Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1: A Day In A Life

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Sunlight flitted onto Breezepaw’s face as dawn broke, urging him awake. He sat still for a few heartbeats, debating on trying to go back to sleep or not but decided to get up. He blinked open his amber eyes, grimacing at the bright, open sky, he braced his forepaws on the ground and pushed himself into a sitting position. Breezepaw yawned and stretched, tensing up his muscles before he started grooming himself, getting the dust out of his fur.

His ears turned as he heard a noise from behind him, he glanced and saw that Heatherpaw was stirring. Breezepaw blinked and turned back around to finish his grooming. Heatherpaw let out a loud yawn and padded beside Breezepaw, stepping over Antpaw’s still sleeping body.

“Hey Breezey,” she greeted, Breezepaw gave her a nod in acknowledgement, mouth too busy to respond properly, “Why’re you up so early?” She inquired jokingly, trying to start one of her usual bits.

Breezepaw paused his grooming to reply, “I could ask you the same thing.” He remarked smartly, Heatherpaw groaned and rolled her eyes.

“You never play along with my games…” Heatherpaw pouted.

“If I remember correctly,” Breezepaw turned to look Heatherpaw in the eyes, “games are supposed to be fun.”

Heatherpaw let out a small hiss, “Meanie.”

She fell silent after that and Breezepaw took the opportunity to resume his licking, wetting a paw and swiping it over his face a few times. Heatherpaw just looked over the horizon, enamoured in the sun’s light.

Heatherpaw loved the openness of Windclan territory and their camp, it made her feel more secure knowing she could see everything around her. Breezepaw, on the other paw, disliked how bare their surroundings were. He felt more safe in the forest, where trees entrapped him, where he could hide easily. Heatherpaw thought Breezepaw was weird for that.

“No other apprentice is awake yet.” Heatherpaw commented as she scanned her denmates, Breezepaw finished his grooming and joined her in looking over the sleeping cats. “Do you think they’ll take us out on patrol?”

Breezepaw smirked at that, “I hope so, I’m aching for something to do that isn’t moss gathering or taking ticks off the elders.”

Heatherpaw agreed, “You do like helping Kestrelpaw with the herb gathering and sorting however.” She gave him a strange look at that.

Breezepaw didn’t notice and shrugged, “It’s actually pretty peaceful, gives me time to think while being productive. If Kestrelpaw wasn’t the medicine cat apprentice already, I think I’d enjoy the role well.”

Heatherpaw made a shocked face at that, “I never knew you wanted to be a medicine cat apprentice, Breezy. Why did you not tell me before?”

Breezepaw stood up at that, “Never came up, plus my mother really wanted me to be a warrior, so that’s what I’ll be.” He motioned Heatherpaw to stand with a wave of his tail, “Look, Crowfeather and Whitetail are up, let’s see what our assignments are for today.” Heatherpaw nodded and joined him in walking over to their mentors.

Whitetail noticed the apprentices walking over and motioned to Crowfeather to look, he turned around to face them as they neared close. Breezepaw tried to make eye contact with Crowfeather but the older cat avoided it, like always. 

Breezepaw instead looked Whitetail in the eyes and started speaking. “Ma’am, Heatherpaw and I are ready for our work for today, if you are.” He quickly added at the end.

Whitetail beamed at her apprentice’s manners, “Well, well, it’s nice to see two eager apprentices awake on time wanting to contribute.” She turned to face Crowfeather, “I’ll try to find Ashfoot to see if us four can take up patrol duty, if not we could practice combat training.”

Heatherpaw seemed to perk up at the thought of combat training, Breezepaw however, didn’t seem all too excited, hoping that patrol duty was available instead. His father tended to make snappy comments at him while fighting. Shouldn’t he focus on his own apprentice? Breezepaw thought bitterly, he shook his head. He shouldn’t think things like that.

Whitetail had walked off to find the deputy, Heatherpaw attempted to make conversation with Crowfeather to no avail, he kept looking at Breezepaw, although every time Breezepaw tried to return the gaze, he quickly averted his eyes. Breezepaw wanted to growl in frustration.

“Is there something you wanted to say, Father?” Crowfeather’s fur rippled uncomfortably at his son speaking to him.

“No, there’s nothing I need to say.” Crowfeather responded as he looked at a, apparently, very interesting looking rock on the ground. Breezepaw’s eyebrows quirked in irritation at that.

Then why do you keep staring at me like you want to disown me?

Heatherpaw noticed the tension in the air and occupied herself by shuffling her paws, looking around desperately for Whitetail to return.

Thankfully she returned none too late, padding up to them with an oblivious smile on her face, “I spoke to Ashfoot, she approved us for patrol duty.”

Breezepaw let out a sigh of relief at that but Crowfeather gave him a glare, so he straightened up instead. Whitetail motioned them all to stand and follow her lead, “We’ll patrol the Thunderclan border, we need to touch up on the wooded area by the river. Be cautious of any Thunderclan cats lurking around. It’s hard to see with all the trees.” Breezepaw perked up, he loved that area of the territory. He always hangs out there when he needs to get a break from his clanmates and their expectations of him.

“Let’s get going! First one up the hill gets first pick of fresh-kill when we get back.” Heatherpaw and Breezepaw exchanged a look at that, and started bounding up the slope, their mentors following behind at a more brisk pace.

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The patrol had finally arrived at the wooded area of Windclan territory, Breezepaw broke out in a grin, gawking at the trees overhead. He wanted to bound into the undergrowth and roll around in the soft grass, but he controlled his urges, that would make him seem like a kit.

Breezepaw wasn’t sure why he was so in love with the forest, it just always seemed more welcoming than the plains Windclan territory offered. When he was a kit, his mother often joked that he should’ve been born a Thunderclan cat instead. Breezepaw wouldn’t lie, the thought did entice him a little.

Whitetail followed closely from behind him, looking wary at the trees hanging over her. Crowfeather and Heatherpaw hung back a bit, seeming to chat about something, Breezepaw was somewhat relieved.

“Ma’am, should we start scent-marking?” Breezepaw asked.

Whitetail nodded in approval, “You may. Start with the thick tree over there.” She motioned with her head, Breezepaw bent his head in acknowledgement and started trotting over to the specified tree before Crowfeather could reach the undergrowth and start complaining.

Breezepaw scented the tree quickly, taking a moment to close his eyes and take in the scents of the forest. The smells of bark and possible prey passed by him in waves, the wind-blown leaves falling around him gracefully. 

When suddenly, he heard a sound, a rustling of leaves. His ears hovering in the direction of the distraction, eyes opening in alarm. Breezepaw crouched down and padded over to the bush where he heard the sound. Maybe it’s a squirrel? His mouth watered at the thought.

However, he didn’t hear the sound of a squirrel when he got closer, it was humming. Breezepaw stood out of his crouching and over the bush saw a golden and thick-furred cat bent down on the other side of the bush, humming and seeming too occupied to notice the Windclan apprentice.

“Uh, hello?” Breezepaw asked in confusion, catching Whitetail’s attention. A Thunderclan intruder? Should I attack?

The golden cat let out a surprised yelp, sure to scare off any prey nearby, he sprang away from the bush and landed on his hindquarters with an, “Oof!”

Breezepaw got a better look at the cat and was glad he waited to attack, he would’ve been scolded for sure. The cat was Lionpaw, Thunderclan’s medicine cat apprentice. His amber eyes were spooked, gazing up at Breezepaw, Lionpaw was fairly built, as he used to be a warrior apprentice. Breezepaw wondered why he changed professions. His golden fur was striped and beautiful, looking glossy in the low light of the forest. At Lionpaw’s feet laid a bundle of herbs, he must’ve been collecting them.

Whitetail rushed over, “Breezepaw? Report what just happened.” She demanded.

Lionpaw looked up at her in a daze, “Huh?” He shook his head and stood properly.

Breezepaw turned to face his mentor, “After I marked the tree, I heard a sound coming from the bush. I didn’t leap or attack, because I realized it was a medicine cat. He was just spooked.”

Whitetail took that in and nodded, “Good job.” She turned to face Lionpaw, who still stared in confusion. “Hi there, sweetie, sorry that my apprentice scared you.” She greeted him warmly.

Lionpaw shook his head, “It’s my bad, I should’ve realized a patrol might be coming soon. I was just helping Leafpool gather some herbs. There’s plenty in new-leaf, after all.” If Lionpaw’s kindness was forced, it didn’t seem that way.

Crowfeather and Heatherpaw finally caught up to the rest of the patrol, “What’s going on?” Crowfeather asked gruffly, he glanced at Lionpaw, “Did Breezepaw attack this Thunderclan cat?”

Breezepaw’s ears burned in anger but he held his tongue, “No.” Whitetail laughed, “We just happened to encounter Lionpaw here by chance.”

Crowfeather looked Lionpaw up and down, seemingly with a glare, making the young cat squirm under his harsh gaze. “I see… Let’s continue then, shall we-”

Heatherpaw interrupted her mentor, “Hi Lionpaw! We didn’t see you at the last gathering! Are you alright?” Crowfeather hissed in irritation but his apprentice paid him no mind.

Breezepaw looked at Whitetail for approval, she nodded, “We were real worried.” Breezepaw added, catching Lionpaw’s attention, “Did Leafpool have you stay behind?”

Lionpaw opened his maw to reply but remembered who he was talking to, he chose his words carefully. “Yep! I’m fine. I would’ve liked to go but Leafpool had me stay behind in case any cat got sick or injured. Luckily, no one did.”

Breezepaw smiled at that, “That’s good, me and Heatherpaw missed you.”

Lionpaw laughed a little, “I don’t know why you would, all I do is talk about herbs.” He exaggerated, scraping his paws anxiously on the forest floor.

Heatherpaw joked, “Yeah, you do, and it’s boring .” Crowfeather gave her a displeased look.

Breezepaw shook his head, “It’s what makes you happy, it’s understandable. We like hearing you talk, Lionpaw. I hope you come to the next gathering, it’d be nice to hear you finish your rant about marigolds.”

Lionpaw beamed, “You remembered! I’d like that too!” Lionpaw looked like he wanted to continue but noticed Crowfeather and Whitetail’s patience was wearing thin. “I should probably let you finish your patrol now, trust me, I won’t catch any prey over here, I only want the coltsfoot.”

Whitetail nodded, eager to finish the patrol. “It was good to see you, Lionpaw, give Leafpool our greetings.”

Lionpaw twitched his tail at that, “Yes Ma’am! Bye now!” He bent down to pick up the bundle of herbs in his mouth and disappeared into the undergrowth towards Thunderclan territory.

“Bye!” Breezepaw and Heatherpaw called out after him. Lionpaw was a good friend, Nightcloud said you shouldn’t have friends in the other clans, especially Thunderclan, but Breezepaw liked Lionpaw and his brother.

Crowfeather growled, “Well, social time is over,  we wasted enough time over here. Let’s finish this patrol and go back to camp already.”

Breezepaw resisted the urge to glare at Crowfeather, why must he always put a damper on everything?

Whitetail flicked her tail nervously, “Not the words I would’ve used, but I agree, let’s finish marking the border. I’m hungry!”

The patrol continued on their way with no more interruptions.

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Chapter Text

Chapter 2: A Medicine Cat’s Worth

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Lionpaw padded back to camp after the run-in with the Windclan patrol. His well-gathered coltsfoot hung from his mouth, Leafpool is sure to be pleased. Lionpaw was happy to have encountered Breezepaw and Heatherpaw at the border, since he didn’t get to see them at the last gathering, he had to stay behind at camp because Spiderleg had an injury that needed to be monitored. He hasn’t known the Windclan apprentices for too long, but they became quick friends while he was still a warrior apprentice.

Lionpaw’s mood soured as he thought about his time as a warrior apprentice, he wasn’t bad, no, he was excellent. His mentor, Brackenfur, however, thought otherwise. 

“He’s too violent!” Brackenfur had whispered to Brambleclaw and Squirrelflight, “I was afraid he was gonna tear Berrypaw to shreds!”

Squirrelflight bristled in hostility, “What are you trying to say, Brackenfur? Are you saying BOTH of my sons are unfit to be warriors?” Anger flashed on Brambleclaw’s face for a moment, before it was replaced with sympathy.

“Brackenfur is simply bringing up an issue to us, he said nothing about how unfit Lionpaw might be, he brought this up to us so we can find a solution.” Brambleclaw pressed his nose into Squirrelflight’s cheek, reassuring her. “We’ll figure this out, sweetie.”

Squirrelflight smiled and visibly relaxed, “You’re right, I’m sorry for lashing out at you, Brackenfur.”

Brackenfur dipped his head anxiously, as he glanced at Lionpaw, who was listening, “No apology needed, Squirrelflight.”

Squirrelflight dipped her head in acknowledgement before her head suddenly lifted, seeming to have thought of something, “I have an idea!” She turned to Brambleclaw, “You know how we wanted Jaypaw to be a medicine cat, but he refused?” Brambleclaw nodded, Squirrelflight grinned and turned towards Lionpaw.

“Lion, honey, how do you feel about becoming a medicine cat?”

A day after that conversation took place, Lionpaw was suddenly assigned to Leafpool’s side. She didn’t seem too happy at first, but she’s warmed up to him… mostly.

Lionpaw rushed to the entrance of the camp, Sorreltail stood guard outside. “Hi Lionpaw! You were out early this dawn.” She remarked cheerily. 

Lionpaw wanted to respond but his mouth was full, instead of words he replied with a sheepish smile and the flattening of his ears.

Sorreltail took a step aside and let Lionpaw inside the camp, looking happy despite the lack of a real reply.

Lionpaw strolled into the clearing, many cats were spread out, laying in the morning sunlight. He spotted his brother, Jaypaw, across the open space. Lionpaw lifted his tail in excitement, he would have to talk to him while he’s free, after dropping off the herbs with Leafpool, of course.

Lionpaw trotted into the medicine den, Spiderleg laid in one of the spare nests, laying on his uninjured shoulder. Leafpool sat in the back of the den, lapping water from the small pool. 

“Lionpaw!” Spiderleg exclaimed, surprising Lionpaw and Leafpool. “Thank Starclan, you’re back. Can you please tell Leafpool I’m fine and ready to get back to work?”

Lionpaw placed the bundle on the floor, “Spiderleg, we’ve told you, you still have some infection in your wound. You need to rest a few more days.” Spiderleg groaned, not receiving the answer he would’ve liked.

“And remember,” Leafpool added, stepping towards them, “The whole reason your wound got infected and you have to stay longer is because you didn’t tell us about the wound when you first got injured! You waited too long and now you’re paying the consequences.”

Spiderleg sighed and put his forepaw over his face, “I know, I know, I know…” He trailed off, seeming done with the conversation. 

Leafpool drew her attention to the other medicine cat, “Where were you this morning?”

Lionpaw turned and nudged the bundle of coltsfoot towards his mentor, “I gathered some coltsfoot by the Windclan border, I noticed we were running low.” Lionpaw beamed, waiting for the expected praise.

Leafpool nodded, dragging the bundle to her paws, “That was very thoughtful, thank you, Lionpaw.” She smiled at him gratefully but she seemed tired, “However, I needed you this morning and you weren’t around. I had to reapply the poultice to Spiderleg’s wound, it would’ve made a great teaching opportunity for you. Plus you shouldn’t be leaving camp without my permission or guidance.”

Lionpaw’s ears folded back on his head, “I’m sorry, Leafpool. I’ll try to be more thoughtful and ask next time, I'm sorry for the trouble.”

Leafpool purred in amusement, “Don’t be too sorry, you might hurt yourself. It’s fine, Lionpaw, I can always show you another time. What you did was very kind, I probably would’ve gone out there myself if you hadn’t. Thank you.” She blinked at him appreciatively.

Lionpaw felt a bit better but was still antsy, shifting his paws, “Is something the matter?” Leafpool inquired.

Lionpaw bit his lip, debating whether to say what was on his mind, “Jaypaw. I saw Jaypaw in the clearing, I wanted to say hi to him before he disappeared.”

Leafpool smiled tightly, “Well, go on then, if he’s free you should take him out herb-gathering with you, we need some comfrey. That’ll give you time to chat and you’ll be productive.”

Lionpaw shot to his paws and grinned wide, “Thanks, Leafpool!” He turned around and ran out of the medicine den.

Back out into the clearing, Jaypaw was missing, but Lionpaw noticed Daisy sitting nearby where he was. He strolled up to her apprehensively, “Hi, Daisy.”

Daisy looked up at Lionpaw in surprise, interrupting her lounging, “Well, hello, sweetie, how are you today?”

Lionpaw smiled kindly at the cat who helped care for him as a kit, Squirrelflight’s milk struggled to come no matter how many borage leaves she ate, so it was usually up to Daisy or Ferncloud to help nurse him and his brother. “I’m okay, I’m looking for Jaypaw, have you seen him?”

“Oh, Jaypaw?” Daisy lifted her head, she nodded towards the apprentice den, “I believe he just went to his nest.”

“Not on my watch,” Lionpaw muttered as he readied himself to start strutting towards the apprentice den, “Thank you, Daisy!”

“No problem, dear!” She called after him as he started marching into the den.

Lionpaw bounded into the apprentices den, only Jaypaw lay in one of the nests, his grey pelt twitching, obviously not asleep yet. Perfect , he thought.

“JAYPAW!” Lionpaw roared at the top of his lungs, Jaypaw nearly leapt out of his fur, jumping out of his nest, he swung his head to gaze in Lionpaw’s direction.

“What in Starclan’s name was that for! If you’re not dying, don’t screech!” Jaypaw reprimanded him, he sighed, “Now I’ll never get to sleep…”

Lionpaw padded up to Jaypaw’s side excitedly, bumping his flank with his own, “Leafpool wants me to take you out herb-gathering with me!”

Jaypaw groaned, “Herb-gathering, again? Is this another ploy to get me to become a medicine cat?”

“Nope!” Lionpaw chirped as he bounced around Jaypaw’s still form, “Just free time for some brotherly bonding!”

“Ew.” Jaypaw said immediately, he thought for a heartbeat, “What if Brightheart asks where I’m going?”

“Easy!” Lionpaw replied, “Just tell her you’re going out on orders from Leafpool, you wouldn’t be lying anyway.”

Jaypaw let out a long sigh, “Fineee. But if you annoy me, I’m leaving.”

“Okay!” Lionpaw agreed excitedly, “C’mon then, Jay!”

Jaypaw let out a smirk and they both headed outside of the den.

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“How has being a medicine cat been?” Jaypaw asked, “Not that I’m jealous or anything.” He made a grossed out face.

Lionpaw rolled his eyes, still scanning for the comfrey by the lake while Jaypaw searched for it through scent, “Eh, not that much better than a warrior if I’m being honest, I wish there was another role in the clan.” Lionpaw frowned.

Jaypaw gave him a mischievous grin, “You could become an elder.”

“No way!” Lionpaw shivered, “Mousefur would totally give me fleas.” Jaypaw chuckled at that, continuing to search, “Besides that, at least I’m not hurting my own clanmates anymore…”

Jaypaw gave him a worried glance but he ignored it. 

Jaypaw shouldn’t be worried about how I feel, I was just out of control. Berrypaw is the one who deserves sympathy. 

Berrypaw was in the medicine for almost a full moon from the injuries Lionpaw gave him in training, he probably has a scar too. 

Lionpaw shook his head to rid himself of the memory, “I saw Breezepaw and Heatherpaw at the border today.”

Jaypaw surprisingly perked up at that, they were more Lionpaw’s friends than Jaypaw’s, but he appreciated them nonetheless. “Was Hollypaw there?”

Lionpaw shook his head, and then responded. “No, she wasn’t, I’m afraid.”

Jaypaw’s tail drooped a little. Jaypaw was good friends with Hollypaw, another Windclan apprentice and Breezepaw’s sister. Lionpaw thinks Hollypaw doesn’t like him very much, he doesn’t know what he did to offend her, but she seemed to warm up to Jaypaw a lot. 

“I’ll have to find her at the next gathering, I suppose.” Jaypaw commented, then swung his head up. “I found the comfrey!”

Lionpaw turned around to see Jaypaw sniffing at a patch of comfrey. “Wow! You’re pretty good at this, maybe you should be the medicine cat instead.” Lionpaw laughed.

Jaypaw’s pelt prickled uncomfortably as his gaze turned ice-cold, “Don’t make jokes like that, I don’t like them.”

Lionpaw remembered himself, “Sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean to… y’know.”

Jaypaw took a step back from the patch, “It’s alright, now come bite the comfrey, I don’t know how to do it properly.”

Lionpaw walked over and started biting at the plant carefully, biting the stems in half. Jaypaw brought over two leaves and two needles. Lionpaw swiftly wrapped the herbs in easy to carry bundles.

“Nice!” Lionpaw remarked, “Thanks, Jaypaw. I appreciate the help.”

Jaypaw rolled his eyes, “Whatever, you only owe me your life now.” Lionpaw laughed at that and bent down to pick up his bundle.

“Wait.” Jaypaw stopped him before he could fit the herbs in his jaws. “One more thing before we go to muffle-talking.”

“Yeah? What is it?” Lionpaw asked curiously.

Jaypaw wriggled his eyebrows in excitement, “Have you received your first omen or prophecy from Starclan yet?”

Lionpaw gulped nervously and looked off to the side. “No.”

Jaypaw seemed disappointed in that, “Whatever, it’ll come soon, Lion.” He reassured the medicine cat apprentice.

Lionpaw tried to smile but failed, they picked up the bundles and started heading back to camp.

Lionpaw couldn’t get his mind off of the last conversation they had. 

What if I never establish a connection with Starclan?

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Chapter Text

Chapter 3: A Natural Born Gift

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Hollypaw was nudged awake by a cat’s forepaw, how irritating , she was tempted to ignore it for some more sleep, “Hollypaw, I need you to wake up.” That was Onestar’s voice! Hollypaw’s eyes opened wide and she shot up from her nest, her fur tangled from sleep.

“Onestar, sir?” Hollypaw croaked, her voice hoarse. 

Onestar gave her an amused look, “Fix yourself up and get something to eat, then come see me in my den.” He smiled and all Hollypaw could do was nod as he trotted back to his den.

Hollypaw left out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding.

I’ll never get used to that , she thought.

Onestar had started taking a special interest in Hollypaw, saying she’s an exceptional apprentice; He had even mostly taken over her training from Weaselfur, much to her mentor’s dismay.

Hollypaw beamed in the attention, although she was unsure why she was singled out, she still hasn’t gotten used to the special treatment. 

Hollypaw cleaned herself up, embarrassed that her leader saw her so disheveled. She picked up a small, black rabbit from the fresh-kill pile and ate quickly in neat bites; She couldn't keep Onestar waiting. 

Hollypaw finished eating in a hurry, she looked up as she swallowed the last morsel to see the dawn patrol returning, her brother, Breezepaw, among them. He made eye contact with her and raised his tail in the air, like he wanted to speak to her, but she turned away from his gaze and rushed to Onestar's den. Whatever her leader wanted had to be more important than hurting Breezepaw's feelings. 

Hollypaw waited outside Onestar's den, the moss curtain obscuring her view to the inside. "Sir?" She asked nervously. 

"Ah, Hollypaw." His voice sounded from the inside, "You're finished already, come on in." Hollypaw passed through the moss, nerves building. Her paws hit smooth, cold stone. The inside was dim, lit from the light through the cracks in the stone and the entrance. The den was small but definitely big enough for one cat, it was barren besides a single nest near the back, where the leader sat now. 

"Hollypaw," Onestar greeted with a purr, "It's good to see you." 

"Hello, sir." Hollypaw bowed her head respectfully, "May I ask why you summoned me?" 

Onestar stood from his nest and stretched, "As I've said before, Hollypaw, you're my star pupil, I must keep a close eye on you." Onestar padded around Hollypaw, examining her, Hollypaw squirmed under his gaze, "You're strong. You're capable. You're intelligent. And, you're pro-active, something Windclan apprentices these days lack." 

"Breezepaw is proactive." Hollypaw blurted out, "I'm sorry for speaking out of turn-" 

"Nonsense, I want you to feel free to speak your mind, Hollypaw." Onestar stopped his pacing in front of her and smiled, "Tell me what you think." 

Hollypaw hesitated, Onestar gestured for her to go on, "W-well, I think Breezepaw is pretty proactive and strong when he applies himself. Heatherpaw is also very intelligent and capable, Antpaw is very strong as well. And Harepaw is… well, he’s fast." She shuffled her paws, "I think all the apprentices in Windclan have their own merits." She finished, sheepishly looking Onestar in the eyes. 

Onestar absorbed all this for a moment before he started chuckling. "Oh Hollypaw, you're right, all the apprentices have their own strengths." He placed a paw on hers, "But they aren't you."

Hollypaw felt confused, “What do you mean? I don’t understand how I’m so much better.”

Onestar flicked his tail and he grinned, “Breezepaw is a great apprentice, and he’ll make a fine warrior.” Onestar locked his eyes with Hollypaw, “But he could never even hope to compete with you.”

Onestar continued, “Breezepaw is messy, arrogant, he doesn’t work well with other cats, and he lets his personal feelings cloud his judgement. Cats don’t listen to him like they do you, Hollypaw, when you speak, you get cats to listen and treat you as an equal.” Onestar’s eyes glittered with excitement, “That’s incredible for an apprentice!”

Hollypaw felt thrilled from the compliments but her mood felt soured, she hung her head. How could Onestar just put down the other apprentices like that? Her own brother? She felt too timid to speak up.

Onestar noticed this and crouched down to her level, “Hey,” She looked up at him, “You’re going to make an amazing warrior. Just know that and believe in it.”

Hollypaw mustered up enough energy to nod and the leader seemed satisfied at that, “That’s all I wanted to say. You’re dismissed from your duties for today.”

Flustered, Hollypaw raised her head, “Huh? Why?”

Onestar scraped a foreclaw on the stone wall next to him, etching a small scratch into the rock. “I want you to stay in camp and socialize with cats, get them to trust you and like you. Help them out with their duties if you must.” Onestar flicked an ear, “You’re free to leave camp to do whatever, if you wish, but your skills are already phenomenal at this age. You won’t need extensive training for a bit.”

Onestar stopped his pace around his nest to look Hollypaw in the eyes, “You’re free to go now. Unless you had something you wanted to say?”

Hollypaw had many things she wanted to say, ask, but she held her tongue. It wasn’t right for her to get so close to the leader, it wasn’t fair to the other apprentices that she got this special treatment. 

“No, sir.” She forced a smile, she dipped her head and sped out of the den without a second glance. 

When Hollypaw arrived outside the leader’s den, she noticed the camp was a lot more lively. Many cats had awoken and started going about their day. Hollypaw saw a familiar black pelt leave the elders den, Breezepaw! She grinned upon seeing him.

Hollypaw sprinted towards Breezepaw, almost spooking him, “Breezepaw!” She chirped with a wide smile.

Breezepaw didn’t seem too excited to see her however, his face very disgruntled. “Hey Holly,” He muttered, giving her a wary look, “Why did you ignore me earlier?”

Hollypaw grit her teeth as she shuffled her paws together, “Onestar wanted to see me, I couldn’t keep him waiting...”

Breezepaw scoffed, “Onestar always wants to see you.” He started stalking towards the fresh-kill pile, Hollypaw scrambled after him.

“Well, it’s true!” Hollypaw exclaimed, stopping behind her brother as he picked up a black bird from the pile. “I can’t just leave my leader hanging.”

Breezepaw gave her a strange expression, padding to an empty spot on the ground. He sat down the black bird gently, hunkered down next to it, Hollypaw squatted next to him.

The tom took a large bite from the prey and gulped it down quickly, “Why does he always wanna see you anyway?" Breezepaw asked, licking his maw.

Hollypaw cringed a little, not wanting to say the truth, “He’s just interested in my progress as an apprentice. He’ll probably check in with everyone else soon.”

Breezepaw didn’t look convinced, but he let it go for now. He took a few more bites of his black bird and Hollypaw waited patiently for him to finish swallowing.

Breezepaw raised his head away from his food to speak, “Anyways, me and Heatherpaw met Lionpaw of Thunderclan at the border.”

Hollypaw looked concerned at that, “Lionpaw? The brute? Are you okay?” She scanned over his body to look for wounds.

Breezepaw hissed lightly and flicked his tail towards her, “Yes! I’m fine! Brute? That’s a little cruel, even for you to say.” Breezepaw pulled his black bird closer to him, “Have some compassion, he’s a cat too.”

Hollypaw seemed confused, “Compassion? For Lionpaw? Did you not hear what he did to Berrypaw?” Now Breezepaw looked confused.

“Berrypaw? No, what happened?” He took another bite of his prey, chewing as Hollypaw began to whisper.

“Lionpaw absolutely shredded Berrypaw up!” She hissed softly, with an alarmed gleam in her eyes, “Berrypaw was in the medicine den for a moon! He did that to his own clanmate.” Hollypaw shuddered and closed her eyes, “Imagine what he could do to one of us. Cats say Berrypaw is scared of Lionpaw now, and that’s why he was forced to become a medicine cat.”

Hollypaw opened her green eyes to glance at Breezepaw once she finished, he expressed bewilderment. “Lionpaw really did that? I don’t believe that… he’s as fluffy as a rabbit!”

Hollypaw leaned closer to her brother, “It’s true! It’s probably why Lionpaw didn’t attend the gathering last moon, as punishment.”

Breezepaw looked conflicted, as he stared at the discarded bones at his paws. “I guess…” He started warily, “I hadn’t considered why he became a medicine cat.”

The tom stood, kicking the bones of his eaten food into the tall grass behind him. “I’ll try asking him about it if he’s at the next gathering.” Hollypaw stood as well, walking closer to her brother.

“Be careful, Breeze.” She warned.

Breezepaw scoffed but he wore a smile on his face, “Don’t worry, Lionpaw isn’t even a warrior apprentice anymore. I could take him if he attacked.” Breezepaw turned to face Hollypaw, “Besides, he’s my friend, I know you don’t like him, but I trust him. I just wanna hear what he says.”

Hollypaw appeared sulky, “You really shouldn’t have friends in the other clans. Mom doesn’t like it.”

Breezepaw rolled his eyes as he started to walk away, “If it’s not against the warrior code, I don’t care!” He called as he went to greet the returning hunting patrol.

Hollypaw sighed and gazed up at the sky. It’s almost sun-high! How long had she sat, chatting with her littermate? The molly shook her head quickly, there was no time to lose!

Hollypaw picked the first cat she saw and ran up to help them, “Ashfoot!” She called, and the deputy turned around to greet her.

“Well, hello, Hollypaw.” She smiled warmly, Ashfoot was always kind to the apprentices, “What can I help you with?”

Hollypaw stood straighter, “I was hoping to ask you that, Ma’am. I was excused from my duties for today and I wanted to see if there was anything I could help with.”

Ashfoot blinked, surprised, “That’s very kind of you, Hollypaw.” Ashfoot looked around, thinking. “Why don’t you take Nightcloud, Tornear and Harepaw hunting with you? They should be around somewhere.”

Hollypaw nodded enthusiastically, “Yes, Ma’am!” She then turned from the deputy to scramble after the cats she needed.

-----

Faster! Faster!

Hollypaw’s breath was running ragged as she sprinted closer and closer to the rabbit she was hunting. Her paws thudded on the soil and her sides heaved.

She couldn’t let it get away! Energy surged through her muscles once again, with one final push, she let out a giant leap and landed on the speeding rabbit.

Yes! She celebrated in her head, still struggling with the rabbit, she pushed its head down to reveal its neck and swiftly sunk her fangs in. Within moments, the rabbit finally went still.

Hollypaw let go of the prey, licking the blood off of her fangs, panting hard. 

Thank you, Starclan, for this fresh-kill that has given its life to us. Hollypaw prayed her thanks to Starclan, as per the warrior code.

Nightcloud ran up to her as Hollypaw caught her breath. “Nice hunting, Holly!” Her mother congratulated as she walked up to her side. “I thought it was going to get away.”

Hollypaw let out a short laugh, “As if! I don’t let prey slip away from me anymore.” She grinned up at her mother, happy at her approval. 

“Nice job, Harepaw!” Hollypaw and Nightcloud turned upon hearing Tornear call out to his apprentice, a little ways back from where Hollypaw came from, Harepaw stood proudly, presenting his own catch in his jaws, a mouse.

Hollypaw picked up her fresh-kill and ran over to meet up with the rest of the patrol, Nightcloud padded after her.

Hollypaw ran up to Tornear and Harepaw, who was struggling to hold the large mouse in his mouth. “Wow, Harepaw!” Hollypaw exclaimed as she sat down her own catch, “That’s a fat mouse! That could probably feed two cats!”

Harepaw’s ears flushed as he dropped the prey on his paws to respond, “Thanks.” He beamed at her, “Your rabbit is pretty big too!”

Tornear stepped beside his apprentice, “But, you almost let it burrow underground, Harepaw. You have to be faster.”

Harepaw swung his head down, “Sorry…” He quickly raised his head again, “But I’m quicker than Hollypaw!”

“Hey!” Hollypaw barked out indignantly, “I’m fast too!”

“You are fast,” Nightcloud murmured as she approached the three, swishing her tail around her daughter. “But it makes sense, your speed not quite matching up with the other apprentices, due to your heritage.”

Hollypaw was puzzled, “What do you mean?”

Nightcloud’s fur bristled for a heartbeat, “I mean, because I wasn’t born in Windclan, silly.”

“Oh, that’s right.” Hollypaw felt reassured. Her mother was originally from another clan, known as Bloodclan, from the old forest. She had heard Onestar tell stories of the battle with Scourge, Bloodclan’s leader, how he was taken down by Firestar, leader of Thunderclan, in a gruesome battle. Her mother had joined Windclan after Bloodclan disbanded, seeming to be intrigued with real clan life. It was her favorite story as a kit.

Tornear gave Nightcloud an odd look but quickly forgot about it. “I think that’s enough for today isn’t it? Let’s rest for a few moments before heading back to gather the rest of our prey.”

The patrol agreed and sat down to catch their breaths. Harepaw poked Hollypaw as she crouched down, “Wanna share this mouse with me when we get back? I wanna know what you think about it.” Harepaw smiled.

Hollypaw flicked her tail in his face, “Of course, feather-brain! Although, I might just steal it from you instead.” She laughed, “I’m so hungry I could eat crow-food.”

“Same.” Harepaw agreed, he looked down at the mouse at his paws, “Do you think the mice are this big in Thunderclan territory?”

“Probably.” Nightcloud scoffed, “Thunderclan cats are fat and soft, it’s a miracle that they can even fight.”

“Breezepaw said he and Heatherpaw met Lionpaw at the border!” Hollypaw mentioned, trying to quickly move on. 

“Oh, Lionpaw? Is he the new Thunderclan medicine cat apprentice?” Harepaw asked, Hollypaw nodded. “Thank Starclan, that cat looks so tough, I don’t think I could take him in a battle!” Harepaw chuckled nervously.

His ears suddenly shot up as his stump of a tail thudded on the ground, “Hey aren’t you friends with his brother, the blind one? What’s his name?”

“Jaypaw.” Hollypaw said, feeling uneasy talking about her Thunderclan friend with Nightcloud nearby. “Just because he’s blind, doesn’t mean he won’t make a good warrior.”

“Is any Thunderclan cat a good warrior?” Tornear scoffed, “He’ll be lucky to not be eaten by foxes.”

Hollypaw felt anger burn in her and Nightcloud noticed this, “Hey now.” Nightcloud cut into Tornear, “I may not approve of having friendships with other clan cats. But, back in Bloodclan, we had a few cats who were blind, they were excellent fighters.”

Hollypaw felt relieved to not be scolded by her mother about her still being friends with Jaypaw, she was like a fox in a fit when Hollypaw had last mentioned it.

Tornear shrugged, “Maybe. There is the tale about Beesong, the blind Riverclan cat who saved her clan by alerting them of Two-legs. Her clanmates couldn’t see them, since it was night-fall, but she was able to hear them, since she was used to relying on her other senses.” Tornear summed up the old tale quickly.

“Wow!” Harepaw exclaimed excitedly, “I’ve never heard that tale before!”

Tornear nodded, “Probably since it’s a Riverclan one, a Riverclan warrior told me of it at one of my first gatherings, it really stuck with me.” Tornear lifted his head to the sky and pondered, “I wonder if Jaypaw has ever heard of it, if not, hearing it could probably give him a boost of confidence.”

Hollypaw brightened up, “I should tell him about it at the next gathering!”

Nightcloud smiled at her daughter’s new motivation and pushed herself onto her paws, “The sun is starting to go down, it’s probably best to head back to camp now.”

Tornear stood beside her, pulling Harepaw’s mouse towards him, “You’re right, let’s get going, apprentices.” He picked up Harepaw’s mouse in his jaws and started running towards camp.

Nightcloud and Harepaw started rushing after him, Hollypaw picked up her rabbit and started sprinting too.

She pondered, I wonder what Jaypaw is doing? 

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Chapter Text

Chapter 4: A Bonding Moment

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“One more time, Jaypaw.” Brightheart meowed encouragingly, “Try again.”

Jaypaw gazed up towards his mentor, his breathing coming in short and quick pants. He and Brightheart were combat training with Thornclaw and Poppypaw. They had been training from sun-high to sun-fall, both apprentices felt exhausted.

Poppypaw was wheezing, but at Brightheart’s words she gave a small purr to motivate Jaypaw. “C’mon, you can do it.”

Jaypaw growled in frustration, I know I can, you sound like you’re patronizing me.

Jaypaw thought Poppypaw’s words were rude far too soon however, as Thornclaw scoffed and slammed his paws on the ground of the training hollow. “Is this really necessary, Brightheart? Haven’t we entertained this absurdity enough for one day?” Jaypaw could feel the disdain radiating off of the older tom.

Brightheart grunted in annoyance, “Don’t say that, Thornclaw. One more try couldn’t hurt.”

“Are you kidding?” Thornclaw bit back, “He looks like he’ll fall over at any second, he’ll never be a warrior.” Thornclaw jeered bitterly at Jaypaw.

Jaypaw felt disappointment flood his heart. Brightheart started to hiss at the other warrior, not even using words to announce her anger now.

I’ll show you, Jaypaw mused. He readied his muscles and leaped at Poppypaw once again. Poppypaw, distracted by the mentors arguing, wasn’t paying attention as Jaypaw pounced on her. She let out a small screech and attempted to throw Jaypaw off of her, pummeling his stomach with her back paws. He hissed at the pressure and aimed a well-placed blow directly to her face, with sheathed claws. Poppypaw took the hit but before Jaypaw could retrieve his paw, she eagerly bit the forepaw, shaking and ripping it back and forth. Jaypaw let out a cry of pain, not expecting the counter, with a final kick of her back legs, she sent Jaypaw flying off of her.

Jaypaw landed on the ground unevenly, almost spraining his paw. Poppypaw took the opportunity to collect herself as Jaypaw tried to steady himself on his hurt paw. The fight caught the attention of the mentors, stopping their argument. Brightheart was tempted to stop the fight, as scarlet drops of blood started to fall from Jaypaw’s paw, but she didn’t want to interrupt his chance to prove himself.

Jaypaw and Poppypaw started to circle each other, Poppypaw throwing out occasional hisses to deter him. Suddenly, Jaypaw accidentally tripped on a rock he didn’t detect, stumbling and distracting him, Poppypaw took her chance. She leaped towards him, bowling him over, she quickly attempted to pin him to the ground but he was struggling against her grasp. Jaypaw started twisting and turning under Poppypaw, trying to knock her off balance, but he was tiring himself at the same time. Popppaw struggled to stay on top of the tom, in an act of desperation, she jabbed a forepaw directly into Jaypaw’s throat, pushing her paw in deeply, in pursuit of getting him to yield.

Jaypaw gasped horribly, straining to breathe properly. He stopped his rocking and instead focused on kicking at Poppypaw’s chest frantically, Poppypaw heaved in surprise, letting herself get kicked off. Poppypaw landed on the ground a few pawsteps away, rolling into the leaves limply. Jaypaw couldn’t even focus on the battle anymore, he rolled himself onto his paws, but fell onto his stomach, not able to keep himself up on his hurt paw. He gasped for air in a frenzy, coughing and gagging as he greedily gulped down air. Poppypaw noticed Jaypaw was unable to fight back and she tried to stand, trying to take advantage of the moment, but she tripped over herself and instantly fell back on the ground, panting.

Both apprentices seemed unfit to keep fighting, too tired and too unwell to go on. Brightheart and Thornclaw exchanged worried glances, wondering if they let the fight go on too long.

Thornclaw gave his sister an exasperated look, hinting that he was tired of this charade, Brightheart rolled her eye and stood to speak to the weary cats.

 “Well done, you two. That fight ended in a draw.” Brightheart turned towards Jaypaw, who was dejectedly facing her direction. “Excellent work, Jaypaw. You got much farther in this fight, it’s great improvement.”

Instead of celebrating like Brightheart thought he would, Jaypaw whined and slammed his head into the dirt, appearing unsatisfied with the result. Thornclaw noticed this and stood, walking towards his own apprentice.

“Don’t sulk.” Thornclaw sneered at Jaypaw, “Warriors don’t sulk over lost matches.” He looked down at Poppypaw’s feeble body. “Get up, you did well.” He nudged her with a paw and she strained to lift her head up to look at him.

“Yes, sir…” Poppypaw muttered as she attempted to stand, leaning most of her weight onto Thornclaw’s body.

They started to walk away, past Brightheart and Jaypaw, who still had his head buried under his paws. “Get your apprentice in check.” Thornclaw meowed gruffly at the white and ginger molly. The two slowly padded out of the training hollow, leaving Brightheart and her apprentice alone.

Jaypaw refused to stand. How? How could he lose? He had gotten so far, he couldn’t afford to lose. Jaypaw clenched his teeth together as he felt emotion overwhelm him. If he lost, then that means they were right. He could never be a warrior.

Brightheart noticed the grey tom’s hiccuping and crouched next to him, running her tail over his back soothingly. 

“Jaypaw… It’s alright, you won’t win every spar.” Brightheart mew into his ear.

Jaypaw tensed up as he spoke, “But I’ve never won a spar before! I’ll never win a spar! I can’t be a warrior!” He shuddered, feeling the pain in his paw throb.

Brightheart went silent to let Jaypaw calm down a bit before she attempted to speak again. “Jaypaw.” She whispered, “Do you know how I got my scars? How I lost my eye?”

Jaypaw didn’t bother to face her but he shook his head, “I’ve had Lionpaw explain to me what they look like, but I don’t know how you got them.”

Brightheart hummed, pressing into his side more, “Me and my old friend, Swiftpaw, wanted to be heroes when we were apprentices.” Jaypaw twitched an ear towards her, listening, “We did something stupid and we were attacked by dogs.”

Brightheart felt Jaypaw’s fur bristle beside her, she continued. “I was the first to be attacked, a dog bit my head and flung me around like a piece of prey.” She could feel Jaypaw’s fear heighten as he turned to face her. “I was already out, not able to keep fighting. But Swiftpaw-” She let out an exasperated sigh as she thought about the black and white tom, “Swiftpaw was determined to protect me.”

“What did he do?” Jaypaw asked hesitantly, Brightheart smiled, although Jaypaw couldn’t see. 

“He fought the whole pack of dogs all by himself, the mousebrain.” Brightheart laughed bitterly.

Jaypaw felt amazed at this cat he never met, “Did he-”

“He died.” Brightheart cut him off, Jaypaw snapping his mouth shut. Brightheart shut her eye tightly, remembering the pain. “But he died a warrior, not that Bluestar saw it that way.”

“What do you mean?” Jaypaw asked, less upset and more intrigued in Brightheart’s story. He never knew much about his mentor’s life, he always ignored her when she tried to connect with him. He regrets it now.

“Bluestar said we were cowards and weak.” Brightheart stared down at her paws, “I was barely alive, everyone thought I was going to die. My mother begged Bluestar to name me a warrior, so she named me Lostface.”

“ Lostface? ” Jaypaw gasped, “That’s horrible.”

“It was.” She agreed, “I was utterly broken, I felt no motivation to go on. I thought I could never be a warrior.” Brightheart wrapped her tail around Jaypaw tightly, unsure if it was to comfort Jaypaw or herself. “The clans aren’t kind to cats like us, but that doesn’t mean none of them are.” Jaypaw looked at her curiously. “I had many cats feeling pity for me, but there was one who refused, he refused to give up on me, he thought I could become a warrior.” Brightheart swung her head up to look at the stars, “That cat was Cloudtail.”

“Wow…” Jaypaw whispered. 

Brightheart let out a loud purr, “That furball wouldn’t leave my side! He rejected my new name and helped train me to fight again. Now I’m a remarkable warrior.” She turned her gaze onto Jaypaw, “Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Yes.” Jaypaw mewed immediately, “You are.”

Brightheart smiled, then continued, brushing her paw over the flowers on his back. “Do you know why I gifted you these flowers, the forget-me-nots?”

Jaypaw replied, “No…” He started to think.

“When I was still struggling, Cloudtail requested that Firestar give me a new name. I was renamed Brightheart and I was so happy.” She purred as she spoke, “Cloudtail came rushing over to me after the ceremony and gifted me a bundle of forget-me-nots that he had picked with Cinderpelt. He says they represent hope.”

“Hope?” Jaypaw pondered out loud, he brushed over the flowers implanted in his pelt with his paw.

“Yes. That’s why I gave them to you. You have hope to become a warrior like I did.” Brightheart nuzzled her head on top of her apprentice’s, “Don’t lose your hope, Jay.”

Jaypaw let his mentor hold him as the moon started to rise in the distance, he no longer felt tired, he didn’t feel pain. He felt motivated. He wanted to become a warrior, he would become a warrior, he would prove every cat wrong.

He nuzzled into Brightheart’s fur, with the support of his mentor.

Brightheart pulled away from Jaypaw after a few moments, she felt weary but smiled. “How about tomorrow, I show you some of the tricks Cloudtail taught me?”

Jaypaw grinned, “Yes, Ma’am!” He stood quickly, lifting his hurt paw in the air.

The molly stood as well, “Sorry for rambling, let’s get you to the medicine den and get some sleep.”

They trotted out of the hollow and back to camp.

-----

Jaypaw collapsed in his nest, he was the last apprentice to get to sleep besides Lionpaw and Honeypaw, who had to tend to Jaypaw’s wound and join the dusk patrol respectively. Lionpaw and Leafpool were worried upon seeing the state Jaypaw was in, but he reassured them he was fine. Jaypaw planted his face into his nest, trying not to fall asleep.

“Psst, Jaypaw.” Poppypaw whispered to him, he lifted his head to look in her direction. “I just wanted to say sorry about earlier, what Thornclaw said… That was just too far.”

Jaypaw shrugged, “It wasn’t you saying it, so you don’t need to apologize.” Poppypaw stayed silent, so Jaypaw continued, “Besides, I know he’s wrong. I will become a warrior, I’ll be the best warrior Thunderclan has ever seen!” Jaypaw grinned and nodded at Poppypaw.

She smiled, “I’ll be rooting for you!” Poppypaw said a little too loudly, “Good night, Jaypaw.”

“Good night.” Jaypaw turned away from the other apprentice and curled in his nest. 

Jaypaw felt exhausted but he couldn’t sleep, not yet. He waited a few moments until he heard Poppypaw start snoring, he stood from his nest and quietly stepped out of the den. He couldn’t hear any cats in the clearing so he assumed he was free, Jaypaw slinked next to the wall of the cave to the dirtplace. Through the dirtplace, there was a secret tunnel leading out of camp. Jaypaw squished himself through the narrow exit, as he was accustomed to doing every night. He kept quiet, treading lightly, until he was a few fox-lengths away, he then grinned and started sprinting within the forest towards Windclan territory. 

Jaypaw was used to going this way every night, so he wasn’t scared of going full speed, knowing soon the trees would clear into a small valley, leading to a tiny, almost unnoticeable, tunnel in the ground. Jaypaw crouched at the entrance and squeezed himself inside.

Inside the tunnel was an underground cave, he wasn’t sure if any other Thunderclan cat was aware such a place existed, he padded on the stones carefully, as next to him was an underground river. He kept following the river until it led into a pool and the room completely opened up, the river led into a large room with many levels to it. Another exit was near the top, leading into the heart of Windclan territory, going downwards, the cave continued. Jaypaw never went farther than the room, scared of getting found by a patrol or getting lost in the catacombs below.

“Jaypaw!” A voice called out to greet him, Jaypaw smiled as he turned to the other cat.

“Hello Heatherpaw.” He purred to the Windclan apprentice.

Jaypaw and Heatherpaw had been meeting in secret almost every night for a couple moons now. They had met by chance and almost broke out in a fight but Heatherpaw was able to calm down the frazzled Thunderclan cat, now Heatherpaw meets with Jaypaw to help him with combat training. Jaypaw liked Heatherpaw very well, but they weren’t exactly friends to Heatherpaw’s dismay. He would rather meet with Hollypaw but she was a stickler for the rules and would probably rat him out if he even suggested a thing, Starclan bless her . 

Heatherpaw gasped in horror, “Jay! What happened to your paw?” She rushed over to inspect his wound, nosing the cobweb covered paw.

Jaypaw brushed her away, “Got it in training.” He grinned at her, “I didn’t lose for once! I got a draw!”

Heatherpaw clapped her paws against the stone under her in excitement, “That’s incredible, Jaypaw! It’s a great start.” She bounced around him, “Are you ready for today’s training or are you too tired?” 

Jaypaw shook his head, “I’m always ready for a good fight!” He yowled as he bowled Heatherpaw over, beginning their training session.

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