Life 1:9

Things were starting to look up for Runningwind. He genuinely enjoyed teaching and learning from his new apprentice. Every day was a new lesson of old. Every day his apprentice got closer to his heart. Though, there was always a niggling doubt in the back of Runningwind's mind, a reminder of a warning Bluestar gave him with the apprentice. Runningwind chose to ignore it, instead focusing on the joy his apprentice brought him. Runningwind always was known as the fastest in the clan, but never had he felt more like his namesake. Nothing could slow him down. The forest felt so full in comparison to how he once saw it. Bushes, trees, grass, and rocks. He now saw them all and knew how to use them. Runningwind could reach Fourtrees within the same time as he would if he were on just flat land. He really felt like the wind.

Meanwhile Snakepaw got his joy from watching his mentor. The unbridled glee Runningwind displayed after learning all Snakepaw's movement techniques was infectious. He loved watching Runningwind run. While he himself couldn't keep up anymore, he loved that he was the one who gave Runningwind this freedom. While Runningwind's lessons were the standard affair for all his experiences, he at least appreciated that Runningwind never took him as a kit. He always looked to Snakepaw as an adult. He was never talked down to or thought less of because of his youthful form. His mistakes were corrected, but the critiques came more in the way a friend would than a master. It generally made the experience more pleasant for Snakepaw. The duo were happy together.

That's when things started to turn. Snakepaw always knew the signs. He'd trip over rocks that he was sure weren't there. He'd find that the prey he got out of the pile was crowfood. He'd fall from turning too tight and slide right into a thorn bush. These were just common occurrences to Snakepaw, but he knew what they meant. His time was limited.

Runningwind and Snakepaw were returning back to camp from a training session. Snakepaw was covered in dirt because he got his head stuck in a rabbit hole. Thankfully, Runningwind found him and dug him out. Runningwind was concerned of him apprentice's sudden accident prone nature, but he put off asking about it for now. When they entered the camp, they were greeted with the sight of a heavily starved molly with more of a rat's nest than an actual pelt and stank of swamp and ammonia. Snakepaw's eyes lit up at the sight.

"Oh great spirits. That's Yellowfang. I wonder what the Cama of Shadowclan is doing here." Snakepaw stated, drawing the attention of the old molly.

Yellowfang turned to look at the pair, both fascinated and disturbed by hearing her old title. "The Cama of Shadowclan. I haven't heard that in a long time. It's been years since some cat called me that, and it was largely Shadowclan who called me it before I became a medicine cat." Yellowfang rambled before sinking into a crouch to get a better look at the apprentice. "Do my eyes deceive me? Are you a Starclan spirit or such? I've seen you before." Yellowfang queried, taking note that Runningwind also seemed to see the odd apprentice as well.

"Ooh! I never realized you'd remember. My name is Snakepaw, but I'm sure you heard it before if you can remember me now. Besides that, what brings you here?" Snakepaw questioned.

"I found myself unable to remain in Shadowclan under its new leadership. Brokenstar turned out to be a tyrant. I'd hoped he would have turned out better under Raggedstar's guidance, but he never forgave Raggedstar." Yellowfang rambled.

"That's a shame. He was such a good apprentice too. Sure, there were those that mocked him for his heritage, but he was usually able to just shrug it off. Nothing could break him down. What changed?" Snakepaw added.

Yellowfang, caught up in her nostalgia, didn't quite notice how impossible it was that an apprentice would know about Brokenstar's youth. Regardless, she gave her answer. "His best friend died."

"Oh…" Snakepaw answered, his ears sinking flat against his head. It was only now that Yellowfang really took in the apprentice. Snakepaw's form was hunkered in obvious guilt. His eyes had darted away, seemingly unable to meet her eyes. That pattern… Yellowfang knew she had seen it before. It was like a dull itch at the back of her mind. This apprentice, his mannerisms, they were disturbingly familiar, and yet at the same time, whatever she was feeling was impossibly old. There was no way she met him that long ago. She grabbed him by the face, looking closer. Those eyes, those forest green eyes had a serpentine quality that she felt on the edge of remembering. Then it hit her all at once.

"Snakepaw! How? You shouldn't even… How could…. What are you?" Yellowfang questioned, now slightly afraid of the apprentice.

"Surprise." Snakepaw mewed in an apologetic tone. "As to how… Well, I never really go. I get close. Spirits, I even get to visit there for a brief moment, but then I'm back. When you first saw me, it was not the first time I've been there. It also won't be the last. Sorry if I'm being vague, but it is important." Snakepaw mewed before turning away, intent on visiting Firepaw.

It wasn't long before Snakepaw got the story of Yellowfang's imprisonment and what it meant to Firepaw. Firepaw looked demoralized to have to take care of Yellowfang, but Snakepaw decided to head off the problem now. "Firepaw! I heard to captured Yellowfang. That's impressive, even if she is half starved and got a bad leg." Snakepaw mewed happily.

"Actually, I did that." Firepaw responded, embarrassed to have wounded a medicine cat like that.

"Even more impressive! Yellowfang is no slouch when it comes to fighting. I'm sure you heard, but she used to be called the Cama of Shadowclan after Death Camas. Cats would actively flee from her before even trading scratches because they knew she'd kick their tail. She had a habit of knocking cats out. The only reason she ever became a medicine cat is because she was blessed with physical empathy." Snakepaw responded, drawing a questioning look from Firepaw.

"Physical empathy?" He asked.

"Yeah. Turns out Yellowfang was so brutally efficient because she could physically feel their wounds. Unconscious cats don't really feel, so she'd be quick to knock cats out. Eventually, she conceded and changed her path to be one of medicine, but she never let her claws grow dull. To hear you defeated her… You've got my utmost respect. Spirits, I bet she could teach you a thing or two since you've got to take care of her. Also, you got appointed as Bluestar's apprentice. That's a monumental honor. Usually that is reserved for kits of siblings or kits of a very personal friend. Usually, those cats are on a fast track to becoming a leader themselves. Seriously, congratulations. Bluestar sees big things from you." Snakepaw lectured with confidence. Firepaw's ears were warm with embarrassment, but he took Snakepaw's words to heart. He had done something amazing, even if it didn't appear so to him. Maybe taking care of Yellowfang wouldn't be so bad. Maybe he'd learn something from the Cama.