C h a p t e r 45
Spiderpaw picked up the squirrel from the fresh-kill pile, his mouth filling up with water at the musky smell of his prey. He turned, looking for someone to share it with. He didn't know where Blackfeather was – he hadn't seen her all day, and was under the impression that she might be avoided him – but did manage to spot Petalcloud. Thinking that sharing the prey with his mentor might give him the opportunity to inquire about Blackfeather's location, he started towards her.
"No," Petalcloud said firmly as he neared her. "Go and put that back, Spiderpaw. You haven't been on a patrol all day, and the fresh-kill pile is running low."
His eyes narrowed. "I'm hungry," he growled around the squirrel in his jaws.
"Then you can come on a hunting patrol with me," she mewed. "We'll take Leopardpaw with us."
Spiderpaw rolled his eyes, but padded back to the fresh-kill pile and deposited the squirrel where he had found it. The pile was rather low, but his stomach was gurgling impatiently, and for a moment he almost considered eating the fuzzy-tailed rodent anyway.
"Come on, little Spiderkit!" he heard Leopardpaw call. His fur bristled, but he forced it to flatten. He had to give the golden she-cat the benefit of the doubt now, even when she did manage to crawl under his skin.
"Coming," he growled, turning back to find Petalcloud and Leopardpaw already heading for the camp's entrance. He broke into a gentle lope, following them into the forest.
"Shall we try fishing?" Leopardpaw purred as she twitched her tail over the leaf-covered ground. Petalcloud frowned.
"It seems a little too cold for that," she observed. "It is leaf-bare, after all."
"Yes, but it's a rather warm day, don't you think?" Leopardpaw asked, tilting her dappled face up towards the sunlight that streamed down through the barren branches. Spiderpaw copied her, blinking up at the sky, noting how it was devoid of clouds. It was rather warm for leaf-bare, which he was grateful for; he was tired of freezing his whiskers off, but it was more than that. Often the chill creeping through his pelt made him worry about Sootpaw. Was she safe? Was she warm? Were she and the rest of the journeying party able to find shelter during the harsh nights?
"Try to keep up, Spiderkit," Leopardpaw called, and Spiderpaw realized he had been left behind once more. He hurried after them, mentally rolling his eyes as he saw they were heading towards PeakClan's territory, and the river. Leopardpaw still wasn't keen on taking the advice of others, it seemed.
As they drew closer, something nibbled at Spiderpaw's mind. He frowned, trying to place his paw on what was bothering him. Something wasn't right on the breeze; he tilted his head back and opened his mouth, sifting through the scents of the forest, trying to place what didn't belong. It took him a moment to notice that there wasn't an extra scent in the air; rather, one was lacking.
"PeakClan's scent is rather weak," he observed, as the fast-flowing river came into their view, its tumultuous white waters frothing against the rocks.
Petalcloud nodded, looking troubled. "It's well past the time for a dawn patrol. I wonder what they're doing?"
Leopardpaw was peering into the water. "There are some active fish here. If we can catch two or three, that might be all we need for the patrol."
Spiderpaw gazed over the river, searching for movement on PeakClan's side of the forest, but could see nothing other than the swaying of branches in the wind. The various rocky formations of the territory rose before him like gray-white guardians, concealing whatever activities that PeakClan was performing from view.
"Why didn't the dawn patrol notice that their scent was so weak?" he asked.
Petalcloud shrugged. "Our dawn patrol doesn't always leave precisely at dawn, and neither does PeakClan's. I'm sure they just assumed that PeakClan's would come afterwards. Obviously, however, they have not."
Leopardpaw didn't look away from the fish. "We're not going to investigate, are we?" she asked, her voice dripping with distaste.
"No, not yet," Petalcloud mewed. "If they haven't gone by before the dusk patrol, I'm sure whoever is on that patrol will tell Eaglestrike. There's no need to be hasty about it. For now, we can just fish. However, I think we should continue up to the Black Stream. The water is slower there, so it's safer."
Leopardpaw frowned. "I'm fine here."
"No, I don't want you fishing here, Leopardpaw. Frostfeather's told me that you're very good at it, and I don't doubt your skills, but we shouldn't take the risk of you falling in. That would be very dangerous during leaf-bare, even though today isn't quite as chilly as most." Petalcloud's voice was firm, and although Leopardpaw rolled her eyes, she still rose to her paws and followed Petalcloud and Spiderpaw into the brambles.
. . .
"Now, Spiderpaw, I know we've had a fishing lesson before," Petalcloud's eyes were twinkling at him as she paused, and he knew that she was remembering his first catch, after the two of them had struck up their truce, "but how much do you actually remember?"
"Fishing's not all that hard," Spiderpaw said, reciting what he could remember from the lesson. "You've just got to step lightly, so you don't spook them, and make sure your shadow doesn't go over the water until you've struck. Also, if they're in deep water, you probably won't be fast enough to catch them."
Petalcloud nodded, and opened her mouth to give a few more tips, only to close it as she saw Leopardpaw was not paying attention; the golden she-cat was staring over the gently flowing water of the Black Stream, her tail twitching in anticipation. Normally the water would be shrouded in shadow, dappled in a few places by spots of light, but because the branches surrounding it were barren, the entire stream glowed and sparkled with the icy light of leaf-bare.
That will make keeping my shadow unnoticed that much harder, he mused.
"Well, it looks like Leopardpaw knows what she's doing." Petalcloud still sounded faintly amused. "You two fish for awhile. I'm going to swing by the Thunderpath and make sure there aren't any fishy scents hanging around – pardon the pun."
She winked at him, her honey-toned eyes glowing, before springing over the stream and trotting up the slope to the tarry path. Spiderpaw looked to Leopardpaw, but she was crouched over the water, her claws hooked on the very edge of the bank, poised as though she was about to spring into the icy creek.
Spiderpaw drew his eyes away from her and into the water. Usually it was black because of the mud and shadows of the trees – hence the name – but because of the bright sunlight, it was easy to see the glint of scales just underneath the surface.
Spiderpaw reached out with one paw, it's shadow no more than a small stripe over the stream, waiting until a fish moved into his reach. He struck, plunging his paw into the water, but the chill seeping into his paw managed to surprise him, and he drew back with a hiss and a shiver. He found Leopardpaw smirking at him, her usual arrogance flitting over her features before it was replaced by concentration as her own sleek paw dipped into the water. Unlike him, her strike was fruitful, as she flipped a fish onto the bank.
The white-bellied fish flailed and flapped, trying to return to its aquatic home, but its clumsy efforts posed no obstacle to the dappled she-cat. She killed it with a single bite and set it off to the side, giving Spiderpaw another smug look in the process.
The fur on his shoulders ruffled, but he flattened it, biting back several clever remarks.
"Nice catch," was all he said, and to his surprise, Leopardpaw chuckled.
"It's eating you up inside, isn't it?" she purred. "Being nice just isn't your thing, little Spiderkit. Go ahead, let it out. You hate me."
"I don't hate you," he growled. "I just…dislike you, for the moment. Stop calling me Spiderkit."
"Oh, you dislike me." She twisted the word, making it sound silly and childish. "Well, pardon me. I suppose I should be trying harder. Don't worry, I'll do something to get under your pelt later today to make up for that whole rescuing thing. Then you can hate me again, no problem."
He tilted his head to the side. "About that whole 'rescuing thing.' Why did you do it? You don't like me much either, if I can recall. Not only did I show you up in sparring, but I was responsible for Blackpaw taking you down as well. Why would you stick out your neck for me?"
She seemed surprised that his reaction was curiosity rather than anger, and her green eyes flickered with irritation as he brought up her various defeats.
"Entirely selfish reasons, I assure you," she replied with a haughty toss of her head. "Being ostracized by the Clan isn't as much fun as you would think. It's boring. You can't really mess with anyone if they're only ignoring you."
That's not the only reason, Spiderpaw thought, feeling faintly amused himself. I'll let her hide her reasoning, though, for the moment. It's not so important right now anyway.
"Whatever," he said. "Whether we like each other or not, though, I do mean what I said the other day, back in camp. Do you want to spar later today?"
She seemed caught off guard by the offer. "Oh, but you know all my tricks already, don't you? Blackfeather seems to, at least."
He chuckled. "Blackfeather sized you up better than I did, I'm afraid. Her trick surprised me too, initially. She's cleverer than she lets on. But yes, I'd still like to spar with you. Like it or not, you've got more experience than I do, and you're clever too. You're the most interesting opponent I could hope to find, aside from perhaps Fireblaze, but sparring with him isn't all that pleasant."
She snorted. "Fireblaze has no imagination. I'm the only apprentice that's a challenge. But sure, if you're willing to get your tail kicked again, we can go at it today. Are you going to bring Blackfeather and Blizzardpaw with you? I'm not sure you'll do well without a little cheering squad egging you on."
His whiskers twitched. "I haven't seen Blackfeather today, honestly."
Leopardpaw laughed. "Still haven't made up with her, eh? Well, asking her to come watch you spar with someone as pretty as me certainly won't make her feel better, so don't do that."
He frowned, feeling puzzled. "Why not? Blackfeather seems to enjoy being invited to activities."
The golden she-cat rolled her eyes. "Oh, you really are hopeless, aren't you? Battles of any kind – even sparring between Clanmates – are energy-charged events. There are plenty of, ah, emotions that surface between sparring partners…a lot of energy is released…certain feelings have a tendency to rise to the top. In some places – like Twolegplace – mates often develop interest in each other from a friendly scuffle that turns into something…more." She cocked her head to the side, her disconcertingly green eyes fixed on him. "Don't you ever feel that rush?"
Spiderpaw thought back to his various spars, and his face heated as he remembered his last spar with Blackpaw before she had become a warrior, the prickling that had ran through his pelt as he marveled at her speed and elegance, the way she had licked his muzzle before darting into the night.
Leopardpaw's grin widened. "Ah, so you do know. Well, little Spiderkit, think about our spars. We both tend to get a little carried away, and I won't lie, I find them to be breath-taking when you don't have your head up your tail. Now, do you really want her to see you like that, all tied up with me and focused on the energy and thrill of battle? Blackfeather's pretty and all, but so am I – a different kind of pretty, of course, there are plenty of kinds – and she's not really the confident type. It'll hurt her to watch us rolling around, even though I'm fairly certain that I mean very little to you."
His ears flattened. "Blackfeather's not like that. I mean, we…we aren't…she doesn't fancy me, if that's what you're trying to say."
Leopardpaw let out an exasperated huff and rolled her eyes. "Whatever. All I'm trying to say is that inviting her would be a very very bad idea, got it? If you want her to be happy with you again, do something nice for her, something that appeals to all her squishy, soft, feminine tastes." She wrinkled her nose as if the idea of being a delicate she-cat was repugnant to her, and Spiderpaw had to smile to himself.
There are different kinds of pretty, he admitted to himself. I don't really like Leopardpaw all that much, but I have to admit she's pretty, in a sort of feral way. Blackfeather, on the other paw…she's softer, more delicate, like a feather on the breeze….
His face heated up again, and he rubbed his nose with one paw while ducking his head to disguise his embarrassment.
He heard another splash as Leopardpaw managed to fish out another flopping creature, and he shook himself, realizing that he had to at least manage to catch something before Petalcloud returned.
"Why are you helping me out with this too?" he asked, focusing his eyes on the stream. "I mean, if you don't like me, wouldn't you rather see me fail?"
"I find drama to be boring, if I'm not causing it," she replied. "Where's the fun in watching stupid toms stumbling over their paws? And messing with Blackfeather is no fun at all. She has more of a spine than she used to, but she's still likely to crumple like a wet leaf under pressure."
He felt a prickle of irritation as he reached out, readying himself for another strike. "She's not that soft."
"I think we've already established that I know her better than you do," Leopardpaw replied. The amusement was absent from her voice now, replaced with her usual casual disinterest. "But think what you like. No skin off my nose."
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her tilt her head to watch him.
"Your form's sloppy," she said. "Lift your paw up a bit there. Angle it so you cut through the water. Now steady yourself, lean forward a bit for more power. There, that one's drifting close. Wait 'til it moves into your shadow. Right—"
Spiderpaw's paw slashed through the water with little more than a ripple, and his eyes widened as he felt a scaly body move underneath his paws. Quickly, he hooked its belly with his claw, and flipped it into the air, rearing onto his hind paws to snag it before it hit the ground. He killed it with a quick bite, before looking back to Leopardpaw, who was no longer paying him any attention.
"Well, I'm back," Petalcloud purred, trotting down the grassy slope towards them. "Nothing strange going on here, although I headed near the tunnel just to make sure. How are you two doing? Three fish, huh? Not bad."
She sprang over the stream nimbly, coming to survey their catches. "Both of decent size, too. That's good. We can start heading back now, if you're through. I'm sure you're hungry."
She bent down to carry one of Leopardpaw's fish. The golden apprentice picked up the second, and strode forward without a glance back at the calico warrior. Petalcloud shot Spiderpaw a glance, and he merely shrugged, before the two of them continued on to camp.
. . .
Leopardpaw wasn't there when they arrived, but the fish she had carried was already in Fireblaze's jaws as he padded to the edge of camp to eat. Spiderpaw spotted Blackfeather waiting for the ginger tom, but he couldn't get her attention.
"I'm going to share mine with Jaggedclaw," he said, and Petalcloud dipped her head before setting the second of Leopardpaw's fish on the fresh-kill pile.
Spiderpaw trotted towards the elders den, and was relieved to see that Jaggedclaw was already outside, resting in the sunlight. His head was on his paws, and Spiderpaw wondered if he was dozing, but his head rose as the black tom approached.
"Hungry?" Spiderpaw asked, setting the fish down in front of him. Jaggedclaw sniffed it, and wrinkled his nose.
"I'm not a fan of them either, but they're easier to catch than forest prey," Spiderpaw said, and took a bite.
"I suppose so," the scarred tom rumbled, ripping a chunk of flesh from the fish's body. "Are you intending to train again today?"
Spiderpaw nodded. "If you're not tired."
"No. It's been awhile since we trained, and I've had nothing to do but rest."
"I'm sure you could go out into the forest on your own. You're getting stronger every day."
Jaggedclaw snorted. "And if my shoulder gave out while I was in the forest? What then? Besides, Silverstar would worry if she knew I was out on my own, and I don't intent to have anyone following me to make sure I don't get hurt. Anyway, I think our training will be different today."
Spiderpaw's ears pricked. "How so?"
"Thus far I've allowed you and Leopardpaw to fling yourselves at one another with little direction," he growled. "It's time I gave you some structure. Otherwise, the only opponent you are learning how to beat will be Leopardpaw, and while she is strong, hopefully you will never face her in a real battle."
Spiderpaw's pelt tingled with excitement at the idea of learning real techniques from the older tom. "Sounds good to me."
Jaggedclaw grunted, and the two of them finished off the fish before Jaggedclaw heaved himself to his paws and headed towards the camp entrance. Spiderpaw paused again, making sure that Leopardpaw wasn't in camp. He assumed she had gone to the Moss Clearing before them, and shrugged to himself as he followed the scarred tom.
Jaggedclaw coughed as they pushed through the brush. The first one was quiet, but the second was much louder, and sounded as though it was being pulled out from deep within his chest. Spiderpaw looked to the tom in alarm as Jaggedclaw stopped to take in a breath.
"Are you alright?"
"Don't," Jaggedclaw growled. Spiderpaw darted in front of him, cutting off his path.
"Really, Jaggedclaw, are you okay? That sounded serious. If you're getting sick—"
"Leave it. I mean it, Spiderpaw. Don't poke your nose where it doesn't belong. If I am sick, it won't matter whether I rest or not. We don't have the cure yet. I can either spend my days working to help the Clan, or I can lie around with Jaypaw and Silverstar for company."
The tom's single amber eye was stony as he stared down at Spiderpaw. "Don't stir up a fuss over me. Let's go."
He pushed past Spiderpaw, leaving the black apprentice staring after the scarred warrior in confusion. Apprehension crawled in his stomach, and his ears flattened.
How long as he been coughing? He wondered. How long as he been hiding it, because he doesn't want to feel useless…? If I could at least convince him to eat a snowberry, then maybe….
Despite his worry, he felt a surge of admiration for the older tom as he limped through the brush. Jaggedclaw wasn't like the other warriors; he was dark, he had a gritty touch to him, he was closed-off and secretive, but despite all of this he still cared for his Clan. Any cat that was able to suffer in silence for the better of the Clan was worthy of Spiderpaw's respect.
"Not a word," Jaggedclaw murmured to him as they entered the Moss Clearing. As expected, Leopardpaw was waiting for them. She was lying down, but rose to her paws as they approached, her tail twitching in anticipation. She crouched, ready to strike, only to blink as Jaggedclaw sat down in the center of the clearing, rather than his usual spot off to the side.
"We're doing something different today," he informed the golden she-cat. "You'll be sparring according to my instructions. Spiderpaw needs to learn how to face bigger opponents."
Leopardpaw flicked her ear at him. "What's that supposed to mean, mmm?"
Jaggedclaw ignored her, glancing back at Spiderpaw. "Are you ready?"
He dipped his head, shifting into a defensive stance. "Ready."
Jaggedclaw tilted his head back to Leopardpaw. "Rush him."
She frowned. "Just head-on? That seems a bit…tactless."
"Larger cats aren't fond of tact," he growled. "Most of the time they'll depend on their strength rather than any skill. Cats like Northstar are the exception, but they're few and far between. Just do it."
Leopardpaw shrugged. "Whatever."
She waited a moment, her tail flicking from side to side, before she lunged at Spiderpaw. Her golden paws darted over the moss as she charged at him, and Spiderpaw only had a few seconds to duck to the side. She reached out with one paw, trying to swipe his side, but he managed to jump out of the way.
Leopardpaw spun around to face him, before looking to Jaggedclaw, who was frowning.
"Leopardpaw's not much larger than you," he said. "She's good for training against cats your own size or slightly larger, but for someone that would really be a pawful for you, you should ask a larger cat to help. Fireblaze, perhaps."
Leopardpaw snorted. "Oh, I would love to see you two duke it out. Ask him, won't you? And tell me when you two decide to go for it, I would really like to watch."
Spiderpaw's tail flicked with irritation. "Whatever. I'm not going to get him now."
Jaggedclaw shrugged. "Fine. Leopardpaw should be large enough to suffice for this session, anyway. Now, Leopardpaw, this time try to pin him down."
"My pleasure," Leopardpaw purred, crouching once more. "Ready, Spiderkit?"
She didn't allow him the time for a retort as she dove forward, angling right before abruptly changing direction and darting to the left, swiping at his legs with her paw. The move caught him off balance, and he stumbled, but regained his footing in time to dodge her next leap.
Leopardpaw whirled around to face him, grinning. "Quit trying to get away, Spiderkit. Clearly the point of this is to see how you can escape my grasp once I've caught you, not to see how long you can run away."
"I'm not going to make it easy for her," he retorted with a grin, before lunging at her. To his surprise, she reared onto her back paws and flung him away with her forepaws, sending him tumbling to the ground. She was on him in an instant, grinding his nose into the dirt.
He squirmed underneath of her, then went limp.
"Giving up so soon?" Leopardpaw's breath was hot on his ear as she laughed.
"You wish," he spat back, before kicking at her paws with his back legs. She staggered to the side, and he managed to wiggle partway out of her grip before her claws caught his flank and pinned him down once more. Ignoring the pain, he twisted in her grasp and buffeted her muzzle and face with his paws, forcing her to release.
"On her back, now!" Jaggedclaw barked, and Spiderpaw obeyed without thinking, leaping onto Leopardpaw's back and digging in with his claws.
Leopardpaw twisted to snap at him, but saw that she couldn't reach anything of importance. Spiderpaw bit down on her ear, and she let out a hiss of pain, before throwing herself to the ground and rolling. Spiderpaw had been expecting her to rear onto her hind paws first, so she could use gravity and her own weight to crush him, so her quick move took him by surprise. His face was pressed into her pelt as she rolled over him. He knew the move was causing her pain as well – her shoulder had hit the ground before she had been able to roll – but she continued the move, rolling the other way and crushing him against her once more.
He kicked at her back, but she continued to press down on him. Her fur was in his nose and mouth, and he found himself unable to draw a clean breath. His struggles weakened as he fought for air, and Leopardpaw finally sat up, leaving him on the ground. The moss was flattened all around him from her efforts. He drew in a shaky breath, taking a moment to rest before he stood. Leopardpaw seemed winded as well, but triumphant.
Jaggedclaw's expression was unreadable. "Passable. Leopardpaw, you shouldn't have let down your guard when he went limp. Pride is a flaw of yours as it is for most large cats as well. Your move against his grip on your back was clever, but it damaged both of you. In a real battle, it would have been risky to exert so much energy on one opponent."
He looked to Spiderpaw. "You had her ear, and you should have used it. The face in general is very sensitive, and if you control it, you control the movements of the cat. If you had jerked her ear in the opposite direction of where she was trying to hit the ground, she would have been forced to abandon her move, leaving you still on her back."
"Right," Spiderpaw panted. "What next?"
Jaggedclaw frowned. "There is no 'next.' Try it again until you can escape from her without sustaining such injuries and using up so much energy. Leopardpaw, go ahead and pin him down. Lie down on your back, Spiderpaw."
Spiderpaw growled, hating the idea of submitting to Leopardpaw, but he did as Jaggedclaw said. Leopardpaw stepped up and pinned him down, placing one paw on either side of his chest.
"Begin," Jaggedclaw ordered, and immediately Spiderpaw lashed out at Leopardpaw's stomach. She grimaced as he winded her, but in return kicked down at his own stomach. Gravity was on her side, and her attack left him winded.
"Stop. Let him breath."
Leopardpaw stepped off, and Spiderpaw rolled onto his side, struggling to catch his breath through the pain in his stomach.
"Don't challenge her to a fight you can't win like that," Jaggedclaw meowed. "Your opponent will almost certainly be stronger than you, and if they have you pinned, their blows will be more forceful because they are coming down on you. Try again."
Leopardpaw took her spot once more, waiting for Jaggedclaw's signal before her claws pricked his fur.
This time, Spiderpaw twisted around and sunk his teeth into Leopardpaw's leg. She yelped with surprise and tried to draw back, but he had a firm hold on her. Using her other paw, she hurled blow after blow at his face, but couldn't force him to release her. Remembering what Jaggedclaw had said before about control, Spiderpaw twisted his head to the side, twisting Leopardpaw's paw towards the ground. She had to move to the side to compensate to ensure that her leg didn't break, freeing up his side. Continuing the twist, he kicked up at her again, for she was now off to his right side. As his kick made contact, he released her paw. Leopardpaw tumbled to the side, having already been off balance, and Spiderpaw was able to scramble to his paws.
Knowing Jaggedclaw would be angry if he tried to pin down a larger opponent, Spiderpaw sprang onto her for only a minute, raking his paws down her side and stomach, before springing away and out of her grasp. His claws were sheathed, but it was obvious that if they hadn't been, the injuries Leopardpaw would have received would have been deep.
"That's fine," Jaggedclaw meowed, as Leopardpaw regained her footing. "Using her paw to control her was good, Spiderpaw. If her claws had been unsheathed, your face would have been badly injured, so if you're going to use that move in the future, be faster about it. Don't be afraid to be confident. Your moves have to be decisive, without hesitation, or your opponent will see what you're up to before you complete them.
"Now, do it again, and be quick about it this time."
. . .
By the time their session ended, both apprentices were exhausted, and Jaggedclaw still didn't seem satisfied. It wasn't until Spiderpaw nearly collapsed after managing to throw Leopardpaw off for the umpteenth time that the scarred tom finally allowed them to go. Leopardpaw strode away and seemed to be heading to camp for once, probably to rest up. Spiderpaw waited for Jaggedclaw to stand, before the two of them headed back to camp together.
"Don't you think you should at least get a snowberry?" Spiderpaw asked.
"PeakClan attacked us for them. The Gathering's coming, and if it comes to blows – which I suspect it will – every snowberry will be precious," the tom replied. "The Clan doesn't need to waste one on me. After our training sessions are through, I'll be useless again."
"I don't think Reedrush will see it that way, if she comes back and you're…not here," Spiderpaw meowed, his voice soft. Jaggedclaw's eye clouded over.
"You remember what I told you, about Myrtle and Destiny?" he asked, is voice gruff.
"Of course. Why?"
"Just hold onto it," he replied, dodging the question.
"So I can tell Reedrush when she comes back?" Spiderpaw asked, a note of challenge in his voice. "Save it, Jaggedclaw. You're going to be here when she returns, and you can tell her everything yourself."
"Just hold onto it," Jaggedclaw repeated, his voice lower than before, more defeated.
They entered camp, and without another word, Jaggedclaw headed to the elders den. Spiderpaw watched him go, wishing he could convince the scarred tom otherwise.
"Hey, Spiderpaw! How'd it go?"
He turned to find Blizzardpaw trotting up to him, with a bright smile on his face.
"Leopardpaw just came in, and she looked really tired. Jaggedclaw's a grueling mentor, huh?"
Spiderpaw nodded. "You could say that."
"Too grueling for you to train with me tonight?" Blizzardpaw asked, his voice dropping to a whisper as he glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching them.
Spiderpaw's whiskers twitched with amusement. "I don't think so. It's long overdue, really. We'll meet in the Moss Clearing, alright?"
Blizzardpaw grinned. "Excellent! I'll go tell Blackfeather, she's hanging around here somewhere."
"That's alright, I can tell her—" Spiderpaw started to see, but Blizzardpaw had already dashed off. His ears flattened, and he let out a quiet sigh.
I haven't talked to her all day, he thought, feeling a twinge of guilt. Ah, well. We'll speak tonight. Until then, I suppose I should get some rest.
He ducked into the apprentice den, blinking as he saw that Leopardpaw was already curled up in her nest. When was the last time that she was actually here before me?
He lied down in his own nest, curling up until his nose touched his tail, and closed his eyes.
"What do you have to rest up for?" Leopardpaw murmured. Spiderpaw cracked open one eye to blink at her.
"Nothing. I'm just tired."
"Uh huh. I thought you and Blackfeather were finished training…unless you're going to do something else to make her like you again." Leopardpaw wiggled her whiskers suggestively, her green eyes twinkling at him.
He let out a low huff. "We're not doing anything. If you must know, she and I are going to be training Blizzardpaw tonight."
"Ah, that's right, his assessment is coming up soon, no?" Leopardpaw tilted her head to the side. "Is your Daddy not doing a good enough job, or what?"
Spiderpaw bristled. "He's just got a lot to deal with. He has to keep the Clan together against the sickness, PeakClan, and now these rogues. He doesn't always have time to train Blizzardpaw."
"Don't be so sensitive, Spiderkit, I'm only yanking your tail," she purred. "Your Daddy is lovely. He'll make a fabulous leader once Silverstar finally gives up the charade."
He rose to his paws, letting out a quiet growl. "What are you trying to say?"
Her whiskers twitched. "Good to know that despite the whole 'proud to call you my Clanmate thing' I can still enrage you. Glad I haven't lost my edge. You've got to stop letting everything bother you so much, Spiderkit, or you'll have some sort of attack before you and Blackfeather get your first litter. Go to sleep."
Spiderpaw's claws dug into the sandy floor of the den, but Leopardpaw had already closed her eyes, unafraid of his anger. He let out a hiss of frustration and curled back up in his nest. It wasn't until Leopardpaw began to snore that he realized he should have asked her what she was resting up for.
. . .
Blizzardpaw's cold nose jolted him awake. The tom blinked down at him with bright blue eyes. "Are you ready?"
Spiderpaw rubbed his eyes with one paw. He felt as though he had just closed his eyes for a moment, but the shining moon told him it had actually been hours.
"Go ahead and go to the clearing," he said. "I've got something I need to check first."
Blizzardpaw gave him a quick nod, before slipping out of the den silently. Spiderpaw glanced towards Leopardpaw's den, and was relieved to find that she was still asleep, at least for now. He swept his gaze over the rest of the den, checking that the other apprentices were slumbering as well, before exiting the den.
He paused again in the entrance to make sure there were no guards or cats in camp. There were not, so he proceeded to the medicine den, creeping into the den's entrance as silently as he could.
Got to see how many snowberries are left, he thought, his eyes flicking over the sleeping shapes. He let out a low hiss as he realized Shimmerfrost was gone.
I wonder who she's with tonight, he thought, gritting his teeth. Still, it's for the best. She'd probably be sleeping right on top of the berries, if she was here.
He took a step inside, freezing as Silverstar coughed in her sleep, before continuing to creep forward. Luckily, Shimmerfrost was very organized, for an icy, uncaring medicine cat that was seeing PeakClan toms on the side. All the berries were grouped together, and it was easy to tell the pale snowberries apart from the others.
Not many here, he thought, feeling a touch of anxiety. I don't know how many Silverstar and Jaypaw are supposed to be getting each day…but there aren't enough to last long, that's for sure. If we do fight PeakClan over them, and lose….
"Blackfeather?"
Spiderpaw spun around, every hair on his pelt standing up. Amber eyes glowed in the darkness, staring at him, blurred by sleep.
"Jaypaw?" Spiderpaw asked, taking a cautious step forward.
Jaypaw rubbed his eyes and blinked. "Oh, Spiderpaw. Hello. I thought you were Blackfeather."
Spiderpaw frowned. "Why would Blackfeather be in here?"
"She comes and visits me sometimes, in the night, when Shimmerfrost isn't around," Jaypaw mewed. He sounded sleepy, and there was a slight rasp to his voice. "Robinpaw visits me now and then, but not as much. It's lonely in here, most of the time. What are you doing?"
"Er…just looking for Shimmerfrost," he lied.
"Okay," Jaypaw mumbled, sounding as though he was about to fall asleep again. His head dropped onto his paws. "Sorry."
Spiderpaw's ears pricked. "For what?"
"I know I was kind of a jerk, before I got sick and everything," the gray apprentice yawned. "I just worry about Robinpaw a lot…but I know you two are friends now. That's good. Family shouldn't fight."
"I would have done the same thing if you'd said anything about Sootpaw that was even close to what I said about Robinpaw," Spiderpaw said, feeling a bit of pity for the sickly tom. "You don't have to apologize."
Jaypaw made a quiet purring noise that devolved into a gentle snore. Spiderpaw exited the den as quietly as he could, not wanting to disturb any of the invalids further.
The camp was cool and silent as he left it behind, entering the shadow-cloaked forest. Dry branches scraped together above his head as an icy breeze tore through the forest, ruffling his fur and making him want to return to his warm nest. The moonlight shone down, harsh and bright rather than its usual soft silver.
Three nights from now, it'll be the Gathering, he thought, craning his neck back to look up at the starry night sky. I want to go this time…not just as an insolent kit that snuck along, but as a real apprentice, someone that the Clan is proud enough of to allow to come. I want Northstar to see me because I want him to, not just because he managed to spot a stowaway in the ferns.
His ears flattened. I probably won't go, though…all of the apprentices have behaved themselves the past few moons, with the exception of Redpaw, and everyone knows how prickly I can be…it will probably just be Blizzardpaw and Robinpaw that go.
He stepped into the clearing, his eyes finding the bright shape of Blizzardpaw's pelt with ease. It took him a moment to spot Blackfeather; she was sitting very still, her eyes gleaming as she blinked at him.
"Hey," he said to them both as he approached. "We might as well get started right away, since your assessment is coming up. What is it that you really need help with?"
"A bit of everything," Blizzardpaw confessed. "I'm an okay hunter – tracking is kind of my specialty, but often I falter when it comes to leaps. As for fighting, I'm afraid that I'm just not very good at sparring with the other apprentices. It's difficult for me to strike my Clanmates, and although I'm fast, my hesitation often makes me pull my blows."
Spiderpaw shrugged. "That's easy enough to fix. Blackfeather can help you out with the hunting, but I guess we should start with the sparring first, since I think you'll have more trouble with that. Blackfeather, if you want you can be—"
He was cut off as an excited voice meowed, "Hey, guys!" from behind him. He turned to find Robinpaw smiling at them as she sat down, her injured leg sticking just a hair off to the side.
"What are you doing here?" Blizzardpaw asked, sounding surprised. "I didn't tell her we were meeting tonight, Spiderpaw, I promise."
Robinpaw stuck her tongue out at him. "I'm the one who managed to convince him to do this, mousebrain. I should at least get to watch. Besides, I'm here to give you moral support!" She beamed at him.
Blizzardpaw shot Spiderpaw a glance, seeming faintly embarrassed, but also pleased. "Well, we can't really send her back home…."
"She can watch, I guess," Spiderpaw said, but he was frowning. He had been planning on letting Blizzardpaw begin sparring with Blackfeather, hoping that the opportunity would act as a silent apology from him. Now, though, he was remembering what Leopardpaw had said about she-cats disliking watching the tom they fancied sparring with another she-cat. Robinpaw and Blizzardpaw had some sort of 'thing' going on – that much was obvious.
Best not to take the chance, he thought, and flicked his tail to Blackfeather. "You can sit by Robinpaw, if you want. I'll start us off."
Blackfeather's golden eyes flashed with hurt, but she didn't say anything as she stalked away to sit beside the ginger apprentice. Robinpaw didn't seem to notice how disgruntled the black she-cat was; her glowing green eyes were focused on Blizzardpaw.
Spiderpaw felt a pang of guilt, but pushed it away to focus on Blizzardpaw. He took a few steps back to create space between them, before falling into a fighting stance.
"Now, I think your opponent will be Redpaw, when you spar for your assessment," he said. "Redpaw's younger and hasn't been challenged to a competition before, so he's a likely choice. However, Redpaw's strong and trains quite often with Fireblaze, so he'll be tough to beat. You've got to give it your all if you're going to fight him."
Blizzardpaw nodded, and Spiderpaw flicked his tail. "Attack me."
Blizzardpaw's eyes narrowed with determination as he sized Spiderpaw up, before darting to the right. Spiderpaw copied him, moving to the right as well before darting left as Blizzardpaw changed direction. He jumped into the air as Blizzardpaw rushed towards him, soaring over the white cat and landing neatly on his paws.
"You're fast, but your eyes give your movements away," he said. "Don't look where you're going to attack, or Redpaw will know exactly where you're trying to go."
Without warning, he lunged forwards, paws outstretched. He caught Blizzardpaw in the chest, and managed to tumble the white tom head over paws. Knowing that Redpaw would use his strength to his advantage, Spiderpaw attempted to pin Blizzardpaw down, pressing his legs to the ground with one paw and propping the other on the white apprentice's shoulder.
Blizzardpaw squirmed beneath him, but Spiderpaw's grip was firm. He stopped fighting, then sighed.
"I think that would be the fastest loss in assessment history," he meowed, twisting his head to blink up at Spiderpaw.
Spiderpaw nodded. "Yeah, because you gave up. Here's something I learned today: grab my paw in your mouth."
Blizzardpaw seemed dubious. "Biting is against the rules."
"Only if its deep, and it doesn't have to be. Besides, Redpaw won't complain, it would be embarrassing for him. Just do it."
Blizzardpaw still seemed skeptical, but he obediently reached around for the paw that Spiderpaw had on his shoulders.
"Now, pull it to the right," Spiderpaw ordered. Blizzardpaw jerked his head, and Spiderpaw winced as the white tom's teeth grazed his skin. Since he couldn't pull his paw out of Blizzardpaw's mouth without more pain, he was forced to move to the left as well, freeing Blizzardpaw from his grip.
Blizzardpaw had reached as far as he could, and he released Spiderpaw to scramble to his paws, rolling to the left. Spiderpaw was off balance, and nearly fell over, but managed to reach out and grab Blizzardpaw's hindquarters with his paws. Blizzardpaw turned and swatted at Spiderpaw's face with his own paws, forcing him to release.
Spiderpaw took a step back. "See? That's one way to escape that sort of hold. You just can't be overly cautious. The last thing anyone wants is for you to fail your assessment because you're afraid of hurting your opponent. Redpaw's tough, he can take whatever you can dish out."
Blizzardpaw dipped his head, then crouched. "Are we going to try it again?"
Spiderpaw let out a low purr. "Of course. We're not going to be finished until you're ready to collapse."
Blizzardpaw's whiskers twitched. "I pity the apprentice that gets you for a mentor."
Spiderpaw laughed, then leaped at Blizzardpaw again, tackling him to the ground. Blizzardpaw kicked upwards, sending Spiderpaw flying. He landed to the ground in a heap, and was about to spring back up when his eyes met Blackfeather's. Her golden gaze pierced him like thorns, and for a moment he was frozen, until she looked away, turning her attention to Blizzardpaw. She bent down and murmured something in Robinpaw's ear, sending the ginger apprentice into a fit of giggles.
Spiderpaw felt a strange prickle of jealousy, before Blizzardpaw landed on him. Spiderpaw twisted his head to the side so he wouldn't suffocate in the thick moss. He turned his head to try and nip at Blizzardpaw, only to let out a hiss as the white tom's teeth clamped down on his ear, preventing the movement.
"Nice," he growled. "But not perfect."
He hooked his claws into the moss for traction, before giving his hind legs a quick jerk, twisting them underneath of him. Blizzardpaw was forced to shift his position to keep Spiderpaw pinned, and his concentration on holding Spiderpaw's ear lapsed. Spiderpaw jerked away and continued to twist until he could kick up at Blizzardpaw's stomach. The blow wasn't enough to send the white tom tumbling, but hit forced him to back away, and Spiderpaw scrambled to his paws.
"Good," Spiderpaw meowed. "Don't be afraid to get rough with Redpaw, because he'll do the same for you."
Blizzardpaw dipped his head, before looking to Blackfeather. "I hate to ask, but do you think we could do some leaping practice before the night is over?"
Spiderpaw's eyes narrowed. Blizzardpaw needed the practice sparring, and he knew it, but he obviously felt sorry for Blackfeather, since she was just sitting around.
"Yeah, that's fine," Spiderpaw said. "Blackfeather, you can—"
"Come with me," Blackfeather mewed to Blizzardpaw, ignoring Spiderpaw entirely. Blizzardpaw shot Spiderpaw an apologetic glance, before following the black warrior into the brush. Robinpaw bounced behind them excitedly, chattering on about how well Blizzardpaw had done, leaving Spiderpaw alone in the clearing.
His ears flattened as another chilly breeze rustled through the now-silent clearing, making him shiver. She is pretty mad, he thought, and I've just made it worse tonight.
Perhaps I should take Leopardpaw's advice – for just this once – and do something for her. But what?
He sighed, and shook his head ruefully. There will be time for all that later. Right now, we have to prepare Blizzardpaw. Him becoming a warrior should be more important than whatever issues Blackfeather and I need to work out.
He padded in the direction of where they had disappeared from view, the dry ferns crackling against his muzzle as he passed through them. He snaked over the dark earth like a bird's shadow, as the heavy moon continued rising in the sky and the stars twinkled watchfully.
AN: Early chapter, hooray! I've been writing like the dickens the last few days, it's lovely.
