The world groaned, as if in pain, scattering dark and rotten leaves upon the forest floor in heaps.
Hawkfrost flicked his ears as a leaf landed on his head, breaking his focus upon his apprentice for a brief moment.
"That's enough, Ivypool." The dark tabby tom called, pulling his weight into his hunches and springing forward to the gray-and-white she-cat's side. "You're awfully off balance today. Go take a rest and fix that damned tail of yours to hold you up properly."
"Okay." Ivypool mumbled her eyes downcast at her mentor's harsh and purposely insulting words.
Hawkfrost groaned in frustration and pushed into Ivypool's side. "Stop being a kittypet." He hissed, "my apprentice! Acting like a spoiled kit that has just been scolded by it's mother."
With a soft murmur of "excuse me.", Ivypool nodded her head and hurried away, discomfort clear in her ruffled fur and shaking legs.
Hawkfrost sighed in annoyance.
"I guess I should go and rest as well. About time I slept anyway." He muttered to himself after a moment, smiling slightly as the thought of home filled his mind.
…
Leafpool's casual demeanor halted when Hawkfrost padded up next to her, nuzzling the top of her head in greeting.
"How are you, my sweet?" the tom asked, touching his tail to the she-cat's.
The former medicine cat smiled faintly, nodding her head the slightest bit.
This caused Hawkfrost to chuckle softly. "Good girl…" he purred, trailing off to look away into the trees for a moment. Leafpool watched Hawkfrost silently for a moment, before slowly creeping over and nuzzling up under his chin.
Hawkfrost smirked. Flicking his tail, he curled back against Leafpool in return before turning away.
"I'm going to rest. Warn Ivypool that if she mucks up as badly as she did just now, when we resume our training that she'll have a punishment waiting for her."
The tom-cat didn't even wait for a response from his mate, but stalked immediately into the broken and rotting tree the two cats were using as a den and curled up in his nest to sleep.
…
Hawkfrost was awoken by a sharp mew and a bundle of soft fur landing atop him suddenly.
Hawkfrost lifted himself up with an annoyed grunt, causing the lump of kitfur to be sent, squealing in joy, onto the floor of the den.
The male's icy blue eyes narrowed at the kit, whose expression brightened upon seeing the large tabby awake.
"Father!" the tiny kit meowed, excitement clear in his voice. "I've mastered my hunting crouch! Can I be a warrior now?"
Hawkfrost purred in contentment at the sight of his overly eager son, but shook his head soon after. "You're still too small, I'm afraid."
The young cat's ears flattened back upon his head in disappointment. "Okay, father." He meowed sadly.
Hawkfrost nuzzled his tiny kit in encouragement, before pushing him slightly with a large paw.
"Go and find your brothers and sisters, I have a apprentice to attend to now."
The kit jumped and quickly scurried off, only to run head first into Leafpool.
"Hi, mom!" the kit purred, curling around his mother's legs for a quick moment before starting off again. "Bye, mom!"
Leafpool stared fondly after the kit for a moment before turning to look at Hawkfrost. Opening her mouth as if to speak, but shutting it soon after and nudging his head in the direction of the spot she knew Hawkfrost had been previously training with Ivypool at.
Hawkfrost smiled. "Thank you for telling her." He muttered, nuzzling up to the brown she-cat. "it must have been hard, lacking a voice and all." He laughed.
Hawkfrost purred in amusement at the sadness shining in Leafpool's eyes for a moment.
"We'll see if you ever get it back, dear, we'll see if you even deserve your voice again or not." The tabby meowed lowly, before turning away from his mate and heading off to meet his apprentice.