"Alright, let's go." With one last sad glance at her father, Belltail raised her head and trotted out through the gorse tunnel.
"So, Tigerpaw, how do you like your mentor?" Starpaw asked tentatively, glancing at Tigerpaw.
"I'm fine." Tigerpaw snarled, feeling the usual rush of affection for Starpaw that he had grown to hide.
"Fine. Be like that. You know no one likes you." But I do. Starpaw thought, and admired Tigerpaw's pelt for a moment, and then pranced off to her mother, Ivorysilk.
"Little one…." Ivorysilk purred to her daughter softly, gently licking her ear.
Tigerpaw hissed quietly, eyeing the heartfelt exchange between mother and daughter. Jealousy. He wanted Starpaw for his mate. But what about his history? Tigerpaw was known as a mean bully among the other apprentices. Starpaw would never accept him. He stared at Starpaw, and thought about his future.
Starpaw glanced at Tigerpaw. He's staring at me! "What? Are you doing?" She demanded, padding over to Tigerpaw again.
She's caught me! "Nothing, nothing." Tigerpaw growled, looking away.
"You were looking at me." Starpaw stated.
"Whatever," Tigerpaw snapped, and lengthened his stride, coming up beside Swiftwind.
"So you like Starpaw huh?" Swiftwind meowed, his eyes still fixed forward.
"No, I don't!" Tigerpaw meowed angrily, then paused to think about denying the senior warrior's statement. "Well, maybe a little."
"Indeed. I remember when I had that feeling…. I was young and foolish then. She died, yes. Aurora, a sweet she-cat that lived with housefolk. Died, bearing my kit. Leopardpaw, no?" Swiftwind nodded at his daughter, who was laughing at something Mintpaw had said.
"I never mentioned that I would make Starpaw die!" Tigerpaw meowed defensively, feeling that this conversation was going in the wrong direction. "See you." He whirled around and padded beside his mentor, Fawnstep.
Starpaw cocked her head, thinking. "Hey Duskpaw!" She called to her brother, who waved his tail and slowed so he could walk beside his sister.
"Yeah? What do you want?" Duskpaw demanded, who had just been in the middle of a heated discussion about battle moves with Kindlefire, his mentor.
"Oh." Starpaw faltered, and shook her head.
"Well then, I'm leaving." Duskpaw hissed, and walked back to his mentor.
"Stop! We'll stay here for the night." Belltail called, sitting down in the middle of a small clearing. "Rest well, my band."