Worth every chaos

she has that whiskey sipping
skinny dipping smile

<sub>Cottonpaw had that glint in her eyes that she was up to no good. She had had training that morning and she had dosed of in her nest in the apprentice den late in the afternoon. Come on, training wás tiring! But by the time she had awoken, the sun was already setting, and she was wide awake. She poked her nose out of the apprentice den, looking at the beautiful colors in the sky on this winters evening. The view would be so much better from the highlands! It was getting late and well, she was still an apprentice. They wouldn't be happy if she went out, but she was about to do it anyway. She didn't care, the rules didn't apply to her. She swished her tail. There was only one missing puzzle piece: she didn't want to go alone. But that problem was easily solved, when she spotted Mousepaw, Crystalstar's daughter. Perfect. Rules didn't apply to her as well. Cottonpaw bounded over to the apprentice and conjured a bright smile on her face. ‘Hey, you,’ she greeted the spotted apprentice. Cottonpaw brought her head a bit closer to hers. ‘You wanna go on a late night stroll?’

- Mousepaw first</sub>

she has that whiskey sipping
skinny dipping smile

_{Cottonpaw noticed that her idea interested Mousepaw. Her blue eyes sparkled with joy and another smile graced Cottonpaw's face. Mousepaw was a bit young, but they would go along just fine, she didn't doubt that. They had so much in common! I mean, they both had a cool mom. When Mousepaw agreed, a look that was up to no good came on the face of the older apprentice. ‘Perfect!’ she purred happily. ‘Let's not waste another moment,’ she whispered, after which she bounded with a spring in her step towards the exit of camp. She strutted with confidence, as if this was completely normal. Confidence was half of the work. She glanced over her shoulder to see if her new buddy was following her, after which she begane to wonder where she wanted to go to first.}

she has that whiskey sipping
skinny dipping smile

_{Mousepaw was a lot younger than she was. In apprentice moons it was like they were years apart. Cottonpaws final assessment was nearing, while the spotted she-cat was just getting started. That's probably Cottonpaw took the lead in their adventure and why Mousepaw asked for directions. ‘Dunno,’ she answered lightheartedly. Then, an idea popped up in her head. ‘Why don't we let fate decide,’ she smiled at the younger apprentice. She looked around, they just needed something that could help them find their way. Then she saw it, a little piece of reed, probably detached from the camp wall when it was windy a few nights ago. She grabbed it between her teeth and brought it back towards Mousepaw. She put it down and then scratched at one end, then she pushed it towards the younger one. ‘Throw it in the air, and when it lands, we look where it points at. We go that way.’}

she has that whiskey sipping
skinny dipping smile

_{Cottonpaws eyes watches closely as Mousepaw did what she had told her. The edges of her mouth were curled up in a mischievous smile. But the stick did what it was needed for. It landed and pointed where they were supposed to go. Mousepaw said the answer already. North. A pleased sound rolled over Cottonpaws lips. ‘Perfect!’ she purred, after which she turned northward. What was North? The Windclan border, Fourtrees. Maybe they should take a look by the burned tree. Cottonpaw wasn't present at the gathering, Starclan bless. She was adventurous, but she didn't wanted to die. And with al the fire and loud bangs. But they could take a look at the aftermath. ‘Guess we are going towards Fourtrees then,’ she meowed happily. ‘Or maybe we find something better on the way. Maybe fate has something nice in store for us.’}

she has that whiskey sipping
skinny dipping smile

_{Cottonpaw giggled when Mousepaw said she would be pissed otherwise. She threw a fake-hurt glace at the spotted apprentice. ‘Why? Isn't going out with me good enough?’ After all, Cottonpaw had asked her. A little bit of rebellion was always fun, right? Maybe she could dare Mousepaw to go over the border later, that would be fun. But the remark she made was obviously sarcastic. She hummed a upbeat tune, when she followed the path north. The sky slowly turned darker, and Cottonpaw could get used to the dark more. She rarely ventured out so late, but that was what made it so much more fun. ‘So,’ she started, when she looked back at the younger apprentice. ‘What's it like, being Crystalstar's daughter? I expect she had high expectations?’}

she has that whiskey sipping
skinny dipping smile

_{Wow, the question was ment as a little jab at the priviligded apprentice, not as a question to let the young cat spill her guts. Cottonpaw was silent for a moment when Mousepaw had spoken. ‘Oh,’ was al she could muster. And then is was silent again, Cottonpaw looking away from the spotted apprentice and biting her lip slightly. What was she supposed to say to this? Yeah, she could become friend with her, but did friendships start like this? ‘I'm she she doesn't mean it like that,’ Cottonpaw then answered. She looked back at Mousepaw, a bright smile on her face. ‘She is obviously leader, yaknow... And, well. The same with my mom, she is busy with being a deputy and my younger siblings, but that doens't mean she loves me less.’ Yeah, growing up as an only child, she had been very close with her mother. And Cottonpaw was happy for her mom, with her new role as deputy and with her little brothers and sisters. Cottonpaw raised her shoulders slightly. ‘Maybe you should tell her, not me.’}

she has that whiskey sipping
skinny dipping smile

_{Cottonpaw saw that she was a bit embarrassed by opening up to her. And Cottonpaw had done her best to not make it awkward, but it was. The forced laughter comfirmed it. But Cottonpaw acted as if she didn't hear it and smiled with her, after she said she might be right. ‘Of course I am,’ she said teasingly towards the younger apprentice, pushing her shoulder against her for a short while. ‘I'm always right!’ It was the sign to move the conversation to something else, and quickly. Cottonpaw saw the tops of the three oaks and she pointed towards it. ‘See! Fourtrees, or.. Threetrees!’ she meowed happily. ‘Fate has brought us here after al,’ she said to the smaller cat. Cottonpaw bounded closer and from a distance you could see the burned down tree, and she looked at it with intrigued eyes. ‘Why would StarClan do that?’}