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"I stared at him; my mouth hung open. He wanted us dead!"
Slimepaw is shunned, mistreated, tortured, and more.
Why?
Because she isn't beautiful in their eyes.
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"Why must we work so hard to please every tom?" Ratpaw grumbled as she and her sister entered the she-cat apprentice den.
Fleapaw groomed herself calmly. "Because we're she-cats, and 'she-cats aren't good for anything except serving toms and having kits unless they're beautiful'" she said sarcastically while yawning and finding a place to rest.
Ratpaw sighed. "I guess we're not beautiful enough."
"Well, I think you're beautiful," Slimepaw said, admiring her sister's long-haired sand-colored fur. "They don't know what beautiful is."
Ratpaw looked at her sister gratefully.
"Maplepelt is gorgeous. But I don't understand why Pinestar didn't just mate and leave like a regular tom."
"Well, he is the leader. I bet he can do whatever he wants with any she-cat," Straypaw responded, staring out of the den.
"Yuck!" Ratpaw suddenly exclaimed. "This moss is wet!"
"I guess they thought we could change the moss ourselves," her sister muttered, getting up to change the moss for her sister.
While she went for clean moss, Robinpelt called out, "Hey, Slimepaw! Fetch me some fresh kill."
Slimepaw's temper snapped.
"Get some yourself!"
The clearing was filled with gasps as Slimepaw's outburst took everyone aback.
"How dare you talk to a superior that way?" Robinpelt snarled. "You'll regret it!"
The tom got up, teeth bared, claws unsheathed.
"W-wait," she said, shaking. "I'm sorry!"
"No, you're not," Robinpelt growled. "It's time someone taught you a lesson."
"I won't do it ever again!" Slimepaw yowled.
Without warning, Robinpelt lunged.
He raked his claws on her face, scratching her eyes. Her vision went red as blood splattered over her eyes.
She stumbled backward, attempting to unsheathe her claws and defend herself, but the tom was too quick. He pounced again and bit her back, causing her to yowl in pain as blood poured out of the wound.
Suddenly Pinestar's voice boomed across the clearing as he demanded, "What's this?"
Robinpelt, his fur stained with blood that was not his own, snarled back, "This insolent she-cat disrespected me!"
Pinestar's eyes blazed with anger as he sharply retorted, "And you let your temper get the better of you! I expected more from our fighters! Perhaps you must be an apprentice again?"
Robinpelt's head drooped as he meowed, "No, Pinestar."
Pinestar then pointed his nose towards the injured she-cat and questioned, "Look at her! Do you think she's fit to serve us like that?"
Robinpelt replied, "No, Pinestar."
"You bit her and clawed her face! What if she turns out blind?!"
"I'm very sorry."
"'Sorry' doesn't catch any prey! For your punishment, you shall clean out the she-cat apprentice den!"
"But Pinestar!" Robinpelt gasped.
"No buts!" Pinestar meowed sharply as he stalked away.
As the exchange finished, Slimepaw walked to the medicine den, trembling and limping.
Badgerleg, the medicine cat, sighed in exasperation as Slimepaw entered his den.
"What'd you get hurt for?" He demanded hotly. "Do you think I have infinite time on my paws? You she-cats are only here to waste my time!"
The apprentice said nothing as the medicine cat applied herbs and barely winced as the marigold juice sunk into her wound.
"Now sit next to your mother," he ordered roughly, shoving her toward the moss nest.
"Oh, my kit!" Shortface yowled. "What happened?"
"Robinpelt happened," her daughter sighed.
"A tom, of course," Shortface mewed.
"Lower your voice, Mother!" Slimepaw hissed. "You'll be punished!"
"So what?" Shortface retorted. "I don't want this life for you."
***
As Badgerleg finished sorting herbs, he got up and yawned. After a stretch, he met Shortface's eyes.
"Shortface, leave."
"My wounds have healed?" she asked disbelievingly.
"Are you doubting my judgment?" the medicine cat snarled.
"No," Shortface replied, a hint of a growl in her voice.
"Then go!"
The she-cat reluctantly left, looking over her shoulder as she padded away to the nursery.
"Now, for you," Badgerleg said, taking a step forward.
"What about me?" Slimepaw demanded, stepping back. She felt like something was very wrong.
"You'll do exactly as I say, you hear me?" he growled, taking another step forward.
