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Description
[ Sooka | Orange-Water | The Rolling Bridge ]

The silvery she-cat merely blinked at her apprentice as she expressed her troubles. Sooka couldn't imagine someone not being fond of Tuari - the young she-cat was beautiful and kind, not to mention eager. She stared briefly at the Pink-Orange, giving her a rather curious look, before speaking herself.

"Well I'm a she-cat, and I don't dislike you," the dappled feline replied with a wry grin. "You've just got to find the right sort of niche I suppose. Don't worry too much about it just yet. You're new to the tribes after all - I bet half the cats around here can't wait to meet a pretty little thing like you," she teased, hoping to lighten Tuari's mood. Although, one thing Sooka did notice about her apprentice was that she never stayed upset for long. Tuari seemed to bounce back rather quickly.

The pair ran for quite some time before Sooka brought them to a halt at the river's edge. In the distance, a little ways walk down the riverbank, large stones and a huge tree trunk were visible. The spotted feline purred at the sight, and gestured to it with her tail.

"See that? There's our destination," she informed her apprentice. "It's not technically on Water Tribe territory, but it's only about half a tail's length outside of our boarders, so it might as well be."

[ Tuari / Pink - Orange - Water / The Rolling Bridge ]

Tuari's sides were rising and falling quickly as Sooka brought their pace down to a halt. While she wasn't tired the pair had run a great enough distance that Tuari had begun to feel the strain in her muscles, not that she was particularly complaining. In the Snowshoe's mind there was nothing wrong with a little muscle burn if it meant you were working hard.

Blue eyes lit up with interest at the location Sooka gestured to with her tail. Intelligence flickered behind Tuari's pale gaze as she assessed the huge tree and the large stones that surrounded it; noting the way some of the stones appeared to be shaped in such a manner that they matched the curve of the tree perfectly. "What caused the tree to fall, do you know?" She asked, innocent curiosity reflected in her open expression. For her numerous faults most would agree that Tuari was an interesting mixture of sweet and mature. At times she could be the most naive thing ever while other days she seemed wiser than most elders. It was probably one of the Pink-Orange-Water's most unique personality traits though if one were to ever mention it to her she'd simply blink and say 'what?'.

Sooka | Orange-Water | The Rolling Bridge ]

The warrior she-cat paused, never having really thought about it before. She flicked her deep amber eyes to the tree, imagining what it looked like when it still stood, tall and proud by the river's edge. She was sure it must have been one of the biggest around. Even now it's trunk was wider than most trees she had passed by in the area.

"I'm not really sure," Sooka admitted, glancing at the tree's roots, which still twisted up and out of the water like some horrible creature. "Something must've knocked it down...or maybe it just got tired of standing," she joked, moving her eyes back to her apprentice.

The dappled she-cat stayed silent for a moment, her mind still reeling at the thought of the tree before it fell. It wasn't unusual for her to become lost in her own thoughts. She was quite creative that way, making her an oddly good storyteller.

"It's hard to walk across though, be warned," she suddenly meowed, her eyes focusing on Tuari. "It's slippery and worn pretty smooth, so careful where you place your paws if you ever decide to cross it."

Not that it's really an issue for cats like us, she added in her mind, smirking as she thought fondly of Water Tribe. Wet pelts and paws were a normal thing for them.

[ Tuari / Pink - Orange - Water / The Rolling Bridge ]

A goofy grin spread across Tuari's muzzle at Sooka's response and she bumped her shoulder with her mentor's. She didn't know how Sooka always knew what to say to make her laugh but she felt so at ease in her presence already. In some ways it felt a lot like Sooka was her big sister, caring and concerned yet not afraid to joke and play around as well. It was beyond comforting for the young Snowshoe to have a cat who she could call friend - one who was a she-cat at that!

Tuari fell quiet when Sooka did: having noted the distant look that covered the spotted she-cat's amber eyes. Tuari knew the look well, as her father had constantly told her to 'get her head out of the clouds' when such a look crossed her face. A soft smile briefly formed across Tuari's maw at the thought of her father's low voice. She wondered how the tomcat was doing and made a mental note to try and venture back towards her old den to stop by for a visit.

The she-cat's ears perked up and her gaze snapped back to Sooka at the sound of her voice. Pale blue eyes flickered back to the tree, noting the smooth, almost sparkling surface with interest. A tree that was slippery. Interesting, Tuari thought, her tail tip swishing as she just barely repressed the urge to leap forward and test out that theory for herself. Her muscles clenched and flexed with her need for action. Easy there, Cricket. No need to go and do anything foolish. A voice (that sounded far more like her father than she'd like to admit) sounded in her head and with a roll of her eyes and a soft sigh the warrior apprentice sat on her haunches. Her pale gaze slowly swept across the terrain once more, noting, not for the first time, the Tribe's beauty. This was her home and she was beyond grateful to have it.

[ Sooka | Orange-Water | The Rolling Bridge ]

Sooka grinned to herself as her apprentice nudged her in the shoulder, pleased to see the young she-cat was growing ever more comfortable with her. Despite all her own social anxieties, she had found it surprisingly easier than she thought it would be to be a mentor to the Pink-Orange beside her. Her own ease at talking with Tuari and showing her around was something she never would have expected of herself. Once again, thoughts of thanks towards her leader swept through her mind, sure that Vitani had known exactly what she was doing when she assigned the apprentices. Even now, the words still echoed in the back of her mind.

"And you Tuari...I will assign you my dear friend, Sooka, as your mentor..."

Sooka glowed with pride just thinking about it, glancing sideways at the young beauty by her side. Tuari's attention was focused on the fallen tree across the river, her gaze intelligent and promising. Her mentor smiled once again to herself, sure that it was impossible to find a better pairing for mentor and apprentice in any tribe.

"C'mon then," Sooka meowed, giving Tuari a nudge back. "We better get going - there isn't much else to see this way." She turned on her heels, padding slowly back towards Water Tribe, weaving her way through the tall grass and sticking close to the river's bank. "If you ever find yourself lost - which I doubt you will - but if you do...! If you do, just follow the river," the dappled she-cat laughed, looking over her shoulder to her apprentice. "It always leads back home."

[Tuari / Pink - Orange - Water / The Rolling Bridge]

A grin formed across Tuari's brown splashed muzzle as she trotted after her mentor. The she-cat's pale eyes noting and filing away the route her mentor was leading her through, sure that at some point she'd need to remember it.

Interest flickered in the apprentice's pale eyes at Sooka's last words. "Really? Isn't that a bit dangerous though? All of the other Tribes know how to find our camp too, then." She mewed, a hint of worry coloring her voice as she contemplated the idea of another Tribe attacking her home.

[ Sooka | Orange-Water | Water Tribe Territory ]

Sooka merely laughed at her apprentice's worry, all the while padding along the river's bank, heading to their camp. Her amber eyes sparkled with amusement as she glanced at Tuari, raising an eyebrow at her.
"It's easy to find, yes," she answered truthfully, a somewhat triumphant grin spread across her maw. "But what other tribe cats do you know to swim, hm? Our tribe's the most well protected - by the river itself even! I'd like to see some other tribe try and lead an envoy through those waters," she laughed.

The pair padded onward, their camp slowly coming into view. Sooka stopped at the water's edge, her eyes staring fondly at the little island in the middle. Her tattoo activated as if on its own accord, blazing bright and orange as it reflected the setting sun.

"You see...no one would think twice about invading our camp," she mewed sagely. "There's only two ways to get across - water walking, or swimming. As the only cats with proper swimming skills in these lands, I'd say Water Tribe is pretty safe from any water attacks. Only air raids from those pesky Air Tribers are what we have to worry about," she teased jokingly, pretty sure that no Air Tribers could simply fly into their camp.

And with that, the dappled she-cat took the first steps onto the water, her paws holding her steady. She glanced over her shoulder, a kind smile on her face as she nodded encouragingly to her apprentice.

Tuari's ears flicked back as she thought of the other Tribes and truthfully they didn't pose a threat when it came to the Water Tribe camp. She was sure that there were some cats in the other Tribes who could swim but the number was likely too scant for a full-fledged attack on the Water Tribe camp.

A soft hmm rumbled in Tuari's throat as she contemplated this information, the tip of her tail swishing idly at the thoughts. It gave her a sense of pride, that her Tribe was nearly untouchable by the other Tribes.

That sense of pride only strengthened when the camp came into view. A soft smile formed across her maw as she spotted several cats milling about on the soft sands. The young warrior apprentice's gaze widened in fascination as she watched her mentor's tattoo activate, almost on its own accord.

Tuari grinned and chuckled at Sooka's words, though her eyes clouded briefly, wondering if Air-Tribers possessed the ability to fly. Though, judging from Sooka's amused tone, Tuari assumed that the Air-Triber's didn't possess that ability; at least, not yet anyway.

A sliver of fear raced up and down Tuari's spine at the prospect of water walking but she quickly pushed the feeling away and steeled her wits. Out of everything she was, a quitter wasn't one of them. Tuari's brow furrowed in concentration as she activated her tattoo. Then, without an ounce of fear or hesitation, Tuari boldly stepped onto the water. She wobbled for a second and her heartbeat picked up from slow and steady to a pounding race before she found her center of balance once more, putting all four paws on the water.

Pride flowed from Tuari as she looked back to her mentor, a grin on her maw as she took a few more steps. She wasn't able to talk, not trusting herself to keep concentration and hold a conversation at the same time.

Sooka watched from over her shoulder as her apprentice activated her own tattoo, beautiful swirls of pink and orange adorning her already fetching pelt. A moment's fear seemed to hold the Snowshoe back, but it was so brief, her mentor could have sworn she imagined it. The Pink-Orange-Water extended a single paw onto the water, hesitating as she found her center of balance.

And then, Tuari boldly stepped forward, her four paws holding her weight and carrying her across the water as she walked. A proud grin flashed on her face as she looked up at Sooka. Not wanting to break her apprentice's concentration, the dappled she-cat smiled widely back in reply, giving a nod and continuing forward herself. Although she did not say it at the time, she felt nothing but pride and love for the young she-cat the Silver-Water had assigned as her apprentice only the night before.

"Vitani...thank you," she murmured very quietly to herself, her amber eyes looking once more over her shoulder. As she watched Tuari, she felt a strange sense of confidence swell inside her own body - a feeling that had not been there before. "And thank you, too, Tuari," she added in a whisper to herself, for without her apprentice, she was sure she never would have discovered the leadership and mentoring abilities in herself.

As they reached the other bank, crossing into Water Tribe's camp, Sooka's orange tattoo faded, leaving only the mark bearing her tribe on her shoulder. Her amber eyes watched her other tribe-mates mill about the place, smiling at a few she was close to, but mostly taking in everything. This was her family now. She smiled back at her apprentice, her eyes soft and kind.

"You did well," she mewed, her voice filled with pride that was too much for words. "I don't think anyone could have asked for a better apprentice - but don't think that means I'll be going easy on you!" she added with a wry grin, once again teasing the young she-cat. "But for now, you're off the hook." With one last flick of her tail, Sooka briefly touched her nose to the Snowshoe's, a gesture she had often made with her siblings as a kit, and had yet to make with any cat since coming to the tribes (with the exception of Seraphiel of course). She smiled once again, her eyes proud, before trotting off across the sand.

Description
[ Sooka | Orange-Water | The Rolling Bridge ]

The silvery she-cat merely blinked at her apprentice as she expressed her troubles. Sooka couldn't imagine someone not being fond of Tuari - the young she-cat was beautiful and kind, not to mention eager. She stared briefly at the Pink-Orange, giving her a rather curious look, before speaking herself.

"Well I'm a she-cat, and I don't dislike you," the dappled feline replied with a wry grin. "You've just got to find the right sort of niche I suppose. Don't worry too much about it just yet. You're new to the tribes after all - I bet half the cats around here can't wait to meet a pretty little thing like you," she teased, hoping to lighten Tuari's mood. Although, one thing Sooka did notice about her apprentice was that she never stayed upset for long. Tuari seemed to bounce back rather quickly.

The pair ran for quite some time before Sooka brought them to a halt at the river's edge. In the distance, a little ways walk down the riverbank, large stones and a huge tree trunk were visible. The spotted feline purred at the sight, and gestured to it with her tail.

"See that? There's our destination," she informed her apprentice. "It's not technically on Water Tribe territory, but it's only about half a tail's length outside of our boarders, so it might as well be."

[ Tuari / Pink - Orange - Water / The Rolling Bridge ]

Tuari's sides were rising and falling quickly as Sooka brought their pace down to a halt. While she wasn't tired the pair had run a great enough distance that Tuari had begun to feel the strain in her muscles, not that she was particularly complaining. In the Snowshoe's mind there was nothing wrong with a little muscle burn if it meant you were working hard.

Blue eyes lit up with interest at the location Sooka gestured to with her tail. Intelligence flickered behind Tuari's pale gaze as she assessed the huge tree and the large stones that surrounded it; noting the way some of the stones appeared to be shaped in such a manner that they matched the curve of the tree perfectly. "What caused the tree to fall, do you know?" She asked, innocent curiosity reflected in her open expression. For her numerous faults most would agree that Tuari was an interesting mixture of sweet and mature. At times she could be the most naive thing ever while other days she seemed wiser than most elders. It was probably one of the Pink-Orange-Water's most unique personality traits though if one were to ever mention it to her she'd simply blink and say 'what?'.

Sooka | Orange-Water | The Rolling Bridge ]

The warrior she-cat paused, never having really thought about it before. She flicked her deep amber eyes to the tree, imagining what it looked like when it still stood, tall and proud by the river's edge. She was sure it must have been one of the biggest around. Even now it's trunk was wider than most trees she had passed by in the area.

"I'm not really sure," Sooka admitted, glancing at the tree's roots, which still twisted up and out of the water like some horrible creature. "Something must've knocked it down...or maybe it just got tired of standing," she joked, moving her eyes back to her apprentice.

The dappled she-cat stayed silent for a moment, her mind still reeling at the thought of the tree before it fell. It wasn't unusual for her to become lost in her own thoughts. She was quite creative that way, making her an oddly good storyteller.

"It's hard to walk across though, be warned," she suddenly meowed, her eyes focusing on Tuari. "It's slippery and worn pretty smooth, so careful where you place your paws if you ever decide to cross it."

Not that it's really an issue for cats like us, she added in her mind, smirking as she thought fondly of Water Tribe. Wet pelts and paws were a normal thing for them.

[ Tuari / Pink - Orange - Water / The Rolling Bridge ]

A goofy grin spread across Tuari's muzzle at Sooka's response and she bumped her shoulder with her mentor's. She didn't know how Sooka always knew what to say to make her laugh but she felt so at ease in her presence already. In some ways it felt a lot like Sooka was her big sister, caring and concerned yet not afraid to joke and play around as well. It was beyond comforting for the young Snowshoe to have a cat who she could call friend - one who was a she-cat at that!

Tuari fell quiet when Sooka did: having noted the distant look that covered the spotted she-cat's amber eyes. Tuari knew the look well, as her father had constantly told her to 'get her head out of the clouds' when such a look crossed her face. A soft smile briefly formed across Tuari's maw at the thought of her father's low voice. She wondered how the tomcat was doing and made a mental note to try and venture back towards her old den to stop by for a visit.

The she-cat's ears perked up and her gaze snapped back to Sooka at the sound of her voice. Pale blue eyes flickered back to the tree, noting the smooth, almost sparkling surface with interest. A tree that was slippery. Interesting, Tuari thought, her tail tip swishing as she just barely repressed the urge to leap forward and test out that theory for herself. Her muscles clenched and flexed with her need for action. Easy there, Cricket. No need to go and do anything foolish. A voice (that sounded far more like her father than she'd like to admit) sounded in her head and with a roll of her eyes and a soft sigh the warrior apprentice sat on her haunches. Her pale gaze slowly swept across the terrain once more, noting, not for the first time, the Tribe's beauty. This was her home and she was beyond grateful to have it.

[ Sooka | Orange-Water | The Rolling Bridge ]

Sooka grinned to herself as her apprentice nudged her in the shoulder, pleased to see the young she-cat was growing ever more comfortable with her. Despite all her own social anxieties, she had found it surprisingly easier than she thought it would be to be a mentor to the Pink-Orange beside her. Her own ease at talking with Tuari and showing her around was something she never would have expected of herself. Once again, thoughts of thanks towards her leader swept through her mind, sure that Vitani had known exactly what she was doing when she assigned the apprentices. Even now, the words still echoed in the back of her mind.

"And you Tuari...I will assign you my dear friend, Sooka, as your mentor..."

Sooka glowed with pride just thinking about it, glancing sideways at the young beauty by her side. Tuari's attention was focused on the fallen tree across the river, her gaze intelligent and promising. Her mentor smiled once again to herself, sure that it was impossible to find a better pairing for mentor and apprentice in any tribe.

"C'mon then," Sooka meowed, giving Tuari a nudge back. "We better get going - there isn't much else to see this way." She turned on her heels, padding slowly back towards Water Tribe, weaving her way through the tall grass and sticking close to the river's bank. "If you ever find yourself lost - which I doubt you will - but if you do...! If you do, just follow the river," the dappled she-cat laughed, looking over her shoulder to her apprentice. "It always leads back home."

[Tuari / Pink - Orange - Water / The Rolling Bridge]

A grin formed across Tuari's brown splashed muzzle as she trotted after her mentor. The she-cat's pale eyes noting and filing away the route her mentor was leading her through, sure that at some point she'd need to remember it.

Interest flickered in the apprentice's pale eyes at Sooka's last words. "Really? Isn't that a bit dangerous though? All of the other Tribes know how to find our camp too, then." She mewed, a hint of worry coloring her voice as she contemplated the idea of another Tribe attacking her home.

[ Sooka | Orange-Water | Water Tribe Territory ]

Sooka merely laughed at her apprentice's worry, all the while padding along the river's bank, heading to their camp. Her amber eyes sparkled with amusement as she glanced at Tuari, raising an eyebrow at her.
"It's easy to find, yes," she answered truthfully, a somewhat triumphant grin spread across her maw. "But what other tribe cats do you know to swim, hm? Our tribe's the most well protected - by the river itself even! I'd like to see some other tribe try and lead an envoy through those waters," she laughed.

The pair padded onward, their camp slowly coming into view. Sooka stopped at the water's edge, her eyes staring fondly at the little island in the middle. Her tattoo activated as if on its own accord, blazing bright and orange as it reflected the setting sun.

"You see...no one would think twice about invading our camp," she mewed sagely. "There's only two ways to get across - water walking, or swimming. As the only cats with proper swimming skills in these lands, I'd say Water Tribe is pretty safe from any water attacks. Only air raids from those pesky Air Tribers are what we have to worry about," she teased jokingly, pretty sure that no Air Tribers could simply fly into their camp.

And with that, the dappled she-cat took the first steps onto the water, her paws holding her steady. She glanced over her shoulder, a kind smile on her face as she nodded encouragingly to her apprentice.

Tuari's ears flicked back as she thought of the other Tribes and truthfully they didn't pose a threat when it came to the Water Tribe camp. She was sure that there were some cats in the other Tribes who could swim but the number was likely too scant for a full-fledged attack on the Water Tribe camp.

A soft hmm rumbled in Tuari's throat as she contemplated this information, the tip of her tail swishing idly at the thoughts. It gave her a sense of pride, that her Tribe was nearly untouchable by the other Tribes.

That sense of pride only strengthened when the camp came into view. A soft smile formed across her maw as she spotted several cats milling about on the soft sands. The young warrior apprentice's gaze widened in fascination as she watched her mentor's tattoo activate, almost on its own accord.

Tuari grinned and chuckled at Sooka's words, though her eyes clouded briefly, wondering if Air-Tribers possessed the ability to fly. Though, judging from Sooka's amused tone, Tuari assumed that the Air-Triber's didn't possess that ability; at least, not yet anyway.

A sliver of fear raced up and down Tuari's spine at the prospect of water walking but she quickly pushed the feeling away and steeled her wits. Out of everything she was, a quitter wasn't one of them. Tuari's brow furrowed in concentration as she activated her tattoo. Then, without an ounce of fear or hesitation, Tuari boldly stepped onto the water. She wobbled for a second and her heartbeat picked up from slow and steady to a pounding race before she found her center of balance once more, putting all four paws on the water.

Pride flowed from Tuari as she looked back to her mentor, a grin on her maw as she took a few more steps. She wasn't able to talk, not trusting herself to keep concentration and hold a conversation at the same time.

Sooka watched from over her shoulder as her apprentice activated her own tattoo, beautiful swirls of pink and orange adorning her already fetching pelt. A moment's fear seemed to hold the Snowshoe back, but it was so brief, her mentor could have sworn she imagined it. The Pink-Orange-Water extended a single paw onto the water, hesitating as she found her center of balance.

And then, Tuari boldly stepped forward, her four paws holding her weight and carrying her across the water as she walked. A proud grin flashed on her face as she looked up at Sooka. Not wanting to break her apprentice's concentration, the dappled she-cat smiled widely back in reply, giving a nod and continuing forward herself. Although she did not say it at the time, she felt nothing but pride and love for the young she-cat the Silver-Water had assigned as her apprentice only the night before.

"Vitani...thank you," she murmured very quietly to herself, her amber eyes looking once more over her shoulder. As she watched Tuari, she felt a strange sense of confidence swell inside her own body - a feeling that had not been there before. "And thank you, too, Tuari," she added in a whisper to herself, for without her apprentice, she was sure she never would have discovered the leadership and mentoring abilities in herself.

As they reached the other bank, crossing into Water Tribe's camp, Sooka's orange tattoo faded, leaving only the mark bearing her tribe on her shoulder. Her amber eyes watched her other tribe-mates mill about the place, smiling at a few she was close to, but mostly taking in everything. This was her family now. She smiled back at her apprentice, her eyes soft and kind.

"You did well," she mewed, her voice filled with pride that was too much for words. "I don't think anyone could have asked for a better apprentice - but don't think that means I'll be going easy on you!" she added with a wry grin, once again teasing the young she-cat. "But for now, you're off the hook." With one last flick of her tail, Sooka briefly touched her nose to the Snowshoe's, a gesture she had often made with her siblings as a kit, and had yet to make with any cat since coming to the tribes (with the exception of Seraphiel of course). She smiled once again, her eyes proud, before trotting off across the sand.