HazelStalk's Constellation

Chapter 2

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HazelPaw leapt at RampagePaw, bowling him over. RampagePaw then buttered her underbelly, knocking her off and flinging her a few tail-lengths away.
RampagePaw scrambled to his paws, and leapt onto her, pinning her shoulders.
"Well done, both of you," FernLeap meowed, "RampagePaw, make sure to pay attention to HazelPaw's gaze. It'll say a lot about her next move."
"HazelPaw, when you're kicked off, try to crane your neck more. The rest of your body will follow, and you're more likely to land or collapse in an attack-ready position," SunLeap added.
HazelPaw nodded, getting to her paws and lining up again.
She dashed forward, halting and standing on her haunches. She prepared to batter RampagePaw's head and shoulders, but this time he expected in and dodged lots of her swipes, before leaping forward and ramming into her underbelly.
He pinned her by the shoulders, but she struck out with her back legs, knocking him off.
RampagePaw took SunLeap's advice instead, swerving and landing on his paws, though stumbling a bit.
HazelPaw leapt up, and dashed forward. She slammed into his shoulder as he was regaining balance, before pinning him on his side.
"Much better, both of you," FernLeap purred.
"You did very well, HazelPaw. I'm impressed how quickly you took advantage of RampagePaw being unbalanced," SunLeap added.
"Please, I could beat HazelPaw with a single swipe," LilyPaw muttered, but apparently to loud for her liking.
"Then how about you actually attack me?" HazelPaw challenged.
LilyPaw looked up at RoseThorn for approval, who shrugged, "You got yourself in this, might as well go through with it."
LilyPaw and HazelPaw lined up in front of each other. HazelPaw begged StarClan her claws would stay sheathed, despite the temptation to claw the annoying she-cat.
HazelPaw watched as LilyPaw dashed over, and kicked off her back legs. HazelPaw ducked, missing her attack by a whisker. She swerved around as LilyPaw landed, her back facing away.
HazelPaw thrusted off her haunches, leaping and slamming a sheathed claw against her side, knocking her askew.
LilyPaw yelped, rolling on the ground. She tried standing, but HazelPaw was quick to paw her shoulder and pin her against her side.
"To easy!" HazelPaw whispered in LilyPaw's ear.
"Ow!" LilyPaw suddenly exclaimed. HazelPaw took a couple steps back.
"What happened?" RoseThorn asked anxiously.
"HazelPaw clawed me!" LilyPaw got up shakily, with a look of dismay on her face.
"What?! I did not! I would never!" HazelPaw retorted.
RoseThorn trotted over swiftly, "Where did she claw you?"
"Right here," LilyPaw pointed to her shoulder, which was scratched.
RoseThorn turned her cold gaze towards HazelPaw, "You never, ever use claws during training! How could you forget?"
"I didn't! I would never claw any-cat. LilyPaw, are you sure it wasn't this stick? Or this thorn?" HazelPaw lifted up the only sharp objects in distance.
"No! It was claws," LilyPaw growled.
"How? I never touched that shoulder! I pinned your other side," HazelPaw meowed.
"That's enough," SunLeap padded over, "Come on, HazelPaw. Let's head back to camp."
"What? I swear to StarClan I didn't hurt her!" HazelPaw bellowed.
"It doesn't matter either way. What matters is cooling off your temper. Come on," SunLeap meowed, beginning to pad off. HazelPaw followed, her tail low.
"Why did you do it? I know LilyPaw is annoying, but—," RampagePaw began as she was walking by.
"I didn't claw her!" HazelPaw snapped, bristling. RampagePaw flinched.
"HazelPaw!" SunLeap called sternly. HazelPaw lowered her head and hurried to catch up with her mentor.
I don't know what LilyPaw is trying to accomplish, but it will never work! I won't let her get away with this.

Back at camp, HazelPaw had replaced the elder's moss before sitting down in the clearing.
She clawed at the grass, still fuming. LilyPaw was such a sore loser! As if complaining and making a scene will save her tail in a real battle.
If she doesn't own up to losses, she'll never improve. Maybe getting her tail torn in battle will teach her, so why should I try to reason with that sour she-cat?
PeakPaw and LynxPaw trotted over once they entered camp, their tails high. "Hello HazelPaw! How was battle training?" PeakPaw asked.
HazelPaw shrugged, "LilyPaw framed me for clawing her."
"Oh...That's defiantly something only she would do." LynxPaw growled.
"How was hunting?" HazelPaw asked.
"It was amazing! LynxPaw caught a finch right from the sky!" PeakPaw meowed.
LynxPaw looked at her paws, clearly flustered by the phrase.
"Wow, that's so cool!"

That night, HazelPaw watched as HatchPaw left to go to the moonpool with PlumWillow for the first time. HazelPaw tried to wish her luck, but HatchPaw replied with something snarky.
Once they left, she turned and padded inside of the apprentice's den. She laid down in one of the beds towards the back, which was next to LynxPaw's.
"I wonder what the moonpool is like," LynxPaw meowed as HazelPaw cured up.
"I guess we'll have to ask HatchPaw in the morning," HazelPaw replied.

The morning didn't go as planned. It wasn't even morning at all once PlumWillow and HatchPaw returned. HazelPaw got up and sat at the entrance of the den once she heard all the commotion.
"Why are they back so early?" PeakPaw asked.
"How would I know? I hope everything is okay," HazelPaw fretted.
PlumWillow shuffled swiftly towards FidgetStar's den.
"Come on!" PeakPaw dashed over towards HatchPaw. HazelPaw and LynxPaw followed quickly.
"What happened?" LynxPaw asked.
HatchPaw scoffed, "Why should I tell you?"
"Because we care!" LynxPaw lashed her tail.
"Fine. But it'll only scare your pathetic kitty-pelts off," HatchPaw sat down calmly.
She is my sister, but great StarClan...She's weird!
"Tell us!" LynxPaw pressed.
"StarClan didn't answer us at the moonpool. Something is wrong in terms of connection, and no-cat knows why," HatchPaw meowed flatly.
HazelPaw bristled, anxiety creeping up her spine.
HatchPaw doesn't even seem to care!