pocket full of sunshine

[swallowpaw]

Swallowpaw let out a sigh, as she breathed in deeply with her eyes closed. She had forever been curious about Fourtrees ever since she had heard stories about it from her father when he had returned from one of the gatherings. It had always seemed like a magical place, where all four Clans could come together and mingle with each other. Ever since she had met Doepaw, her fascination with the other Clans had only grown. And now, she had the perfect reason to visit the area before an official gathering. It was meant to be explored and poked through at sunfall - as was the perfect time she had chosen to appear in Fourtrees -, the surrounding trees and bushes casted long shadows from the sun's still strong rays. It was breathtaking, to put it lightly.

She took a long look around Fourtrees, her heart hammering in her chest. This was where Cloudstar had stood just a couple moons ago; Swallowpaw had just heard of stories of that strong leader, she had never had the pleasure of meeting Cloudstar. But that was fine, she was here and that was all that mattered. She had to make the most of this trip.

As she padded around Fourtrees, she continued turning her head side to side to take in everything. She tripped over her paws, too engrossed with everything to keep her eyes on where she was walking, and ended up tumbling to the ground. For a moment, she laid on the ground, dazed and confused, before she struggled back to her paws. Swallowpaw glanced around, her ears flat against her skull as she glanced around the area. Licking down a tuft of fur on her chest, trying to calm her hammering heart. She had to maintain some level of decorum, even if she was seemingly alone in this forest.

Swallowpaw continued forward, before her attention zeroed in on a brush, just a couple foxlengths away from the main area of fourtrees.. Her eyes widened, before she bounded forward, a loud purr rumbling in her throat. A blackberry bush! Perfect, they had been running low on leaves; now she had a good reason to be at Fourtrees in the first place.

As she began picking the leaf, careful to not bite into them, she began talking to herself. "Blackberry leaves for bee stings. Raspberry leaves for bleeding. Ragwort leaves for....ragwort leaves for..." She trailed off, stopping her picking, as she stared into the bush, as though it would reveal all secrets. "Foxdung! What was ragwort leaves for, again?" she muttered to herself, her ears pressing against her skull.

Her ruminations stopped, as her ears pricked at the sound of someone nearby. She whirled around, the leaves still in her mouth, as she called out, her voice muffled, "Is someone there?" She'd feel like a fool if it was a frog that spooked her again.

Sorrelpaw ♡ | ah yes, the most aggressive form of intimidation, leaves in the mouth

✿

[Sorrelpaw ♡]

454 words

swallowpaw

BY MINNIE OF GS

SORRELPAW

ever since she had been named as sparrowflight's apprentice, she found she had noticeably much more freedom than when she'd been a kit. she supposed it made sense; she was older and slightly more mature now. still, she was only six moons, and it wasn't a good idea to wander off by herself. well... it may not have been a good idea, but she didn't let that stop her from doing it anyway.

sorrelpaw was the type to march to the sound of her own beat, so to speak. while she admired sparrowflight and obeyed whatever he said, she also preferred to do whatever she felt like. whether she listened to other cats sort of depended on how she felt about those cats in particular. this evening was particularly quiet, and sensing an opportunity, sorrelpaw snuck out of camp when no one was looking. sparrowflight had given her a brief tour of riverclan territory so she sort of knew where things were, but it was still big and unfamiliar to her.

she allowed her paws to carry her which she lost herself in her thoughts. somehow, she found herself in an unfamiliar place, but taking a closer look she suddenly recognized the area that had been described to her many times by her parents. fourtrees. the place where all four clans gathered in a night of peace. it was such a fascinating idea; and now that she was an apprentice-- to be specific, a medicine cat apprentice-- it was likely she'd attend the next one. her ears twitched in excitement, however it was short-lived as an unfamiliar voice reached her.

"blackberry leaves for bee stings. raspberry leaves for bleeding. ragwort leaves for....ragwort leaves for..." sorrelpaw crouched down warily and snuck forward, eyes narrowing. an alarmed shiver ran through her spine as she spotted another she-cat, preoccupied with a bush not far from her. "foxdung! what was ragwort leaves for, again?" interest piqued, sorrelpaw raised her head. in her shifting, however, her paw landed on a twig, which cracked in half with a loud snap. this obviously caught the other molly's attention.


"is someone there?" well, no use hiding now. sorrelpaw reluctantly padded out from the shadows, regarding swallowpaw warily. she had to hold back a snicker as the leaves were still in the stranger's mouth. "don't worry. i'm not a threat." her voice was soft and rather hoarse, likely from disuse. she cleared her throat uncomfortably. "i'm sorrelpaw. riverclan's newest medicine cat apprentice." she coughed softly and shook her head before gesturing at the other molly with her tail in an inquisitive manner. 'and you are?' she noticed that she was rather small as well; they were likely close in age, if not exactly.

NOTES: i'm looking forward to these two! <3 also yes, very fearsome indeed. dgjghdsg

[swallowpaw]

As the stranger made herself known, Swallowpaw took a small step back. Despite the fact that, at least at a glance, the other she-cat appeared to be the same age as she was - or perhaps she was just small for her age -, Swallowpaw felt unfit to defend herself. It wasn't as though she was wary of the stranger to all of a sudden lunge at her, fangs bared and claws unsheathed - though that thought did send a shiver up Swallowpaw's spine -, it was more so her concern of whether she should be at Fourtrees in the first place. Her stance, however, relaxed, as the other apprentice assured that she wasn't a threat.

At her introduction, Swallowpaw's eyes went big and she dropped the leaves on the ground. "You're a medicine cat apprentice as well?" Her tail curled at the tip and flicked back in forth in excitement. "That's fantastic, I'm ShadowClan's newest medicine cat apprentice!" she purred, her eyes squinting. This was her first time meeting with one of the other medicine cats, let alone an apprentice. Despite the fact that they had just met, a thrill made her heart pound; there was someone else who might get it: the struggle of remembering herbs, the desire to be the best apprentice possible, the weight of how holding everyone's lives within their paws.

"It's so nice to meet you, Sorrelpaw. I'm Swallowpaw, Chanterellegaze's apprentice." There was no hesitance within her in sharing this information, despite the fact that there was no proof of Sorrelpaw's rank. The need to connect with the other medicine cats had made Swallowpaw feel disconnected. Although, granted, she did have Chanterellegaze to talk to, she felt as though there was still some distance between her and her mentor. And, yes, she did still have StarClan to talk to, but it was exhausting to have a one-sided conversation all the time.

Long forgetting the dropped herbs on the ground, Swallowpaw walked over them, squashing the leaves under her paws. "What brings you all the way out here? Interested in seeing the famed Fourtrees?" With her own glittering gaze, the she-cat glanced back at the area, her eyes lingering on the spots where the leaders stood. "I've heard so many stories of what happened here... My dad told me that when he was an apprentice one of the old leaders of WindClan had to leave the camp, because some of his warriors had ended up in quite a loud argument with a couple of RiverClan warriors." Swallowpaw turned back to Sorrelpaw and gave an embarrassed laugh. "Truth be told, I don't remember the leader's name, but either way, WindClan had to end up leaving early."

As she realized that she had been prattling on for a bit, embarrassment made the tips of her ears feel warm and she ducked her head. "S-sorry! I guess you didn't come here for a random story, huh?"

Sorrelpaw ♡ | omg I knooooowww they're going to be such good friends, I can already feel it

✿

[Sorrelpaw ♡]

476 words

swallowpaw

BY MINNIE OF GS

SORRELPAW

thankfully, after her introduction, the other molly seemed to relax somewhat. "you're a medicine cat apprentice as well?" sorrelpaw raised an eyebrow and nodded warily. "that's fantastic, i'm shadowcan's newest medicine cat apprentice!" huh. what were the odds of that? sorrelpaw smiled softly and dipped her head in a proper greeting, though she did wonder just what she was doing out here. apprentices weren't supposed to leave camp alone... well, evidently, that wouldn't stop either of them.

"it's so nice to meet you, sorrelpaw. i'm swallowpaw, chanterellegaze's apprentice." finally, she had a name to match the face. sorrelpaw nodded enthusiastically. "sparrowflight is my mentor." she rasped with a smile. "he's young, but he knows a lot. i'm excited for him to teach me everything he knows." boy, she was uncharacteristically chatty tonight, wasn't she? it was a bit hard on her throat, as she was unused to talking so much. she cleared her throat and fell silent again as swallowpaw spoke. "what brings you all the way out here? interested in seeing the famed fourtrees?" indeed, she has heard a lot about fourtrees. she nodded briskly, allowing her gaze to sweep the clearing once more.

"i've heard so many stories of what happened here... my dad told me that when he was an apprentice one of the old leaders of windclan had to leave the camp, because some of his warriors had ended up in quite a loud argument with a couple of riverclan warriors." sorrelpaw listened intently with a wide, attentive gaze, holding back an amused snort. "truth be told, i don't remember the leader's name, but either way, windclan had to end up leaving early." and here she thought the gathering was a time of peace. who would dare fight on such an important night? her eyes widened a touch as swallowpaw dipped her head in embarrassment. "s-sorry! i guess you didn't come here for a random story, huh?"

sorrelpaw laughed softly and shook her head, ignoring the discomfort. "i don't mind." for those in riverclan, they knew very well what she was like, but swallowpaw wasn't riverclan. she supposed if she was going to interact with cats outside of her own clan, she would have to get used to speaking up on a more frequent occasion. "it's kind of nice that i'm not alone here, to be honest." after a moment, her gaze lit up. "my mentor has been to the mountains, did you know that? he was gone for a really long time! at least, that's what i've been told." she was too young to really know for sure, but sparrowflight has told her so many tales that she had to believe what he said was the truth. she wondered what the cats in the mountains were like. she couldn't even begin to imagine what life outside the clans would be like.

notes: these two are gonna be so cute uwu sorrel already feels comfortable enough to talk around her, that's Progress!

[swallowpaw]

Swallowpaw felt relieved as the other apprentice stayed and continued to talk. The joy at meeting someone else who was on the same path as her was overwhelming, to say the very least. Although she enjoyed talking to everyone she knew back at camp, it just wasn't the same as chatting to another medicine cat apprentice.

"Is that common? I never thought of the possibility of being that young and becoming the full medicine cat... Sparrowflight must be incredible then, to take on a task such as that!" Swallowpaw was fascinated by this idea; Chanterellegaze had long been the sole medicine cat after Bluepool had passed, though she had never wondered how old her mentor had been when she rose to that rank. To her, Chanterellegaze seemed wiser beyond her years, as though she was this old and seasoned she-cat. "Is Sparrowflight a good mentor? Have you learned anything interesting from him yet?" There was no problem in sharing information, was there? They both were apprentices on the same track, after all. So it had to be OK in talking about what herbs they knew!

As she realized that she had quite the attentive audience to her little story, a thrill of eagerness shivered up her spine. Ever since she was a kit, her father had regaled her with fantastical stories about the four Clans. It had been a long time since she had thought of that particular story; she made a mental note to go check in on her father soon. She had dedicated most of her time to learning all she could from Chanterellegaze and she felt a pang of regret in not being able to see either of her parents.

Though that concerned thought disappeared as Sorrelpaw mentioned where Sparrowflight had adventured off to and her eyes widened. "Did he tell you any stories about them?" Swallowpaw breathed, eager for a story. "I've always wondered about what was up there... No one I know has ever been up the mountains before." Just imagining what could happen sent her mind reeling, as it created wondrous beasts and creatures living high up on the peeks.

"That is if you're OK with sharing them!" Swallowpaw had noted the other apprentice's raspy voice and had suddenly realized that it may hurt to continue talking. She hesitated for a moment, before continuing, her voice a whisper, "I don't mean to intrude, but your voice? It sounds painful, are you quite alright? I could try and find some honey if that would help!" There was no indication as to what had caused Sorrelpaw's voice to be this raspy, though just the thought of forcing the other apprentice to continue talking when it hurt made Swallowpaw cringe.

Sorrelpaw ♡ | i've only had sorrel for a couple days now but i would die for her

✿

[Sorrelpaw ♡]

515 WORDs

swallowpaw

BY MINNIE OF GS

SORRELPAW

"Is that common? I never thought of the possibility of being that young and becoming the full medicine cat... Sparrowflight must be incredible then, to take on a task such as that!" Sorrelpaw thought about that for a second. Yeah, she supposed he was, in that regard! Clearly their previous medicine cat had seen something in Sparrowflight, if he assigned him to be their next medicine cat. And hey, she thought he was doing a perfectly fine job! She didn't get why so many of their clanmates seemed to question his position.

"Is Sparrowflight a good mentor? Have you learned anything interesting from him yet?" Sorrelpaw smiled softly. "I've only just started, but he's shown me around our territory and given me a few tips on where herbs grow best." Her tail waved cheerfully behind her as she slowly settled down into a sitting position. Hey, this was kind of fun, honestly. She hadn't expected company, but she certainly wasn't complaining that she was here. She hadn't really known what she'd do when she'd gotten here, to be completely honest. But now she had something to do, someone to chat with. A new friend to make.

"Did he tell you any stories about them?" Swallowpaw's reaction to Sparrowflight's adventure in the mountains, naturally, was one of awe. She'd felt the very same way when she'd learned of his exploits. He truly was amazing, wasn't he? To go on a long journey, learn about so much stuff, and come back a changed cat and go on to become his clan's protector. He truly was incredible. "I've always wondered about what was up there... No one I know has ever been up the mountains before." That was the thing, wasn't it? That was a place no clan cat had even been before. Sparrowflight had been the first, and he'd even lived and returned to tell the tale.

"That is if you're OK with sharing them!" Sorrelpaw hesitated briefly. She hadn't planned on speaking this much to begin with, but it was difficult to communicate with a total stranger from another clan. Her clanmates, they'd learned the peculiar ways she preferred to communicate; simple head bobs or shakes, soft purrs or low growls, those particular inquisitive tilts of her head when curious or intrigued. Her little signs of affection, reserved for her family only. That all kind of went out the window with someone she'd never met before, who wasn't even in the same clan as her.

"I don't mean to intrude, but your voice? It sounds painful, are you quite alright? I could try and find some honey if that would help!" The young molly's ears twitched, a sheepish smile on her maw. "I'm alright, don't worry." She meowed, a bit softer now. Easier on the throat. "I just... don't talk all that much back at home. I'm not used to it." She appreciated Swallowpaw's concern all the same. Her gaze softened. "I'm sure Sparrowflight would be happy to tell you about it sometime, maybe during a Gathering. He can tell them way better than I can."

notes: i'm glad you like her! <3 I adore swallowpaw too! these girls are both so precious <3

[swallowpaw]

From the sounds of it, Sparrowflight was giving Sorrelpaw enough time to understand everything, before moving onto a different lesson. Swallowpaw wasn’t sure whether she was jealous of this; Chanterellegaze was a strict mentor. She never felt as though she was being looked down upon, necessarily, more as if her mentor expected nothing short of perfection. As the conversation continued, she noticed how little Sorrelpaw spoke and when the other apprentice mentioned that she didn’t speak as much, Swallowpaw felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her and her ears flattened a bit. If she didn’t use her voice that often then was it perhaps painful to talk in the first place? Sorrelpaw’s reassurance that she was fine did little to buffet the mortification that Swallowpaw had caused undue pain on someone else.

“If I ever meet him, I’ll make sure to ask him about it,” she managed to say, after a couple beats of silence at Sorrelpaw’s revelation. Though, she had to remember that others had the ability to step away from a conversation that they didn’t want to be in; after all, even if she wanted to tack someone down in order to chat with them, she had no way to force them to stay and chat. Following Sorrelpaw’s moves, Swallowpaw sat down as well and made herself comfortable. If the other apprentice was OK with continuing to chat, then she may as well enjoy it!

“Have you run into anyone from a different clan, besides me?” Swallowpaw asked, tilting her head to the side. Unsure if medicine cats in general had to be in the know-how of other clans, she wanted, once again, to compare notes, so to speak. If she was doing something incorrect, she wanted to correct it as soon as possible. “I only ask, because I’ve been fascinated with the other clans from all the stories I’ve heard.” Giving a chagrined smile, she shrugged. “I just want to learn all that there is to know about the clans.”

Deep down, she was willing to go all the way in her understanding of the other clans. Because wasn’t knowledge for knowledge sake a positive end?

Sorrelpaw ♡ | i love how they both immediately went: "yeah! you're cool, let's talk! (:"

✿

[Sorrelpaw ♡]

348 WORDs

swallowpaw

BY MINNIE OF GS

SORRELPAW

“If I ever meet him, I’ll make sure to ask him about it.” Pleased, Sorrelpaw dipped her head in response, her tail swishing lightly behind her. Sparrowflight was so wise. She was looking forward to learning everything he had to teach her. Her lips twitched upward into a small smile as Swallowpaw sat down as well, making herself comfortable too. Well, why not? They were already here, they may as well chat for a bit. Nothing wrong with making a friend right? So what if they were from another clan? It didn't really matter to Sorrelpaw.

“Have you run into anyone from a different clan, besides me?” What an interesting question. She cocked her head to the side briefly before responding. "I haven't. I was only apprenticed very recently." She mewed. "You're the first cat outside Riverclan I've ever seen." She had no doubt that she would eventually meet cats from the other clans too. “I only ask, because I’ve been fascinated with the other clans from all the stories I’ve heard.” Ah yes. Sorrelpaw has heard many things about the other clans as well. To say her curiosity was piqued would be an understatement. Plus a Shadowclan cat was right in front of her! They didn't share a border, so she was even more curious about them. “I just want to learn all that there is to know about the clans.”

Sorrelpaw nodded firmly. "I'll admit, I'm curious about the other clans too." She responded quietly, fixing the other molly with an intense but curious gaze. "I've heard that Shadowclan and Riverclan aren't neighbors, so I suppose I'm lucky to have met a Shadowclan cat out here. What's it like in Shadowclan? Is it as dark and mysterious as I hear it is?" She leaned forward slightly, her inquisitive nature getting the better of her. Shadowclan had always been very mysterious to her. In return, she'd be happy to tell her all about her life in Riverclan as well. Since they were both medicine cat apprentices, surely there was no harm in sharing some basic information, right?

notes: sorrel really just saw swallow and went 'she doesn't look particularly threatening. let's just talk to her what's the worst that could happen'

[swallowpaw]

It thrilled Swallowpaw that Sorrelpaw was as excited about learning about the other Clans as she was. But at her question, a giggle bubbled up and she shook her head. “Is that what RiverClan thinks of us?” Swallowpaw asked, her eyes squinting as she laughed. “The most mysterious thing we have in ShadowClan is the marshes! There are some rumors that there’s a swamp monster out there, but I haven’t seen it yet.”

Not only was it very amusing to hear that that’s what the other Clans thought of ShadowClan, it also eased her anxieties that the first question Sorrelpaw had was whether ShadowClan was mysterious. For the last couple moons, it seemed to be quiet among the clans. Despite her desires for the four clans to work together, she had an inkling it may not work out like that.

Blinking out of her thoughts, she continued, shrugging, “Not a lot of mysterious things happen in ShadowClan, if I’m being honest.” Swallowpaw was loathe to tell Sorrelpaw about her misadventures in the marshes, especially since the other she-cat was also a medicine cat apprentice. Giving an embarrassed smile, she continued, “Sorry if that’s a boring answer! I wish I could tell you a more interesting story, but that’s all we have in ShadowClan.”

Eager to find out more about RiverClan, Swallowpaw’s ears pricked and it was now her turn to lean forward. “I heard that RiverClanners are able to swim, is it true that you’re taught how to swim as soon as you can walk?” She asked with her eyes wide. The mere concept of being able to swim was mind boggling to her; she hated the feeling of water on her pelt, even the slightest bit of water on her made her fur raise.

“Do you like swimming? Is it easy?”

Sorrelpaw ♡ | listen if that isn't friendship idk what is

✿

[Sorrelpaw ♡]

314 WORDs

swallowpaw

BY MINNIE OF GS

SORRELPAW

“Is that what RiverClan thinks of us?” Swallowpaw's laugh prompted an amused smile from Sorrelpaw, as well. Truth be told, she had not heard all that much about Shadowclan but she often thought that they seemed mysterious, if only just by the name. “The most mysterious thing we have in ShadowClan is the marshes! There are some rumors that there’s a swamp monster out there, but I haven’t seen it yet.” Her eyes widened a touch. A swamp monster? Whether that's true or not, her interest was certainly piqued.

“Not a lot of mysterious things happen in ShadowClan, if I’m being honest.” She'd be lying if she said she wasn't slightly disappointed in that answer, but nodded and accepted it regardless. Thinking about it, she supposed they would function much like Riverclan, minus the water and fish. “Sorry if that’s a boring answer! I wish I could tell you a more interesting story, but that’s all we have in ShadowClan.” Her tail flicked dismissively and she smiled sympathetically, as if saying 'it's alright'. “I heard that RiverClanners are able to swim, is it true that you’re taught how to swim as soon as you can walk?” She blinks as the topic suddenly switches to her own clan and she laughs softly.

"Well, perhaps not that early, but we are taught from a young age. Usually when we start training." Though it generally didn't stop kits from trying regardless. “Do you like swimming? Is it easy?” Sorrelpaw smirked softly, her tail waving playfully behind her. "It is if you're used to it." She chuckled softly. "I'm still learning, but like most Riverclanners, it comes to me fairly easily. The advantage of growing up surrounded by water, I suppose." She wondered where her newfound path would take her. "We eat lots of fish, too. They're pretty tasty! What types of stuff do you eat in Shadowclan?"

notes: peak friendship right there sdhgjsdhgs