Twigpaw felt her paws rush right past her target, and she made a feeble attempt to land on her paws. Her success was slight, and her paws quivered as she faced her rival.
Jayfeather stared into nothing as he groomed his fur, aloof as ever. "Terrible! What has Sparkpelt been teaching you?"
What she should be, Twigpaw felt an urge to defend her mentor, despite their... disagreements. At least she treats me like a cat of my own, even if she thinks me a traitor. Jayfeather still thinks I'm a kit!
"You're a medicine cat," she said simply. "I don't understand why I can't just train with my real mentor."
Jayfeather's fur bristled. "I had as much warrior training as you do now! And I don't want to do this either, but Alderpaw refused to help gather traveling herbs otherwise!"
Twigpaw sighed. He's so difficult.So is Sparkpelt, she decided. And besides, I should just try to make the best of things.
"Whatever Alderpaw says goes, I guess," she muttered, flexing her claws. "Fine then. What now?"
Jayeather's lithe shape weaved around the tall grass. "Try again."
Twigpaw crouched, and navigated the grass not unlike a snake; her body was infinitely mobile, and fluid, as she created a shallow pathway in the meadow. She erupted from the earth and batted at Jayfeather's ears. He growled irritably but did not retaliate; Twigpaw, however, had underestimated her jump.
She cried in pain as thorns scraped past her fur, and pierced skin. Shallow marks streaked her pelt as she stumbled into the bramble bush.
Her vision was blurry; the impact had winded her, though she made out Jayfeather's unimpressed expression.
"Okay," he meowed flatly. "I'm getting some cobweb."
His nonchalance confused and worried her, but she stayed inside the bush, daring not move as red-tinted thorns lined the branches that surrounded her.
Eventually the dark blue tom pawed away the branches with ease (as he was much more agile than the stocky Twigpaw), and pressed a sticky substance onto her wounds. They still stung, but, as the cobwebs turned a sickening scarlet, the blood stopped.
"Thank you." her voice was cold, though lined with reslect for the abrasive tom. Though she will never understand him, or agree with him, she had to admit that his reputation as a healer was well deserved.