"What are you doing here alone?" The stripe tailed she-cat asked.
"Oh! Stripetail! I didn't hear you come over!" Scarpaw jumped.
"I can see that." Her whiskers twitched. "What are you doing out here alone?"
"I was training with the others and Rainpaw was picking on Scarpaw, so I defended him and he got angry. I told him I was doing it because he was my friend but he still got mad at me so I ran away." She confessed to the medicine cat.
"I see." Stripetail meowed. "It really hurt when he got mad didn't it."
"Yeah, it did! He is my friend, I was defending him!" Scarpaw snorted, "The stupid flea-bag is to full of pride."
"I had the same problem with my friend." Stripetail leaned against the apprentice. "I am sure everything will work out. That tom can't keep his eyes off you." She purred with amusement.
"What? Sure he can! He has better things to do then look at me!" Scarpaw protested. The older she-cat snorted and twitched her ears;
"Last night when we had the meeting, he looked around at the other cats yes, but he always looked back at you."
"Well because I was the only other cat but Emberfang he knew!" Scarpaw found herself coming to his defense again. Stripetail blinked at the apprentice. The two she-cats sat there in silence for a few heartbeats before the medicine cat responded.
"If that's the only reason you can come up with alright. But I know love when I see it."
"He doesn't love me! We are only friends!" Scarpaw protested, not only for the tom but for herself. He can't love me! He just can't! She thought frantically.
"If you say so. Come on, you look like you could use something to eat." Stripetail got up and headed for the camp. Scarpaw got up and followed her. Before they reached camp Scarpaw looked at the medicine cat.
"Stripetail. Why did you leave the choice up to me?" She asked.
"Because if I had left it up to another cat that poor scrap of fur would be on his own and Emberang has lost enough as it is. Not only was his first mate killed, Brownie is now living with twolegs. He only has his son's left." The medicine cat meowed, "I knew you would allow him to stay. I am not mouse-brained like you." She joked.
"I am not mouse-brained! If I was mouse-brained I would have saved myself all this heartache and sent that foolish tom away." Scarpaw semi joked.
"I am so sure. Even if you sent him away, would you have given up seeing him?"
"What's that mean?"
"I am sure you will figure it out. You may be mouse-brained at times, but you are a very intelligent cat." The medicine cat meowed and slipped through the entrance to the camp. Still confused Scarpaw slipped in after the she-cat and headed for the fresh-kill pile.
"There you are!" Scarpaw heard a meow and turned to see the cat her and Stripetail were just talking about. "I was worried about you! You shouldn't have run off alone!" Scarpaw pressed his muzzle to her shoulder and purred.
"I am just fine!" She spat, her anger towards him pulsing through her veins.
"Don't get snappy with me! I didn't mean to hurt your feelings!" He pulled away and looked at her.
"I know you don't like it when I defend you, but you shouldn't let your pride get the better of you!" She snorted in disgust.
"Hey! Scarpaw, are you too proud to come see me anymore?" Bumblejaw meowed from the elders den.
"What makes you think that Bumblejaw? You're my favorite cat in the whole clan!" She meowed back giving Scarpaw one more glare before she headed for the elders den, grabbing a mouse for herself and Bumblejaw.
"Wow. We feel loved." Scarpaw heard Redsky and Mossears joke.
"I love you to." She meowed around the mice. The two senior warriors purred and went back to sharing tongues. Scarpaw dropped the mice in front of Bumblejaw and gave the elder and lick between the ears. "Sorry I haven't come to see you."
"It's okay. I just wanted to talk to you at least one more time before I leave to join Starclan." The elder rasped and took a bite of the mouse she brought for him.
"Don't say that! I want you here when I get my warrior name!" Scarpaw crouched next to Bumblejaw and pressed her pelt to his.
"I will be with you. It's almost my time. I can feel Ambershine guiding me." He purred.
"Oh Bumblejaw. You were always the one to need a guide." She joked. "I will miss you when you leave. You always had the greatest stories, and you guided me through lots of things."
"Did I ever tell you how I fell in love with Ambershine?" The elder purred and licked the young apprentice's ear.
"Yes, but it is one of my favorites. Please tell me it again." Scarpaw purred and continued to eat her mouse as he told her his story.
"I knew I was in love one day in new-leaf when Ambershine and I were taking a walk in the forest. The training valley was full of flowers and she spotted a butterfly fluttering around." Bumblejaw started, "We had just won our first battle as warriors and she was full of joy. She ran after the butterfly and jumped into the air swatting at it. The sun hit her shiny pelt and it glowed like a flame. That's when I realized how beautiful she was and that I was in love."
Scarpaw purred, "She was a beautiful cat. I bet her pelt shines all the time now that she has joined Starclan!"
"I bet it does. Later that same night, I told Ambershine I loved her. I was surprised when she told me she loved me to. Even though our only kit was Flamefire, we were so proud to see him grow and have a mate and kits of his own. Now look at him, he is the deputy, my son, the deputy. She would have been proud to see you made an apprentice with your littermates to. She was always happy to see the four of you."
"See did see us made into apprentices, and you will both see us made into warriors together." Scarpaw purred and pressed against the golden elder.
"Anyway, the point is, you should wait to pick a mate Scarpaw." The elder looked at her with dull eyes. He is getting really old. Scarpaw sighed sadly.
"I haven't picked a mate. Why does every cat think I have picked a mate?" Her ears twitched with annoyance.
"Well the new young tom seems very fond of you."
"We are just friends! Why do you think we are mates?" She asked. Bumblejaw looked out into the camp clearing where Leopardpaw was sitting and talking to the tom in question. Scarpaw watched as the two cats talked, they were too far away for her to hear what they were talking about but she guessed it was about her when the both of them looked over at her. Scarpaw flicked her tail at the two and they nodded in acknowledgment. Bumblejaw shook his head with a sigh.
"He almost ripped this place apart looking for you earlier. I told him Stripetail must have found you and asked for your help but he just continued to search for you. When you came through the entrance I swear he knocked over every cat between you and him. I know love when I see it." The elder mewed.
"He is just protective. Just like his brothers and Emberfang. Bumblejaw, even if he loves me, the both of us need to focus on training. I am not looking for a mate, I need to be the best warrior there is and I am too young to think about finding a mate. I don't even know if I like him." She mewed, not really believing her own words. The elder was quiet for a while, if it wasn't for him looking around, Scarpaw would have thought he fell asleep.
"Scarpaw, it is okay if you do like him. If you're happy, I am. You're like a daughter to me, just don't rush into love. It takes time to figure out." Bumblejaw looked at her and blinked. Scarpaw nodded and pressed her muzzle to his shoulder purring.
"Yes Bumblejaw. I love you." The two cats purred together for a few heartbeats. Bumblejaw began to cough and Scarpaw looked at him. "You should go see Stripetail, she has something that can fix your cough."
"No need. It's nothing." Bumblejaw said through coughing fits.
"Bumblejaw! I will drag you to the medicine den if you don't head there now!" Rosebrair rasped and came out of the elders den.
"I am fine. Nothing can help me now. I will be with Starclan soon." Bumblejaw rasped.
"Not on my watch. Now lets go." Rosebrair grasped Bumblejaws scruff and pulled him to his paws. Scarpaw stood up and helped the two elders to the medicine den.
"Thank you Scarpaw. Your help isn't needed anymore. Go catch up with your littermates, they seem to be waiting for you." Rosebrair flicked her tail towards the apprentice den where Bramblepaw and Leopardpaw were sitting and staring at her.
"You're welcome Rosebrair. If you need anything just come find me." Scarpaw touched Rosebrairs ear with her nose and bounded off to her sister.
"Hey Scarpaw, where did you run off to? We were all worried about you." Bramblepaw asked as Scarpaw sat down between the two she-cats.
"I stopped at the old oak. Stripetail found me there." Scarpaw replied. The three apprentices laid down and tucked their paws underneath them.
"You should have seen Scarpaw go insane looking for you! It was really funny, but scary at the same time!" Leopardpaw meowed quietly as if the tom would hear her.
"I hope he had a mini heart attack well he looked." Scarpaw sneered.
"Well your wish is my command. I did have a mini heart attack." A meow came from behind the apprentices and they turned to see Scarpaw sitting by the entrance to the apprentice den.
"Good." Scarpaw muttered under her breath.
"That's not very nice. I thought you would shred any cats' ears if they talked about him. Does that mean he gets to shred your ears for talking about him?" Bramblepaw meowed and stared at her sister.
"I would like to see him try." She snorted.
"You of all cats should know I am a better fighter now then the first time we met. You really want to challenge me?" The tom asked licking his paw a couple of times and swiping it over his ear. "And who was the one that gave you that tear in your ear?"
"You said it was an accident, so it doesn't count." Scarpaw spat, "And I can still beat you any day!" Leopardpaw and Bramblepaw flinched at her words as if they were venomous. The tom stared at her, his eyes unblinking. After a few heartbeats he snorted and stood up. Stalking over so he was in front of her, he crouched and looked her dead in the eyes;
"Any day, anytime, anyplace." He meowed in a tone that could claw a mouse in half.
"Fine with me!" Scarpaw hissed, she could feel her littermates staring at them. She couldn't break eye contact with the mottled brown apprentice or he would think she was weak.
"When and where would you like me to beat you?" he asked
"Tomorrow, when we go and train," She meowed back, "And I will be the one beating you." She sneered. He will see, I will beat him. I have beat him before, and I will do it again. She thought.
As if reading her mind, the tom snorted with amusement; "You may have beaten me before Scarpaw, but I now know all of your weaknesses. Don't be mouse-brained like Rainpaw and think you can beat me."
"Shut up flea-bag! I will beat you! Just wait and see!" Scarpaw hissed and stood up. "I am going to bed. See you tomorrow when I beat you." She spat and turned towards the apprentice den. "You will see. I am going to beat you so fast you won't be so full of yourself anymore." She muttered to herself as she curled into her nest.