Book 1: Echoing Voices - Warriors

Chapter 6

Ivypaw's POV

Ivypaw flattened her ears as Darksky jumped down from the tree and a few leaves fell onto her head. She shook her head gently and the leaves floated down to the ground slowly.
Darksky twitched his ear as he held a squirrel in his jaws and his gaze locked with Ivypaw's. Ivypaw blinked and tore their connected eyes as her pelt started to heat up from the awkwardness.
Darksky shook his head and cleared his throat.
"So are you going to explain to me why exactly you're following me around? Because it's definitely not something you would do on a normal occasion." he meowed.
Darksky raised his muzzle slightly once he set the squirrel on the ground.
Ivypaw just avoided his gaze, unsure how to explain her problems to him.
He would probably just criticize her for overreacting or just tell her to shut up half way through.
Ivypaw shook her head slowly.
"It doesn't even matter. You'll just tell me 'that's not a good enough reason. Now go back to your den where you belong.'" she muttered begrudgingly.
Darksky showed no reaction, but his gaze flickered for a moment. Though Ivypaw couldn't tell exactly why his gaze flickered.
"You're not completely wrong, but when you decide to follow me of all cats, you better have a good reason for it." he grumbled.
Ivypaw hesitated and clenched her jaw slightly. The last thing she wanted to was to express herself, especially to him.
Taking a deep breath, Ivypaw let out a sigh.
"It's just about my mother. Ashfrost is giving me a hard time about it and I'm just trying to avoid her." she summarized quickly.
Darksky didn't seem satisfied. He twitched his ear and narrowed his pupils slightly.
"Is that it?" he questioned.
Ivypaw bristled slightly, "What do you mean 'is that it'? Somethings just effect other cats more than others. I just need to avoid Ashfrost for a while." she explained in a frustrated tone.
Darksky snorted, "I think you should just talk to her, get over yourself."
Ivypaw bristled slightly, but turned her head away from him again and sunk her claws into the ground, "I didn't follow you for advice." she snapped.
She was tired of being pushed around. Especially, by Darksky.
"Did I do something wrong?" she blurted out.
That made Darksky fix his gaze completely on her. It was more of a suspicious look than a glare.
That's a first.
"What?" was all he said.
"You weren't this mad at me all the time when you were my denmate. You just ignored me most of the time. After we talked, I thought we'd be friends." she admitted and sheathed her claws.
Darksky twitched his ear.
"Are you really that immature?" he snorted.
Ivypaw flattened her ears and let a low growl rumble in her throat.
"We talked about training and you really think we would be friends just like that?" he continued in a snarky tone.
As he continued to ramble about how stupid she was Ivypaw stopped listening and began to grow angrier by the moment. The fur along her spine rose and her eyes narrowed down until she couldn't take it. She let out a low growl, cutting him off mid-sentence and pounced on him.
Darksky let out a yelp, being caught off-guard and Ivypaw pinned him to the ground. It wasn't too hard since he had not expected it and she was only a little smaller. He wasn't even full-grown yet.
Ivypaw's nose was almost touching Darksky's as she drew her lips back into a snarl, but made every effort she could not to unsheathe her claws.
"Will you just. Shut. Up!" she spat, "I get that you hate me and all, but do you really have to be a jerk about it? What is wrong with you? Actually, let me tell you. You're a foxhearted, arrogant, mouse-brain that thinks he's higher than everyone!"
Darksky looked completely taken aback, obviously not expecting that. His ears were pinned back, but his gaze just hardened.
"Do you want to know what everyone thinks of you? Well, since you gave me the luxury of telling me what you think of me, I'll tell you the same. You're just an attention hogging apprentice that doesn't know how to grow up! You think that everything is just go-lucky fun times, but it's not!" Darksky hissed back.
Hie suddenly kicked one of Ivypaw's hind-legs, making her stumble and giving him a chance to push her off. Darksky rolled onto his stomach and stood up, shaking out his fur.
"Now that you had your tantrum, go off and bug some other warrior that's willing to deal with a whiny apprentice." he growled.
As he began to walk away, Ivypaw slowly unsheathed her claws and her eyes narrowed to slits as she almost felt blinded with anger.
A few moons ago I would have trusted him with my life. That's when he was Darkpaw.
Ivypaw let out a snarl and abruptly dragged her claws against Darksky's flank, drawing blood. Though it wasn't much, he obviously felt it.
Darksky stopped where he stood and slowly turned his head.
"You did not just-"
Ivypaw flattened her ears, "I...uh..."
He let out a low snarl before he leapt at her and shoved her to the ground. Ivypaw squirmed and kicked at his belly with her hind-legs, but it didn't do much. He drew his lips back and she wasn't sure where he was going to aim his attack, but either way, she didn't like it.
She continued to wiggle and move around, trying to get out from under him, but before she could, she felt a sharp pain go through her ear and down her head. She let out a loud yowl and instinctively drug her claws into Darksky's chest.
He let out a yelp, opening his jaws and releasing her ear. He leapt off her as he licked the blood on his jaws.
Ivypaw pushed herself up to a sitting position and gritted her teeth at the pain coming from her ear. She could feel the blood as it slowly ran down the side of her face.
Darksky's ears were as flat as they could possibly go. He was bleeding more from the wound Ivypaw gave him on his chest than the one on his flank.
Darksky bristled.
"This is you're fault. When we explain to Kestrelstar and Shimmersong why we're covering in injuries, it's your fault." he growled.
Ivypaw flattened her ears, not arguing. Half of her knew that he was right, but the other half wanted to yell at him and say he was egging her on. She decided not to. She knew it would be a waste of time so she stayed silent.

Ivypaw narrowed her eyes slowly as she looked away from Darksky, who was walking ahead of her towards camp. Neither of them said a word as they padded into camp and a few cat's gazes turned their way. Juniperflower was the first to see. Being the medicine cat, she ran over.
"What in the name of StarClan happened?" she gasped as she examined the two.
Darksky shot a look at Ivypaw.
"Ask her." he replied tartly.
Ivypaw bristled in response and narrowed her eyes.
"That doesn't matter right now. You can tell Shimmersong when we're treating you. Come on." Juniperflower urged and lead the way towards the medicine cats' den.