Warriors: Cobwebs

10. The Spiteful's Story

     "Describe catmint's appearance, use, and where to find it," commanded Clearwhisker, his voice raspy and his eyes closed. He was obviously exhausted, for StarClan knows what reason, and Webpaw almost felt bad for demanding a quick quiz of the most used herbs for elders and illness. But the young cat wanted to test his knowledge. He HAD to remember these herbs. He HAD to show the Clancats who doubted him that he would work hard to help them.

     "Catmint is a leafy plant with a pleasant smell, often with purplish buds, and is used to help with GreenCough," Webpaw explained with a stern voice. This was a most common herb that was searched for and stocked at the middle and end of LeafFall, to prepare for LeafBare.

     "But whe-" Clearwhisker began, but Webpaw cut him off with a quick, "it's found in twoleg yards." The apprentice purred triumphantly, and Clearwhisker seemed unimpressed. "It's sometimes grown by medicine cats as well," he grumbled. This made Webpaw's ears perk. It made sense.

     "Clearwhisker!" hissed a familiar voice, in a rather hateful tone. This was to be expected from the entering she-cat Tawny, but was also surprising. Rarely was this warrior injured. And as she limped into the medicine den, she shot looks of hatred and even snarled at Webpaw as blood dripped to the ground. Her paw was held to her chest, what looked like metallic vines with sharp thistles wrapped around it. Froststrike slipped in behind her, his green eyes shining with fear and worry for his friend.

     "What happened?" Webpaw squeaked, and Tawny snapped at him, growling as she spat "Shut it!" at him. The young tom backed away, nervous with his ears laid back. He watched as Tawny flopped down into a newly made nest like she owned the forest, and a boiling anger grew within. He opened his mouth to hiss, but Froststrike shoved him to the side to sit by his unmannered friend.

     Clearwhisker stepped up to her, eyes training on the unnatural vine around her paw. He shook his head. "Where did you two go hunting?" he inquired, and Froststrike held his head low. Froststrike, Tawny, Goldpaw and Patchback had been sent on a hunting patrol earlier that day, and likely split up and went their own ways.

     "We went outside the territory," he mewed, and Clearwhisker's fur exploded into a puff, making him twice his size. "Mousebrains! Where did you go out there?" he spat, teeth bared. Some were broken or cracked, like he had been slammed to a rock; but Clearwhisker was rather old. Too old, actually.

     Tawny huffed, her fur bristling as well. "Does it matter?" she snapped, "could you just do your stupid job?" She turned her head away and closed her eyes, shaking her head. "Nosy little-"

     "Show Clearwhisker some respect!" Webpaw finally shouted, "if he wanted, he could let that thing stay on your paw until your toes wither and die!" This made Clearwhisker flinch, and Tawny's eyes fly open. Froststrike's claws were digging into the dirt and he stomped towards Webpaw so that their noses were almost touching. "Listen here, kit," he growled, "I don't care who you are. I'll slit your-" "Froststrike! Get out of my den so I can do my work!" Clearwhisker yowled, then shooting a glare at Webpaw that made the young cat's heart sink. "I'll go too," he mewed before quickly climbing up the ramp-like tunnel and into the light of camp.

     "I bet Tawny isn't even a Clancat," Webpaw grumbled, trudging towards the camp entrance. Guarding the tunnel was an ashen she-cat, with tufted ears that swiveled as she listened to the world around her. Webpaw recognized her quite quickly as Rainfall, Miststep's twin sister. She was another kind cat in the Clan of DarkClan, with an interesting view on life.

     "You seem pretty angry," she commented as Webpaw began to step into the tunnel to leave. He usually shared a few words with her, like a greeting. 

     He turned his head and stared at her for a few seconds before managing a small, slightly injured smile. "Just kind of aggravated," he told her, backing up and sitting in the grass close by. "With Tawny. She's just so.. spiteful. I haven't done anything, and she and Froststrike are vicious. She's ungrateful too!" He sighed, and shook his head. "I'm just being pathetic, I guess."

     "Tawny is a bit mixed in the head," Rainfall told him, "she's got a bit of a past." Webpaw's ears perked, the left one flicking, and his eye blinked in curiosity. "Really?" he said, doubtful yet interested. He had an interest in hearing about the lives of others. It helped him to understand their personalities, and their beliefs and emotions, and those were the things he wanted to understand most about Tawny.

     Why was she so foxhearted?

     "Could you explain it to me?" he asked, respectfully bowing his head to the warrior. Rainfall purred delightfully. "Of course!"

     "Tawny was a MarshClan apprentice, named Russetpaw, who came to DarkClan to escape certain problems in the clan. Russetpaw, even now, had no problem with the other Clans. She had always seen us as closely knit," Rainfall began, ears perked with a soft smile of a sort. It was as if she shared the same outlook on the Clans. "Russetpaw was actually captured by twolegs, and renamed Tawny by her new owners. She ran away and returned, but asked to keep her kittypet name. I don't know why. I think she's against outsiders, because she managed to get a full view of how loners, rogues and kittypets really were. And she didn't like them."

     It doesn't make sense for Tawny to keep her kittypet name, if she hates them so much-

     "Rainfall! Switch places with Patchback! You're on the hunting patrol!" called Blackear as he trotted towards the warrior den to alert the others of the gathering patrol, his tail low to the ground. Rainfall groaned in complaint, murmuring that she had been on the morning border patrol, and mewed a farewell the Webpaw as she padded away. The apprentice sighed, shaking his head. In all honesty, that story hadn't helped at all with his problem. He still didn't understand the warrior-

     His ears perked, and his eye widened. He didn't even know Clearwhisker's backstory! Surely there was something interesting to learn about the cat that was his mentor! But he would ask someone on a different day. Tawny was sure to have her paw freed now, and Clearwhisker might require Webpaw's assistance.