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Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors. If I did, then Daisy would just be a flower.

SLY AS A FOX

-TRAINING, DAY ONE-

"So you found out,"

Ember's head swiveled around, and she found herself facing a lithe gray tom with crooked whiskers. At first she didn't recognize the face, but then she saw the light markings around the cat's eyes. It was Stone. The cat who had supposedly been her brother- up until now.

Ember shifted her gaze. She had never had much interest in Stone- he was quiet, and as bland as his name. There were way more important things to focus on than him. And now that he wasn't even her brother, why did he even matter? Ember pawed uncomfortably at a slice in her ear, which had become itchy. "What are you talking about?"

Stone's pale yellow eyes narrowed into contemptuous slits. "You know. About how…you're not really my sister."

Ember moved her head a little to the side. "Um…yeah." She didn't like conversations like this. She preferred getting straight to the point.

One of Stone's raggedy ears pivoted to the side, as if flicking at a mosquito. "And…you're getting trained by Scorn…right?" He swept his paw pad over the rough, concrete-infested soil, scattering off-white grains. Ember tried to read his face, but it was a stony mask of blankness. Like his name.

"What are you saying?"

Stone drew back his lips, his white canines glistening. "You're actually going to do it?" he scoffed. "You're pigeon-brained. You'll be scraps of fur before you even finish the first session of training."

Ember was surprised. Stone had never said much to her, and he was choosing now- their first actual interaction- as a time to insult her. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. "I won't be!" she protested, trying to build up a fierce tone but ending up sounding like a little kit. She knew she shouldn't stand up to a superior- it was perfectly allowed for him to harm her- but she wanted to be courageous. As if that would actually do anything. "Scorn chose to train me. He wouldn't kill me."

Stone shrugged indifferently. "I don't know. BloodClan cats are cold-blooded killers, him especially. He might just want to toy around with you for the fun of it."

Ember opened her mouth to retort, but the words stuck in her throat. What could she say to that? It could be true, after all. Her head filled with thoughts of humiliation and paranoia, and by the time she could mew again Stone had already walked away. She sat stock-still, stewing over what he had said. She was ashamed of herself for trying to answer back to him, surprised that he'd been so impolite, and now suspicious of Scorn's real intentions. But then she reminded herself this was BloodClan, and mercilessness was the norm. She shouldn't have had her expectations so high. And even if she wasn't brave, which she wanted to be, she didn't have a choice. That's just the way it was.

For a split second Ember wished the circumstances were different. And in that same split second she wondered what it would be like to live in the forest, her real home. Would things be different- easier?

But the wondering was pushed away roughly by other thoughts. Even if Stone was right, she had a training session in a few minutes. She couldn't miss it- it was the only thing she had to look forward to.

Viper spat.

It was a thing he often did- he thought it made him look tougher. That, and he saw Scorn do it a lot, except Scorn did it subconsciously. He wouldn't admit it, but Viper copied everything Scorn did. He presumed, and incorrectly presumed, that he would eventually be promoted if he followed the leader around long enough. So far it hadn't worked- Scorn ignored Viper for the most part- but Viper didn't get the memo. He wasn't very bright in that area, or at all for that matter.

The skinny black tom began to lick his claws clean as the two cats beside him bickered. The first cat was a sleek, unusually attractive (for a BloodClan cat) she-cat with reddish and white tabby fur and fur that grew in long tufts around her ears and cheeks. Her yellow eyes were wide with fury. Her name was Mink, and she was hissing at a scraggly brown tom. Their backs were both arched in hostility.

"What are you talking about?" Mink was growling between her sharp white teeth. "Are you stupid? This will never work!"

"Why don't you tell that to Scorn, then? It was his idea!" the tom spat back. He was named Chipper, for his unkempt fur. "I know it sounds ridiculous- even I'll say that- but we have to go through with it! Who knows what Scorn will do to us if we don't?"

That seemed to stop Mink. She sat back, her fur settling back onto her back. She exhaled slowly, composing herself. "I guess you're right," she mumbled. Her lengthy whiskers jolted uncomfortably. "But I sure hope Scorn knows what he's doing."

Viper's green eyes slit at this statement. He approached Mink menacingly, raising a set of claws to her throat. "Don't disrespect Scorn, Mink."

Mink snorted. "Oh, do you think I need advice from you, suck-up? It disgusts me how you grovel. You're like an omega."

Viper yowled, rocketing towards Mink and pinning her into the dirt. Mink yelped, and tried to throw Viper off. The two rolled around on the ground, Mink swiping irratibly at Viper's nose and catching him in the face. Viper roared in pain as four clean scratches opened on the bridge of his nose and began to spew blood all over his jet-black fur.

"Stop it, you two!" Chipper ordered. Mink managed to stop the rolling, and heaved Viper off. He landed ungracefully on his side with a thump while Mink stood up and dusted herself off in annoyance. Viper followed soon after, the two looking flustered and awkward.

Chipper sat, his tail pressing into the rocky earth. "Okay…we can make this work. I know it seems impossible- after all, we're going to be communicating with the forest cats- but Scorn is The Master of Flames! Utterly persuasive! He'll figure something out."

Mink raised one shoulder halfheartedly, while Viper dabbed at his bleeding nose with a paw. Chipper nodded in approval. "Good. Now- we have to go get Sneer and Kilo; we're bringing them with us. We're leaving tonight at the trash-pile, soon as the moon rises. Got it?"

Mink nodded primly; Viper was still busy mopping at his nose and muttering little "ow"s under his breath. Chipper scratched uncertainly at his fur.

"Great Scourge…I hope our leader knows what he's doing…"

Ember was trembling. And she wasn't the only one. Mist, who sat beside her, was shaking like a leaf. The only one who looked genuinely excited was Night, whose blue eyes were as bright and perky as stars.

"Oh, Scourge," she squeaked, her long, pointy ears pivoting back and forth. "This is going to be fantastic. Can you believe it? We're actually training with the real-live Scorn, son of Scourge! This is impossible…"

Mist only whimpered. Ember shot Night a look. "Quit chattering," she mewed sourly. "This isn't something to be excited about. Really, think about it. Scorn could rip us to pieces any time he wanted to. He's the leader and he does things like that every day. How do we know this isn't just a trick?" Her voice quavered.

Mist shrank back, her green eyes glittering. "Please don't say stuff like that, Ember…you're scaring me out of my fur." She closed her eyes and looked as if she might faint any moment. "Honestly. I don't feel too well- I think I might have eaten some bad garbage earlier…" She put a subtle white paw over her stomach.

Night swatted at a fly buzzing around her head. "Oh hush, Mist, you're fine. Stop making excuses. Even if Scorn does try to hurt us for real, I'll stop him. Even if it means getting hurt myself."

Mist's brow crinkled up. "You would do that, wouldn't you, Night? That's just like you."

"Nothing wrong with that."

Ember's canines sunk into her lip, and she chewed at it apprehensively. "You won't be saying that when you see his claws. Don't you ever look at them? They're huge- he reinforces them with dog teeth, I think."

Mist shuddered, tingles traveling up the length of her spinal cord. "I know. That's what his father used to do. And I also hear he beat a whole legion of forest cats, single-pawed. Do you believe that?"

Night dipped her head respectfully. "I sure do. He's one powerful cat. Not only does he have massive claws, extra-long teeth, and amazing skill, but he's sly. Sly as a fox. He can trick you into doing anything. I hear one time three she-cats disobeyed, and he seduced them into walking right into a dog's lair. And that 'Master of Flames' thing? It's not just a title. It's real. He has a gift with fire. They say fire starts in his path, and goes out just as quickly- it's like the flames obey him. Like he's really their master."

As they lamented over this, a cold, icy laugh echoed around the den walls. "How fascinating. I'm surprised you know so much about me."

The sisters' heads swiveled in sync towards the voice, which undoubtedly belonged to The Master of Flames himself. He seemed especially well-groomed, his fur sleek and black. It glowed blue in the soft light. His eyes were yellow jewels, glinting like a snake's. He looked terrifying yet absolutely stunning in the etched moonlight. Ember could see why Raven had fallen in love with him.

Scorn raised one slender paw, and yet again was reminded of just how huge his claws were. They were ivory-colored and stained with what was probably old blood. Ember felt a surge of fear, exhilaration, and admiration for the leader. She had a sudden urge to bow, but knew it would be stupid and risky.

Night was bold, though. She stretched forward, as if trying to touch him. Her whiskers were taut. "O-of course we do!" Night mewed. It was the first time in her life Ember had ever heard her sister stutter. "You're a great leader. We hear so much about you."

Scorn's lips jerked slightly. He was smiling. "I imagine you would," he murmured.

Ember relaxed a bit. He seemed pretty calm. He might strike any moment, though- his one talent was to manipulate. As sly as a fox, just like Night said. But it was nothing like the night she had woken up in his den, where every movement she made increased the tension in the air. Now she felt a little less threatened, like Scorn was just a mysterious tom and not a feared dictator. She even detected some amusement in his eyes.

"Well, here you are," Scorn mewed. "Your first training session, held by me. I can tell you're eager." His tail uncurled, unraveling itself in a way that seemed cobra-like.

The three apprentices stayed still, waiting for further instructions. Scorn shifted his gaze from each one of them, evaluating them. His eyes rested on Ember, and she broke out in a cold sweat. Had she done something wrong? She poised herself to run away.

Suddenly Scorn laughed, an icy laugh that sounded like glass shattering. Ember bit into her lip, hard. Scorn's eyes settled on her. His pupils had shrunken a bit. "I can smell your fear," he mewed. "I know you were going to run away. I'm not stupid, kit. Even if you could run away, catching you would be as simple as catching a bug."

Ember was stabbed with more fear, but she forced it back. He was trying to intimidate her- make her fear him. Even if she did, she had to stifle it. She tried to retain it, and knew it would be a struggle. Luckily, Scorn seemed more focused on her now. He was staring right into her eyes, and it made Ember shudder.

"Your eyes," he whispered. "The reason I took you in- the reason you met any of us. The reason you were fortunate enough to fall into my claws." He leaned closer- giving Ember the impulse to lean away, but she didn't want him to laugh anymore. His breath smelled like old rat bones, concrete, and- inexplicably- mint.

"Red, orange, and yellow…like fire," he mewed. That was all he said, for about a minute. The whole time he was staring at her, unblinking, and it made Ember fidget.

Finally he looked at Mist. He looked her down and up, licking his lips. "Hmm…very fine-looking," he observed. Mist blushed. "Not exactly BloodClan material, but still a nice feature. I sense your determination- but your fear-scent is particularly strong. You'll need some work done on that."

Mist gulped. Ember wished she could comfort her- even if she was the youngest, she felt like the older sister to them both.

He turned towards Night. She stood up tall as soon as his eyes fell on her. Scorn narrowed his eyes. "Hmm…barely any fear-scent. Interesting. Very confident- confidence is definitely an advantage, but it can be a disadvantage, too. You're foolish not to fear me more, little kit. I could easily turn you into scraps. I could feed you to the vultures if I wanted to."

Night faltered. She looked down, looking a bit ashamed of herself.

Scorn leaned back, and the suspense in the air dissolved. "Very well," he meowed. He started pacing. "Today we're focusing on evading. Survival is essential in BloodClan, and a few puny kits like you will definitely need it."

"And without further ado…"

Ember blinked.

"…We will begin our training."

And with that, his paw became a flash.

In that instant, Ember's mind was completely blank. She thought that Scorn's leg had disappeared, it was so quick. And then there was numbness, colors flying above her. It was several seconds before she could feel the blow, the throbbing pain on her face. Warm blood flowed down her chin and dripped onto the floor. It took her a while to process that Scorn had just struck her, and she had flown across the den and hit the wall.

"Ember!" Mist squealed, but then clapped her paw over her mouth. It was too late; Scorn lunged towards her, biting down on her neck. Mist made a hoarse sound as Scorn's powerful jaws suffocated her. Scorn's head wrenched backwards, Mist's body hanging limply in his jaws, and flung her towards Ember. She hit the wall with a sickening crack and slid down, blood trailing from her flank. She lay there, stunned.

Night had reacted quickly. Ember was shocked that she hadn't made some sort of stand, where she would tell off Scorn for hitting her sisters. Maybe it was Scorn's disapproval of her confidence that had shut her up. Anyway, she seemed to know that it was a race for survival, because she began to scamper in the opposite direction, trying to evade Scorn's blows.

So that was what he meant, Ember thought.

Even though her nose hurt where Scorn had hit it, Ember knew it was only a matter of time before Scorn lunged for her again. She nudged Mist up and ran in zigzag lines, not quite sure what she was doing. Mist hobbled after her, sniffling and breathing fast.

Scorn had spotted her. Ember leapt backwards, but Scorn noticed her movement at the last second and used his hind legs to propel him forward. He caught her on the side, pummeling the breath out of her. Ember tumbled lightly and stopped only when she came to the wall. Rocks showered down on her. She lay there, gasping for breath. How had he done that? He was using techniques she'd never even seen before. It was unbelievable- so unbelievable that she almost stopped hurting for a second.

Mist was actually doing better than Ember was. She was smaller and lighter than Ember, so she could make farther leaps. She had sprung upwards to avoid Scorn's claws when he caught her on the tail, swung her in a circular motion, and threw her at the floor. She skid, all four paws splayed, on the gravelly dirt.

Night had been keeping behind him the whole time, and now leapt at him. Ember could tell by the way Scorn's ears revolved that he had heard her, but he didn't move out of the way. Night landed squarely on his back, in between his shoulder blades, and bit down. Scorn acted like he didn't notice her. Then, abruptly, he turned over and smashed his back into the ground, smashing Night with him. Ember could only hear the squeak. Scorn got up, shook himself off, and pushed Night with his paw. She went sailing towards Ember and Mist, and then they were laying there in a heap. Dusty, bloody, and panting for breath.

Scorn snorted. "Pitiful," he sneered. "Absolutely pitiful." He had a look of utmost scorn on his face, like his name. He turned away like he was too disgusted to look at them, and Ember had a feeling that he was.

"Class dismissed," he hissed. "I have a meeting to go to. Next time, don't disappoint me."

And he stalked away.

The three kittens laid there, dazed and slightly unaware of what had just happened. Their first training session had lasted only a couple of minutes. And had they even learned anything?

Night scrambled up after some time, and looked in awe at where Scorn had departed. "What did I tell you?" she mewed, still out of breath. "Sly as a fox."

Meh. I don't feel like doing any Q&A.