SIX.


TW: mentor/trainee abuse

Despite the horrifying revelations that prevented him from sleeping a wink the previous night, Firepaw's plans to visit the Moonstone and try to talk to StarClan that night had not changed.

He wasn't thrilled about it, but he knew that the ancestors probably had at least some kind of key that would allow some of the dramatic accumulation of information to fall into place. Firepaw felt like his brain had eaten too much like Graypaw often ate too much prey, like he were due to burst at any moment unless something started making sense.

The sunrise came up and Firepaw hadn't even had a moment of rest. He kicked the air in frustration as he rolled out of his nest. All that he wanted when he came to ThunderClan was to grow strong and achieve glory, but here he was lost in the center of a forest of secrets, taunted by an ominous prophecy he did not know.

The more he was drowning in everything this place was feeding him, the more he understood why someone like Smudge would want to stay a kittypet their whole life. Sure, the food was much worse and there wasn't the gorgeous forest around him that he wished he had more time to appreciate, but did kittypets have to deal with prophecies involving your death? As he rolled out of his nest and tried to will himself to full consciousness he felt the same feeling he felt back when he first thought he was going to die out here - bemusement of the irony of it all.

He had gotten what he wanted - a fresh start with the opportunities he had always dreamed off, but perhaps with the biggest asterisk possible of literally everything that was going on around him. He couldn't even make a list without thinking because there was so much ratspit to keep track of. Oh, he would be laughing at the deities responsible for this if he weren't so cussing miserable.

There was a rustle behind him and soon Graypaw was right next to him, looking as dead to the world as he did. "Firepaw…why are you up so early?" he drawled. At least the gray apprentice, his closest friend in the world, was constant. Never-changing, always talkative, hungry and goofy.

It was adorable.

"Couldn't sleep…" murmured Firepaw through a yawn, not wanting to go into specifics. It wasn't like he could tell Graypaw everything yet though he really wish he could.

"Wait, then…it wasn't you making all that ruckus?" slurred Graypaw, rubbing his eyes with his paws.

"Huh? What are you-" A rustling at the side barriers of camp made Firepaw jolt to attention. Sandpaw was running at full sprint back and forth, back and forth, panting hard as she moved. With the effort that she was putting in, someone could be convinced that she had been at this all night.

"Looks like she really took yesterday's session to heart," said Graypaw sleepily as Sandpaw slowed herself to a stop, heaving in breath after breath. Her light-tan fur was unusually matted, either from dewdrops or from sweat. Soon enough, she noticed she had an audience and scowled at the other two apprentices. "What are you looking at?"

"The sun's not even up yet," said Graypaw, voice still heavy with exhaustion, "I…why?"

Sandpaw didn't answer, just rolling her eyes and getting back up to running speed. Soon enough, she was back at full sprint like she had full stamina - Firepaw couldn't help but be quite impressed at that.

With nothing else to do except watch, Firepaw and Graypaw watched their fellow apprentice run back and forth, back and forth for a lot longer than they probably should've. His eyes were dragging and soon she was just a consistent blur against some abstract landscape. A small gust of wind in his brain.

It was peaceful out here, in the morning where nobody sane was awake. Firepaw quite liked it - the way the grass felt on his pads and the dew made the newleaf air just crispy enough to tickle at the skin beneath his pelt with no bite. Even Sandpaw's pace was satisfyingly precise with each rustles of the leaves. Lap. Lap. Lap. Lap. StarClan, did he love reliability like this, like the beating of his heart at rest. Firepaw thought that in that sweet, sweet state of satisfied exhaustion he could feel his anxieties slooooowly drip from his brain and down his throat, tasting like honey and warming his belly as they slid alllllll the way down his legs and his paws until they-

"Firepaw!"

"Gha- Wha…?" The ginger tom was startled awake, still sitting on four paws as he looked around wildly, trying to get his surroundings. It was Lionheart who had shaken him awake, Sandpaw right by his side looking quietly amused.

"You alright? Great StarClan, you look like you haven't slept," said the deputy, squinting at the bags under his eyes. Firepaw tried to look awake, but the unusually kind and deep morning voice of the senior warrior was putting him too much at ease. He looked like he was a feather's touch away from falling onto the grass and conking out. "mm'fine…dunworry…umgood…" he mumbled, jaw nearly closed at the rate he was almost tumbling over.

"Well, I was going to offer you a spot on the morning patrol with Sandpaw, but you need sleep more, clearly," said the amber tom, gently turning the ginger apprentice around so he faced the den. "Off you go now…I'll wake you before training." Firepaw had wanted to go on the morning patrol specifically to get his mind off of the bajillion conflicts somehow involving him, but at this point, his nest sounded like the comfiest place in the world.

Eyes almost lidded shut, he dragged himself into the den and threw himself onto his nest. At this point he was so tired he would take anything except dirt itself as a surface to sleep on. He felt his mind begin to unravel in sleep quickly enough and soon he was away…

He was floating. No, he was swimming. Firepaw was treading water with his four legs as if he had been trained to do so from birth. He looked around at the vague, blurry sky around him anointed with the colors of a beautiful sunrise. The water seemed as flat and shiny as a sheet, the ripples quickly dissipating around him to give way to that peaceful visage of serenity. It seemed his mind was finally giving in to his desire for a peaceful moment, letting him just float effortlessly in a sea far, far away. Nothing to fear, no prophecy that spoke of his death…just him and the water.

Say…was the air getting harder to breathe?

The apprentice didn't know how long he had been drifting, but he soon began to notice a growing irritation in his lungs. He looked around - the sky around him was beginning to grow hazy, darker. Fumes were drifting into view, but a look around showed no source. Desperately trying to claw back into the feeling of peace he had just precious seconds before, Firepaw tried so hard to just breathe as evenly as he could. But every breath felt more and more grating, as if he were inhaling tiny little shards of glass threatening to cut him open from the inside.

He was panicking now. Firepaw was kicking around in the water, splashing around, trying to look for water. The ginger tom tried to call for help, but the smoke cut off his voice, forcing him into a fit of aggressive coughs. He was sure that he was going to drown here, fighting for his life in a place that he didn't know how to leave, to save himself…

And then his hind legs kicked out and felt flesh. "Oomf!" groaned a second cat, a new cast member in his dream, as they flew back, relinquishing the weight and reorienting the ginger tom completely. Firepaw was on his back, rain splashing down on his face with thunder rolling nearby. Dim yellow lights and an ominous neon red permeated the colors around him, and the crisp, uncomfortable feel of concrete dug into his back.

"That the best ya got, ya sewagebrain!?" cackled the voice. The accent…the way his words almost seemed to grind up against the teeth…he was from the city.

He knew this dream.

Firepaw was bleeding - he could feel that now. Suddenly, his assailant was upon him and they were tousling on the ground, claws dug into the other's shoulders and spittle splattering on the other's teeth amidst the rain. Above Firepaw's head, the rattle of a Thunderpath sent that kick he felt when he was near danger. He had to fight to keep himself from being pushed there.

He tried sinking his teeth into the other cat's shoulder, but though he yowled in pain he quickly slashed his paw over the ginger's ear and whacked him off. Blood and grime flooded his mouth, making him gag and lose his rhythm as his opponent gave him swipe after hard swipe right to the face.

Despite everything Firepaw tried, he could not reach for a counter attack. His opponent was impossibly big, good at exactly what he was weak at and agile against what he was good at. It was an impossible battle, just like all the others.

"Ya got heart, kit," rasped the voice. It was different this time, an ugly texture yet feminine. That did not line up with the dream he was familiar with. He looked up to squint through the rain and felt his stomach drop through the floor.

Those eyes. That voice. Down to the jagged claws had her perfect image invaded his nightmare. The ominous rattle of the Thunderpath picked up again. Firepaw could do nothing as he was picked up by the throat with her teeth and tossed right onto the asphalt. His body ached and he knew that he would not be able to stand in time.

Across from him, smiling wickedly, she watched him gleefully. "Better luck next time," said Yellowfang tauntingly.

Firepaw's head turned, looking right into the blinding, infinite lights of the monster that would take his life, bracing for impact…

"OOMF!"

Firepaw jolted awake as he felt something slam onto his exposed belly. Panic surged through him as he thought for a moment that the monster was real and he had been hit. What time was it? Where was he? How long had he been asleep? He desperately looked around, craned his head to get his bearings when he noticed a large gray furry lump pinning him right across his exposed belly.

Oh. The apprentice's head fell back onto the dirt as it came to him. It was Graypaw. With a glance around the den, he could see that Dustpaw and Ravenpaw were still asleep and the sky was the same as it was before. He must have been asleep for only a few minutes.

Grumbling, he tried to push Graypaw off with his paws. "Move, you big oaf," he murmured under his breath, but his friend didn't budge. A snore confirmed that he was fast asleep - Firepaw was stuck here. Great.

At least he could breathe. But how had that big dumb idiot not noticed that he was in the nest? It was his nest, right? Well, it wasn't like he could check considering he was pinned by the most well-fed apprentice in the Clan. Seemed like he had fallen right asleep the second he had laid down, though…that was actually quite impressive.

With no hope of moving, Firepaw leaned back so his head and limbs were settled down, idly moving a paw forward to trace Graypaw's fur along his flank.

Graypaw didn't make sense. Firepaw just couldn't understand it - in a world that had given him nothing but tortuous pain and anxiety and names to fear, Graypaw was…well, Graypaw. He could be quite dim, he spoke in rambles, his love for eating had made him an excellent hunter…and even though their first meeting had been distasteful at best, the gray blob on his belly definitely cared about him. Never a day went by when he didn't ask about his day went, he stayed loyally by his side when he was recovering from the attack on the ShadowClan territory in the medicine den…

Graypaw had been Firepaw's friend for two moons, the closest friend he had. Surely everyone had that one friend that they would kill for like he would kill for Graypaw? Surely this wasn't unique or anything else?

Surely he wasn't deserving to feel like this about someone?

Nope, nope, nope, nope nope. Firepaw immediately shook his head clear of the thought. He was not going to be down on himself and think that he didn't deserve things. Because he did. He had accepted the invitation to make a life here and everything else that he'd done was a choice he would do again if he had a do-over. He didn't stumble into good things, he made decisions that led to good things. He was graceful, he was powerful, he was in control of himself no matter how many cats around him or some prophecy said otherwise. He was Firepaw and his own Firepaw alone.

But…damn, did Graypaw feel cozy now. His fur was warm and the gentle pulse of his blood gave him that same sense of satisfaction he had felt with Sandpaw running laps. Lap. Lap. Lap. Lap. Lap.

Consistent. Firepaw was consistent if not anything else. And Graypaw was that too. He was always the better part of the day, if not the best. He didn't know how he didn't it, but Graypaw never ceased to make the weights on his chest lighter, to make those little slices of life brighter.

What a great friend he is.

Soon, Firepaw was asleep, nice and snug under the care of his best friend.

"Today, we begin evaluating your skills." said Lionheart, who were addressing the apprentices with Tigerclaw at his side looking as pleased to be there as ever. "This is the first step in preparing for your final evaluation, where we determine if you are capable enough to hunt, patrol and be conscious of your surroundings without your mentors' supervision. Today will be simple enough - you'll each be assigned a section of the border to patrol by yourself. Either Tigerclaw or I will be watching from a distance, making sure that you take into account all of your surroundings. One small oversight can be the difference between a well-protected border and one vulnerable to invasion."

Firepaw nodded, glancing at the other apprentices standing at attention. At the very end, he noticed Ravenpaw looking more distant than usual. Clearly he was still quite upset and Firepaw had no idea why, but he was avoiding other cat's eyes a lot more than he usually did. Perhaps he was still aggravated…or something else had happened when he hadn't noticed.

His eyes lingered at Tigerclaw, who still was as stern as ever but not vicious. That kind of mood where he spat with every sentence and looked like he wanted to rip apart the cat he was talking to - usually reserved for either Ravenpaw, Graypaw or himself. "Dustpaw, Graypaw, you will stay behind and check around the camp to make sure the elders and queens don't need any assistance before your evaluation. Firepaw, you will be patrolling the Riverclan border from down by Twolegplace up to the turn to WindClan territory. Ravenpaw, you'll start there and make your way to the Thunderpath, and Sandpaw you're on duty for the ShadowClan border and Tallpines.

Sandpaw was in much better spirits, carrying herself confidently and nodding assertively. Whatever work Lionheart had done with her on that patrol must have done wonders - Firepaw wished that he could have joined in. Yet Dustpaw was also quite different. Usually he would have a complaint at the ready about having to work with Graypaw but he was quite…secluded today. Nervous, almost. He didn't think he'd ever seen the bracken tom without his brash, cocky attitude before now…something was going on.

Well, thankfully they weren't friends so it wasn't his problem.

"Alright, no time to lose," said the deputy, turning to the entrance of camp. "Head to your assignments and get to work."

Firepaw was definitely well-versed in the territory now, weaving and climbing effortlessly through trees and rocks without a moment's hesitation. It was strange trying to recall the time where he couldn't even scent camp when he was near it, let alone make his way there. Still, despite his struggles to differentiate with his nose he could easily walk back to camp unassisted and pick up prey when he needed to. Today should have been easy - just walk the border and be thorough with what he looked for. Though ShadowClan was the main point of concern for them, it was RiverClan who had most recently attacked them and taken the life of their deputy.

He arrived at the patch of forest near Twolegplace where the border began and waited for a minute. He originally expected Tigerclaw to yell down at him and tell him to start, but Firepaw supposed that he was watching over his own apprentice right now. The ginger tom was probably alone right now, so he sat down for a minute as his eyes drifted over his former home.

It felt wrong being here. The scents that were once that of home were so different now, foreign and almost disgusting. Firepaw swore he could taste the dust of the pellets he once wore, the dryness nearly making him sneeze. He kept a keen eye through the trees to see if he could try to pick out any signs of life from cats he recognized, perhaps from other cats looking into the forest wondering what was out there…

Princess. His heart ached more than he wanted to when he thought of his estranged sister, living out her life with Smudge in there. So much had happened that she no longer felt like his sibling and more like a distant, former friend. And in spite of all of that, there had been a time where he genuinely thought they would be together forever. Always supportive.

It was Firepaw's fault that he ripped them apart, completely cutting off the last kit of his family that he had left. And now here he was, wondering what life would be like if she had followed him here. What great warriors they would be. They would protect each other in this strange world and she would support him throughout every bit of chaos that was entwined around him. Maybe if she had been with him, he wouldn't have felt so…strange. Like an outcast. Violent. Compulsively ambitious. Maybe she would make Firepaw feel proud that he was, as he had once wished, the center of the universe.

But he thought again about how happy she was with Smudge. That adoring sparkle in her green eyes as he licked her tabby pelt…no one had ever treated anyone in his family like that before. And though he would never understand, Firepaw knew in his heart that Princess would choose that life, a life of low stakes and accessible love over something like where they had been raised.

There was no point feeling bad. Life with them here, together, just wasn't meant to be.

Even still, Firepaw couldn't help but feel a bit somber as he stood and turned to make his round down the RiverClan border. Sometimes his mind went to how he would explain all of the amazing things that he was accomplishing around here to her, but then he remembered that she probably wasn't the same person. Perhaps she had been taken to the Cutter and didn't feel like even going outside anymore.

Nope. He wasn't going to think about that horrible thought.

Grass gave way to the mud of the embankment and Firepaw was soon walking along the sides of RiverClan. He squinted, and in the distance he could see a small triage of cats on the other side of the border, talking and strolling. It reminded the ginger tom that he hadn't seen any other Clan cats besides that of his own and Yellowfang, who wasn't even part of a Clan now. Even with the world feeling so big and suffocating with all of the secrets and lies he knew about, he still hadn't seen the fact of a cat loyal to another Clan yet.

Two nights until the Gathering, which Graypaw had excitedly told him was an ancient traditon where able-bodied warriors and apprentices in each Clan would travel to a place called Fourtrees, a safe space where conflict between Clans was forbidden, and share news about their Clans. The idea made him nervous - a place with cats like Yellowfang and the cat that had slain Redtail all in the same place just agreeing not to draw their claws felt like a nonsensical pipe dream. Plus, what was the point of telling the other Clans about your status? Surely no leader would openly said "My Clan is weak, please help us" in front of other leaders that could order an attack the moment the sanctuary was broken. The Gathering felt like an excuse to hide one's problems with bragging and feel like they were keeping a tradition of peace.

But Graypaw would probably never understand that kind of philosophical perspective he had. He did talk excitedly about speaking with the other apprentices when he would be first allowed to go. Firepaw at least found sense in that - scouting out other warriors in the Clans to see who was the strongest was a good tactical move. But if the peacetime was all for evaluation of cats for future battles, what was the point of even keeping the peace? This forest was a place that glorified combat - that was what attracted Firepaw here in the first place. How was it possible that a Gathering between all four Clans could be anything beyond performative tradition?

It probably wasn't worth having that internal debate about the worth of the Gathering - Firepaw was tense because of what Bluestar had said Brokenstar would do then. Announcing that Yellowfang was a kit-killer and forcing the ThunderClan leader to either confess that they were keeping her prisoner while knowing about the reason for her exile or lie to the forest and say they had either killed her or pushed her out. The apprentice groaned - he liked physical fights. He could win physical fights. Why did so much of this conflict have to be mind games?

There was no activity along the border as Firepaw came across Sunningrocks. Apparently during the season of greenleaf, ThunderClan liked to take the elders out to these rocks so they could have time in the sun. Back when he joined the Clan, he would have openly wondered if that was reason enough for many of ThunderClan's fights with RiverClan, but now that he knew the elders and respected them as all other warriors did…well, of course he would fight for a place they would love. Firepaw had never thought that anyone could grow that old, especially in a place like this, yet here they were - a lifetime of service rewarded with the best pieces of prey and respect from every warrior in the Clan.

Firepaw's paws drew over the smooth surfaces of the rocks, warm under the cloudless morning sky. He'd fight for personal valor in pursuit of glory and he would fight to defend his Clan, but seeing a place that was so cherished and desired because the cats wanted to honor those who served their lives for them made him feel a bit more proud to be in a place like ThunderClan. He shouldn't linger there long, though - he was still only halfway down his assigned border.

Then the wind changed. And he caught something.

Danger. Danger. Danger.

His first instinct was to look over the RiverClan border for an ambush - nothing. Not even a rustling of the tallgrass to giveaway hiding cats. Claws unsheathed, his eyes circled back down the river. Nothing, nothing, nothing…but the scent felt dangerous. And it was close.

And then he looked down and saw it. A slithering brown snake with black spots, beady eyes looking right at him.

Adder.

Firepaw cursed quietly - he had never been trained on how to catch an adder or kill it. Bluestar said that it was too early in the season for them to be a concern. But the venom in their fangs was enough to kill even the strongest of senior warriors. The ginger tom had no idea where to attack it and he didn't know if it would slither after him if he tried to run away, get him on the hind leg while he wasn't looking.

With a horrible hiss, the viper craned it's head, bared his fangs and lunged. Firepaw jumped, his chest dropping all the way into his paws as he scrambled back towards the edge. What was he to do? Call for help? Not when Tigerclaw was around watching him - he knew that would mean a fail on the easiest assessment there was. The snake whipped around, slithering across the rocks as a fish swam through water and attacked again.

The ginger tom skittered around the edge of Sunningrocks, claws scraping the surface. As the snake chased him, Firepaw tried to swing out a claw at it's head. He missed, and Firepaw gasped in terror as he was just able to pull his paw away from the poisonous fangs.

The tom didn't know what to do. He was trapped in this pathetic stalemate with a prey he didn't know how to kill and knew that he couldn't call for help. Tigerclaw probably wasn't even here right now. Or he was, watching with glee as his greatest irritation danced cluelessly with death. This had to be intentional, he thought furiously, He must have known I don't know how to fight an adder.

But blaming Tigerclaw was not going to save his life. Again he circled around Sunningrocks, eyes locked on the vipers as the reptile hissed and charged again. Firepaw leaped over it's bite once more, quickly stepping back to the other side…

The rock shifted beneath him and he slipped. Firepaw tried to kick himself back to his paws, but the rock he was on was dislodged, preventing him from getting a grip with his pads…

The adder hissed. And this time there was nothing Firepaw could do as it sunk its fangs into his leg.

Pain. Horrible, horrible pain. Firepaw screeched as his leg seized up. Desperately he tried to flail about and fling the snake off of him, but the grip was deep. He could feel burning in his leg, slowly spreading. This was how he was going to die - a stupid incident with a snake. He hadn't even seen battle and was entangled in a prophecy involving the future of ThunderClan, yet he couldn't even defeat a cussing snake…

"Firepaw!"

Firepaw couldn't even recognize the voice, but he screamed "HELP ME!" anyways. And help came in the form of a black blur of fur sweeping over him. Moments later he heard a crack and the ginger tom saw Ravenpaw flinging the now-killed adder away down the rocks and into the river. His green eyes were as alert as he'd ever seen them as he turned his attention to his leg.

It was too late, surely. The venom was in his leg, crawling into his blood and poisoning him. Firepaw was whimpering, hyperventilating - he'd done that a lot over the last few days - as his fellow apprentice diligently looked over his wound before he crouched down and held the bitten leg up with a paw.

"Hold still," he said to Firepaw before he sunk his teeth right into the bite wound. The ginger tom yowled in shock, the throbbing multiplying as blood soon spilled out around Ravenpaw's teeth. When the black tom was satisfied, he shoved him to the edge of Sunningrocks and submerged his leg into the water. Blood stained the flowing stream almost immediately, turning the water an ominous looking purple.

"Is is just your leg burning?" said Ravenpaw with an uncharacteristic firmness in his tone. Firepaw nodded, though it seemed to be approaching his haunches rather fast.

"Then we have time."

Ravenpaw began roughly rubbing his bitten leg down from top to bottom, every movement feeling painful and dispelling more blood into the water. Firepaw could see the water grow darker and darker, his pulse heightening. He had never bled this much in his life - the ginger tom was beginning to grow lightheaded, vision blurring as he tried to stay awake.

"How about now?" said Ravenpaw, "Still burning?"

It was burning, but not nearly as much as before. Firepaw could feel the venom traveling through his blood, but it was a threatening tingle rather than a ripping pain. His stomach flipped over as he spoke, "I…it's less…just tingly…"

The tom relaxed, sighing in relief. "Alright…then I got most of the venom out. You need to get back to camp…Spottedleaf should have an antidote ready to help you ride out the rest of the poison."

Firepaw nodded, before realizing what had just happened with wide eyes.

Ravenpaw had saved his life. Ravenpaw.

"How did you…" he turned to look at his friend, "How did you…know what…what to do…?"

Ravenpaw looked away self-consciously, the usual self returning. "Oh, well…Spottedleaf taught me a few things while I was in the medicine den…It's really not that much…"

"Ravenpaw…" said the ginger tom, eyes widening, "You just saved my life."

"It's nothing, really…" said the black tom, looking more embarrassed by the minute. "I really should go, I don't want Tigerclaw to-"

"Ravenpaw!"

Too late. Just as he was about to leave, the massive tabby tom emerged from the forest, a familiar snarl on his face. That menacing glare was back, darting between them as if they were just caught on RiverClan territory stealing prey.

"Leaving your assigned section?" he snarled, getting right into Ravenpaw's face. Any sign of the assertive and calm cat that Firepaw had seen moments ago was now gone, hidden away behind that veil of fear.

"H-He was…He was in trouble…" offered the black cat weakly, "I knew w-what I could…I knew that-"

"SILENCE!" The roar from Tigerclaw seemed to resonate off of Sunningrocks themselves. Firepaw took a step back, fearing for his life once again as his venomous eyes turned to his own. "Can't even defend yourself against a tiny adder…you are pathetic, kittypet."

"I…I didn't know how-"

"Tell me, kittypet," growled the warrior, "If you need my pathetic apprentice to save your life…when you can't even defeat a single snake…do you really think that you deserve to become a warrior for ThunderClan?"

Shame began to build in his veins and Firepaw was about to bow his head and agree. But something clicked inside him. Something that made his eyes widen and look right back at him.

"How did you know it was an adder?"

Tigerclaw looked baffled. "Excuse me?"

Firepaw wasn't ashamed or scared now. He was furious. "You knew it was an adder. Because you saw me. You saw when it bit me, you saw me dying…and you were going to watch me die!"

The warrior scoffed. "An apprentice who can't even defend themselves against an adder? Do you really think that's worth saving?"

Even Ravenpaw was stunned at this revelation. "He was dying! If I didn't get there, he would have-"

WHACK!

With no warning whatsoever, Tigerclaw swung and slashed his apprentice across the face. The breath left Firepaw's lungs as he saw Ravenpaw quiver, slowly moving his paw to cover the cuts on the side of his face where blood was beginning to drip. Silence cast over the three of them, the ginger apprentice scared to even breathe as Tigerclaw slowly, dangerously moved until he was inches away from the black tom's face.

"Anything else?"

Ravenpaw shook his head, eyes wet and voice quiet, nearly breaking. "N-No, sir…I'm sorry…"

A long pause followed, and Tigerclaw slowly straightened up. If Firepaw had thought that he looked menacing before, he looked a single word of protest away from killing them both in cold blood where they stood. "Cleaning duty. For the next two moons. And I will personally make sure…that you are not invited to the Gathering."

Firepaw didn't answer, but Ravenpaw whimpered a quiet "Yes, sir" in response. The black tom was looking down, holding his face still. Satisfied, Tigerclaw marched back into the forest towards camp, leaving the injured apprentices alone on Sunningrocks.

The ginger apprentice looked at his friend, unsure of what to say before Ravenpaw began to quietly weep. "I-I'm sorry, Firepaw…" he whispered quietly, voice shaking violently, "This is all my fault."

Firepaw couldn't believe his ears. Had Ravenpaw not shown up when he did, even a second later, he would be dead. The black tom had saved his life and he was apologizing for him getting in trouble. There was no response he could think of to say to that as he got up and began walking towards camp. "I-I'll tell Spottedleaf you're coming…" he whispered, not looking back. As he departed, he could see the droplets of blood from the cut hanging off of his whiskers.

Firepaw forgot that he was bleeding from the leg. He forgot, even, that he had almost been poisoned by an adder. The horror of what he had just seen still wrapped around his head.

Slowly, the shock dissipated. His claws began to unsheathe and body began to quiver.

Tigerclaw saw me and the adder. He saw me and chose not to save me.

Ravenpaw saved me and he got angry at him. He cussing cut him on the face.

And the worst part hit him like the monster did in his dreams.

That probably wasn't the first time he did that.

Suddenly, every rumor that Graypaw had told about him made sense. All of Ravenpaw's behavior…tense, submissive and apologetic around his mentor, nervous whenever he's even around camp. The only times he's even agreed to eat with them was when Tigerclaw was out on patrol. The limp that Graypaw said Tigerclaw made him walk off, the fact that he was more relaxed with Spottedleaf than with anyone else, the realization that he had never talked about any of his knowledge or interest in anything involving being a medicine cat.

How long had Tigerclaw been doing this to him?

There was no shock now. Shock gave way to clarity. And clarity was giving away to anger.

But Firepaw had been angry before - he was often angry or frustrated or riled up. This was not anger. This was something much more powerful - an all encompassing fury that made his body shake, his claws strain themselves as they were unsheathed as much as possible, his teeth bare out into a vicious snarl and his eyes burn as if they were on fire themselves.

It didn't matter if it was the blood loss making him insane. Oh, did the apprentice know what he wanted. He wanted to return to camp and launch himself right onto Tigerclaw. Kick him, slash him, beat him. Firepaw felt so furious that he was convinced that no hit could stop him from his rampage. He didn't want to stop until blood was staining his ginger pelt, just like that night in the city. The beautiful sight of dominance as he cut and slashed the tabby cat again and again. He wanted to rip him apart like Yellowfang was going to do to him. No, worse. He wanted to paint the grass and walls of camp with Tigerclaw's blood and hear him beg, plead for mercy and forgiveness before he took his life with glee.

Firepaw hated Tigerclaw more than cats hated dogs. More than Clan cates hated kittypets. More than he had hated anything else that had ever existed before.

And for the first time in his life, and not the last, he wanted him dead.


a/n: based firepaw based firepaw based firepaw all the homies hate tigerclaw grrrr i hate that bitch

also if that's the wrong way to remove venom then shhhhhhhh this way was more dramatic

okay firepaw will go visit starclan next chapter i PROMISE !

chapter seven comes out on august 3rd.

any and all feedback is greatly appreciated.

with love,
cj