eternal: hyacinth || warrior cats

chapter 20

viperpaw

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EMBARRASSED WASN'T A strong enough word to describe how Viperpaw was feeling. The look Snakepaw gave him at the end of the fight hurt more than anything his brother could say.

"Hey." Frozenpaw padded up to the gray tom, sitting down and brushing her pelt lightly against his. "You did good."

"As if," Viperpaw grumbled. It was Snakepaw and Sweetpaw's fight now, and the tom was easily beating the brown-and-white she-cat. He could be going easier on her - probably should be - but it seemed as though he was trying to compensate for Viperpaw's bad performance.

Trying to keep up his reputation, Viperpaw thought.

"Really, don't be so upset," Frozenpaw implored. "Combat isn't the only thing there is to being a warrior. The Warriors Assessment is about hunting, remember?"

"Yeah, but I'm not good at that, either," Viperpaw replied. "I always trip and accidentally step on leaves and branches. Snakepaw's so much better than I am."

"Who cares about Snakepaw?" The white apprentice ruffled her fur indignantly. "You're not the same cat, and you improve and learn at different rates."

"Even Sandstrike's beginning to give up on me, and it's only been two moons," Viperpaw mumbled. "I'm going to be an apprentice forever."

"That's not true!" Frozenpaw protested. "Listen, if Snakepaw's so good, why don't you ask him for some help?"

Viperpaw shook his head. "He's embarrassed of me. He's not going to want to help me."

Frozenpaw paused, thinking. "I don't know if I'll be much help," she meowed slowly, "but I'd be happy to do some extra training sessions, if you'd like."

Viperpaw brightened. "Really?"

"Sure," Frozenpaw offered. "I know I'm younger and I haven't learned as much, but I can share some of the tips and tricks I've picked up that might help with you. Or, you know, we could just hunt and fight. Extra practice must help, right?"

Viperpaw nodded eagerly. "That'd be great, thanks!"

Foxstorm's voice brought the two apprentices' attention onto the fight, in which Snakepaw's tail was lashing triumphantly. "Congratulations, Snakepaw!"

"That was fast," Viperpaw muttered.

Frozenpaw nodded. "I'd better go check up on Sweetpaw." She bounded off to her sister as Snakepaw climbed off. 

However, instead of coming to the side to talk to Viperpaw as he normally did, Snakepaw stayed in the Muddy Dip, refusing to even look in his brother's direction.

Viperpaw shrank. I guess he really is embarrassed by me. 

"That was great work, everyone," Dawnfoot meowed cheerfully. "Let's head back to camp. I bet you guys all worked up an appetite."

The eight cats took the long way back, skirting past WindClan's border to see if they can grab any prey. As they neared, WindClan's typical rabbit scent bathed Viperpaw's tongue, but with that, a new smell: fish.

Snakepaw spoke before Viperpaw could even arrive at the conclusion. "Those mangepelts! RiverClan's marking WindClan's borders!"

A growl formed on Dawnfoot's face. "They're doing this as a warning. They're going to push into our territory."

"I'd like to see them try!" Foxstorm snapped, lashing his tail. "Those fishbreaths? As if!"

Sandstrike looked worried. "We need to report this to Ivorystar. She'll need this information to prepare."