Platypuspaw woke up, yawing. It had been about a quarter moon since she had stated training with Lizzardpaw, and she was very tired.
Standing up, she shook out her fur, yawning again.
"Maybe you should go back to sleep," Sunpaw meowed, his eyes still closed.
"Can't. Clawstrike wants me up early," she meowed back.
"Every day?" Dazzlepaw meowed, lifting up her head.
Platypuspaw nodded. "Don't worry about it, I'm fine." She meowed, padding out of the den.
When she was out of earshot she yawned again, and again. "Gosh! I might have to cut it down to every other night" she meowed.
"Cut what down?" a growl sounded behind her.
"Nothing Clawstrike" she meowed hastily, spinning around.
Clawstrike glared at her with narrowed eyes. His tail lashed back and forth a few times before he turned to the camp entrance.
"Come, lets test your hunting skills" he meowed with a snicker.
Platypuspaw padded out of the camp, her head down. Inside, she was trying not to snicker herself. She had been hiding her improvement in hunting quite well. Clawstrike was clueless.
When they were a ways away from camp Clawstrike curled up on a patch of moss. "Bring me some prey!" he ordered.
Platypuspaw dipped her head and trotted into the undergrowth. There was a warm scent on the air; mouse.
Platypuspaw stalked forward, locating the small brown creature that was nibbling on a seed by the roots of a sycamore.
Using the hunting crouch Lizzardpaw had taught her and what she had seen Clawstrike do, she snuck up to mouse, and caught it quickly.
Purring to herself, she brought the mouse back to Clawstrike. "That was fast," he commented.
Platypuspaw looked down. "May I hunt for myself?" she asked quietly
Clawstrike glared at her before nodding "Fine" he growled.
Platypuspaw trotted off into the forest, looking for prey. She scented a magpie sitting on a fallen log. She dropped into a crouch, wiggling her haunches. Then, pushing up with her back legs she made a mighty leap and snagged the bird.
Lading with a soft thud, she dropped the bird. She bit into it, spitting out the feathers. She ate quickly, before dashing back to Clawstrike when she was done.
Clawstrike was standing now, looking impatient. "Come on, lets do some battle training," he meowed, stalking off to the mossy training hallow.
Platypuspaw followed, keeping her head down. When they reached the clearing , Clawstrike lazily padded to the other side.
"Okay, try to get past me" he meowed.
Platypuspaw was conflicted. If she didn't make it past, Clawstrike was sure to punish her. If she did make it past, he might suspect something! Platypuspaw shook her head, and began to race toward Clawstrike.
Sliding underneath him, she put out her paw to trip him. She appeared behind him, and Clawstrike got up spinning around, his nostrils flaring.
"Where did you learn to do that?" he demanded.
Platypuspaw shrugged, keeping her eyes fixed on her paws. Hissing, Clawstrike pounced, his claws unsheathed. He raked his claws across her pelt, and Platypuspaw yowled in pain.
~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~
Platypuspaw looked around the camp, her eyes glowing in the dark of the night. She dashed across the camp, he belly fur close to the ground.
When she was far enough, she stood up strait and broke into a sprint. She finally stopped when she reached the Shadowclan border. Lizzardpaw wasn't there yet so she settled down by the roots of a tree, resting her head on her paws.
She heard a rustle, and a brown tom stepped out. "Platypuspaw!" he purred.
Platypuspaw smiled and meowed, "Hey Lizzardpaw, What are we learning tonight?"
Lizzardpaw shrugged "Advanced battle techniques" he meowed.
Platypuspaw lashed her tail, but let out a huge yawn.
"Tired?" Lizzardpaw joked.
"Maybe we should cut down to every other night..." Platypuspaw suggested.
Lizzardpaw nodded. "I've been so I tired it's getting hard to hunt properly. Ivystep is gonna explode one of these days."
Platypuspaw laughed and took her place across the clearing. Lizzardpaw crouched down too, and let out a playful growl.
~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~
Platypuspaw shook out her fur, yawning. She padded to the fresh-kill pile and picked up a plump mouse. She looked around, and could see Thunderpaw signaling for her to join him. She purred and settled down at his side.
"Morning Platypuspaw" He meowed
"Good morning" she replied happily.
Thunderpaw took a bite of the vole he was eating while Platypuspaw took a bite of her mouse. Thunderpaw purred, pushing the remains of his vole away. Platypuspaw still ate her mouse, he eyes closed.
Thunderpaw began to groom her slightly. She purred, and looked up. Thunderpaw smiled, and kept grooming her pelt. Platypuspaw leaned over and began to groom his ears.
When part of her pelt was nice and shiny, Thunderpaw leaned back, and Platypuspaw did so as well. They looked at each other shyly for a short while, until Thunderpaw leaned forward and gave Platypuspaw's nose a swift lick.
Platypuspaw blinked in surprise, but purred. Before she could do anything else, Clawstrike padded up.
His nostrils were flaring, and his eyes dark. Platypuspaw tried not to shiver.
"Training time" he meowed gruffly.
Platypuspaw meowed a quite goodbye to Thunderpaw and trailed after Clawstrike. Clawstrike padded farther into the forest than usual, and this worried Platypuspaw. What is going to do that he has to go so far our here?
Eventually he spun around, his face twisted into a snarl. "Stay away from my son!" he hissed
"What do you mean?" Platypuspaw squeaked
"I see the way you two look at each other. If my son is going to have a mate, she is going to be beautiful...unlike you." He growled
Platypuspaw felt anger well up inside her. She was about to hiss back a retort when Clawstrike continued.
"You will stay at least a tail length away from him, and do not interfere with his training, or social life. He will be mates with someone else, and you will do nothing to stop it."
Platypuspaw listened in silence. She could tell Clawstrike was getting angrier as he paced. Finally he stopped, and grinned at her.
"And the punishment..." he growled, stalking towards her.
Platypuspaw took a step back, shaking at the glint in Clawstrike's eyes. What is he going to do!?
Platypuspaw realized what was going to happen as he stalked forward. Her stomach did flips and she felt nauseous.
"C-Clawstrike...what are you doing? Y-you can't! I'm only an a-apprentice!" she stuttered, backing away.
"Which is exactly why were not going to tell anyone..." he hissed, getting closer.
Finally he pounced, spinning around and landing on Platypuspaw. He bit into her scruff, keeping her from moving.
Platypuspaw yowled in horror as Clawstrike raped her. Raped her.
~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~
Platypuspaw dashed into the camp, her tail between her legs. She plopped down into her nest, shuddering.
Thankfully, no one else was in there. Yet. Grasspaw padded in, his eyelids drooping, until she noticed Platypuspaw's violent shaking.
"Oh my gosh!" She gasped "We should take you to Muddapple"
Platypuspaw jumped up "No!" she meowed quickly "I'm fine"
"I don't think you are" Grasspaw soothed, pushing Platypuspaw back down into a laying position.
"Really, I'm ok" Platypuspaw protested.
"Fine" Grasspaw sighed, going back to her own nest.
Platypuspaw closed her eyes, trying to sleep. But sleep wouldn't come. Sighing, she got up, and padded out into the camp. She grabbed a mouse, hoping to sooth herself. As she sat down to eat, she noticed Clawstrike smirking at her from across the clearing.
She shivered and looked down, talking a bite of her mouse. It slid down her throat, threatening to come back up. Thankfully, it didn't. Platypuspaw finished it quickly, feeling a little better. Until she remembered she was bleeding from a wound on her side Clawstrike had given her during...the incident...
"Oops!" she muttered to herself.
Standing up, she trotted quickly out of the camp, looking for the small yellow flower that signaled a marigold plant. Swinging her head around, she located a clump by a patch of ferns. She bit off some and chewed it to a pulp, applying it to her new scratches.
"Huh, I'm getting pretty good at this" she whispered to herself.
"Pretty good at what?" a voice asked.
Platypuspaw's head snapped up, and she was face to face with Bloodpaw.
"Oh...um...hunting" Platypuspaw meowed. It wasn't a complete lie...
"I don't see any prey" Bloodpaw pointed out.
"I'm sitting on it" Platypuspaw meowed.
"Um...okay...why exactly?" Bloodpaw asked.
"To keep it warm." Platypuspaw replied. It sounded like a question.
"Just warn me so I don't eat it" Bloodpaw meowed, padding back the way she had came.
Platypuspaw exhaled in relief and rushed back to camp.
~oOoOoOoOoOoOo~
Platypuspaw padded towards the nursery, prey in her jaws. She slid inside, and trotted to Otterstream's side.
"I brought you some fresh kill" She meowed quietly.
"Thank you Platypuspaw." Otterstream meowed.
As Platypuspaw set the pray down, she was knocked over by four bundles of fur.
"Platypuspaw! Guess what?" Beaverkit asked
"Yeah, Guess!" His sister Minkkit pipped in.
"What?" Platypuspaw asked.
"Were getting out Apprentice names in a moon and a half!" All of them chanted at the same time.
"Thats wonderful!" Platypuspaw praised.
Beaverkit's tail lashed and he purred.
"I have to go, But I'll see you kits later, ok?" Platypuspaw meowed.
The kits let out a groan as Platypuspaw trotted out into the camp. She trotted past Dazzlepaw, who was talking to Thunderpaw. Sighing, she settled down next to her brother Sunpaw, who was talking to Grasspaw and Squirrelpaw.
Squirrelpaw and stared at Sunpaw like he was a god, and Platypuspaw sighed. She looked away, but her gaze fell on Bloodpaw and Nettlepaw, forcing her to turn away again. Did every cat have someone special? She used to...He gaze focused on Thunderpaw, and she sighed. She looked to Dazzlepaw and could see the same look she had seen on Squirrelpaw's face.
She felt a pang in her heart. Even as kits, her and Thunderpaw shared something...but now, her sister and Clawstrike were going to take that from her.
Platypuspaw stood up, and made her way into the apprentices den. Laying down, she let sleep overcome her.
Yes, I realize I spelled Lizzardpaw with two Z's, But I forgot Lizard only has one, but I think It looks cooler now anyway. Plus, CATS CANT SPELL ANYWAY!
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