The Prickles of a Sedge (Closed?)

In the clearing, the sun had barely begun to rise over the branches of the trees. A sleek grey tabby tom waited, his pelt dusted in white from snow that had fallen as he waited. The vigil was for warriors, but he had sat there since before the sun even touched the sky. He was an apprentice now, and it was time for him to train. His green eyes stared into the warrior den, his tail flicked impatiently as he waited with flattened ears and a nearly vicious look. How dare Rippedsky make him wait so long. Couldn't he have been up earlier than this? He huffed, breath lingering in the air in steaming clouds.

He lifted a paw and licked it to warm it from the bite of cold. His pelt was still immaculately groomed despite the long wait. He turned to the fresh-kill pile, there wasn't much, but if he took a finch he doubted any cat would notice or care at this early hour. Finally, he left the spot he had waited in. A large dip remained from where snow had fallen around his form. He picked up his finch and began to pluck at it restlessly. His tail twitching in aggravated annoyance at his mentor's lateness.
"Why'd he take me for his apprentice when he can't even get up in time." He grumbled around a mouthful. When a feather fell, his eyes narrowed and he swiped down with his forepaw to catch it with a smirk. With skills like his, he barely needed training. Why didn't they just go ahead and skip it, save everycat some time.

Rippedsky awoke slowly that morning. When he stretched, every muscle in his body seemed to protest the effort. As he had been recovering, most of the coughing and internal issues had died away, save for a bit of occasional short breath. Regaining his strength had been a bit more of a challenge. After spending a moment warming himself up against the chill that seeped into the den, the deputy trotted over to the medicine cat's den. Stealing himself a small amount of the strengthening herbs Oceanlight had prepared only took a few moments. It was similar to those eaten before going to highstones and the less than pleasant flavor no longer caused the edge of his mouth to twist in disgust.

In a mere matter of second later, he was ready for training. No doubt his new apprentice would be ready. Although Sedgepaw seemed to have an attitude that left plenty of room for improvement, there was no doubt he had a drive behind him. This would be yet another challenge to tackle. Elmcloud had been something, but in a different way. Rippedsky reminded himself once more that he just could not let the younger cat push him around. Ideas had already began to form in the older cat's mind. Given his usually kind and easy-going nature, Sedgepaw was lucky in the fact he would have a more patient mentor than other possibilities. If there was anything the black and white tom had learned over the moons, it was not to be a pushover. The claw marks on his face bore witness to his moral code, something he vowed to never break, but none of that prevented him from properly training a cat who needed to learn some manners.

"Good morning, Sedgepaw." Rippedsky meowed, coming up behind his apprentice. Of course, he had caught the grumbling of the young cat. He did not miss a beat, despite the words, "I hope you're ready for what I have in store for you today."

Finally. Sedgepaw stood up immediately when he heard the voice of Rippedsky behind him. He didn't worry in the least that he had been overheard, and instead made a show of grooming his paws and foreleg.
"Finally. You know, as a mentor it's your duty to be on time." He chastised, an arrogant smirk on Sedgepaw's face. "Since I was up on time, maybe you should skip the training and just make me a warrior already. There's nothing you need to teach me." He boasted. Satisfied that he had made his point with his grooming, he padded around Rippedsky in a highly disrespectful manner.

Were his parents around, Sedgepaw would likely have never gotten away with this attitude. Barktalon and Frostfang would have ensured he learned his manners. Unfortunately, their untimely assent to Starclan meant that Sedgepaw learned none of these lessons. Instead, he was content to bully and act as arrogant as he pleased. He flicked his tail directly in front of Rippedsky, in complete disrespect to him and his position.

"So what is it? Fighting a badger? Patrolling borders? Or is my assignment to wake your lazy son up as well." He looked towards the apprentice's den disapprovingly. None of the others were awake yet. How could they not be? Didn't they have things to do? He scoffed in disapproval. Featherbrains, all of them.

"As your mentor, I believe it is my responsibility to tell you when we are training. And I don't recall saying earlier than now. Correct me if I'm wrong." He meowed evenly, low tone betraying no frustration with the much younger cat. Rippedsky's whiskers twitched at Sedgepaw's ignorance. Oh, there was so much he needed to learn. While the apprentice was too short-sighted and green to know of all that being a warrior entailed, the deputy was ready to teach him. This was far from the first time a cat had acted in a disrespectful manner to him, and it certainly would not be the last. Full-blooded Windclan cat leading Skyclan was less appealing to some, especially his former clan and leader. It had been quite sometime since he had faced such specific disrespect. Given the power and wisdom his newest trainee failed to see, Rippedsky was more than ready to train such a spiteful and prickly kit.

Without waiting for a response, the black and white warrior turned away and flicked his tail for Sedgepaw to follow. If he wanted to know what they were doing, he would have to follow along. He picked up pace and sped up as they walked through the opening to the forest, as he had with many apprentices before. The Windclan speed, something he would always be grateful for, made it easy to stay ahead of his newest apprentice. As he sprinted, he kicked up a soft spray of snow behind him. Once he reached a satisfying point in the forest, far away enough from camp, he stopped short and settled down on the frigid ground. The aching in his muscles began to feel fantastic, how underused they had been for the past moon. When Sedgepaw finally joined him, Rippedsky said something that made it hard to keep a straight expression, "Today, we will be hunting... for moss." How he managed to not laugh, and keep a stoic tone the whole time was only by the grace of Starclan. This could be fun.

"You didn't." Sedgepaw spat, his ears flattened as he realised Rippedsky wasn't going to simply hand him his warrior title. He glowered at the cold snow covered ground. His moon only became worse when his mentor turned and began to leave him behind. With a hiss, Sedgepaw rushed after Rippedsky. It was then he realised he was a bit out of depth. While Rippedsky raced along the Skyclan territory without so much as a slip, Sedgepaw found himself struggling in areas where snow was deep. A quick slip into a small ditch put more distance between them and made his fur stick up in a spiky way reminiscent of his name.

The run was quick, and Sedgepaw noticed that he barely got to observe his surroundings while he raced after his mentor. Was that pine tree one they had passed? No, it had to be different. That rock looked familiar. When Rippedsky stopped, he tried with all his might not to simply collapse down on the ground to catch his breath. His laboured breathing gave the game away without him needing to, but at his mentor's comment, he felt new fight in him.

"Did you run into a tree!?" Sedgepaw cried at the order. There was no moss in leaf-bare. "Moss?" He asked again to double-check. To find out the Rippedsky was not joking left a cold chill in his fur. He growled in frustration, then lifted his head, arrogance practically oozing from him once more as he stomped past his mentor in sheer rage. How was he expected to find moss. None of that grew in leaf-bare. The elders didn't need moss anyways, they were always complaining about aches even when their nests were perfectly soft.

What they needed was something that would scratch those ticks off. Something that was available and more importantly, something that they deserved. Sedgepaw noticed a bramble patch, there were some crusted dry leaves. Between the thorns of the brambles and the crusty frost-bitten leaves, the ticks stood no chance. It served the elders right for lazing about instead of helping. Decision made, he set about chewing and slicing off stalks with his teeth and claws. He failed to notice the moss buried deep in the heart of the bramble bush as he took only the wet and thorny exterior over to Rippedsky, spitting it at his front paws.
"There's no moss in leaf-bare, featherhead. This will suit the elders just fine." He said imperiously, his tail curled firmly around his forepaws with complete confidence that this was of course, perfectly fine.

The outraged apprentice cried at the order and his mentor did not even flinch. Rippedsky simply nodded at the question, providing no further instruction. His eyes narrowed as Sedgepaw stomped away. It was only when the younger tom was out of sight that he allowed himself to crack a smile. He had allowed himself to get frustrated with Elmcloud when they trained together, given everything that had been happening at the time. With himself in a much better place after recovering from sickness, a lot of his kind and patient nature had returned. He had learned to come to peace with the losses that plague him for so many moons. Now, he was ready to train once more.

It did not seem like long at all before Sedgepaw had come stomping back into the small clearing. The black and white tom was not at all surprise when brambles were thrown on the ground in front off him. Still sitting up straight, he looked over the thorns and mess that his apprentice had collected. A smile broke out onto his maw. He glanced back up at Sedgepaw as he meowed, "Wonderful job. It looked like you have collected a good amount too. We should get this back to camp!" He motioned for the prickly cat to pick up his collection and follow after, in a similar fashion to when the had left camp. Rippedsky certainly did not pick a pace useful to a young apprentice, carrying a mouthful of bracken.

The grey tom lifted his head proudly at the praise. His arrogant pride was short-lived however as Rippedsky began to lead the way back. Once again the other tom lead off with speed, and Sedgepaw was forced to admit that he couldn't run that fast. He tried, he grabbed his brambles in his mouth and plunged after Rippedsky into the snow.

He grunted as he tripped over his own bramble collection. His tail twitched in defiance and he stood again to try running behind, but any pace faster than a walk ended with him stepping or tripping over the brambles. The thorns of it sliced over his tongue during a particularly bad fall that had him nearly tumbling headfirst over a bank. Dead leaves falling into the snow, taking away the cushion that he had thought suitable as he resorted to a slow and ungainly walk along the pawprints Rippedsky had left.

When he finally made it back to camp, Sedgepaw spat the brambles and specks of blood onto the camp floor and glared at Rippedsky menacingly. Were he an older cat, it'd have been a look of murder. He grimaced and shook his head. His tongue ached, scratched a little from carrying the brambles.
"There. Take your dumb brambles." Sedgepaw grumped. He licked at his forepaw, relishing at the coldness of the snow attatched to it against his tongue. The blood only spotting faintly now.

Rippedsky feigned annoyance. A quick look of disappointment twisted his face. As it all fell to the ground he looked over it before glancing to Sedgepaw. They did not belong in the middle of the camp, and the apprentice knew it. But, he did not know where they were to go. The deputy twitched his tail to avoid the smile that threatened to break. Instead, as he took a couple steps forwards through the snow, he maintained a neutral expression. His eyes were nearly flint as they stared into the younger cat.

"I think you know those don't go here," He chastised lightly, turning away. But before he left, he called over his shoulder, "Take them to the apprentice's den, and line your nest with them. We can try again for moss next moon." Rippedsky flicked his tail dismissively. Of course there was most likely a protest building behind Sedgepaw's lips, but he was already ready with his own. If he did not listen, the black and white tom would most certainly not let him get away with this. If Sedgepaw wanted to be difficult, he was going to get the apprenticeship of a life time.

What? Sedgepaw glared at Rippedsky. He hoped that his mentor would be quick to say he was joking... but no words came forth. He felt his muzzle twitch in aggrivation.
"No." He growled, sat on his haunches crossly. "I am not sleeping on those" He gestured at the pile of brambles. They were suited to Elders with scratchy tick-bitten pelts. Not apprentices.

"I am an apprentice, I need more sleep then they do." Trying to justify it didn't help. His cocky attitude was going to bite him, but he refused to give in and take them to the den. Instead he stood, walked up to Rippedsky and glared at him as close as their muzzles could reach. "There is no moss in leafbare. He hissed, "I am not sleeping on that, but if it looks comfortable to you then maybe you should go to the elders den where you belong."

It only took a moment for the former Windclan cat to jump to the side and turn away from his persistent apprentice. The hot breath on his muzzle for a moment had been aggravating, but he felt that dying away as continued to away. "Oh no, it does not look comfortable to me at all. I also was not the one to choose the betting," Rippedsky meowed calmly over his shoulder, without sparing Sedgepaw a glance, "You deemed it fit to be bedding for the elders, cats who have already proven their worth over and over again to the clan. You could not even find moss. It's only fitting you use what you gathered and spare the others." The young tom's attitude bothered him overall. But, he knew it would be pointless to constantly argue over the matter in a game of yowls. That would get him nowhere. Sedgepaw simply needed to learn his place before the real training began.

"Oh, and if you are worried about getting enough sleep, maybe wait until the time I have actually told you to train." Again, his tail signaled the apprentice away, but not before adding, "I will send one of the other apprentices to check on your work later. If it is not up to the normal standard, we'll make you one out of snow in the middle of camp tonight." His blue eyes gleamed with a satisfaction Sedgepaw wouldn't get to see. Without waiting for another word, the deputy left him standing in the middle of camp as he went to check on the day's progress. He had important things to do while the disrespectful tom figured out how to behave.

As the black and white tom left, Sedgepaw stared behind him. For a few moments, he didn't move. More importantly, he didn't speak. His protests died on his tongue before he even voiced them. They wouldn't do him any good. This was real. Sedgepaw sank down onto his haunches and barely winced as the brambles snagged into his fur. For once, he had been talked down to. For once, a cat had stood his ground.

He wanted to cry. He wanted to run after his mentor and leap onto his back, to pin him and make him change his mind... he could. He didn't. With a massive sigh, he turned to glare at the pile of brambles. This was unfair. There was no moss in leafbare not matter what Rippedsky seemed to think. He growled and snatched up a piece of bramble, ignoring how it cut into his tongue and pulled it towards his nest. He continued until the whole thing was there, and he pressed it into his formerly comfortable bedding with a weave that left his paws scratched and aching.

It wasn't fair.

He glowered at the other apprentices, then stepped into his nest with all the defiance and grace he could manage, even as the thorns dug into him with sharp raking stings. Exhaustion settled in after his long races across the territory as well as the effort to haul the brambles back. Hopefully Rippedsky was pleased with himself.

Sedgepaw certainly wasn't.