No matter how many times it happened, Swallowpaw was sure he would never get used to having other cats dipping their heads to him. Especially older warriors. The apprentice stood there, rather awkward as he watched Cloudheart dip her head. He heard her voice resonate through the forest and the apprentice shifted his eyes around as well.

A place to clear your head. Swallowpaw never really thought of that but it was true. Although the forest itself seemed ominous, its reserved, empty place allowed tranquility. Clarity. He nodded absentmindedly.

"I...well," he hesitated. "Well I just like it here. And there...there wasn't much to do in camp," the apprentice mumbled the last bit, voice lowering slightly.

"Just a quick breather."

[/size]

[cloudskye]

---Cloudheart

Just a breather.

That's what Swallowpaw said. In some ways, he was right, but, something was clawing at Cloudheart's heart. Something was telling her that there as something bothering the apprentice, and he wasn't going to tell. It must be, if he would say there was nothing to do in camp. He could go collect herbs or something, because battles never cease.

"Are you sure? Something seems like it's bothering you. For all I know, it may be medicine cat stuff, but, there's something telling me that everything's not alright. Do you want to talk about it?" Cloudheart looked at the apprentice. She really hoped she wasn't treading on his personal space.

[solace]

The questions were unexpected and for some reason caused a twinge of anxiety in him. Or maybe it was just the fact that he wasn't used to having a conversation for this long. Swallowpaw was confused at what Cloudheart meant, but somewhere, in the back of his mind, he was sure she had hit the mark. To be honest, Swallowpaw didn't have a direct answer to what was bothering him. In fact he only figured out he was bothered just at the moment. His mind felt fogged, shrouded and the medicine cat apprentice shook his head.

"No, it's nothing really. Nothing of your concern anyway." The words slipped out before it registered to him and olive green eyes widened, shooting up to the look at the warrior.
"I-I'm sorry. Just...never mind." Suddenly the forest floor seemed so much more interesting at that moment as he pawed the ground.
"I'm not really used to talking to anyone...this much."

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