Alright. Chapter five. V. Life is stressful, y'know? Hopefully you enjoy this chapter, and I'll see you later. I just tried to bold the line between this note and the story and it doesn't do that. Oh well.
"Alright. Explain what happened." Flarestripe turned to ask Birchfur. The medicine den was unusually full today. Palefoot was finishing putting as many cobwebs as he could on Splashpaw, who was groaning with agony. Meanwhile Jaguarpelt was chewing a chervil poultice, and looking at his apprentice with worry. Marshpaw was trying to play with his tail as Palefoot looked up.
"Come on, you can't be here, Marshpaw." he quietly told the apprentice
"Let me stay! Please?" Marshpaw looked up at him. Palefoot only shook his head
"No, not today. This is warrior business." he tried to nudge the young cat out of the den, but he refused.
"I can be a part of warrior business! I helped get catmint! And helped drive out a rogue! All in one day!" Marshpaw pleaded
"I appreciate it, but please-"
"Frostfang. Get him out of here." EagleStar's commanding voice rang over him. Frostfang picked up the arguing apprentice and walked out of the medicine den.
"Tell him Splashpaw'll be okay!" Palefoot called out, unsure if the pair could hear him.
Flarestripe rolled her eyes. "Explain, Birchfur." she told the cream colored tom again.
"Ah! Right!" Birchfur's ears perked up, as if this was suddenly news to him. ShadowClan these days. Didn't they realise this was important?
"So, we were patrolling the border." Birchfur began
"You crossed underneath the thunderpath, correct?" EagleStar interrupted to ask
"Of course sir," the speckled tom promptly responded before continuing, "It was going well until we noticed that ThunderClan had yet again put THEIR scent markers on that side of the thunderpath. So we set about reclaiming our territory."
"And then what happened?" Palefoot yawned
"While our backs were turned, a ThunderClan patrol came up to us and accused us of moving the borderline into their territory."
"Who was on this patrol?" Flarestripe asked
"And why were your backs turned?!" EagleStar demanded. "A good ShadowClan warrior never turns their back, especially on a borderline. What were you thinking?"
"We-we just didn't expect them, EagleStar." Birchfur tried to reason, "And we were setting up our scent markers. With the already overwhelming scent of ThunderClan, we just didn't smell them coming."
"Alright." EagleStar grunted. "Carry on."
"It was the usual ThunderClan patrol. Badgerpelt, Clappaw… and a cat I've never seen before. Badgerpelt accused us of invading their territory. I fervently denied this horrid accusation, and then Splashpaw started going on about the warrior code, and how ThunderClan were a bunch of mouse-brains. One yowl led to the next, and suddenly a fight broke out."
"Uh-huh." Flarestripe lowered her gaze as he spoke
"I effortlessly batted away our assailants, as fast as how our shadows leave the rocks. The other two weren't as lucky though. Their slow claws forced us to retreat due to too many wounds. Being the least wounded, I was clearly the one able to run to tell you all." Birchfur put a forepaw to his chest in pride, and looked at the leader and deputy for approval.
"What did Frostfang do?" Flarestripe asked him
"Frostfang? Well, uh-"
"Pretty sure you were the one who riled them up, Birchfur." Jaguarpelt finished the poultice and gave it to Palefoot. Frostfang came back into the medicine den and nodded their head, confirming this. Flarestripe and EagleStar glared at him.
"Oh, okay, so maybe, and just maybe, I said a few words." Birchfur backtracked, his ears flattened. "But does it matter? We still had a border clash, and Splashpaw and Jaguarpelt still got hurt."
"Tis merely a scratch." Jaguarpelt licked his wounded leg.
Flarestripe sighed. "So what are we to do?" EagleStar asked, his eyes resting on Flarestripe. This was a test. A test of deputyness. Her neck fur bristled, but she quickly put it down.
"We…" she felt the eyes of her clanmates staring at her. "We should plan a counterattack. We move the border line back towards our territory."
EagleStar nodded. She continued. "We need to lull them into a false sense of security. Perhaps give it a few sunrises. Then when they least expect it, we attack." she stomped her right paw for emphasis. The other warriors nodded in agreement, vengeance glinting in their eyes.
"And just who would be a part of this assault?" Palefoot asked. "If this is happening soon, Splashpaw and Jaguarpelt aren't going to be involved." he stated, much to the dismay of the apprentice and his mentor.
"C'mon Palefoot, ya can't do that!"
"But we were the ones to be attacked. Surely we should be the ones to strike back!" Jaguarpelt dug his claws into the ground.
"Oh, cool." Frostfang murmured. "Can I not go too?"
"No, Frostfang. You and Birchfur should be there. We need to show ThunderClan that we aren't going to be bossed around like this, nor should they think we are weakened." Flarestripe explained, an approving Palefoot nodded his head.
"So it's settled." EagleStar decided. "I will lead this attack on ThunderClan. Frostfang and Birchfur will accompany me. We'll figure the rest out later. May StarClan light your path!" he stepped confidently out of the medicine den and into the camp clearing.
The group of cats stayed silent for a while.
"So…can I still participate?" Jaguarpelt asked uncertainty.
"Let me just check up on your leg after Splashpaw's taken care of." Palefoot told him. Jaguarpelt went back to licking his leg. "You can go Frostfang; thank you for the help." Frostfang nodded and padded out as well.
Flarestripe waited patiently as Palefoot applied the poultice onto a grumpy Jaguarpelt. Splashpaw was taken into the back, and was sleeping peacefully despite his injuries.
"Do you think he'll be okay?" she asked
"Uh, yeah, Jaguarpelt's gonna be fine." Palefoot replied as he continued his work.
"Yeah, I'll be fine." he commented
"I wasn't talking about Jaguarpelt." She corrected herself. Palefoot nodded in understanding and followed her towards his stockpile of herbs.
"Are you still worried about this?" he asked
"Of course! Should he really be leading this attack?" she questioned concerningly.
"Yes, Flarestripe. He'll be fine." Palefoot sighed. "He's made it through plenty of battles and survived. Plus, the warrior code says to not kill if it isn't necessary. You're getting too worked up about it."
"But..but what if something happens? There could be a monster, a loose tree, and what about that cat Birchfur mentioned? We don't know who that is! Just, what if-"
"Okay, Flarestripe. Enough." Palefoot's voice became serious. "Everything will be okay. Do you not realise what you did today? You came up with the plan to counterattack ThunderClan. You set up all the patrols and help choose which cats should be mentors. When he dies, you'll be a fine leader." he explained. "Also, do you not realise you'll get to choose your own deputy?"
"But-"
"And you'll still have me, and plenty of elders to consult. I'm not going anywhere." Palefoot reassured her.
Flarestripe looked away, taking shallow breaths to steel her nerves. She looked back at the medicine cat with more determined eyes. "I'm sure you're right. You are the medicine cat, after all." She turned and started to walk out of the medicine den. Palefoot nodded.
"Well, good luck out there. May StarClan light your path."
Flarestripe turned one last time to face him. "Though it is quite alarming they supposedly have a new warrior. Are you sure we've never seen them?"
"I'm quite sure." Palefoot confirmed, "From the way Birchfur described him, I don't recall ever seeing him at any gatherings."
"Sneaky…sneaky cats." she muttered under her breath. She turned back to face the rest of her clan, feeling uncertain as she left Palefoot in the medicine den to do his work.
Sparkpaw jerked his head awake. Was it really dawn already? He looked around; all the other apprentices were fast asleep. Splashpaw wasn't in the den though, which made his heart hurt a little.
He should really check up on him to see if he's okay. He yawned, stretched, and headed out of the den.
The sky was a clear light blue, and the sun was barely up across the horizon. He quietly stalked his way through camp, and into the medicine den. The smell of herbs and poultice hit his senses. Some cat's been treated! He thought as hope sparked in his eyes. Palefoot was usually impossible to wake, but Sparkpaw continued walking slowly on his paws to make sure he didn't bother the medicine cat.
In the back of the medicine den lay a mostly white cat, except for his brown paws, tail tip, and lower muzzle. Sparkpaw went up to the sleeping cat, still covered in cobwebs and poultice, and cuffed him around the ear. "Wake up!" he quietly mewed. The brown and white apprentice was mumbling in his sleep, something about ThunderClan.
"No…no don't eat me…no, no!" He suddenly awoke, claws unsheathed. He flailed his paws around, narrowly missing Sparkpaw.
"Oh! Didn't see ya there mate." He apologised.
"It's okay. I'm glad you're okay." Sparkpaw answered, relieved his friend was feeling better.
"Yeah, I'm doing fine, I suppose. ThunderClan really got us though." Splashpaw commentated, configuring himself in the medicine nest, readjusting to face his striped friend. Sparkpaw's ears perked up.
"So how was it? Did you beat up any ThunderClan cats? Were they as fierce as the queens and elders say?" Sparkpaw asked his fellow apprentice.
"Eh, it was okay I guess." Splashpaw shrugged. "Like I said, they really gave us a run for our tails. There were only three, and one of 'em didn't even fight really."
"What do you mean?" Sparkpaw turned his head in question. Splashpaw cleared his throat to begin his tale.
"Okay, so, it was that senior warrior Badgerpelt and the leader's apprentice, Clappaw, he's quite nice outside of battle. So, we met 'em on our borders, and,"
"You went underneath the thunderpath, right?" Sparkpaw interrupted.
"Yeah, like we were supposed to," Splashpaw confirmed. "So we're marking the borders when the ThunderClan patrol shows up and accuses us of moving the borderline. Birchfur decided to be a hero I guess and yelled at them. I tried to stop him, but one insult led to another and, well," Splashpaw flicked his tail. "Here we are." Sparkpaw nodded along in understandment.
"And that wasn't even the weirdest part! This third cat I mentioned, he was just guiding the other two in battle, moving his claws and tail to where he wanted them to go." Splashpaw added
"Really?" Sparkpaw had never heard of a cat who only directed, and not fought in battle.
"Yeah! And he had one of those fancy kittypet collars with a bowtie on it!" Splashpaw hissed.
"They let a kittypet into their clan?" Sparkpaw asked incredulously. "What are they thinking?"
"I dunno mate, but it seemed to have worked in their favour." Splashpaw licked his wounds as best he could. "We should get answers at the next gathering."
Sparkpaw nodded. Palefoot was heard mumbling something, an indicator he was getting up. "Okay, I'll leave you for now, but I'll catch something for you, okay?" Sparkpaw offered
"If ya insist, I guess I could go for something. I heard ya caught that vole yesterday; how was it?"
"It was…." Sparkpaw thought. How could he tell him he not just let him go, but was visiting the loner soon. "It was good," he finally answered.
Splashpaw gave him a smile. "Well good job mate. I expect this fresh kill to be fresher than normal, alright?" he teased. Sparkpaw gave out a chuckle before heading towards the aftermath of his chance encounter.
The wind was warmer than that of last moon, but it still did not have the heat of the newleaf and greenleaf to come. Sparkpaw felt the breeze in his fur as he quietly moved out of camp and into the territory, nearing the Carrionplace. Was he really going to do this? Wasn't this breaking the warrior code? What if he was never made a warrior, or exiled from his clan? No other clan would have him after that? And then what? Was he to live out his days as a loner like Dave, residing in the disgusting Carrionplace, forgetting everything he knew about the warrior code? Was he-
His thoughts quickly left him as he stumbled over the ground. He shook his fur and looked up. He was quite close to his destination. I guess thoughts really do let you travel far. He chuckled to himself. He turned his head to see the stump where he and the loner met, and there he was. Dave. The grey and red tom was sitting on that very stump, his tail flickering excitedly.
"Heya Sparky!" He greeted Sparkpaw enthusiastically
"Uh…hi?" Sparkpaw wasn't expecting this sort of greeting. Also, sparky?
"I see you are a little confused." Dave noted the apprentice's expression.
"Yeah..what's with the name sparky?" Sparkpaw asked
Dave's ears perked up. "Well, you see, I was up thinking, that name, 'Sparkpaw', kind of a mouthful. So I decided to shorten it a bit. Make up a little nickname for you, you know!" Dave explained
"Uh, thank you?" Sparkpaw was still recovering from this…situation.
"Yeah! I spent nearly half the night thinking on it!"
"So…how long have you slept?"
Dave put a claw to his chin. "Not sure actually. But I think I slept enough. I'm not really a 'sleeper' per say, Sparky. I find it easier to stay awake than to sleep, you know."
Sparkpaw only nodded along. This wasn't what he was expecting. Then again, he didn't even know what to expect from secretly meeting up with a loner to learn how to hunt better.
"Sleep is for the weak. You forget your thoughts and then when you wake up you're all groggy and everything yesterday seems long in the past. But if you don't sleep, you have a better sense of thoughts! It's natural progression, Sparky! Now, I'm so glad you're here. I was having trouble with something, and-"
"Um, aren't you going to teach me how to hunt?" Sparkpaw stopped his new mentor's rambling. His ears pinned down, it might be rude to interrupt though. Dave looked at him a little confused, then a light seemed to go off in his head.
"Oh, right! I said that yesterday, didn't I? Yeah, yeah, I teach you how to hunt, and you can help me with this thing I just said." Dave reasoned
"O-okay.." Sparkpaw also agreed. But what did Dave want to do?
The two cats went across the thunderpath for this little hunting lesson.
"Stay to my left…no, right..wait, yeah left." Dave was telling Sparkpaw where to go while crossing the dreaded thunderpath.
"Which one?" Sparkpaw asked
"Left…yeah, left. I can't see there, but then, I can't see you then." Dave was contemplating aloud.
"Do you want me to take the left?" the apprentice offered
"Yeah, left. Left's good."
And the two cats made it safely across.
The land across the thunderpath and carrionplace was unclaimed land where the moonstone was held, somewhere in the highrocks. Sparkpaw waved his tail excitedly. The amount he could possibly learn, all the battle experience and hunting techniques Dave could hold in his paws, it was invigorating! Dave was looking around the spot with his one good eye, and finally settled on a small patch of grass.
"So…what do you know?" Dave looked at Sparkpaw.
Ah, right, they've never met. Now was the time for the first impression, unless..wasn't yesterday the first impression, or what about the night before yesterday, when he tripped while running to catch him? Was he screwing up right now, thinking about impressions, and now he's thinking about his thoughts, and
"Eyo. Sparky." Dave cuffed his ear with an unsheathed paw. "Cmon are you gonna show me or what?" the grey tom asked
"Right, of course!" Sparkpaw got so caught up in his mind, he didn't realise. "Sorry. So, what do you want me to do?"
"Uhhhhh….I dunno, just, like, show a hunting move. Like what you would do while hunting." Dave shrugged.
Sparkpaw nodded. He drew into a crouch, his tail fur bristling up. He narrowed his gaze. Imagine the grass as a piece of prey, imagine the grass as a piece of prey he thought, tensing his front paws to make the grab. He sprang, claws unsheathed as he took a few steps before jumping in the air, tearing the grass as he tumbled on the ground, grass in his grasp. Dave blinked..winked..at him. Did he do it right?
"That was good. Yeah, very good. You definitely killed the grass." Dave stretched and walked over, a sort of confused tone in his voice. "Is that how a 'ShadowClan' cat is supposed to do it or…"
"Yeah, I mean that's what Frostfang showed me." Sparkpaw replied. Dave nodded along to his words.
"Well, it looked good to me, anyways."
Sparkpaw shifted his paws. "Is that it?"
"I think so."
The two cats looked at each other awkwardly.
"Is..are you supposed to do that tumble at the end?" Dave asked
"I-I think so. It's supposed to choke and kill the prey easier." Sparkpaw explained.
"Hm..because how I do it, you just leap on it and kill it with your claws, not your whole body." Dave said, crouching into a hunting position and jumping, landing on his paws with only a small wobble. He then slammed his left paw into the ground, flattening any potential grass underneath. "See? Like that." he cocked his head. Sparkpaw watched intently. It looked so easy. And this cat was half blind! "Like this?" he copied the movement, slamming his unsheathed paw to the ground.
"Yeah, yeah, looks good." Dave complimented him. Sparkpaw's tail bristled with pride. He did something good!
"Cmon Sparky, we should try that on actual prey instead of grass." Dave motioned. Then he stopped and ate some of the flattened grass, then showing a look of mild disgust. "The grass does not taste good, not at all." He said aloud. He beckoned Sparkpaw with his tail.
"So, we have tried catching grass, now try catching a rat." Dave told him, the rotting stench of the Carrionplace in front of him. The duo creeped in, trying to make a sound, Dave's left ear flickering for any potential noise. "I can see on my right, so I can hear from the left," he explained.
Among the smells, Sparkpaw caught one in particular, and stopped Dave with his tail, to which Dave looked up questionably. "It's a rat," he whispered.
"Okay," Dave moved his head, whispering, "Catch it."
Sparkpaw crouched into a hunting position, tail bristling as he crept closer. Quietness was key, said the ShadowClan warriors. The rat scurried along, then stopping to eat the mouldy crowfood that littered this foul place. Closer and closer he crept, his heart beating louder every step. Unsheathed claws bit the dirt, he was ready when a cracking sound was heard from the right. Instinctively, Sparkpaw jerked his head up to see what it was, and so did the rat. Then they locked eyes. The beating grew faster. The rat started running. Sparkpaw sprang, paws hitting the dirt as he ran after the rat. The rat did a sharp turn, causing him to stumble a bit before springing again, catching the rat in his claws. He then slammed his left paw on its throat, making sure it was dead. He carried its limp body back to the front, where Dave sat waiting, tail around his paws. "Good job. I mean, I only saw like half of it, but it looked great, Sparky!" Dave turned his head to the side and smiled. Sparkpaw felt his fur prickling.
"You gonna enjoy that bad boy?" Dave chuckled
"No, I was thinking of giving it to Shadetail." Sparkpaw picked it up by the tail.
"Wait w-who's Shadetail?" Dave asked
"Shadetail's an elder. We need to feed them first, and I don't think he's eaten in a while." the apprentice explained. Since Shadetail was caught stealing prey from WindClan's territory, Bonechill has been denying him food as punishment. Shadetail was younger, but all cats need to eat sometime.
"So you're just gonna give up your well hunted prey to some random cat? What do elders even do?" Dave sounded annoyed.
"Elders are older cats who served the clan." Sparkpaw explained. "When they retire, us apprentices need to take care of them, like removing ticks, replacing bedding, and giving them our catches."
"And that accomplishes…?"
"It teaches us about respecting our elders. And they get to tell us stories of the past!" Sparkpaw said enthusiastically. Dave nodded along.
"Okay, okay. I take back what I said. Still seems unfair though." Dave apologised.
"Unfair or not, it's a part of the warrior code."
"There you go with this warrior code stuff again. It says you have to feed the old dudes too?" Dave rolled his eye
"Uh-huh. We need to feed the queens and kits too." Sparkpaw elaborated.
"Alright, this is sounding like a good code here." Dave nodded along as Sparkpaw started to walk off "You done here?"
"I-I guess. I wouldn't want to worry the clan." He turned his head to explain, the rat hanging loosely from his jaws.
"Right then." Dave stretched, "See you tomorrow then Sparky?"
"Okay!" Sparkpaw smiled, trotting faster to head back to camp.
When Sparkpaw got back to camp it was just past sunhigh, and the clan was moving soundly. He glanced around the camp to see that Shadetail was snoozing on a sunlit rock. As he went over to him, Palefoot intercepted.
"Is that a rat from Carrionplace?" he asked. Sparkpaw nodded. "Sorry, I just need to sniff it." He explained before sniffing the rat thoroughly. "These rats tend to carry diseases, and we both don't want that, especially me." After a quick sniff, Palefoot let him go ahead.
"Hi Shadetail." Sparkpaw greeted the shaded elder. Shadetail opened his eyes and looked at the stripped apprentice.
"What do you want, Sparkpaw?" He asked tiredly, then eyeing the rat, "That a rat from Carrionplace?"
"Mhm! I thought maybe you could have it." Sparkpaw told him. Shadetail looked at it suspiciously, and started to sniff at it.
"Oh, Palefoot already looked it over; it doesn't have any disease." Sparkpaw explained.
Shadetail looked back at Sparkpaw and took it and started to devour it.
"Stupid Bonechill," he complained between bites. "He always tells us what to do. I catch something on WindClan territory ONE TIME, and now he wants me to starve because we have to 'respect our elders' or some dirt! Well I am an elder, if he couldn't tell. Blind as badgers those pricks are." Shadetail sighed. "Anyway, thank you for the rat. Much appreciated."
"Yeah, sure. You're welcome." Sparkpaw replied. Shadetail beckoned him with his tail. "Come on, come up and sit a while."
"O-okay." Sparkpaw jumped up on the rock.
Sparkpaw and Shadetail sat together upon the small rock. The elderly tom gazed at the camp, one brown, one blue eye watching in a bored expression. The front of his head was pure white but as it went down to the tail it eventually turned black, and a sleek tail curved around his resting body.
"So..why do you want me here?" Sparkpaw asked, clearly confused.
"Eh," he shrugged, "Just wanted some cat to sit with." was the reply.
They sat in silence for a moment, a faint wind rustled the newly formed buds on the trees. Over by the nursery, Bearkit and Sharpkit were playing moss ball, keeping it away from Blackkit's younger, tinier paws.
"The kits of the future…" Shadetail muttered
"Yeah, aren't they cute?" Sparkpaw asked, watching as Bearkit and Sharpkit taunted Blackkit, keeping the moss just out of reach. Blackkit then bit down on Sharpkit's tail, causing him to drop the ball, and Blackkit ran with it happily, Bearkit close on his trail. Shadetail took another bite of the rat.
"Listen Sparkpaw, there will come a time and a place where you will be where I am, sitting upon this rock watching the kits play with themselves," he started…for some reason. "You will sit here, where I am, talking to an apprentice, reflecting on your life. What could have been, what it is now, and the thoughts of the past will be sweet as honey. You are an apprentice now, Sparkpaw. The kits are still kits, and I, your humble elder. The moons will pass you by in an instant if you're not careful. So remember this time, this memory, and cherish it as you will." Shadetail sighed as he chomped down again. Sparkpaw looked at him, pretty confused.
"But…isn't time good? I'll never become a warrior if I stay as a nine moon kit!" Sparkpaw countered
"Yeah, but not for me!" Shadetail turned to face him. "Honestly, once Moonpelt's kits become apprentices she's moving to the elder's den. And Nightwing is due any day now. And with the other old cats in there the den will be stifling! I won't be able to breathe!"
"Uh, but, we can build a bigger den-"
"A bigger den would not change the fact that I am sharing it with that many cats! " Shadetail turned away. "Bonechill, Wrinklepelt, and Dusteye are already there, I don't need those two as well! It's already bad enough that they talk amongst themselves, about the 'good old days' where they talk about mentoring and how their apprentices screwed up training! Well, excuse me, but I'm listening to you and your old jokes! Or are they too deaf to notice?" Shadetail was going on a rant. Sparkpaw's ears flattened. Was he supposed to do something now? He hadn't received training for this yet.
"Why..why are you telling me this?" he quietly asked the elder. Shadetail cocked his head and turned back to Sparkpaw, his face softening. He cleared his throat. "Yes, um, of course. Look, those kits are going to be apprentices in three moons. By that time, you're to become a warrior. Make sure you do it. Trust me, you do not want to be stuck in that den listening to those kits chattering away. Pass your assessments; become a warrior. You got it?" Shadetail asked.
"Y-yes sir, of course!" Sparkpaw eagerly replied.
"Good." Shadetail flicked his tail towards him. "You got an assessment coming up soon, you better train for it. These are important."
"Wait, I have an assessment soon? When?!" Sparkpaw's fur bristled with shock.
"By the end of the moon. Probably after the gathering. You've been an apprentice for around three moons, they've got to test your progress." Shadetail said casually. "You didn't know?" Shadetail questioned. Sparkpaw shook his head. "Well, just train, study, make sure you pass. Let time change your body, but not your mind." With that Shadetail lept from the rock and headed out of camp.
What a day. Splashpaw was fine, training with Dave, and that weird conversation with Shadetail. The kits were halfway to apprenticeship. If he failed his assessment, he would be the oldest one there. How would he feel about that? A shudder sent down his spine. The oldest out of a group of seven. But what about Marshpaw? A voice questioned. Marshpaw wants to become a medicine apprentice, and soon Palefoot will open his eyes to that. Is this what Splashpaw and Bristlepaw felt like? Does Splashpaw actually think of him as a friend, or some annoying kit? That thought was answered by a kick from one of Bristlepaw's twitching legs, which moved as she slept. A chuckle quietly made its presence. He nudged closer towards it. Perhaps Adderpaw would be a nice friend; she seems to be decent alone. And he would have to meet the apprentices at the gathering coming in a halfmoon. He would also have to train and…wow, this was a lot to think about this late at night. He had to train with Dave, make friends outside the clan, among his regular apprentice duties. He sighed. It would be a lot, but maybe he could do it. He yawned, shut his eyes, and fell asleep. Tomorrow was tomorrow, and he was tired.