Chapter 14: The First Fight
Razorpaw shuffled around in his nest. It's so stuffy in here... He comlpained to himself silently, blinking open his bright blue eyes as the first rays of dawn sunlight shone through the small gaps in the den roof. Even after the extension to the apprentices' den had been completed, it was still a tight fit for all eight apprentices to sleep confotably. The older apprentices, Rainpaw and Moonpaw, would be made warriors next moon, but Flamepaw and Cinderpaw would be sharing the den for a while longer.
"They should sleep in the nursery" Flamepaw had complained until he fell asleep. Cinderpaw had been happy to get some new denmates, to the dismay of her brother.
Sitting up, Razorpaw noticed that Stingpaw and Silentpaw weren't in their nests. He was still at a loss for something to say to them. Because of all the things he and Chaospaw had discovered, he hadn't really had time to greive for his father, but his littermates were still showing obvious signs of hurt.
He gave his pelt a quick wash, careful of the gash in his tail that the thorn had left. He was inspecting the wound when Cinderpaw poked her head through the entrance.
"Razorpaw! Can you wake Flamepaw and Moonpaw? We're going battle training" She mewed hurriedly, and before he could give an answer she was gone. The silver tom blinked. It was only his second day as an apprentice. Warriors usualy started with hunting instead of battle training when with their apprentices. Maybe the prey-rich greenleaf had made Cheetahstar more relaxed on the idea, Razorpaw reasoned.
When he emerged from the den with Moonpaw and an irritated Flamepaw, he noticed Nightraven, Skyhawk, Snowpelt and Wolfstreak waiting for them near the entrance log with Cinderpaw. He made his way over to his and the other mentors, blocking out Flamepaw's drowsy mutterings. He glanced back at the den, suddenly wondering if Chaospaw was still asleep or on patrol. He stopped for a moment, trying to peer through the entrance.
"Razorpaw" Nightraven mewed, blinking sympatheticly at the silver tom, "If you dont feel up to this, you can stay in camp with Vapoursoul and have some rest"
"N-No" The last thing he wanted now was to be a burden to everyone else, "I'm fine" He reassured his mentor with a small nod of his head.
"If you say so" Nightraven flicked his ears, and Wolfstreak lead the group out from the entrance tunnel and down towards the river - towards the same set of stepping stones he had crossed last night.
Snowpelt gave a quick lesson on how to cross safely before heading across. Skyhawk went next, followed by Moonpaw and Cinderpaw. Razorpaw hopped onto the first stone, finding the whole process a lot easier now he could actually see. When he was at the other bank, he waited for the other three to cross. He fell into the back of the group, padding across the grass beside Wolfstreak.
"Are you sure you're ok?" The huge tom's question caught him off guard. He stuttered slightly, a prick of pain spiking his chest whenever anyone asked him about Wildstripe.
"Y-Yeah" He shook his head, trying to pull himself together inside, "What about you?" He asked, for the first time wondering how the big gray warrior was coping with his brother's death. He watched the big tom's gaze darken for a heartbeat, but then regain the usual emerald green.
"It hurts" Wolfstreak admitted, "We were together for as long as I can remember. We had fun, but I know he'd be mad at me for mourning over him" He glanced to the treetops, "I remember our first gathering together" He remenisced with a purr, "He looked like a kit, and I looked like a warrior. No cat beleived us when we said we were littermates"
Razorpaw sighed happily, glad that Wolfstreak wasn't too deeply upset over Wildstripe's death. But then, he was a warrior. He'd probably seen many cats die before.
Is it just an endless cycle? Razorpaw found himself coming back to his thoughts on clan life as a whole, We live to fight and die. We die to become one with the stars. But isn't there anything else?
They reached the training hollow soon after. It wasn't the first time Razorpaw had seen it - of course, he'd seen it on one of his previous off-limits adventures as a kit. A roughly round shaped clearing with a soft grass floor, and one spot in the forest where the sky was visible through the dense canopy. Another hollow log and a group of sandy rocks acompanied the otherwise empty clearing.
Wolfstreak flicked his tail against Razorpaw's shoulder, "Talk to your littermates" The warrior whispered into his ear, causing Razorpaw to flinch slightly, "I know it's hard. But they need you"
He didn't say anything else. Razorpaw had no idea what to say either, so he settled for nodding as definatly as he could. Wolfstreak seemed satisfied, and padded to join his waiting apprentice, Moonpaw.
"We'll start with the basics" Nightraven instructed, sitting before the silver apprentice. Skyhawk sat next to the black tom, beckoning Flamepaw with his tail.
"You can help Razorpaw begin his traning" Skyhawk mewed, to a somewhat horrified looking Flamepaw.
"Me? Why cant Cinderpaw do it!?" Flamepaw complained, gazing with pleading eyes at his mentor.
"Because Cinderpaw is Wolfstreak's apprentice. Wolfstreak decides what she does. Just like I decide what you do" Skyhawk retorted evenly, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Hmph. Dont blame me if I hurt him" The ginger apprentice mumbled, crouching down beside Razorpaw.
"I want to see where I have to start" Nightraven told him, "So I want you to attack Flamepaw. Show me what you already know"
Razorpaw looked from Nightraven to Flamepaw. He didn't particularly like Flamepaw, but he wasn't really up for fighting him right now.
"What are you waiting for?" The impatient ginger apprentice huffed, "I can see the hairs on my muzzle going white"
Razorpaw turned to his denmate with an exasperated sigh. He crouched down as Flamepaw was doing, although now, he wasn't sure what to do.
He hadn't really fought before. He fought with Stingpaw when they were small kits, but nothing else. Apparently kits play-fought until they were apprenticed most of the time. That never really seemed to happen with him and his friends. When Silentpaw began to show a sort of fear about fighting, they had stopped with the play fights altogether. Chaospaw had never really seen the point in fighting, and although Leopardpaw was excitable, she'd never wanted to fight anyone.
Stingpaw enjoyed fighting. He didn't fight when Silentpaw was arround, but he had often said he enjoyed feeling the thrill.
Razorpaw didn't know what to make of that. But he didn't really have the time to be dwelling on his brothers lifestyle.
He pressed forward, towards Flamepaw, and leapt for the ginger tom with all the power in his hind legs. He reached out with his front paws, but despite his effort he ended up swiping at thin air.
The opposing tom had ducked under his leaping attack, swiftly shitfing his weight onto his front paws while catching Razorpaw with his hind paws. Razorpaw felt the impact on his stomach, and while it wasn't as hard as he expected, it still hurt considerably. He flailed around in the air for a moment, before crashing onto the thankfully soft green grass.
"See?" Flamepaw meowed, "I'm too good for this!"
Skyhawk ignored Flamepaw's ranting, his ears flicking irritably. Razorpaw pulled himself up, ruling out ariel attacks for the moment. He suspected that a frontal attack wouldn't do much better, but unless he could become the fastest cat in the forest in the next few moments, he didn't think he could get in a sneak attack from behind either.
Flamepaw was still talking even after Razorpaw had spent some time trying (And failing) to come up with a strategy. Although by now Skyhawk was evidently annoyed with his talkative apprentice, and the pair argued with eachother, while Nightraven sat beside the other warrior. The black tom was seemingly paying no attention the the aguing pair. He sat still, tail wrapped around his paws and eyes shut.
Razorpaw observed his mentor for another heartbeat, before turning his attention back to Flamepaw. The ginger tom was no longer facing him.
The chance was clear. He wasn't sure whether it would be the noble thing to take it, but he didn't really care anymore. Situations like these required thinking outside the box.
He snuck forward, being careful to be quiet, until he was withing springing distance. He shifted to the side a bit - a sideways strike would probably be more effective here. Skyhawk had seen him, and even though he hd stopped arguing with his apprentice, he didn't say anything to warn him. Razorpaw knew he didn't have long before Flamepaw's attention was drawn back to the fight, now that his mentor was refusing to argue.
So he leapt, slamming into the unsuspecting apprentice's side and barreling him over. Flamepaw screeched in surprise, paws flailing as he tried to get a grip on Razorpaw's fur. The silver apprentice locked his jaws into his denmate's scruff - being careful not to hurt him, of course - and batted his hind paws against the ginger tom's hide.
Flamepaw tumbled over, still in shock from the surprise attack, and tried to roll over. Razorpaw lost his grip on the other apprentice and jumped away, befor he could retalliate.
"That was sneaky!" Flamepaw hissed in anger, glaring at Razorpaw, "I was talking!"
"You said you were too good" Razorpaw mewed evenly, "You're obviously not up to your own standards"
The ginger tom snarled, eyes blazing, and slid out his claws.
"Flamepaw!" Skyhawk thought it was time to intervene, "Enough"
"But-"
"I said enough"
The other apprentice fell silent, glaring at nothing as he gazed at the grass. Skyhawk sighed at his pawful of an apprentice, before giving him a lecture about the way he treated his clanmates.
"That was good" Nightraven's sudden voicd made him jump, the tom was sat next to him now, and Razorpaw hadn't even seen him move.
"I-It was?" Razorpaw didn't beleive that his performance was anything special.
"You have the ability to think about the situation even during a battle. And although I cant guarentee you'll always have the time to do that, it's a valuable skill"
Razorpaw felt warmed by his mentor's praise. He could feel his pelt warming up as if the words shone like the sun.
"You attacked him while he argued with Skyhawk" Nightraven noted, and Razorpaw began to wonder if he'd done the right thing. He tried to think of an excuse, but it turned out that he didn't need one.
"I know quite a few cats who would've left that opportunity. But honour means nothing if you end up losing. Never let the trivial things like pride and honour keep you from being victorious. You may be called lesser of by other cats, but life means more than that"
Razorpaw listened intently as his mentor spoke. He found he had a new, deeper respect for the deputy's brother, his mentor, the scarred black tom sat before him. Nightraven was truly a great warrior, regarded so or not.
"Life without pride, pride without life. A life without pride is one not worth living, but pride without life isn't exactly going to get you far" Nighraven continued, casting his glance towards the sky, "Life is the foundation. Pride is built upon it, but never solidly. A proud warrior will not win if his pride outweighs his life" The tom blinked, eyes growing distant, "My brother said that to me, a long time ago. I have always lived by his words..."
Darkheart said that...? Razorpaw thought, No, Chaospaw said they had another brother... What was his name...?
Before he could persue the thought further, he remembered something he probably shouldn't have forgotten.
Mouse-dung! I need to find Chaospaw and search up near the river!
Iceclaw 
Silverstream 
Congratulate them 
