𝓦𝓪𝓻𝓻𝓲𝓸𝓻𝓼: 𝓒𝓻𝔂𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓵 𝓦𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼 (𝓐𝓹𝓹𝓵𝔂𝓕𝓲𝓬!)

•★★ Chapter 3 ★★•

(PIPERPAW'S P.O.V)

Piperpaw faced the three toms who had caused the mess TideClan was in at the moment. "What were you thinking?" She hissed at them. Pondpaw sat with his tail curled across his paws, watching her skeptically. "What? We did our job. We took them back to camp?" He said, tipping his head, though Piperpaw could tell that he was teasing her. "You also gave us two injured, hungry mouths to feed!" Piperpaw snapped, sick of their antics. "Only one of them is injured!" Riptidepaw protested, lashing his tail. "And who are you to tell us what to do? We're as old as you. And you're not our mentors!" 
Piperpaw rolled her eyes. "Maybe if I was, you wouldn't be so brain-dead!" She argued. "Whatever. Leave the scolding to the mentors, Piperpaw" Pondpaw scoffed. He turned around, only to meet the eyes of Crashingstar, Sharkblister, Addernose and Crimsonflame. His ears flattened in surprise. "U-uh-" He was about to dive into an explanation that would most likely not work, when Crashingstar flicked an ear. "Hush" He rumbled. Getting to his paws, he turned, beckoning to them with his tail as he walked to his den. Pondpaw gave Piperpaw a terrified look, before hurrying after him, his buddies on his tail. Piperpaw scoffed. They got what they deserved. What were they thinking? Bringing two GlowClan cats into camp- apprentices at that!
That reminded her- What did happen to them? She wondered what had led them to trespass. GlowClan cats were peaceful, and didn't want war or battle. Besides, TideClan cats can crush them, no problem. 

"Piperpaw!" 

"Piperpaw, come here!"

The voices of Koipaw and Mangrovepaw startled Piperpaw out of her thoughts. "Coming!" She shouted back. She quickly (and NEATLY) got to her paws, and padded to the medicine den, mystified at what the medicine cats would want with her. 
Once she poked her head through the lichen, she noticed the two cats sitting up, one who was reluctantly holding out her paw to Mangrovepaw. "So, these are the two?" Piperpaw said, nodding at the she-cats. Koipaw nodded. "We thought that they'd want to meet you before anyone else in the, uh, the clan" She said, exchanging a glance with Mangrovepaw. Piperpaw rolled her eyes. "We're not that bad" She protested, entering the den. The white GlowClan apprentice stared at her in fright. "What are you going to do to us?" She said in a terrified voice, almost a whisper. Piperpaw sat down and gave her a smile. "Don't worry. We're just healing you up, then you'll be out of here. " She promised, as if she was comforting a kit. The white she-cat nodded, but pressed closer to the brown one. "Ouch!" The brown she-cat suddenly yelped, snatching her paw away from the two medicine cats. "What in StarClan are you doing? Where's the real medicine cat?" She snapped, flattening her ears. "Azuremoon and Rapidtuft are out at the moment" Koipaw replied, patiently. However, Mangrovepaw looked ticked off. "Be grateful we're even healing you!" She hissed as she made an herb wrap of nose-stinging plants. Piperpaw frowned. Couldn't she at least try to have a good impression? "What are your names?" she asked, trying to break the tension. The white she-cat blinked. "Opalpaw.." She said, twitching her ears as if she wasn't that comfortable here. "Oh, and this is Rosepaw" She said reluctantly, gesturing towards the grumpy brown she-cat. Piperpaw nodded, beginning to recognize the two. Well, really only one, who had been the star since last full moon- Rosepaw. The other one, she didn't recognize as well. "Well, feel free to grab a kill from the fresh-kill pile anytime you need. And before you go and meet the other apprentices- talk to me" Piperpaw said, getting to her paws and trotting out of the den. 

(OPALPAW'S P.O.V)

Opalpaw felt an uneasy feeling stirring in her stomach. That she-cat- presumably Piperpaw- had talked to her as if she was becoming a TideClan cat. She felt queasy with the thought. She had almost retched when the two medicine cat apprentices examined her, the smell or salt water and fresh fish tainting their breath, and even though they were sweet and gentle, she was used to Axolotlpaw and the newly appointed Ravenpaw's rough paws and soft herbs. The roots sticking out everywhere in the camp bothered her, being used to the clean, smooth, cool walls of the GlowClan cave, and the light burnt her eyes.
"Hey Opalpaw. You aren't hurting or anything, right?" Koipaw asked, sitting with her head tipped to one side. Opalpaw shook her head. "You can go out and get a piece of fresh-kill. Just remember not to mind the other cats too much. Don't interact with them. Just out and in." Koipaw instructed. Opalpaw nodded faster, gratefully. She walked out of the den, ears pricked in case of an ambush. She didn't trust the camp. The soft sand under her paws seeped into her paws, and the smell of tropical plants, fruit and prey gave her a headache. She shook her head, sat down and began to try and clean herself as best as she could, before entering the center of the camp, where a bunch of cats had already settled. She groomed her fur down, reluctantly washed her sand-filled paws, and then felt ready to face these cats. With a sigh of nervousness, she padded from the den, slowing as she realized that most of the prey was fish. The hunger that was gnawing at her belly before drained, and she quickly turned, praying no cat had seen her. "Hey, Opalpaw!" A voice suddenly yowled at her. She stopped dead in her tracks, gulping. Slowly turning, she saw Piperpaw. Relief washed over her, and she quickly scrambled over to her, shying away from cats that passed her on their way to the fresh-kill pile. "Come, take a piece!" Piperpaw invited. Opalpaw smiled sheepishly. "Uhm, I'm sorry, I don't really, uh, like... fish" she said, hoping no one would take offence. Piperpaw flicked one ear. "That's okay! We've got some forest prey down here as well." She said, turning to nose through the fresh-kill pile. Opalpaw heard a huff, then a few growls, then Piperpaw's head popped up, a mouse in her mouth. Opalpaw's spirits lifted, and she was about to walk over and find a piece for herself, when a cat lunged at Piperpaw, teeth snagging at the mouse's fur. Piperpaw tugged it away from the attacked, only to be dragged forward by the other cat. Piperpaw let out a muffled hiss as she fell forward, but quickly regained her balance and swiftly swiped the offender's mouth, causing him to release his grip. The cat snarled but gave in and disappeared back into the midst of the fresh-kill pile. Piperpaw snorted, then turned and dropped the prey at Opalpaw's paws. "You can have this one. I prefer fish" she said with a wink, then dove back into the cats.

 Opalpaw stood there, until, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a cat weaving its way towards her. Without a second glance, Opalpaw snatched her food in her jaws and lowered her head, ready for any attackers. "Relax, I'm not taking your prey" The familiar voice of... Pondpaw?
Opalpaw glared at him. "I thought you were in trouble" She hissed. "So much that I'm not allowed to eat? I went out at dawn. So what?" He said skeptically. He took a seat beside her. Opalpaw inched away. "I don't think I want to socialize with a weasel like you" Opalpaw growled. Pondpaw sighed, rolling his eyes. "But I've never met a GlowClan cat!" He complained, exasperating his upset state by sliding onto the floor and rolling around, sighing at the top of his lungs. "Oh, please. You'll live" Opalpaw said, dropping her food and beginning to eat. Pondpaw sighed, louder this time. "Come on. Talk to me!" He begged, rolling onto his side so that he was facing her. Opalpaw ripped a bite out of her food, chewing as she considered. "How about.. no" She said firmly. "Please?" Pondpaw whined. "Why?" Opalpaw countered. Opalpaw laid down as Pondpaw began to drone on about how fascinating GlowClan was, his questions about what they ate, this and the third. Until, of course, Opalpaw felt a twinge of annoyance that quickly turned into a smoldering burn that sizzled until... "Here! Stuff yourself. I'm done anyway. Just shut up!" Opalpaw snapped, shoving the mouse at his nose. Pondpaw let out a muffled protest, but Opalpaw wouldn't hear it. 

She sighed in irritation and trotted back into the medicine cat den, curling up beside Rosepaw and slipping into sleep.