I don't need your help! (For Drippy and Middy)

Curlypaw had asked her mentor if she could go out hunting, and received permission. Though she did want to help her clan by catching prey, the reason she had left was to be alone. Whenever she was with her clan she felt like everyone was glancing at her missing ear, silently judging her. Though it probably wasn't true, it felt real to her. Shaking off her anger, she scented the air for prey. Finding a mouse, she crouched down and silently padded towards it, hoping to catch it quickly and easily. She focused on the mouse with all her senses, eyes following intently, its scent filling her nose, even though she couldn't hear well enough to hear its steps. Right before she had the chance to pounce on it however, talons hit her back from her deaf side. Pain filled that area, and she flew a whisker length back. It seemed like an owl had been trying to catch the same mouse she was, and attacked her instead. Curlypaw silently cursed her deaf ear, then jumped and raked her claws against the owl's stomach. The owl flew away, and she watched it go.

The owl used Talon Strike on Curlypaw, dealing 10 damage and costing 10 stamina.

Owl:
50/50
110/120

Curlypaw:
10/20
80/80

Curlypaw used Belly Rake on the owl, dealing 7 damage and costing 10 stamina

Curlypaw:
10/20
70/80

Owl:
43/50
110/120

Curlypaw checked her wound, and saw it wasn't bleeding, only fur was missing. It still stung however, and after hunting she would have a medicine cat check it out. Then she realized something more important. She couldn't hear anything. Why StarClan? She asked irritably in her head. Feeling depressed, the gray tabby scented the air again, hoping to find something else to hunt. Soon she had caught the scent of a lizard, but before she reached it, she detected something else. Her clanmates. She hadn't heard them because of her stupid deafness!

Willowpaw padded through the forest, practicing one of her favorite moves.
She ducked into the shadows, sliding through the darkness silently.
Her ears pricked- what was that? The apprentice began running through the forest at full speed, her belly brushing the sparse marsh grass and dodging trees. She saw Curlypaw and skidded to a stop, rushing towards her.
There was flattened grass- signs of a fight.
"Curlypaw? What... what happened?"
She saw a mark behind her ear and tilted her head, her amber eyes widening. "are you okay?"

Crowpaw had gone out to clear his head. He had been worrying about his siblings for the past couple of days for no apparent reason. All that worrying had made it into his dreams and he hadn't had the best of sleep the last couple of days. As he headed deeper into the surrounding territory, he heard rustling and a familiar voice. 'Willowpaw? What's she doing here?' he asked himself. As he walked further towards the voice, he could see Willowpaw and Curlypaw. His fur bristled as he noticed Curlypaw's injury. His "fatherly" instincts kicked in and he dashed towards Curlypaw with worry evident in his eyes. "C-Curlypaw! A-Are you o-okay? What happened t-to you?" he whisper-shouted as he looked at the mark.

When the first apprentice ran up to her, Curlypaw just rolled her eyes in agitation. But when Crowpaw joined in, it became unbearable. She had come out here to get away from this nonsense. However it was a little funny to see them get all worked up, especially when she couldn't actually hear them to well. To her, it sounded like Willowpaw was saying; Curly... What hap... kay? and the black tom seemed to be saying; C-Curl... A-are... kay? Wha... t-to you?. Even that sounded like a whisper. But she didn't want their help, so she didn't dig for more information.
¨Geez guys, I'm fine. I just had to fight an owl for a mouse. You can go now, I don't want or need companions for hunting. Actually, it is better alone," the gray apprentice explained, then started to walk away. She willed StarClan to make them not follow her, but she doubted her ancestors would be merciful. Even more so when a mouse trotted right by her, and she failed to catch it, not having heard its footsteps.

Willowpaw tilted her head, her fur fluffing in surprise as Crowpaw came trotting up.
She trotted at Curlypaw's heels, her ears flat against her head. "We should take you to a medicine cat. That scratch doesn't look very good..."

Crowpaw looked over at Willowpaw. His eyes filled with worry. As Curlypaw started to walk away, he followed close behind her. Hearing Willowpaw beside him propose taking Curlypaw to the medicine cat he walked a little faster until he was at Curlypaw's side. "Y-You know W-Willowpaw is right. You should g-go to the m-medicine cat." he said above a whisper. "Y-Your wound d-doesn't look okay t-to just keep going like t-this." he continued.

¨I told you, I'm fine. I'm not bleeding or anything. I'll go to a medicine cat after hunting, if I still even need it,¨ Curlypaw retorted, irritation clear in her tone. Why in StarClan's name were these two cats so persistent in helping her? At least her hearing was starting to come back. Sighing, she saw a mouse nibbling at some pine sap and crouched down to catch it. However, irritation clouded her skills, and her pounce missed, her paws hitting the tree instead. A sudden ringing filled her head, and she knew what that meant. Why couldn't she remember not to pounce when she had just gotten an injury? She knew she was supposed to wait a little while, but she didn't want the cats following her to know that.

Willowpaw positioned herself in front of Curlypaw, planting her feet and blocking her way.
"You're not fine, and we're taking you to a medicine cat."

"Y-Yeah. Y-You need to let us help you. We'll be taking you whether you like it or not!" his eyes widened. He was shocked that his voice suddenly became demanding and bold. He looked at Curlypaw as to say sorry. "W-We just w-want t-t-to help you. Please l-let us." he softly said looking away.

Curlypaw groaned when Willowpaw stepped in front of her. Not only was it super annoying because she didn't need help, but it wouldn't improve her argument if she was trying to have a conversation without being able to hear anything. Of course, she wasn't planning on telling them the second part. It was hard to think of a response when all she was able to make out via lip reading was not fine from Willowpaw and or not. from Crowpaw. She decided to reply based on the first one, because or not could have a lot of things that it meant.
"I am fine. Now leave me alone," she snapped, hoping that they would take the hint and leave. It was even more disorienting to not hear herself talk rather than not hearing other cats talk, so she did it as little as possible. Rolling her eyes, she scented the air again, hoping that a good catch would make the other two apprentices realize she was okay and didn't need any of their assistance.

Willowpaw huffed, shooting a glance at Crowpaw.
"We'll just make you, then." She mewed stubbornly.
Willowpaw began to nudge Curlypaw towards camp, literally pushing her forward.

"W-Willowpaw y-you don't have to be that harsh on Curlypaw. W-What if she doesnt want t-to go to camp? She doesn't have t-to be forced." he whispered to Willowpaw. He took a second glance at Curlypaw before sighing. "She DOES n-need to get h-her wound checked." He turned to Curlypaw before asking, " H-How bad does y-your wound hurt?"

This time, Curlypaw couldn't decipher anything that either of them were saying. What she could understand was that Willowpaw was literally pushing her towards camp, and that Crowpaw was trying to talk to her. She grunted, not hiding any of her frustration anymore. She had been trying to be nice to them so far, but clearly that wasn't working. It was that moment that her anger, frustration, and worry piled up so much that it burst out of her.
"For StarClan's sake you two, do you not get that I'm fine! I do not need to go back to camp, and I don't need your help, so just leave me alone!" She felt herself grow warm with anger, and her words must have been really loud if she could hear them. Everything started to feel surreal, as if this was all just a bad dream and she would wake up in her nest any second. Not really sure what to do, she took off sprinting away from the two, though her paws hit a wet part of the marsh, causing her to slip. This was not a good day.

"H-hey!"
Willowpaw darted after her, skidding to a stop and spraying mud over Curlypaw's head.
The she-cat grabbed the smaller apprentice by the scruff, determination in her eyes. "What don't you understand? It's like you can't even hear me!"
She dropped her, looking her in the eye.
"We. Are. Taking. You. Back. To. Camp!" She half-shouted.
She didn't know why the apprentice wasn't listening to her, but Curlypaw had to know Willowpaw meant what she said.

Crowpaw darted after Willowpaw and Curlypaw. He was worried that they had been too harsh on Curlypaw. "C-Curlypaw! W-Why won't you l-let us h-help you?" he asked making his voice sound a bit louder.