Snowleap's Fortitude

|| Chapter 6 ||

Snowpaw stared at Nightpaw, scrutinizing every inch of his body as they circled one another. He'll make the first strike, the white tomcat noted, keeping his gaze steady on Nightpaw.  

Almost as if on cue, the black tomcat rushed at Snowpaw, rapidly swiping with his front paws. Prepared due to his deep analysis, the white tomcat dodged each strike. Using his small size to his advantage, he slid under Nightpaw, quickly flipping onto his back to kick his stomach. This attack caused Nightpaw to be winded for a few moments, lowering his capability to defend.

In one final attack, Snowpaw leapt as high as he could. Angling his body, almost as if he was a hawk diving for prey, he landed square on Nightpaw with his front paws outstretched to grab him. After futile attempts to free himself from Snowpaw's grasp, Nightpaw had to surrender.

"You're much stronger now, Snowpaw," Nightpaw sweetly purred, sitting up once Snowpaw released him. "You've learned so much in nearly two weeks! It's brilliant, it really is." The black tomcat smiled at Snowpaw, his green gaze warm. 

"Thank you," Snowpaw said in response, dipping his head. He's right, we've been training for nearly two weeks, and I've already gotten much stronger. The white tomcat flicked his grey-tipped tail. I really have learned a lot from him. Maybe too much, he contemplated, because it's far too easy to predict the outcome of these fights. Nightpaw is fun to fight, but his attacks and defenses are obvious by now.

Snapping back to reality, Snowpaw pinned his ears. He watched as Nightpaw struggled with his footing. "Are you alright?" he questioned.

"I'm fine... for the most part," Nightpaw silkily replied, slowly blinking. "Thank you for asking." He paused for a moment. "I'm just really tired. I haven't slept in over three days."

Snowpaw's eyes widened. "Over three days? Why's that?"

"I haven't been able to fall asleep, despite how tired I've been. While I may be used to a lack of sleep, I've never had over three sleepless nights in a row," Nightpaw stated. "Don't worry about me, though!" he emphasised. "I'm not important enough to worry about."

"That's not true," Snowpaw asserted, starting to lead Nightpaw back to camp. "You could've come to Dappledleaf and I if you've been having trouble sleeping." The white tomcat gazed at Nightpaw. "Typically, poppy seeds are used to induce sleeping, but passion flowers, valerian roots, and chamomile can do the job just as well. I can give you any of those if you'd like." I really sound like Stonepaw right now, Snowpaw silently remarked in amusement. Are these the effects of being a medicine cat apprentice?

"Valerian roots sound alright. I can't stand poppy seeds, or poppies in general," the black tomcat innocently countered.

As the two silent tomcats continued walking to camp, Nightpaw began to speak again. "Days ago you mentioned a field of poppies. Where did you say it was? I don't quite remember due to this sleep depravity."

"Past Pine Slope, around the twolegplace," Snowpaw responded.

"Thank you for the warning," Nightpaw purred. "I hope to never find myself unfortunate enough to have to venture there. Poppies are far too vibrant, they hurt my eyes. Not only that," he continued, "but their seeds are too small."

Snowpaw nodded. "I suppose you're right about their size," he agreed. "They are quite easy to overlook."

"What do you mean?" Nightpaw curiously asked, his voice soft. 

After a moment of pondering, Snowpaw devised an example. "As you mentioned, poppy seeds are small. A normal cat wouldn't be able to clearly see them unless actively looking for them. Due to this, poppy seeds can be well hidden." The white tomcat flashed a smirk. "Sometimes, kits will refuse to take medicine, poppy seeds included. However, if you were to put poppy seeds in fresh-kill, they'll go by completely undetected. The scent and taste of fresh-kill will completely repress any indication of the seeds, making it simple to treat kits. Does that make sense?"