Training Session?

[Shinko]

Brindlepaw ducked as his mentor's paw sailed over his head. The young brown and white tom leapt at the warrior's shoulder, meaning to bowl the older cat over, when a lance of pain shot through the apprentice's shoulder. He fell to the ground, wincing as he stood up. Blood poured from a cut on his shoulder, and he stared up at his mentor in horror; they weren't supposed to train with claws unsheathed!

The older cat grinned maliciously, and charged at Brindlepaw. The apprentice cried out in pain as teeth met with the flesh of his back...

...And his eyes flew open as he was jarred awake by the surge of adrenaline that his dream had triggered. But if the training session gone horribly wrong had just been a dream, why did the agony in his shoulder and back go on?

Rolling over, Brindlepaw bit back a hiss of pain. His nest was full of thorns; they certainly hadn't been there when he had gone to sleep last night. Muffled giggling from just outside the den told him all he needed to know. The older apprentices had slipped the thorns into his nest while he was sleeping. It was just one in a long serious of mean spirited pranks they had pulled on the brown and white speckled tom. He was the outcast, the ugly misfit, and they never let him forget it...

[alkaryco]

Adderpaw heard the slight hiss of pain from the nest beside her and was immediately on her paws. "Brindlepaw! Thorns again?" she mewed sadly, beginning to unravel them and extract them from his bedding. "If I was bigger, I'd claw their ears off," she meowed, shaking her head in a constant nod. "Are you okay? Hey, Blackpaw, you great lump, wake up!"

Blackpaw's black tail twitched irritably. "What is it, Adderpaw?" he enunciated, his low voice spilling across the den.

Adderpaw threw a thorn tendril at him, and he winced as it hit him in the nose. "Again?" he yawned and scratched his side with a hind paw. "Next time I won't just give them a warning." The large tom looked rather irritated now: though he didn't show it, he loved his 'siblings' and hated the cruel tricks they played on all of them-- Brindlepaw for being 'ugly' (which he still didn't see, he thought his unusual pelt was quite nice compared to the boring plainness of his own mostly white fur.) and Adderpaw and himself for associating with him. "After Adderpaw finishes unravelling you from your nest, we'll take a field trip to Wispdream, 'kay?"

Adderpaw pinned her ears back indignantly. "This can't go on, Blackpaw, and you know it. Those apprentices are dumber than fox dung if they think we're going to help them in battle!"

The white tom narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "That's against the warrior code," he protested feebly, knowing full well that he wouldn't help them anyway. "Let's just not let anyone overhear that we're not, okay?"

He looked straight at Adderpaw, whose eyes sparkled mischievously. "Alright."

[Shinko]

Brindlepaw shook his head, meowing, "Adderpaw, don't... They're right, I am ugly." He ducked his head, "My mother died kitting me... and my father won't even claim me. If I disappeared, no one would care. In fact, most cats would probably be relieved. I'm a useless fighter and a drain on the Clan's resources that we can't afford." he lowered his voice fearfully, "Especially not with DarkClan lurking just over the waterfall."

The speckled tom rose to his paws, wincing as the cuts on his shoulder and back throbbed. "I'll tell Wispdream that I picked up this cuts in training, and I must have set them bleeding again while twitching in my sleep." He padded towards the mouth of the den, adding, "Maybe... maybe it would be better if you two didn't help me so much. I mean, I appreciate it, but you get so much grief for it... I hate to see you going through all of this for someone as worthless as me!"

[alkaryco]

Adderpaw gave him a swift bite on the ear for the comment. "You are not ugly, and you're not a burden. Every other cat's just jealous." She then proceeded to pad after him as he exited the den, Blackpaw towering over her shoulder on her left side.

Blackpaw spoke next, his voice low and scratchy from his recent bout of whitecough, right at the end of leaf-bare: "We'll let you keep telling that to Wispdream," he affirmed, "but we're not going to stop being your..."

"Siblings!" Adderpaw cut in, her eyes sparkling. "You're our brother, Brindlepaw, like it or not!" She flounced out of the apprentices' den and crouched on the hard-packed dirt and grass outside. "Plus, the older apprentices are worthless, not you.."

"...and you can't keep telling yourself that," Blackpaw finished, nudging Brindlepaw's shoulder with a paw. "Now let's get you to the medicine cat and you can stop moaning on how you're 'worthless' when you're not."

Adderpaw nodded enthusiastically before springing on Blackpaw's back, taking him down. He spit out a mouthful of dirt, hissing playfully, "I'll get you back for that one after Brindlepaw's scratches are patched up. Hey, Brindlepaw, want to join the Adderpaw resistance?"

Adderpaw faked looking offended and gave up, her tortoiseshell fur gleaming in the sunlight. "Eh, toms against the she-cat? How fair is that?"

[Shinko]

Brindlepaw flicked his tail across Blackpaw's shoulder, grinning. "What, and rob you of the joy of having her gentle ministrations all to yourself? I would never dream of such a thing." He winced as his shoulder protested to being made to bear weight when he put his paw down. He hoped Wispdream wouldn't check with his mentor to confirm his story. He doubted it; she had no reason not to believe him. The other apprentices were very careful about their mistreatment of the speckled apprentice. They never left behind traces, and they always made sure no one was watching.

The thought of his mentor brought on another worry; would his injuries interfere with his training?

Resolutely forcing himself to think of something else, he meowed, "So, Blackpaw, I heard you had a run-in with RainClan on the evening patrol. You were too tired last night to give us the details, so now you are obligated to spill. I want every single detail!"

[alkaryco]

"Okay, okay," he meowed, amused. "So we were on patrol, y'know, along the DarkClan border. I haven't been to a Gathering yet, so I didn't know any names, but there were five of them on the other patrol, including their leader-- Moonstar, yeah? We were at the place, y'know, where all territories collide-- we only border for a ways DarkClan and CloudClan, but you know that--- she was looking kind of upset. We asked them what they were up to so close to us, and they told us they were waiting. One of their warriors-- Reedwhisker, I think she said-- found dead on the CloudClan/RainClan border. Now, I don't know why they wanted to ask us, since we're not even close, really, t' where they found 'im... said they think it was a rogue called Malice. Now I d'know if you know this, but she's like, basically the head of the rogues, so my guess is she wanted to start a war between CloudClan and RainClan. Moonstar's having none of it, I'd say-- her warrior Appleblaze saw the rogue and the body without fresh CloudClan scent on it, Brindlepaw, so I don't think the plot succeeded, but who knows, really? Watch for bodies on patrol though, never know with those rogues. Nasty fellows-- oh, looks like Wispdream's getting ready to go out. Better get over there 'fore we have to wait forever to get you patched up... I think some Capture the Mouse is in order, eh?"

[Shinko]

Brindlepaw let out a mrrrow of amusement. He trotted after his siblings, moving as fast as his injured leg would allow. "I guess that rouge wasn't too bright, if she got caught so easily. Still, it wouldn't be a good idea to assume that she's going to give up." he cocked his head to the side, "If she's ambitious enough to try to incite a Clan war, she's bound to try something else."

The young cat shuddered... Malice... a name like that spoke of ambition, hatred, and intelligence. Not a good combination when the hatred was directed at the Clan warriors.

"Even if she's only got a bone to pick with RainClan and CloudClan," he went on, "You know what the elders say. We need all four Clans if we are to survive." Trying to lighten the mood, he added, "But I think we could at least thin the ranks in DarkClan; they don't seem to be doing anybody any good!"

[alkaryco]

"Hmm," Blackpaw sighed. "They're the smallest Clan right now-- getting killed off and all-- so it wouldn't be wise to attack them. They'd easily be wiped out at this point and as you mentioned: we need four Clans."

Adderpaw bounced on her paws and looked around like a DarkClan cat was going to spring out at her. "I've heard they eat bones and kill each other for the last piece of fresh-kill!" she murmured enthusiastically, though with a shudder. "Falconbite's eyes scare me."

"When did you see Falconbite?" Blackpaw asked dubiously. "We haven't gone yet to a Gathering and he doesn't patrol much on our end-- that's where his mentor was killed, apparently. Bit of a sore place to visit, my guess."

Adderpaw shrugged. "I haven't. But the elders have!"

[Shinko]

Brindlepaw purred with amusement, "If you believe everything the elders say, when they were kits there was an herb that could cure any disease! And they had the power of flight to leap the waterfall in a single bound! And times were so hard that none of the 'young cats these days' could ever hope to cope with the danger. Speaking of danger, you have more immediate problems than DarkClan's deputy!"

The speckled tom pounced at his sister. Unfortunately, he had forgotten his wounded shoulder. It ripped further, and he screeched with pain, his howl carrying in the open clearing of the camp. The thorn had done more damage that any of the apprentices realized; Brindlepaw was so skinny because he took such poor care of himself that the thorn in his bedding had cut into a muscle in his shoulder.

[alkaryco]

Adderpaw's jaw dropped as he bowled her over. She moved carefully from where he was partially trapping her and started to lick his wound-- she didn't know what to do, but was at least trying. Blackpaw had taken off to get Wispdream, and Adderpaw looked at her mottled brother with sadness. "When you're drugged up on poppy seeds, I am so feeding you the fattest mouse in the forest," she scolded. "I know you wouldn't let me otherwise, and well, maybe loopy you'll let yourself get some food down that poor deprived gullet. Now stay still and wait for Wispdream-- and StarClan help me, don't move that shoulder or I'll rip your ears off!" She wouldn't really, and Brindlepaw knew she wouldn't-- she loved her brothers very much and was concerned for Brindlepaw, who was really not taking care of himself... she would have to fix that.

[Shinko]

Brindlepaw glanced up at his sister, a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth despite his obvious agony. "But if you get me all loopy on poppy, I'll be so out of it that I'll just choke on whatever you feed me." He shook his head, "Really, I'm probably fine- RRRRRRRROOOOOOOOWWW!" he yowled as his futile attempt to regain his paws sent a lance of fire up his shoulder.

How on earth was he going to explain this? No way he could pass off such an injury as a training accident! Yet, if he tried to tell Wispdream the truth, he knew she'd never believe him. He was just the ugly, worthless no-account that nobody wanted. The apprentices tormenting him were favorites in the Clan. At best she would simply dismiss the thorns in his bedding as an accident. At worst, she would accuse him of lying and punish him for trying to get his fellow apprentices in trouble. Brindlepaw's ears flattened, and he let slip a sob of vexation.

[alkaryco]

Adderpaw did what she could: she lay beside him, licking his ear comfortingly. "S'okay, Brindlepaw, just stay still, alright?" No one was paying them much mind; not that she had expected it, in fact she was half-worried that Wispdream was being slow purposefully. Did the whole Clan want to watch her brother suffer? She leapt to her paws, marched to the fresh-kill pile, grabbed a rather plump mouse, and plopped it in front of her mottled brown brother. "Eat it, it'll get your strength back up," she advised. "And if you don't, the poppyseed option is still open." She looked at him menacingly, amber-yellow eyes gleaming.

[Shinko]

The speckled apprentice wanted to protest, but his heart wasn't really in it. He hooked his tooth on the mouse and gnawed at it without really biting off any or swallowing. His stomach was knotted with tension, and the pain in his shoulder was so great that he wanted to vomit, not eat.

"Adderpaw?" he meowed softly, "D'you think maybe StarClan made some sort of prophecy to Wispdream about me? Something I'm supposed to do or bring about that is so horrible that it made everyone hate me?" His ears flattened at the prospect. Obviously such a thing was preposterous, but he had no way of knowing that.

[danny__boy [[nirvanaXX]

dustpaw walked over to the apprentice's den, laughter still gleaming darkly in his eyes as he let out a cold chuckle. that runt brindlepaw was an easy target in his mind and there was no other cat that he would rather mess with. at ten moons of age, the tom was a senior apprentice, along with his brother jetpaw. sure, he should have had a mentor but the cat who had been training him had vanished after a battle, so now he spent the majority of his time practically torturing brindlepaw or hanging around the medicine den with his brother.

"well, what do we have here? just the typical defense of the runt i see," dustpaw sneered at the mottled brown tom. of course brindlepaw was a runt compared to dustpaw. dustpaw had more a more developed physique and was larger in general that the younger tom. he felt nothing but contempt toward the apprentice, and thought it weak to defend him. and he knew that this was what had given him his self-esteem level. even jetpaw, the normally gentle medicine cat apprentice and dustpaw's brother, was never exactly fond of dustpaw.

"you know, runt, that these are the only two cats in the entire forest who don't hate you, don't you? well, just wanted to let you know that in case you didn't." the jabs had grown stronger, steadily being created in the tabby tom's mind. just have to control it, he thought. really torture him.

he turned around slightly and flicked his tail harshly across the smaller cat's face before looking at the lean black and white cat that was now standing at his flank.

jetpaw looked at his brother before glaring at brindlepaw. even though he would never say anything out loud in a situation like this, he still hated that cat. now that he knew what adderpaw had wanted poppy seeds for, he regreted even paying any attention to the request. he simply glared at the tom for another heartbeat before turning to comment to his brother. "that little runt would never last a heartbeat in a battle. not with how skittish he is, and his lack of training for another thing," he whispered in dustpaw's ear, glancing down at blackpaw, adderpaw and brindlepaw to make sure that brindlepaw had caught his remark.

just because he was a medicine cat in training did not mean that he exactly cared for each and every cat in the clan. especially brindlepaw.

characters: dustpaw and jetpaw
word count: 429
side notes: i will have a posting table up soon...hopefully...

[Shinko]

Brindlepaw glanced up at Dustpaw and Jetpaw, his ears flattened and his eyes wide with fear. "I'm s-s-sorry," he mewed plaintively. He glanced at Adderpaw, begging her with his eyes not to say anything, but he knew she would anyway. Of course, in so doing she would incur the wrath of the older apprentices, which was the last thing that the speckled apprentice wanted for his sister.

Hoping to defuse the situation by proving that he wasn't weak, and hopefully impressing the older apprentices enough to get them to back off before Adderpaw let her anger get the best of her, he made another halting effort to stand, careful not to put weight on his bad shoulder. For a moment it seemed to work, but the next instant he put down his wounded leg in his excitement and promptly collapse with another yowl of agony.