Fight or Flight :: warrior cats fanfic ::

» 9. flight «

Otterpaw internally winced as she watched a thick pasty golden pulp be applied to Magpiepaw's otter injury. A large patch of fur was missing, and the bloody patch of skin that was exposed was being covered up with herbs and poultices by an old white medicine cat. She twitched her tailtip impatiently, the need to talk to another cat buzzing around her mind like a swarm of bees.

       "I swear you apprentices have hairballs for brains, all of you... Trying to fight some otter on your own," he growled as he applied a swath of cobwebs. Magpiepaw winced at the contact, but set her head in her paws. The white tom looked Otterpaw up and down, checking for wounds. "Not you though. Too good of a fighter or too good of a cowerer?" The medicine cat raised a brow, whiskers twitching. Otterpaw looked down at her paws, her tabby pelt growing hot.

      "Fennelroot, I need your help with something," a medicine cat apprentice called. The white tom spun around, padding off and leaving the two apprentices alone in the open den, sunlight shining down on them from the open den, the other Leaguemates all scattered about the den and talking quietly.

       "How does it feel..?" Otterpaw asked after a moment. Magpiepaw shrugged nonchalantly, and Otterpaw only took half a breath to launch into what had been on her mind.

       "I need to know what you think about going to war with DrizzleClan," she blurted, her yellow-green eyes wide with sincerity. The black-and-white she-cat looked bewildered before blinking away such a wild emotion.

      "It's inevitable. Whether or not the whole of DrizzleClan wants to fight, their leader does and has instructed their patrols to do so as well. They're asking for it." Magpiepaw shifted to a more comfortable position.

      Otterpaw thought for a moment before blinking slowly.

      "I suppose-- but we won't be fighting though.. Right? Us apprentices?" Magpiepaw narrowed her eyes.

      "We won't be fighting them right in this moment, we're just officially hostile and will fight them if provoked or if we need to. Besides, I haven't been teaching you advanced moves for no reason-- yeah, we need to talk about that, Otterpaw. I can't believe you froze like that!" The brown tabby watched her own tail flick back and forth, refusing to make eye contact. "If Kitepaw hadn't been faster, if Copperwing hadn't come then, one of us could have died while you stood by. Minkpaw wouldn't be as wounded as she is, Pinerock wouldn't think your an absolute failure, and I would've be sitting her having this talk with you if you would've done something."

      Otterpaw ducked her head shamefully, the sharp words biting at her skin worse than the otter could ever.

      "You're going to be a warrior. There's a war that's being started. You need to grow up and be able to fight." Magpiepaw meowed, and Otterpaw stumbled away, not wanting to have to sit through her words any longer. She's right. I can't.. I can't be afraid... She glanced over to where Copperwing was quietly speaking to another warrior, probably one from the Fallen Pine Den by the looks of the cat's huge muscled body and confident posture. She sucked her head, keeping to herself. It's hard to not be afraid though.

"Otterpaw!" A sharp call made her look up, and her eyes softened as they fell upon her a black she-cat that strode up brightly. She had green eyes and white marks, and her ears were pricked with excitement.

      "Mother-- Nightpetal!" Otterpaw chirped, bounding up to the queen. She was welcomed with licks and nuzzles.

      "Oh my sweet kit-- I heard that your League had just come in to treat wounds-- what happened?" She looked her daughter up and down, her whiskers twitching worried.

      "There was an otter-- it's all okay now, Copperwing took care of it--"

      "Where's your sister?" She cut in, ear flicking back.

      Otterpaw looked to the ground. "One of us could have died while you stood by. Minkpaw wouldn't be as wounded as she is." Magpiepaw's words flooded back, and the tabby looked back up to her mother.

      "She's in the medicine den, she'll be fine but she got a little roughed up." Nightpetal kneaded her paws at the earth, ready to bound away to see her other kit, but hesitated for a moment.

    "You're okay, right?" Otterpaw considered the question before shrugging casually.

      "Yeah." As soon as the words left the white-chested she-cat muzzle, the black and white queen quickly took off for the inside of the den. Otterpaw watched her mother disappear into the den that was encircled with bushes.

Her posture relaxed, and she looked around to see where to go next. She could overhear some frail-looking elders murmuring about how 'back in their day there wasn't a hint of mistrust of the other clans while on border patrol,' and 'a battle would be unheard of.'

She made her way over to Copperwing. The tortoiseshell glanced at her from the corner of her green eyes, cutting off the Fallen Pine warrior she had been speaking to mid-sentence.

"How can I help you, Otterpaw?" She meowed, blinking. Her pelt was mussed in a few places, a cobweb and poultice slathered across the bridge of her muzzle where Pinerock and clipped her.

The ginger tabby Copperwing had been talking to flicked an ear as a greeting.

"I wasn't sure what you wanted me to do-- to hunt or to... I'm not sure what apprentices do when they're not out with their league...." Otterpaw looked to her paws, not wanting to try and appear too proud in front of the great Fallen Pine warrior that was listening in.

"Why don't you sit here with me. This is Applefang, she was on one of the patrols that got in a tussle with DrizzleClan." Otterpaw's eyes widened, looking at Applefang closer and noticing a fresh scar along the she-cat's well-muscled shoulder, as well as a still-healing nick in the ear. The fighter winked, her yellow eyes glimmering.

       Otterpaw settled down into a sit, her mind elsewhere as Applefang started speaking again to Copperwing, something along the lines of the DrizzleClan patrol's leader was calling the shots. I'm afraid to fight, Magpiepaw is right about that.. But I'm not sure how to fix that. She glanced up at her tortoiseshell mentor. I could ask Copperwing what I should do, but she's always so busy with our League I wouldn't want to busy her even more... Otterpaw glanced over her striped shoulder toward the medicine den. I don't need a mentor's help. I'll deal with it myself, that's what a real warrior would do. Though, I don't think a real warrior would ever be afraid to fight in the first place. She tensed, glaring down at her own paws. She breathed out slowly, looking up at Applefang. The muscled she-cat sported many scars, ranging from small and nearly unnoticeable to distinguishable claw marks intersecting with ginger tabby stripes.

      I don't even have to be some scarred and bloodied battle-hungry death bringer. Just... able to protect and defend my friends, my League, my family, and my clanmates. Otterpaw stood, dipping her head to Copperwing and Applefang.

"I just remembered I need to check on Minkpaw," she murmured, ducking away to disappear into the brush that marked medicine cat den. She moved to a side-room where the League was staying, sunlight flooding in from the topless den, outlining her Leaguemates, who were sharing tongues.

      Fernpaw was bouncing around, trying to cheer Nettlepaw up, but the gray tom was curled up tightly, his eyes on the ground before him. I want to be brave and a good fighter and all of that, she watched Nettlepaw turn away from Fernpaw, tucking his nose under his tail. I just-- I don't know how....

FIGHT  OR  FLIGHT

//
AN
Hey this is about a month late. Sorry. Also I say fight or flight but it has to be fight since we have three flights in a row.