Needles and Pins [c]

Every step sent a quick jolt of pain as porcupine quills brushed against nerves at the base of his tail. Covered in mud and porcupine blood, Batswarm was plodding behind his sister, emerald eyes bore into the back of her skull like he could explode her head if he tried hard enough.

Through ShadowClans front door, through camp, and straight to the Medicine Cat den they went. Arriving at its entrance, Batswarm shook his muddied calico pelt with all his might directly next to his mouse-brained sister and stuck his tongue out.

Moondancer could feel Batswarm's glare as they headed back toward camp. Her fur was still lifted, tail twitching back and forth as she limped forward. The quills that had embedded themselves into her foreleg were definitely starting to hurt, and she was dreading having them plucked out if they hurt this much already. She dreaded the sight of blood on her fur, of having foul-smelling herbs laid across the wounds. Sure, they were probably meant to be helpful, but the herbs would stink, and leave a mess all over her fur. And then there was Burdockroot, the rude medicine cat herself.

Her only solace was that Batswarm had taken more of the quills than she had. And that his pelt was soaked and stained with mud and blood. Served him right.

The pair marched through camp, Moondancer refusing to acknowledge the eyes on the two of them as they made their way to Burdockroot's miserable den. Batswarm moved closer, and Moondancer sputtered, a yelp of indignation leaving her as he shook his filthy pelt. "Hey!" Moondancer leaped to the side as mud was sent in her direction, not quick enough to avoid the filth that spattered across her dark silver fur. "Ugh! Look what you did! I don't deserve mud in my fur!" She huffed at him, and if anyone asked... She wasn't amused by her brother's antics at all. Definitely not. And anyone else would have gotten clawed.

Burdockroot smelled the trace of blood before they entered and had already sat up from her nap and started to prepare the usual herbs. "A porcupine Smart." She huffed after glancing back to the pair before picking up her bundle and setting them down in front of Batswarm. "I hope you at least killed it." With a very forced, clearly trying grin to the pair, she hesitated for a moment so they saw she was attempting to joke. With that out of the way, she grabbed the first quill and yanked.

Just as Batswarm was about to tell Burdockroot that he had, in fact, killed the wretched beast, a quill was pulled from the base of his tail. He hissed, an ugly action he didn't normally do. "You...!!!!! His muddy paw went up as he turned to face Burdockroot who held a quill between her teeth.

...He turned on Moondancer last second, walloping her on the head with an echoey thwack!

"Rude! This is the thanks I get?" Moondancer sputtered, "When I only came to my favorite brothers' defense against that stupid porcupine." She huffed. "And yes, we killed it." Answering Burdockroot was more of an afterthought as she glared at her brother. He was so lucky that Burdockroot was standing right there and pulling quills out of his backside...