Here's my latest one-shot, for the forum The One And Only NarwhalClan.
Smoothpaw trod towards the camp entrance, head hanging. Two other apprentices and I padded around him, shoving the tailless apprentice.
"Hey, Notail!" Rippaw sneered at Smoothpaw. "How's life with a tail?"
"Oh, wait," I interjected. "You don't have one!"
Smoothpaw glared at me. I sneered back, my tail held high.
"You just wait," Smoothpaw growled in that low, rumbling voice of his.
"Wait for what?" Shockpaw grunted. "For you to be retired early because of your lack of a tail?"
Rippaw and I snorted with laughter. "Good one, Shockpaw."
Smoothpaw twitched his ears and pressed forward into the camp, shutting us out. I dodged around him and blocked his way.
"Going somewhere, Notail?" I growled.
"Why should you care?" Smoothpaw retorted.
"Because I'm your brother," I meowed in an innocent voice.
Rage and disgust filled his eyes. "After all you put me through, all the teasing and taunting, you have the nerve to to call me your brother?" Smoothpaw spat. "After hating me and making my life miserable, you call yourself my brother?"
I cocked my head at him. Anger coursing through me at his words. I shoved it down. Smoothpaw, despite his lack of a tail, was quite a competent fighter for his state. Of course, I would always be able to defeat him. But verbal assaults were always best.
"What's wrong, little, cute Notail?" I asked in a honey-sweet voice dripping with scorn.
Shockpaw and Rippaw snorted with laughter, purrs rumbling in their throats. But they knew better than to take their eyes off Smoothpaw. As mentioned before, he was strong, fast, and a good fighter. He actually might beat one of them when going one-on-one. But when it was two-on-one, he stood no chance.
He glared at us, then without another word, stormed into the camp.
"Get up, Darkpaw," Smoothpaw spat in my ear. "I need to tell you something. In private."
I scowled and shoved him away, curling into a tighter ball.
"Up, up!" Smoothpaw hissed, stabbing me with his paw
With a groan, I pulled myself up, glaring at him.
"Follow me," Smoothpaw growled.
I considered ignoring him, but then realized that he would keep at it until I did as he asked. As annoying and disappointing as Smoothpaw was, he was definitely persistent.
"Fine," I muttered angrily.
He led me out to a sheltered clearing. Shafts of moonlight angled down through the trees as he turned to face me.
"What did you want?" I growled.
As Smoothpaw turned around, there was anger in his eyes. "How can you live with yourself?" He asked quietly.
"One day at a time," I met his gaze.
His volume rose. "How can you stand watching your brother be teased each and every day? How can you tease me yourself? I'm your brother! Your brother!" He yowled. "Brothers are supposed to protect each other! You're supported to protect me, but you don't! Instead, yo—"
I cut him off. "Listen here, Notail," I sneered, fury coursing through me. I enjoyed the look in his gaze. I enjoyed watching the fear dance in his eyes. "I never was supposed to protect you. Never. I've watched you. You bumble around, scaring away all the prey, invoking the clan's wrath. You pad around like you belong, but you don't. No tailless cat belongs in ThunderClan. You insult my family by simply being alive. Now you ask for my support? Since when did you deserve my help?"
I spat in his face and stalked off, leaving him sitting there, hurt, surprise, and rage dancing across his face.
As I left him far behind, he simply sat there. And when I had gone out of range, he murmured something.
"I knew I couldn't count on you. Yellowclaw, I ac-accept your offer."
So, what do you think? It's short, I know, but there wasn't much for me to write. Who do you think Yellowclaw is? The answer is probably obvious, but whatever.
—Foreststar