Heart Of A Fighter (Book 1): The Story Begins

Chapter 6: Drifting Melodies

The next several days seemed to drag by like a cat wading through a swamp.

Goslingpaw spent her time learning about herbs and healing methods from her beloved mentor, and she would often spend her time with the Prickles as they told her stories and spoke of their past experiences.

Slatepaw and Stonepaw also often stopped by to check on her, sometimes cracking a joke or two with her, and Azuregale would always come by to check on her and see how she was doing.

She was perfectly content with how her life was going on.

The other apprentices, not so much.

The other Titanpaws would trip her over everytime she wanted to head somewhere, and they always called Goslingpaw nasty nicknames like 'crow-food eater', or even worse, the 'whiny little kit'.

All the Starpaws were on Swanpaw's side because of the prophecy; they'd become her loyal followers and would join her in tormenting her sister every chance they got.

Along with the Titanpaws, they'd swipe their claws at her on purpose and dismiss it as an accident, and since the Titanpaws had their own separate den and the Starpaws had to share theirs with the Littlepaws, the she-cat apprentices would kick her out at night or wake her up in horrible ways like dropping a centipede in her nest.

This had gone on so long to the point that Goslingpaw had decided to sleep in the Nettlecave with her mentor. Of course, Aldertrail had been fully understanding and had allowed her in.

Today was slightly interesting, to say the least. The Littlepaw had been with Aldertrail, learning how to check kits for internal injuries or broken bones when a patrol burst in through camp, looking badly shaken.

Upon closer inspection, Goslingpaw noticed that majority of them were injured slightly, and the one Titanpaw with them, Depthpaw, was being carried by his mentor Nightscar.

"What happened? Why is Depthpaw hurt?" Azuregale asked, standing up from his perch where he'd been monitoring the activity in camp.

One of the Claws, a muscular russet tomcat with green eyes named Thornslash, shook his head and answered, "Those wretched RoadWalkers are getting more bold with each passing day! They ventured in with some roaring monster and tried to grab us when they caught sight of us. One of them grabbed Depthpaw roughly and nearly took him away."

He paused and gazed nervously at Depthpaw, and Goslingpaw remembered that the Titanpaw was his son.

"Hornetsting and I managed to claw that beast's paw, but the RoadWalker must've done something to Depthpaw's leg because he's been walking funny for a while, so we carried him back."

Azuregale nodded and mewed, "I see. Go to the Nettles and get your wounds treated. I will report this to Cougarstar immediately."

The Claws did as they were told, and as soon as they were a tail-length away from the Nettlecave, Aldertrail pulled Goslingpaw aside and mewed sternly, "Goslingpaw, when they arrive, do not speak to them at all. Just treat their wounds quietly and hold your tongue. Got it?"

The cream and brown she-cat nodded hurriedly, and watched as the Nettles in the cave bowed to the toms, and she hesitantly followed.

One of the smaller sized Claws came over for her to treat. She recalled that his name was Gustfang, and she knew she had to treat him because he was the only one whose wounds were within her reach.

When he plopped down on the mossy nest, she tried not to flinch under his stare and scooped up a pawful of goldenrod to chew into a poultice for the scratch on his shoulder.