Skirmish time!

"You know I wasn't going to hurt you right? I'm not as mean and cruel as I look. You attacked me first so I wasn't going to let you go without teaching you a lesson. A Thunderclan patrol attacked a patrol I was is some time ago. Your clan really seems to like battles with us. Heatherpaw...that is your name right? How long have you been an apprentice?" The tom wanted to talk to her without the other two knowing. She didn't seem all that bad for a squirrel-muncher.

Heatherpaw whimpered softly and spoke in a feeble voice. "S-Six sunrises... I-I'm sorry, the warrior code told me to a-attack any trespassers, I was only doing what I was supposed to do!..." Great StarClan, she was such a weak and helpless kit! She buried her face in her paws with a shameful low caterwaul.

Reedheart finally managed to escape from the jaws of the tom but instead of fighting back, he ran toward the apprentice desperately. ”Heatherpaw! Stay away from him! Retreat now, we must go back to the clan and treat your wounds!” He stepped between the tom and the young she-cat, hissing angrily until he was His apprentice started her way back to Thunderclan. Then, he turned quickly and trotted back to the woods, more concerned about Heatherpaw than about their defeat. It was his fault... he shouldn’t have let her involve in this mess.

Reedheart is no longer stunned.

Heatherpaw whimpered and limped after her mentor back into ThunderClan territory. She held her head down ruefully. "I-I'm sorry, Reedheart... I shouldn't have made that first m-move. I just figured since I can't hunt as well as anyone else, I could make up for it by being a good fighter instead. I guess I'm just not cut out to be a ThunderClan apprentice..."

The tom growled frustrated when the golden cat escaped from his fangs. He was faster than him and in a few seconds, Reedheart was already fleeing back to the camp with the she-cat that could be Heather. Sheathing his claws, Firestone picked up the bunny he caught and looked at his clanmate. "Ugh... I guess that was enough for today. I'm sure they learned the lesson of not messing up with us. We should head back home." Not waiting for an answer, the Shadowclan warrior walked to the camp, entering the marshes of his territory with a thoughtful expression. He had to tell Buttercup about this encounter in their next meeting... she would probably be interested in hearing what happened and who was the cat that was taking care of her daughter: the tom with the pale golden fur.

Once they were far enough, the tom started walking instead of running, feeling how the wounds on his leg started to bother him. His green eyes looked at the apprentice, guilty and sad. ”Don’t be so hard with you, Heatherpaw. It was my mistake for not teaching you the basics of battle before I assigned you to mark the borders with me. It was my mistake, don’t yours. You were brave and loyal, Heatherpaw. Even if you disobey me, your purpose was honorable and good. After what you did today, you deserve more than anyone to be an apprentice. I’m sorry for not taking out all your potential yet but I promise I will.”

Heatherpaw looked up at her mentor, her amber eyes flashing with not only pain, but relief as well. She softly purred in response and licked his shoulder, letting him know she forgave him.