Softpaw's Bravery

Don't Judge a Cat by Their Pelt ~Chapter 3

Softpaw growled softly.

"I bet she can't even catch a squirrel!" cried Thunderpaw. The other apprentices snickered. Muddypaw looked helpless. Softpaw hissed.

"If I'm so weak, Thunderpaw, how come you've been taking extra training time?" Softpaw shot back. Thunderpaw looked stunned then hissed. The leaves in the trees around the training grounds rustled as the two she-cats stood off.

Thunderpaw leapt at Softpaw. All of the sudden, it felt as if the world had slowed. She felt the vibrations as Thunderpaw had pounced, she could almost see where the she-cat was going to land. She stepped to the right, right as Thunderpaw landed right where she had been.

Thunderpaw looked confused. In that time, Softpaw dived under the she-cat, knocking her paws out from under her. Thunderpaw fell with a thud.

"Had enough Thunderpaw?" Softpaw stood a few paces away. Thunderpaw hissed.

Thunderpaw hissed at her and then raced at her. Softpaw knew she was aiming for her face. She felt Thunderpaw thundering towards her, closer with each step. As the last moment she moved out of the way again. Thunderpaw didn't have enough time to stop. She ran straight into the base of a tree. Mrrws of laughter came from the forest.

Thunderpaw looked terribly angry. She hadn't been hurt, the wind knocked out of her sure, but not injured.

Dustbunny walked out laughing, "That was great! Thunderpaw, I especially liked the part where my blind apprentice had you run into a tree!"

Whitetail looked like he was containing a smirk. The other mentors looked like they were about to roll over laughing. Cloudypaw was poking Missingpaw, who was laughing so hard you couldn't hear anything. Thunderpaw scowled and with her tail high in the air trotted back to camp.

"Alight, enough battle training apprentices. Head to back to camp to eat," Lilacwind, Cloudypaw's mentor mewed, "And good job Softpaw."

Softpaw grinned in delight at being recognized by her clan's deputy.

* * * * *

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!" Arrowstar cried as he leapt onto the Highrock.

Softpaw looked up from the mouse she was sharing with Muddypaw.

"Lilacwind and Scarletclaw will be moving to the nursery, Lilacwind is expecting kits within a half-moon," several cats looked in Lilacwind's way for putting off the nursery for so long, "Scarletclaw is expecting kits in the next moon; Because of Lilacwind moving to the nursery and kits to be taken care of, Lilacwind is stepping down from her position."

Lilacwind looked shocked, she obviously hadn't known. Softpaw could feel her shock wafting towards her in strong fumes.

"Whitetail will be my new deputy," Arrowstar continued. Thunderpaw looked smug by being the new deputy's apprentice.

"Whitetail, please chose the cats that are coming to the gathering. Clan dismissed," Arrowstar ended and padded to his den. He was followed by a very angry Lilacwind. Her belly swayed, and she tripped slightly.

Softpaw slowly stalked towards the leader's den, whatever was happening is going to be very interesting.

"I never said I was going to resign!" Lilacwind's growl came from the den.

"Well I did!" He retorted.

"Is this because I'm having your kits?! Because you didn't want kits?!"

"Those kits shall never be mine," Arrowstar growled, and Softpaw almost ran in to protect the queen.

"I will allow these kits to know who their father is, then they can decide if their father is loving or a fox-heart," Lilacwind growled, and trotted out with her tail in the air.

Softpaw back away briskly bumping into some thorns. She hissed softly. She got up and padded into Tulipsong's den.

"Tulipsong, can you help me get these thorns out?" Softpaw asked the medicine cat who was going through some herbs.

"Of course!" She sat down beside Softpaw. She and Softpaw carefully licked the thorns out of her fur.

"You know," Tulipsong said, breaking the silence, "You would've been a great medicine cat."

Softpaw sighed, "I know, I already know your herbs, and what they do. I just want to prove the others wrong... and I'm not ready to give up some of those things."

Tulipsong purred, "Of course, I understand. You and Muddypaw are quite the talk around camp." Softpaw looked shocked.

"Me and Muddypaw?" She was silent, "I'm not sure about that."

"Well, I think you'll come to your senses, you know Flowerwind and Lilly don't like being wrong about their mate guesses."

Softpaw's pelt burned with embarrassment. Flowerwind and Lilly, two elders, loved to meddle in the clan's love life.

"Hey Softpaw!" Muddypaw cried from the entrance, "You gonna come to the Gathering?"

How long had he been standing there? Softpaw thought with worry.

"Of course, I'm coming!" She retorted with her usual flair, so he wouldn't suspect anything.

She padded out of clan with the others.