Cinders to Flames

Chapter 9

When Cinderpaw woke up, her whole body was aching. She licked her shoulder wound, wincing as it stung.

"Are you okay?" Blackpaw asked, noticing her discomfort. Cinderpaw checked to see if anyone else was in the den, but it was empty except for her and Blackpaw.

"I had to fight another cat," Cinderpaw whispered, "To prove my worth. I-I killed him" she stared at her paws, her claws, that had taken the life of another cat. "You don't know what the worst thing is," Cinderpaw raised her head to stare at Blackpaw, "I enjoyed it. I relished the feeling of his skin tearing beneath my claws"

Blackpaw stared at Cinderpaw. He didn't know what to say.

"Get away from me. Never talk to me again," Cinderpaw whispered, "I don't want to hurt you too" Cinderpaw turned away from Blackpaw and walked out of the den. She took a deep breath of the cold morning air.

"Can I go on a solo hunting mission?" Cinderpaw asked Mudsplash.

"Sure, just come back for battle practice after sunhigh" he responded.

Battle practice. The words stung Cinderpaw worse than her wounds as she walked through the forest. She would be much better than the other apprentices, what if someone noticed her wounds? Thinking about wounds, Cinderpaw found some comfrey root and chewed it up to apply to her wounds. She wrapped the extra comfrey root in a beech leaf to take back to Goldenstripe since herb supplies were low. Cinderpaw caught a mouse, and then brought it back to the camp with the comfrey root. She dropped the mouse on the dwindling fresh-kill pile, and then brought the comfrey to the medicine cat den.

"Thank you Cinderpaw, we are running low on comfrey root," Goldenstripe meowed, "Then again, we're running low on everything..." she muttered, half to herself.

"Hi Cinderpaw!" Aspenpaw meowed, pausing her job sorting herbs.

"What are you supposed to be doing, Aspenpaw?" Goldenstripe asked, sourly.

"Sorting herbs." Aspenpaw groaned, turning her attention back to the herbs.

"Bye Cinderpaw!" Aspenpaw, called as Cinderpaw left the busy medicine cats to their job.

Cinderpaw met up with her mentor for battle practice in the training clearing.

"Would you like to battle Blackpaw or Heronpaw today?" Mudsplash asked.

"Heronpaw" Cinderpaw answered, she didn't want to hurt Blackpaw, or let alone talk to him after their conversation in the apprentice den.

"Huh, you usually hate training with Heronpaw," Mudsplash remarked.

"Well, I did battle practice with Blackpaw recently, I want to change it up a bit." Cinderpaw lied.

"If you say so," Mudsplash shrugged.

"This is going to be fun." Heronpaw meowed, smirking smugly.

"It sure is." Cinderpaw meowed, her voice bored.

Heronpaw swiped at Cinderpaw, and she ducked, slashing his flank. He ran at her, and she dodged, slamming into his flank and knocking him over. He darted at her again, but Cinderpaw easily tripped him, pinning him to the ground. She ran a claw lightly over his throat.

"Dead," she meowed.

Heronpaw huffed. "I was just going easy on you," he snarled, kicking her off. He reared up on his hindlegs, and Cinderpaw ducked beneath him, kicking his hindlegs. He tumbled over, and Cinderpaw planted a paw on his chest.

"In the name of StarClan Cinderpaw!" Mudsplash gasped in surprise, "What happened to you, you beat Heronpaw easily!"

"I practice every day," Cinderpaw meowed, letting Heronpaw go.

"Come on, Heronpaw," Berryfang meowed, "Time to practice" Heronpaw followed his mentor, muttering "Fox dung," under his breath.

"Wait there, Cinderpaw." Mudsplash meowed, and disappeared into the forest. Cinderpaw waited, grooming her fur. Later, Mudsplash reappeared with Blizzardstar behind him.

"Have fun beating me," Blizzardstar smirked.

Cinderpaw faced him, quickly going over tactics to beat him. His advantage was size and power, she could use speed to confuse and tire him. She darted at him but turned to the side before she hit him, slashing his flank. Blizzardstar batted her legs, knocking her off her paws. She rolled over and jumped back to her feet, leaping at him, and slashing his chest. She ducked under him before he hit her, slashing his underbelly, and popping up behind him. Blizzardstar picked her up by her scruff and she swiped his eyes, desperately trying to escape. He dropped her, and she landed on her paws. She backed up against a rock, pushing up against it a leaping onto his back. He rolled over to crush her beneath him, but Cinderpaw jumped off in time, slashing his exposed belly and throat.

"If you had your claws out, I would be dead." Blizzardstar meowed, shaking her off. "I have never, in my whole lifetime, seen a better fighter than you, Cinderpaw."

"Thank you. I try my best," Cinderpaw meowed, modestly dipping her head. She felt proud to be praised for something for once. Usually she was just the poor cripple.

"But remember, never take advantage of your skill." Blizzardstar continued, his voice grave.

"I won't, Blizzardstar." Cinderpaw agreed, but guilt shook her stomach. I'm already taking advantage of my skill. I killed a cat for StarClan's sake!

"Go and improve another skill, such as hunting or tracking since you have obviously mastered fighting." Blizzardstar suggested.

"Yes, I will do that," she agreed, and Blizzardstar flicked his tail in dismissal. As Cinderpaw left the training ground, her head spun with confusion. What do I do now? I have succeeded in what I wanted best. If I have no goals or plans, what is the point of living?