Sweettooth was standing in the line of warriors set by Icewing. The clan was training in group fights, so Icewing split the warriors brought to the training exercise into three groups. The first group was led by Icewing and included Lizardtail, Mudstripe, Nightsky, and Grayfoot. The second group, Sweettooth's group, was led by Sneezecloud and had Shimmerpelt, Breezeheart, and Fogtail. The last group was led by Mallownose and included Harelight, Havenpelt, Brackenpelt, and Gorseclaw.
"Sneezecloud, Mallownose," The clan deputy meowed sternly. "Your patrols are up first. We'll start with regular play-fighting, if an opponent hits your throat you're out. Remember you're fighting as patrols, your clanmates would watch your back but you need to watch them as well. Take a few moments to strategize and then we'll begin."
Mallownose led his patrol to the shadow of a nearby willow while Sneezecloud padded over away from the tree, with Sweettooth, Shimmerpelt, Breezeheart, and Fogtail following at his heels. The patrol huddled closer to each other and listened to Sneezecloud's battle plan.
"We'll split up to two," Sneezecloud explained in hushed meows. "Sweettooth, Shimmerpelt, and I are going to stay together and try to pull as many of their warriors toward us. Breezeheart and Fogtail, your job would be to team up on lone stragglers and eliminate them. After we have the number advantage, come to our help and together we'll eliminate the rest of them. In the case we don't get the advantage, I want us to stick together and lash out one at a time when an opportunity presents itself. Remember to stay low."
Sneezecloud broke the circle of cats and headed back towards where Mallownose's patrol dispersed their huddle as well.
"SneezeClan!" Sweettooth's patrol leader yowled. "It's time to show these fish-brains how it's done!"
Sweettooth waited for Icewing's approval to let the training begin while preparing specialized moves for this exercise in his head.
"Begin!" Icewing yowl rang across the clearing as Sweettooth, Sneezecloud, and Shimmerpelt charged cautiously into battle. Mallownose's patrol was splitting up and formed a half-circle around Sweettooth's group. Sweettooth noticed Mallownose spotting Breezeheart and Fogtail separated from Sneezecloud's main group by a few tail-lengths. Sneezecloud must have noticed the same thing because he immediately jerked Mallownose's attention back to him.
"Remember that time in the nursery Mallowstar?" Sneezecloud teased his brother. "When Graymist went to the dirtplace and I shoved dirty bedding into your mouth?"
"Of course I remember," Mallownose answered in the beginning of a retort. "Do you want me to shove your mouth into the ground Sneezestar?" Mallownose put up a grin and yowled. "MallowClan, attack!".
Mallownose, Brackenpelt, Gorseclaw, Havenpelt, and Harelight all charged towards Sweettooth's smaller group.
Sweettooth was met by Harelight and Havenpelt forcefully butting their heads onto his unguarded flank in an attempt to topple him over, but Sweettooth remained low and steady, managing to flail a paw on them on a moment's opportunity, trying to keep them far from his throat.
From a few quick glances to his other side, Sweettooth noticed Mallownose trying the same tricks as Harelight and Havenpelt were trying but on Sneezecloud, and Brackenpelt and Gorseclaw doing the same on Shimmerpelt.
After only a few heartbeats of wait, Breezeheart and Fogtail both rushed to Sweettooth's attacked side and pulled Havenpelt away.
Sweettooth noticed a moment's hesitation on Harelight's body, and quickly charged under him, rising with sheathed fore-paws to swipe through his throat fur and throw him on his back. Still in the formation Sneezecloud ordered, Sweettooth saw that Havenpelt was eliminated as well as Harelight and they were now outnumbering Mallownose's patrol.
"Now!" Sneezecloud yowled. "Lift Mallowstar!"
At his patrol leader's order, Sweettooth broke out of structure, and together with Fogtail and Breezeheart, managed to push Mallownose on his side, allowing Sneezecloud to put a paw on his throat. Only Brackenpelt and Gorseclaw were left from the opposing patrol but Sweettooth noticed that while Sneezecloud eliminated Mallownose, they managed to eliminate Shimmerpelt.
"Do you concede?" Sneezecloud meowed to Sweettooth's mother and father.
"Never!" Brackenpelt hissed as she leaped at Sneezecloud, standing close to Sweettooth. Sneezecloud moved out of the way and got only one of his ears struck. As Brackenpelt landed, Sweettooth quickly pulled her over to her flank and touched his muzzle to her throat, eliminating her. Brackenpelt stood up with a dusty coat and shook her fur.
"Is that a way to treat your mother?" Brackenpelt scolded Sweettooth, and turned to Sneezecloud. "Or your littermate's daughter?"
"Sorry Brackenpelt." Sweettooth and Sneezecloud meowed in unison, only then noticing it was no more than a ploy to give Gorseclaw more time to defend himself.
Sweettooth and Sneezecloud rushed over to Fogtail's side, who was now standing alone against Gorseclaw after Sweettooth's father eliminated Breezeheart.
Sweettooth picked up speed to pass Sneezecloud and leaped over Gorseclaw's low crouching body. Spinning around, Sweettooth began to pull Gorseclaw's far flank towards himself, but Gorseclaw quickly threw a fore-paw aside on the groundto support against it.
Sweettooth kept pulling, not letting Gorseclaw do anything else but resist, until Sneezecloud barrelled into Gorseclaw's flank, finally toppling him over and allowing Fogtail deliver the eliminating swipe.
"Victory is ours!" Sneezecloud yowled triumphantly.
"Good job." Icewing complemented Sneezecloud. "Now regroup and rest for a few moments. You have my patrol to fight as well."
Sneezecloud rounded up Breezeheart and Shimmerpelt together with Sweettooth and Fogtail, who were left standing in the training ground, and together they marched back to where they stratagized earlier.
"I'm proud of you." Sneezecloud congratulated his patrol. "All of you fought well and our strategy worked, but we need a new one, Icewing would be prepared for it. Does any cat have any suggestions?"
"Maybe we should take a more aggressive approach this time." Breezeheart suggested.
"And we can trick them into thinking we are still defensive." Fogtail added.
"Using the same formation we used last fight will definitely mislead them." Sweettooth explained. "It would also be a very good offensive structure."
"Then it's settled." Sneezecloud commanded. "We'll go in the same formation, but attack swiftly, and catch them off their paws."
Sneezecloud led his group back to the clearing where Icewing's patrol was already standing in an orderly line.
"Is your patrol ready, Sneezestar?" Icewing yowled sternly but amused.
"SneezeClan is always ready, Icestar." Sneezecloud meowed back in a proud tone.
"Mallownose," Icewing turned her head to face the leader of the defeated patrol. "Give the signal to start."
"Begin." Mallownose yowled without a heartbeat of hesitation after the white she-cat's command.
Sweettooth huddled closer to Sneezecloud and Shimmerpelt, while Breezeheart and Fogtail were moving away from them. Sweettooth noticed Icewing's patrol edging closer to Breezeheart and Fogtail like they were hunting prey.
"Attack!" Sneezecloud's loud command shot through Sweettooth's gray ears.
Sweettooth rushed together with Sneezecloud and Shimmerpelt towards Icewing's unfazed patrol. The plan didn't work! They weren't fooled!
Sweettooth's patrol did not back down from their plan and attacked anyway. Sweettooth rushed over to Fogtail's side as the white-and-gray warrior was being attacked by both Grayfoot and Lizardtail.
Sweettooth caught a glimpse of Grayfoot preparing to jump from behind Fogtail, and put up more speed. Sweettooth intercepted Grayfoot successfully by crashing into him mid jump.
After landing, Sweettooth quickly threw a fore-paw towards the fallen warrior's throat and eliminated him.
Turning back, Sweettooth saw Lizardtail has eliminated Fogtail but was now dealing with both Shimmerpelt and Breezeheart.
Lizardtail feinted towards Breezeheart's side, and as the she-cat leaped to eliminate the senior warrior, Lizardtail threw himself under Breezeheart and eliminated her with his muzzle.
As Lizardtail was standing proudly for his double elimination, his head high, Shimmerpelt swiftly butted Lizardtail's stretched out throat.
"Fish-bones!" Sweettooth heard Sneezecloud's voice from across the clearing, now eliminated. "Sweettooth, you're leader of SneezeClan now. Avenge me Sweetstar."
Sweettooth was now standing besides Shimmerpelt, facing Icewing, Mudstripe, and Nightsky. The three she-cats charged towards Sweettooth and Shimmerpelt, with Nightsky in the middle.
Mudstripe leaped at Sweettooth, her fore-paws outstretched. Sweettooth quickly moved aside and parried the attack with a fore-paw, trying to reach Mudstripe's throat on the way but missing.
As soon as he could, Sweettooth turned to help Shimmerpelt against the silver warrior's two attackers.
Nightsky was trying to pull Shimmerpelt onto her flank while Shimmerpelt fended off Icewing's rapid attempts at her throat.
Sweettooth dashed to Nightsky's elsewhere-focused body and put one fore-paw on her shoulder. Pushing as hard as he could, Sweettooth unsettled Nightsky and, using his free fore-paw, eliminated her.
At the same time, Sweettooth saw Icewing using her light build to weave around Shimmerpelt, who was still in a defensive stance, and finally found a clear path to Shimmerpelt's throat, using it to eliminate her, leaving Sweettooth the last cat standing from his patrol.
Sweettooth suddenly felt a sharp jolt rushing through his spine. Sweettooth understood Mudstripe had her fore-legs on his shoulders, and was trying to pull him backwards to uncover his throat. With Icewing now almost at his feet, Sweettooth had to act quickly.
Sweettooth lowered his head until the top of his neck touched the ground, he bunched as much force as he could in his haunches, and heaved at once while arching his back for more force.
Sweettooth could only hear Mudstripe's body crashing into Icewing's as he rolled forward, and felt his breath driven out of him after dropping heavily on his back. Standing up as fast as he can, Sweettooth saw both of his opponents' throats were exposed and close to each other as the she-cats scrambled to get up. Sweettooth used the last of his forces to leap forwards and land his paws on both Icewing and Mudstripe's throats, achieving victory for his patrol.
"Great job everyone." Icewing got up and congratulated the training cats. "Sneezecloud, your patrol can rest now. Mallownose, prepare for the fight against my patrol."
Sneezecloud beckoned with his tail for Sweettooth to join the rest of the patrol on the sidelines of the training clearing.
"Have a good rest," Sneezecloud meowed to Sweettooth. "I think Icewing has more planned for us."
The two fighting patrols padded to opposite sides of the clearing to strategize, returning shortly after.
"Is your patrol ready, Mallowstar?" Icewing meowed.
"Always is." Mallownose meowed back.
"Sneezecloud," Icewing faced the gray-and-white warrior. "Give the signal to start."
"Begin!" Sneezecloud yowled after a few moments of wait.
The two patrols seemed to mindlessly charge at each other, merging into a rumbling cloud of fur. Sweettooth could only glimpse a few swipes here and there, until the fight got quieter, and only Brackenpelt, Gorseclaw, Icewing, and Lizardtail were left uneliminated.
"Do you remember when Sweettooth disappeared with Shelldawn before his apprentice ceremony?" Brackenpelt asked her mate.
"Of course I do." Gorseclaw answered with a wide grin on his face.
I also remember. Sweettooth thought. I know there wasn't a hole there! How did I even trip?
Gorseclaw's hind-paws were shifting slightly in place, piles of dirt building up beside them, while Shimmerpelt was fidgeting relentlessly, a safe distance away from her mate, feinting an attack every heartbeat.
Icewing and Lizardtail weren't thwarted by the tortoiseshell's peculiar movements and closed the distance between them and their opponents, causing Gorseclaw to move back a cat-length and steadying himself low.
"Whatever happened the day of Sweettooth's apprentice ceremony," Lizardtail meowed amusedly to his crouching son. "He didn't get it from you. You stuck to your mentor like sap."
Finishing his tease, Lizardtail attacked Gorseclaw with a low leap while Icewing began chasing Brackenpelt who was still fidgeting with no apparent pattern.
Gorseclaw reared-up on his hind-legs, exposing his neck and leading Lizardtail to try and swipe up with his fore-paws but they didn't even seem to budge. Instead, Lizardtail became unbalanced and fell over. Lizardtail's paws were in a hole! Gorseclaw dug it!
Brackenpelt's fidgeting led her directly to Lizardtail in the perfect time to eliminate him.
Icewing was still chasing Brackenpelt around when she noticed what happened and was now stuck between Gorseclaw and Brackenpelt who began to barrage her with swipes until Brackenpelt landed one successfully on Icewing's throat.
Winning the training exercise, Brackenpelt and Gorseclaw touched noses.
"That was great." Icewing interrupted. "I have one last exercise for the day. Same rules as the last one. Lizardtail you're in charge of the patrol. Grayfoot, we're not participating, when Lizardtail's and Mallownose's patrols are ready, give them the signal to begin and come after me. Sneezecloud, take your patrol and follow me."
Sweettooth followed Sneezecloud after Icewing, away from the clearing.
"Why did you leave your patrol at such a disadvantage?" Breezeheart asked her mother.
"That is how our next battle is going to look." Icewing meowed grimly. "I'll explain more later."
After a few moments Grayfoot appeared from the screen of trees blocking the view to the training area. "The fight started." Grayfoot notified Icewing.
More long moments passed before Icewing finally broke the silence. "Take your patrol and help Lizardtail's patrol." The white she-cat ordered Sneezecloud. "Your goal is to save as many of them from elimination."
Sweettooth followed the rest of his patrol on their way back to the training clearing. When they arrived, Sweettooth saw Lizardtail and Mudstripe standing tail to tail, completely surrounded by Mallownose's entire patrol.
Sneezecloud, the first of his patrol to arrive leaped onto Mallownoses back. Mallownose fought to get Sneezecloud off of him but Mudstripe found the opportunity and eliminated the opposing patrol's leader.
With the arrival of the fresh patrol, the tide of battle changed and the combined forces of Lizardtail's and Sneezecloud's patrols overpowered that of Mallownose's patrol and easily claimed the victory, while managing to save both Mudstripe and Lizardtail from elimination.
"This is how our next battle will look like." Icewing Meowed commandedly, looking at all of her warriors. "But RiverClan will not be Mallownose's or Lizardtail's patrols, RiverClan would be Sneezecloud's. WindClan are weakened now and are under threats of ThunderClan attack. While they are the ones responsible for being in that situation, Reedstar has agreed to help them with the promise that WindClan would try to avoid the battle in the first place."
"I've never seen a badger before." Shelldawn's beautiful voice soothed Sweettooth ears as he was sharing a fish with his mate. Darkness was starting to wash the camp and the clan were eating the last meal of the day. "I don't want to have to fight one but it would be nice finally seeing them for myself."
She was so brave when she found that scent. Sweettooth thought about how earlier that day, before the battle training, Shelldawn's patrol reported traces of badgers.
"You should hope you don't even see them." Willowshine commented on the mates' conversation. "Badgers are fierce. When the clans first came to the lake, we drove out many badgers. The badgers got angry and attacked the ThunderClan camp. Ever since badgers are scarce near the lake, but you reported multiple of them. I hope they don't have anything else planned." Willowshine turned to face Sweettooth and continued to meow. "Most of our elders weren't even born when that happened, yet I was an apprentice back then. It's a shame I still don't have an apprentice of my own."
"Maybe one of Mistfeather's kits can be your apprentice." Shelldawn suggested distractingly. "I saw Oakkit pretending to be a medicine cat and ordering Stormkit to eat some leaves." Shelldawn then looked down embarrassedly and continued. "Though Mothwing told him that bay leaves are dangerous to eat."
"I don't think Oakkit and Stormkit have it in them." Willowshine kept staring at Sweettooth. "Besides, I need an apprentice who already has talent."
"Maybe one of our kits would be talented enough for you." Shelldawn meowed while cuddling closer to Sweettooth.
"Maybe," Willowshine was scanning Shelldawn from where she sat, two pieces of prey separating the she-cats. "I just hope none of them suffers Mintkit's fate at kitting."
The camp around Sweettooth began to spin, and the voices began to shallow. Sweettooth thoughts turned dark and sad, he could barely hear or see anything around him now.
"Why would you even mention Mintkit?" Shelldawn yowled at Willowshine in a fading voice, as Sweettooth's mind was crowding every heartbeat, eventually drowning the world around him in a haze.