"Amber, you don't know Jet like I do. How can the same cat who saved me as a kit also be a coldblooded murderer?" She meowed, memories flashing inside her mind like lightning strikes. "Maybe all of this training has gotten to your head, with Firepaw and all. Do you want to take today off? Don't worry, I can manage those two, it'll be a piece of prey." She meowed jokingly, though her eyes showed that she was worried about her friend.
Amber shook her head. "Yeah right! Icestar would kill me. He doesn't like anyone missing out on training these days." She sighed. "Don't worry, I'll be fine." She meowed, lightly tapping her friend's shoulder with the tip of her tail.
"Good. And shh! Firepaw and Ravenpaw are here; I don't want them to hear about your nonsense, okay?" Scarlet said, though her eyes were bright. "Come on, now let's go to the training hollow." The dark ginger she-cat meowed, waving her tail as soon as the two apprentices caught up. Firepaw let out an exasperated sigh.
"The training hollow? Again? But we did that yesterday! I want to go hunting. The fresh-kill pile is barely stocked! I had to share a mouse with Echopaw and Toadpaw yesterday!" The young cat's once bright ginger coat had turned to a dull colored pelt.
Amber sighed, her eyes darkening. "I'm sorry... But we have to do what Jet says. He only chooses two hunting patrols a day, and we got assigned battle training again." She pressed her pelt against her apprentice's side, which was almost as bony as his. "You can have my share of prey tonight, along with yours." She meowed, and Scarlet nodded to Ravenpaw, her eyes soft. "Now come on, let's go."
Since the apprentices already knew the path by heart, they let them run up ahead, hearing their squeals of excitement whenever a battered leaf was drifting in the wind, and how they competed to see which one could get it down first.
They haven't been able to play much recently... With Jet's new orders. She turned to Scarlet, daring to ask again. "Still not suspicious about Jet?" Her friend's eyes flashed, but she shook her head, and only meowed,
"Come on, we need to catch up."
~*~
"Jet, the Clan cats have about nothing to eat. And more importantly, we're starting to feel hungry at night, too." Copper said, her skinny frame jutting out. "Should we increase the hunting patrols?"
The big black tom shook his head. "Go hunting by yourself if I care! They need to focus on battle training. After my announcement, hunger will be the least of their problems."
Goldenbreeze sat on the ground, her body shaking from the cold. Her eyes darted from one side of the clearing to the other, and then went down to her stomach. She winced when her stomach growled loudly. She hadn't eaten for awhile, same with the rest of the clan. She stood to her paws and padded over to Icestar. "Icestar, everyone is starving," she told him quickly.
ReplyDelete--Goldenbreeze
Dragonblaze padded over to Toadpaw, who was sitting besides Echopaw. "We're taking the day off no matter what Jet says," he ordered him. "You need to rest and recover."
--Dragonblaze
Icestar lashed his tail at the former deputy. "If you haven't noticed, Goldenbreeze, it's leaf-bare. I can't control the weather! All of the prey has gone back to it's burrows, and I can't do anything about that. My Clan is trying their best." He meowed, his voice and eyes even.
ReplyDeleteAmber couldn't help but let out a hiss under her breath. She couldn't understand why Scarlet idolized Jet so much. Couldn't she see he was the one making cats mysteriously disappear. The gray she-cat let her friend trot ahead, feeling her stomach tense with cold hunger. I can't let the clan continue to suffer. I have to talk to Icestar! Maybe he doesn't know about Jet... Amber quickly bound up to Scarlet, her ears flat. "You know what, I'm not feeling so well...Would you take on Firepaw's training just for a little while? I'll see Fallenleaf and maybe rest for a bit." The ginger she-cat agreed quickly, seeming relieved that she wouldn't be asked anymore questions about Jet, and Amber turned toward camp. "What will I say? I don't want to offend him...He did choose to let Jet and his gang stay..." The ash colored she-cat mumbled out loud, her stomach fluttering as she thought of talking to the handsome silver tom. It seemed a short walk to camp, and when she got there, Amber saw Icestar talking to the former Deputy. He looked a bit irritated. I wish I would quit shivering! Amber remembered painfully that this was how she felt at her StarTeller ceremony; she had shivered like a leaf and couldn't find her voice. Maybe I should just go back to training...
ReplyDeleteRavenpaw gave Firepaw a shove as the tabby tackled him over the leaf he had caught. "I jumped higher so its mine!" Even though they were just playing, Ravenpaw had a hard time keeping his claws sheathed. In fact, he had a hard time not clawing someone since his training began! Its all Shadowsplash's fault... He remembered painfully the deadly training sessions he had gone through with his mother and siblings. All the things Scarlet had been teaching him, he already knew; Ravenpaw pretended to mess up though. I wont seem like a show off. I just want to be a regular Apprentice.
Shadowsplash sat with her tail curled around her paws by the Warriors den. She knew her ribs would be showing if her fur wasn't so long and disheveled. She didn't shiver from the cold, nor wince from the hunger. These clan cats are soft. I've felt all this many times in my life and learned to cope! She narrowed amber eyes at Amber as she entered camp. The young gray she-cat seemed to want to talk to Icestar, but hesitated nearby. She's taken quite an interest in Jet, and not in a good way. I've got to keep an eye on her. Shadowsplash had decided to ally herself with the rouges for now. She would take their side if the clan cats did rebel.
Dragonpaw noded to his mentor but his pelt prickled uneasily."You don't think he'll be to hard on us for not training do you?"He asked uncertainly.He wanted to rest,but he didn't want to feel the deputy's claws for it later either.
ReplyDeleteEchopaw fluffed out her long fur in an attempt to warm up,but even her thick pelt could keep her skinny body warm.
Mistyfur glanced at her kits and frowned worriedly.I'll give them my share of prey.She decided padding over to join the hunting patrol she'd been asigned to.
Duststripe looked around the clearing for Clawpaw,his tail tip twitching with rare impatience.
Toadpaw*
DeleteClawpaw padded into camp, slowing when he spots Duststripe. He stops, sitting casually; his eyes narrow as he awaits his mentor to approach him.
ReplyDelete"And that's final. I don't want anymore complaints. Jet is doing his best; and succeeding. He runs the sessions thoroughly and efficiently. If you have anymore things to say, bring them up with him. He is the one who organizes and runs them, I have much more important things to do." Icestar meowed curtly, and waited until Goldenbreeze stalked away before returning to his thoughts.
ReplyDeleteScarlet nodded, and worry for her friend swam in her eyes. But not for her sickness. Why does she keep on thinking about Jet and these awful things? She wanted to know the answer, but so far nothing was being told. Clearing her mind of that, she turned to the apprentices. "Okay, well, since Amber isn't here... I guess I'm in charge for the day!" Though she had had an apprentice for nearly half a moon, she still felt quite nervous ordering cats around; even if they were younger than her. "So I suppose today we will practice defense, more than offense." She thought, wondering which moves they could use. "Let's start with what you will do if a cat is pinning you down, shall we?"
Ravenpaw brimmed with excitement. He knew this one. Shadowsplash made him go over it more than a dozen times. "Okay!" He watched the ginger she cat politely. He liked being her Apprentice. The half moon had seemed like a few days. She's so nice and funny and smart... His amber gaze reflected admiration.
ReplyDeleteAmber swallowed hard. He treated Goldenbreeze so harshly. Be brave! You cant keep running away. She slowly walked over to the big tom, feeling her heart thudding loudly. "um, Icestar?" The she-cat's voice came out small and high. Amber quickly cleared her throat and spoke again, stronger this time. "Icestar?" She could feel her fur turning hot.
Scarlet found that it was difficult to explain what move they were doing, especially without being able to use Amber in a demonstration. "Okay, first off, when you are pinned down, what parts of your opponent are unguarded, and vulnerable?" She asked, waiting patiently.
ReplyDeleteIcestar swiveled his head around. Did Goldenbreeze come back to ask more questions? He thought, sighing, but noticed the ash gray pelt of Amber. "Ah, Amber. Yes, what is it? I thought you went out training with Scarlet."
Ravenpaw was slow to answer, as if in thought. "The...belly?" Throat... The black apprentice decided not to mention that.
ReplyDeleteAmber flicked her tail tip, ears swiveling back. "Well, yes I was but I wanted to talk to you about Jet." Her amber eyes held steady to his, though she was nervous he wouldnt hear her out.
Finaly spotting Clawpaw he paded over to him,"Where have you been?I've been looking all over for you."He mewed,tail tip twitching.
ReplyDeleteClawpaw flicked an ear, looking away unintrestedly. "I didnt know you were my keeper. I already have a mother, but thanks for showing you care." The calico tom raised a paw to lick.
ReplyDeleteFirepaw looked from Scarlet to Ravenpaw. Seeing that the other apprentice had already answered and he figured it to be the best answer, he remained silent.
ReplyDelete"Well, Sparkfire," Stoneheart began muttering to himself. "You aren't missing much here. I hope you're stomach is full in StarClan, I wish mine was." He let out a wistful sigh as he remembered his best friend.
(Sorry for being inactive! Dx)
(It's fine x3 I was too)
ReplyDelete"Right." She nodded at both of the apprentices. "Which means everything could quickly turn in just a second! But there's a way around that, and I'll be showing you that today. So right now, we're going to have a small mock battle. Try to pin each other down, but stop once someone is on the ground. Don't move away though!" Scarlet warned, hoping these were thorough instructions. "Understand?" She mewed hopefully, shuffling her paws.
"Well I hope it isn't anything bad." He meowed, drowsily drawing a paw over his ear. "I already got a rough start with someone else." He muttered.
Amber sought for words. "Well no, no; its not a bad thing!" She swept her tail protectively around her paws. "Its just, since hes gotten here cats have been disappearing. Not to mention training has been quite brutal." She mewed aoftly. "Maybe making Jet deputy was a bad idea."
ReplyDeleteRavenpaw wasted no time. He kicked firepaw's feet out from under him, and lunged at the fiery tom.
Firepaw looked at the mentor as if she were mouse-brained. How could he be able to pin Ravenpaw when he couldn't even pin his own brother? He opened his mouth to protest, but was surprised as the other apprentice knocked him over. He let out a surprise meow and rolled to the side. "Thanks for the warning, Ravenpaw!" The short-tempered tom hissed with frustration as he leaped at the black tom.
ReplyDeleteRavenpaw met him head on, locking his shoulders around Firepaw's and kicking him hard in the belly. "In a battle, there are no warnings!"
ReplyDelete"Amber, you're new here, I know. I don't know if it was any different in the mountains than down here, but in the Clans, 'brutal' is just life. StellarClan and DuskClan are fighting, leaf-bare is upon us... Cats will die, I will tell you that. We were just... Unlucky to have a fox inhabitant in our territory. But it's gone now, I assure you. I only have vague knowledge of the tribes, nursery tales that my mother once told me. But here, we have a deputy, who's job is to lead beside me and make sure my Clan is ready for anything. And Jet is doing just that. Now I'd say you'd better run back to your training session, or anything else that needs to be done. Not a day can be wasted now..." He looked as if he was about to say more, but he stopped himself, nodding to the young gray she-cat. "Everyone will know soon enough." He said more to himself than Amber.
ReplyDelete"Firepaw, try to keep up to speed! Ravenpaw is right. A DuskClan cat won't wait for you to regain your balance in battle! You strike fast and you strike hard." Scarlet advised, waiting for the right moment to pause the two apprentices.
ReplyDeleteAmber twitched an ear as he finished. He was going to say something else she knew...Not to mention what did he mean by we will all soon know? The gray she-cat mumbled under her breath. "I've lived in a old fox burrow before...there was no fox here."
ReplyDeleteRavenpaw glanced at Scarlet, his stomach fluttering. Firepaw was still tight in his grasp. In one swift movement, the black tom gripped his scruff and spin, throwing him across the clearong. "Come on Firepaw. Now your ready." He went into a battle crouch, muscles efficiently holding his weight like a spring, ready to launch as soon as his opponent moved.
[Sorry 'bout the late reply. It wouldn't let me post. Dx]
ReplyDeleteFirepaw lashed his tail angerily as he was corrected. Stupid training! He thought bitterly as he struggled to get away from the other apprentice. He was surprised when he hit the ground. Shaking his head he crouched low and sprang.
Ravenpaw was ready to spring, slide under the other tom and catch him by surprise, but instead the black tom widened his eyes and let Firepaw bowl him over. He was pinned for a moment, but before Firepaw could celebrate, Ravenpaw kicked him off. Gotta make sure no one finds out about Shadowsplash's training..
ReplyDelete"Come again?" Icestar meowed, narrowing his eyes only slightly. Jet better make the announcement soon... Our cats are getting restless. He thought, more focused on his trail of thoughts than Amber.
ReplyDeleteScarlet watched the apprentices mock battle, seeing nothing out of the ordinary of the two or their fighting skills. Firepaw needs to learn how to recover quickly; and keep his mouth shut. She thought, though she couldn't stop herself from letting out a mrrow of amusement. Ravenpaw also needs to learn that cats can change in battles, and not to underestimate his opponents.
I'll never win like this! How can I even win when I can't beat a pathetic excuse for a cat like Snowfoot! Firepaw thought as Ravenpaw kicked him off. Don't give up! I will win! The fiery tom didn't give in as he sprang again.
ReplyDeleteRavenpaw growled. He planned on finishng things this time. The black tom tried to spring, but his hind paw jolted with pain and Firepaw bowled him over. Ravenpaw hissed in irritation, a thousand ways of defense flashing through his head, but he stayed put. "Hey furball! The tom wriggled as if he was struggling to get out of Firepaw's grasp.
ReplyDeleteAmber blinked, her fur prickling uncomfortably. "I just haven't seen any sign of a fox, but if you say so." She couldn't hold back the edge of annoyance in her voice.
"I got it! I got it!" Firepaw yowled as he pushed all of his weight onto the other tom. If I can beat him, I'll be able to beat Snowfoot! He thought triumphantly.
ReplyDeleteRavenpaw hissed as the breathe was pushed out of him. ill never hear the end of this...
ReplyDelete-Yawns and stretches my paws forward, letting out a mrrow of laughter- "So, this is your clan..interesting. May I join?" -Twitches tail-
ReplyDeleteMy name is Redclaw.