After bounding home and dropping off the little prey he raced to The Moss Pit with happiness still burning like a happy fire inside. The Moss Pit was the training area for warriors and to train apprentices how to fight. It was a large semi deep crater in the earth in the hunting grounds besides the lake and the medicine cat den that is surrounded by moss and has a dirt inside. Emberpaw stopped at the edge. Lionfang waited inside. There were four other cats. None Emberpaw really knew. He slowly padded down to the mentor and watched him closely. “Alright, lets see how you fight on your own.”
There were countless rounds between the two, Lionfang winning every time. Emberpaw got close to winning a few times but he was always beaten. Advice was shouted during every round, Lionfang trying to teach him, but without any success. “Its just like with hunting. You are too quick. You need to evaluate your opponent and your surroundings.” Lionfang groaned, glaring down at Emberpaw with shining eyes. Emberpaw growled and ducked his head down slightly. “Let me show you.” Lionfang sighed walking over to one of the mentors. A large orange long haired shecat with white tipped ears, a white tail tip, white paws and amber eyes.
“Foxtail.” Lionfang bowed his head slightly.
“Lionfang.” the shecat responded, bowing her head as well.
“Would you please help me in showing my apprentice how to battle?”
“As long as my apprentice may watch as well.”
“Well of course.” Lionfang smirked and walked back to Emberpaw followed by Foxtail and her apprentice.
The two apprentices sat side by side and Lionfang stood side by side with Foxtail. “Never jump headfirst into a battle. Like I said, examine your enemy first. Recall any information you know on that cat. Before you fight, examine their fighting style. Their strengths and weaknesses. For example, Foxtail has her size and strength. She could easily taken on any small cats. However, she is not agile.” Foxtail seemed to glare at Lionfang for this. “Another example, Lionfang is very intelligent and agile, however he gets focused on one thing too easily and isn’t the strongest.” Foxtail huffed. Lionfang sighed and rolled his eyes.
The two mentors began to demonstrate battle. They called out tips to the apprentices while fighting, showing different methods of how to attack and how to avoid and such. Once their battle was over Foxtail was panting and Lionfang stood raising a brow at her. “Another weakness, Foxtail doesn’t have much stamina.” The shecat growled, her ears flicking back. “I will really fight you if you do not watch your mouth.” she snapped. Lionfang shrugged and looked at Emberpaw. “Fight me now.”
Lionfang and Emberpaw moved over to the side where they wouldn’t harm any cat during their practice battle. Emberpaw remembered Lionfang’s weaknesses, inhaling slowly. He made the first move, lunging at the tom. However he was avoided and fell flat onto his face. He was tackle by Lionfang, the tom’s large paws landing on his chest and slamming him into the dirt. Emberpaw cried out and coughed heavily. He panted and stared up at Lionfang growing still. He felt all of the tension in Lionfang’s paws on his chest. He laid there before finally delivering a heavy kick into his mentor’s gut with his hind legs. Lionfang yelped and stumbled backwards allowing Emberpaw to jump back onto his paws. He ran circles around Lionfang until the tomcat was stumbling and looking around confused. Emberpaw then tackled him to the ground and pinned him down by landing on his gut.
“V-very good…” Lionfang panted grinning slightly. Emberpaw grinned and hopped off of his mentor. “Really?” he mewed excitedly. “Don’t get to happy. You simply won one battle.” Lionfang spoke, standing and stretching. Emberpaw huffed then grinned, “but I won in a battle against you!” he laughed, bounding circles around Lionfang. “And what does that mean exactly?” Lionfang scoffed, Emberpaw stopped in front of his mentor grinning. “You’re the best warrior in this entire clan! It means I’ll be the next best!” he laughed with wide eyes. Emberpaw would hate to admit it but he looked up to Lionfang. It was his mentor but he admired the way he fought and hunted. How brave he was and how wise he seemed.
Lionfang stood there staring at his apprentice, he seemed somewhat flustered. His ears were flicked back slightly and he avoided looking at Emberpaw. “I-I already knew that.” he huffed holding his head high. Emberpaw rolled his eyes and held in a laugh. Lionfang growled slightly then grinned a bit and began walking to the hunting grounds. “Go try hunting on your own. I’m quite famished so I’ll be hunting as well.” Emberpaw nodded and watched his golden pelt which glimmered so furiously in the sun disappear in the shade of the trees. He turned and took a different direction to the trees. He looked around, feeling small and alone without his mentor hunting with him. He looked around, sniffing slightly, trying to catch the scent of something. He froze hearing a rustle in the bushes though.
He slowly crouched down and focused on the bush, standing still in place. Slowly, a mouse crept out ever so slightly, it’s little whiskers and nose twitching. He climbed forward slowly, being as quiet as possible. He licked his lips, waiting. He remembered what Lionpaw had been teaching him. He zoned in on feeling the mouse’s pace, on hearing every noise it made, on seeing every single one of it’s movements. He crawled a bit closer then attacked.
He shot forward and reached outward yet was met with a faceful of dirt. He yelped and groaned spitting and sputtering as the mouse ran off. He growled and dug his claws into the dirt. He turned and began to head home. “Did you go hunting for worms Emberpaw?” shouted Twistedpaw as Emberpaw passed. The tomcat glared at his sister and huffed, turning ahead and walking into the den. He huffed and laid down, waiting for Lionfang to fetch him for more training.
The next day he rose early, due to Mousepaw nudging him awake. “Do you want to be late for training again?” she giggled, her large ears flicking playfully. Emberpaw whined and slowly got up. “No…” he grumbled climbing out of the nest. “Then hurry up.” his sister chirped before bounding out. Emberpaw sighed and walked around for a while before he found Lionfang walking back in... most likely from visiting his lover from another clan. Despite thinking this, Emberpaw approached him and greeted him as he always did. “Let’s get to training. Since you’re training to become a warrior we won’t be focusing on hunting today. I’m trusting you to start practicing every night after training so when I finally test you on it you’re at least slightly good at it.” Lionfang huffed. Emberpaw growled and glared up at his mentor before turning and walking with Lionfang to The Moss Pit. There were more cats, Emberpaw recognized a few but not many. He looked around as Lionfang lead him into an empty area. Lionfang sat down and groomed himself for a moment. “Can we begin already?” Emberpaw snapped, Lionfang gave him a questioning glare and rolled his eyes. “Yes Emberpaw.” Lionfang slowly got into position. Emberpaw did as well.
Within seconds the battle had begun. Emberpaw was dodging around Lionfang’s paw. Lionfang was pawing at and following Emberpaw with his eyes. Finally Lionfang stepped out in front of the apprentice and knocked him down easily, pouncing onto him and placing a paw onto his chest with narrowed eyes. “You need to remember that you are fast but not smart.” Lionfang warned. Emberpaw growled and lifted his hind legs throwing Lionfang off him. He sat up and groomed himself for a moment before getting back into position. “Let’s keep fighting.” he huffed. Lionfang sighed and got into position as well. Emberpaw tried pouncing on him from behind, ramming into his side, jumping around to confuse him. Nothing worked. Lionfang always found a way to counteract him. The only thing Emberpaw was good at was kicking Lionfang off of him.
Thinking of that then gave Emberpaw an idea. He panted and got into position for most like the sixth position, it was past Sunhigh and Sunfall was arriving. “This is the last time for the moment Emberpaw. After this we eat and rest.” Lionfang sighed. “Fine, fine.” Emberpaw huffed. They then readied themselves and Emberpaw began his attack. He ran in large circles around Lionfang. “You’ve already tried this mousebrain!” shouted the mentor growling slightly. Emberpaw however continued to run, getting closer and closer. However when Lionfang jumped out in front of him this time he leaped over him. When he landed behind his mentor, Emberpaw delivered a hard kick with his hind legs that even sent him flying forward a bit. Emberpaw spun around to see a stunned Lionfang on his side. He quickly jumped on the man and pressed his tiny paws on the warrior’s chest. He panted grinning widely, Lionfang panted and glared slightly. He smirked and held his head high proudly. “I beat y-” he was cut off from a heavy claw across his face and a harsh kick to his stomach that sent him stunned backwards. He whimpered and slowly sat up. He touched his paw on his cheek and pulled back to see blood on it. He whimpered and looked at Lionfang wide eyed. The cat’s eyes were cold and angry. “You’re too proud. Something that I hated your insane mother for.” the tom turned and began to walk away. However, Emberpaw couldn’t let him. Anger was roaring inside him like an untameable fire. “DON’T TALK ABOUT MY MOTHER YOU FLEABAG!”
Lionfang tensed and looked back slowly. Emberpaw was on his feet panting and glaring. “Excuse you?” he raised a brow. The apprentice stepped forward slowly, his eyes narrowed and blazing with hate. “Never speak of my mother. You don’t deserve to.” he snapped. Lionfang fully turned and glared down at the apprentice. “You think you have the right to tell me what I do and do not deserve?” he walked towards the younger cat with pinned back ears. Yet… Emberpaw stood his ground. No one spoke about the family he was desperately trying to defend.
“You’re mother is worthless! Her kin need her now more than ever for guidance and advice but all she ever does is mope about how she isn’t pretty anymore!” Lionfang yowled, digging his claws in the dirt. Emberpaw tensed, everything was locking up. His anger was making his heart tremble and his stomach rumble, but his fear was making his head throb and his bones lock.
“My mother is doing the best she can!” Emberpaw finally spoke, “imagine if you were stripped of what made you who you are!” he yowled. “She had too much pride! She always did!” Lionfang hissed, his fur standing on end. Emberpaw finally couldn’t take it any longer. He tackled Lionfang, rolling across the moss with him. He hissed and growled, biting at Lionfang’s back as he dug his claws into the cat’s skin. Lionfang yowled and flew backwards, slamming Emberpaw against the walls of the pit over and over again.
Finally the apprentice let go and fell to the ground panting. He however charged again, tackling Lionfang to the ground clawing at him, glad he was small enough to avoid the mentor’s large paws. “EMBERPAW!” Both cats froze. Emberpaw slowly looked up. There stood his father panting with a wild angry look in his eyes.
Next to him stood their leader. Ryestar. A short tomcat with sky blue eyes and a tan pelt with dark brown stripes and swirls. His paws and chest were cream colored. He had a distinct dark brown star on his chest and no whiskers.
“What in Paradise are you all doing?” the leader growled narrowing his eyes. “He insulted my mother!” exclaimed Emberpaw climbing off Lionfang. “Is this true? Did you disrespect his kin?” The mentor did not deny it. Ryestar sighed and narrowed his eyes. “Lionfang, you know that this is not your first offense. However, you only receive a slight punishment for now. From now on you will be accompanied by another warrior to battle. When it is time to eat you will be given a smaller and lesser share like that of a small mouse or baby bird.” Ryestar glared, “as for Emberpaw, not only will you have to continue training as a warrior, but you must assist the medicine cat, Dovefeather, and her apprentice… Which if I am not mistaken, is your sister.” Ryestar turned to leave. “B..But sir I was defending my mother!” he yowled desperately. He couldn’t be held down by the responsibilities of being a medicine cat aid. “It does not matter, you both are being punished because you both battled.” Ryestar sighed, “now, I must go.” he turned and slowly walked away.
Emberpaw glared as Lionfang walked away once Ryestar left. “Emberpaw…” he looked up to see his father staring at him. “How could you? I know it was to defend your mother but still.” Brawnypelt groaned shaking his head, his ears flicking back. Emberpaw lowered his head in shame. “Go to the den. When I arrive we will talk about this with your mother.” he spoke coldly. Emberpaw whimpered quietly, staring at the ground as his father walked away.
The apprentice walked to the hunting grounds, he needed to cool off and relax before he went home and faced his mother. He walked around quietly before freezing as he heard a rustle. His eyes narrowed and he stared at a bush, he crouched down and flicked his ears forward to hear better. There were light skitters and squeaks. Slowly a mouse poked its head out, it then slowly came out and looked around. Emberpaw glared and dug his claws into the ground waiting. The mouse got closer and closer… finally Emberpaw couldn’t take it anymore.
He lunged onto the creature, locking his jaw on his throat and easily killing it. He dropped it to the ground and licked his lips, proud of his kill. He began to eat, gobbling down half of the mouse. He then thought of his mother. His mother unable to go hunt for herself because of shame. The shame hated that haunted her, the shame all of the clan hated. The shame that ruined her life and lead to so much trouble.
He sighed and slowly picked up the remains. He padded through the clan slowly. “I see my brother has finally killed some prey!” laughed Twistedpaw as he passed the medicine cat den. He laughed a bit and rolled his eyes continuing to walk. He entered his family’s den slowly and looked over at his mother. Emberpaw walked over carefully, he pawed at her until her eye opened. “Emberpaw? Is something wrong?” she sat up slowly. He quickly shook his head and dropped his prey in front of her. “Look! I finally killed something!” he chirped with clear excitement and pride. “Aw Emberpaw how fantastic! Is this for me?” she giggled, sniffing it with a smile. Her kit nodded quickly, grinning widely at his dear mother.
That evening was the happiest he had been in such a long time. He’d finally be able to help provide for his mother and sister.
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