Chapter 18

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      Night quickly fell, Inkpaw was speaking to Dirtpaw when the large deputy padded towards the apprentices, his gray tabby pelt and mud-brown splotches were both bristled yet damp from the watery fog. "Uh, do you want to start training tomorrow?" The tom looked around awkwardly. "Sure, I'd be fine with that." Inkpaw nodded, trying to seem as confident as possible. "Okay.." There was an awkward pause. "Alright... Um, goodnight." The two exchanged nods and Mountainswoop padded off.

     "That was painful to watch." Gullpaw chimed in. "No cat asked for your input, Gullpaw." Inkpaw glared, and Dirtpaw looked at the she-cat urgently, mouthing no! No, stop it! The brown tom was also waving his arms frantically, as he was clearly scared of the bullying tom. "What'd you say, outsider?" Gullpaw narrowed his eyes, stalking towards the she-cat until he was just a whisker away from her face. "You heard me, no cat asked for your input. You weren't in the conversation." Inkpaw meowed, no expression displayed. "Oh you little!-" Gullpaw's eyes blazed as he lunged at the she-cat. Dirtpaw let out a yelp as he jumped back.

     Then, the brown apprentice grabbed Ribbonkit by the scruff and placed her gently inside the nursery before yowling for help. As the two apprentices were growling and hissing, Frostedhare and Winslow tried to pull the two apprentices apart. Inkpaw believed she hadn't started this fight, as she didn't strike first. She believed she was defending herself and her honor. Suddenly, a loud yowl echoed around the clearing. "What is going on?" It was Lightflights, Inkpaw went limp, then Gullpaw stopped, holding the apprentice by the scruff.

     As Gullpaw froze, he chuckled nervously as he dropped Inkpaw. Inkpaw let out a yelp of pain as she hit the ground with a thump. "She started it!" Gullpaw blurted, pointing at Inkpaw with his white paw that was covered in Inkpaw's blood, where did he get so much blood? Inkpaw felt a bit dizzy but hauled herself to her paws. Lightflights let out a shocked gasp, while other cats did the same. "What?" Inkpaw meowed wearily, before putting her paw up to her throat, where it was drenched. Drenched with what?

    "Get Beetlebug and Prowlingwind!" Lightflights yelped. Inkpaw looked at her paw... "You tried to kill me!" Inkpaw whipped her head to the white and blood-red apprentice. "I..." Gullpaw gulped, speechless. Inkpaw teetered, her dizziness exceeded. All Inkpaw remembered was falling to the soft dirt and hearing Dirtpaw's cries. "Inkpaw!"

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