"I don't want to be soft anymore. I want to be bloody knuckles and shards of glass and I want people to be afraid of hurting me."
Tawnyrain was patient and calm, but she was also strict. She had set her mind on the fact that Oakpaw wouldn't be going back to camp until she had made her first catch, and she didn't let up on that.
The sun was setting, Oakpaw's paws were sore, she kept yawning, and she'd missed two hares already. Still, Tawnyfang pressed on, continuously sniffing the air and urging her apprentice to do the same. Her paws dragged across the snow, leaving long tracks in her wake. The warrior paused, using her tail to block Oakpaw's path. "You can catch this one," she whispered. "Remember, stay light on your paws."
Oakpaw nodded her head, falling into the hunter's crouch for the fourth time that day. She focused her weight onto her haunches, creeping forward in the direction of the mouse her mentor had detected. Once she deemed herself close enough, she pounced. She was prepared for yet another failure, but she was surprised to feel a soft and warm body under her paws. She ducked her head to bite at its neck, only to pause halfway - it looked like her landing on it had killed it already. She picked it up in her teeth, holding it like it was something much more fragile.
She turned her head to look at her mentor, a purr rising in her throat in her pride and a burst of energy filling her from her accomplishment. Tawnyrain smiled at her, nodding her head in approval. "That's a fat one. Well done," she praised. "We still have to get my catch, though." Oakpaw nodded, holding her head high as her mentor padded through the forest.
It didn't take long for Tawnyrain to find her prey, and she caught her ermine with more ease than Oakpaw had caught her mouse. With their prey in their jaws, the two she-cats padded towards camp. The young tabby still held her head high, but the energy she had gotten from her catch was quickly fading.
The journey back towards camp felt shorter than when the two had left - but that was probably just because the pair had been wandering around the territory all day. She didn't bother to think about it much, and it left her mind entirely when she slipped through the entrance of camp and was greeted by her brother. He approached her from where had been settled by the medicine den, his tail lifted in a wave that Oakpaw returned.
"You were out there for a long time!" he commented brightly. "Did you catch that?" Oakpaw nodded her head, another wave of pride filling her. Tawnyrain flicked her tail at her apprentice in a silent follow me. Oakpaw obeyed, Creekpaw padding along at her side as the two tabbies deposited their catches.
"Get something to eat for yourself, too, and make sure to get a good rest," Tawnyfang advised. "We'll be leaving camp at dawn tomorrow." Oakpaw nodded to her mentor, watching as she turned and made her way to the warriors' den, then she turned her head to look at Creekpaw.
"Have you eaten yet?" she asked. Creekpaw gave her an almost sheepish look.
"No, but I wanted to - Featherripple made me eat earlier," he told her. "I think Meadowpaw was waiting for you, though. Featherripple said he wanted me back in the den once you got back." Oakpaw nodded her head.
"What did he teach you today?" she questioned, curious.
"Just some herbs. It was kinda boring. I get to leave camp in a few days, though!" The tom's tail flicked. "I've gotta go. See you, Oakpaw!" He turned around, making his way back to the medicine den. She turned her head back towards the fresh-kill pile, picking up a lemming and padding towards the apprentice's den. She spotted Meadowpaw lying just outside of the den, curled up with her head pillowed on her forepaws. Drowsily, the light brown she-cat lifted her head as she approached.
"Oh, hey Oakpaw," she greeted. "Tawnyrain finally brought you back to camp?"
Oakpaw nodded her head, setting the lemming down in between them.
"You caught something?" she asked.
Again, Oakpaw nodded. "That's why it took so long."
The older she-cat took a bite out of their shared meal, and she spoke in between chews. "What happened? What did she teach you?"
"She taught me how to hunt, and she didn't want to come back until I caught a mouse," Oakpaw shared.
"Well, you'll be happy to know that Brokenpaw and I made a nest for you," Meadowpaw purred.
"Thank you," the tabby mewed, dipping her head along with the words. "She said that we're leaving at dawn tomorrow," she added, taking a bite of the fresh-kill for herself.
Meadowpaw shook her head. "You're gonna need the strength of the whole Clan," she declared, her whiskers twitching just slightly. The two apprentices fell silent as they ate, only speaking again once they had finished their meal and slipped into the apprentice's den.
"Good night, Meadowpaw," Oakpaw meowed.
The brown-furred she-cat nodded her head. "Night, Oakpaw," she purred, heading towards her nest. The tabby headed towards the only open nest, situated between the entrance of the den and the nest Coalpaw was sleeping in. She fell into the soft and fresh moss, falling asleep almost immediately.
Tawnypelt37: with what i had planned and written out for Tawnyrain, i was pretty amused reading that. but i hope you can enjoy her character even more, now! you deserve it for offering me so many characters to torture!
Redtail1192: it is indeed! HTTYD is something i enjoy very much.
I-really-hope-not: mysterious cat's POV will get a lot more interesting in future chapters - at least, i sure hope it will!
Luckyclaw of ThunderClan: is this soon enough for you?
Hazelstar of LightningClan: thanks! i tried to characterize Oakpaw and Creekpaw as much as i could - and hopefully they've become pretty interesting characters. i'll get around to reading your story as soon as i feel bored enough to start up reading a new fic, and i'll tell you what i think about it in the reviews!
The Cartographer: deal with it.
Hatakefire: thanks! i'm pretty proud of how it's turning out, myself.
Critics United (guest): found in the FAQ of the critics united forum -
"Do CU members leave anonymous reviews?
No CU member leaves anonymous reviews. It is unfair to leave a review that may leave the author with questions and not leave a way for them to get in touch with the author who wrote the review."
check out my super sleuth skills. author and detective extraordinaire.
