Brushpaw was gasping for breath, her enemy's sharp fangs gripping her scruff. The black warrior had short, bushy fur, and gleaming red eyes. The tom was twice the size of the young apprentice, and half as smart. It's not that he was stupid, he actually had great strategies, but it was that Brushpaw's were better. While the attacker had muscle, she had skill and wit to rely on. She twisted on the ground, stirring snow up into her opponent's eyes. He was forced to let go, for his eyes couldn't take it. He was writhing in the floor like Brushpaw's friend, Thundergaze, was the other day, after the old she-Twoleg had sprayed some sort of chemical into his face. The stench was excruciating, and he had to roll in fox-dung so Lichenstar didn't catch on to their sport of rampaging through Twoleg nests.
Just as she pulled away, Brushpaw heard Thundergaze say,"That will be enough, Bloodlust. I think you should go tell the Clan how MY apprentice beat YOU ten times in a row. Try explaining that to Starfeather and your kits!" Bloodlust and Thundergaze had been rivals since birth, but they seemed to be just as mighty, with different strengths and weaknesses. As apprentices, they both fell madly in love with Starpaw, now Starfeather. To the dismay of Thundergaze, Bloodlust had won her treasured heart, and they now had two kits, Moonkit and Lightningkit. He had told Brushpaw many times, "That was the past. This is the present. I love YOU now." And she believed him.
As Bloodlust scuffled out the training cave, his tail held arrogantly high, Brushpaw sprawled herself out on the cold, hard floor. Thundergaze soon joined her. They began sharing tongues, and he started to discuss new training tactics he would introduce to her tomorrow. Brushpaw's ears twitched in annoyance. "Can't we just leave my apprenticeship aside for now, and just spend time together?"
To her surprise, her mentors eyes furrowed in anguish. "I've been meaning to, uh, you know, tell you something." He looked at her nervously, and, when she nodded for him to go on, he took a deep breath and quickly said, "I don't think we should hang out anymore! I'm so sorry!" Brushpaw could see streaks of water running down his cheeks, one after the other, and she realized he was crying. The sight struck her as strange, and she wondered how this could have happened.
"Tell me the truth." She tried to remain calm, but she was choking back tears. She felt like she had lost all nine lives, eight of which she didn't even have. "Is it Starfeather?" she sobbed. "Because-because if it is, then-then-then-" She broke down. How could this be so? He LOVED her! SHE loved HIM! She knew she could fight better than more than half the Clan, and that included Starfeather. For a split second, images of her ripping out the queen's black fur with white speckles raced through her head. (She had no idea HOW Thundergaze found her attractive, though he WAS a tom.) But even though she was furious, Brushpaw was not heartless. She knew the warrior had kits that would die without her, and even without kits, she would never commit cold-blooded murder.
"NO! I told you, that was the past. This is the present. I love YOU now."
"If you love me so much, then why? Why do this?" she mewed, in a slightly softer voice. She was beginning to relax a bit, her fur lying down flat again. She already knew what his answer would be. If it wasn't Starfeather, it must be age. They had discussed it before, but that was when they were foolish and younger. They had dismissed the topic and said they would solve the problem later. Obviously, this moment was said "later".
"Brushpaw," Thundergaze whispered. "BrushPAW!" he bellowed; he was losing it too. "Don't you see? You, you're, what? Seven moons old? I'm almost fourteen moons, and in leaf-fall, I'll be double your age!" Brushpaw had never seen him so angry. Or confused. Or sad. Usually all she saw in his eyes was love. She flinched as his voice became louder. "I. Am. Your. Mentor. Let's just keep it that way, okay? I've been trying to relate to you as a MENTOR not a MATE! Maybe when you're a warrior, we can give this another chance, but right now..." The tears streamed harder down his cheeks, and it made Brushpaw gasp to see him like this. "Right now," he choked, "I think it would be best to see each other only for sessions." At this last part, he let out a wail, and lost eye contact with his love. "I really do love you, and I always will, but right now, our relationship is strictly mentor/apprentice." He rushed out of the cave, never looking back, wondering if Brushpaw would request a mentor change. Had that ever been done before? Not that he had heard of.
The apprentice collapsed, and she pressed her wet cheek into the frozen floor. She didn't care if it stuck, if she was forced to lie in that position until someone found her. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine all the awkward silences she would be forced to have during her future training sessions. As she lay in her puddle of tears, she wished no one would find her until she had starved to death. Her world was over, so she might as well be dead.
Brushpaw was dreaming. She saw a small kit, with obsidian black fur, and small yellow eyes. It trudged through the snow, it tail held arrogantly high. Lightningkit! The small she-cat took after her father in the way she thought of herself... A swirling mass of snow was approaching the innocent Clan cat, and Brushpaw raced to her, ready to grab her scruff as soon as she reached her. The long distance between the two cats just got longer and longer, and soon, the apprentice paused in terror as the snow swooped over the kit. The figure stopped, and turned pale, a ghostly sight. Her eyes clouded over, and the light was gone in her expression. Brushpaw yelped. What had happened? How did she freeze?
Then, Brushpaw saw another cat. "Help!" she screeched. "Lightningkit! She froze!" As the stranger got closer, she could see it was Thundergaze. His expression was stern, and he held his head high, never taking his eyes off her, never breaking his stride. He padded over, closer, and finally stopped not a mouse length before her. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Some of our fellow cats will freeze, Brushpaw. First, a kit. She will fall victim to a cruel death. Next, an elder, not yet ready to go. And then, a strong supporter of the Clan, who will be missed by all but one. You must lead the Clan in these harsh, confusing times, Brushpaw. And remember, I will never let the fire for you in my heart die, even in the coldest of temperatures. I hope you feel the same." And, with that, he bounded away, and Brushpaw woke with a start, covered in tears and sweat, a fire burning in her heart.