AN: This has nothing to do with the story, it is just a oneshot of Ebonystorm, her first apprentice Swallowpaw, and Eaglestep.
Merry Christmas if you celebrate it!
"Very good Swallowpaw!' came the encouraging mew from her mentor, Ebonystorm.
"No it wasn't" she wailed mutinously. "I'm never going to be able to fight!"
She was hopeless! All of the other apprentices were far ahead of her in battle training and she was sure her mentor knew it. Ebonystorm was just trying to make her feel better.
Ebonystorm sighed as she saw her apprentice slouch over to her sister, Emberpaw, whose mentor was none other than the infuriating Eaglestep. He was always trying to show off how much better his apprentice was doing in training and he was right. Ebonystorm blamed herself for her unmotivated, lazy apprentice. Swallowpaw was terrible in combat, she just simply showed no interest whatsoever in attempting to compete with her clanmates. A growl threatened to bubble to the surface when she saw Eaglestep saunter over to her.
"So, how did Swallowpaw's training go today?" he questioned mildly.
"Fine!" Ebonystorm snapped in return. 'Why wouldn't it?"
" Well you know, it you ever need help with her you could always stop by and watch Emberpaw and I train." he meowed with a smirk.
"You insufferable little-" she was cut off as he spoke again.
"All right, all right! Maybe that was a little too . But really, let someone help you, your too proud Ebonystorm, everyone needs to ask for help sometimes."
"That may be true, but I will never, hear me, never ask for your help" she spat venemously.
He merely swished his tail looking unbothered and bounced to his paws.
Before he walked off he turned back to her. "If you ask me, she isn't doing well in training because she doesn't remember what she is fighting for."
The next day
"I'm sorry Ebonystorm, I just can't do it!" Swalllowpaw whimpered.
"You didn't even try," Ebonystorm hissed to quietly for her apprentice to catch.
"Let me try again"
"No, we are going to try something else," said Ebonystorm. "Recite the warrior code."
"Defend your clan, even with your life," began Swallowpaw with a bored tone.
"That right there, did you hear that, defend your clan even with your life, that is your motivation, to protect your clan, fight off other clans, rogues, other animals. If you don't know how to do that, you will fail the code and your clan."
"But, Ebonystorm no one ever attacks, the clans are at peace and any badgers and foxes were driven out long ago," replied her apprentice
"Trust me, the clans are never at peace for long, there will always be battles, clashes over borders and prey. And animals move about all the time Swallowpaw, they don't care about scent marks! They will be back."
The brown tabby looked doubtful, but dipped her head. "Okay Ebonystorm, whatever you say."
They made their way back to camp, threading their way through the tall, broad oak trees that grew in this part of Skyclan's territory. Ebonystorm and Swallowpaw were nearing camp when a cream colored blur raced towards them.
Pinepaw, who had been apprenticed to Archclaw a mere two days before, skidded to a stop beside them, out of breath.
"Ebonystorm, Swallowpaw, come quickly Riverclan is attacking!'
Ebonystorm whirled around "Swallowpaw, go back to camp with Pinepaw."
"But -"
"No! You do not know how to fight! Go back to camp NOW!"
Both of the apprentices took off in the direction of camp while Ebonystar dashed to the Riverclan border to aid her clanmates.
Yowls of rage and triumph ripped through the air and the scent of blood lingered in the afternoon sky. Ebonystorm leapt into battle crashing into a gray, tabby tom. She dug her front claws into his shoulder fur and scrabbled at his sides and back with her ferocious hind talons. He roared in anger and managed to shake her from his shoulders, swatting at her desperately with his front paws. Calmly, Ebonystorm ducked away, reared up, and brought her front paws down, hard, on the already weak tom, he crumpled to the ground. Slightly alarmed, Ebonystorm sniffed him, confirmed that he wasn't dead, then turned to survey the battle. It seemed like there were more Riverclan than Skyclan at the moment but Skyclan was winning. Even as she looked, more Riverclan cats fled from the infuriated Skyclan warriors.
Pain flashed through her and she found herself pinned under a pale she-cat with black stripes, Sedgesky, the Riverclan deputy. Ebonystorm bit Sedgesky's paw viciously, but the deputy didn't even seem to notice. She attempted to throw the bigger she cat off with her hind legs, but Sedgesky barely moved. With a smirk on her face she leaned down, jaws wide, to deliver a death bite to Ebonystorm.
"No!" came a cy of fury.
A moment later Sedgesky was barreled off of Ebonystorm and lay pinned beneath Eaglestep. He delivered several stinging blow and bites to the deputy before she threw him off and bolted back to Riverclan territory. Seeing that their deputy had run, Riverclan began to flee too, soon all that was left of them was their blood on the ground.
Breathing hard the cats congregating, congratulating each other and checking their clanmates for wounds before heading back. On the walk back, Ebonystorm felt a small presence at her side, curious she swiveled her head and found herself face to face with a small, brown, tabby face.
"Swallowpaw! Were you at the battle?" she growled threateningly.
"Yes Ebonystorm I was! And I remembered everything you taught me! It came to me when I needed it and I wanted to fight! I wanted to protect my clan with my life! I wasn't scared, not even a little bit," Swallowpaw mewed excitedly. "I'm sorry I seemed like such a failure before, I didn't know why I had to fight, I didn't have the reason to try. But now I do. I promise I will be the best apprentice ever Ebonystar!"
Ebonystorm purred. "Good, I'm glad you finally realized your clan is worth fighting for. But don't ever disobey my orders again!"
"Oh yeah. By the way Ebonystorm, I think Eaglestep likes you," the younger cat meowed slyly before hurrying back to chatter about the battle with Emberpaw.
Ebonystorm jerked her head up to find Eaglestep staring at her. Well, he did save me from Sedgesky, maybe he isn't so bad after all...