✧ Devious Fates ✧ | COMPLETE WARRIOR CATS FANFICTION STORY |

// Chapter Eleven

Thistlepaw curled his lips back in a hiss. His back was arched, and his fur bristled. His mentor was standing a few tail-lengths away from him, watching intently and waiting for his move. I need to prove to him how strong I am, Thistlepaw mused. However, I don't think this would be a real foe.

The sun peered over the horizon, barely affecting the two figures that were hidden by broad pine trees. Thistlepaw and Squirrelchase had selected a secluded clearing to battle train; one that young apprentices were too afraid to enter. That should keep them from bothering me.

Squirrelchase launched himself off of a rock, propelling himself into the air. Thistlepaw readied himself, straightening his forepaws. He felt an array of battle moves surge through his mind. Not enough time for that, mouse-brain! Thistlepaw made an awkward skid towards the other side of the earth as Squirrelchase landed at his old spot.

Thistlepaw veered around, hearing a violent sneer coming from his mentor. He darted another way again, before whisking around and slamming into Squirrelchase. He ducked under his flank as he hastily started going limp to crush him. He slipped out from under his flailing paws, bouncing over a stone.

He launched herself back at her mentor, gripping his shoulders with sheathed claws. He nipped at Squirrelchase's neck, before getting jerked back with mighty force. He stumbled back. His mentor's jaws neared toward him with a daring grip.

Thistlepaw thrusted his hind legs up, stunning his mentor for a heartbeat. He scrambled onto his paws in a swift moment, before hurling himself into the air and going for Squirrelchase's upper body. He fastened her teeth into his head and nipped at his ears.

Thistlepaw was lurched back by the dark ginger tom. He was thrown onto the ground, letting out a snort of contempt. Fox dung! He heard his mentor's paws thundering against the soil. He twisted around onto all four paws. He felt her wounds from the battle a quarter-moon ago sting. Come on. Get yourself together, for StarClan's sake.

Squirrelchase's paws met Thistlepaw's pelt. Thistlepaw, in a furious hiss, jolted his muzzle into his mentor's chest, freeing himself from his grasp. He battered him with sheathed claws on the shoulder, before tumbling into two cyclones of fur. He and his mentor started wrestling fiercely all over the clearing.

Thistlepaw felt frustrated. With our claws sheathed, me and Squirrelchase are fighting like dopey kits! He aimed at flashes of dark ginger fur, but was only hitting feebly and uselessly. He felt anger shoot through him. He bit at her mentor's shoulder blade, digging deep into the flesh. Maybe you should hold off on the prey.

Squirrelchase let out an agonized hiss. He thrusted himself into Thistlepaw's body with great force, almost using all of his strength. Thistlepaw was confused. He then felt the sticky substance of blood on his paws. I unsheathed my claws! Squirrelchase rammed his hind legs into Thistlepaw's flank to get out of his hold.

"Fox-brain!" Squirrelchase spat coldly. "What in StarClan do you think you're doing?"

"I'm tired of fighting like dopey kits!" Thistlepaw hissed, his claws still fresh with his mentor's blood. "ShadowClan should be fierce and strong again." And SkyClan should be stronger.

"I'm starting to think you'll never understand the way of Clan life," Squirrelchase growled firmly. "It's not all about vengeance and battle satisfaction."

"I'm the only one that can understand Clan life!" Thistlepaw sneered. "Your mouse-brained interpretation of the forest is leading us to our demise. Even Whitestar's interpretation.."

"You should respect those who are older and more experienced than you," Squirrelchase chided. His eyes blazed with anger towards his apprentice.

Thistlepaw's tail lashed. He kept her claws unsheathed, and stuck them into the ground. "Oh really?" he snarled bitterly. "What do the elders do? They sit around all day and do nothing but complain about ticks and how hunting patrols 'never come in time'. At least kits have potential!"