Odds And Ends (random book)

SCRIPTORIAL | Round Epsilon - disobeying orders

2017
WattyWarriors
Watty Warriors Fan Magazine SCRIPTORIAL

Single elimination one-on-one short story writing tournament for Warriors.

Result - advanced

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"I'm still not certain we needed all these cats for a-"

"Quiet, runt," Panzer snapped to Littlepaw, "we're trying to to make a scene here."

The other apprentices happily waved their paws at the twoleg nest they called camp. The lights that lined the surrounding thunderpaths messed with their vision, but they could still see the many holes in the wall where their clanmates waved back at them.

Panzer did not look back.

"Longstar's looking at us," Fleetpaw said. "Shouldn't you wave back?"

"I'm not waving at him, he'll get suspicious. Think I've gone soft on him just because he's leader."

She led the cats down the wide thunderpath until they came to a pile of rubble. The apprentices kept walking forward until Panzer waved them in her direction. The rubble blocked the intersecting thunderpath, and she had already began to climb it.

"Get up here," she spat. "If a cat my age can climb this than you should be able to leap over it. Now hurry up! We're going this way."

The five apprentices glanced at each other and reluctantly climbed the pile. Panzer was already on the thunderpath again when they reached the top.

"I don't see any ice under your feet," she yelled. "Lets go! We don't have time for slow."

Then tell us where we're going," Littlepaw said, landing in front of her. "The moon-tree is straight ahead. Why are we going this way?"

Panzer continued, motioning the others to follow. "Look, I'll tell you when we cross the next intersection. We'll be out of the clan's border patrols then."

The others continued to follow. The thunderpath was cold and wet, still drying from an earlier rainfall. It left a thin cloud of mist hanging in the air. The lights lining the thunderpath were all extinguished, and the apprentices slowed their pace in caution.

Panzer sighed but did not persist. She slowed until reaching the intersection, where they were surrounded by twoleg structures. Where the thunderpaths intersected sat a massive thunderstick aimed at the sky. It towered over the cats, but remained dormant.

"Past here," Panzer said. She darted between the parts of the twoleg object and to the other side of the intersection. The apprentices followed, keeping up with her this time. Their path lit once more,  they took a defensive position around the medicine cat.

"What's this for?" Panzer spat. "You scared of the dark? It's our natural light. No twoleg warriors to disturb us."

"We're off our territory now," Littlepaw said. "On the border of StoneClan and BreezeClan."

"I know where we are," Panzer hissed. "I helped establish these borders."

"Really?" Fleetpaw said, bouncing out of formation. "You've never told me about that."

Panzer nodded, pushing through the two apprentices in front of her. The group followed behind.

"Yeah, that was about seven moons ago, around the time you were all born. After the war between us and LeafClan ended, Bonbon and Wolfstar agreed to only let the medicine cats establish permanent borders, free of marking patrols... sure doesn't keep those ragged wildcats from marking them anyway."