Warriors: Starlight

Chapter 14

"Oh come on! Dont tell me you were made a warrior with a swing like that" Tigerclaw growled, easily batting Fireheart away with a hefty swipe of his massive paw, claws sheathed. The orange tom leaped back just too late, earning him a clout to the muzzle, sending him staggering.

Fireheart stood in the middle of the clearing panting as Tigerclaw circled him, looking for an opening.

"I dont see how you expect me to teach you advanced battle moves if you are so feeble in the ones that you already know" he sneered in frustration.

"Now, come at me with everything you've got, which I dont see to be a lot if what you've shown me is anything to go by." He jeered, hurling insults at any time that suited him. Fuming, Fireheart hurled himself at his make-shift mentor, thinking on his paws, he aimed to feint an attack to the legs and redirect for the deputy's muzzle, where he could get a nice blow in. He ducked, swiped one paw at Tigerclaw's right foreleg, and as the tabby prepared to counter, Fireheart drew back his forepaw, and redirected both paws for his muzzle, smacking downward, the impact forcing the deputy's face into the ground, even if only for a moment.

"Ha. hows that for feeble?" Fireheart taunted back, a sick satisfaction flowing through him at seeing Tigerclaw eat dirt.

"Lucky shot, softpaw. Try that a second time and it'll be your face in the ground, along with the rest of you." he huffed angrily. He was right. That wouldn't work a second time. After that little display, Tigerclaw would not be keen on understimating him to quite the same extent, so there would be no more margin for error. Though when he thought about it, that was a good thing. The harder Tigerclaw made this, the stronger Fireheart would become.

The two traded blows inconsequencially, their attack speeding up and becoming quicker and quicker with smaller and smaller intervals, until it was blow for blow, blood rushing in ears and hisses as paws made hard contact on every strike, the scowl on Tigerclaw's face getting bigger and bigger as the swings shot back and forth became harder and harder until finally with a yowl of rage, he lobbed a massive blow to the side of Firehearts flank, sending him reeling. The ginger warrior collapsed in a single graceless motion, hitting the ground with a bellowing thud.

When he tried to lift himself up to save face, it hurt everywhere. He could suddenly feel every one of those traded blows come crashing back to him, and judging by Tigerclaws awkward stance, so could he. The fiery tom just lay there panting, wheezing, and workng up the strength to stand.

After a moment, Tigerclaw looked down at him, his gaze revealing nothing,

"That will be all for today. Take a break for the next two days and practice. Not bad for a nursery-belly" he sneered. Fireheart jolted at what he could only guess was a jab,
"a what-" but the warrior spoke over him,
"Next training session, I'd better see you start off with the brutal fighting spirit that you had near the end of this session, not the mouse who I saw at the beginning." he huffed, glancing back at the orange tom, a glint in his eye as he padded off that Fireheart couldn't quite decypher.

Was that a compliment? Fireheart pondered to himself for a second. He never thought he'd ever hear Tigerclaw acknowledge his fighting spirit.

On that thought, he pulled himself to his paws followed Tigerclaw back to camp, keeping a respectable distance.

When he reached the camp, he immediately headed for the nursery, only to stop in his tracks to the sight before him. his kits at four and a half moons old, playing warrior and rogue with Bramblekit and Tawneykit, who were now five moons old. He decided to take a wide angle around, and went and sat under the solid shade of the fern near the warriors' den, and watched as his kits played.