[Trying something new with the chap titles, gonna edit the others after I post this.]
Rattail walked his apprentice, Halfpaw back to camp, training having been, largely unsuccessful. Halfpaw fell on his hindquarters twice as many times as the last and it seemed the stress only made him worse.
Rattail breathed out a tense sigh. He was trying, really, but how was he supposed to help someone as helpless as Halfpaw, the more he tried to help, the worse Halfpaw seemed to do, he was running out of ideas, "Why don't you take a piece of fresh-kill to the elders and then some for yourself? We'll go train some more tomorrow," He muttered.
"Okay Rattail," Halfpaw stared at the ground as if he were watching a line of ants move across the dusty floors. He walked off, slowly, and on shaking legs like a fawn just learning to walk. He tottered along to the fresh kill pile, and finally dipping into the medicine den with just a quick brush of the ferns.
Rattail was no mousebrain, he knew Halfpaw preferred the medicine den to warrior training, yet the apprentice had said next to nothing about it. Rattail only hoped he would soon, so that this agonizing training could end. He felt boundless amounts of sorrow for the apprentice, as it was clear he was very stressed out about trying to become a warrior, and with his warrior assessment coming up it was only a matter of time before Halfpaw failed in the eyes of the clan as well. Rattail almost thought about lying to Barkstar for Halfpaw's sake, but he could see it in the way the rest of the clan watches him, its only a matter of time before they would find out.
Rattail gazed softly at the setting sun, wishing moonhigh and its silverpelt would arrive sooner. Then he could go to sleep and worry about this later, or perhaps he would stay up, maybe have another star filled conversation, watching the stars with pelts fluffed out like kits in leafbare, leaning together like lichen infested trees.
"Rattail," A mew startled him and he flinched in the direction of the voice. Alas the comforting smell of clanmates went and calmed him down once more. A ball of ginger fur told him it was Cloversplash, a warrior, shouldn't she be on dusk patrol?
"Is something wrong?" He asked, stepping forward, her pelt was spiked up in certain places, eluding to fear of some sort. She was nudged by Shininglily, someone Rattail vaguely recognized as Halfpaw's kin, like Spottedpaw and Gingerpaw.
"Oh, uhm, I just saw some bear dirt out by the Mountainclan border, I was wondering if we could go and track it. To make sure the beast crossed the border, of course," Her voice was hasty and shaking, yet Rattail saw it as nothing but normal, the she-cat always seemed anxious and hasty around almost any tom, really.
"Yeah sure, though if there's a bear about we should bring more than just us," He turned to Shininglily, "Why don't you come along too? Just to watch in case the bear wants a taste of clan blood."
"Uh," Shininglily and Cloversplash shared a look before Shininglily sighed and gave a firm nod.
"I'll go tell Barkstar where we're off to," Rattail paused before walking away.
•••
The patrol was largely boring, returning from it was like being relieved of apprentice duties, Rattail felt a little bad for thinking that way though. He had a brief moment of realization that Cloversplash was trying to befriend him. He told himself he'd make an effort to be her friend.
It was around moon-rise Rattail guessed as he watched an exchange between Shardheart and Looncrook, swapping camp guards. When Looncrook took his place, Barkstar left his den and stepped over to Rattail.
"How was the scent trail?" He asked, and Rattail took a moment to think about it aside from the fact that he was more bored than a kittypet could ever be.
"The scent trail was almost gone, we lost it, and spent the rest of the time trying to find it," He looked around for something to do and he spotted Goldheart, "Hey Goldheart! what are you doing up?"
She bristled before settling down and taking a spot near them, "I was thinking of going on a walk, checking the borders I suppose?"
Barkstar nodded, turning to Rattail, "You might want an escort, the bears have been more vicious due to the coming of leaf-bare, they're stocking for hibernation," Rattail let out a wicked grin, turning to Goldheart.
"You're gonna be a nice snack for their big jaws!" He meowed with laughter while Barkstar batted him over the ear for his joke. Goldheart looked shaky.
"Stop it, your going to scare the poor thing," Barkstar reprimanded, Rattail scurried away as Echotail left the warriors den, he ran up to Echotail, purring.
"What's all the commotion?" He asked, Rattail too busy practically rolling across him to even respond, thus Barkstar took up the initiative.
"Goldheart just wanted to go out to get some fresh air, but the bears are back as Rattail so rudely teased her," a pause, "I might just make you escort her with your rude mouth, Rattail."
Goldheart tensed up again, making Rattail's ears twitch whenever he noticed her blatant anxiety, "Actually, I think I'll just wait for morning..." She turned and almost ran off. Rattail was a bit disapointed.
"I kind of wanted to go on that walk actually," He muttered, tail flicking as he thought to himself. Barkstar let out a tired sigh before speaking.
"You can go, but be back before sunrise and don't let the bears 'snack' on you," With that, Barkstar turned and left. Rattail stood, ready to leave before Echotail brushed up against his side.
"I'll go with you," The clan deputy muttered against Rattail's ear. Rattail purred, his tail entwining with Echotail's.
Giving a nod to the current camp guard, Looncrook, the two squeezed themselves through the tunnel to the clan territory. Brushing up against each other fondly, if only their younger selves could see them now.
"I'll race you to the old oak?" Rattail proposed, tail flicking side to side for a moment, a silly grin on his face.
"You're on!" Echotail bolted, leaving Rattail to choke on dust, figuratively. He soon dashed after his mate, paws thrumming over the moss covered forest floor, the sounds of the forest surrounding the two.
Rattail's breath left plumes in the darkness and before he knew it he was focused more on his inner thoughts rather than his surroundings. Just as quickly his paw snagged a root and he stumbled forward, falling onto his chin with a bang.
"Careful," Echotail looked backwards, having stopped to check on Rattail, his ears suddenly shot upwards and he placed a paw over Rattail's muzzle, clamping him down, "Listen." He whispered before releasing Rattail.
Rattail strained to listen as he lifted himself to his paws, taking a whiff of the air while he was at it, what he smelled was decay. He wrinkled his nose a moment, before stepping towards the smell.
The bushes rustled in front of them, near the roots of the old oak. Rattail tensed up, bowing his head as he crept forwards, out of nowhere a stray mouse scurried forth, rushing back and forth when it realized that Echotail and Rattail were waiting, yet they didn't leap.
Instead Rattail crouched down, taking another whiff of the air, they were downwind of the source of the smell and upon further inspection, a fainter scent of Twigclan was present. Faded by whatever the scent of decay was.
"Come on Stonepaw, let's get out of here," A voice whispered, Rattail was on edge, behind those bushes were warriors, encroaching on their territory. He should've striked first.
"What are you doing here?" Echotail put on a commanding voice, something Rattail almost forgot was possible for the tom.
"Fox-dung!" A smaller voice spoke, two figures stepping out of the bushes slowly, as if the other two's hackles weren't already raised. One with a dark pelt, blending into the darkness, and the other a patchy gray pelt. Rattail knew one of them, Crowpool, warrior of Twigclan, and he could guess the other was Stonepaw. The new apprentice, he looked barely out of kit-hood.
Rattail had to look twice, even a blind dormouse could see that the two were starving, covered head to paw in mud, and even perhaps a little sick. Rattail blinked in alarm.
"You're on our territory, leave now, and leave the stolen prey," Rattail took a step forward, barely blinking before he heard a caterwaul.
In a heartbeat, a black shadow crossed his vision and the two Caveclan warriors were thrust into the midst of battle. Echotail grappled with Crowpool and as Rattail was busy watching, Stonepaw leapt forward, claws aimed for his face.
Rattail barely managed to side-step but Stonepaw did not miss, digging his claws into Rattail's shoulder. Rattail sprang away, his ears tilting back, as he slashed blindly. He almost didn't want to watch as his claws made contact with pelt.
He had to remind himself, this was warrior life, this was what he'd have to do the rest of his life.
He hissed and charged forward, Stonepaw leaping out of the way, they circled each other in a quiet and violent dance, when a hiss from Echotail made Rattail flinch. Stonepaw charged, Rattail batting the smaller off easily.
Rattail vaulted forth, trying to catch the apprentice in his jaws but Stonepaw had the advantage with speed, trying to leap onto Rattail's back, where he wouldn't be able to reach as much. Rattail never turned his back on the apprentice, lashing out every so often as to keep the edge.
Stonepaw sprang towards Rattail, and Rattail maneuvered him onto his back, holding a paw to his chest in victory, except Stonepaw didn't give up, throwing both of his paws in Rattail's face, thrashing and flailing like a fish out of water, until he took a chunk of Rattail's ear.
Blood dripped from this wound, getting into Rattail's eyes, until he was seeing red through one. His entire body felt numb from the rush, and he found himself acting on instinct, rather than thinking with the code.
He gripped Stonepaw by the throat with his bare fangs, lifting the light apprentice and shaking him until he heard a shriek.
Dropping the apprentice, he came back to his senses, blood welling from the wound around Stonepaw's neck, tufts of fur soaked in blood were the only sensations in Rattail's mouth and he swallowed the sickly sweet blood of a barely moons old apprentice.
The sounds of fighting ceased, Crowpool rushing to Stonepaw's side, glancing down at the apprentice with blood dripping from wounds on his face, before glaring up at Rattail, "What have you done?!" He shouted and Rattail wished he could hear it over the roaring in his ears.
"Rattail.." Echotail stared at him. Crowpool stared at him. Stonepaw's dead eyes stared at him.
Rattail took a step back.
This couldn't be happening.
This shouldn't have happened.
He didn't mean to.
He prayed, like he had never prayed before. In his own mind he cried and screamed for Starclan, begging. Why would they let this happen to an apprentice, Stonepaw was practically a kit.
"Rattail."
A firm voice snapped him out of it, Echotail was talking to him again, he dipped his head down, wiping the blood from his snout with a paw.
"Echotail."
He muttered, blankly.
"What have you done?" Echotail asked with a tone of difference in his voice, something that hadn't been spoken to him before.
"I'm going to get exiled Echotail," Rattail sat, the blood in the moss making his fur sticky, "I'll never see you again."
Echotail paused before he spoke, "It doesn't have to end this way."
"Promise me," Rattail looked to Echotail, with tears in his eyes, blood dripping down his chin, "Promise me that you won't tell anyone."