Thundering Darkness

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A full moon into her apprenticeship, and Pebblepaw had never anticipated to experience so much in her life. The other apprentices always brought back stories, but also complained about their long days spent out of camp. She, on the other hand, was just grateful for the time out of camp. She sometimes noticed the rest of her denmates crowded around together without her, but she didn't mind. After all, she was friends with the clan leader and deputy. Min was healing well, and sleeping in the apprentices den, with Thornpaw looking after her, but since she wasn't fully healed, she was still confined to camp, and did a lot of the boring in-camp apprentices duties.

"Pebblepaw? Are you awake there?" Pebblepaw shifted her gaze tiredly toward her mentor, Shimmerclaw.

They were in a small grassy clearing with a river that ran swiftly through on one edge, and a small leafy forest on the other. This was the training clearing, where Pebblepaw spent most of her days.

"Yes," she responded promptly, "I was just uh... analyzing the jump and swipe move."

Shimmerclaw looked at her dubiously, then shrugged, "we're going to do a joint training session with the other apprentices. You're going to be in a fight with Darkpaw. Batpaw and Nightpaw are also going to fight each other. Then you'll team up with Darkpaw to try and beat the two toms."

Pebblepaw blinked eagerly, and fluffed up her pelt. Finally! I'll be able to prove to my rival how awesome a fighter I am, even though I'm small. She turned to see Darkpaw padding towards with narrowed eyes. She narrowed her eyes right back at the slightly older apprentice. Oh, it's on!

She watched as Firbush whispered something in Darkpaw's ear. She nodded and paced toward Pebblepaw. Nightpaw was watching excitedly from the edge of the clearing, while Batpaw let out an enormous yawn.

"Go!" Shimmerclaw announced.

Pebblepaw sprang into action, throwing blows at Darkpaw in all directions, not knowing which ones landed, and which ones didn't. She saw Darkpaw's eyes narrow, as the black long-furred she-cat matched her wild blows with more well-aimed ones.

"Fight, mousebrain!" That was Firbush, Darkpaw's mentor's voice.

She was quick and nimble on her paws, and she was able to dodge some of Darkpaw's blows, and with the sheer number of blows Darkpaw was getting from her, she knew the apprentice must be getting hit more.

"I'll get you," Darkpaw spat, as Pebblepaw tucked into a ball and rolled.

Pebblepaw laughed giddly. This was fun. She loved watching the increasingly frustrated face of Darkpaw as she struggled to attack Pebblepaw. Pebblepaw tried the new jump and swipe move that Shimmerclaw had just taught her, and to her surprise, she pinned Darkpaw, who was exhausted from their fight. Easy!

She mimicked slitting Darkpaw's throat, and Darkpaw shoved her off angrily.

"That's it!" Shimmerclaw cheered, "great job you two, lots of really impressive moves for such young cats!"

"Weak," Firbush muttered, addressing Darkpaw. Her green eyes were furious as she walked over to where the other two apprentices had been sitting.

Pebblepaw sat down beside her and watched as the two other apprentices got into attack positions and began their own mock battle. Darkpaw's eyes were irritated as she looked out at the distant horizon. I know how to help her! Pebblepaw thought excitedly, and... help my status as a maybe future leader!

"Hey Darkpaw," Pebblepaw mewed quietly, "I can help you with your battle moves so you don't fall even more behind in training, since I'm an expert!"

"Says the cat who ran away from that fight," Darkpaw muttered.

"I told you it was Frostbark," Pebblepaw mewed quietly, "he wanted to protect me? Or something like that? But he told me not to tell anyone what he did, so... don't talk too loud about it."

"Thanks for the offer," Darkpaw said, almost sarcastically, "but no. I'm going to pass it up."

"For now," Pebblepaw added, "the offer will stand for as long as you need it."

"Which I don't," Darkpaw muttered, then proceeded to continue staring irritably at the gradually darkening sky.

Pebblepaw rolled her eyes. Some cats preferred to live in blissful ignorance of the truth that was staring right in front of them. She hoped that one day her friend and rival would learn that asking for help wasn't a weakness.

By the time that Shimmerclaw called for the end of the battle between Batpaw and Nightpaw, there was no clear winner.

"Now it's time for the true battle. As warriors, we always have to work in tandem with our clanmates; that's how we win the real battles. Darkpaw and Pebblepaw, you're up against Batpaw and Nightpaw. Ready, set, Go!" Shimmerclaw called for the start of the two on two battle just as Pebblepaw was racing down the slope to meet her mentor. Pebblepaw was about to ram into Batpaw, when suddenly Nightpaw held her back from the white and light grey tom, and leaped at her.

Pebblepaw began attacking both toms, forepaws flailing about. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Darkpaw staring at her with narrowed eyes, trying to get in range for a blow. Pebblepaw suddenly realised something, this is my chance to prove how great a warrior I am! She purposefully didn't let Darpaw get a blow in, and still managed to almost overpower the two toms at once.

"Are you mousebrained?" Darkpaw spat at her.

Pebblepaw spoke, her back turned to her, "no, I'm just showing you, why it's okay to ask me for help in fighting!"

Batpaw stared at her, "Pebblepaw...what are you meowing about?" He mewed, hesitating enough in confusion, that she was able to give him a sharp cuff around the ears.

Suddenly, a weight leaped onto her, and dug sharp, unsheathed claws onto her back. Pebblepaw let out a yowl. If the claws dug in any harder, they would draw blood. She winced in agony as the claws swiped at her ear, and she felt a trickle of blood falling down her face. She screeched, and suddenly the massive tom, Firbush, slammed into both her and the shape.

Through a haze of fear, pain, and confusion, Pebblepaw felt Shimmerclaw padding toward her, to support her, and Firbush had the writhing shape pinned down a little ways away.

Shimmerclaw opened her jaws, and was about to speak, when suddenly, there was a cry from Nightpaw, "I see a fox!"

Shimmerclaw swore, "great starclan, why do we have to deal with this foxdung right now?"

Suddenly she was herding Pebblepaw through the bushes, nudging her, and whispering her at her to run faster. The last thing Pebblepaw saw when she turned around was a massive, scarred, red shape bounding out of the bushes, and her own grey fur and blood on the ground. I have to run!