Fire Clan: Foxkit's Destiny

Chapter 7:

Nightpaw looked surprised to be addressed first before Elmpaw's own sister Foxpaw. "Er uh hey Elmpaw. I'm good thanks. How 'bout you?"

Elmpaw smiled sweetly. "I'm good thanks for asking," and then she turned her head slightly and pretended to just notice Foxpaw. "Hello Foxpaw! Did your hunting go well?"

Foxpaw nodded, a bit irritated but hid it. "Yeah!" She said brightly. "I caught a mouse but I also caught a squirrel the size of-"

"Cool," Elmpaw said in interrupting her. "I'm sure it was great."

Nightpaw nodded. "Yeah. You should've seen it! It was huge!"

Elmpaw flicked her tail showing the slightest bit of annoyance. "Ok, that's really great," she said turning to Foxpaw. But there was something in her eyes she could not detect. But Foxpaw couldn't try and figure out what it was because it vanished as she turned back to Nightpaw. "So would you like to share a piece if prey with me?" She asked him.

Nightpaw looked a bit uncomfortable. He was still lying very close to Foxpaw. "Oh, er, no thank you but thank you. I appreciate the offer but Foxpaw and I already had our fill."

Elmpaw twitched her ears. "Its ok," she said simply. But Foxpaw thought she could sense a hint of jealousy in her voice. "I don't mind. Maybe another time," she said simply and walked away.

Foxpaw turned and gave Nightpaw a confused look. "What was that all about?"

"I have no idea, sorry."

^^^

The next few days flew by. Training every day for Foxpaw, starting very early in the morning was very exhausting and tiring for her. For some reason, the started to learn some battle moves very quickly and quite early for a beginning apprentice, as if there was a sense of urgency. But Foxpaw barely had time to think about it before her head crashed against her nest and fell asleep almost instantly. Occasionally she would feel Nightpaw's young rasp against her ear right before she went to sleep. And Elmpaw was becoming more and more if a pain. She seemed almost glued to Nightpaw every now and again. And whenever Foxpaw got a few minutes to spare, Elmpaw was always there to make things feel slightly awkward. She started to sit closer to him than usual. But Foxpaw was so busy, she really couldn't worry about this now. And right now, Riversplash was teaching her how to dodge a charging opponent.

Foxpaw skidded in the dusty floor again. "Ooph!" She groaned, shaking dust from her pelt creating a small cloud. "How come I can't get this right?"

"Because you're not planting your paws down in the ground before darting away. You must be quick and fast on your feet. You get the power of your jump from your back legs. You that, like as a resemblance to a hunters crouch. You get most of your power from your jump from your back legs as well. If an enemy is charging at you and you don't have time to do a fancy move and you just have to avoid being hit by a death blow, you must dart out of the way fast," he explained padding over to her calmly.

Foxpaw gave the ground a small glare before facing her mentor again. "Yes but can't we do something fun? This is getting really boring. We've been going at this forever."

Riversplash snorted. "Its barely past sun high! Try this again, and after this, we will work on darting to your opponent and then springing out if overreach before they can attack you."

She sighed. "Yes Riversplash," she said and got into poison as she tried to focus. She now a days rarely had time for Nightpaw to even flash in her brain. Riversplash charged at her faster than what she thought was possible. And she quickly scrambled against the floor and just barely made it. Dust was all of her pelt again.

I'm going to need a serious washing after this. She thoughtful dismay as she looked her pelt over.

"Stop staring at your pelt as if it's the end of Star Clan and get over here now!" Riversplash said snappishly, narrowing his eyes at her.

Foxpaw sighed and prepared to fail once again.

^^^

Foxpaw was aching and sour all over. Her legs and paws hurt from jumping to many times, some at odd angles and skidding on the dust and sand. Her tail dropped and her eyes were heavy with tiredness. She felt like a walking dead cat.

"Go get yourself some fresh kill. You look like a monster ran you over. After that, take a good long rest. You put in a lot of effort today. Good job. Soon we will be working on more exciting things. Instead if scrambling away from your enemy, you will be attacking and a few defending techniques. That sound good?"

Inside, Foxpaw was screaming: YES YES YES! FINALLY! But all she could physically manage was a weak nod.

Riversplash nodded understandingly and padded off towards the other warriors.

Foxpaw slowly made her way to the fresh kill pile, and as always, Nightpaw was there to surprise her by jumping out of no where.

"Hey Foxpaw! How are you? You don't look to good. Has Riversplash been working you hard too?" He asked sympathetically, his eyes soft.

She sighed. "Yeah. It feels like I'm going to drop de-" but before she could finish saying her line, her legs gave way but Nightpaw quickly heaved her up with his shoulder. Foxpaw got into her very shaky legs.

"How about I just help you get to the apprentices den and we can wheat there?" He asked gently. Foxpaw knew that he was trying not to hurt her pride but there really was no other way to out it.

Foxpaw nodded feeling defeated. She hated needing help. Nightpaw lead her to the apprentices den, trying not to support Foxpaw that much to not damage her pride to much. They made it and she collapsed on her nest panting heavily.

"I'll go get some food," Nightpaw said and quickly rushed out, giving Foxpaw time to gather herself property. She looked at herself. Her beautiful ginger flamed fur was all dusty and uneven from all of the skidding, falling, and tumbling. She rested her head on her paws. All of the dust and sand made her fur almost look grey. She was to tired to clean her pelt and her stomach rumbled.

After a few minutes, Nightpaw finally came back in carrying a squirrel and a shrew. He set the shrew in front of her. He already knows that that's her favorite prey. He laid down close to her despite her filthy pelt.

Foxpaw immediately dug in, seeming to forget some of her tiredness. She saw Nightpaw smile at her out of the corner of her eyes before he tucked into his squirrel neatly, almost mocking her in a teasing way. But Foxpaw was to busy to care. After she finished, sleep seemed to be calling her her desperately. She rested her head on her paws once more and half-closed her eyes sleepily. She then felt Nightpaw's tongue rasp against her ear rhythmically and then moved to the back of her muzzle and to her back. Foxpaw was eternally grateful. She murmured a quiet thanks. She was pretty sure that he heard her but he didn't say anything and kept washing her. She fell into a deep sleep.