A paw prodded her awake shaking her from dreams of darkness.
"Darkpaw," A voice whispered " C'mon we have to begin our apprentice duties,"
Nodding groggily darkpaw uncurled releasing a yawn.
Darkpaw's legs still ached from yesterday's exploration and she wanted nothing more than to curl up and go back to sleep. Begrudgingly she got to her paws and followed Hollowpaw from the den careful to avoid any body parts. Pushing out from the den she shunned away from the sunlight and stretched, arching her back. It was later in the day meaning that the she-cat had slept for quite a while, yet despite that fact Darkpaw still yearned to be back in her bedding.
"Eagletalon said you're joining me on the apprentice duties so we'll be taking care of the elders and receiving moss,"Hollowpaw mewed.
"Mmkay,"Darkpaw murmured."But can't we eat first?"
Hollowpaw shook his head,"Not until we finish up our duties,elders and queens are to be taken care of before we can eat it's the warrior code,"
Despite her empty belly Darkpaw didn't complain, if taking care of others before she ate was the wild cat rule then she would have to abide by it no matter how hungry she was. Sending a longing look at the fresh kill pile Darkpaw averted her eyes to focus on the tom before her hoping that her rumbling belly would soon ease.
"Come on I'll show you where to gather moss," Hollowpaw meowed turning away and beginning towards the entrance of the clan, however he was halted by a familiar gray she-cat.
"Hey Hollowpaw going out to collect moss?" Stormpaw greeted.
Her blue gaze wandered to Darkpaw narrowing.
"Don't tell me you're going with her," She sneered.
Hollowpaw simply brushed past her ignoring the other's hurt look." Yes, I'm going with her to gather moss, so go away,"
"Why would you help that outsider?" Stormpaw hissed fur bristling as she glared at Darkpaw. The dark pelted she-cat could really careless feeling too tired to fight with her.
"Because this outsider is now a part of our clan," Hollowpaw snapped coldly." Besides I like her, she listens to me, unlike some other cat I know,"
Darkpaw felt warmed by his words, it seemed the tom already viewed her as a friend. She noticed the gray she-cat flinch however. Her voice lowered to a whisper.
"After all she did?"
"You mean as in save our lives?" The brown tabby tom snorted." And then instead of receiving thanks fight you?"
Stormpaw bristled. "She was in our territory! Unlike you I was defending it like a real warrior!"
Hollowpaw faced her teeth bared." Warriors don't attack cats that just saved them! Even if the cats are not from their own Clan!"
"Besides I'm not the one who got us into that mess that night now am I?" He mewed with narrowed eyes. " If you hadn't insisted on irritating that dog, then we wouldn't have to do apprentice duties for seven sunrises instead of training!"
Darkpaw was taken aback by the other's anger and it seemed she wasn't the only one. Stormpaw looked at a lost for words eyes wide. Well we he put it that way it does make it seem like everything was her fault the dark she-cat thought.
"I don't have time for this, Stormpaw you can do your duties by yourself," Hollowpaw mewed calmly." C'mon Darkpaw the faster we gather moss he quicker we can eat,"
Then he was padding towards the entrance at a quick pace. Darkpaw blinked before following after him. She spared a glance at Stormpaw feeling a bit bad. The gray she-cat looked hurt and lost. Her tail drooped and she stared down at her paws eyes regretful. Suddenly she looked up and the two met eyes. Immediately Stormpaw's filled with anger and hate as she huffed and spun around beginning towards the apprentice den.
Darkpaw rolled her eyes.
The two were quiet as they walked together in the forest. Darkpaw could feel the simmering anger in her new found friend and couldn't help but be curious. It seemed that Hollowpaw and Stormpaw were once friends, but ever since that night they no longer shared a bond.
Deciding to find out as she wanted to at least be closer with the tom seeing as they were now becoming friends she opened her mouth.
"I don't mean to pry," The she-cat started."But you and Stormpaw are friends right?"
He didn't look at her remaining quiet for a few moments, and Darkpaw took that as a sign that he did not want to talk about it.
"We were, at least I thought we were," Hollowpaw finally answered voice quiet." But after that night I came to the realization that she uses me as more of her slave than a friend,"
The she-cat remained quiet, silently urging him to go on.
"Stormpaw is bossy, she always wants you to do things her way," The tom shook his head." And usually her way includes trouble, and like the friend I am I often find myself dragged down with her when she finds it,"
"I always tell her not do something because I know that she'll just get hurt but she never listens, just like that night...Stormpaw wanted to sneak out to go and see that dog and of course I tried to stop her,but she wouldn't listen" Hollowpaw sighed." So I went with her to make sure she wouldn't get hurt,"
He looked up at the bits of sky that could be seen through the thick trees." Everything was fine at first, we saw the dog and I was ready to leave, but Stormpaw wasn't just satisfied with seeing it, so she started taunting it, which i knew was a bad idea but no matter how I tried to get her to stop she kept doing it,"
"Then the dog got so angry it managed to break through the fence and chase after us,"
"And that's when you ended up like that, that night," Darkpaw mewed. That fur brained she-cat! She hissed in her mind. That dog could have ripped her to shreds!
The tom nodded."Yeah, so now we're on punishment,"
"And honestly I'm just so tired of being dragged into trouble, and until Stormpaw apologizes and learns to listen I'm no longer talking to her,"
Darkpaw agreed with his reasoning, if that had been her in that situation she would no longer be friends with Stormpaw either.
"You two could've gotten seriously injured that night," She meowed. "I've seen some cats that were nearly mauled to death by dogs,"
He gave her a warm look."It was only because of your help,"
She gave him a purr.
The talk seemed to have bettered his mood and with a flick of his tail they padded in the opposite direction of ground beneath their paws became soft as they continued a little ways before coming to a stop at a pond.
Mouth suddenly feeling dry Darkpaw dipped her head and began to drink, closing her eyes and relishing in the fresh taste so unlike the water back at home.
A sudden croak had her eyes blinking open to stare into bulging eyes.
The creature was small, green and slimy. It sat in the shallow pool staring at her. She stared back never having seen such a thing before. Then Its chest began to inflate and another croak filled her ears causing her to jump back in surprise.
The small creature blinked at her before fleeing into the deeper water. Darkpaw looked after it caught off guard.
Their was a chuckle behind her causing the she-cat to spin around and face Hollowpaw.
"Calm down it was just a frog,"He purred."You should have seen the look on your face when it croaked,"
Darkpaw huffed. "I've never seen a "Frog" before so how was i supposed to know it was gonna do that?"
Hollowpaw shrugged. "Too bad you let it get away frogs are pretty tasty,"
The black she-cat gave him a look of disgust."You eat those? But they look so slimy!"
He simply ran a tongue over his paws as though picturing the frog's flavor on his it.
"Doesn't stop them from being good, you should try one you may actually like it,"
"Doubt it,"Darkpaw murmured underneath her breath.
"Hey you didn't like snake until you tried it, so who knows you may enjoy frog,"
He had a point but still she couldn't believe anyone could eat such a thing.
All the talk about food had the two's belly rumbling causing hollowpaw to lick his jaws.
"Alright let's gather the moss and take care of the elders before my belly eats itself,"
Darkpaw agreed.
Hollowpaw observed the area briefly before focusing on a pine tree with bits of green fluff growing from the bark.
"Ok see that green stuff? That's moss,"He mewed."And we need to collect it and bring it back to camp,"
Unsheathing his claws the tom began to scrap at the moss allowing shreds of it to collect on the ground. Darkpaw watched closely as he molded the moss together into a ball with his paws.
"Just like that,"He mewed. "Gather as much as you can so we don't have to make so many trips back and forth, and then we'll head back to camp,"
Nodding she set to work unsheathing her claws and scraping at the moss until it collected at her paws. It was wet on her tongue and had an unusual plant-like taste to it when she collected it in her jaws. Once the two had collected a large amount they began back to camp. Darkpaw gave the pond one last glance noticing the frog from before watching with unblinking eyes as they left.
A shudder passed through her body. Who could seriously even eat something like that?
Once back to camp Hollowpaw nodded to a pile of large rocks. He led her inside of the opening where two cats were. A dark grey tom and a red and white she-cat. The two both had the beginnings of a graying muzzle.
"Ah Hollowpaw,"The tom greeted."About time this moss was beginning to dry out and was getting uncomfortable,"
Dipping his head in greeting Hollowpaw began towards the tom and started gathering the old moss beneath him. Watching closely darkpaw observed him to see what she needed to do.
"You must be the outsider Raggedstar accepted into the clan,"The old tom mewed noticing her. "Never thought there'd be a day where proud shadowclan would accept a kittypet,"
There was no hostility in his voice simply curiosity. "Did you really fight off a dog?" The red and white she-cat asked. Darkpaw nodded shuffling her paws.
"Well come,come don't be shy!"Longclaw purred."We'd love to hear the story,"
She casted a quick glance at Hollowpaw who simply shrugged. Seeing as it was okay Darkpaw approached the red and white she-cat. While she retold the story she might as well get some work done.
Dropping the moss she murmured an okay before getting to work on the old moss just like Hollowpaw had done, scraping at the dried moss.
With that she began to retell the story of the first night she met Raggedstar to the eager elders who listened with rapt attention.
"Wow, "Longclaw murmured once she finished."How impressive,I know very few apprentices who would just charge into a battle and attack a dog like that,"
The praise made Darkpaw feel quite proud of herself.
"I agree, Raggedstar made a good choice in allowing you into the clan,with the right training you could become quite the warrior" Robineyes purred.
Longclaw sighed."Though to say it'll be hard considering that Eagletalon is your mentor,"
"Yes especially since he's still mourning…."Robineyes shook her head."That poor warrior.."
Darkpaw was curious as to what could have happened. Why did the tom hate her and what did they mean by still mourning?
"What happened?"She asked.
The two elders exchanged looks."Well you see young one, Eagletalon didn't use to be the way he is now,"Robineyes mewed .A look of grief filled Longclaw's eyes."Used to be quite the warrior and a strong one at that, with a big heart,"
Longclaw chuckled sadly."That was until the she-cat he loved one day on patrol near the Twolegplace was brutally murdered by kittypets,"
He sighed softly. "She was with his kits and they along with a few other cats lost their lives, and since that day Eagletalon was never the same,"
"So you see, the reason why Eagletalon was so angry when he was chosen to be your mentor is because you were a kittypet which he has grown to hate for taking away his mate, He thinks that they are all cold-blooded killers,"Longclaw further explained.
"But we aren't all killers,"Darkpaw murmured she hadn't known the tom for long she felt sorrow for him.
"We know young one,We know,"Robineyes mewed softly pressing her tail tip against Darkpaw's shoulder.
'But you can show him that it's not true,"Longclaw murmured.
Darkpaw nodded looking down at her paws in deep thought.
Hollowpaw placed a pile of moss on a stick next to her which held a foul smelling scent.
"Mousebile,"Hollowpaw mewed."To get rid of the elder's fleas,"
She nodded solemnly.
Hollowpaw demonstrated on Longclaw and after getting the hang of it Darkpaw started on Robineyes examining her closely as placing the mousebile on the fleas.
The raw anger in Eagletalon's eyes was unlike any she had seen before so full of hate that it was couldn't help but feel like if the tom had met her that night instead of Raggedstar she would have been killed.
She forced her fur to lie flat not wanting to portray her newfound fear of the she could somewhat understand his anger at having his mate and kits killed she did not understand why he would take it out on her when she had nothing to do with the attack.
Could that Tom really had been nice before his mate was killed?
"I'm starving,"Robineyes mewed."Could you two bring a robin?"
"Or a snake,"Longclaw put in.
Her thoughts had been enough to distract Darkpaw from her empty belly but now the hunger was back."Sure,"
Following Hollowpaw to the freshkill pile she carefully examined the pile which had been renewed since the last time she saw it.
"Looks like Longclaw's going to have to share a robin,"Hollowpaw mewed picking a plump hadn't been a snake on the pile this time.
He deposited the prey at robineyes paws,causing the she-cats eyes to light up.
"Ah my favorite,I got my name from them you know?"Robineyes meowed."I could always spot a robin no matter how well hidden it was,"
Longclaw grumbled before purring."You always did have the sharpest eyes,remember when those group of rogues tried to sneak attack our patrol,but your eyes caught them before they could?"
"How could I forget?"The she-cat purred before boasting."Those mangy cats didn't see it coming,"
The happy mood the two exerted was enough to lift Darkpaw's mood.
Bidding them goodbye and depositing the old moss and mousebile the duo made their way back to the pond to wash their paws.
The cool water was comforting on her paws.
"Was Eagletalon really that different before his mate was killed?"she asked.
Hollowpaw was quiet for a few moments."Yeah,at least that's what Hawkheart told me,It seemed that when Eagletalon's mate died he completely changed,"
Darkpaw sighed staring at her reflection in the water."But why would Raggedstar assign him as my mentor if she knew of his hatred of Kittypets?"
She saw Hollowpaw shrug his shoulders."Who knows,all we can do is trust her judgement,"
Darkpaw blinked.
Yes her only option was to trust the judgement of Raggedstar and hope that it turned out for the better. She didn't know why the she-cat would do such a thing but she must have had a reason to do so.
"Sorry for forcing you to do all the work,"She murmured.
He simply waved his tail dismissing the issue. "It's fine, c'mon let's go back and see if we can eat something,before I go on patrol,"
Shaking away her previous thoughts Darkpaw padded after him."Didn't you go on patrol yesterday? Why are you going again?"
"Raggedstar put me and Stormpaw on punishment for that night,"He answered his tail tip was irritated."Instead of training we will have to go on patrol several times and care for the elders for seven moon rises that's our punishment,"
Definitely not happy, Darkpaw observed."We'll looks like I'll be joining you on your punishment until Eagletalon begins to train me which doesn't look like any time soon,"
That seemed to lighten the tom's mood.
