Hola mis amigos! Como estan? Sorry for the lack of updates; I've been going through some heavy stuff lately. Thank you for all the amazing reviews, they mean the world to me! 3 3 3 Okay, now, let's continue with the story! :) :) :)
Chapter Three
"Shadepaw! Shadepaw, hold it right now!"
Sunheart's angry voice broke through my daze, distracting me from my prey that I was holding tightly.
Said prey took the opportunity of my distraction to scramble out from underneath me, leaping to her paws and spitting angrily at me. "You foxheart! What the heck is wrong with you; we're supposed to be training, not really trying to kill each other!" Dapplepaw shot a venomous look at me, before turning to Sunheart.
"Sunheart, I honestly don't feel safe around Shadepaw. I don't know what sort of herb Tigerfoot needs to force-feed her, but she needs something!"
I just sat there, trying to block out the obnoxious yammering and cool myself down. It was Dapplepaw's taunting that had caused me to loose my temper during battle practice; I didn't need Smokestar to figure out I had tried to flay a fellow apprentice twice in one day. I eyed my mentor, waiting to see his reaction. Luckily, he looked simply bored with the tortoiseshell she-cat.
"Please calm yourself, Dapplepaw," Sunheart sighed. "Shadepaw didn't hurt you or anything, she just got a little excited during the practice. She's feeling very sorry, aren't you Shadepaw?"
Sunheart turned to glare directly at me, obviously expecting me to redeem myself. I stared right back at him.
She's evil! Evil doesn't deserve an apology! I thought fiercely, hoping he'd understand. Sunheart's eyes just narrowed into slits, not dropping his gaze, his look clearly reading, Control yourself and apologize, and I might be lenient with your punishment!
I let out an exasperated huff of breath, and stared at Dapplepaw, grumbling out, "I'm sorry for being too harsh during battle practice, Dapplepaw."
Sunheart gave a prompting cough, looking at me expectantly. I rolled my eyes. "And I won't let your pathetic attempts at trying to make me feel bad get to me again."
Ignoring my mentor's annoyed hiss, I instead focused in satisfaction on the outraged expression on Dapplepaw's pretty little face.
Her eyes cold, unforgiving chips of hard green quartz, Dapplepaw whirled around, stopping to announce, "I will alert my father about this, Sunheart. I knew he should have listened to my mentor's recommendation for me to train with Poppywhisker and Brightpaw today".
Again, my anger flared up. She couldn't push a warrior around!
I leapt to my paws, jaws open to snap, but Sunheart gave me his signature Hold your tongue or else look.
He mewed smoothly to Dapplepaw. "That may be, but for now, I am responsible for your training, and since I don't wish for any apprentice to work with such an unpleasant cat," I stifled a snicker, recognizing from his tone that I wasn't the unpleasant cat my mentor was talking about. "You may as well go hunting by yourself before returning to camp". Sunheart finished. "I want to see that at least three pieces of fresh-kill on that pile have came from you".
Dapplepaw gave a disdainful sniff. "Fine, and I'll catch you four. Just you wait. Later, Shadekit".
With that, she stalked off into the bushes, tail held high. As soon as she left, I lost it.
"Ugh! I can't stand to be around that- that- creature! 'I'm gonna tell my father on you, he should have listened to my mentor's totally unbiased recommendation!'" I mimicked savagely in a false, high-pitch voice. "That pervert Beetleflight just doesn't want any toms near his 'future mate' while he's out sick, so he asks if she can train with only she-cats!" I gagged. "And Smokestar went and gave that disgusting rat his daughter!"
"Shadepaw, that is enough!" Sunheart snapped, rounding on me, amber eyes miniature blazing suns. "Yes, Dapplepaw's mentor may be a little odd around her, but there is nothing going on that is unhealthy or unsafe, and he trains her well, so I'd appreciate if you didn't go around throwing wild accusations!"
I opened my mouth to protest, but Sunheart continued, on a roll now and not in the mood for interruptions.
"And furthermore, we wouldn't have gotten into this little mess in the first place if you hadn't decided to practice your best impression of an old, rabid badger on Dapplepaw when I'm trying my best to teach you how to fight. I don't care what you do, Shadepaw, but if you don't find some way to fix that horrid attitude of yours, and soon, you might find Swiftstream's kits becoming warriors before you. Am I absolutely clear?"
Each word felt like a blow hitting my chest, and I felt myself shrinking further and further into my pelt until it was if I were no more than a small, huddled lump of fur on the ground. I forced myself to hold my mentor's furious gaze, and mumbled out a weak "Yes, Sunheart. I'll try my best."
Sunheart's fierce expression crumbled, replaced by a look that aged him far beyond his years, one of weariness, and the most difficult to look at, disappointment.
"That'll be a first." he sighed, blinking at me. "You have great potential, Shadepaw, you must know that. But what frustrates me, what makes me feel as if I'm failing you, is that I can't seem to help you show it to everyone. All you're running on right now is your emotions, and they're simply out of control. I understand life isn't always easy for you, but you need to find a way to overcome. Whatever way you're trying right now obviously isn't working, so I'm asking you, begging you, to try something different".
All fire inside me roughly put out, I nodded shakily, rendered speechless for probably the first time in my life.
Seeing the distress that was probably all over my expression, Sunheart's tone softened. "I think we're done with battle training for today, don't you agree?"
I once again nodded mutely. "How about you try and catch more prey than Dapplepaw? I think you can". He blinked at me again, angling with his ears to the woodland, gesturing for me to get going.
Not even bothering to try and explain myself, I padded off, letting my paws carry me where they felt like, and leaving my mentor sitting alone in the clearing, amber eyes watching me leave.
i hadn't been walking for that long before I heard pawsteps coming up behind me. I turned around warily, unsheathing my claws and gathering my muscles, ready in case of an attacker.
The hazel bush in front of me quivered wildly, and I watched, surprised, as Fallenpaw emerged, approaching me with what looked like caution flickering in his crystal gaze.
We had steered clear of each other for about a moon since the day I snapped at him after the incident with Lightningpaw. I was just being a coward; I knew I had lost my temper, but I didn't know how to apologize. He had a perfectly good reason for avoiding me, on the other paw, which made me wonder even more why he followed me here.
"You fought really well against Sunheart during your training session.". he began, sitting awkwardly across from me. I opened my mouth to ask him what he meant, but he continued before I could speak.
"I didn't mean to spy on you, honestly! I had just came back from washing my paws in a stream when I spotted Dapplepaw".
Fallenpaw's sky-blue eyes seemed to gaze off dreamily at the mention of my tortoiseshell adversary, but a look at my expression wiped the dreamy look off his face and the large tom continued his story.
"I-I noticed she was training with you guys, and I figured I'd watch and see if I could pick something up from you. Applefall... Applefall says I'll never be a good fighter, and I'm bound to get my throat slit in my first battle". Fallenpaw hissed, digging his claws into the ground. "My own mentor says I've got no chance, and now I'm getting desperate"
The brown tabby apprentice stared downcast at the ground, refusing to meet my eyes in embarrassment. I coughed uncomfortably, trying to keep things from getting to awkward.
"Look," I began. "I feel bad for you, I really do, but I don't know why you're talking to me about this. I've hardly been friendly to you".
Fallenpaw looked up at me earnestly. "Oh, but you have! I was a mousebrain by not sticking up for you that day like you did for me. You had every right to avoid me".
I gaped. "I was avoiding you because I was embarrassed! My temper and I don't get along very well, and it tends to land me in trouble. As you could obviously see from the training session".
Fallenpaw stared at me, icy eyes glittering with understanding. "I did see. And I saw that Dapplepaw was taunting you and saying nasty things, and your mentor didn't even notice".
I stared at my paws. "I can't let her get to me though. No matter what she says, I can't just attack her for it!"
"Then let me help you".
"What?" I stared at the brown tabby tom uncomprehendingly. "What do you mean?"
"I mean," Fallenpaw started, "that I can teach you. Teach you how to keep things from getting to you, teach you how to keep from lashing out at cats. All I ask in return is two things".
I narrowed my eyes. "And what would those two things be, if I accept your offer, which I haven't decided whether I will or not yet".
"You'd have to help me with something in return". Fallenpaw mewed plainly. "My training, to begin with. You're one of the best fighters out of the apprentices, and you've hardly had any training. Me, on the other paw, well, look at me..." I felt the tips of my ears grow hot at Fallenpaw's compliment, and I felt a little bad as I saw him sitting pitifully in front of me, begging for my help. "If you could just sometimes go out with me at night and practice with me, you don't know how much that would mean".
His sky-blue eyes bore in to me as he stared pleadingly.
I narrowed my eyes. "And what exactly would I have to gain from this?"
"I told you, I can help you deal with the other cats. I know you aren't that fond of anyone, and I have experience with not letting cats ruffle my pelt". Fallenpaw explained.
I pondered this for a moment. Did I want his help? I was fine being a loner within the Clan, but it would be nice to know how to ignore Dapplepaw.
"I saw your training session, Shadepaw. I heard what Dapplepaw hissed at you, even if Sunheart didn't. You aren't a freak, and you're not crazy. My other condition was something we could help each other with. Maybe... maybe we could be... friends?"
I gaped, taken aback. "You... you'd be my friend? Even after I said all of that?"
Fallenpaw rolled his eyes. "That's water under the branch, mousebrain. I know you didn't mean it".
I blinked, feeling a purr rumbling in my throat. "Alright, Fallenpaw. I'll help you".
Fallenpaw's eyes widened. "Really? Yes!"
The tabby tom gave a massive leap into the air, noticing me, and sitting back down with a murmur of embarrassment. "Heh heh. I mean, thank you".
He dipped his head at me in respect, and I shifted uncomfortably.
"With us working together, we can get the other apprentices to like us!" Fallenpaw cheered.
I was startled. "Them? Why?"
He blinked at me in confusion. "Wouldn't it be nice for everyone to like us? Imagine Dapplepaw as your friend".
His eyes lit up as he spoke her name.
There he goes with Dapplepaw again. I wonder why he wants to be her friend so badly? But hey, as long as he hangs out with me, and doesn't make me try to be nice, I guess I can help him.
"Sure," I relented, not wanting to disappoint my new friend. Friend. I could get used to that word.
"So,". I began. "Sunheart wants me to come back with at least four pieces of prey. Do you think you could help me?"
Fallenpaw perked up. "Definitely!" He paused, blue eyes flashing warily, and he looked down at his paws. "I'm not the world's best hunter, though".
I laughed. "Oh, come on, how bad can you be?"
The look he gave me made a trickle of uncertainty run down my spine. This could be harder than I thought.
DONE! Do you know how hard it is to write an entire chapter on an IPHONE? Haha, I sound so spoiled. Look, people, I've been going through some things, and hardly have any time to write. I'm not going to make any promises because Im sick of breaking them, and you guys are too good for that. Too good for me. I thank from the bottom of my heart everyone who has supported me, hugs and kisses to you all! I'll update when I can, just stay with me on this! Love you all!