Chapter One: Spiteful Partner
Bluestar called for Greystripe and Fireheart the morning after their vigil. With her stood Longtail and Darkstripe.
"You've finished your training to be a warrior, but something not covered in training is partner work. Given your current skillsets and how you each fight, I'll be partnering you both with an expert at their field of partner fighting. Greystripe, we've noticed how in fights you tend to move to support someone else, so we've paired you with Longtail who is an expert at acting as a bruiser. He'll bring about your skills at being a support and teach you how to best protect and attack without getting in the way."
Greystripe looked warily at Longtail. Longftail just snorted in response. Bluestar then turned to Fireheart.
"Fireheart, You'll be paired with our best support fighter Darkstripe."
Fireheart instantly cringed. The distain scarcely hidden on his face.
"Darkstripe, while crude and rude, is a master at weaving in and out of combat to parry blows and give his partner more survivability in a fight. You have a habit of taking hits and acting as a brawler. As you've probably guessed, Longtail and Darkstripe were partners before and probably will return after you finish your training."
Fireheart could feel the disgust rolling off of Darkstripe for this assignment.
"Well kittypet, we've still got daylight. I'd hate to waste it like those fat freaks in the Twoleg Place."
Fireheart rolled his eyes and padded after the rude dark warrior. Longtail and Greystripe soon followed. As Fireheart followed Darkstripe into the forest, he noticed how his eyes tended to drift away form the dark warrior. It wasn't that Darkstripe was particularly stealthy, he just was uninteresting to the eyes. Maybe it was the strangely uniform way that he walked or how shadows seemed to curve off him in the same shade as his stripes. His footfalls also were uniform. Almost like rain. It was a pattern that easily disappeared in the sounds of the forest.
Fireheart soon found himself at the sandy hollow after redoubling his efforts to focus on Darkstripe. Darkstripe and Longtail turned to face Fireheart and Greystripe. Darkstripe subtly took a step back as Longtail began speaking.
"We'll have to get a feel of how well you fight in a pair before we begin aiding you."
"I doubt the kittypet and little Greypaw are up to our standards."
Fireheart and Greystripe bristled, though something in the back of Fireheart's mind pondered, Since when has Darkstripe thrown insults at anyone but me?
"Fight us so we can get your measure!"
Fireheart knew that in a one on one both he and greystripe could beat Longtail or Darkstripe. He lunged at Longtail. Darkstripe seemed to appear beside Longtail and with a swipe redirected Fireheart into a miss and disappeared behind Longtail once more. Longtail easily rolled Fireheart from the compromised position only for Greystripe to take a swipe to try and topple the warrior. Darkstripe appeared again to intercept the with his own leg. It likely hurt, but in real combat, would do no more damage than the training attack. Greystripe, startled, was quickly grabbed by Longtail and tossed in Fireheart's direction. Fireheart bound over his friend in another attack anticipating Darkstripe's appearance. Darkstripe did not appear. Instead Longtail moved into the attack and caught Fireheart in a standing grapple. Fireheart felt something swipe out his back legs and he fell. Longtail pushed him into a pin as Greystripe was suddenly put into a grapple. He was quickly pinned as well seeing as he did not expect the attack.
Longtail removed his paw from Fireheart's neck as Darkstripe seemed to bound off of Greystripe. He heard Darkstripe begin a snide comment.
"You're still a paw in my eyes and will remain so until you get rid of that weak hesitance."
Fireheart was about to defend his friend to only end up in a stare down with Longtail.
"You think too much and that makes you predictable."
Fireheart was astonished. He'd never been called predictable before. He always tried to out think his opponents and have the perfect counter. Did that make him predictable?
"We're going another round. Maybe kitty and paw won't disappoint us so much next time!"
Longtail give Darkstripe a glance.
Soon Greystripe and Fireheart were bruised and bested a humiliating number of times. How could Longtail and Darkstripe best them so thoroughly when they are some of the weakest one on one fighters in the clan, pondered Fireheart. Fireheart thought back to his first fight with Longtail. Longtail took some unreasonable hits that he could have easily avoided and seemed to be attacking a slightly off position throughout the whole fight. He then imagined the fight again with Darkstripe supporting Longtail. Those easy to dodge blows would have been intercepted by Darkstripe. The off aim would have been perfect if a certain dark warrior took a swipe at an opportune moment. Fireheart realized he'd only bested Longtail because Longtail was alone. It was like a strange clarity washed over him. Longtail and Darkstripe aren't just friends. They're almost two parts of the same cat. They rarely hunt without each other and their conversations often drift until the only way to know what they're talking about is to know the event of which they speak. They're synchronized to each other. Greystripe hadn't caught on to that yet. He was instead fuming at being trounced so easily.
Fireheart and Greystripe crashed into their nests to rest off the grueling and humiliating training Tigerclaw's posse put them through. Meanwhile, Darkstripe and Longtail quickly ate and padded off into the forest presumably to do some hunting after what they called a light workout. Firestar after a nap lounged in open only for Sandpaw to pad up to him.
"Longtail and Darkstripe kick you around?"
Fireheart nodded wearily.
"Don't worry. They do that to everyone when they start that training. Honestly I'd like Darkstripe if he weren't such a piece of fox dung."
Fireheart gave a light chuckle.