Chapter 11: Warrior In All But Name
Darkstripe decided to give Fireheart an extra day off from his questions game. He needed to catch back up on his routine's and deals anyways. While making his way out of camp, Darkstripe noticed an oddity. Why was Fireheart taking Brackenpaw out for training? Any good mentor wouldn't leave an apprentice to their own devices this early. Darkstripe noted the oddity to possibly take advantage of later. 'I mean if Graystripe doesn't want the experience of training a cat, he knew his apprentice could polish some skills off, and what better way than to try to teach them some someone else.'
Darkstripe made his rounds and let dealer Tiny in on the rumor that Tigerclaw killed Redtail. Tiny seemed especially interested in this despite it being a baseless rumor. Darkstripe was uncomfortable the whole time Tiny paced and plotted. It was like a queen just heard of a scandal. Finally Tiny settled and gave Darkstripe an odd item. It was a garish pink collar covered in rhinestones with one dog tooth shoved through it. It was a formal declaration that if the worst was to come, Darkstripe would have a home in Bloodclan. Albeit an embarrassing home. The outlandish collar would brand him a trusted weakling. Not wanting to try Tiny's patience, Darkstripe took the collar and promptly hid it in an out of camp treasure trove he kept hidden. While Darkstripe never saw himself wearing that collar, it gave him an idea on how to make his trainee own his roots as a kittypet. With some effort, Darkstripe worked the collar to as big as it could go. He then left the trove to set some more plans in motion.
Darkstripe finished the day tired, but not near as exhausted as right after the Wind Clan mission. He dreamed of the clan asking him for advice. He dreamed of kits and paws wanting to be him. He dreamed of elders telling his tales of Thunder in the same way they tell the tales of the founders. Darkstripe rarely dreamed of things other than his worries, but that night was one that he'd remember.
Darkstripe woke before the others in the den as was his routine, but instead of making his way out right away, he waited for Fireheart. Soon the ginger tom made his way out only to be met with his not so favorite clanmate. Darkstripe spoke in a tone that implied a suggestion, but a posture that implied a command.
"If Graystripe isn't training Brackenpaw today, you should take Dustpaw with you. He's a warrior in all but name, and I think teaching with you would be good for you both."
Darkstripe turned before Fireheart could retort. He walked that strangely uniform walk away, but after being around Darkstripe so often, Fireheart could feel that this rhythm was Darkstripe's upbeat walk. Glancing back into the warriors den, Fireheart saw Graystrrpe was missing again. He's been odd ever since he fell in the river the day before. Shaking his head, Fireheart went to wake the three apprentices.
"Wake up. We're doing some hunting training and Darkstripe said Dustpaw could help teach it."
Dustpaw looked proud for a second before realizing that meant he'd have to spend the day with one of his least favorite clanmates
"Why would he ask you to have me mentor?" Dustpaw spat.
Fireheart found it difficult to not reciprocate the aggression.
"Something about you being a warrior in all but name. I think he wants us to bond as clanmates." Fireheart cautiously mewed.
"I'll never be your friend!" Hissed Dustpaw in response.
"Clanmates, not friends. I think he wants us to like each other enough that we wouldn't let the other die or do something mousebrained."
Dustpaw sat contemplatively before nodding. "That sounds like him. He may not be well liked by any cat, but any cat in this clan would fight to save him in a heartbeat."
While travelling out to a good hunting spot, Fireheart noticed how similar Dustpaw walked to Darkstripe. It was subtle and off beat, but it held some of the same rhythm. Despite everything, Dustpaw was trying to emulate Darkstripe. Fireheart decided to break the silence.
"What was it like training under Darkstripe?"
"His methods are nothing like Redtail's were." A brief pained look flashed on Dustpaw's face.
"Redtail was straightforward with what he taught, but Darkstripe would watch me and try to mime me before criticizing my techniques. He'd try to walk like me, fight like me, and hunt like me before he even considered teaching me something new. It felt so wrong watching him copy my actions so perfectly, but he gave me a lot of good insight. A habit I had of shifting my weight as I stalked, he caught. Redtail would have never noticed because my posture was the same. He even changed how I approach prey after watching me. He noted routes I took often looped through bushes like I had an easy to spot coat. I'd been copying Redtail for so long, I forgot I had better camouflage than him. He also made me take up the habit of watching cats in the camp. He always said, 'If you don't know your clanmates, why are you fighting for Thunderclan?' It gave me a reason why I do what I do instead of just mindlessly doing it."
"He sounds like a great mentor."
"No he's a piece of Foxdung who happens to be good at teaching tricks. I was so pissed at him when he called me Dustkit and Dusty like a loaner. He finally stopped after I started doing things for the camp on my own. Then he'd leave me alone longer until he wasn't teaching me at all. He would just watch and occasionally take me out for battle training. He said there was a purpose but I haven't figured it out."
"I think he wanted you to get a sense of independence."
"You think? He always called you that mousebrained kittypet thinker to me. Now I think I get what he means."
Soon the cats were practicing hunter's crouches. Strangely Dustpaw was better at training Cinderpaw than he was. That just let Fireheart give more attention to Brackenpaw. It was probably the most effective day of training Fireheart had given. Fireheart also had a new respect for Dustpaw given that he could handle Cinderpaw's rambunctious nature. Dustpaw revealed himself to be a stern but calm cat when teaching.