Here's chapter four! This one is in Creampaw's perspective.
Fact about Creampaw:
Creampaw is a white she-cat, with her pelt being tinted a slight brownish color to give her a cream colored appearance. She has medium blue eyes, with darker blue flecks on her irises. Her stomach fur, tail fur, muzzle, ear, and paw fur are all a shade lighter than the rest of her coat. Her fur is a medium-short length, but slightly longer around her belly fur and tail area.
Creamkit flopped in her nest, exhausted, she was tired from the day's training and her paws felt heavy. She could barely force down a crow before her eyes shut themselves. Rainpaw didn't have it as bad. Hawkfeather was focusing on Rainpaw's slender build and was teaching her hunting and less fighting. However, Dapplepaw and she were subjected to days of battle training. Today they had concentrated on strengths. Dapplepaw could jump very high and Rainpaw was quiet and patient (you didn't need to stop and think about that). Creampaw, however, was good on the ground. She could keep her footing easily and would never slip.
"I can barely...barely keep myself from falling asleep," Dapplepaw meowed, her tail drooping and paws dragging. "And we worked with our strengths! I can't do weaknesses tomorrow!"
Creampaw nodded. "I know!" she meowed, thinking of her nest. "I want to take a break and work on hunting."
"I agree. I can catch squirrels and birds easily!" Dapplepaw complained, though Creampaw didn't blame her. She wanted to hunt for a few days as well.
Creampaw was about to doze off above her prey when a familiar ginger coat caught her eye. She tried to look more awake, though she was still uncertain why.
Foxstep walked up to them, his eyes taking in the scene. "I don't remember Silverwhisker working me this hard." He gave each of them a sympathetic look. "I can talk to Streamskip and see if you and I can go hunting tomorrow."
Creampaw felt a stab of jealousy. Why? It's not like it was unfair for Dapplepaw to get to go hunting, and she understood that there was no persuading Silverwhisker. It was not the hunting. No...it was Foxstep? Surely she couldn't mind that. They'd been friends since they were kits and he was an apprentice.
I can't like him. I really can't. I'm an apprentice, and he's a warrior. Wait...that's not so bad. Creampaw looked at Dapplepaw, knowing her sister wasn't interested. In fact, Dapplepaw was still upset about the badger thing, so she'd be doing her a favor if she made up an excuse as to why she couldn't go.
"She can't," Creampaw spoke up. "We're training tomorrow." She flinched at the look of disappointment in Foxstep's eyes but chose to ignore it.
Dapplepaw nodded with agreement. "Our weaknesses...how fun." She paused a moment. "But I really want to go hunting. Maybe the day after?"
Foxstep brightened. "Good idea, I'll go and talk to Streamskip." The red furred tom turned and padded up to the silver she-cat.
Creampaw's heart dropped. No! We can go hunting another day, Dapplepaw! "I thought you were mad at him." Anything to bring up the talk of hating Foxstep would be good.
"I can't say I'm too happy with him, but I'd do anything to hunt for a day." Dapplepaw yawned. "I'm going to sleep. I can't stay up another moment." She got up, shook out her fur lazily, and walked into the apprentice's den.
"Okay, let's go over yesterday's lesson. Dapplepaw, you're good at what?" Streamskip meowed loudly, Silverwhisker at her side. She looked at her apprentice, waiting for an answer.
"Agility. Things like jumping and running." Dapplepaw answered, still appearing exhausted from the night before.
"And Creampaw?"
Creampaw felt a little rested. "Using the ground to my advantage and staying on my paws."
"That's right," Silverwhisker meowed firmly. "So, in that case, you both need to learn how to fight when not using those skills." He glanced at Creampaw. "You and Dapplepaw will train without one ability." He paused. "Since you've got good balance, tuck your tail against yourself."
Creampaw hesitated. Her good balance was only due to her long tail, which was able to keep her steady. She could picture herself tripping over everything.
"And Dapplepaw, you must keep all your paws on the ground. No jumping, or climbing trees. This may seem easy, but for a cats used to using their strengths, their weaknesses become more difficult." Streamskip sat back, giving them the whole clearing.
Creampaw tucked her tail beside her, already feeling beaten. She glanced at Dapplepaw, who obviously got the easier end. However, she seemed troubled.
Creampaw leapt to Dapplepaw, who was clearly going to spring away. Instead, she scrambled clumsily out of the way. As Creampaw landed, she had to stand for a moment to regain her footing.
Dapplepaw rushed to Creampaw, using her paw to hit Creampaw's legs. Creampaw let out a yelp as she fell on her side.
She got up and faced Dapplepaw. Her sister started forward, but paused. Creampaw was ready, planting her paws firmly on the ground. There was no way Dapplepaw could knock her over and Dapplepaw knew it. However, Creamkit knew it was her only option since Dapplepaw couldn't take her feet off the ground to leap.
"Hey guys!"
Creampaw turned to see Rainpaw and a mouse at the edge of the clearing. Dapplepaw didn't take the exposed oppurtunity to tackle Creampaw. Instead, she padded to her side to stare at their sister.
"What are you doing? Holding your tail like that, I mean." Rainpaw's gaze pointed toward Creampaw, who unraveled it.
"Training," Dapplepaw replied almost bitterly. Creampaw was sure it partly from lack of sleep and the fact Rainpaw got to spend the morning hunting and patrolling.
Rainpaw's eyes narrowed. "You look pretty tired, Dapplepaw," she commented. "Worse than Creampaw."
"Well, I am. Unlike you, I train all day. From sunrise to sunset." Dapplepaw snapped, whirling around. She marched to the center of the clearing, her tail lashing.
Creampaw, too, flicked her tail. She felt a small prickle of irritation at Rainpaw's remark. It was true, Rainpaw did half the work but ate double the prey. Creampaw and Dapplepaw were sleep walking almost all the time from lack of sleep.
Rainpaw's eyes widened with bewilderment. "I'm sorry. Just, why are you two getting so little sleep?" she asked, her eyes flicking to Dapplepaw, Creampaw, then to the two mentors talking between themselves.
"Training," Creampaw answered curtly. "When are you going to train anyway?"
Hawkfeather caught up with her apprentice. "It's next," she replied, "I like to hunt first, but then we'll battle train. Maybe you two will still be training too."
"I seriously hope not," Creampaw growled, turning and padding toward the clearing. Normally she would not have been rude or disrespectful to a warrior, but her patience seemed thinner every day. She hardly tolerated anything anymore.
Streamskip cleared her throat, getting the attention of the two apprentices. Creampaw watched her, waiting for the next order, the next battle move. "It has come to our thoughts that maybe Silverwhisker and I have been overworking you."
"You think?" Dapplepaw muttered under her breath, just loud enough for Creampaw to hear.
Silverwhisker continued, "So, you can have the day off to do whatever you like. Tomorrow, Streamskip promised Foxstep to go hunting with you, Dapplepaw, upon the complaint that you have no free time."
Creampaw held her tongue. She needed to stop that. At least go along with it. She didn't want Dapplepaw getting any strange ideas about Foxstep, and she also wanted to prevent Foxstep from chasing after Dapplepaw.
"Wait, can I go?" Creampaw blurted, leaping to her paws. "Please, Silverwhisker? We haven't been hunting for so long! Hardly ever!"
Silverwhisker sighed, giving a small nod. "I suppose that's possible." He got up. "You two are dismissed.
Creampaw and Dapplepaw scrambled for their nests. As soon as she crashed into it, feathers flew up everywhere. She hardly cared. Within a moment, Dapplepaw was sound asleep, and Creampaw wasn't long after.
Creampaw blinked awake. It was sunset. Dapplepaw was still asleep, so she quickly stepped around her.
The freshkill pile was stocked. She chose a plump shrew for herself. Creampaw felt sick with hunger. She dropped it at the edge of camp beside Rainpaw, who ate a small mouse.
"Hey," Rainpaw meowed, pawing at her meal. "I'm not as hungry as I thought I was."
"Hungry?" Creampaw rolled her eyes. She was famished. She ripped off a piece of flesh and scarfed it down. In a moment, she devoured the whole thing. "I was hungry."
Rainpaw let out a mrrw of laughter. She glanced around. "Is Dapplepaw still asleep?" she asked. "It's like she's been up all night."
"I can see how you'd say that, but trust me. It's just the training." Creampaw yawned. "In fact, I could use some more sleep."
Rainpaw nodded, but her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Alright then. Fine." She took a small bite of her mouse and let the subject drop.
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Next chapter: Rosepaw has a future planned with Ashpaw, though she suspects there will be obstacles in their path, particularly Dapplepaw.