Scarpaw found herself running through the forest. There was a slight breeze carrying the scent of many cats and prey. She looked around and spotted a familiar mottled tom racing after her. Purring she slowed down to let him catch up.
"You are one fast runner!" He exclaimed.
"No, you're just slow!" She purred and pressed against him. Scarpaw purred and licked her ear.
"I can't believe your mine." His words rang out with joy
"Why wouldn't I be?" She mewed and licked his shoulder.
"I love you." He purred into her ear.
Scarpaw jumped awake. What in Starclan was that about? She thought to herself and looked around. The other apprentices were sound asleep. She curled back into her nest and closed her eyes. He doesn't love me. He wouldn't love me, he is my friend. She repeated as she fell back asleep.
"Okay you two, this is going to be a far fight. So don't use any dirty tricks like the other clans use." Emberfang meowed from the side of the training valley. Scarpaw had asked his mentor to watch the fight.
"Yeah, Fireclan fights like real cats. Like our ancestors!" Babyfang mewed. Both mentors were using this fight as a training technic to see how far their apprentices had come to this point.
"I will be the judge of who wins, along with Flamefur and Mossclaw, so it's unbiased. We all know these two cats won't judge this fair if we leave it up to them." Brightmask meowed. The other three apprentices sat beside their mentors and looked at their littermate.
"You can win! I know you can sister!" Leopardpaw called.
"I bet Scarpaw will beat her. For a kittypet he is good." Rainpaw meowed to Leopardpaw.
"He -" Scarpaw was about to defend him but stopped herself, "He is going to lose. Remember, I helped train him for a moon." She meowed back to the golden tom.
"We'll see about that." The mottled brown apprenticed snorted from beside her.
"Good luck to the both of you." Bramblepaw meowed before a fight broke out between the two apprentices before the signal.
"Alright. I am cheering for the both of you. Begin." Brightmask meowed and Scarpaw looked over at the tom. He was staring at her with unreadable eyes. He began to circle around her, she watched for any sigh that he would pounce. She got distracted by a gleam in his eyes and he took the chance to pounce. She jumped sideways but he caught her flank and knocked her off balance.
She staggered a bit before she stood straight and turned back to the tom. He was getting up off the ground and she took the chance to pounce at him. She landed on him and he grunted as the breath was knocked out of him. He squirmed underneath her, she lost her grip and he rolled over and threw her off with his hind legs.
"That move seem familiar?" He snorted with amusement as he got to his paws. Filled with anger, Scarpaw got to her paws and pounce at the tom without thinking. He caught her and the two apprentices rolled around on the ground. I can't lose to him! He is just a stupid flea-bag kittypet! She found herself thinking the things she most hated to hear about her friend.
"I won't lose to you flea-bag!" She growled as they rolled around on the ground. He didn't reply. She hissed out in rage and kicked him off with her hind legs. They both got up off the ground and glared at each other.
"Mouse-brained fool." He snorted and began circling her again. She hissed and waited for the right moment to pounce. His eyes flickered over to the other cats and that's when she pounced. He jumped back just in time and swatted at her ears with his paws. She ducked away and he knocked her on her side pinning her to the ground. "You give?" he asked.
"No! I will never give up! I will win!" She hissed and struggled to get free but he pressed down harder. She growled and spat but he didn't let up finally Brightmask broke them up;
"Alright let her up Scarpaw." She meowed and he glared at her one more time before getting up.
"I think we all know who that fight goes to." Flamefur meowed and murmurs of agreement came from the other cats.
"Yes, we do. You have taught him well Emberfang." Mossclaw meowed. Scarpaws heart raced with rage. Where did she go wrong? She had him when he looked over at the other cats, did he expect her to do pounce at him then? Did he do it on purpose?
"Thank you, Mossclaw." Emberfang meowed, "But you should also praise Scarpaw. Without her help this past moon he wouldn't be nearly as good as he is."
"If she hadn't helped trained me, she would have most likely won this fight." Scarpaw meowed and looked over at the brown she-cat.
"You got lucky!" She spat.
"Uh huh, lucky. Just admit that I am better than you." He snorted.
"You are not better than I am!" She stood up and glared at him, "I am way better then you! You're just a stupid flea-bag kittypet!" She hissed. The mottled brown tom looked surprised at her outburst and the other cats gasped but before anyone could reply there was a yowl from outside the training valley.
"Babyfang! Flamefur! Brightmask! Mossclaw! Emberfang!" Another yowl came from the pine tree that marked the entrance to the training valley. Sandpool came bursting through the trees and stopped, "There you are. I carry bad news." The sandy brown she-cat meowed.
"What is it?" Mossclaw asked.
"It's Bumblejaw," Sandpool started and Scarpaw jumped up at the mention of the beloved elder. "He hunts with Starclan now." Sandpool finished.
"What? No!" Scarpaw yowled and bounded off towards camp. She heard the other cats on her tail. She burst through the entrance to the camp and saw the golden elder in the middle of the clearing. She bounded over to his body and let out a sob. The other cats were sitting around the elder, their eyes filled with sadness.
"Oh Scarpaw, I am so sorry sweetie." Icetalon mewed as she came up beside her kit and pressed her nose to Scarpaws shoulder.
"He was like kin to me. Why did he have to leave so soon Icetalon?" She asked with another sob. Before Icetalon could reply Ashstar came from out of his den and stood at Bumblejaws head.
"Bumblejaw was a loyal and wise cat. He was always joyfull, even in the middle of the worst leaf-bare the forest could bring." He began, and there were murmurs of agreement, "He was like kin to all of us. Now he hunts with Ambershine and all of our ancestors in Starclan. I wish only the best hunting, much prey and a soft nest to sleep in for Bumblejaw. Fireclan will miss you dearly old friend. May Starclan light your path." Ashstar finished and bent down to share tongues one last time with the elder.
Scarpaw waited for the other cats to go first before she walked over to the elders' body and crouched down to share tongues with him one more time. "Oh Bumblejaw. I wish you only the best in Starclan. I will make you very proud my friend. I will miss you." She mewed quietly.
Fireclan was quiet that night, even the owls didn't make noise. Scarpaw couldn't sleep so she got up and making sure not to wake the others, she slipped out into the clearing. She spotted Flamefire and Stripetail sitting vigil for Bumblejaw. She padded over and laid down beside them.
"You should be sleeping young one." Flamefire meowed quietly.
"I can't sleep. I miss Bumblejaw already." Scarpaw mewed back. "May I please stay?" Flamefire nodded and moved closer to the young apprentice and pressed his pelt against hers for comfort. Stripetail did the same thing and the three cats shared tongues with the elder the rest of the night.
As the sun rose in the sky the elders came and took Bumblejaws body away to bury it with the rest of the cats that had died in Fireclan. Scarpaw sat in the clearing and stared at the entrance as the elders exited the camp. Full of sadness Scarpaw stared up through the hole in the cave roof.
"Did you stay out here all night?" A meow interrupted Scarpaws thoughts and she looked over to see Bramblepaw and Rainpaw sitting beside her. Scarpaw nodded, she was too sad to talk.
"We all loved Bumblejaw like a second father. He hunts up in Starclan now with Ambershine and his kin. He will guide us from Starclan." Bramblepaw meowed.
"He will be proud of us when we get our warrior names. Don't be so sad Scarpaw, we all go to Starclan sometime. It was his time now." Rainpaw meowed and licked her ear. Scarpaw purred at her littermates attempt to cheer her up.
"You guys will always make me happy." She gave a yawn, "Will you guys tell Babyfang I can't train today?" Her littermates nodded and she headed over the apprentice den. She bumped into Leopardpaw on her way out.
"You stayed with Bumblejaw didn't you?" She asked as she slipped past Scarpaw.
"I couldn't sleep knowing Flamefire and Stripetail were the only two keeping vigil. I wanted to keep them company as well as share tongues with Bumblejaw one last time." Scarpaw meowed through a yawn.
"Cheer up Scarpaw. He will always be with us." Leopardpaw meowed and gave her sister a quick lick on the shoulder before going to find Bramblepaw and Rainpaw. Scarpaw slipped inside and heard a cough from the back of the den.
"Is that you Scarpaw? Are you okay?" She walked to the back of the den.
"Yeah, just a slight cough. I will be fine." He murmured.
"Yeah right. Go see Stripetail. I am sure she can fix it." Scarpaw meowed and slipped into her nest to give herself a wash before she went to sleep.
"I said I am fine." The tom hissed and coughed again.
"I was just giving you advice! No need to rip my pelt off flea-bag." She spat back, her anger from yesterday coming back.
"I don't need your advice. I am a stupid flea-bag kittypet remember." He spat then began coughing again.
"Yes you are! I am going to get Stripetail." She stood up and went to leave;
"I don't need you to go tell on me. I can handle myself." The mottled brown tom hissed and brushed past her.
"Whatever." Scarpaw hissed after him and went back to curl up in her nest. She was on the brink of sleep when she heard Scarpaw come back in and cough. The tom stood at the entrance of the den. Scarpaw opened one eye and saw he was watching her. It was dark inside the den but she could see the sadness in his eyes. After a few heartbeats he stalked past her to his nest and curled about. He bargain to snore and Scarpaw found herself comforted by the sound of him breathing, after what felt like moons she finally fell asleep.