( we'll let the world carry our weight) :raven:

[sandtail.]

With a definitive swipe of a sandy orange tail, Sandtail made his way around the camp. He circled it with a pride undeserved, his strides long and slow. Sandtail had all the time in the world -- no hurry was to be found here. No need for that unnecessary worrying, no chaos. That did not coincide with lack of adrenaline, however. That was nothing he was without -- it could be equated to a shadow. Sandtail's only friend was this little schism of excitement. It wasn't that he generally enjoyed it, this constant negative energy, this unceasing part of him that would always find a way to remind him of things better left ignored. Oh yes, it pestered him, but it was for the better on times like these -- a perfect balance. Almost happiness.

It was dark out. It was in the space of time where there was no activity to be had in the camp. Between the moonhigh patrol and the dawn patrol there was nothing but the subtle sounds of snores and relaxed breathing. The snow made it even more silent. The powdery whiteness seemed to capture the noise with ease -- a gentle magnet, quietly powerful...

Sandtail stalked around the camp again, arrogance and sheer bliss with every step he took with his light paws. Although his fur was thin, he barely noticed the cold that was seeping in his limbs through his feet in the mouse length of snow covering the damp ground. Ecstasy, some might call it. A concentrated ignorance of basic needs in favor of something even more primal. He could barely contain himself! He owned this camp. This was his home, this is where he would make his name one to be acknowledged -- Santail, fearless warrior of AshClan! His mouth stretched in a wide grin and his yellow-green eyes flared with a light unseen by most members of the clan.

He continued his pacing until he crept upon something he normally avoided, something many times more powerful than he. He didn't typically think in terms of weak or strong -- where would his self confidence be then, huh? -- but the aura of Yarrow's Shine was untouchably strong. Thus, it intimidated him and made him think in black and white terms such as that. It was not a place he ever had the desire to visit. It almost made him jealous...

But right now, that was not the case. He approached it with courage, his chest swelling bravely. The rocks glistened in the moonlight as his gaze was drawn to them, wide and unblinking. The gears of his brain halted, frozen into blankness.

Like nothing he'd experienced before.

[russet.paw]

russetpaw -- !

[Took shorter time then I thought. ^^']

His ears flicked back and forth slowly as he sat in the middle of the shire in honor of Yarrow. He had come here once, right before Shatteredheart had offered to take him on as an apprentice instead of attempting to work as a warrior with only three legs. That would defiantly be a sight to see. With three legs, Russetpaw wasn't much of a warrior. He would have probably ended up injured beyond repair before he actually became a warrior. If he even made it that far. Taking a slow breath, his eyes flicked open, looking up at the rock structures that made the shrine. He had no idea how he had ended up here. He simply came and sat down, his thoughts wandering as he tried to piece together what had happened to him over the last few moons. Well, for one thing, he was much happier working with his mentor then he would with training with his siblings. Though, he missed the bonding time he had with his siblings.

But it still surprised him. Yarrow had approved from him to become Shatteredheart's apprentice. A male. Unlike most that came before, he was a male. And that had caused a small uproar within the Clan. How could he, a lowly, barely know little tom, become the medicine apprentice. Males were suppose to be the protectors of the Clan, the providers for the weaker. And yet, this one male was chosen for another path. The little orange tabby shook his head slightly, letting out a breath. He wondered if his mentored had noticed his absent nest, or if she was sound asleep. It wouldn't bother him. Russetpaw enjoyed the solitude, the peace that was there when you were alone. It gave you time to sleep, to relax. And to finally see where he was now.

The little apprentice whipped around as he heard someone entered the shrine, eyes narrowing in on the form. Male. He could smell him easily. The medicine cat apprentice stood slowly to his three paws, eyes flicking around nervously before he started around the edge, heading towards the entrance, then paused as his paw went down on a twig, cursing to Yarrow that the tom wouldn't hear. He froze to the spot, then quickly continued towards the entrance, head down and ears flattened against his skull.

[sandtail.]

Sandtail's head and his left paw flew up through the air, stirring it sharply. A twig had broken it. A twig had broken his night, the only night he was free! His night! And the snow hadn't even thought to absorb it, to make it so it didn't have to taint his eardrums. That cursed white snow was made dirty by that alone! And to think, he had been admiring it! Reveling in its beauty...what filthy snow! He kicked it up with his foreleg, flecks splaying out quickly and then falling back to the earth in a meandering flurry. He spat on it, once, twice, thrice! What terrible snow it was! It had the audacity to act as if nothing had happened, like he, the greatest warrior of AshClan, did not deserve a different response from the usual! I'll show it! I'll show it well who's the boss! the tom thought, his claws scraping great divots in it. He raked it until he saw the muddy earth. He mixed them together with a great vengeance, making it reflect its sins. He grinned, though he was not content at all. For now, perhaps.

Then, he noticed another presence. The snow had chosen this time to blanket what happened to be his strongest sense, hearing. It hadn't allowed him to hear the tiniest movements of the other body. His eyes darted back and forth, struggling to focus on the source of the noise. And then, he saw a shadowed figure. He spat at the ground again in defiance before speaking.

"Who dares to call upon this ni--" he began, his voice a confident tenor and his teeth exposed in a malice-filled snarl. His eyes were like claws against unsuspecting flesh, shining and mocking and so inexplicably angry at the small cat that was before him.

Sandtail didn't recognize him. He barely knew anyone in his own clan, his own palace! Then again, he didn't need to know the name of such lowly subordinates. There, there, Sandtail... he cooed to himself, his inner voice soft. He was comforted. He did not need to know the identity of this cat for him to have superiority over him.

==========

ooc. poor, lonely, confused Sandtail. ....poor Russetpaw. o.o'

[russet.paw]

russetpaw -- !

Russetpaw winced slightly as the voice sliced through the air, his ears pressing closer to his head before he paused again, turning slightly to face the male. Of course he was larger then the apprentices. Most were, except that one warrior named Dwarftree, but that was another story. Shaking his head, he turned his attention towards the male, yellow-green eyes raising to look at him. Ah, well. He could remember this tom. He could remember Sandtail and his... superiority complex. Curse him for being so observant. It really seemed that he was most days. But going off topic again, he turned his attention towards the male, raising a slight eyebrow.

"If you think this place belongs to you, I hope your forgotten" Russetpaw replied, using a slightly stronger voice that he used with his slightly-unstable mentor. "I didn't see a name anywhere. But I know for a fact that only Yarrow owns this shire, which is obviously why it is named for he." The apprentice raised an eyebrow at him. This tom reminded him slightly of his brother Wolfpaw, whom seemed all about the training and being stronger - better - then the rest. He could scent this on the male and it made him all the more cockier. Oh, he could easily outwit this male with just his thoughts. A smirk crossed Russetpaw's face.

The small tom padded across the cave, pausing as he came up in front of the male, sizing him up. This warrior could easily take down him, a three-legged apprentice who had no fighting experiance what-so-ever. Taking a breath for courage, the medicine apprentice rose onto his toes so that he could look at the male in the eye. "Would you really dishonor Yarrow's name with claiming his shrine as your own?" Russetpaw asked, raising an eyebrow.

[sandtail.]

Sandtail winced as the figure called him out. He shook his head rapidly, clearing it until it retracted into a comfortable near-blankness. His paw froze in mid-air, his claws caked in grime and dripping with snow half-melted from his overabundance of body heat. Who is he? He couldn't bring himself to remember. He just couldn't coax the name out of him, or the cat's status. "Unobservant," he muttered, defeated and sad. Moron. What a moron you are, Sandtail. A disgrace. What's my problem? This cat -- this confident, level-headed cat -- obviously has dominance over me...

Sandtail looked at him, worried. He had missed what he had said! But what did it matter, anyway? It's not like he'd come up with a response. He kneaded the ground with his paws, almost entirely forgetting his earlier hatred towards the snow beneath his ginger feet. His heart started up again, reverberating in his in his chest painfully. Would it ever stop? He felt the tension in the air easily, the tips of his whiskers twitching in awkwardness. He knew that the appropriate thing to do was to respond.

But then, the small cat moved away. And he was just about to ask him to repeat himself -- or at least was about to start gathering up the courage to begin speaking. He wondered whether or not he should follow, chewing on his bottom lip because of the pending question's weight. The tom's throat knotted, struggling desperately to find something to say. His muscles tensed uncomfortably, trying to remain stationary and follow the other cat at the same time. His demeanor had completely changed from before. When another cat was brought into the equation, he had no idea what to do.

"Would you really dishonor Yarrow's name with claiming his shrine as your own?" The confident voice began again. He didn't know what to say, but thought he should. It seemed important to the cat, and just standing there wouldn't get anything done.

"Uh, no, uh, I didn't--I didn't do--uh..." his voice trailed off and he couldn't bring himself to meet the eyes staring at him, struck down with shame.