Salt in the Snow

One good thing about having a fairly absent mentor was that Frog got to skip dawn patrol quite often. The sleek gray apprentice was always awake by the time they returned, however, and often times she managed to stay in the den until just after the morning's hunting patrol returned. They would get their share and take some to the elders, and Frog was able to sneak in and get whatever she wanted.

Her plan worked as usual, and by mid-morning Frog emerged from the apprentices' den and approached the fresh-kill pile. It was a bit smaller than usual, but the hunting patrol had done very well. It'd fuel her for a later hunt at least. She sat back to watch the fresh-kill pile, pondering her options, when movement caught her eye. Her pale green eyes shot up to examine her company.

Frog watched the other apprentice with narrowed eyes as she walked up and grabbed a well-rounded mouse. Wait, that looks good - I want that! she realized, and so the gray apprentice immediately stood and meowed quickly, "Excuse me, I was about to grab that." Frog's eyes glimmered with challenge.

Frog watched Thornpaw, and when the older she-cat considered for a moment the gray apprentice felt a premature sense of triumph. After all, Frog had always been at ShadowClan. Where had Thornpaw been? However, she was soon disappointed when the other apprentice simply turned away and padded of to eat. Frog huffed and stormed after her, her tail lashing. "You think you're so great," she hissed. "Everyone else is so beneath you. What makes you think you even deserve that mouse? Weren't you a kittypet for a while?" Frog didn't care what scars or wounds the other she-cat had or how many moons older she might be; she didn't deserve anything that Frog hadn't already earned.

No sooner had Frog's insolent question left her mouth to hang in the air than did the other apprentice stand threateningly, claws unsheathed. Frog had to quickly reassess her position; she had learned from her first short-lived fight with Thornpaw that the other she-cat had some serious muscle packed under her scarred pelt. Should it come to actual blows, Frog was concerned she would lose. Not only that, but Scorchstar would never let her be a warrior if she started a fight with an older Clanmate. Still, Frog didn't back down or cower when Thornpaw began ranting about Frog's attitude. She certainly wouldn't give the other apprentice that satisfaction.

Frog let Thornpaw say her piece, simply rolling her green eyes and staring at the other apprentice with a bored expression. When at last the other she-cat was done, Frog responded, "Oh! Funny you mention entitlement, actually. Last time I checked, respect was earned. You certainly haven't earned it, what with your suddenly appearing back on ShadowClan territory after StarClan knows how long doing who knows what and threatening to flay me and everything." Her tail lashed and she growled, "What makes you think you deserve that mouse any more than I do?"

Frog continued to glare defiantly back at Thornpaw as the she-cat told her to check her attitude. The apprentice's response was a huff and a dramatic eye-roll, after which she continued to glare at the other. However, Thornpaw was still unphased, even going so far as to flick her tail in Frog's face. Frog's response to that was to swat at the tip of Thornpaw's tail - though a bit delayed to intentionally miss, since she was almost certain Thornpaw would consider even tail-batting grounds enough to start a brawl. Not that I don't want to sink my claws into her stupid neck, she thought angrily, but Scorchstar would kill me if Thornpaw didn't do it first.

Thornpaw continued to belittle and demean Frog as the gray apprentice listened with growing anger and frustration. Thornpaw wasn't exactly wrong; Frog should have grabbed it sooner, and she knew it. She just hadn't known what she wanted until it belonged to the one other cat that she didn't want to have it. "Quit pouting and get out of my face, your age is showing. Again." At that Frog felt hurt, which only made her more angry. She looked young because of her dumb round face, but she wasn't a kit! She was almost a warrior now. Frog hissed "You don't know anything about me!" and whirled around to stomp out of camp, feeling humiliated and enraged. Eating was the last thing on her mind, but maybe some hunting and killing would make her feel better.