With a grunt, Cobrapaw hit the ground. A cloud of dust kicked up around the two apprentices as the spar was abruptly ended. His green eyes blazed with anger as Pricklepaw pinned him down, one paw on his chest and the other planted on his neck. Satisfaction rippled through Pricklepaw like a stone tossed into a calm lake. She stepped off the tom and watched him with great pleasure as he got to his paws and shot her a nasty look.
"Well done, Pricklepaw." Daisystorm's praise came moments later after Cobrapaw had stood up. "You took him down easily and you kept yourself light on your paws." She nodded to Cobrapaw's temporary mentor: Quailstep, who sat nearby with Rustrapid, Ospreypaw, Hopepaw, Grousepaw, and Conan. "You've trained him well so far, Quailstep."
The dark gray tabby-point she-cat dipped her head bashfully and accepted the compliment. "Thank you, Daisystorm." She looked to Cobrapaw. "You did well, but you're too hefty on your paws and you kept your weakest points open. I know you've been here only a few sunrises, but know that your training and techniques will get better over time."
Pricklepaw glanced at her adversary and took note of his tensed muscles and wide-set paws. He grunted and didn't meet her gaze. Pest, she thought as she smirked to herself. All brawn, no brains. Bested by an apprentice in combat.
"Come sit down and rest, Cobrapaw." Daisystorm flicked her tail and nodded to Pricklepaw. "You stay there and catch your breath for a moment." She turned her head to the other apprentices. "Conan, it's your turn to have a go. Remember to keep your claws sheathed and bites gentle. We're training, not fighting for territory."
As the gray tom nodded and padded toward her, Pricklepaw analyzed his stance and build. Tall and agile, which is surprising for a kittypet. Unlike his siblings, Conan was all gray with a dark tail, paws, chest, belly, ear tips, nose bridge, and chin. His cheeks were angular and lighter compared to the rest of his pelt, and he had bright orange eyes. Pricklepaw thought it strange that Conan hadn't taken a proper apprentice name compared to his siblings. Ospreypaw, Hopepaw, Chicorypaw, Grousepaw, and even Cobrapaw had taken apprentice titles, but Conan hadn't. Five of the six apprentices became warrior-apprentices. Chicorypaw had decided to aid Dewcloud in the medicine den and seemed to be thriving.
Conan eyed her with a neutral look on his face. Pricklepaw readied her burning muscles and took a deep breath. She'd never sparred against Conan before and he'd just witnessed her beat his brother rather easily. Maybe he'll be more of a challenge.
"Go!" Daisystorm's order was barked out and Conan made the first move. He lunged for Pricklepaw and snapped his teeth at her foreleg. Pricklepaw let out a hiss and drew back, her heart beginning to race as it always did in a battle or spar. She jumped back and hit Conan's cheek with the back of her paw. He didn't react as he surged forward again, swiping and snapping his jaws at her and driving her back. Pricklepaw's pelt bristled as she backed away more and more.
Pricklepaw hissed with frustration as Conan landed a blow to her head and she reared on her hind legs, her head buzzing. She launched herself to Conan's side and rammed her head into his shoulder, knocking him off-balance and she shoved him to the ground. Taking advantage of his sudden vulnerability, Pricklepaw stood over him and rained blows down on his head and face, keeping her claws sheathed despite them itching to unsheathe.
Pain exploded in her belly and Pricklepaw was suddenly several pawsteps away from Conan. He scrambled to his paws and rounded on her, eyes ablaze as he charged her. Fear spiked Pricklepaw's fur as she rolled over and avoided the gray tom, breathing hard. She pushed herself to her paws and sank her claws into the ground as Conan spun around and went for her again. Launching herself forward, Pricklepaw brought a paw down on Conan's head and the furious hitting contest commenced once more. She blocked a blow to her cheek and retaliated with one of her own, resulting in Conan stumbling back, stunned.
Pricklepaw charged him with a snarl, using her burst of energy to surprise him and take over the spar. Fueled with adrenaline, Pricklepaw was relentless with her attacks. Pummeling his head, face, and neck with her paws and doing as he did before and snapped her jaws at his paws. Conan yelped and jumped back, eyes flashing as he was driven back just as she had moments before. When he reared on his hind legs, Pricklepaw slammed her shoulder into his belly and he let out a cry before they landed on the ground. Pricklepaw pinned him down with her paws on his chest and foreleg, keeping him down while they both panted. Her teeth hovered over his neck and she stared him in the eyes while they stood there for a few moments.
"That's enough," meowed Daisystorm, sounding incredibly pleased. Pricklepaw backed off of Conan and sat down, her chest burning and flanks heaving. Conan sat up and shook out his fur, eyes bright with adrenaline as he watched her. "Congratulations, Pricklepaw. You won the spar again. You were cornered at first and relied on your instincts to get the upper-paw and eventually were able to overpower and match Conan's ferocity."
Rustrapid, Conan's mentor, nodded in agreement with Daisystorm. "Come rest for a little bit, Pricklepaw." She meowed, her voice filled with warmth. It was hard for Pricklepaw not to tingle with satisfaction at beating Cobrapaw and Conan. She couldn't help but feel proud of the training she'd been going through in order to become a warrior for ThunderClan.
"Who's going to go next?" Cobrapaw asked as he threw Pricklepaw a glare. "Hope, Grouse, and Osprey haven't gone yet, and I'm hungry!" One of his hind legs thumped on the ground as he put emphasis on his point, to which Pricklepaw rolled her eyes at.
Rustrapid's whiskers twitched as she looked at the tom. "The kits will always be fed before you apprentices," she meowed sternly. "You still have apprentice duties to tend to before you get a meal in your bellies." Her tail flicked as Cobrapaw huffed with annoyance. "If you have a problem with the rules, then you can go back to your kittypet fathers."
Please go back to your parents. Pricklepaw silently wished the insufferable tom would prance back to the two toms and become a fat kittypet so she'd never have to see his fluffy face ever again. Unless he's trespassing, then I get to rough him up a bit. That thought made her feel better.
The deputy cleared her throat and turned to the apprentices. "We can continue our session later after we hunt and feed the Clan." She gave a pointed look to a pouting Cobrapaw. "You'll be sent off in pairs to see how well you work together. Hopepaw with Ospreypaw, Conan with Grousepaw, and Pricklepaw with Cobrapaw. We will also be watching and hunting to make sure there's enough prey."
You've got to be kidding me. Pricklepaw wanted to claw Cobrapaw's smug smirk of his stupid fluffy face. I have to hunt right beside a kittypet. With any luck, he might catch a leaf! She bit her tongue and groaned to herself. Rustrapid's eyes flicked towards her, but the deputy didn't say anything.
"Let's get going," urged Daisystorm as she flicked her tail. "The sunlight's not going to last and the prey won't waltz into the camp and die for us. Let's get to hunting."
Pricklepaw wanted so much to argue with her mentor and deputy and insist that she can find enough prey by herself. Then, she heaved a defeated sigh and rose to her paws begrudgingly, remembering what Daisystorm had told her the night they brought back Rory and Frisk's kits.
"It'd do you a lot of good to have friends that are your age," her mentor had said while the others were getting settled in the apprentice's den. Pricklepaw had her doubts that hadn't gone away about the skills a pawful of kittypets could possibly have in a Clan. "Mousekit, Frecklekit, and Acornkit won't be apprenticed for another five moons and you're on your way to become a warrior. You may get one of them as an apprentice, but you have to be a good example to them. They look up to you and Frecklekit especially adores you." Daisystorm's eyes had softened. "Give the kittypets a chance, okay? For me?"
Pricklepaw had agreed to give them a chance, but it wasn't going very well. Most of the kittypets were decent enough, but Cobrapaw especially was a pain in the tail. He whined, complained, and was generally antagonistic toward Pricklepaw. She moved her large nest from the center of the den to the corner just to get away from the other cats.
"Come on," the white she-cat growled as Cobrapaw approached her, looking smug as always. "Let's just get this over with so we can go back to camp." She headed for the trees with Cobrapaw hot on her heels, his paws thumping loudly against the ground as he followed. Irritated already, Pricklepaw let out a sigh. This is going to be a long session.
While they walked, Cobrapaw was watching every little thing that happened around them. His green eyes were wide with wonder and Pricklepaw shook her head. Any cat who hasn't seen the forest should stay with their twolegs. Tasting the air, Pricklepaw's mouth watered at the scent of a mouse. Lifting her tail for the tom to stop walking, she dropped into a crouch and stalked forward. Through the ferns, she could see a little brown mouse sniffing around and searching for food. Perfect. Pricklepaw inched closer to the animal and unsheathed her claws, preparing to spring.
Cobrapaw beat her to it. He lunged forward with an excited growl, paws extended. One of his paws slipped on a smoothe patch of grass and he landed on the ground with a thud. The mouse squealed and vanished into a clump of ferns, out of sight.
"You stupid furball!" Pricklepaw hissed as she stormed out of where she was hiding and swatted at Cobrapaw's ears. "That was my mouse and you scared it off!"
The tabby tom got to his paws and shook the dust from his fur. "Keep your fur on, Prickle," he retorted and licked his chest. "There will be more prey to catch."
"Not if you don't know how to stalk and hunt!" She lashed her tail with fury, furious that she'd been paired up with someone so dense that he didn't know how to be quiet and properly catch anything. "Don't you know anything about being a wild cat?" She snorted, answering her own question before he got the chance to open his fat mouth. "Of course not, you've been raised as a pompous, fat kittypet with everything in your life handed to you by twolegs."
Cobrapaw's eyes narrowed. "Watch it," he hissed, his pelt bristling. "I wasn't born a wild cat, you know. You could be nicer about your bias if you cared about your Clanmates."
"You're not my Clanmate!"
"I am now!" The tom countered and shoved his face into hers. "My siblings and I were brought into ThunderClan and we're here! You can get your head out of your tail and accept us, or you can run away like that mouse if you don't like it!"
Pricklepaw arched her back and hissed at Cobrapaw, who bared his teeth in response. "Of all the cats I could've been paired with," she snarled, "I had to be paired up with a soft-clawed mouse-heart!"
"Pricklepaw!" Daisystorm's furious voice came from the nearby bushes as she emerged, looking outraged. The apprentice swallowed hard and crouched down as her very angry mentor approached them. "That is no way to talk to a new Clanmate who is just learning how to live in a Clan." Her voice was angry and Pricklepaw flattened her ears, feeling shame wash over her like a blanket of moss. "You know better than that, and you were raised better than that. You should be ashamed of yourself and your treatment of the new apprentices."
The she-cat flattened herself against the ground, staring at the ground numbly as she was scolded and yelled at. She curled her tail around herself as Daisystorm went on and on.
"You're taking over the apprentice chores for the rest of the moon," her mentor concluded, her eyes blazing with yellow fire. Pricklepaw looked up and met Daisystorm's eyes. The tortoiseshell-and-white warrior looked beyond angry and Pricklepaw flinched. "I'll be discussing your behavior with Rustrapid and Cricketstar and we will have a talk about how to go further. I'm very disappointed in you, Pricklepaw." She turned her attention to Cobrapaw, who seemed stunned into silence as he stared slack-jawed at Pricklepaw. "You're not off the hook either. You both are in deep trouble." She drew in a sharp breath and composed herself, though her shoulder fur bristled in outraged spikes. "Continue hunting and try to treat each other with respect." With one final glare at each apprentice, Daisystorm stormed off, her tail lashing behind her.
Pricklepaw stared after her. She felt so humiliated and guilty. Looking down, she noticed her paws were shaking. Standing up, she avoided Cobrapaw's wide eyes. "Come on," she whispered, her voice nearly inaudible. "Let's go." Her eyes fixated on the ground, she led the way away from her mentor's fury.
Cobrapaw didn't argue or say anything as he fell into step beside her, seeming to understand the weight of Daisystorm's outburst. He didn't hang his head as Pricklepaw did. Instead, his gaze was fixed forward and focused on something far away. Neither apprentice said anything, even as Pricklepaw caught the scent of a squirrel not far off.
She raised her head and glanced at Cobrapaw, who dipped his head and sat down. A sliver of appreciation pricked her paws as she nodded and dropped into the hunter's crouch. Tracing the scent to the base of a tall oak tree, Pricklepaw saw the fluffy-tailed critter playing in the sunlight. Narrowing her eyes, she circled around to the creature and placed herself in the best position to catch the animal. Exhaling quietly and waggling her haunches, Pricklepaw surged forward silently. The squirrel shrieked and bolted up the tree trunk, the hunter hot on its fuzzy tail. Snapping her jaws at the woodland animal's tail and pulling it back to her, she killed it with ease as she balanced on a branch and caught her breath.
"That was amazing," came the awed voice of Cobrapaw as he jumped out of the foliage and stared up at her, his green eyes wide with amazement. "You were so fast running up the tree! Are you sure you're not part squirrel?"
Pricklepaw set the squirrel down at her paws and bashfully licked her chest fur down. "Thanks," she meowed, feeling awkward to be accepting a compliment from him. "I've had a lot of practice when chasing prey. Squirrels are very common in our forest, so I get more chances to perfect my technique." Gazing down at Cobrapaw, she twitched her whiskers. Scooping up her kill, Pricklepaw jumped from branch to branch until she hopped down and landed next to Cobrapaw. Taking the squirrel and burying it under the tree roots, Pricklepaw looked at her companion. "What do you smell?" She prompted. If we're hunting together, he may as well be useful.
"Er- I don't know." Cobrapaw seemed surprised at her question and hastily sniffed the air. Pricklepaw's whiskers twitched with amusement and she hid a small smile that tugged at her mouth. "Uhh, I smell trees and sap? Some hints of dust and dung. Is that good or bad?"
The white she-cat flicked her tail. "Why don't you track the scent and find out?" Even though it's probably some deer dung. She held back a snort and followed Cobrapaw as he set off into the trees. As she followed him, Pricklepaw scanned their surroundings. Was Daisystorm still watching them? Did she go back to camp and tell Rustrapid about the confrontation? Is she mad at me? She shook the questions away and let out a short sigh. Of course she's mad at me.
"Uh, Prickle?" Cobrapaw's voice was nervous as he suddenly stopped in front of her, causing her to nearly crash into his rear end. "What kind of prints are these?"
Pricklepaw swerved around him and looked at what he was pointing out. Paw prints were in the dirt- and they were fresh. Leaning down and sniffing the tracks, she froze. Pine sap, mulch, pine needles. Every hair on her pelt stood up as she looked around. ShadowClan! Fur bristling, Pricklepaw turned to Cobrapaw, now deathly serious. "We need to-"
Before she could finish her sentence, Cobrapaw was flattened to the ground with a big ShadowClan warrior pinning him down. Pricklepaw hissed at the attacker before a great weight landed on her back, pushing her down. With a snarl, she twisted and kicked at the ShadowClan cat, trying to dislodge herself from the attempt to get her down.
"Stay down!" growled her assailant, who pushed her back down with a paw on her chest. Her attacker was a pale-gray-and-white she-cat with amber eyes, and Pricklepaw craned her neck around to check on Cobrapaw. He seemed unharmed, say for the brown she-cat with blazing hazel eyes on top of him.
Cobrapaw writhed under the other she-cat as he fought to free himself, but to no avail. "What do you want from us?" He snarled, glaring at the two she-cats with fire in his green eyes.
"We want you to shut your fluffy face, frog-brain!" The brown she-cat sneered and forced Cobrapaw's face into the ground, muffling his rebuttal. The two ShadowClan cats were rather thin, which was odd. Is prey scarce in their pine forest?
"Let us go and we'll forget this ever happened." Pricklepaw glared up at the brown molly, who rolled her pretty amber eyes. "We're only apprentices. Does attacking lone apprentices satisfy ShadowClan unending bloodlust?" A flash of tortoiseshell-and-white fur caught her attention out the corner of her eye. About time. She bared her teeth and without warning, she slammed her hindpaws into the belly of her attacker and she surged upward, swiping at her eyes and face. With a snarl, she surprised the pale ShadowClan she-cat and she took a few steps backward.
Daisystorm pounced on the she-cat's back and brought her down in a tussle. Pricklepaw's mentor looked furious as claws, teeth, and fur became of the two she-cats. Pricklepaw spun around and was relieved to see Rustrapid and Quailstep bringing the brown warrior to the ground just like her companion.
"Pricklepaw!" The white apprentice spun back around, claws unsheathed as Daisystorm's shrill cry raked her ears. Two cats were grappling with her mentor now. A black-point she-cat was tearing at Daisystorm's back and the pale-gray she-cat was swiping at her ears. With snarl, Pricklepaw ran to aid her mentor. Sinking her teeth into one of the pale she-cat's hind legs, she tore viciously at the flesh and fur, tasting blood after a moment. The molly hissed in pain and turned her attention to Pricklepaw, trying to get her to release her grip.
The pale molly landed painful blows on Pricklepaw's head, face, and ears, but she didn't care. Her only mission was to get the she-cat away from Daisystorm. Once they were fully away from Daisystorm and the other warrior, Pricklepaw released her attacker's leg and faced her fully.
"What is ShadowClan doing in our forest?" She spat, shaking the blood from her head and watching droplets splatter onto the ground. Pricklepaw charged and was quick on her feet, managing to dodge and avoid the pale she-cat's slow attacks and land a few decent ones of her own. "You have plenty of pine trees!" She came at the other she-cat aggressively, driving her back slowly but surely. It's a good thing I beat Cobrapaw and Conan.
Eventually, her tactic was realized and the pale molly slashed her claws across Pricklepaw's face before slamming the back of her paw against Pricklepaw's cheek. Stunned and dazed, Pricklepaw stumbled and the she-cat used it to her advantage to wrestle Pricklepaw down and hold her there. Crying out with pain and distress, Pricklepaw couldn't do much to defend herself as she tried and failed to kick at her opponent's belly.
"Retreat, ThunderClan! Retreat!" The cry came from Daiystorm as she scrambled away from the black-point warrior and fled into the ThunderClan trees. The pale molly backed off Pricklepaw, allowing her to hastily get to her paws and flee after her mentor. Joined by Cobrapaw, Goldskip, and Quailstep, the ThunderClan cats ran away in defeat.
*****
"You need to hold still, Pricklepaw!" Chicorypaw scolded as they dabbed wet moss on Pricklepaw's scratched up head. The medicine cat apprentice reared on their hind legs and gently lapped at the scratches. Pricklepaw hissed in pain as their tongue raked against her injury, but it eased as Chicorypaw applied some green goo to her head and sat back on their haunches. "Don't touch it or it'll scar or get infected." They meowed sternly before assessing the she-cat's other injuries.
Next to her, Daisystorm was being quizzed by Rustrapid. "You said they were just waiting for a chance to attack?" The deputy sounded beyond angry and Pricklepaw looked over to listen in on the conversation. At Daisystorm's nod, Rustrapid's tail thumped angrily against the ground. "Kitestar's pushing her luck... She doesn't know that we have more cats now, but they're inexperienced and untrained in battle."
"I thought she was done being a thorn in our sides after what happened with Ryestar?" Daisystorm seemed a little shaken from the fight. She had an injured shoulder thanks to a nasty bite, but was otherwise unharmed. "Perhaps she has ulterior motives with trying to take our territory."
Pricklepaw's ears twitched at the mention of the former ShadowClan leader. Ryestar was the most aggressive of the leaders, and the biggest pain in ThunderClan's side since he'd gotten his nine lives. From the moment he became leader, Ryestar started challenging the borders and stealing prey from ThunderClan. He was eventually his own downfall after sending a pregnant queen into battle, only for her to die along with her kits. When he was killed in battle, Pricklepaw felt so relieved. Now that Kitestar was leading as his successor, she couldn't help but feel as though her relief was short-lived.
"Whatever nonsense she has planning, we need to be prepared for an attack on our camp." Rustrapid's voice cut Pricklepaw's thoughts about Ryestar short and she snapped back to the conversation. "Warriors attacking apprentices is shameful and tactless of her to allow it to happen. Make sure the new apprentices know how to defend themselves so if they're caught by surprise again, they aren't ripped to pieces."
Daisystorm nodded in agreement. "I will. Does Cricketstar know about what happened today?" When Rustrapid's shoulders tensed, she let out a sigh. "The Clan knows she's inexperienced and still got her head in the young warrior mindset, but you could give her a chance, Rustrapid."
"How can I give her a chance when she's never here?" Rustrapid's voice was bitter and she practically spat the words out. Pricklepaw's eyes widened. "She disappears somewhere for the entire day, sleeps, gets up early and disappears again. She may lead us to Gatherings, but that's what she's obligated to do. It makes us look weak if she didn't show her face to the other Clans." Her claws scraped against the ground as she let out a sigh which melted into a growl. "And we've already lost cats due to her constant absence. The other Clans see us a weak because our leader is weak, so of course they're going to challenge us for our prey and territory. It's only a matter of time before we're attacked again." She stood up, her fur bristling with anger and her eyes were smoldering. "If she's in her den, I'll go discuss this with her."
Pricklepaw couldn't help but butt into the conversation, even though she knew she was out-of-place to do so. "Why hasn't Cricketstar stepped down if she can't run the Clan?" Silence. Both older cats looked at Pricklepaw and her fur heated up quickly. She hadn't meant to say something so treacherous, only asked a genuine question. "I mean... She's clearly avoiding her duties and incompetent. The warrior code says that the deputy will be promoted to leader if the leader is killed, exiled, or steps down, so it wouldn't be going against the code."
"You make a good point, Pricklepaw." Rustrapid meowed, nodding slowly as Pricklepaw saw the wheels turn in her head. Daisystorm snapped her head around to stare at the deputy. "Cricketstar could step down and be a warrior or an elder."
"You can't force her to step down!" She blurted out, her fur bristling. It shocked Pricklepaw to hear her mentor object to Rustrapid so outright. "Cricketstar hasn't done anything too ba-"
Rustrapid cut in harshly, her eyes alight with blue fire. "Her inaction killed my brother, destroyed ThunderClan's dwindling reputation, and she's dragging us all down with her!" She yelled, all the rage and anger in the world boiling over in her outburst. "She shouldn't..." Tears pooled in her eyes, sad, angry tears as she fought to keep herself calm. One tear slipped from her eye before it couldn't stop. "She shouldn't be a leader. She... She has blood on her paws. Blood she can't wash off." With a final look between the two she-cats, the deputy stormed out of the den just as Dewcloud entered.
"I'll go check on her," Pricklepaw's mentor whispered before hurrying after Rustrapid without a second glance at the medicine cat.
Dewcloud watched them both go with a frown on her face. She heaved a heavy sigh, facing Pricklepaw and her own apprentice. "Good job patching up her injuries, Chicorypaw." She meowed, sounding tired and bothered about something. Her green eyes were distracted but clear. "Go check on Quailstep and Cobrapaw. I know he was a little shaken by the ambush, so take some thyme and chamomile to ease his nerves." The medicine cat apprentice dipped their head, collected a few herbs, then trotted dutifully out of the den. Once they were gone, Dewcloud physically relaxed. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine," Pricklepaw muttered as she avoided Dewcloud's gaze. She felt the medicine cat's eyes burn into her snowy pelt but refused to look up. "Did the mentors gather the prey that was caught?"
The gray-and-white she-cat nodded. "Yes, and the kits were very happy when Conan brought the squirrel's tail to them as a new toy." She chuckled and Pricklepaw nodded with approval, glad that the kits got a present. "Cobrapaw is rattled from the fight, which was to be expected. He didn't want to leave the apprentice den to be in here, so his siblings are comforting him. You should go talk to him since you were there during the initial attack."
"No," the apprentice shot it down immediately and watched Dewcloud frown with disappointment. "We're not friends and I barely know him. The other apprentices know him far better and they're closer. He doesn't need me sticking my nose where it doesn't belong."
Dewcloud fell quiet as she sat down, curling her tail around her paws as she studied Pricklepaw closely. She felt uncomfortable under Dewcloud's green gaze and looked away before too long. "You know, it wouldn't hurt to try talking to them more often." She meowed gently. Pricklepaw blinked in confusion, what did the medicine cat mean? "You've been an only kit after..." she trailed off before recovering, "and you haven't had any cats your age around camp until now. You could make friends with them."
"Why?" Pricklepaw blurted out the question and watched Dewcloud flinch. She hadn't meant it in a rude way and dipped her head apologetically. "I've been doing fine without friends or other apprentice-aged cats since I could walk and talk. Why should I make friends with cats who I don't really care much for?"
The medicine cat flicked her tail. "Friends can work wonders while you're growing up. You can form connections you'll never have unless you make the effort to get to know them better." She smiled to herself and her eyes softened. "Maybe one of them will be your best friend or future parent to your kits."
"Uh- why would I want that?" Pricklepaw nearly gagged at the molly's insinuation. Dewcloud looked surprised and Pricklepaw felt her fur heat up under her green stare. "I just want to be a great warrior, I don't have time for... that."
Dewcloud didn't add anything onto that. She dipped her head and nodded. "You're all patched up." She mewed, and Pricklepaw was thankful she didn't keep rambling about nonsense. "You're free to go. You'll be off duties for a little bit, but knowing you, you don't have to worry about falling behind in training."
"Thanks, Dewcloud." Pricklepaw dipped her head and hastily exited the den, happy to leave the awkward and weird conversation while she still could. Parent to my kits? As if! She'd never even think of a kittypet being a good parent to Clan-born kits, and witnessing Cobrapaw's attempts at hunting solidified it. Me, having a litter of kits? She shuddered at the thought, her skin crawling. She couldn't think of anything worse than having tiny mewling things pestering her and keeping her away from her warrior duties. Other than maybe being stuck in a den with Cobrapaw.
Pricklepaw heaved a heavy sigh and focused on her surroundings. Mousekit, Acornkit, and Frecklekit were playing in the sunlight, chasing a feather while Goldskip watched with disinterest. Grousepaw and Ospreypaw were sharing a squirrel outside the apprentice's den. It surprised Pricklepaw that the two brothers weren't with Cobrapaw as he'd been supposedly shaken up by the ShadowClan ambush. Maybe Dewcloud was just exaggerating it? Shaking out her fur while pain seared beneath her snowy fur, Pricklepaw headed for the leader's den with gritted teeth. Maybe Cricketstar would like to know from her about the ambush compared to Rustrapid. Following the path that led to the Highstone, Pricklepaw poked her head through the lichen shielding the entrance and peered inside. To her surprise, calico-tabby fur glowed in the dim light filtered through the lichen.
"Who is it?" Cricketstar's voice was quiet and she sounded as though she'd been crying. Her yellow eyes flashed in the gloom as she turned her head toward the entrance. "Oh, it's just you." She sounded relieved and Pricklepaw's ear twitched, making note of her leader's tone. "Come in, Pricklepaw. What do you need?"
The apprentice walked inside the leader's cave and dipped her head in greeting. Once Cricketstar returned it, she cleared her throat and straightened. "There was an ambush at-"
"I know," the other molly cut her off abruptly. Pricklepaw's fur bristled slightly, but she forced her fur to lay flat. She's the leader, she can interrupt anyone. "Rustrapid...told me." Her voice caught in her throat as she mentioned her deputy, though she moved on quickly. "I'm sorry that you had to face those ShadowClan warriors without much help. Kitestar must be trying to take more territory." There was no alarm or anger in her voice as Pricklepaw would've expected from the leader. When a cat so much as set one toe over the border, the other leaders would've gone rabid over it. But Cricketstar didn't seem to care that ShadowClan had trespassed and attacked apprentices. "You aren't too hurt, are you?"
Pricklepaw shook her head. "No. I defended myself fine and Cobrapaw got off rather well when backup showed up." She worked her paws against the ground, her claws scraping against the stone. "I was careful and precise." Cricketstar's eyes shifted from meeting Pricklepaw's gaze to somewhere else on her face. Suddenly aware of the herbs plastered from her forehead, between her eyes, across her muzzle, and to her cheek. She covered her bandages with a paw, growling. "That wasn't my fault. Besides, those ShadowClan cats were fighting dirty. Pinning down apprentices and ambushing them without warriors present... Disgusting."
Cricketstar nodded slowly as though she were agreeing just to save face. She heaved a sigh of dread and her gaze dimmed a little. "The Clan will want revenge and justice... Rustrapid especially." She groaned and wiped her eyes with her paws. "Thank you for coming in and telling me about the ambush, Pricklepaw. You should go get some rest and heal from your wounds. I...I'll talk to Rustrapid about our next course of action."
"Yes, Cricketstar." Pricklepaw dipped her head and turned away from the leader, feeling her burning yellow eyes following her with every step as she exited the den. She felt disappointed in her leader's reaction to the report and reluctance to get revenge on the ShadowClan scum for attacking apprentices. Crossing the clearing once more as the sun began to head down toward the horizon, Pricklepaw slunk into the apprentice's den. The sight that met her eyes surprised her.
Conan was sleeping in Cobrapaw's nest as the large brown tabby apprentice laid motionless next to him. The arrogant tom's eyes were distant as he pawed half-heartedly at a squirrel tail. Patches of cobwebs and leaves were plastered on the tom's body, hiding the clear blood splatters and wounds underneath. He didn't so much as twitch an ear at Pricklepaw's entrance, nor did he acknowledge her as she stepped into her nest and laid down. Hopepaw's nest was empty, her scent faint as she'd left sometime before they'd come back from the battle.
Seeing Cobrapaw's mental absence struck Pricklepaw as odd. He'd only been in the Clan for a few days and yet she felt oddly attuned to his attitude and behavior. Every morning, he woke every cat up with his loud yawns, rumbling belly, and pestering of his siblings to get up with him for the first pick of the prey-pile. During sunhigh, he'd be boasting about whatever Quailstep had him do so far when it came to either hunting, tracking, or stalking. By sundown, he'd be the last one in his nest as he chatted like a starling, talking every cat's ears off until the eventual crash he experienced that led to his obnoxious snoring at night. Every bit of it irritated Pricklepaw to no end, but seeing this shell of a cat in front of her... it wasn't normal. What was that ache in her chest?
She broke the silence first. "ShadowClan hasn't ambushed us like that before in a while," she said, seeing Cobrapaw's ear twitch at her voice. "I don't think it'll happen again anytime soon after they're done licking their wounds." Nothing. Cobrapaw's eyes didn't even shift as she jabbed at ShadowClan. "Kitestar- ShadowClan's leader- has been doing things like this for seasons since Ryestar- her father and previous leader- was in charge. Though I didn't think she'd let her warriors stoop so low as to attack apprentices."
Cobrapaw blinked slowly, his eyes seeming dead and unseeing. They shifted towards her and instead of arrogance and smugness in their green depths, Cobrapaw seemed defeated and hollow. He held her gaze for a moment before dropping his eyes and stared at the ground. It wasn't much, but it was a reaction.
"You did well considering you've had such little training." Pricklepaw continued, a small smile creasing her muzzle as she gingerly touched her paw to her bandaged face. "I'm...glad I got it worse than you did when it came to injuries."
His eyes lifted and he studied her face injuries for a moment. Then two. Then three. Finally, he spoke. "You reacted so... ferociously." His voice rattled as he looked at her as though he didn't recognize her. "You fought that cat almost as if you were fighting to the death. How do you- how... how do you sleep at night knowing you hurt that cat?"
Pricklepaw's ears flattened and she felt uncomfortable. "I've been in battle before," she mewed, feeling her skin twitch. "Nearly every cat in the Clan has been in battle, other than your siblings and the kits. Even Dewcloud has been by our side in battle to heal us from time to time. You get used to it. It's just another part of living in a Clan." She flexed her paws as she spoke. "I know cats have been killed in battle. When it comes to saving your own life by taking another... You want to save your own life. In leafbare, every cat gets desperate for prey and herbs, so the fights are a lot more intense. For your first scrap with other cats, you did rather well."
"Thanks, I guess." Cobrapaw's voice was dry as he rested his chin on the moss and let out a sigh. "Night, Pricklepaw." He closed his eyes and fell silent, but Pricklepaw could tell he wasn't going to fall asleep anytime soon.
"Yeah, you too." Her response was half-hearted, but she too curled up in her nest, buried her nose under her tail, and closed her eyes. Almost immediately, exhaustion overtook her and she drifted off to sleep.